For many people getting up in front of an audience and speaking is number one on their list of things to avoid having to do.

Yet being a good and confident public speaker is a skill and talent that is highly regarded in the business world.

Members of the Bermuda Toastmasters Club know from experience the value of being able to speak with confidence and how to control such things as tonality, nuance and the delivery of their words.

And it is not only adults who can benefit. Two members of the club Enda Matthie and Sherrie Outerbridge plan to take what they have learned from being public speakers to the children of Sandys Middle School to encourage students to learn the worth of using words to articulate themselves rather than resort to weapons or violence.

At the same time Toastmasters Club is seeking to attract more members from within the community.

Explaining what members get out of the club, which meets twice a month, Ms Outerbridge said: "Some look to go on to be public motivational speakers. Some use it to further their jobs, such as negotiating pay increases.

"It is something that helps build confidence. It is recognised in business. Companies look to see who are toastmasters and it helps with promotions.

"Most people go into it to get their confidence back. It is a good trait and it also teaches you to listen."

The club was originally formed in 1968 by US military personnel. Over time Bermudians were welcomed into the club's activities and its members have been varied, including former Premier Pamela Gordon, MPs Renee Webb and Grant Gibbons, and business people and others such as Randy French (Bermuda Press Holdings), Ian Coles, Scott Hunter and Frank Powers.

So what happens on a typical club night?

There are updates on new educational tools for leadership skills, a member will give a toast for the evening to set the theme, and there will be a "word of the night" that is unusual and, once explained, members will be expected to incorporate that word into their speeches.

A "table topics" section of the evening involves a member giving a speech and then asking a handful of questions to other members who have two minutes to give complete answers.

The focus on timing is another key to successful speaking and communication - making the speaker aware of the need to be concise.

"Time matters to everyone,"explained Ms Outerbridge. "You need to know how to go in and how to get out (of a speech/question)."

Ms Matthie added:"It is good training to be able to think quickly and to feel comfortable."

There are tips to know. Ms Outerbridge said: "We always say do not stand up and talk about something you know nothing about or are not passionate about."

The rest of the one-and-a-half hour meetings is given over to speeches from two to four members.

To become a certified toastmaster there is an international course that requires ten speeches of increasing competence to be given and judged.

Ms Matthie said: "We are given assignments by Toastmasters International, they vary from ice-breakers to get you started on a speech in front of people.

"The first speech is to get you used to being behind a podium. As the manuals go on the speeches get more advanced. They do not set the topics but they give you guidelines."

To progress through the course speakers must show the ability to vary their vocal variety, be able to show inflection in their voice and pace variation.

There is a club member in the audience who listens throughout the night for "umms and ahhs," slang words and grammatical errors and points them out to the group.

Once a person has passed the 10 assignments to gain the Toastmasters International certification they can, if they wish, go on to progress through four higher levels of accomplishment.

Aside from the club activities, Ms Outerbridge and Ms Matthie plan to encourage young people to learn the power of communication and public speaking, in a project that Ms Outerbridge describes as "Words instead of weapons."

She wants to find 15 committed students at Sandys Middle School who are prepared to learn about public speaking at weekends. The idea follows on from youth leadership programmes at CedarBridge Academy and Berkeley Institute.

Explaining the idea, she said: "We want to make a difference and teach them about conflict resolution through words."

The Bermuda Toastmasters Club meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month between 5.30 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the Chamber of Commerce offices on Front Street.