For the Reporter

Members of Auburn Morning Toastmasters compete for best Tall Tale and Table Topics speech at 6:30 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 11, at the Auburn Chamber of Commerce, 25 Second St. NW.

The public is invited to watch this first round of competition; light refreshments will be provided. Winners of the two contests will advance to area, division and finally to the district level in October in Anchorage, Alaska.

Through self-paced educational programs, Toastmasters shed their fear of public speaking, while gaining organizational and leadership skills that help them progress in their professional and personal lives. Cost for members is less than that of a latte per week. Auburn Morning Toastmasters has been building leaders in our community since 1951.

For Tall Tales, contestants present a speech on a topic that is highly exaggerated and improbable in theme or plot. Table Topics are impromptu speeches. All contestants are assigned the same topic, told to them when they are introduced by the contest chair.

The public is welcome to visit meetings, which are every Thursday from 6:30 to 7:30 a.m., to see what Toastmasters can do for them. The meeting place is in walking distance from the Auburn Transit Station.

For more information, visit auburnmorning.toastmastersclubs.org or Facebook.

Auburn Morning is a part of Toastmasters District 32, which encompasses Western Washington from Federal Way to Chehalis as well as the Kitsap, Key and Olympic peninsulas, and clubs throughout Alaska. For more information on District 32, visit d32.toastmastersdistricts.org.