Oregon Trail Toastmasters Club

The Pros and Cons of Oregon Trail Toastmasters

Our Club

We have always been a small Toastmasters Club due to the time that we meet; however, our membership as been growing recently.

Our goals are to:
1. Direct more energy to increasing our club membership. (Our club has been in existence non-stop since 1946.)

2. Our meetings are now weekly unless there is a holiday or special circumstance.

If you are making a decision about which club to join, perhaps the following will help. Regardless of which club you join, for relatively minimal dues you will find that Toastmasters will enhance both your speaking and listening skills in a safe constructive environment. The dues also cover the cost of a monthly magazine, and an excellent set of instructional booklets.

Negative

1. Yes, 6:45 am is early.
2. Other clubs are based primarily upon formal speeches while we allow members to work on the items they need or want in order to grow in their desire to be better communicators and/or leaders.

Positive

1. We meet early in the morning to not interfere with work schedules. We also are concerned that meeting later in the day would be difficult because of people getting off work at different times, family, dinner, etc.

2. Our current mix of different meeting “themes” evolved from the needs and desires of our members. Our club sends out an email survey every two months to determine your current needs and what types of meetings help the most. Members have repeatedly chosen debates, tabletopics (brief off the cuff speeches) and a few other types of meetings as most helpful.

3. You will speak far more often than in most other clubs.

4. We do schedule formal speeches, and those members who prefer to give formal speeches have a chance to do so more frequently than would be the case in large clubs.

5. We also have area contests twice a year, which enables members who win the club contest to speak before a larger group. If you win the Area contest, you then would speak at the Division contest, and so on. Over the years, even though we are a small club, our members have won a disproportionate number of contests.

6. We pride ourselves about giving constructive feedback, and I think we
give as much or more feedback than any club of which I am aware.

7. We are blessed with a pleasant, quiet meeting room, with easy free
parking.

8. If you wish to eat before, during, or after the meeting, the hospital
cafeteria provides inexpensive and nutritious food.