Will I have to speak on my first night?

No. Your first visit you can sit at the back and watch the whole meeting — nobody will call on you, and nobody will mind. Most people watch once or twice before they say anything at all. When you do start, it's a one-line answer rather than a speech.

What if I freeze, or lose my place halfway through?

Then you'll have done what every single person in the room has done at some point, including the ones who look completely relaxed. Nobody sighs, nobody winces, and nobody remembers it next time. That's the whole reason a practice room exists — it's the one place where losing your thread costs you absolutely nothing.

How long before I'm expected to give a full speech?

There's no clock on it. Your first prepared speech — the Ice Breaker — is four to six minutes about a subject you already know inside out: yourself. Most people get there within their first few months, but you set the pace, and your mentor will help you decide when you're ready.

Do I have to commit to all ten speeches?

Not at all. The ten speeches are a map, not a contract. The programme is self-paced with no deadlines and no cohort to keep up with — plenty of members work through the levels slowly over a year or two, and it counts just the same.

Visiting as a guest is free, and you're welcome to come more than once before deciding anything. We're a non-profit club, so membership is a modest annual fee that covers the education programme, meetings and materials. We'll give you the exact current figure on the night, with no hard sell. We also offer discounts for students and those currently seeking employment.

When and where do you meet?

First, third and fifth Thursdays of the month, 8–10pm, September to June. We meet at An Tairseach Ecology Centre in Wicklow Town — plenty of parking, easy to find.

Mentoring — Wicklow Speaking Club

How it works

A friendly hand for your first few months

Mentoring here is light-touch and genuinely informal — a familiar face, a bit of encouragement, and a hand when you need one. Here’s the shape of it.

You’re paired early

Someone introduces you to your mentor within your first couple of meetings, with a relaxed first chat — before or after a meeting, or over a coffee if it suits — about why you joined.

It’s light-touch

A quick message here and there, a hand preparing your Ice Breaker, and a familiar face at meetings. No pressure, no exams.

It runs ~3 months

Through your first few months, or your first couple of speeches — then it carries on if you both want it to.

It’s confidential

Anything you share with your mentor stays between you.

Fit matters

It’s completely fine to ask for a different mentor — no awkwardness, no offence. A good match matters more than sticking it out.

It’s meant to end

The goal is for you to belong to the whole club, not depend on one person. When mentoring winds down, that’s success.

For mentees

Your mentor — and how to make the most of them

Joining a speaking club is a brave step, and every single person here remembers their first night. Your mentor is an experienced member whose job is simply to help you settle in, find your feet, and enjoy it. You’re not doing this alone.

What your mentor is for

They’re here to…

Help you find your way around meetings (and the odd bit of Toastmasters jargon)
Get you started on Pathways and your first speech, the Ice Breaker
Be a familiar face and introduce you to people
Cheer you on and help you take the next small step
Answer the “is this a silly question?” questions — they never are

They’re not…

A teacher marking your work
Going to write your speeches — those are yours, and better for it
Someone you have to impress
The only friendly face here — the whole club is glad you’ve come

What to expect

Someone will introduce you to your mentor in your first weeks.
You’ll have a first, relaxed chat — before or after a meeting, or over a coffee if it suits — about why you joined and what you’d like to get out of it. What you wrote on your start-up form is a great start.
After that it’s light-touch: a quick message here and there, a hand preparing your Ice Breaker, and a familiar face at meetings.
It runs through your first few months, or your first couple of speeches — then carries on if you both want it to.

How to get the most from it

Say what you want.Your mentor takes their lead from you — tell them your goals, and what feels a bit scary.
Ask anything.Really — no question is too basic. That’s exactly what they’re there for.
Show up when you can.Momentum matters most at the start; even just watching a meeting helps you settle.
Say yes to small roles.Timer, Table Topics, a quick reading — tiny steps that build confidence fast.
See feedback as a gift.Evaluations here are meant kindly — they’re how everyone got better, you included. Take what’s useful and enjoy the encouragement.
Give a little back.A “thanks, that helped” means a lot — and one day you’ll do this for someone else.
Speak up if it’s not clicking.It’s completely fine to ask for a different mentor. No awkwardness, no offence — a good fit matters.

A few things worth knowing

Your mentor is a volunteer doing this because they enjoy it — a week’s notice when you’d like help with a speech is golden.
Anything you share with your mentor stays between you.
If you ever need more than a club friend can offer, they’ll gently point you towards the right support.
The club is bigger than any one person — get to know lots of members. That’s what makes it stick.

Your first few steps

Met your mentor
Had a first chat about your goals
Chosen a Pathways path
Booked (or thought about) your Ice Breaker
Saved your mentor’s contact
Said hello to a few other members

Any questions at all, ask your mentor — or anyone on the committee. We’re really glad you’re here, and we’re looking forward to hearing your voice.

