A Toastmaster is a member globally, you can attend any toastmasters meeting as long as you are an eligible member. If you have paid your club renewal dues, then you are an eligible member. If your club is not currently meeting, you can still pay your dues and visit other clubs. All Toastmasters may transfer their paid membership to another club at any time.
A Toastmasters club provides its members with a safe and supportive environment to become better communicators, leaders, and public speakers. For many, their club gives them a sense of belonging. In light of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), many clubs are no longer able to meet in person and are now meeting online to protect the safety and well-being of its members.
By transitioning to online meetings, clubs allow their members to continue pursuing their goals and provide human interaction that they might not otherwise get. While many aspects of personal and professional lives have been disrupted, we hope Toastmasters clubs can meet online and provide a sense of normalcy to our members.
Toastmasters who are already embracing online club membership will tell you that the experiences have helped them to develop their skills to another level among an international audience.
- Attendance online is easier – no travel required, no need to leave the home in bad weather, no restrictions for differently abled people
- Performing meeting roles at an online club is challenging – builds networks, builds skills for screen presence, builds confidence in presenting for webinars and online meetings
- Being a member of an online club – stretches your personal learning network, enables immersion in wider cultural environments, and provides greater connectivity between meetings
In light of the widespread impacts of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the renewal deadline has been extended. A club will be a paid club and remain in good standing if they meet the minimum renewal requirement for April 2020 renewals by April 30.
Any registered officer can submit their own dues online by logging into Club Central. If the officer does not have internet access, he or she can email Toastmasters renewals to get a personal call back.
All Executive Board Members can reach out to their non-renewed and prospects to sign them up.
After people link Zoom to their Outlook (or Google, or other system available in Zoom’s “app marketplace”).
Using Outlook as the example, the user can send an Instant Meeting to ANYONE in their contact management system/Outlook. Even FREE ACCOUNTS!!!
With that, they can open a shared screen and sign them up INSTANTLY – using the www.Toastmasters.org regular way to pay.
NEW MEMBERS can sign the application in real time, or you can instantly send them the app (you have their record up on Outlook – send, sign, and return. INSTANTLY)
Current Rules Speakathons (Prior to April 21, 2020)
- Speakathons are held at the club level. An Area, Division, or District cannot host this event.
- Members may present and receive credit for only one speech at the event.
- Speeches need to be prepared, meet the objectives of the project, and be evaluated in person and in writing.
- Only club members may participate in a Speakathon.
- Non-club members may attend as guests but may not participate otherwise.
Modified Rules Speakathons (until June 30, 2020)
- A Speakathon is still a club-level event; however, a club may now partner with other clubs in their District to host the event.
- Speaking opportunities must be provided to all clubs participating in the Speakathon.
- Each Speakathon must allow speeches from both the traditional education program and the Pathways learning experience.
- If members intend to participate in a Speakathon:
- Ensure that the host and all participants have the appropriate resources (e.g., evaluation forms, timing devices, microphones, webcams, online meeting platforms, etc.).
- Evaluations may be provided in-person or online during this time.
- Districts may promote multi-club Speakathon events.
- The District Public Relations Manager can promote such events through the District’s regular channels of communication.
- These events cannot be communicated or conducted as a District-, Division-, or Area-level event.
