THE OLYMPIC CLUB
Seattle • Established 1942
Conversation • Fellowship • Public Speaking
Who We Are
Since 1942, The Olympic Club has brought together people from across the Seattle community for thoughtful conversation, fellowship, and the practice of public speaking.
Our weekly meetings combine prepared speeches, impromptu speaking, constructive feedback, and lively discussion in a welcoming environment. Members come from different professions, backgrounds, and generations, united by a desire to communicate better, exchange ideas, and enjoy one another’s company.
In troubled times, what we need most is to listen.
We live in an age of shouting. Of hot takes and cold shoulders. Of algorithms that feed us certainty and starve us of nuance. We retreat into echo chambers where every voice agrees with our own.
The Olympic Club exists as a counterweight.
Every Thursday at lunch, we gather — in person, face to face — to practice extemporaneous speaking, deliver prepared speeches, give and receive honest critique, and close with the kind of active, rare conversation that deepens real friendship.
This is not a debate club. This is not a networking event. This is a place for the kind of conversation that actually changes us.
Four Disciplines, One Purpose
Each discipline we practice builds a different capacity — but together, they create something rare: people who can think clearly, speak honestly, listen deeply, and connect genuinely.
The Topic Master — Extemporaneous Speaking
The Topic Master draws a subject and each member has ninety seconds — no notes, no preparation — to speak their mind. It's a chance to discover what you actually think about something, out loud, in real time.
Topics Worth Hearing — Prepared Speeches
Two members each week deliver prepared speeches on subjects they care about deeply. These are not performances — they are offerings. The best speeches leave the room changed.
The Gift of Candor — Critique
After the speeches, we offer honest feedback. To give useful critique is an act of respect. To receive it is an act of strength. We've learned that hard truths, delivered with care, are the greatest gift one person can give another.
How We Close — Active Conversation
Every lunch ends with genuine conversation — not small talk, but the kind of active, rare exchange where we engage with the topic, with each other, and with ourselves. This is where the real friendships deepen.
"The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed." — Carl Jung
"The most basic and powerful thing we can do is to listen. And the hardest thing we can do is to listen without planning our response." — Rachel Naomi Remen
Fundamental in These Troubled Times
If you believe that conversation can bridge divides, that honest words can build trust, and that listening is a form of love, then you belong here. We are always looking for thoughtful voices to join our circle. Thursdays at 12:30pm, 4101 Airport Way S, Seattle. Since 1942.