The "PPE" Framework for Mastering Impromptu Speaking

  

Table topics  for a new Toastmaster can be intimidating and difficult: "what should I talk about?"  There are many ways in which people address this question.

   "PPE"(Past Present and Future) Framework is an easy and good way to address a Table topics question.

How to Structure It:

• The Past : Start by describing how the topic used to look. Use phrases like, "When I was younger..." or "Historically, we used to..."

• The Present : Transition into the current state of affairs. Use pivot words like, "But today, everything has changed..." or "Right now, we see..."

• The Future : Wrap up with a forward-looking prediction or hope. Conclude with, "Moving forward, I hope we..." or "In the years to come..."

  

This is a simple way to do a table topic. Maybe try it at the next table topics session? 

Pioneer Toastmasters We are in this together.

 Pioneer Toastmasters 

To keep our club running smoothly and help everyone reach their potential, please keep these five essential habits in mind:

1. Arrive Early
   Show up 5–10 minutes before the start time. This gives us time to set up the room, test technology, and connect with fellow members before the meeting begins.
2. Confirm Your Role
   Check the agenda a few days prior to the meeting. Confirming your role early ensures a smooth, well-organized meeting for everyone.
3. Prepare Your Introduction
   If you are speaking, send your introduction to the Toastmaster of the Day ahead of time. Include your speech title, project details, and timing limits.
4. Find a Backup for Absences
   If you cannot fulfill an assigned role, please communicate this to the group immediately. Help the club by trying to find your own replacement from the roster.
5. Set Personal Goals
   Ask yourself: What do I want to get out of my effort and time here at Pioneer Toastmasters? Define your personal targets and track your Pathways progress to maximize your growth.

Thank you for your dedication to your own growth and the success of Pioneer Toastmasters!

Officer Roles: How can you help?

   It is almost the end of the Toastmasters year. Which means we need to select and vote on new officer positions for next year. (July 1st 2026 to June 30, 2027)  Some of you are very new to Toastmasters and our club and we are so grateful you are here. I would encourage you all no matter how new you are to consider serving as one of our club officers. It is a little bit of work as anything worthwhile is, but you would be serving your club and you would be learning new things For example how the club works and elements of leadership.

https://www.toastmasters.org/membership/leadership/club-officer-tools/club-officer-roles

This is what you see when you first log into Toastmasters International

If you scroll down just about to the middle of the page you will see this: See the " club officer roles block?"

Click on Club Officer Roles: it takes you to a page like below

We would really appreciate if you would consider running for one of the positions that we have a need to fill this last year due to circumstances we have people doubling up on officer roles, which is a lot to ask of anyone. Please, Please, Please consider throwing your hat into the ring into one of our officer positions that will be available for the coming year. We have members who have served in these officer positions and would be glad to mentor you in them and be there for any questions. 

 Even to our Newest members you c an do this and it would be a great opportunity for you and it would be a blessing to Pioneer Toastmasters. 

The link to Toastmaster International location footed officer roles is here:   

 https://www.toastmasters.org/membership/leadership/club-officer-tools/club-officer-roles

 An additional resource is The Club Leadership Handbook which covers all officer roles in great detail. 

 

https://www.toastmasters.org/1310

Employer Letters

  Did you know you can get a letter sent to your employer when you achieve Levels 3 , 4, and 5 in your pathways program?  This can be a nice way to show your employer that you're investing in yourself outside of your workplace. This can be a good recognition for you as well as just a notification to your supervisor of what you have going on in Toastmasters.

To officially notify your employer of your achievements, you can request an official Employer Letter directly from Toastmasters International. 

Rules for Requesting Employer Letters

• Eligibility: You can submit a request only when you complete Level 3, Level 4, or Level 5 of any educational learning path.
• The Process: These notifications are processed at the time your specific level completion is submitted and approved.

