'Tis the season for weddings, and therefore, wedding toasts. So I headed to a meeting of Toastmasters in Queens to see how it's done. I was more than little bit suprised by what I found.

For the most part, people come to Toastmasters International to conquer their fear of public speaking, from making small talk to giving speeches. 

"As an IT consultant, I wanted to do workshops for prospective customers, but I have the fear of public speaking," said Alan Sabo, a member of Toastmasters International.

Sabo joined this club at the Flushing Public Library, and after doing speaking drills and assignments, he now coaches others in how to face an audience.  

Jacqueline McIntyre joined after a disasterous presentation to her coworkers.

"They walked out, and I said, 'I'm not going to cry. I'm going to learn how to overcome this fear,'" she said.

But does anyone come here to prepare for a toast?

"A friend of mine he asked if I would be willing to officiate his wedding so I got licensed in the state of New York and I officiated the wedding," Sabo said. 

But did he give a toast?

"The wedding was tough enough," Sabo said, laughing.

So can anyone here give a toast?

These clubgoers tell me they could do a toast if asked. They say they've learned the basics here: organize thoughts, speak clearly, speak from the heart, and practice, practice, practice.

Die hards like Vic Paru sometimes go to a different meeting almost every night of the week.

"It can be addictive, and it's fun, and you're not just helping yourself, you have the joy of seeing other people rise with you," Paru said.

The first Toastmasters club was founded in California in back in 1924. Now, there are more than 130 Toastmasters clubs just in New York City alone. Worldwide, the count is more than 16,000, each with its own pesonality. When you join one for $65, you can attend any. 

At Toastmasters, it's not just about giving speeches. It's about getting feedback 

"One of the feedback was, 'Your voice, too soft,'" said Dorcas Chen, a member of Toastmasters International. "So I try to speak louder."

So you won't hear a lot of "cheers" here, but you will find plenty of good cheer.