About

Toastmasters International
Toastmasters International was started in 1924 at the YMCA in Santa Ana, California.

It has since grown to become the world leader in helping people become more comfortable and better at speaking to an audience. The nonprofit organization now has nearly 250,000 members who belong to more than 12,000 clubs in 106 countries.

Club meetings offer a proven and enjoyable way to develop and practice your communication and leadership skills.

Most Toastmasters clubs are have around 20 people who meet each week for about  an hour to learn and practice skills by filling a meeting role. These roles range from giving a prepared speech or an impromptu one… to serving as timer, evaluator or grammarian.

There is no instructor; instead, each speech and meeting is critiqued by a member in a positive manner, focusing on what was done right and what could be improved.

Franklin County Toastmasters
Franklin County Toastmasters  is  the local club serving  the Franklin County and Smith Mountain Lake region of Virginia. The club was co-founded in 1997 by Leigh Prom and Brian Duvall as the public speaking and leadership development program for the Franklin County Chamber of Commerce.

Many of our first members participated through company sponsored development programs provided by their employers.

“Toastmasters training has helped me to improve my confidence, ability to think on my feet, and speaking skills in high pressure situations. I often tell people that what I learn in Toastmasters helps me win key positions and raise my income by more than $40,000 by beating out the competition, closing the big deal, getting investors and raising more money,” said Brian Duvall, CEO of Duvall Consulting. “If you aren’t in Toastmasters then you aren’t at the top of your game in the business world. Everybody can talk but not everybody can speak well enough to connect with an audience and move them to action,” Duvall said.

Join the Franklin County Toastmasters Club today.