How can I contact you?
All our contact information is on our Contact Information.
Who can attend?
Anyone interested in developing their communication skills in a supportive environment!
Where and how often to you meet?
Palolo Toastmasters meets every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of every month at 7:00 PM at The Charles Atherton Richards House, part of the Atherton YMCA. It is located at 1810 University Avenue. The club meetings are held in the lobby study room of the student dormitory. Please visit the meeting information page for more information.
Can I come visit your group without obligation?
Absolutely! We encourage anyone interested in joining a Toastmasters group to come and visit our group. This is the best way to decide if this group and Toastmasters is for you!
What does membership cost?
There is a $48.00 membership fee due to Toastmasters International every 6 months. Club dues vary according to the number of active members belonging to the club - club dues are currently $12.00 to cover the rental fees for our meeting room, and are collected every 6 months along with the $36.00 dues for Toastmasters International. There is also a first time (one time only) fee of $20.00, which covers the expenses for your manuals and other materials that you will use during your time with Toastmasters.
Do I have to attend every week?
No. Unlike some other Toastmasters clubs, our club meets only twice a month, specifically to accomodate busy schedules and to allow our members at least a week between meetings to prepare their presentations for the next meeting. We encourage members to attend as often as possible but your attendance is entirely dependent on your own time schedule. We only ask that if you know you will not be available for a particular meeting, that you do us the courtesy of notifying us in advance to allow us to firm up the upcoming meeting's agenda.
Is individual mentoring available?
Yes! Palolo Toastmasters has a membership whose speaking skills and experience cover a broad range from polished and professional to uniquely 'island-style". We encourage our new members to seek out the mentoring and advice of the speaker whose style most represents the style they aspire to.
How do I control nervousness when speaking?
Feeling some nervousness before giving a speech is natural and healthy. It shows you care about doing well. But, too much nervousness can be detrimental. Here's how you can control your nervousness and make effective, memorable presentations: Know the room. Be familiar with the place in which you will speak. Arrive early, walk around the speaking area and practice using the microphone and any visual aids. Know the audience. Greet some of the audience as they arrive. It's easier to speak to a group of friends than to a group of strangers. Know your material. If you're not familiar with your material or are uncomfortable with it, your nervousness will increase. Practice your speech and revise it if necessary. Relax. Ease tension by doing exercises. Visualize yourself giving your speech. Imagine yourself speaking, your voice loud, clear, and assured. When you visualize yourself as successful, you will be successful. Realize that people want you to succeed. Audiences want you to be interesting, stimulating, informative, and entertaining. They don't want you to fail. Don't apologize. If you mention your nervousness or apologize for any problems you think you have with your speech, you may be calling the audience's attention to something they hadn't noticed. Keep silent. Concentrate on the message -- not the medium. Focus your attention away from your own anxieties, and outwardly toward your message and your audience. Your nervousness will dissipate. Turn nervousness into positive energy. Harness your nervous energy and transform it into vitality and enthusiasm. Gain experience. Experience builds confidence, which is the key to effective speaking. A Toastmasters club can provide the experience you need.
What Can I expect at a Toastmaster's Meeting?
(How Toastmasters works:) At Toastmasters, members learn by speaking to groups and working with others in a supportive environment. A typical Toastmasters club is made up of 20 to 30 people who meet once a week for about an hour. Each meeting gives everyone an opportunity to practice: (Conducting meetings) Meetings usually contain a short business session which helps members learn basic meeting procedures. (Giving impromptu speeches) Members present one to two-minute impromptu speeches on assigned topics. (Presenting prepared speeches) Three or more 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. (The Tools You Use) 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 audio and video cassettes 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. (Toastmasters and Leadership). Leadership cannot be learned in a day. It takes practice. In Toastmasters members build leadership skills by organizing and conducting meetings and motivating others to help them. Club leadership roles and a leadership development program also offer opportunities to learn and practice. Just as Toastmasters members learn to speak simply by speaking, they learn leadership by leading.