Toastmasters tries to ease the strain of public speaking

Can you imagine being a public speaker? Do your knees shake at the thought?

Tori Libby of West Chicago has been a speaker for Amplify Youth Development for almost 10 years and a member of Toastmasters for six.

She says her experience with Toastmasters helped develop her public speaking skills and gave her the confidence to face an audience of teens and keep their attention while persuading them to make healthy choices.

A nonprofit organization, Toastmasters has been around since 1924 helping people learn to be better speakers. The group tries to appeal to people from all walks of life, from the business executive to the owner of the shop around the corner, from the high school senior to the retiree.

Whether you are looking to add to your resume, enhance your value on the job, or simply be more comfortable around people, club members say participants find encouragement and a supportive atmosphere at Toastmasters meetings.

The group’s website says meetings are a “learn-by-doing workshop in which participants hone their speaking and leadership skills in a no-pressure atmosphere. There is no instructor in a Toastmasters meeting. Instead, members evaluate one another’s presentations. This feedback process is a key part of the program’s success.

“Meeting participants also give impromptu talks on assigned topics, conduct meetings and develop skills related to time-keeping, grammar and parliamentary procedure.”

For details or to find a club near you, visit toastmasters.org.