With three members hailing from Weehawken and a number of others from North Bergen, Jersey City, Hoboken, and Hackensack, a local group called Mile Square Toastmasters helps residents improve their public speaking skills in front of an audience. The club was established over 12 years ago and is part of the non-profit organization Toastmasters International.
Linda Isaacs, a Hoboken resident and vice president of the group, said people are welcome from any area town. The group meets every Monday at 7:30 p.m. in the theater of the Hudson School at 601 Park Ave. in Hoboken, where those who are eager to practice their communication skills get up on stage.
In a typical gathering, a “toastmaster” acts as host to make sure the process goes smoothly. At a recent meeting, Anthony Doyle, a Hoboken transplant from London, eagerly welcomed guests. When asked about his favorite part of a meeting, Doyle said, “The evaluations, because you can see how everyone else gets evaluated on different things. Not everyone evaluates the same way.”
In “evaluations,” a group member gets up on stage and gives a rundown of how the evening’s speech-givers did.
During a recent meeting, members gave impromptu speeches in a segment called “table topics.” The topics were chosen from a book or website, or were thought up by a “table topics master.” Each speaker volunteered to talk about the topics for a minute or two.
At that meeting, Isaacs played the role of table topics master by bringing up topics that made the entire group laugh, such as whether Botox makes people feel good about themselves.
Prepared speeches
Meetings generally start with the table topics. After that, four members give speeches they have prepared. Each speech has an objective, from persuading with power, to demonstrating competent communication.
At the meeting, Jaya Radrabhatla of Jersey City gave a prepared speech explaining how to read a food label. The objective of the speech was “getting to the point.” She brought in a highlighted copy of a food label to demonstrate. Radrabhatla has been attending group meetings since September of 2008.
Carl Zeichner, a Hoboken resident of 20 years, is a graphic designer who recently lost his job. He’s also the club treasurer. He said that being a part of the Mile Square Toastmasters helped him develop skills that are useful in job interviews.
“It can help anyone,” he said. “It can bring them out of their shell. Toastmasters can give you a good atmosphere to practice.”
Social events
On the last Monday of every month, the group has an after-meeting social at a nearby bar called the Farside.
“I joined Toastmasters when I was on maternity leave from work and needed to get out a bit.” – Jean O’Reilly
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Recently, the group has had much to celebrate. Jean O’Reilly, a project manager from Hoboken and group member since 1999, won the Toastmasters Area Contest for evaluations.
“I won a small trophy and bragging rights,” she said, “I joined Toastmasters when I was on maternity leave from work and needed to get out a bit.”
She added, “The club is a great place to experiment and get constructive feedback on something one might consider presenting at work. I have made good friends as well.”
On April 27, group members had a chance to meet a trainer from the Dale Carnegie Center of Excellence. Dale Carnegie was a noted leader in the art of communication and public speaking.
To find out more about the Mile Square Toastmasters, visit their website: http://www.milesquare.org.