Toastmasters is truly a grass roots organization. Each club begins from the seeds of volunteers who grow strong in the rich soil of speeches, evaluations, and leadership activities. Just as with living plants, individual Toastmasters clubs were always meant to grow and multiply. As a member looking to advance your leadership skills, you can be the one to plant a growing, vibrant club in new soil.
You already enjoy the benefits of membership in Toastmasters. Starting a new club magnifies those benefits, both for you and for the members who join. Not only will you experience the wonder of seeing new participants grow in confidence in their speaking and presenting abilities, but you will also earn credit toward your Advanced Leader Silver award.
New Club First Steps
New club development is a significant move forward in your Toastmasters growth. Your first step on this journey involves identifying the need for a startup club.
- Is there a geographical location not currently served by a club?
- Is there a corporation with more than 350 employees not currently served by a club?
- Are there communities or cultural groups that could benefit from Toastmasters?
- If you speak a foreign language, is there a need for a local club that focuses on that language?
- What is the key industry in your area? Does it have a vertically-focused Toastmasters group?
The Founder’s District’s New Clubs Coordinator is ready to discuss your prospective club idea. We will work with you to plan out a schedule and meeting structure, prepare a sample club meeting, and determine how to best reach out to prospective members.
Support Opportunities
Each new club needs two mentors to provide guidance during the first six months of meetings. If you derive satisfaction from seeing others succeed in a new endeavor, contact the Sponsor/Mentor Coordinator at the Founder’s District to prepare for this rewarding service.
The District also has a “Demonstration Team” that shows perspective companies and club members what Toastmasters is all about. Volunteers are needed as Toastmaster, Speaker, Table Topics Master, Evaluator, General Evaluator, and Timer. To assist upcoming clubs through this support role, contact the Founder’s District office.