By Melissa Tula, Contributing Writer
Shrewsbury – Attorney John Keeton of Shrewsbury has been a member of Toastmasters International since 1999. In addition to holding multiple offices during his time with the Toastmasters, Keeton has risen through the ranks, earning first the honor of being a competent communicator to his current status as a distinguished toastmaster. He achieved this distinction in 2008, after starting a club at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), where he sponsored and mentored fellow members.
Toastmasters International has been in existence since 1924 and is a worldwide nonprofit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills. The group has more than 270,000 members in over 13,000 clubs in 116 countries. Toastmasters International has helped people of all backgrounds become more confident in front of an audience, emerging from a “men only” club to separate gender clubs and then fully integrated organizations in the 1980s.
Keeton attended his first meeting in Boston after giving what he dubbed a “particularly poor attempt” at an informational speech in front of his peers and colleagues. Keeton had spoken in front of jurors and courtrooms throughout his professional career.
“I thought, ‘I really need to learn to be a better speaker.””
Years later, Keeton has a newfound confidence.
“I love to go to Toastmaster meetings because it brings back the first meeting to me of how nervous I was and how welcome everyone made me feel, people who had gone through the same anxiety I was experiencing.”
According to Keeton, all club meetings follow the same format and are guided by printed manuals. The first portion of the meeting is devoted to “table topics,” which are impromptu speeches lasting two to three minutes. Each table is assigned a “table topic master” who randomly picks members at his table to elaborate on a subject chosen by the table topic master. The speaker is then evaluated by the meeting's general evaluator, who gives supportive feedback. Impromptu speeches provide members with an opportunity to quickly organize their thoughts, practice making eye contact, moderate speaking volume, and gain experience using body language and gestures appropriately in front of an audience.
The remainder of a Toastmasters meeting is devoted to three prepared speakers, who have been assigned topics according to their level within the organization. A member's first speech is called the “Ice Breaker,” where the member introduces him/herself to the club. At separate meetings, the participant will complete 10 assigned speeches of gradually increased difficulty, covering varying topics according to each level's manual. After completing the first set of required speeches, a member earns the status of competent speaker, which is followed by bronze, silver and gold levels of achievement.
Sometimes acting as a mentor, Keeton recalled members who used Toastmasters as an opportunity to overcome communication issues, such as one member who stuttered.
“This man was there to address his stutter, but at the same time, I was able to learn from him,” Keeton said. “While engaging in conversation with this member, I was reminded of the importance of listening to others without interruption.” Keeton tells of another member from WPI who was extremely introverted and feared he would not be able to be successful in job interviews. “We let this young man play Santa at our annual holiday party and he really came out of his shell.”
For over 80 years, Toastmasters International has helped its members become more successful by developing confidence and self-esteem while learning to speak effectively in front of an audience. For more information on Toastmasters International or to find meeting locations, go to www.toastmasters.org.