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Toast of the Town Toastmasters is a supportive group of new, intermediate, and experienced speakers. Our club members come with varying life experiences and provide a rich learning environment.
Toast of the Town follows the Toastmasters International program and was established in 1988.
Our club features a wealth of experienced members and a diverse group of newer members. All come with varying life experiences and provide a rich learning environment for you to improve your oral communication.
The club is one of the most active and distinguished in the area. Visitors are very welcome at our meetings. Speakers love an audience! Come visit us soon.
Get comfortable speaking in front of a crowd.
Inspire you audience.
Persuade with power.
Make new friends and connections.
Meetings
Thursday Evenings 6:30 – 8:30 pm
Join us in person every Thursday at
Queen Anne United Methodist Church
1606 5th Ave West
Seattle, WA 98119
5-7 minute speeches
Each week three members give a prepared speech. Members typically work from Pathways, Toastmaster's learning curriculum, to expand their communication skills.
Table Topics
This is where we practice thinking on our feet. The Table Topics Master asks questions to members and guests, who answer with a 1 to 2 minute response.
Evaluations
Each presentation is given a 2-3 minute evaluation, which is actually a speech in and of itself. Effective evaluations note what worked well and suggest areas of improvement for future speeches.
Timer
Punctuality is important, and we pride ourselves in running a tight meeting. Our Timer helps us to do just that.
Grammarian & Ah Counter
The Grammarian notes interesting uses of the English language. The Ah Counter tallies our Ahs, Ums, and other filler words which detract from our effectiveness.
Break
We provide refreshments during a break every meeting. Enjoy the snacks and socialize with your fellow toastmasters.
Visit Us
We meet in person every Thursday at 6:30 pm.
Queen Anne United Methodist Church
1606 5th Ave W
Seattle, WA 98119
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Toastmasters?
Toastmasters is a self-paced educational organization that teaches communication, leadership, training, and management skills – fostering personal growth and self-confidence. Toastmasters International is the largest and most successful communication and leadership development organization worldwide. Headquartered in Englewood, Colo., the organization's membership exceeds 357,000 in more than 16,600 clubs in 143 countries.
How long has Toastmasters been around?
Toastmasters International was founded in 1924. The Toast of the Town club was chartered in 1988.
Why do people join Toastmasters?
People join Toastmasters in order to:
Develop the skills to persuade and convince others
Gain a competitive advantage in the workplace
Learn to put their ideas across clearly and with conviction
Improve their self-confidence before a group of people
Learn to think quickly and clearly under pressure
Learn to listen effectively and critically
Train to become a good leader
How do I join Toastmasters?
You are welcome to attend meetings as a guest as many times as you'd like! If you decide to become a member after attending two meetings, please work with the VP Membership to complete a member application and pay dues ($20 new member fee and a prorated portion of the six month membership dues (we pay $100 every 6 months).
What specifically will I learn to do as a Toastmaster?
In Toastmasters, you learn by doing:
How to give an impromptu speech
How to give a prepared speech
How to evaluate what you hear
How to introduce speakers
How to chair and run meetings
How to communicate and lead
How do I learn these skills?
Once you join Toastmasters, you will enroll in Toastmaster's Pathways education program. This multi-language online learning tool allows you to leverage over 300 practical workplace skills.
How soon will I be an expert?
Each member will progress at their own pace. Some move faster than others but everyone that joins Toastmasters and participates in the program can be sure they will become a competent speaker and leader. As you proceed, you will find that situations that once terrified you, now hold no fears for you.
Who can join Toastmasters?
Anyone over the age of 18 may join Toastmasters.
How do I get more information about Toast of the Town Toastmasters?
Please contact us using the form above. Or check out our Facebook page.
Testimonials
“I joined ToT as a way of learning a new skill and doing it together with my husband. We both felt it would be useful to become better public speakers. We really enjoyed the first meeting at Toast of the Town and immediately decided to join. The supportive and encouraging environment at the meetings kept us coming back and really helped us improve. I was nervous with both prepared and impromptu speaking at first but got really comfortable speaking in front of people within a few months and really enjoy it today. This is not to say that I don't have butterflies before speaking publicly, I still do, but once I start speaking, it goes away."
