The Fountain Hills Toastmasters Club invites residents to an open house to meet members and watch special guest speaker Don Ratliff.

Ratliff, president of Speaker Connection.net, will talk about overcoming the fear of public speaking and why you should, whether or not you ever intend to do any public speaking.

The open house will be held Wednesday, Nov. 4, at First American Title, 13212 N. Saguaro Blvd., starting at 6:15 p.m.

“Fountain Hills Toastmasters provides a supportive and positive environment where members have the opportunity to develop their communication and leadership skills,” says Shelley Gabriel, FHTM club president.

After hearing from Ratliff, members and guests will enjoy a regular Toastmasters meeting that will include Table Topics (impromptu speeches) and evaluations.

Gabriel, who has served in various club positions, will be the Table Topics master.

“Table Topics are one of my favorite parts of the meeting,” says Gabriel.

“This is where guests and members are randomly selected to speak for one to two minutes. It helps you think and speak clearly on your feet.”

The local Toastmasters Club meets each Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at First American, corner of Saguaro and Palisades boulevards.

For more information about the event and the club, email Gabriel at rochellegabriel@hotmail.com or visit http://fountainhills.toastmastersclubs.org.