We start our meeting off with the singing of our national anthem followed by a Toast. On the rare occasion that the person giving the Toast is either late or absent, our Chairperson usually calls upon a Toastmaster from the group to give a Toast.
I can't help but notice the feeling of dread, including my own, when we are called upon to give a Toast and are unprepared. Luckily, our club has some seasoned members who can think quickly and eloquently on their feet and rise to the occasion with a nice toast.
I have learned from this the importance of having a Toast ready at all times. While we don't necessarily have to have it memorized, we should at least have a topic and the message we are trying to convey.
If you can think quickly on your feet or prefer to do impromptu toasts, congratulations. For those of us who are not as comfortable or quick thinking on our feet, consider having a toast prepared - you can keep it in the back of your mind and then use it to rise up in an occasion of need.
