Written by the team behind Puzzlify. Puzzlify is our product, so weigh what follows with that in mind. We've tried to make this useful even if you never use it. We're not affiliated with Toastmasters International, the Association of Speakers Clubs, any district, division, area or individual club, any speaking, debating, improv or presentation-skills group, employer, college, venue or charity. Nothing here is legal, safeguarding or privacy advice. Check your own club's guidance on gifts, photos, recordings and member details.
It's five to eight on a Wednesday evening, in a meeting room above a hotel bar that smells faintly of carpet cleaner and coffee. A woman called Anjali, who works in payroll and has never spoken in front of more than four people, is standing by the lectern with a sheet of paper she has folded and unfolded so many times it's gone soft. Her first speech, the one the club calls the icebreaker, is meant to last four to six minutes. She has practised it eleven times in her car.
Sitting in the second row is a retired engineer called Malcolm, who has been a member for nineteen years and has mentored, by his own rough count, more than forty new members. Three weeks ago he sat with Anjali over a cup of tea and told her two things: that nobody in the room wanted her to fail, and that the timing light going amber was not an emergency. Tonight he gives her a small nod. The timer's green card goes up. She begins.
She goes over by twenty seconds. Her hands shake for the first minute and then stop. When she sits down, the room claps in the slightly over-enthusiastic way clubs clap for icebreakers, and her evaluator, a young teacher called Tom, finds three things she did well before he mentions the one thing to work on. On the way out, Anjali tells Malcolm she's signed up for her second speech. He says he never doubted it.
If you've ever been a member of a public speaking club, or watched someone you love grow braver because of one, you'll know how much of it rests on people like Malcolm. This guide is about saying thank you to them: in words first, and, if it fits, with a small extra: a photo from club night turned into a private digital jigsaw, with your note at the end.
Who we mean
Public speaking clubs are run almost entirely by volunteers. Depending on the club and the organisation it belongs to, the people you might want to thank include:
- mentors, who are paired with new members and help them through their first speeches;
- evaluators, who give each speaker kind, specific feedback;
- club officers: presidents, vice presidents of education, membership and public relations, secretaries, treasurers and the person who sets up the room;
- the meeting roles: the chair or Toastmaster of the evening, the table topics master, the timer, the grammarian, the "ah counter";
- contest organisers, judges and chief judges at club, area and division level;
- people who start new clubs, including workplace, online and college clubs;
- long-standing members who keep coming, keep encouraging and keep the club going through lean years;
- speakers who come to give a talk or an educational session;
- the partners and families of busy officers, who have heard every speech twice.
Toastmasters International clubs are the best known, worldwide. In the UK and Ireland, many clubs belong to the Association of Speakers Clubs, and there are independent speaking clubs, debating societies and presentation groups too. The roles have different names, but the people are much the same.
The words matter most
Before anything else: the thank-you that matters most is a sentence that shows the change you've seen. People who mentor and evaluate in speaking clubs are, by definition, interested in words. They'll notice yours.
Some things worth saying:
- the moment you remember: "when you told me the amber light wasn't an emergency";
- what you couldn't do before: "a year ago I couldn't introduce myself at a work meeting";
- the advice you still use: "pause, breathe, look at one friendly face";
- the feedback that helped: "you told me to stop apologising at the start of every speech, and I did";
- what it changed outside the club: "I gave the best man's speech at my brother's wedding, and I didn't read it";
- how they made the club feel: "you made it a room where nobody wanted me to fail".
If you're not a member, a parent or partner thanking the club, for instance, the most powerful thing you can say is what you've seen at home: "she talks about Wednesday nights all week".
Who might send one
A thank-you like this can come from:
- a new member thanking their mentor after the icebreaker or a milestone speech;
- a member thanking an evaluator whose feedback made a difference;
- a member thanking the club after finishing a level, a path or an award;
- the club thanking an outgoing president or officer team at the end of a term;
- a contest winner thanking the people who helped them prepare;
- a member who's moving away thanking the club as a whole;
- a partner or family member thanking the club for what it did for someone they love;
- an employer or colleague thanking a workplace club's founders.
Gifts, clubs and good manners
Most speaking clubs are friendly and informal, but a few things are worth thinking about:
- Keep it modest. Clubs are small and run on goodwill. An expensive gift to one person can make others feel awkward, especially if they also mentor.
