Do you get nervous speaking in front of people? Do you get sweaty palms and start fumbling your words?

There is help for you in the form of Toastmasters International, an organization that can help people to learn better communication, speaking and leadership skills.

Currently, there are four clubs in the Yuma area, including the newest club, Mid-Day Masters, which formed in October.

The Mid-Day Masters, which along with the Yuma Sunsetters Club is sponsored by the Bureau of Reclamation, meets weekly to help its members achieve their communication or leadership goals through time-test methods, self-paced curriculums and constructive evaluations.

"It's a great place to grow not only as a public speaker but as an individual … it allows you to grow confident in yourself," said Amanda Rinne, a member of the Mid-Day Masters since its formation.

The club's president, Elizabeth Kennett, says the great part about the club is "what I get to learn about other people in the room. People have such unexpected depth … and I'm always amazed and impressed with the interesting people in this club."

Most clubs have weekly meetings that last for at least an hour and have about 20 people.

Beginners who join Toastmasters are assigned mentors, as well as 10 speeches and a series of projects. There is no set time to have these speeches and projects completed. Members can set their own pace, and they will receive two manuals, the "Competent Communicator" and "Competent Leadership."

As each speech is given, different members evaluate the speaker by taking different positions within the meeting. These positions include a timer, who makes sure the speech is given within time limits. An "ah-counter" reports how many unscheduled pauses or filler words are used. There is also an evaluator who tells the speaker what went well or what can be improved.

Speeches are not limited to formal business themes. They can also be humorous and persuasive, or they can focus on body language and visual aids.

Toastmasters, a nonprofit organization, began in 1924 in the basement of a man named Ralph C. Smedley. Today, its has 220,000 members in 11,300 clubs in 90 countries.

June Wolfe, a Mid-Day Masters member and club mentor, says anyone who wants to become a better motivator, presenter and leader should check the organization out.

"We encourage people to look it up and read a little more about it. Come as a guest," she said. "It is worth the adventure."

LOCAL TOASTMASTERS

-All Toastmaster clubs are open to the public. Currently, there are four Toastmaster clubs in Yuma and one in El Centro. They are:

-Mid-Day Masters, which meets every Wednesday from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Call (928) 210-7770 or e-mail sunsetterjune@yahoo.com.

-Daybreakers Club, which meets every Thursday at 6:30 a.m. Call (928) 344-1912 or e-mail mdombrowski@gmail.com.

-Yuma Sunsetters Club, which meets the first and third Wednesday of each month at 6 p.m. Call (928) 210-7770 or e-mail sunsetterjune@yahoo.com. Meetings are Wednesdays twice a month at 6 p.m.

-Yuma-Kofa Toastmasters Club, which meets every Tuesday at noon. Call (928) 726-0796.

-Wintergarden Toastmasters Club in El Centro, which meets every Tuesday at noon. Call (760) 339-9033 or e-mail scmarquez@lid.com.