In District 55, some Toastmasters are quite certain that every club meeting, every contest, every event should open with the Pledge of Allegiance, and teach this to new and existing clubs. Toastmasters International has very little to say on the matter, but let’s take a look at what is in...

On December 14, 2013 I had the honor of delivering a Toastmasters Leadership Institute (TLI) session to teach attendees about how to run Table Topics in their clubs. Perhaps my notes of that workshop will be beneficial to others. I decided to have the attendees themselves do most of the talking. I like to make sessions interactive and engaging. Also, I’m...

Table Topics are often undervalued in Toastmasters. Sure, they’re fun. Sure, they are a great way to break the ice with people not yet comfortable giving a full speech. But Table Topics are far more valuable than that. In my opinion, they should be considered an opportunity to train our skills in delivering eloquent, well-structured speeches with little to no...

Passing the Gavel Extend the gavel handle first when passing it off (for example, in an officer induction ceremony) Sounding the Gavel How many times do you pound the gavel on the lectern or table to open or close a meeting? Striking a surface with the gavel is known as sounding, rapping, tapping or knocking the gavel. Often people say they “bang the...

Table Topics: when anyone can have the chance to speak impromptu for 1-2 minutes. It’s fun, it prepares you for job interviews, it helps you learn to give speeches with less preparation and less reliance on scripts, and did I mention it’s fun? (Why are they called “Table Topics” anyway? What kind of name is that?) Table Topics can be the most...

Table Topics can be far and away the most creative part of the meeting! Not just in what the Table Topics speakers say, but what the Topicsmaster comes up with. Look for approaches to Table Topics that have never been tried in your club before. Once in a while, turn common approaches or Table Topics best practices. What if each topic was affected by the previous...

Page 71 of the Competent Communication manual briefly mentions that the general evaluator is responsible for the members of the evaluation team, including the “Table Topics evaluator if your club has one.” This brief allusion to this optional role is practically all Toastmasters International has to say on the matter. It is an official Toastmasters...