Helena, MT: Last Chance Toastmasters

Helena, MT
Meets 2 PM Eastern Time Thursdays
Attendance: 10 members and 2 guests

My faith in the state of Montana has been restored!

I had previously reached out to two clubs in Montana about visiting them virtually and couldn't get any meeting information from them. In desperation, I posted on the Toastmasters International Facebook page and asked about clubs to visit online. I'm so glad I did. Kent from Last Chance Toastmasters in Helena, MT, responded and I had a grand time at their meeting on July 2.

Members of the club were very friendly and they engaged us in conversation before the meeting started. My wife Cynthia and I were invited to participate in Table Topics, the impromptu speaking portion of the meeting, and we readily accepted. 

I enjoyed Tolly's speech about "what's for dinner" (it's beef, by the way) and Kent had some excellent feedback for her speech. He suggested that she display more of herself on screen so we could see her gestures better and that she be mindful of the angle of the camera because it affected her eye contact with the webcam. Rebecca, who was doing the Ah Counter role for the first time, gave a remarkably thorough report. 

Feedback, in my opinion, is the hallmark of Toastmasters and this club takes that one step further by having an evaluator for the Table Topics responses. I've seen this role at other clubs and I have to admit I really didn't like it. After seeing it in action at Last Chance Toastmasters, I may need to reconsider. Off-the-cuff speaking is difficult and this role allows respondents to receive some supportive feedback. 

Then there's the Word of the Day. It seems like every person that spoke, except me, used the Word of the Day. Tolly expertly inserted it into her speech and others used it thoughtfully throughout the meeting. When it came to the Word of the Day, I was definitely the weakest link today. 

One more thing: It's not often that I talk about Table Topics responses in this blog. However, Marilyn had a great answer when asked what colors she would put on the U.S. flag if the colors were changed. She said she would choose the rainbow, because it represents new beginnings, solidarity, hope, and truth. And now in this nation's time of unrest, she said, "is the time for rainbows and the color of change." Wow!

If you're looking for a Toastmasters club to visit online or if you live in the Helena area, I cannot say enough about this jewel of a meeting. Put Last Chance Toastmasters first on your list.


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