My Membership With Toastmasters.
I will never forget my first Toastmasters meeting. Right on cue at 6:00PM, I entered the restaurant known as China Kitchen for the very first time, with a mixture of trepidation and curiosity, only to find two rows of tables, with a podium in the center. Every place setting had a voting form, a printed agenda, comment sheets, and a large placard bearing a number between one and twenty-five. This was Ventura Toastmasters Club 24, and little did I know it, but that day—that day in particular—I had elected to sign up for a wild rollercoaster ride that would test and try me, but that would also make me a better, and even more confident, person.
As I compose this, I look to my left, and can clearly discern the dozens and dozens of blue ribbons hanging on my cork board, each bearing the seal of TOASTMASTERS INTERNATIONAL. Some are awards for Best Table Topics; some are awards for Best Evaluator, and, finally, some of them correspond to the coveted status of Best Speaker. Additionally, I have a full-size certificate awarding me the status of Competent Communicator, which is electronically signed by both the International President of Toastmasters, and its Chief Executive Officer.
What does all this mean?-you may ask. Well, each Toastmasters meeting consists of both Table Topics and prepared speeches, as well as evaluations. The Table Topics are simply extemporaneous, short speaking sessions, about topics that are given at random. The prepared speeches typically range from five to seven minutes, and the subject matter can often be decided by the speaker. Finally, the evaluations are designed as metrics to help the speakers for the evening become even more proficient at their jobs. For each category, by definition, there needs to be a winner.
I continue to be shocked by how much I have advanced in the club since I first joined, in 2014. When I initially started out, the Table Topics were extremely stressful for me. I could often feel my stomach writhing, as anticipatory anxiety every Monday would render me uncomfortable and in a way incapacitated. However, once my mentor, Kathy, promoted me to a position within the club known as Sergeant at Arms, the anxiety seemed to vanish with barely a trace. Giving back to the club by helping set up and take down the meetings was incredibly rewarding for me, and to this day I am incredibly grateful to Kathy for suggesting this option for me. I am also indebted to my kind and caring psychiatrist, Dr. Daniel Flynn, for encouraging me to join Toastmasters in the first place.
What are some of the main terms I associate with Toastmasters? Rewarding. Loving. Supportive. Encouraging. Challenging. Eye-opening. Each and every meeting is different, and, over these nine years, I have had the privilege of getting to know some truly unique and friendly individuals, who share my passion for public speaking. I wouldn’t trade my Club 24 membership in for anything, and I continue to look forward to our special and fun meetings, each and every Monday—on Zoom or in person.