Toastmasters Can Feed Your Appetite

by Cindy Schwarz

Sebastian Fellsmere Toastmasters meeting is the place to be. Members satiate their knowledge with speaking and leadership skills, while indulging their stomachs with a southern style burger, deep fried catfish or a bowl of swamp cabbage: it’s mind and body learning simultaneously. This north county Toastmasters Club meets at Marsh Landing Restaurant at 44 N. Broadway St. in Fellsmere.

The Toastmaster organization was founded by Dr. Ralph C. Smedley in Santa Anna, California in 1924. The club’s function is to help people learn effective techniques to better themselves with public speaking and leadership skills. Members can join at age 18 and remain for life. There isn’t any age limit.

“It’s an organization where you can take a job that you don’t know in order to learn how to do it without getting fired,” said Ron Parpart, a former District 84 Governor and a past District Evaluation Champion.

According to Ron, there are three types of people who ordinarily join Toastmasters: people terrified of public speaking, those who are already good speakers and want to hone their abilities, and people whom English is a second language.

Pim Love, DTM

For Pim Love, English was a second language. Joining was a necessity. Originally from Thailand, Pim works at Rockwell-Collins in Melbourne, Florida.  Her supervisor insisted she join Toastmasters to improve her English. It was 1983 and Pim made $3.60/hour as an assembler.

Advancing at the company was not an option for Pim. She would have to learn to speak English more fluently. At Toastmasters, Pim learned proper English by speaking in front of people. She learned leadership skills, too. Today Pim, a former college dropout, returned to college because of her confident English, has a B.A. degree, and has advanced six times at Rockwell-Collins.

For anyone not certain about joining Toastmasters, Ron Parpart has some pertinent advice.

“Go visit two or three clubs before you decide. You’ll find one that fits,” said Ron.

And that’s the message Pim wants to get out about Toastmasters. Join, improve your English, learn to dispel the fright demons, and meet new friends. The atmosphere at the Sebastian Fellsmere club is one of camaraderie and good will. Each club has a certain environment —theirs is homey, inviting. A language barrier need not deter anyone.

Current Sebastian Fellsmere club members include a Home Depot greeter, a Goodwill employee, a photographer, several retirees, and even a female sailboat captain. Diversity is key to inviting people from all walks of life, all stages of their careers. Anytime is a grand time to join. Speaking better, leading better has no time limits.

Toastmaster members learn their skills by continually practicing them. At each meeting there is “Table Topics” where members are put on the spot and ad-lib a story. Table Topics experience is great for job interviewing and thinking on your feet.

Other times the speech topic is known well in advance and members rehearse and practice beforehand.  The first speech a new member gives is his or her “Ice Breaker” which is about them, their story. Time limits are attached to each story. New members learn to time others as well.

Speaking skills are also honed by feedback. Members evaluate and give positive, reinforcing feedback. Leadership skills are learned by volunteering for cabinet posts and club duties. The variety of speeches and leadership posts is conducive to continuous learning and improvement.  Skills learned are always in demand.

National club dues are $36 every six months. There are no local club dues. The Sebastian Fellsmere club holds an auction twice yearly. Items sold include those presents anyone wants to re-gift, gently used “antiques” and any number of “priceless artifacts”. Members bid on each item and the highest bidder buys the item. 

Money generated from these auctions goes to purchase trophies for winners of speaking and leadership contests. In 2008, Pim Love won the Toastmasters District International Speech Competition. Competing against nearly 1,000 contestants, Pim won with her, “Why did the Chicken Cross the Road” speech. It’s available to view on YouTube.

Toastmaster members can go on to national prominence. National level winners are oftentimes in- demand speakers who garner extraordinary speaking salaries. Toastmaster skills can open up some very diverse avenues.

Formally, the Sebastian Fellsmere Toastmasters Club met at the North County Library. In 2010, they relocated their meetings to Marsh Landing in Fellsmere, Florida. They meet the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month at 6:30 p.m.