Impromptu Speech Practice Meeting: June 7, 2025

It was a suuuuper special meeting where all participants could join and share our stories on the spot.

Toastmaster of the day, who led the meeting, set the concept of today’s meeting with the theme “Story bank,” preparing stories in advance and delivering a speech like a prepared impromptu speech with some stored stories.

As you can see in the picture, we actively applied this tip in our speeches and truly enjoyed the meeting. Look at those smiles. And I also appreciate all the role-takers who put in their efforts to facilitate the meeting.

See you at the next meeting! Our meeting is always open to newcomers

Written by Jinyoung

Getting Ready for Impromptu Speaking: Special Online Meeting: May 31, 2025

Today, on May 31st, Senri Toastmasters Club held a special online meeting, entirely focused on impromptu speaking. This unique session was produced by our creative member, Tenten, and thanks to his thoughtful planning, we all walked away feeling more confident and better prepared.

Today’s Word of the Day, "Elaborate," introduced by Rene, turned out to be surprisingly relevant. As the meeting progressed, we saw how our impromptu speeches became more developed and expressive, thanks to the techniques we learned. Even impromptu speeches can become elaborate when built on our own messages and stories.

Can We Actually Prepare for Impromptu Speeches?

That was the question many of us had. Impromptu speeches are, by nature, unprepared. We are given a topic on the spot and expected to deliver our thoughts immediately. But today we learned, there is a way to prepare to build a foundation for the impromptu speeches. Tenten gave us a simple assignment before the meeting: Prepare at least three personal messages and three stories. This planted the seeds.

Stories and Messages

Tenten encouraged us to “Think about the message that comes to your mind often. Then think of stories related to the messages that are important to you.” During his workshop, Yuriko volunteered for the demonstration. Thank you, Yuriko! With her willingness to participate, we all learned how a prepared message or story can connect with an unexpected topic. After her demo speech, we discussed how it could be enhanced. This collaborative analysis deepened everyone's understanding.

Table Topics Session

Then came the real test, the Table Topics Session! Yuriko, our Topicsmaster*, prepared engaging questions for us. Thanks to Tenten’s workshop, we were all able to elaborate on our responses more naturally and confidently. What I loved was that Tenten quickly volunteered to take over as Timer when Mune-san, the Timer, was selected to speak. This small act of support perfectly captured the spirit of teamwork that defines our club.

Evaluation

One of the most valuable aspects of Toastmasters is the evaluation. After Tenten’s workshop, Jinyoung gave a concise and insightful evaluation. His comments were clear and to the point, making it easy for everyone to understand what worked and what could be improved.

Recognizing the Smiles Behind the Screens

At the end of the meeting, Tenten awarded the Smile Prize to Jinyoung. Despite the distance of an online setting, his warm, constant smile and engaged nods supported every speaker. Being a good audience—listening with a smile—is an essential ingredient in creating a positive and uplifting meeting.

Behind-the-Scenes Contributors: Ah-Counter and Grammarian

Let’s not forget the importance of roles like the Ah-Counter and Grammarian. Tamiko, our Ah-Counter, carefully tracked filler words like "um", "ah", and "you know". These can distract listeners and break the flow of speech, so identifying them helps us improve. And Rene, our Grammarian, provided helpful corrections to improve our English. As a native speaker, her input was incredibly valuable.

This Impromptu Speech Workshop was a worthwhile session, offering us practical tools and confidence. So next time we’re asked to deliver an impromptu speech, we won’t panic. Tap into our story and message banks and connect it to the topic. With what we have learned today, let’s elaborate on our skills and take on impromptu speeches with a bit more confidence and natural flow next time.

Written by Eri

The 202nd Regular Meeting: May 17, 2025 “Mather’s day”

５月のミーティングでは、Toastmaster of the Day（ミーテイングのホスト役）より五月に会った母の日のエピソードの紹介からの暖かい雰囲気が漂う中での開催とあいなりました！ミーティングの進め方については、私が以前書いたミーティング紹介の記事をご覧くださいませ。

さて今回はスピーカー以外の７つのロール（役割）について紹介。

１） Toastmaster Of the Day (TMOD)

ミーティング全体の司会です。時間配分や進行状況を見ながら適宜調整しスムーズなミーティング運営を図っていきます。ミーティングの成功に不可欠な役割です！今回はオンライン参加のMuneさんが担当していましたが、離れているとは思えないスムーズなミーティング進行を進めてくれました👍

