You’ll open up a world of new possibilities: giving better work presentations; leading meetings – and participating in them – more confidently; speaking more smoothly off the cuff; even handling one-on-one interactions with family, friends and colleagues more positively.
The environment in a Toastmasters club is friendly and supportive. Everyone at a Toastmasters meeting feels welcome and valued – from complete beginners to advanced speakers. In a club meeting, you practice giving prepared speeches as well as brief impromptu presentations, known as Table Topics.
There is no rush and no pressure: The Toastmasters program allows you to progress at your own pace. Constructive evaluation is central to the Toastmasters philosophy.
Each time you give a prepared speech, an evaluator will point out strengths as well as suggest improvements. Receiving – and giving – such feedback is a great learning experience. In Toastmasters, encouragement and improvement go hand-in-hand.
Our Toastmaster meeting consists of two parts. First, the prepared speeches, where volunteers give a prepared speech which lasts about seven minutes and has to fulfill some formal criteria (e.g. being structured, achieve an aim, etc.). For prepared speeches you always recieve a thorough feedback by your evaluator, so that you can improve for the next speech.
In the second half of the meeting the impromptu speeches take place, where members are asked to give a two-minute speech about a topic for which they did not prepare beforehand. This exercise can be quite challenging, but it always is a lot of fun.
The Toastmaster of the evening leads trough the meeting.
We welcome you to visit any of our club meetings as a guest. If you would like to announce your visit, please use the contact page on this website.
After three visits, you may request membership. You will be asked to commit to the Toastmaster’s Promise and will then be voted into the club as a new member. Please contact the VP Membership at contact@toastmasters-basel.ch.
- To attend club meetings regularly
- To prepare all of my speech and leadership projects to the best of my ability, basing them on projects in the Competent Communication, Advanced Communication, or Competent Leadership manuals
- To prepare for and fulfill meeting assignments
- To provide fellow members with helpful, constructive evaluations
- To help the club maintain the positive, friendly environment necessary for all members to learn and grow
- To serve my club as an officer when called upon to do so
- To treat my fellow club members and our guests with respect and courtesy
- To bring guests to club meetings so they can see the benefits Toastmasters membership offers
- To adhere to the guidelines and rules for all Toastmasters education and recognition programs
- To maintain honest and highly ethical standards during the conduct of all Toastmasters activities
The membership fee is currently CHF 160 per year (club year runs from October 1st to September 30th). Members who join after October pay a reduced fee according to the remaining time.
New members pay also a one-time administration fee of CHF 20 to Toastmasters International.