Q. What can Toastmasters do for me?

A. Whether you're a professional, student, stay-at-home parent, or retiree, Toastmasters is the best way to improve your communication skills. Toastmasters can help you lose the fear of public speaking and learn skills that will help you be more successful in whatever path you've chosen. You'll become a better listener, learn to easily lead teams and conduct meetings and you'll comfortably give and receive constructive evaluations. You already have some or all of these skills. In Toastmasters, you will learn great ways to enhance them.

Q. How does Toastmasters work?

A. At Toastmasters, members learn by speaking to groups and working with others in a supportive environment. A typical Toastmasters club is made up of 10 to 20 people who meet once a week for about an hour. Each meeting gives everyone an opportunity to practice:

• Conducting meetings. Meetings usually begin with a short business session which helps members learn basic meeting procedures.
• Giving impromptu speeches. Probably the funnest part of each meeting, members present one-to two-minute impromptu speeches on assigned topics.
• Presenting prepared speeches. Members present speeches based on projects from the Toastmasters International Communication and Leadership Program manuals. Projects cover such topics as speech organization, voice, language, gestures, and persuasion.
• Offering constructive evaluation. Every prepared speaker is assigned an evaluator who points out speech strengths and offers suggestions for improvement.

Q. What are the tools Toastmasters use?

A. Upon joining a Toastmasters club, each new member receives a variety of manuals and resources on speaking. Members also have access to other books as well as excellent audios and videos on speaking and leading. They also receive the award-winning The Toastmaster, a monthly magazine that offers the latest insights on speaking and leadership techniques.

Q. Who can join the Kaiser Toastmasters Club?

A. Kaiser Toastmasters is open to the public. We welcome all new members regardless if they are employed at Kaiser Permanente or not. Several of our current members come from the community and find the location and time of meetings convenient for their schedule.

Q. How much does it cost?

A. New members pay a fee which covers the cost of their Communications and Leadership manuals. Ongoing fees for Toastmasters International and the Kaiser Club occur every six months. The amount you pay when you join is pro-rated based on the month that you join. Many public speaking courses and/or workshops cost many times more than what you pay to join a Toastmasters club, and those workshops won't give you the continuous practice that is essential for mastering and maintaining speaking skills. Since most employers know the value of a Toastmasters program for their employees, check with your employer to see if you can be reimbursed.

Have a question not answered here?
Use the e-mail links in the left column of this page to contact club officers and members who can help. We look forward to hearing from you!