２） General Evaluator

ミーティング全体をEvaluateし、フィードバックする役割です。当クラブではお互いをEvaluateすることで互いのパブリックスピーキングを鍛えています。加えて本役割によりミーティングの質を継続的に向上させています。今回は私が担当しました！

３） Topicsmaster

Table Topic Session（即興スピーチ）でのお題を準備し、同Sessionの司会進行をします。お題の難易度や時間調整など考えることが多く、この役割が成功のカギを握ります。今回はKamayanが担当し10個のお題を準備！非常に充実したSessionになりました。

４） Vote Counter

それぞれのSessionでBest Speakerなどを決める投票の準備・票集計を行う役割です。投票はミーティングと並行して行われるので着実な役割遂行を求められます！今回はRenelynが完璧に役割を遂行してくれました。

５） Ah Couter

スピーチの中でつい出てしまうFiller Words(「あー、、」とか「えー、、」と言った意味のない言葉や繰り返し言葉)をカウントし、スピーカーに伝える役割です。人前で話すとつい口癖などが出てしまいますが、スピーチのレベルを高めるためには自分の癖を把握するのが重要です。今回は入会して初ロールのKankanが集中して役割を遂行してくれました！

６） Timer

スピーチの時間計測並びにスピーカーに時間の目安（緑・黄・赤のカードを使います）を出す役割です。スピーカーがスピーチに集中できるのはTimerがしっかりと時間を測ってくれるからです。今回はYasukoがこの役割を担当してくれました！

７） Grammarian/Word Master

ミーティングの中での文法的なミスのチェック・良い表現のピックアップしシェアする役割（Grammarian）とミーティング中に使用することを推奨される本日のWordを選びメンバーに紹介する（Word Master）役割です。この役割のおかげで表現方法やボキャブラリーを拡大することができます。今回はTakashiがこの役割を担当してくれました。今回のWordは”congeniality”。アットホームな千里トーストマスターズクラブにぴったりのWordです。

以上の役割をメンバーが担い、ミーティングを進めています！ トーストマスターズクラブはメンバー同士が成長する場、興味がある方は是非クラブのホームページにアクセスして例会に参加してみてください👍

Embracing Diversity at Senri Toastmasters: The 201st Regular Meeting: April 19, 2025

On April 19th, Senri Toastmasters held its 201st regular meeting, and the theme chosen by our Toastmaster of the Day, Jinyoung, was “Diversity.” It was a perfect fit—our club truly celebrates diversity, with members from various age groups, backgrounds, and countries coming together to grow through communication and leadership.

The Word of the Day* chosen by Grammarian, Kama-yan, was “momentum,” which couldn’t have been more appropriate. Just one week before the meeting, two of our members, Tenten and Momo, advanced to the finals of the District Speech Contest—a proud moment that gave great momentum to our entire club!
          

“Here’s My Trick” – Personal Tips

In our unique session called “Here’s My Trick,” a member shares a personal tip or technique that helps them become a better speaker. This time, Munesan offered an insight that resonated with many of us: Instead of trying to recall memorized lines, speak as if you’re talking directly to the audience.

That simple mindset shift can make a speech feel more authentic and impactful. It was a great reminder that connection often matters more than perfection, and it's a tip many of us will carry into our next speeches.

A Truly Diverse Lineup of Prepared Speeches

The Prepared Speech Session showcased a wide variety of topics and perspectives:

• Our first speaker, Kan Kan, delivered her Ice Breaker speech, introducing two major “chapters” of her life. We’re excited to be part of her next chapter!
• Marilyn shared her thoughts on the meaning of the mentoring system in Toastmasters, as well as the do’s and don’ts of mentoring based on her own experience.
• We also heard about solutions for trauma and dealing with serious concerns from Gloria. She offered several thoughtful options.
• Takashi explored communication styles and team building, sharing lessons from his communication journey.

Each speech brought something unique and reflected the richness of experiences in our club.

Constructive and Enjoyable Evaluations

Our Evaluation Session, led by experienced Toastmasters, was not only educational but also filled with humor and warmth. Evaluators provided both praise and suggestions for improvement, sometimes even demonstrating their points to make the feedback clearer.

What I loved was that Kankan, our Ice Breaker speaker, asked her evaluator, Anne, to pay special attention to her pronunciation before the meeting. This thoughtful request helped her gain even more personalized and meaningful feedback—something we can all learn from!

