Membership profile
Current or previous membership of
another Toastmasters is not a pre-requisite of membership and we do not call
ourselves an advanced Club. But it is true that all our members have had
previous Toastmasters experience. This is probably desirable, since we do
not spend time orientating new members about the Toastmasters program.
Many of our members also belong to
other Toastmaster Clubs, some being very active in those and some not.
Others of our members have had careers in other Clubs, achieved their goals
there and have now found that our Club gives them an opportunity to keep
their skills current in a more social and less time demanding framework.
Thus we fulfil a need for long-term Toastmasters, giving them a reason not
to drop out of the organisation.
Meeting format
Each of our meetings is organised by by
a nominated member who has the role of Master of Ceremonies. The Master of
Ceremonies (MC) starts work some months before the meeting by choosing a
Meeting Theme. The MC then designs a program and allocates assignments in
conjunction with the VP Education. The MC is also responsible for decorating
the venue in a manner to complement the chosen theme.
There is no standard format for the
program. Rather MCs are encouraged to use as much creativity and imagination
as possible for their "once a year" night. One item traditionally included
though is a Round Robin. This requires each person present to address some
aspect of the theme, some times being asked to bring or describe something.
The Round Robin requirements are nominated by the MC in the advance program.
Most meetings incorporate Table Topics
and 3 Communication Manual speeches, all connected with the theme and with
evaluations, but some MCs have devised more creative alternatives ranging
from Karaoke to theatre sports. We do not have a General Evaluator, but
instead ask for a more mature review of aspects of the meeting and theme
through the role of Epilogue.
Club operation
Despite our different approach to the
Toastmasters program, we still aim to have all aspects of our meetings and
administration comply with the standards of a quality club. We have achieved
Distinguished Club status each year since our formation in June 1999, being
President's Distinguished in 2001/2002, 2002/2003,
2003/2004, 2004/2005, 2006/2007 and Select Distinguished in 2005/2006.
Visitors
One aspect of our meetings is the
presence of visitors. Our meetings are known to be fun nights and some of
the restaurants we use attract particular visitors. These visitors are very
welcome, since we need the numbers to help us negotiate deals with
restaurants.
Some visitors who we see often are
known as "groupies". This is term of endearment that describes semi-regular
visitors who enjoy our meetings and restaurants, but who do not necessarily
want to commit to membership and regular attendance. We welcome them as part
of our extended family.
Thus we extend an invitation to all
Toastmasters and ex-Toastmasters to visit us occasionally or regularly to
enjoy a night with us. Hopefully, like many "groupies" in the past, you will
then take the opportunity to join us as a regular member.
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