- Don't single out at the expense of others. Many people help a new speaker: the mentor, the evaluators, the timer who held the card a little longer. If you thank one, consider mentioning the others.
- Contest judges. If you're thanking a judge, wait until the contest is over and the results are final, and keep it to words or something very small, so it can't look like influence.
- Workplace clubs. If the club meets at work, check your employer's gift and hospitality policy before giving anything to a colleague, especially a manager.
- Online clubs. Members may be in different countries, time zones and cultures. A digital thank-you can travel easily, but say what it is and that it's from you.
- Respect the room. Some members join precisely because they're anxious. Don't share a photo or story about them without asking.
When to send it
Some good moments:
- the week after a first speech, or a speech the person found especially hard;
- when a member completes a level, a path or an award;
- after a contest, win or lose;
- at the end of a club year, when officers hand over;
- on a club anniversary or charter celebration;
- when a mentor or long-standing member moves away or steps back;
- when you've used what you learned somewhere that mattered: a job interview, a wedding speech, a eulogy, a presentation;
- in memory of a member, if the family would welcome it.
Why a jigsaw can fit
A speech is built piece by piece: an opening, a story, a pause, a point, a close. Mentors and evaluators help people fit those pieces together. A photo puzzle echoes that in a small, playful way: the person rebuilds a moment from club night, one piece at a time, and finds your note at the end.
It's private, too. Speaking clubs are about standing up in front of people, but a thank-you doesn't have to be. A puzzle is something your mentor can open quietly, on their own, and take their time over.
If you're a new member
If you've just given your first speech, your mentor will probably be as pleased as you are. A photo of the lectern, the timing lights, the agenda with your speech on it (with other members' names covered) or the room set out before the meeting can make a lovely puzzle.
Your note can be simple: "Four minutes and twenty seconds. Thank you for getting me there."
If you're thanking an evaluator
Good evaluation is a skill. The best evaluators are honest and kind at once, and they remember what you said three meetings ago. A short thank-you for a particular piece of feedback, with a photo of the room or the evaluation form you've kept (with any personal details removed), shows them it landed.
When the feedback was hard to hear
Not every helpful moment in a speaking club feels good at the time. Sometimes a mentor or evaluator tells you something you didn't want to hear: that your speech had no clear point, that you rushed the ending, that you hid behind your slides. Weeks later, you realise they were right, and the next speech was better because of it.
Those are often the thank-yous people remember most, because evaluators rarely find out what happened next. A short note is enough: "You told me my ending fizzled. I rewrote it three times. Last night it got a laugh. Thank you for being honest." A photo of your rewritten notes, with the crossings-out left in, can make a surprisingly good puzzle.
If you're a mentor thanking your mentee
It works the other way too. Mentors learn from the people they mentor, and watching someone grow in confidence is one of the best parts of club life. If your mentee has finished a path, won a contest or simply kept coming, a thank-you from you, for trusting you and for working so hard, can mean a great deal to someone who once thought they'd never speak in public at all.
If you're thanking the people with the small jobs
Every meeting depends on roles that nobody claps for: the timer who holds up the cards, the grammarian who listens for the word of the day, the "ah counter" who quietly keeps tally of every "um", the person who welcomes guests at the door and the one who stacks the chairs at ten. These jobs are where new members learn to stand up for thirty seconds before they stand up for six minutes.
A thank-you for them can be small and funny: a photo of the timing lights with the note "Green, amber, red, and a thank-you", or a photo of the word-of-the-day card propped against a coffee cup.
If you're thanking the person who sets up the room
In most clubs there's someone who arrives forty minutes early, unlocks the cupboard, puts out the banner and the lectern, tests the microphone, lays out the agendas and switches the urn on. When they're away, everyone suddenly notices.
A photo of the room just before anyone arrives, chairs in rows and the banner up, is the perfect choice. A note might say: "Every meeting starts because you got here first. Thank you."
If you're thanking a guest speaker or educator
Clubs often invite experienced speakers, members from other clubs or local professionals to give an educational session: on storytelling, body language, humour, slides or speaking without notes. They usually do it for nothing more than a cup of tea.
A thank-you after the session, with a photo of the room or the flip chart full of notes from their talk (no members' names), shows them it was worth the trip.
