One of the aspects of Toastmasters that I appreciate is the distinct personality of each club.

This morning I visited a club that meets weekly, downtown and thoroughly enjoyed it!

Some clubs are more formal, some more relaxed, some rigorous, some maybe even a little competitive. Some adhere closely to the format & rules of Toastmasters International, others mainly in spirit.

As I spend more time in Toastmasters, it helps me to visit other clubs. Not because I want to make changes to my “home” club, mostly because I thrive on variety.

One nuance of the meeting this morning is that they don’t penalize for time. This is not for you absolutests – I do understand the importance of keeping to time. Here they track it and report it, just a little differently than I have seen.

Personally, I find it deflating to participate in Table Topics, give a speech or evaluation that goes just over and have it stated that it doesn’t count. What on earth? It certainly counts to me!! The club this morning has a time keeper who tracks time, but there are no time reports that disqualify a speaker for going over boundaries. At the end of the meeting, the timer gives the report with times and whether they meet their goals. This way you know how you did, but no big deal. Your hard work and preparation counts…

Just. Very . Nice.