Madeleine Coles
Life Editor
Of all the many phobias in the world, Americans have one fear that rises above death, deadly animals or even heights: public speaking. Many people have a crippling fear of speaking in front of other people, which can present quite a problem, particularly when their chosen career requires some level of public speaking.
The Toastmasters club aims to help people overcome this fear.
But according to the president of the Toastmasters Smile club, Dan Karlan, it does much more for people than helping them become public speakers.
“[It] spills over into leadership because people defer to a competent communicator to express the view that they share,” Karlan said. “Someone who is capable of expressing his or her views is likely to be picked to spearhead a movement or organization, therefore training and expertise in communication goes hand in hand with being a leader.”
In addition to gaining leadership and organization skills, Karlan claims the Toastmasters club has helped him personally gain thinking skills.
“Because Toastmasters is not just for speaking, but also for listening, the linkage between speaking and listening is thinking,” he said. “And I found that I became a better thinker by advancing through the Toastmasters program.”
There are three Toastmasters clubs in Pocatello alone. One is held in the women’s prison for female inmates.
“We’re helping them build the skills they need for job interviews and self-esteem, so when they get back on the outside, they won’t have to do something they don’t really want to do,” said area director Terry Yackley.
The Toastmasters Pitch Craft club is new to Pocatello, and according to Yackley, will focus primarily on sales and management.
“It’s just like Toastmasters, but it just has the flavor and leaning toward sales,” Yackley said.
While anyone can join the Toastmasters club, the Smile club in particular is aimed toward ISU students and faculty.
“We want to help them get over that fear because right when you’re entering your field, there’s a lot of presentations,” Yackley said.
And according to Yackley and Karlan, public speaking and communication is an essential skill for virtually any job.
“Learning to communicate effectively is a prerequisite for nearly everything you do,” Karlan said. “It can improve your performance when you get out of college, and it can improve your performance in college.”
The Smile club is also the oldest Toastmasters club in Pocatello.
According to Yackley it has been operating for around 15 years.
Club meetings typically involve members giving speeches, both prepared and spontaneous, and other members critiquing them.
Members of the Smile club include ISU senior Isaac Hassel and multiple Pocatello community members whose jobs rely on public speaking, such as attorneys and teachers.
The club also holds competitions beginning at the club level and advancing to international levels. Members can compete in five different contests: the international speech contest, the humorous speech contest, the evaluation contest, table topics and tall tales.
Hassel, whose family is involved in the club, recently won the division contest with his humorous speech.
The Pitch Craft and Smile club will meet Wed, Jan. 18 at 6:15 p.m. Club dues are six dollars a month.
