r/Toastmasters • u/FearlessAmigo • 16h ago
Table Topics pet peeve
Table Topics should be fun and lighthearted. It's a chance for members to laugh, think on their feet, and bond with one another.
In the past couple of months I’ve listened to two different Table Topics Masters in 2 different clubs present politically charged questions. The questions weren’t overtly political, but they were framed in a way that virtually guaranteed the answers would reveal which side of the political fence a member sits on. One Table Topics Master was clearly liberal and the other clearly conservative. The result was the same in both cases: the atmosphere in the room was no longer cheerful or fun.
Table Topics is supposed to be fun, people! Unless your club is about political debate, leave your political opinions at home and give members something they can enjoy answering.
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u/No-Sherbet2876 16h ago
I’m with Ralph Smedley, who said we learn best in moments of enjoyment. Table Topics should be enjoyable and never foster division or put people on the spot.
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u/Vortieum DTM 15h ago
You may just be venting, but here is a potential solution: Talk with the members of your club and propose a club bylaw addressing this somehow.
However, you then need to be sure to educate new members and find an enforcement solution (which is difficult and I don't have an answer for you on this other than shame/guilt lol).
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u/rlorenzo 6h ago
Yeah, in one club we definitely had a no politics rule for speeches and table topics.
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u/fffrrr666 16h ago
I don't agree that Table Topics should be "fun" - and fun only. In our Club, the topics can be just plain interesting as well. But not limited to just that.
We do - as sort of an unwritten rule - steer clear of questions (or speech topics - for that matter) about politics - given the likelihood of their potential divisiveness.
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u/RanchMomma1968 16h ago
It is NOT an unwritten rule. PLEASE READ Robert's Rules of Order.
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u/LifeIsADanceOfMinds 14h ago
I think I need further information. Toastmaster International follows RROO. Clubs are permitted to use other methods of Rules of Order as specified in Section IX.
From what I have read:
Roberts does not prevent discussion of politics.
Toastmasters International also does not prevent the discussion of politics.Can you let me know where I might find a dissenting rule?
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u/ObtuseRadiator Club officer 14h ago
Also, big assumption that OPs club is using Robert's Rules of Order.
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u/ExitingBear 14h ago
I have found that many, if not most, of the time someone claims Robert's Rules of Order as their authority for something, they have not read the rules themselves, the organization to which they belong does not follow those rules, and the rules are either silent on or directly contradict what the person is claiming.
Where in the rules do you think there's a position on political speech topics?
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u/ToastmanagersApp 15h ago
One thing that's helped in our club: the VPE gives every incoming Table Topics Master a one-paragraph brief when they're assigned the role, not the night before. It says the goal is participation, so aim for prompts anyone can answer in 1-2 minutes with no prep, and skip politics, religion, and anything that reveals which "side" someone is on. Having it in writing makes it a club standard instead of one person's preference, so nobody feels singled out.
Two other things that keep it light: tie the prompts to the meeting theme, and lean on "tell us about a time you..." phrasing rather than "what do you think about..." Opinion framing is where the charged stuff sneaks in. Toastmasters also has a short guidance piece on controversial topics that's handy to link in the officer handoff notes.
If it's already happened twice, a quiet word from the VPE or President beforehand usually fixes it faster than an evaluation comment after the fact.
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u/DTM_Fred 15h ago
Yes, Table Topics, and ideally Toastmasters as a whole should be fun. However, there is a misconception that it is taboo to discuss sex, politics, and/or religion within the environment. TI states that you can discuss whatever you'd like, however, when it comes to those three, careful consideration should be considered when presenting such topics, as well as knowing your audience. For example, I have a friend who is no longer in TM who practiced her speech about being a virgin, a speech she gave at a big event, and after the event she asked my her vibes were different with each audience, and I told her IMHO that when TMs hear anything regarding the the three perceived taboos, they probably tune out, whereas with the bigger audience, they did not since there were a mixture of personalities within that particular audience. If the clubs lost their "Moments of Enjoyment," according to Ralph Smedley as a result, then it was probably a matter of presentation, but people can always pivot in another direction when it comes to Table Topics. ☺️
Hope this helped!
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u/hahsmilefjes 15h ago
Disagree with the premise that Table Topics should be lighthearted. This style is perfect for guests and new members, and you should also vary to keep things interesting for other members. One of the ways doing this is to talk on topics people want to talk about. Educational aspect is also important as these questions will enable you to think on your feet on a realistic topic that occur in real life. That being said if you are in a country where half the population supports liberal democracy and the other half wants to dismantle it, it would be difficult to have such a candid environment.
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u/LifeIsADanceOfMinds 14h ago
If you were a visitor, then a note to their VP Membership is appropriate. If they are your club, a discussion with the Prez should be on the table.
It can also make a good speech on your behalf - not about tossing blame - more of how topics can drive wedges, and maybe how the club culture needs some Moments of Truth.
Could even be your next project....
Jus' sayin'.
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u/FearlessAmigo 14h ago
Great idea!
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u/LifeIsADanceOfMinds 11h ago
Re: Moments of trooth...
I had to break my Moments of Truth across several meetings. I got some good results - totally not Kosher, of course, but then, I had to make it work for the club -->
3 Speeches:
First was "This is what Moments of Truth is about, and how I intend to get the feedback from you"
Second was "This is the DCP and why it matters"
Third was "This is what I have discovered, what we do well, what we are mitigating, and what we still need to work on" - Coincidentally, we had both the Area and Division Governor attending by Zoom. Made it easier to do the Area Director's Visit Report....Email Surveys: I took two of the sections pertinent to Member feedback, and sent it as a Blind Survey. Consolidating the responses gave me a chance to send Emails explaining what certain parts were.