If you've used it somewhere that mattered
Many people join a speaking club for a reason: a wedding speech, a promotion, a eulogy, a job interview, a presentation they dread. When that moment comes and goes, the people who helped you prepare will want to know.
Tell them. A photo from the wedding venue, the stage you spoke on, or simply your notes card, with a note saying how it went, closes the loop. If it was a eulogy, a quiet message without a puzzle may be better; you know them best.
When a member moves away
Members move for work, study or family, and the club loses a familiar face. A thank-you from the club, a puzzle of the room or a group photo everyone has agreed to, with a note signed "from all of us on Wednesday nights", is a lovely way to say goodbye. If they're moving to another city, you might mention that there's probably a club there too.
If you're thanking a club president or officer team
Officers do a lot of unseen work: booking rooms, chasing renewals, planning meetings, finding guest speakers, sorting out the education programme, answering every guest enquiry. At the end of their term, a thank-you from the members can mean a great deal.
A photo of the club banner, the room set up for a meeting, or a group photo everyone has agreed to, works well. For an officer team, one puzzle sent to each of them, with a note from the club, is a nice gesture.
If you're thanking a contest organiser or judge
Contests need a surprising number of volunteers: contest chairs, chief judges, judges, timers, counters, sergeants at arms and the people who make tea for all of them. After the results are announced, a thank-you is a kind way to recognise that.
A photo of the stage, the empty lectern, the trophy table or the contest programme makes a good puzzle. Keep contestants out of the frame unless they've agreed.
If you're thanking someone who started a club
Starting a club is hard work: finding members, a venue, a charter, a meeting format and the energy to keep going when only five people turn up. If you're a member of a club that someone started, a thank-you on its anniversary can be very moving.
A "then and now" pair of photos, the first meeting and a recent one, can make a satisfying puzzle, if the people in them have agreed.
For online and hybrid clubs
Many clubs now meet online, or have a mix of members in the room and on a screen. A screenshot of a video call is tempting, but think twice: it shows faces, names and sometimes homes. A better choice might be a photo of your own setup, the laptop, the lamp, the notes, or a picture that sums up the club, such as its logo or a place it's named after.
For workplace and college clubs
Workplace and college clubs often help people with presentations, interviews and confidence at work. If you're thanking the club's founders or officers, check what's appropriate in your organisation. A photo of the meeting room or the club's poster, with no confidential information visible, keeps things simple.
If you live with a club officer
If your partner or parent is a club president, a mentor or a contest chair, you'll know how many evenings it takes. A thank-you from you, with a photo of them practising in the kitchen (if they'll allow it), or the pile of agendas on the dining table, can be funny and touching.
In memory of a member
When a long-standing member dies, the club often wants to do something for the family. A photo of the club room, the lectern or a trophy they won, with a short note from the members, is one gentle way to share what they meant. Ask the family first, turn off the leaderboard and keep the tone simple.
For clubs elsewhere
The same ideas work for:
- Toastmasters clubs worldwide, including corporate and online clubs;
- speakers clubs in the UK and Ireland;
- debating societies and adult debating clubs;
- improv and storytelling groups, where the thank-you might go to a teacher or host;
- presentation-skills circles at work;
- language exchange groups that practise speaking in a second language.
Photo ideas and consent
Good photos for a speaking club thank-you include:
- the lectern or the stage before the meeting;
- the timing lights or cards, green, amber and red;
- the room set out with chairs in rows;
- the club banner;
- a trophy, ribbon or certificate;
- a meeting agenda, with other members' names hidden;
- a coffee cup next to a speech in your own handwriting;
- the view from the speaker's position, looking at empty chairs.
Keep out of the frame:
- members' faces, unless they've agreed;
- full names, email addresses, phone numbers and membership numbers;
- anything confidential from a workplace club;
- screenshots of video calls showing other members;
- anything that might embarrass someone, such as the moment someone forgot their speech.
Some people join speaking clubs because they're shy. Ask before you share a photo of anyone, and respect a no.
