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From: Pam
Date: 21 Oct 2011
Time: 18:50:40 -0500
Remote Name: 67.248.218.106
Hi Margaret, thanks for reading and commenting. Like I mention in my piece, it's a good idea for anyone thinking of joining Toastmasters to visit one or more clubs once or twice before joining. You can get a good sense of the club climate by observing as a guest - you can tell the energy, vibe, and how members treat each other and guests. Some people may find "safety in numbers" by encouraging a friend to go along with them. That's up to you - if you find it really hard to move out of your comfort zone, you might want to bring along a friend. But if that person really has no interest in public speaking or getting better at it, it may not be best to do that. Making the decision to join an social club - Toastmasters, Rotary, Women's group, networking clubs - requires a risk. The best thing I can advise is to remember that at one time, every member at Toastmasters was new at first. I don't think any TM group would be down-right rude or disrespectful, but you can always tell subtle things. If you don't see members genuinely praising someone for their first speech, or you see people side talking while someone is speaking, generally that's a good clue that maybe you should visit a different club. Go check it out. It's always a good experience, and the networking potential is priceless. ~Pam