TOASTMASTERS INTERNATIONAL

• Established in California, USA, in October 1924
• To help people learn how to speak before an audience, how to conduct meetings, plan programs & work on committees
• 300 000 members in 149 countries spread throughout ±16000 clubs
• 24 clubs in Belgium: in Brussels (12), Zaventem (3), Antwerp (2), Beerse, Gent, Hasselt, Waterloo, Mons, Liège and Leuven

For more details, visit Toastmasters.org or Wikipedia.

Toastmasters FONSKE LEUVEN

• Bilingual club (Dutch & English), chartered on May 1^st 2010
• 25-30 members representing 10-15 nationalities, both new & experienced (dd. 31/10/2021)
• Meetings every 2^nd, 4^th and 5^th Thursday of the month, from 19:15-21:30
• Meetings are usually in the center of Leuven at the Romaanse Poort or café Leuven Central, or in Kessel-Lo in Café Tempo which is a 10 minute walk from Leuven Station.

You can attend 3 meetings as a guest, 100% free - no strings attached. There are opportunities for guests to speak at each meeting, but this too is 100% optional. It's completely up you as a guest to decide if you want to do so or not.

If you're curious and want to attend a few of our meetings, check our calendar for the exact timing & location and register your attendance on the event page - or contact us if you have more questions or doubts.

For more details on the founders of our club & the current officers team, check our officers page.

MEETING STRUCTURE & ROLES

Standard meeting (2.5 hours):
Welcome & introductions
Speeches : 5 speakers deliver a speech according the curriculum (5-7 minutes each)
   15 minute break
Evaluations : 5 evaluators give feedback to the speakers (2-3 minutes each)
Table Topics : ±5 speakers give an impromptu speech (1-2 minutes each)
General evaluation : evaluation of evening’s proceedings, awards & announcements

Club meeting roles:
Toastmaster of the Evening : the Master of Ceremonies, chooses a theme & hosts the evening, introduces all speakers
Grammarian : helps the speakers improve their grammar and vocabulary
Ah Counter : notes any overused words or filler sounds (so, like, ah, euhm, …)
Timekeeper : responsible for monitoring the time of meeting segments and speakers
Video Director : records speeches, evaluations & Table Topics
Table Topics Master : delivers the Table Topics portion of the meeting, provides the inspiration for the impromptu speeches
General Evaluator : evaluates everything that takes place during the club meeting (except the speeches)

For more detailed guidelines on how to tackle each meeting role, take a look at our complete guide to Toastmasters Meeting Roles.