Seeking treatment for a case of the ‘umms,’ ‘ahhs’ and ‘errs’? Then the Marion Toastmasters Club has the cure.

Every first and third Thursday of the month the toastmasters comes together to laugh, learn and hone their public speaking.

The organization has 292,000 members worldwide and lets people practice giving speeches in a supportive environment.

On Thursday afternoon, the chapter held its first open house since moving to a new home two months ago. Previously, club members met in a conference room at Lockheed-Martin off of Route 6. Now the club meets in the Marion Recreation Center, located at 13 Atlantis Drive.

“We moved here because we were looking for more of a ‘town feel,’” said member Steve Galavotti. With security tight at the defense company, the Toastmasters hope the new location will be less intimidating for new members.

The club formed five years ago, but was exclusive to Lockheed-Martin employees. After several community members expressed interest, it opened to the public.

Using critique – not criticism – and positive reinforcement the club allows anyone looking to conquer a fear of public speaking to do so in a friendly environment. At the Marion club a number of people also want to improve their communication for  business.

“I have to give a lot of presentations. For me, joining was a good way to practice my speaking skills and get a nice critique by other members. They tell you how to improve, but not in a pressured environment,” said Galavotti, a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Marion.

Club President Jay Matar notes the club is diverse and welcomes new members.

“We have bankers, engineers, a writer, a realtor, a motivational speaker - so we’re always looking for diversity,” Matar said. “Everybody brings something to the table, and I like to hear their stories.”

Matar, who is from Lebanon, joined Toastmasters to improve his English.

“I come from a different country. I’m always going to need improvement. Having an accent and speaking a different language is never easy,” he said.

Meetings are free and open to the public and feature a “Word of the Day” (Thursday’s was “maniacal”), formal speeches and improvisation.

To become a member there is a $20 fee to join, and then a $42 fee to be paid every six months. According to Matar it’s a bargain. “That’s peanuts when you break it down for the year,” he said.

The meetings typically feature two parts. During the shorter part, called Table Topics, members will have to speak on a topic or answer a question unknown to them beforehand.

In the longer part, prepared speeches lasting four to seven minutes are given using prompts from official Toastmasters workbooks.

At the meeting’s end, speeches are evaluated and speakers get tips for improvement. Also, the club’s “grammarian” tallies the awkward pauses, filler phrases such as “umm” and notes any grammatical errors to help members improve.

On Thursday, longtime member Maryann Murphy spoke about “Effective Time Management.”

Murphy, an entrepreneur who specializes in organization and time management, has been a Toastmaster for six years. She joined to improve her presentation skills. Afterwards, she received a flawless review for her speech.

Members are tasked with completing 10 presentations while in Toastmasters. The group meets for two hours each month, so that can be a lengthy process.

Guest speaker Richard Winer said it’s time well spent. He spoke about the benefits of joining the group, including the chance for mental stimulation. According to Winer, if you’re not learning, you’re not living.

“The day you stop learning is the day you cease to exist,” he said.

For more information on the club visit http://marion.toastmastersclub.org or call 508-292-6706.