What is the schedule?
Coral Gables Toastmasters meets the second and fourth Wednesdays of each month from 7:00 to 9:00pm. (The "Calendar" page has a list of dates and special events.)
What's the meeting agenda?
Meetings are always structured the same way - unless there is a special contest. Each meeting has a "theme" which can be anything (home improvements, summer plans, etc). The agenda is as follows:
1.) Introductions - We introduce ourselves and say something relating to the theme of the meeting (very brief).
2.) Table Topics - Most people find this the most challenging. For each meeting, someone volunteers beforehand to be the Table Topics Master. This person prepares five or six interesting topics for a short (2-3 minute) extemporaneous talk. The Table Topics Master then picks a different member to speak on each of the preselected topics. Experienced Toastmasters get very creative at turning the subject around to something they feel comfortable talking about.
3.) Prepared Speeches - Each meeting there are up to three prepared speeches. Members sign up to give these speeches beforehand whenever they feel ready. There is no requirement concerning how many speeches you must give or how frequently you must speak. Prepared speeches are usually 5 - 7 minutes.
4.) Evaluations - Each prepared speech is evaluated by one member of the club. Evaluations are always done in a positive manner. The evaluator identifies the strong points of the speech and gives suggestions as to what might have made the speech even better.
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