~ Veena P.
"This might sound a little strange, but I was at a friend’s funeral and they asked if anyone wanted to come up to the front of the church and say a little about the guy who had died. No one moved, but I had been in Toastmasters long enough to get over the jitters, and I thought that it was important for someone to say something, so I walked up there and gave a little speech with a good opening, middle and close. As I was walking up to the front I thought of a strong close, so I turned to my friend’s widow and said "and thank you, Patty, for taking good care of my friend." I heard sobs throughout the church, so I knew I had done a good job. Everyone complimented me afterwards."
~ Ed L.
"I started my Toastmasters adventure in California in the fall of 2012 and was very pleased to find Toast of the Town in my new neighborhood when I moved to Seattle a year later. TOT is a very friendly and dynamic club that offers lots of opportunities to grow as a speaker, team player, and leader—every single week. Not only did TOT allow me to speak regularly enough to finish my Competent Communication manual (Toastmasters' first series of prepared speeches) and start Advanced manuals within the first six months, but club members also encouraged me to use my leadership skills and become a club officer. I have gained a lot of confidence in my ability to speak in public (with preparation or on the spot), provide feedback, organize and facilitate meetings, and contribute to my club's success."
~ Estelle B.
2024-2025 Officer Team
Spencer Anderson - President
Hi! I joined Toastmasters in 2022 to improve my public speaking skills, in a matter of months I went from nervous and flustered to confident and excited about all public speaking opportunities! Toast of the Town Toastmasters is an extraordinary group who embodies our mission to create a supportive and positive learning environment. Additionally, Toast of the Town is a tight-knit community creating bonds between people from all walks of life. If you’re looking to either improve your speaking skills and confidence, become part of a community, or both, I highly encourage you to check us out!
Tammy Nerwin - VP Education
I always thought about joining Toastmasters, but when I finally did, it was one of the best decisions I’ve made. I quickly learned that it’s much more than just an opportunity to improve my public speaking. It’s an interesting and engaging community of people from whom I’m always excited to learn.
Anna Stein - VP of Membership
In July of 2023, I had been struggling with social anxiety and leading work meetings for a while, and finally decided to take action on it. My dad had always mentioned Toastmasters here and there when I was younger, so I looked up the closest Toastmasters to me and suffice to say, the rest was history. Toast of the Town is my second family, and I can't imagine myself attending any other club -- past me could have not have imagined the multitude of things I have learned and the ways in which I have grown since then. I am eternally grateful for this small but life-changing choice I made!
Caitlin Settles - Secretary
I went to my first Toastmasters in late 2023 with no expectation of becoming a member, but I came back because it challenged me and expanded my community in Seattle. If you are looking for a place to grow your leadership and speaking skills, as well as meet cool and interesting people, look no further!
Michael Brunner - Sergeant-at-arms
In 1998 I was in a leadership development program at Boeing and my coach recommended that I consider joining toastmasters to improve my public speaking skills. Toast of The Town exceeded my expectations and I was an active member for about 5 years. I retired from Boeing in 2017 and was looking for new social activities and ways to serve my community. I recalled my good experiences with Toast of The Town and decided to renew my membership and again become a club officer. Toast of The Town has again exceeded my expectations.
I joined Toastmasters initially to improve my public speaking and practice my English skills, but this group's diversity of people and speech topics kept me excited to come back every week. I have learned so much from my fellow Toastmasters and am constantly amazed by their interests and abilities.
Natraj Jaganmohan - Treasurer
I found Toastmasters first in 2016 at my workplace. With my then newfound fun, I joined other clubs as well. Public speaking and the joy to write speech content aside, I made great friendships from my club in Seattle. I continue to love my TM experience and very happy to have gotten the opportunity to serve as Treasurer for our amazing club this year.
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