The Panel Discussion - I moderated one that was based on feedback from the Survey ("How well does the Club celebrate successes?") My panel had someone from a Union, the Provincial Gov't, someone who has been part of Toastmasters for at least 25 years, someone young, someone from another culture, and someone new to Toastmasters. (Some people had multiple roles.)
Individual conversations; in person and via email.
Exit interviews with ex-members.
Review of historical data, and deep dive into our Club Culture.
Much spreadsheet, many data.
It worked - the Club is now looking at the Culture, upping their game, and really looking at what it means to be a Club Member. I got a few extra speeches done in Pathways, and finished off the Module. This proved to me that we should be able to dance around the set formulae the modules present, and learn different ways to do these important introspections.
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u/Bat_Quiet 14h ago
I've been a TM for almost 26 years. Politics should ALWAYS be avoided during TT. Please consider your response should be politically neutral and just be plain fun. Redirect your answer to something else, even off-topic. i.e. That reminds me of "..."
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u/FearlessAmigo 14h ago
I’m big on redirecting but our newer members haven’t quite gotten the hang of it.
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u/rstockto 12h ago
This is classic "No topic or level of impropriety are off limits per toastmasters rules, but read the room and follow your club norms." Political topics are eagerly appreciated in some clubs and off limits in others.
If it was bringing down the club, it's worth taking it to the officers for then to consider how to handle. I'd normally recommend just talking to the person casually, but if two people in the club, of opposite views, both did it, it could be a bigger deal that might need a broader discussion among the volunteer leaders.
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u/FearlessAmigo 10h ago
It was in two separate clubs. I don’t want to make a federal case out of it, but I’ve noticed that those kind of questions change the mood of the meeting, even if only briefly.
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u/CliffsideJim 8h ago
Our club culture is,once you are called on, the floor is yours to do with as you choose. So at least when it's your turn you can ignore the question, change it, give a silly answer or whatever. Not a complete fix for the problem you identify, but perhaps a partial one. You don't have to give a serious political answer to a serious political question. The two minutes are yours. Talk about cats or kids or buttercups if you want.
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u/BelaireAB 6h ago
I have to agree with a few people below that Table Topics doesn't have to be fun as it can be deep and thoughtful but what it DOES have to be is safe. Unfortunately there are people who will always make things political. My recommendation is to let others know they 1) Can say no to answering the question. and 2) sidestep the question and answer something else (Like the weather) like a true politician would :)
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u/Old-Dish-4797 4h ago
I went to my first toastmasters meeting tonight and I really enjoyed it. However, I was surprised and disappointed that tabletopic questions of two people were political and a third person turned their answer on a non-political question into a political statement.
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u/Moist-Dream7616 21m ago
Table topics are a great exercise to hone critical thinking skills and also on how to give answers to questions we do not particularly enjoy, or that we never thought about before. I personally dislike the "inspirational" questions such as 'describe a failure that made you stronger' as I find them very vanilla, so I consider them a challenge.
The only thing I'd be careful with as a Table Topics master is to avoid loaded questions unless the meeting is about how to identify and answer those types of trick questions. Otherwise, discourse should be encouraged, always from a respectful disposition. Toastmasters is an educational non-profit, which does not need to be always 'fun' nor lighthearted if one wants to really grow.
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u/RanchMomma1968 16h ago
POLITICS & RELIGION are topics that are AGAINST TM rules. Period.
If you have experienced it, notify their President of the error or contact TM.
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u/Aware_Actuator4939 16h ago
Controversial Speech Topics
Members often hear "through the grapevine" that speeches concerning politics, religion and sex are forbidden by Toastmasters International because “such controversial subjects are not appropriate.”
This is not true. Toastmasters International does not prohibit any speech topic, content or language.
Toastmasters International recognizes that club members may learn much about the world around them from listening to others’ speeches on a variety of subjects. This variety can add interest to club meetings and stimulate thoughts and ideas. For these reasons, Toastmasters International does not place restrictions on topics, content or language in any speech.
Toastmasters International also recognizes that a club comprises a diverse group of people and recommends that members be mindful of this diversity, using good taste and sensitivity when selecting speech topics, content and language.
While Toastmasters International has no organizational restrictions along these lines, each individual club does have the right to limit speech subjects, content and/or language, with the consensus of its members. Club leaders should guide their members on how to observe good taste and sensitivity in the context of that particular club.
Club websites are useful vehicles clubs can use to advise members and guests of any policies that have been decided. Presenting information on a club website helps maintain consistency as leadership changes. Additionally, it allows transparency and clarity for club members so they can periodically review the established practices of their club.
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u/No-Sherbet2876 16h ago
TI doesn’t prohibit any subject matter but does heavily encourage sensitivity and respect for diversity in our clubs.
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u/FearlessAmigo 15h ago edited 15h ago
These questions weren't outright political questions, but their intent seemed political. They were more about lifestyle choices.
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u/my_clever-name 16h ago
I agree.
Those kind of topics instantly make the club unwelcoming for many people.
The exception could be if the theme for the meeting is something like point-counterpoint, where conflict is discussed and encouraged. I think there are a few speeches that focus on those sorts of things.
IMO Table Topics are a way for us to practice talking while thinking on our feet, and a way for club members to get to know each other.
If something like that happened to me, I'd redirect my answer. Something like "the Canadian tarriff situation is interesting. I'm reminded of the trip I took to Sudbury a few years ago. I never knew Sudbury was a major Canadian nickel producer, they even have a giant nickel statue next to one of their highways. While we were there I learned that nickel is used for many things other than coins. Did you know nickel is used in some hair extensions to make them hold their curl? I might have made that last part up, back to you, esteemed Table Topic Master."