Oak Bay Toastmasters

Oak Bay Toastmasters has been and is the place to be if you want to improve your speaking skills and leadership! If English is your second language, here you'll have te occasion to practice and receive good corrections and advice in a friendly and fun environment. And you can make some new friends on top of that!

After many years as a member, I love this club. It’s much more than public speaking. For me, it’s like a party game every week - a game where I am challenged, inspired, supported, educated – with an interesting, diverse, and fun group!

Joined to gain practice in public speaking in prep for my dissertation defense. Thoughts I'd stay for 3 months, but here I am 1 year later and still learning more of the art of public speaking from a generous and fun group of people.

Oak Bay Toastmasters is an incredibly welcoming community of energetic and fun-loving people. I always go home after our meetings feeling energized and looking forward to the next meeting. Despite the number of members, there is always an opportunity to get a speaking slot and the evaluations are supportive and encouraging. Come and check us out!

Toastmasters ticks many of the boxes when I look for ways to improve myself.Many think of it as training for public speaking and yes, it does help with that.Toastmasters is also a leadership training arena.But it is much more than that.There is truth to the idea that what holds us back in life is our fears, both conscious and subconscious.Speaking in public is a major fear for many. It is said to rank number one.The genius of Toastmasters founder Ralph Smedley was to create a safe place where we can face that number one fear.While I had already given numerous talks in my previous career as a Financial Advisor, I had much to learn.The feeling of safety was one of the key things that attracted me.When I received evaluations on my talks, big and small, I was always given lots of encouragement. That came with suggestions for improvement.Slowly, I found myself becoming more confident.And confidence is one of the keys in facing my fears.As well, there is a camaraderie that develops at our club over time.I am grateful for my Tuesday evening fun times at the club.

Oak Bay Toastmasters is an energetic and dynamic Club that is very supportive of all its members. New guests always comment on the friendliness and welcoming ambience they experience. Whether you are a seasoned speaker or just starting your journey into public speaking, this Club is for you!