New Club Leads
Six Steps in Building a New Toastmasters Club
- Learn How Toastmasters Works
- Check out a few clubs in your neighborhood (Find a Club)
- Get advice from an experienced toastmaster
- What Kind of Club do you Want to Form?
Corporate Club is affiliated with a sponsoring corporation and is usually a “closed” club to employees of the corporation (or college/university)
Community Club is usually “open” to all community members and is not tied to a corporation
- Request a Club Sponsor from District 50 Club Growth Director, Kellie McMaster at cgd@d50tm.org.
The good news is you don’t have to build your club alone. Club Sponsors must be assigned within 60 days of your club’s charter date. You can request up to two club sponsors to help you with:
- Marketing your new club to prospective members
- Presenting demonstration meetings
- Completing forms
- Generate Interest
CORPORATE CLUBS:
Schedule meeting with your HR department or potential sponsor
Discuss value of Toastmasters to organization by using the Features, Benefits, Value Chart (pdf)
Discuss what form of support sponsoring agency will give (ex. pay for charter, new member fee, provide room, etc.)
Plan and conduct a demonstration meeting highlighting the benefits of Toastmasters with the support of the District 50 Club Growth Team
COMMUNITY CLUBS:
Designate a convenient location for meetings that can accommodate at least 20 members
Plan a demonstration meeting highlighting the benefits of Toastmasters with the support of the District 50 Club Growth Team
Publicize the demonstration meeting throughout your community through Facebook, community agencies, press releases to local media, and any organization that would benefit from developing their communication, leadership, and public speaking skills
- Charter Your Club and Set Up a Bank Account
Complete the following forms:
Application to Organize a Toastmasters Club
https://www.toastmasters.org/resources/application-to-organize-a-toastmasters-club
Charter Payment Forms
https://www.toastmasters.org/resources/charter-payments
Charter Membership Application
https://www.toastmasters.org/resources/charter-membership-application
Charter Club Officer Information Form
https://www.toastmasters.org/resources/charter-club-officer-information
Club Information Form
https://www.toastmasters.org/resources/form-5-club-information
Club Constitution Manual
https://www.toastmasters.org/resources/club-constitution-for-clubs-of-toastmasters-international
Club Constitution Form
https://www.toastmasters.org/resources/form-6a-club-constitution
Addendum of Standard Club Options
https://www.toastmasters.org/resources/form-6b-addendum-of-standard-club-options
How to set up a Bank Account/What if your club needs a Liability Insurance Certificate
https://www.toastmasters.org/leadership-central/legal-and-tax-compliance/united-states-of-america
https://www.toastmasters.org/Leadership-Central/General-Finance/Liability-Insurance
- Celebrate the Chartering of Your New Club and Publicize it Throughout Your Corporation or Community
Let the World Know: Publicity and Promotion Handbook Can be found at https://www.toastmasters.org/resources/let-the-world-know-publicity-and-promotion-handbook
For further support in starting a Toastmasters club at your corporation, college/university, other organization, or in your community, please contact District 50 Club Growth Director, Kellie McMaster.
NEW CLUB RESOURCES
Start a Club: https://www.toastmasters.org/start-a-club
Demonstration Meetings
The demonstration meeting gives you the opportunity to share the benefits of Toastmasters with prospective members. Prior to the meeting, you will assign club roles (listed below) and guide prospective members through a typical meeting.
Toastmasters’ meeting roles are as follows:
- Toastmaster
- Timer
- Ah-Counter or grammarian
- General evaluator
- Speaker
- Evaluator
- Topicsmaster
For more details about meeting roles, refer to Meeting Roles and Responsibilities (Item 295).
Before and at the demonstration meeting, keep the following in mind:
- Choose eight or more Toastmasters to conduct the meeting (although you may still have one with fewer).
- Select a team that mirrors the audience’s demographics.
- Keep the meeting short and don’t go over the time that was specified. Your goal is to create interest. Include a short Table Topics session, a prepared speech, and an evaluation.
- Select one speaker who is relatable to your audience who can speak about a topic that ties into the theme of the new club.
- To form a corporate club, invite representatives from and/or the decision-makers of the sponsoring organization, if any. Their presence will confirm the meeting’s importance. Invite influential members of your community to form a community club.
After the meeting:
- Ask members to share Toastmasters success stories.
- Introduce potential club sponsors and club mentors, emphasizing that when the club is chartered,
- both will provide support.
- Announce the date, time, and place of the next meeting, and share the video conferencing link and
- password for an online meeting.
- Let prospective members know that the new-member fee is $20 USD per person and the semiannual membership dues are $45 USD per person. Collect these payments along with completed application forms for those who decide to join.
- Clarify that Toastmasters clubs are required to send payment for membership dues semiannually to be collected by April 1 and October 1. Clubs chartering in March or September may wish to submit their renewal dues at that time to avoid collecting dues from each member twice in two months. For details, please see Form 2, Line 6.
- Conduct a brief question-and-answer session.
Follow Up
Often, prospective clubs meet several times before they can complete the charter requirements. Your goal is to keep everyone enthusiastic and charter the new club as quickly as possible.
To maintain momentum, remember to:
- Send a thank-you note to all attendees.
- Follow up with a phone call and email a meeting reminder several days before the next meeting.
- Communicate with temporary officers and scheduled meeting participants to confirm duties for the next meeting.
Additional Resources
How to Start a Toastmasters Meeting
https://www.toastmasters.org/resources/how-to-build-a-toastmasters-club
Demonstration Meeting PowerPoint
Sample Agenda
https://www.toastmasters.org/resources/demonstration-meeting-sample-agenda