Welcome to District 50 Toastmasters

11K Toastmasters, chartered in February 1976: approaching fifty years. They caught District 50’s attention earlier because of their long-standing charter. Now, they have captured the attention as a successful corporate club. They are a closed, corporate club at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. The Bank pays for their memberships and considers Toastmasters a training benefit. They have a page on their Bank’s internal website, and they also participate in benefits fairs each year to invite interested members. They also have various Bank clubs, and they speak before those clubs. This article contains some insights which may help your club.

When asked why she wants to be a member of this club, Becky Smith, Club Vice President of Membership, replied, “I love meeting people and talking. I did not realize how much confidence it has given me to speak before larger groups.” Their club’s success can be attributed to, “Active members that enjoy the experience and want to grow.”

The best sentence to describe this club is, “We are a small but mighty club.” By small, the dashboards indicate that they have twenty-two members of which ten to fifteen tend to participate during each meeting. How does your club compare?

Becky responded, “We reserve a room and serve cookies and other types of treats. We also meet and go to training together,” when asked what the club members do for fun.

Here is their advice to other corporations considering Toastmasters. “It is a great benefit to help employees gain confidence in speaking while meeting others and becoming leaders. Our employees can use it as a goal on their reviews.”

Currently, they are a hybrid club that meets on the second Wednesday and fourth Thursday of each month at noon. A good portion of the members still work remotely. Thus, it has been tough to meet in person. They are meeting in a hybrid setting. If you are a member of the Bank, you can reach them via the Toastmasters International Find a Club website or through the internal resources previously mentioned.

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..