For mentors

Welcoming, guiding and growing our new members

A mentor is often the single friendliest reason a nervous newcomer comes back. Get this right and members feel they belong from night one — which is exactly what keeps them. You’re the human face of the club for someone who’s just taken a brave step.

What a mentor is — and isn’t

A mentor is…

A friendly first point of contact
An encourager who protects confidence
A translator of “Toastmasters language”
Someone who helps a new member take the next small step
A role model who’s been where the new member is

A mentor isn’t…

A judge or evaluator — that happens elsewhere
A speech-writer — the speech belongs to the new member
A counsellor, or on call 24/7
The only person responsible — the whole club welcomes every new member

The new member’s journey

First contact · within 2 meetings of joining

Reach out and welcome the new member

Swap the best way to stay in touch. Read what the new member wrote on the start-up form — the goals, and what they’re hoping for from mentoring — and use it. Sit with the new member, or make introductions, so nobody is left standing alone.

First few weeks

Get the new member started

Help the new member choose a Pathways path and start the Ice Breaker. Explain the meeting roles gently as they come up (Table Topics, evaluator, timer). Help with preparation, and be there on Ice Breaker night.

Settling in

Keep the momentum

Keep up light, regular check-ins. Nudge the new member towards a second speech and a first small role. Make more introductions across the club. Notice and name every win — even ask for a moment at a meeting to mark the new member’s progress.

Hand-off · ~3 months / after 2–3 speeches

Mark the milestone

Celebrate how far the new member has come. Agree whether to keep going. Make sure the new member feels part of the whole club — belonging to the club, not depending on you. A mentoring relationship is meant to be finite: that’s success, not an ending.

Your first conversation

The first proper chat sets the tone. It doesn’t need to be formal, or a separate meet-up — a few minutes before or after a meeting works perfectly, or a coffee if that suits you both. A simple shape:

Warm welcome, and a little about you and why you love the club.
Ask about the new member — why they joined, and what “success” would look like. Build on what they told us on the start-up form.
Explain how you’ll help, and how light-touch it is.
Agree how you’ll stay in touch, and a rough rhythm (a quick message between meetings is plenty).
Agree one small next step — usually “pick a path” or “let’s book your Ice Breaker.”
Reassure the new member: nerves are completely normal, everyone here started in the same place — and it’s absolutely fine to change mentor if the fit isn’t right.

A few good opening questions

“What made you decide to give this a go?”
“Where would you love to feel more confident speaking?”
“Have you done much public speaking before?”
“What would make this feel worth it for you in a few months?”
“Is there anything that would make coming along easier?”

The secrets to success

Benefit before structure.Welcome the person, not the programme. “Friendly group” before “Pathways”; confidence before jargon.
Be reliable, not intense.Small, regular contact beats occasional bursts. A one-line “great to see you tonight” does more than you’d think.
Listen first; build on the new member’s goals.Start from what the new member said they wanted. It’s the new member’s journey — you’re the guide.
Encourage far more than you correct.Protect the new member’s confidence; formal feedback belongs in evaluations, not from you. Early on, catch the new member doing things right.
Celebrate the small wins.A first Table Topic, a first role, the Ice Breaker — mark every one. Momentum is everything in the first weeks.
Guide, don’t do it for the new member.Point the way, share how you did it, then step back and let the new member own it. That’s where the growth is.
Aim to become pleasantly unnecessary.Connect the new member widely across the club. Success is a member who belongs — not one who depends on you.
Fit matters, and changing mentor is fine.No offence taken on either side. A good match beats a polite mismatch every time.
You grow too.Mentoring sharpens your own leadership — and counts towards your DTM. This is a two-way gift.

You’re never on your own

You don’t have to have all the answers, and you’re not expected to carry anything heavy by yourself. The mentoring lead and the committee are right behind you — a quick word is always the right move when:

The match doesn’t quite click, for either of you — re-pairing is normal and completely fine.
The new member has a need you’re not sure how to meet, or mentions an accommodation that would help — someone on the committee can help sort it.
Life gets busy or you’re away for a while — just say, and we’ll make sure the new member is still looked after.
You get a Toastmasters question you can’t answer — Pathways, awards, contests — the VP Education is glad to help.
Something comes up that feels bigger than a club friendship — be kind, keep it private, and gently point the new member towards the right support.

Grounded in Toastmasters International resources: Moments of Truth (Items 290A / 290B), the Club Leadership Handbook (Item 1310), the Club Mentor Program Kit (Item 1163) and the Pathways Mentor Program (Base Camp).

Every new member gets a friendly guide.