About Sundial Toastmasters:

Hello and thank you for your interest in the Sundial Toastmaster Club.   If you have glossophobia (fear of public speaking), or just a basic interest or desire to improve yourself in the areas of speaking (formal speeches or impromptu), listening, evaluating, or leadership, we invite you down to check out our club.  We also give the opportunity (if you choose) to test your skills in competition against your fellow members, other clubs in our area, and district.  There are also numerous conventions and information sessions available to attend to pick up tips from other toastmasters and the experts. 

Here are some facts about our club and what we do:

We are a proper Toastmasters Club, affiliated to the Worldwide Toastmaster Organization. Our club has been registered with Toastmasters International since March 1985.

Our club is very friendly and operates in a very positive minded and safe atmosphere, which is one reason why we believe toastmasters works.  In order for one to learn you need a non threatening environment to experiment and try different techniques to develop your speaking style.  Through our club we will expose you to the different techniques of others, give you the opportunity to experiment, and give you feedback to improve in a safe and encouraging manner.

Our club is not affiliated with any specific company or organization (besides toastmasters).  Our members are professionals from many different companies and professions, which adds to the valued diversity of our club and the additional opportunity to network.  The unfortunate drawback is slightly higher dues as compared to some other clubs as we have to pay for the use of our meeting room.

We meet every Tuesday at noon, usually in the Hospitality Room in the Knox United Church, in downtown Calgary.  The best entry is the west side doors from 4th Street.  A whiteboard there captures any seldom room changes. (Where to find us).

At Sundial Toastmasters, we emphasize Teamwork, Focus and Value in our efforts to all become better speakers.

- Teamwork: Our club's basic premise is that we can all LEARN FASTER WHEN WORKING AS A TEAM than working individually. Our teamwork provides each participating member with un-paralleled personal growth opportunities. The keyword here is "participating".

- Focus: Our focus at Sundial Toastmasters is EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION. Our club's most visible learning goal is to improve our public speaking. Along with public speaking improvement, we also promote better listening, leadership skills, and conducting better meetings. This club is made up of professionals and we do our best to make each meeting count.

- Value: PORTABLE SKILLS is the key value we provide each of our members at  Sundial Toastmasters. These skills include, but are not limited to, public speaking, thinking on your feet, listening, leadership, planning, web building. Our aim is to ensure each of our members can use these skills at work, at home and anywhere they would need these value-added skills.  As is with any other club the saying "You get out what you put in" applies to our club.


Each meeting has usually the following components:

1) Welcoming and Agenda Review

2) Invocation/Though of the Day, Joke of the Day, Toast

3) Formal speech(s) (if any)

4) Table topics (These are impromptu topics that are designed to be
responded to as a small speech. The aim is to think and speak with little preparation)

5) Evaluations (all speeches and the basic meeting are evaluated for continual improvement)

6) Timer Report (all speeches are timed)

7) Ah-counter/Grammarian report (we monitor for ah's and and-ahhh's in our speeches, and other grammar faults)

8) General evaluation of the meeting

All the roles are rotated so that each person has a chance to speak, as much as possible. The general aim is to improve every time.

Every four to eight weeks we will also conduct a formal business meeting to conduct club business and give the club members the opportunity to learn and practice the formal business meeting order.

Again if you have glossophobia (fear of public speaking), or just a basic interest or desire to improve yourself in the areas of speaking (formal speeches or impromptu), evaluating, or leadership, we invite you down to check out our club.  Guests are always welcome.