One of the first steps toward success is being able to communicate. Grand Valley State University recognized this and decided to partner with Toastmasters International- a program dedicated to helping individuals improve their communication and leadership skills.

The group will be hosting a meeting on Sept. 11 at 7:30 a.m. at Devos Place. With the new semester kicking off, it’s an optimal time for students to learn how to become leaders in their classrooms, organizations and beyond. Nonmembers of the club are welcome to attend the meeting, and those newcomers might just find that the gatherings are less tense than they anticipated.

“There are two things that stand out in our Toastmasters Club – a welcoming atmosphere and a fun attitude,” said Monica Kaiser, president of the GVSU Downtown Toastmasters Club. “At every meeting our goal is to have two members give prepared speeches, which they have been practicing and rehearsing ahead of time. Each speaker is given a formal spoken evaluation as well as written evaluations to take with them from all members. The speeches are followed by an impromptu speaking session where members can practice ‘speaking on their feet’ with little to no preparation.”

While impromptu speeches may sound a bit nerve-racking, that’s the point. One of the biggest challenges people face when giving a speech is nervousness due to the size of their audience. Through Toastmasters, members are given a chance to defeat that nervousness and gain the confidence to communicate, devoid of the quivering voice and sweaty palms of course.

Aside from conquering public speaking fears, Toastmasters gives people the necessary skills to become prominent members in their community and other organizations as well. One of the ways they actualize this is by selecting leaders within the organization.

“There is a leadership team in every club consisting of the following officer positions: president, vice president of education, vice president of public relations, vice president of membership, treasurer, secretary and sergeant of arms,” Kaiser said.

These positions give members a feel for what it might be like to bear responsibilities in other realms of life, such as the workforce, and give newcomers something to aim for. Whether in a leadership role or not, this organization can help foster the finesse to stand out. While the club might be based on speeches, they’re anything but “all talk” and have the success stories to back their claims up.

“I have heard many Toastmasters talk about how the skills developed at club meetings helped them gain a big promotion at work, or a better job or more rewarding responsibilities,” Kaiser said. “I’ve also heard how developing communication skills can help in many other aspects of one’s life – whether it’s at home, work or in the community.”

It’s no secret that mastering the art of public speaking is one of the more challenging feats for individuals to conquer. Toastmasters Club aims to give those individuals interested in doing so a safe haven to work toward defeating this fear and becoming an effective leader.

The group meets meet every Thursday at 7:30 a.m. at the University Club on the Pew Campus. For more information, visit 8177.toastmastersclubs.org.