Twice-Monthly Toastmasters Meeting

Columbia Toastmasters meet on the first and third Mondays of the month, except for public holidays when meeting gets pushed to the Monday after.

Meeting Structure:

Our meetings begin with host of the meeting explaining the purpose of Toastmasters and describing the structure of the meeting. The host also asks guests to introduce themselves and explain why they came to the meeting. Next, a member gives an Invocation or Word of the Day. This is followed by prepared speeches from members, usually 5-7 minutes. There is an opportunity for three prepared speeches each meeting typically. After each speech, members and guests are encouraged to provide brief written feedback and vote for best speaker.

After the prepared speeches, a member hosts Table Topics. Table Topics is an opportunity for both members and guests to practice improvised speeches by answering a question on the spot for one to two minutes. The number of participants ranges from four to eight typically. At the conclusion of Table Topics, members and guests vote for the best speaker.

After Table Topics, a member who has signed up to be the General Evaluator for the meeting explains the next part of the meeting-- evaluations. For each of the speaker's who gave a prepared speech at the meeting, another member gives a two to three minute speech to deliver feedback. At the conclusion of these speeches, members and guest vote for the best evaluator. The General Evaluator also shares his or her thoughts on the meeting as a whole.

Lastly, before concluding the meeting, the meeting host and/or club officers ask guests for feedback, share club news, and announce the winners for Best Speaker, Best Evaluator, and Best Table Topic speaker.

**Please note that the Meetup site is used primarily to help people find our club. Guests are welcome anytime at meetings and attending a meeting as a guest is a great way to find out if the club is right for you. Becoming a member of the club requires paying dues twice a year. The dues cover the cost of space that we rent for meetings and the support provided by Toastmasters International that includes learning materials, online resources, and other support.