The Hays Toastmasters club is the oldest standing club in the state. chartered Jan. 1, 1958. The group meets at Thirsty’s, 2704 Vine, on the first and third Wednesday of each month at noon.

“It’s a fun, relaxed environment where you can improve upon your public speaking and presentation skills as well as learning practical leadership skills. I’ve been a member since February of 2013 and I look forward to each meeting,” said member Travis Kohlrus. “They have manuals that you can work through at your own pace that teach you specifics about leadership and speaking. Each meeting includes a ‘word of the day’ where you can expand your vocabulary and challenge your mind to include this new word in as much of your speaking opportunities as possible during that meeting. We hand out awards for best ‘Word of the Day,’ ‘Table Topics Master,’ ‘Ahs’ and speeches.

Hays Toastmasters is a local affiliate of Toastmasters International. The major reason for joining is personal development through public speaking and leadership opportunities.

Toastmasters International is a world leader in communication and leadership development. The organization has more than 345,000 memberships. Members improve their speaking and leadership skills by attending one of the 15,900 clubs in 142 countries that make up our global network of meeting locations.

For more information on how to become a member, email Kohlrus at [email protected].