Welcome to District 50 Toastmasters

New Club Leads

Thinking of starting a new club? Here are the basics.

Six Steps in Building a New Toastmasters Club

  1. Learn How Toastmasters Works
  • Check out a few clubs in your neighborhood (Find a Club)
  • Get advice from an experienced toastmaster
  1. 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

  1. 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
  1. 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

  1. 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

  1. 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

https://www.toastmasters.org/resources/medias/Files/Department%20Documents/Club%20Documents/Demonstration%20Meeting%20PPT_Item%20730

Sample Agenda

https://www.toastmasters.org/resources/demonstration-meeting-sample-agenda

Confident Leaders

  • Our club is rich with former, current and aspiring Toastmaster leaders, including district directors. We naturally focus on leadership. Thirty minutes is reserved at our meetings for discussion or a debate on topics related to leadership.
  • We meet the third Tuesday of each month. 7:00pm - 8:30pm.
  • Our hybrid meetings allow members and guests to join virtually or in person at Granite Park Building 1, 5800 Granite Parkway on Plano TX 75024.
  • Club website: CLeaders.toastmastersclubs.org
  • Contact for club: Dan Reeder, VPPR, dsreeder462069@gmail.com
  • Club number: 07479372
  • Membership requirements: Confident Leaders is open to past, current, and future leaders.

The Evaluators

  • Our advanced club is for evaluations. We offer everyone attending an opportunity to speak, including evaluations of the evaluators.
  • When: We hold a hybrid meeting every second Thursday, 7:00 - 8:15pm.
  • Where: La Madeleine’s, 8008 TX-121, Suite 100, Frisco, TX 
  • Website: https://TheEvaluators.ToastmastersClubs.org
  • Contact: Robert Srb,  President, 214.686.3098, groovy1004@sbcglobal.net
  • Club Number: 01761504
  • Membership requirements: no membership requirements

Park Central Toastmasters

  • Park Central offers 43 years of experience, excellence and Toastmasters educational programming to help support our members’ goals. We achieve this through our unique meeting format focused on providing members up to six opportunities to give formal speeches.
  • When: We meet online by Zoom the third Sunday of each month, 1:00 to 3:00pm 
  • A typical Park Central monthly program includes four to six prepared 5 - 7 minute speeches:
    • First speech focuses on “Tips on Excellence”
    • Two more speeches from Pathways program
    • One Pathways editorial speech which expresses an opinion
    • One Pathways rebuttal speech which expresses an opposing view to the editorial speech. The rebuttal speech is prepared after hearing the editorial speech with often only FIVE minutes to prepare. This can challenge the most experienced Toastmaster! It is a little scary!
    • Evaluations for each prepared speech:   The Evaluations given at the club are motivating, effective, and balanced.
    • Table Topics:   Park Central Members Are Known for Creative Answers to Challenging Questions.
  • Club website: http://parkcentral.toastmastersclubs.org/ 
  • Club Contacts:
    • Stephanie Moses, DTM, VP Membership: 214-498-3711
    • Anne Barab, DTM, Accredited Speaker, Treasurer: 214-293-9009
    • Jyotsna D. Pai, DTM, President: 214-403-0331
  • Club Number: 4095
  • Membership requirement:  Completed Pathways Level 2 and working on Level 3 (or completed Competent Communicator from the Legacy program)

Let's Talk Club

  • We are the enhanced advanced club. We can mentor Toastmasters on an array of speaking and leadership skills. Examples are creating and delivering speeches, impromptu speaking (We have an Impromptu Speech Contest most years.), evaluations, anything related to speech contests, TLI training, one-on-one mentoring, and many more areas. 
  • When: We meet on the second Sunday of the month from 2:30 to 4:00pm. 
  • Where: Our meetings are in-person only at Meadows Baptist Church, 3001 Los Rios Boulevard, Plano, TX 75074. We meet in Building 3001A (the “Love” portable building, just south and close to the main church building). The Meadows complex is directly across the street from Plano East Senior High School.
  • Club website: https://letstalktx.toastmastersclubs.org/ contact-695532@toastmastersclubs.org   (This goes to our VP Membership Lisette Cumberland.)
  • Club number: 695532
  • Membership requirements: At least two levels in Pathways.

Prostmasters

  • Networking, as well as giving speeches in a non-traditional environment, is our specialty.
  • When: Meeting time varies based on events, but the third Tuesday of the month is our standard, 7:00pm CT.
  • Where: Location where you meet: We meet at local breweries or pubs; therefore, it varies.
  • Contact: Robert Sessions, robertsessions@hotmail.com
  • Club Number: 06613239
  • We meet mainly in person, but we can set up hybrid.
  • Membership requirement: New members must be a member of another Toastmasters club.

Roving 49ers

  • Roving 49ers is a place where past, present, and future leaders gather in a relaxed setting in a member’s home to share their successes and challenges and to learn the art of successful leadership. Roving 49ers has become a forge where leaders are honed, all while relaxing in a fun atmosphere, and enjoying a great meal and the camaraderie of fellow Toastmasters. Over the past 35 years our unique combination has made us THE destination for Toastmasters interested in furthering their leadership skills.
  • When: We meet on the second Saturday of each month. In-person potluck starts at 6:00pm CT; hybrid meeting begins at 7:00pm CT.
  • Where: Members' homes in a hybrid meeting.
  • Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083688521307
  • Contact: Kathie Clark, DTM,  kaclark50@verizon.net
  • Club Number: 6590
  • Membership requirement: Roving 49ers is open to past, current, or future Toastmaster leaders.

Super DTMs

  • We assist and mentor Toastmasters who are working towards their DTM.
  • When: We meet online on the second Thursday of each month, 6:30pm
  • Where: We meet online only.
  • Contact: Diana Pritchard, pritchard.diana@gmail.com 
  • Club Number 07026328
  • Membership requirement: Membership is open to those who already belong to another Toastmaster club.

Tyler Advanced Toasties

  • We focus on thorough evaluations and leadership opportunities to motivate and assist members in growing their leadership skills. 
  • When: We meet on the second Tuesday of the month, 7:00pm
  • Where: Hybrid Meetings. We meet via Zoom and in person at Tyler Innovation Pipeline, 217 East Oakwood Street, Tyler, TX 75702
  • Facebook: Tyler Advanced Toasties 
  • Contact: Diana Pritchard, pritchard.diana@gmail.com
  • Club Number: 7463287
  • Membership requirement: Membership is open to all Toastmasters who are members of another Toastmaster club..