N. Carter
Unlock Your Public Speaking Potential
Welcome to Rivermark Gavel Club, where we are dedicated to teaching the students in our community about public speaking and how to formulate and deliver captivating speeches. Join us for our bi-weekly meetings, interactive workshops, engaging speech contests. We strive to create a supportive and close community where our members feel welcome, make new friends, and able to grow as a speaker through friendly feedback.
Our Mission
About Us
At Rivermark Gavel Club, we are run by students in our own community who have grown up through the club and now want to give back what they received. Maddie Wang founded this club to encourage interactions between students during the pandemic where she felt more disconnected and wanted to improve her and others social skills. Each year, new presidents pass down the torch of dedication and inspiration to follow the footsteps of our founder.
With a commitment to fostering a supportive learning environment, we provide the necessary tools and guidance for individuals to excel in public speaking and leadership. Join us on a journey towards honing your communication skills and becoming a proficient speaker who is comfortable in various settings.
Meet Our Presidents
Lizzy Chu-
Co President
Sienna Spencer-
Co President
Arthur Morris -
Co President
Our Approach
How It Works
We meet bi-weekly on Sundays from 1:30-2:30. Our Presidents lead the meeting using the agenda of the day. Each meeting follows the same format where each member has a different role including speaker, table topics master, evaluator, toastmaster, and many more.
Speeches
Our members have the option each meeting to prepare a speech that they share in front of the club. Each member starts off with the Icebreaker Speech for the club to get to know the member. Then they continue the lesson plan where each speech they preform has different objectives and tips for the students to improve their speaking skills.
Table Topics
During each meeting we have table topics which is a way for members to practice impromptu speaking. Club members will answer random questions with a goal of speaking for over a minute.
Evaluations
Evaluators will give constructive feedback after the speaker presents their speech. Their job is to highlight what the speaker did well while also offering helpful suggestions for improvement. They focus on the context of the speech as well as how it was carried out. Our goal is to create a community where the speaker feels supported and can further develop through thoughtful guidance.
Other Roles
Each meeting members are assigned different roles in order to promote good speech habits. The Ahh counter records how many times members use filler words that takes away from the speech. The timer records whether speeches met the time requirements. The toastmaster leads the meeting, while evaluators give the speakers feedback. The table topics master comes up with and asks each member questions during table topics. The word master announces a word each meeting that you must try to incorporate.
Special Meetings
A few times a year, we hold lecture style meetings where each member can learn the basics and more techniques of public speaking. These meetings also incorporate games in order to practice and learn from others. We also have seasonal potlucks during meetings near holidays and the end of the year to strengthen our gavel club community
Competitions
Our members have the option of competing in the local Toastmasters competition. Our past participants have won multiple awards in the table topics and speech categories. Competitions are a great way of pushing your public speaking skills to the next level and a way of applying the skills learned in Gavel Club.
Connect with Us
Contact Information
Interested in joining Rivermark Gavel Club or want to learn more about our programs? Feel free to reach out to us using the contact details below.