The Toastmasters offer
you a piece of their mind

By Tom Waring
Times Staff Writer

As president of Philadelphia’s First Toastmasters, Bob Thornton understands that most new members need time to blend in to the group.
The organization, which promotes public speaking, attracts everyone from young professionals to retirees.
Typically, a prospective new member will attend a meeting. The group meets the first and third Thursday of every month at 7 p.m. at the Philadelphia Protestant Home, at 6500 Tabor Road in Lawndale.
Guests who like the experience can apply for membership and have their voices heard. They’ll get plenty of support from other members, and soon have the confidence to give a speech of their own.
"It’s fun to watch the transformation from week one to twenty weeks," said Thornton, who owns a business that sells welding supplies. "The change is remarkable in some people."
Rita Smith, a Holmesburg resident who is a teaching assistant at Thomas Holme Elementary School, explained that all new members are given a kit that includes a manual with guidelines for 10 speaking assignments.
Just as important, according to Smith, new members will receive camaraderie and support.
"You always get positive, instructive evaluation," she said. "Toastmasters is adamant against negative, critical evaluations that would embarrass anyone and make them not come back."
Philadelphia’s First Toastmasters is marking its 60th anniversary this year and celebrated the milestone at a gala affair last month at the Protestant Home. The group has about 40 members, the maximum number recommended by the international governing body.
The organization began in 1924 at a YMCA in Santa Ana, Calif., and began admitting women in the 1970s. Today, there are about 211,000 members in more than 10,000 clubs in 90 countries. The club is open to people age 18 and older. Philadelphia’s First Toastmasters is part of a district that stretches from Princeton, N.J., to Harrisburg to Delaware.
Many of those clubs are in prisons, universities, hospitals, military bases, churches and corporate settings. There are even chapters in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.
Philadelphia’s First Toastmasters is more community oriented.
"Anybody can join," Smith said.
According to Toastmasters International, surveys show that people with strong communication skills have a clear advantage over tongue-tied colleagues in the workplace.
The fee is affordable. The local group charges just $5 a meeting, which goes toward refreshments and the fee for renting the room at the Protestant Home.
There is no instructor in the course. Instead, Thornton is part of a six-person board that includes a public relations coordinator and a couple of vice presidents for education and membership.
Members evaluate one another’s oral presentations and all other aspects of a meeting in a very structured environment. Members are encouraged to dress in business attire, with a more casual look accepted in the summer.
On Dec. 6, general evaluator Glenn Laveson pointed out that the meeting was called to order at 7:04 p.m., even though the group strives for a 7 p.m. sharp start. Thornton later allowed for a 10-minute break until 8:08 p.m. and was banging the gavel to resume at just that time.
Grammarian Herb Rheinstrom counted the number of "ahs," "ums" and "you knows." The total was 55. He also noted the use of the word "gonna," the phrase "You was" and the pronunciation of "picture" as "pitcher."
No one was singled out, though, and in general the speakers were excellent during the two-hour meeting. The voices were strong, since there are no microphones.
John Fitzpatrick, a software developer from Winchester Park, said the group will help members expand their vocabulary. The new word of the night was "profuse."
"Part of being a good speaker is having a cache of words to draw on to paint verbal pictures," he said.
The meeting includes a portion called "table topics." Smith posed questions to 11 people on meaty topics such as the role of religion in presidential campaigns and government’s use of casinos to raise revenue. One individual was asked which issue of concern he’d bring up to Mayor-elect Michael Nutter if they met for lunch. Another was asked to simply name her favorite dessert.
All had to answer for at least 60 seconds and no more than two and a half minutes.
Mary Barchman, of Burholme, was grilled about Fox Chase Cancer Center’s proposed expansion into Burholme Park. Barchman, who said she cuts through the cancer center and Jeanes Hospital parking lots to avoid traffic, said the expansion would cause more gridlock.
"Why in heaven’s name don’t they put turning lights in?" she asked about the intersection of Cottman and Oxford avenues located several blocks east of Burholme Park.
Kathleen McAnaney and William Stallings gave their "icebreaker" speeches, their first since becoming members.
Bea Joyner (who won a ribbon for best speech of the night) addressed the crowd on the challenge of businesses having to replace retiring baby boomers, while June Dressnandt spoke about the increased use of technology over the years at presidential nominating conventions.
Members and guests were also treated to a speech by Maureen Broderick, an Academy Gardens resident who recently retired as the secretary for the commander of the Philadelphia Police Department’s internal affairs division.
Broderick, who is considered one of the group’s best raconteurs, joined a decade ago so she’d have a hobby she can pursue the rest of her life. She even looked up a Toastmasters meeting on a vacation to Hawaii.
"I love talking," she said.
Broderick told members it’s important to have shined shoes, ironed shirts and combed hair when giving a speech. She urged them to capture their audience in the first few sentences. She calls it "the hook." She thinks body language adds "oomph" and tells speakers that, if they have a point to make, then make it, preferably in a short amount of time.
"After ten minutes, the best speaker will get boring," she said.
While Broderick might make public speaking look easy, she knows from experience that it usually doesn’t come naturally.
"It takes practice, practice, practice," she said. ••
The next meeting of Philadelphia’s First Toastmasters is scheduled for Jan. 3. All are invited. For more information, call Don Suplee at 215-752-2668, or visit www.philadelphiasfirsttoastmasters.org or tmdistrict38.org
Reporter Tom Waring can be reached at 215-354-3034 or twaring@phillynews.com