Valley Toastmasters clubs switch to online meetings

YOUNGSTOWN — The coronavirus pandemic hasn't stopped Toastmasters from helping those from diverse backgrounds become more confident speakers, communicators and leaders.

Toastmasters has more than 16,800 clubs worldwide with a membership that exceeds 358,000 that meets on a regular basis.

A typical Toastmasters meeting has a lot of human interaction such as handshaking and close settings. When the pandemic hit in March, the elements that made a Toastmasters meeting a unique experience came to a halt.

Faced with COVID-19 restrictions including social distancing, Toastmasters International issued a statement prohibiting clubs from meeting. So, meeting online, was started out of necessity.

There have been several video conferencing options available for online meetings such as Zoom, Skype, WebEx and Go To Meeting.

In the Valley, Executive Club 408 Youngstown and the Warren Toastmasters, have met online for several weeks.

Executive Club 408 meets every Monday from 6:45 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. The Warren Toastmasters have their meetings on the second and fourth Saturday of each month from 9 a.m to 11 a.m.

For both Executive Club 408 and Warren Toastmasters, Zoom has been the preferred choice.

“We had to ensure that we had a way forward for all of the agenda items," said Jim Hruska, Executive Club 408 member who has coordinated the club’s Zoom setup. "Most of them were rather straightforward, but a few of them required some thought such as discussion — how do we ensure that everyone has a chance to speak and that we maintain discipline and order in that discussion at the same time.”

BeckyAnn Harker, the Warren’s club vice president of education who oversees the scheduling and club goals, admits she was slightly skeptical of online meetings.

"I just couldn't envision how we would manage all of the parts, especially doing speeches," Harker said. "We talk so much about making eye contact with the audience, using body language and using our space effectively. How can we do those things when we are stuck on a tiny screen?”

Toastmasters clubs are divided into different districts throughout the U.S. The Youngstown and Warren clubs are part of District 10 which serves Northeast Ohio.

District 10 leadership did Zoom online training for the clubs.

The online meeting has presented a new role, said Carrie Zapka, the Chat Master for Warren Toastmaster.

“The chat area is for those side conversations," Zapka said. "The chat master skims the chatter and summarizes the relevant parts with the whole group.

"The chat section has been great for humor," she said. "Instead of just one joke of the day [part of our agenda each meeting], we get several laughs.”

It is not sure when Toastmasters International will allow in-person meetings again.

Those who are interested in Toastmasters can attend an online meeting as a guest.

Hruska suggests going to the club website to contact one of the officers for an invite.

For the Warren club Zoom meeting, email for an invite and login information at vpe-3577689@toastmastersclubs.org.

This story was originally published June 16, 2020 at 4:44 AM with the headline "Valley Toastmasters clubs switch to online meetings."