Babylon Babblers Do More Than Just Babble

If you hear a lot of babbling Thursday nights in the village, it's just a local support group focused on helping residents overcome their fears of public speaking.

The Babylon Babblers Club, which meets Thursday nights at 7 p.m. at either the Babylon Public Library or another nearby location, draws a steady crowd of professionals looking to hone public speaking skills and improve communication skills.

A chapter of the Toastmasters International organization, the club is led by Presiding Officer and Toastmaster Harold Rabsatt. The group attracts a wide range of people intent on improving speech and presentation skills.

Toastmasters International was founded in 1924 and has 260,000 members worldwide. The model of peer support and evaluation appeals to those suffering with a fear of public speaking or who have a desire to perfect presentation skills.  Annual membership is $20 and dues are $4.50 per month.

The most recent Babblers meeting drew 14 local residents with diverse professional and personal backgrounds. Each took turns giving speeches and providing constructive feedback to their peers.

Garth Hall, of Lindenhurst, says he joined the group four months ago to challenge himself and described the club as a "great group of people." 

The meetings are organized around a set of prepared speeches from members, which are then evaluated by a designated official "evaluator" and the group at large. 

The atmosphere is very supportive: audience members applaud fellow members after their presentations, which can range from a one-sentence introduction or a lengthy speech. 

The Toastmaster members follow manuals which offer up speaking assignments of increasing difficulty. 

In the evaluation process speakers are reviewed  on how many times they use filler words such as "um," and pronunciation. 

Speeches at last week's meeting included topics ranging from healthcare to critical thinking and the "business of dating," a humorous take on applying business philosophy to finding a mate. 

Speaker and member Malcolm Stitt credits the club with helping him return to the workforce after a job loss, as he was able to improve his communication skills. 

Now a confident, natural speaker,  Stitt recalled he was too anxious to speak more than two words at his first Babblers meeting.

For more information interested babblers can  call 516-884-8357 or email weaton36@hotmail.com. 

The next Babylon Babblers Club meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, November 18, at North Babylon's Phelps Lane Pool Building.