Membership

What are the requirements for membership?

The only requirement is a desire to improve your public speaking skills. Oh, and you must be over 18 years of age.

Is membership open to everyone?

Yes! Peachtree City Toastmasters is not just for Peachtree City residents. Anyone over the age of 18 can apply to become a member of the club.

I like your club. How do I become a member?

We're honored that you decided to join our club. However, we encourage you to visit several clubs in the area to get a feel of the clubs' atmosphere and determine which club is right for you. There are two other clubs nearby, the High Noon Toastmasters in Fayetteville (semi-monthly meetings Tuesdays at noon) and the Westpark Toastmasters (semi-monthly meetings Thursdays at noon). If you still want to join our club, all you have to do is fill out a membership application form at any of our meetings and give us a check for the pro-rated membership fees.

How much does membership cost?

You can visit our club as many times as you want for free. If you feel our club is right for you, you can become a member for $45 for 6 months. First time members of Toastmasters also pay a $20 initiation fee. Membership includes speech manuals and a subscription to Toastmaster magazine (12 issues/year).

Meetings

When do you meet?

Our club meets the first and third Monday between 7:00 - 8:15 PM at the Kedron Village Kroger Community room in Peachtree City, GA. See the Directions to our club page for more information. Membership is open to everyone and guests are always welcome! Just show up, no need to RSVP!

What happens in a typical club meeting?

A typical meeting in our club consists of 2-3 members delivering prepared speeches, followed by an impromptu speaking session lead by a Table Topics Master. This is followed by evaluations of the prepared speakers by different evaluators. The meeting ends with presentation of awards for best prepared speaker, best Table Topics speaker & best evaluator. During the meeting, various members are tracking parameters for each speaker like time taken for speech, number of filler words used ("ah", "um", "er", "like", "you know", etc.), number of grammatical errors made, etc.

I'm a guest. Will I be asked to speak?

Fear not, guests are not required to deliver speeches! However, please be prepared to introduce yourself to the club (How you found us, where you are coming from, where you work, why you would like to join Toastmasters, etc.).

Do I have to attend every meeting?

No. While we prefer that you attend all meetings, it's OK to miss the occasional meeting. We recognize that people in the Peachtree City area typically travel out of town far more often than most people.

Do I have to deliver a speech at every meeting?

No. You can choose from a variety of roles to perform at a meeting. You can be an evaluator, an ah-counter, a timer, a grammarian or you can just listen to the speeches of other members. Listening skills are just as valuable as speaking skills and a Toastmasters meeting encourages development of both.

Speeches

How long is each speech?

A prepared speech from the Basic Manual is typically 5-7 minutes long. Speeches from advanced manuals can be up to 20 minutes long! Table topics responses are 1-2 minutes while evaluations are between 2-3 minutes.

What is a "Prepared Speech"?

A prepared speech is one where a member chooses a topic and prepares a speech on that topic in advance. The member then delivers the speech in front of the club within a certain time limit. Prepared speeches are usually based on a manual and must meet the objectives defined in the manual. Prepared speeches are always evaluated by another member known as the evaluator.

What is an "Evaluation"?

One of the principal benefits of Toastmasters is that the speaker gets feedback about his speech soon after he has finished speaking. Typically a more experienced member acts as an "evaluator" and briefs the speaker on how the speaker can improve the speech.

What is "Table Topics"?

Table Topics is an impromptu speaking session that forces you to think on your feet! One of the club members acts as a Table Topics Master and leads a discussion on 1 or more topics he/she has selected. Other members do not know these topics in advance. When called upon, they must think on their feet and respond in a cogent & coherent manner.

Am I assigned a topic for a speech or can I choose my speech topics?

For prepared speeches, the speaker chooses the topic. For table topics, the table topics master chooses the topic.

I need more information. How can I contact you?