Marking 10 years of public speaking

COEUR d'ALENE - They have spent a decade improving public speaking one speech at a time.

Members of the Talk of the Town Toastmasters club are celebrating the group's 10th anniversary next month.

"Our mission is to provide a mutually supportive environment in which every individual member has the opportunity to develop oral communication and leadership skills, which in turn foster self-confidence and personal growth," said Jeremy Duncan, president and three-year club member.

Typically, a Toastmasters meeting consists of two speakers who present for 5-7 minutes per meeting. An evaluator then takes about three minutes to critique each speech. After the two main speeches, the club holds Table Topics, which is an impromptu speech where a question is posed around the theme of the meeting. The speaker then has two minutes to answer the question.

The grammarian presents the "word of the day," which all speakers should use at some point during the meeting, Duncan said. The club also has a person who counts all filler words that are used in each speech, such as "uh" and "um." Before the meeting concludes, the general evaluator shares how the overall flow of the meeting went and suggests any improvement that can be made.

"It's just a real friendly encouraging environment," Duncan said. "That's our focus."

Duncan said the reason he joined Toastmasters was to improve his interpersonal communications and business relations. He said his public speaking went from disjointed to more organized. The club has improved multiple levels of communication for him.

Scott Moore, who has been a club member for a little more than a year, said his employer originally suggested he join to help improve his communication skills. Moore was pleasantly surprised with the club and decided to become an active member.

"They were very welcoming when I first went. I wouldn't say that I ever felt uncomfortable, but I didn't know what to expect," he said. "After one meeting that really went away."

It has helped him become a better listener by having to evaluate other members' speeches.

"If you are not a good listener, you can't be a good evaluator," Moore said. "I think that I have become a better listener, which makes me a much better salesperson."

When new members come into the club, as they progress, you can see them improve, said John Durrant, club treasurer. Durrant has been a member around four years and attends the meetings regularly with his wife, Maura.

"Before I joined, I would look back and scrutinize what I said and wish I said things differently," he said. "I can say I am much more confident now."

Durrant said Toastmasters has also gotten him involved in different contests around the region. There are 14,650 Toastmasters clubs in 126 countries, according to Toastmasters International. Twice a year there are international contests.

"It definitely anchors me in, to great extent, into the community, and it's something I appreciate from the relationships I've met through Toastmasters," Durrant said.

The club holds weekly meetings from 7-8:15 a.m. Thursdays at the Coeur d'Alene Fire Department Station 3, 1500 N. 15th St.

Club dues are $48 every six months.

The group will celebrate its anniversary on Thursday, Feb. 19, with a meeting and party from 7-8:30 a.m. at the fire station.

Duncan said original, current and former club members are welcome to participate in the celebration.

"It's going to be a good showing and I look forward to it," Duncan said.

The club will have a routine meeting and give everyone who attends a chance to speak. Duncan said anyone is welcome to join, and anyone is free to attend a meeting as a guest to get a feel for the club.

Info: bit.ly/TalkofTheTownToastmasters