GETTING STARTED
Contact your District Governor
to determine if the district has targeted new Toastmasters opportunities
and needs you help. Once you know where and what types of new clubs are
needed, notify and work with the District Extension Chairman and the Lieutenant
Governor Marketing. You'll find them ready, willing and able to help coordinate
your efforts.
Identify and work with a
reliable contract person. Make sure the person you contact has some influence
and is in a position to say "yes" and support organizing a club. Be positive.
An energetic and confident attitude is an immediate confirmation of our
program's value.
If your goal is organizing
a company club, emphasize the many ways Toastmasters training will benefit
the company. If it's a community club, show how efficient and focused your
Toastmasters experience has made you by resolving, in advance, matters
such as meeting time and location. Be professional, keeping in mind you
get only one opportunity to make a good first impression. Plan your presentation
carefully. Have all necessary information on hand. With your audience in
mind, choose materials you feel will have the most impact from the Toastmasters
International Publicity Pack (Catalog No. 153).
Many materials, including
a free New Club Information Kit, are available from Toastmasters International's
World Headquarters. Submit your request for the free kit to the Membership
and Club Extension Department, indicting whether it's for a company or
a community prospect. For other materials, consult the Toastmasters International
Supply Catalog.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR
CHARTERING A NEW CLUB
Clubs must charter with
at least 20 members. At least 17 of the members can not also belong to
another Toastmasters Club - with one exception: Dual membership is usually
a prerequisite for an advanced club. The 20 or more charter members of
an advanced club must already belong to another Toastmasters club.
Although there's not a maximum
membership rule, 40 is the recommended limit because members of larger
clubs have fewer chances to participate. Consider forming two clubs if
40 or more people are interested.
Minimum requirements clubs
must meet, once chartered, are (1) conduct at least 12 meetings per year,
(2) members must present manual speeches, and (3) members must give and
receive both oral and written evaluations.
Although 12 meetings a year
are required, weekly meetings are strongly encouraged - to create more
opportunities for growth. Clubs may select their own meeting times, depending
on members' needs.
STRATEGIES - COPROATIONS
When considering who to
contact in a business or government organization find out if any of the
organization's employees are already Toastmasters. They may be able to
help with the initial approach or at least tell you which executive or
manager to contact. If no Toastmasters are employed by the target organization,
arrange for a toastmaster with knowledge and experience relating to the
business to make the first contact. An engineer for example could contact
an aerospace firm, or an insurance sales manager could contact an insurance
company.
A person in the organization
with authority to say "yes" might be the chef executive, the training director,
the personal manager, the public relations manager, the human resources
director or the sales director. The person making the initial contact should
bring a set of Toastmasters materials plus a sample Toastmasters meeting
agenda. He or she should empathize:
* How the Toastmasters program
can benefit the organization through increased return on investment, for
example, or increased sales, reduced costs and improved employee efficiency.
* The low cost of Toastmasters
training - a fraction of what the organization might spend on another type
of communications training.
* That half of all
new Toastmasters clubs are being formed in companies, calling attention
to organizations in your city or district that sponsor in-house Toastmasters
clubs.
