One of my favourite things to do when travelling to a new country is visit a local Toastmasters club.
I’ve been a member of Kelowna AM Toastmasters for the past decade and I’ve gotten a lot of value from my membership. Not only have I become a more confident public speaker, I’ve also gained leadership abilities, listening skills and established friendships.

Since Toastmasters is an international, non-profit organization, with a presence in 145 countries, there’s almost always an opportunity to visit a new club when travelling abroad.

Last year I had the chance to visit Toastmasters clubs in Japan (featured in the video below) and Portugal and I recently visited the Liverpool City Toastmasters Club. In fact, I began writing this column while on the train to Liverpool.

While each club around the globe has a unique style and structure of meeting, here are five commonalities you’ll........

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