Creative Table Topics* with a Twist

The Table Topics Session, led by Rene, had a fun and creative format: speakers picked a letter of the alphabet, and then gave a short impromptu speech based on a word starting with that letter. It was a great way to spark ideas and get everyone thinking on their feet.

Thanks to everyone’s cooperation and enthusiasm, this meeting was a shining example of how diversity and momentum can come together to create something truly special.

Written by Eri

* Word of the Day is a word that participants are encouraged to use during their speeches to increase vocabulary and felxibility to incorporate something on the spot.
* Table Topics is a term used in Toastmasters for impromptu speeches.

Table Topics (Impromptu Speech) Special: March 29, 2025

Managing Online Meetings

This meeting was special in that one of our members, Hiko, took the challenge of organizing and facilitating an online meeting. As our regular meetings are conducted in a hybrid style with some members joining in person and others joining online, Hiko decided to work on a project called "Manage Online Meetings" at this special meeting, which was to be held solely online. This is a project, or module, in our education program "Pathways" that requires a member to plan and lead either an online meeting or an online webinar lasting for 20-25 minutes.

Hiko decided to conduct an online workshop focused on Table Topics, the term Toastmasters uses to refer to impromptu speeches. First, he made a presentation on some tips we can use when trying to make an impromptu speech. These included changing our mindset, buying some time,

To tackle our anxiety, we should change our mindset from telling the truth to engaging the audience. using a format of PREP (Point, Reason, Example, and Point), using entertaining or unusual taste, and staying on topic or going off topic. Then, he stressed the need for practice.

Practice Makes Perfect

After Hiko's presentation, we went into our breakout rooms to practice Table Topics speeches, where each participant delivered a speech and we had a discussion to look back on our speeches afterward. After the breakout, one member from each breakout room delivered a speech they practiced during the breakout session, followed by an interview by Hiko. It was unique that he incorporated an interview session to discuss the members' experiences, and this proved to be productive, deepening our understanding of what Hiko shared in his presentation. I'd say this was a beautifully manaaged online meeting.

In Toastmasters' education program Pathways, there are projects like this one, which provide us with opportunities to build and/or hone our skills other than public speaking skills. Some give us opportunities to lead a team to complete a project to a success, giving us some hands-on leadership training.

To learn more about these, join us at one of our meetings and see it for yourself.

Author: Tenten

Our Commemorative "Open House" 200th Regular Meeting on March 15, 2025

 This meeting was special in many ways.

First, it was our 200th Regular Meeting. At the beginning, President Mariko explained that the club was chartered in February 2009, and this was our 200th Regular Meeting, adding that we've been having some special meetings in addition to our monthly regular meeting.

Second, this meeting included an Induction Ceremony to welcome a new member, Kankan. After Vice President Membership Kazu gave a brief introduction of the inductee, we voted favorably to accept her as a member.  Kankan took the pledge by reading aloud "A Toastmaster's Promise," and members read aloud the "Club's Pledge" to officially welcome her. 

Third, as part of the Open House, we had a workshop on self-introduction with Rene's presentation, ranging from the benefits of effective self-introduction, the recommended structure, tips for a lasting impression, and the 4 P's Score Card, the characteristics of a great self-introduction. Following her presentation, participants worked in small groups to practice introducing themselves. Then, a representative of each breakout group demonstrated their self-introduction.

Fourth, we had a surprise call during the break from the club's founder, Kiyono, which made the meeting even more memorable.

Lastly, one member, Kama-yan, worked on a unique project called "Active Listening," where he served as Topicsmaster, the facilitator of the Table Topics Session for members and guests to practice impromptu speaking. He not only facilitated the session but also tried to give brief yet to-the-point comments after each speech.

We enjoyed a very special 200th Regular Meeting to celebrate the club's history. We look forward to strengthening our team work to keep on learning.

First Time Facilitating a Session: at the 199th Regular Meeting on Feb. 15, 2025

At our meetings, we have a Table Topics session, where members practice delivering 1-2 minute impromptu speeches on given topics.

At the last meeting, I took on the role of the Topicsmaster, the person who facilitates this session, for the first time. The meeting theme of the day was "Spread the Love," and I also prepared questions under the session theme "Love and Gratitude on Valentine's."

We can take small steps to get accustomed to different roles. I felt more nervous than when I was waiting to be called upon. However, by serving as the Topicsmaster, I learned how to manage the session smoothly within the allocated time while maintaining a warm atmosphere.