So you're thinking about visiting a Gilbert Toastmasters meeting. Maybe a coworker suggested it, maybe you found us online, or maybe you've decided this is the year you finally get comfortable speaking in front of people. Whatever brought you here, you probably have one big question: what am I actually walking into?
Good news. It's friendlier and more relaxed than you might expect, and nobody is going to make you do anything you don't want to. Here's what to expect.
When will you speak?
Let's answer the nervous question first. As a visitor, you'll have up to three chances to speak, and every single one is low-pressure.
A quick hello at the start. When the meeting begins, the President invites the guests to introduce themselves. This is about as easy as it gets, usually less than a minute. Just something like "Hi, I'm Jane, and my colleague told me I had to check this place out." No speech, no pressure, just your name and maybe a sentence about what brought you in.
Table Topics, if you want it. Once in a while, the Table Topics Master will open a question to the guests as a group. The first guest to raise their hand gets to answer it. This doesn't happen at every meeting, and there's never any pressure to volunteer, but if you're feeling brave, your hand can be the one that goes up.
Your thoughts at the end. Near the close, the President will often ask our guests what they thought of the meeting. Since we usually run tight on time, you might hear "quickly" or "in about 20 seconds." And when there's a big group of visitors, our President Elle has been known to keep it even simpler and ask for your thoughts in just one word. Our advice? Just tell us how great we are and we'll be delighted.
That's the whole extent of it. No one will put you on the spot or ask you to give a speech. You're here to watch and get a feel for the place.
Now, here's what you'll actually be watching.
The four parts of a meeting
A Gilbert meeting has four main sections, and here's what each one is about.
1. The functionary roles
These are the members who keep the meeting running, and each has a specific job. A few you'll notice:
- Word of the Day. This person picks a word for the meeting and keeps a tally of who manages to use it. It's a fun challenge.
- Joke Master. One of the tougher jobs in the room: deliver a joke or two and actually make us laugh. Harder than it sounds.
- Ah-Counter. The infamous Toastmasters role. This person holds a clicker and clicks each time someone uses a filler word like "um," "so," or "you know." It sounds harsh, but it genuinely helps. Cutting the filler words is one of the fastest ways to sound more confident and polished. And don't worry, as a visitor, you won't be clicked.
There are more of them than that, and you can read what each one does on our meeting roles page.
2. Table Topics
This is our impromptu speaking section, and it's often the most fun part of the meeting. The Table Topics Master asks a question, and a member answers it on the spot, speaking for at least one minute and no more than two.
Sounds easy, until you're the one standing there. This part is all about practicing how to speak with someone you don't know, whether that's networking, a job interview, or just thinking on your feet under a little pressure. It's a skill you'll use far beyond this room. (And as noted above, this is where you're welcome to jump in if you'd like to try it.)
3. The prepared speeches
At Gilbert, we always feature three prepared speakers. Most speeches run five to seven minutes.
These speeches come from Pathways, the Toastmasters education program. Pathways gives members projects designed to build specific skills, and every speaker is working toward a goal. It starts with the Icebreaker, where you learn to introduce yourself, then moves into projects that work on things like body gestures and vocal variety, all the way up to advanced skills like leading a panel. So when you watch our three speakers, you're seeing people at different stages of the same journey, each one deliberately practicing something new.
As a visitor, you get to sit back, listen, and enjoy. It's a great chance to see what's possible and picture yourself up there one day.
4. The evaluations
After the speeches comes the feedback portion, and it's one of the things that makes Toastmasters special. Every prepared speech gets an evaluation.
The evaluator's goal is twofold: first, to point out what the speaker did well, so everyone in the room can borrow those techniques for their own speeches, and second, to offer one or two opportunities for growth, a suggestion or two to make the speech even more impactful. It's always supportive and constructive, meant to encourage and help people improve, never to tear anyone down. Listening to this part gives you a real feel for how much people here root for each other.
And that's a meeting!
Four sections, three chances to speak if you want them, and a whole lot of people who are glad you came. You'll leave having watched folks practice a real, useful skill in a room that's warm, encouraging, and probably more fun than you expected.
The best part? You can visit as a guest as many times as you like, with zero obligation. Come see for yourself.
We meet Thursdays at 7:00 PM, 101 S Greenfield Rd, Gilbert, AZ 85296. Guests are always welcome, no reservation needed. We'd love to meet you.