Professional Documents
Culture Documents
We all know the format of the normal club meeting, but conducting an
identical meeting week after week is boring and predictable. This
document compiles ideas for making meetings interesting and lively by
using variety and creativity. By keeping basic meeting structure and
tasks and using variations on the traditional, we keep out of the
proverbial rut. Within this structure the only limits are the
imagination of the Toastmaster or the meeting planner. Most
meetings can include the normal activities of evaluations, table topics,
timer, ah counter, grammarian, etc. without dampening the interest.
(Special credit is given to the various TM clubs’ Internet postings from which many
of the ideas are drawn.)
Norman Frickey
DTM
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SPICE IT UP: "Spice" up the meeting with actual spice samples,
asking speakers to combine them in creative ways and describe the
taste/smell experience.
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TABLE TOPICS MEETING: Toastmaster can ask for full-length
speeches in response to Table Topics questions; call on evaluators at
random--everyone must listen equally well to every speaker, as they
don't know which one they'll evaluate. A variation is to have the
Toastmaster start a story and the remaining speakers continue it (each
timed at 1 – 2 minutes) and the final speaker or the Toastmaster
conclude it. Another possibility is to have ask the first speaker to select
from a list of authors, then read the opening line from a story or novel.
BREAK THE ICE AGAIN: Assign old and new members to give
talks about themselves. This is a good opportunity for members to
know more about their fellow members. This could be the first speech
in another Basic Manual for those who have achieved their CC, and are
working on their AC; members should understand that they can
achieve multiple CCs, ACs, and DTMs, working on more that one
manual at a time. This can be varied to have all (or many) members
give a shorter Ice Breaker.
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SPEAKER/EVALUATOR EXCHANGE: Arrange to exchange
members and or have a joint meeting with a nearby Club. For
example your club sends a speaker and evaluator to a nearby club;
they send a speaker and evaluator to your club. In each case the
speaker is evaluated by an evaluator from a different club. Both clubs
get a new speaker and a fresh evaluation. The speakers and
evaluators involved have the opportunity to speak in a different setting
without leaving the Toastmasters' environment.
For variety invite a speaker from another non-neighbor club. D26 can
assist … contact Nick Samoylov at 720-280-6662 or email at
nsamoylov@hotmail.com for more information.
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MICROPHONE MEETING: We may be called upon to speak or
perform using a microphone. If your clubroom does not normally
provide microphone capability, occasionally plan a meeting in a
different location or have someone bring in a sound system, and
require everyone to use the microphone during their presentation.
An educational feature discussing microphone use would be a great
opening event.
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or two before the meeting. The two prepared speeches are the
opening arguments by the prosecutor and defense attorney. Table
topics is the testimony of the witnesses.
ROLE PLAYING: The group acts out a situation; usually no script, and
no set dialogue. Two or more members make up parts and develop a
story situation on a designated idea.
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SEMINAR: Invite an authoritative professional to present a talk on a
topic related to his expertise. Provide for a question and answer period
following the presentation. Advertise this special event to the
community.
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SUCCESS LEADERSHIP MEETINGS: Use the Success Leadership
modules as a basis for the meeting or for parts of the meeting for
several weeks. This is good way to use the skills of the experienced
Toastmasters in the club, provide the information in the modules to
the club members, and receive credit for a Success Leadership Module.
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Feature poetry or an author: Have a Poetry Meeting where
everyone who wants to read poems brings one or two of their
favorites. The previous meeting could have featured a member who is
into poetry or a local poet. You can then have everyone write and
read an original poem. Check out the Internet for samples of formula
poetry from acclaimed poets that can be written by everyone (An “I
am __________” poem, for example). Rotate the reading/reciting
during the time allotment for the speakers giving all a change to read.
A variation is to spotlight one author or poet such as Shakespeare or
Longfellow, etc. Where the speakers and Table Topics are form the
selected author.
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Manual" or "Manage and Motivate" from Speeches by Managers. Ideas
from other clubs can be "A Fact-Finding Report" from Speaking to
Inform. The round robin discussion can be "Round Robin" from The
Discussion Leader.
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series of modules can be presented and can be presented much like a
Speechcraft. This allows you to have a membership event without
competing with other clubs who may be offering Speechcraft at the
same time.
Your club, in collaboration with other clubs, can organize and conduct
a mini-contest; however, in order to avoid confusion it is suggested
that you not use “Contest” in naming the event. For instance you
could hold a Tall Tales Extravaganza. If your club is adventuresome,
host a Controversial Topics Event/competition.
For table topics, have each participant evaluate one of the speakers.
to encourage people to look at the speech in different ways. Copy
blank evaluation pages for other projects. Place a speakers name on
each page so each speaker receives the same number of evaluations.
There should be one person who has the speaker’s manual and do the
official evaluation. The official evaluators can participate as part of
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table topics or as part of the normal evaluation section of the
meeting. The official evaluators should be scheduled ahead of time so
they can contact the speakers and check for any special objectives.
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