How to Complete the Request

The exact submission flow depends on whether your path is tracked digitally or via print materials:

• For Digital Base Camp Paths: When you finish the final project of Level 3, 4, or 5, you must launch the Level Completion task within Base Camp. During this electronic submission process, the system prompts you with the choice to notify your employer. You must input your supervisor's name, company name, and email address. 
• For Printed Paths: If you utilize printed materials, you must fill out the official Pathways Level Completion Form. Check "Yes" under the Employer Letter section on page 2, and fill out your manager's contact details before sending it to World Headquarters. [

Alternative: Manual Request & Sharing

If you missed the prompt during your level submission, or want to showcase alternative milestones:

1. Email World Headquarters: Send a direct request containing your member ID, level completed, and supervisor's email address to the Education Program team at educationprogram@toastmasters.org.
2. Social Media Sharing: You can also navigate to your Toastmasters Achievement Board or Base Camp profile to share your earned digital milestone badges directly to corporate networks like LinkedIn.

More Tips for Toastmasters

• Keep your notes in check

    It can be argued that the better speeches are when the speaker does have notes.  However, sometimes we will be speaking using notes.  Be subtle when using them and get to a point in you speaking where you will not ready your speech

• Test your Volume                                                                                                             Have a friend of colleague stand at the back of the room to see if your volume is good. 

• Enter Contests

  There are various speech contest throughout the year in toastmasters and it is a great way    to challenge yourself and grow as a public speaker. 

• Enjoy yourself

  This is important in my opinion.  For the newer members it may be hard to see right now but you will get over your fears  and then you can focus on the finer points and also you will be able to enjoy public speaking more. 

https://www.toastmasters.org/about/90th-anniversary/90-tips

Paint a Picture in your Speech.

The best speakers I have heard have a way of "painting a picture" not just sharing of information.  I believe, that most of the time, the minds eye is much more powerful than even the clearest and most brilliant photos on a screen. 

   One of my earliest speeches in Toastmasters I shared about a sunset when I was deployed in the middle east with the Air Force.  For me, it was very easy  to picture that moment in my mind,  to almost feel the heat in the air and the smell of the dusty location.   The vivid colors that were present across the landscape as the sun rose and the almost dead silence of the moment.  

Some tips for painting the picture:

1. Show, Don't Tell 

This is the golden rule of vivid speaking. 

• The "Tell": "I was very nervous before my first speech."
• The "Show": "My palms were slick with sweat, and I could feel my heart drumming a frantic rhythm against my ribs."
• The Tip: Look for "emotion words" (sad, happy, scared) and replace them with physical descriptions of how that emotion felt in your body. 

2. The Five Senses Technique 

To truly paint a picture, incorporate the other four senses: 

• Sound: The screech of tires, the rhythmic thump-thump of a tail on the floor, or the deafening silence of an empty room.
• Smell/Taste: The sharp tang of chlorine at a pool or the comforting aroma of cinnamon and toasted sugar.
• Touch: The grit of sand between toes or the biting chill of a winter wind.
• Sight: Perhaps s for most the easier of the senses to describe what you saw. 

3. Use Specific Adjectives and Verbs 

        Specific words provide high definition. 

• Generic: "He walked across the room."
• Vivid: "He shuffled across the room" (implies age or exhaustion) or "He marched across the room" (implies confidence or anger).

  In conclusion I would challenge all of us to paint a picture when we are speaking. It adds a lot to the speech! 

The Original Speech Critique Sheet form 1933

 

   In Aprils Toastmasters magazine there is some information about the magazine itself and it was interesting to learn how it came to be what it is today,  a monthly digital publication published by Toastmasters International.  In this article about the magazine they talked about the very first issue published in April 1933, some 93 years ago.  

  In that first issue there was a "Critique sheet" the very first evaluation form.  I found it interesting to look at how this tool has changed and grown into what we have today for any given speech project.    

 The content of the critique sheet will look familiar. It is compelling to see how many things from 93 years ago are still present in today's evaluations and how some of the information has been polished for a more productive critique.   

https://toastmasters.org/magazine/magazine-issues/2026/april/spotlight-on-april-1933