Getting the JPG right
Puzzlify works from a JPG. A few practical tips:
- a phone photo is fine; use the original file rather than a screenshot if you can;
- crop to the part that matters, the lectern, the lights or the banner, before you upload;
- landscape photos usually make the most comfortable puzzles on a phone turned sideways;
- bright, clear photos with different colours are easier and more satisfying to solve than dark or very plain ones; a lectern against a plain wall can be quite hard, so add some of the room;
- hotel function rooms can be dim, so take the photo near a window or turn on all the lights;
- remove anything private before you upload, even if it's small: a name badge, an email on the agenda.
Privacy, an optional PIN, and saying it's from you
The puzzle is private: it's shared as a link, not posted on a public board. You can add an optional PIN so only someone who knows it can open it, which is useful if you're sending it through a club group chat or a shared email list. Photos are not used to train AI and are not shared with third parties. Even so, treat the photo as if it might be forwarded.
Some people are wary of unexpected links, and rightly so. Say who it's from and what it is in the message itself: "This is a little jigsaw of club night, with a note at the end. It's from me, and it's safe to open."
How many pieces?
| Pieces | Feels like | Typical time |
|---|---|---|
| 24 | a table topics answer | a few minutes |
| 48 | an icebreaker speech | around 5–10 minutes |
| 80 | a full evaluation round | around 10–20 minutes |
| 130 | a whole club meeting | around 20–40 minutes |
| 252 | a mentor's nineteen years | an hour or more |
If you're not sure, 48 or 80 pieces suits most people on a phone.
The leaderboard: only for a group
If you're sending the puzzle to the whole club, the optional leaderboard can add some light competition, which speaking clubs tend to enjoy. Ask first, and turn it off for anything personal or in memory.
A few note ideas
- "To Malcolm: you said the amber light wasn't an emergency. I've remembered that in every meeting since. Thank you."
- "To Tom: three things I did well, one thing to work on. I've worked on it. Thank you for your evaluations."
- "To our outgoing president: forty meetings, two contests and no cancelled nights. Thank you for your year."
- "To the contest team: thank you for the timing, the judging and the tea. It ran like clockwork."
- "To the club, from Anjali's partner: she gave a speech at her sister's wedding last month. She didn't read it. Thank you."
- "To Mum, on twenty years of Wednesdays: you've made hundreds of people braver. Including me."
(Change the names, and keep anything personal out of a puzzle that may be shared.)
How to make one (about a minute of setup)
- Open Puzzlify's puzzle maker in a browser: https://puzzlify.app/en/puzzle-maker/
- Upload a JPG from club night or the contest.
- Pick a piece count.
- Write your note; it appears when the last piece goes in.
- Add a PIN if you'd like, and choose whether to show a leaderboard.
- Preview it for free. Publish only when you're happy.
- Send the link by message or email, print it as a QR code in a card, or hand it over at the next meeting.
Honest pricing and notes
Making and previewing a puzzle is free. You only pay when you publish the link to send it: one credit is EUR 3.99, three credits are EUR 8.99, and Plus is EUR 14.99 a year for ten credits, which can make sense if a club wants to thank several officers or mentors. The person you send it to doesn't need an account or an app; they just open the link in a browser.
This is a digital jigsaw you play on a screen. It isn't a cardboard puzzle in the post or a printed product, and it isn't connected to Toastmasters International, the Association of Speakers Clubs or any club. It's also not puzzlify.io (a chess site), Puzzlit, Puzzly or Puzzify.
Ideas that are not a puzzle
Honestly, some of the best thank-yous for speaking club volunteers are free:
- a handwritten card, given at the next meeting;
- telling the club, during the meeting, what your mentor did for you;
- offering to mentor a new member yourself, when you're ready;
- taking on a meeting role you've been avoiding, like timer or grammarian;
- bringing a guest who needs the club as much as you did;
- for a long-serving member, a small book of messages from people they've mentored.
If a photo puzzle feels right as well, choose a photo of the lectern, the lights or the room, keep faces, names and anyone who hasn't agreed out of the frame, pick a piece count and add your note. You only pay if you decide to send it. You can start a free preview at https://puzzlify.app/en/puzzle-maker/.
Whatever you send, the most important part is the sentence that sounds like you, written to the person who sat in the second row, nodded when the green card went up, found three things you did well, and told you that nobody in the room wanted you to fail, so that next week, you'd stand up again.
Written by the small team behind Puzzlify (info@puzzlify.app). Not legal, safeguarding or privacy advice. Check your own club's guidance on gifts, photos, recordings and member details.