Spice Up Moribund Meetings With Periodic Changes of Pace
Over time, many clubs fall into the doldrums. It’s possible for meetings to become a bit
stale, for members to lapse into a routinized pattern each week. Sometimes it’s a result of
the sameness of the room, identical meeting formats, or the absence of enough new
members to infuse your club with new energy. Over the years I’ve watched clubs
succumb to lethargy. Yet the remedy is as easy as a little dose of Vitamin C…Creativity.
When you administer this vitamin to your club once every 4-6 weeks you’ll see its life
force return anew.
“Toastmasters is like a love-affair.
Everything is exciting at first and then,
if you’re not careful,
it can become dull and routine.
Changing your meetings helps
to keep it exciting.”
— Paula Tunison, DTM, past International Director
and currently District 55 Governor
(her third time in this role!)
Consider these as some of the many ways you can introduce freshness, fun and vitality
into your meetings:
1. Alter your room layout. Many times we accept the room layout as a given: the
placement of the lectern, chairs and tables. For a change of pace, try reversing the
location of the lectern before the next meeting. If possible, put it at the opposite end
and feel the difference. Other variations: if your lectern is at the narrow end of a
long table, try placing it opposite the wide side. Or consider removing the table and
holding the meeting in a circle or semi-circle, a chevron or other configuration.
Remember, environment informs experience. Add flowers, a scent or some fun
decorations for further effect. Create a new environment and the experience will
surely feel fresh and exciting.
2. Consider a Joint Meeting with another club that meets nearby and/or at the same
time. You host them one meeting and they can reciprocate another time. It’s
exciting to entertain new guests who already know the Toastmaster mores. The
extra people and energy from this joint meeting doubles your fun!
Editor’s note: On January 15, 2009, pilot Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberger III masterfully landed US Airways Flight 1549 on New York’s Hudson River just minutes after takeoff from New York’s LaGuardia Airport. The passenger plane’s twin engines were disabled after it struck a flock of Canada geese. In what has been dubbed “The Miracle on the Hudson,” Captain Sullenberger’s skillful leadership of his crew and expert piloting saved the lives of all 155 people onboard the jetliner.