“Words are, of course, the most
powerful drug used by
mankind.”
- Rudyard Kipling

Typical Meeting

The meeting begins with an opening by the Segeant at Arms, calling the meeting to order followed by an introduction from the club President or acting President and guest introductions.

Following this, the Toastmaster take control over proceedings, giving a short opening on the theme for the evening. Once the theme is introduced the Toastmaster asks the member designated for the Toast to give a short toast up to 1 minute in length. The Toastmaster then introduces the HarkMaster who gives everyone the "Word of the Day" - which members and guests are encouraged to incorporate into their verbal dialogue throughout the meeting as much as possible.

The Toastmaster then poses a question to all members and asks for members to stand one at a time, introduce themselves to fellow members and guests and answer the question given.

Once the member introductions have finished, the Toastmaster then calls for the Chair, who calls the Business meeting to order. The business meeting is a forum where administrative matters affecting the club are addressed. Parliamentary procedure and Robert's Rule of Order are used to conduct the business meeting. At the end of the business meeting, if time permits the chair calls for any "frivolous business". This is an opportunity for all members and guests to practice rules of order in a fun, light-hearted way.

After the Business meeting has been adjourned, the Toastmaster introduces the Table Topics Master. The Table Topics Master poses short questions, usually based on the theme of the evening. They then ask a member or guest to stand and deliver an impromptu speech between 1 minute and 1 minute 30 seconds in length in repsonse to their question.

Table Topics are followed by a short break, usually 5 to 10 minutes in length.

The break is followed by the prepared speeches, typically 5-7 minutes each, which are given by several members of the club on specific subjects.

Once the speeches have finished, the Toastmaster then introduces the General Evaluator, who introduces the individual evaluators and evaluates the meeting as a whole. The General Evaluation also consists of reports from the Timer, Grammarian, Ah Counter and if time permits, the Hark Master. For information on each of these roles, click here.

With the General Evaluation complete, the Toastmaster then quickly wraps up the proceedings and hands control back to the President. At this time, guests are asked if they have any comments on the meeting, annoucements are made (if any) and the President adjourns the meeting.

How Do I Join?
If you are interested in finding out more about our club, you are welcome to come sit in on meetings as a guest. There are no obligations. Guests are always welcome, and you are generally not required to participate.

If you do decide to join our club, generally all you need to do is fill in the application form, pay the club due, and that's about it! The Vice-President Membership or other members of the club will provide you with the necessary information you need. For more information, please read our Common Frequently Asked Questions page.

Check out the Toastmasters International website for more information.