What to Expect as a New Member

What you can expect of us:
our club members are very supportive and caring of fellow members. You will find everyone to be very helpful. No one in our club is paid to be there. Nore are any of us professional speech trainers. We are all volunteers who help each other simply because we have each benefitted from the help given by those who came before us.

We will match you up with a "guide" to help you with your initial role assignments, and to help you get to know the experienced club members in order to identify a potential mentor. This mentor can then continue assisting you with your growth and guidance.

We will begin by assigning easy roles for you -- such as counting votes, counting "ahs", operating the timing device, etc. In about five or six weeks, you should be assigned to give your "Ice Breaker" speech. We print a four-week meeting role assignment form, so you should have at least three-weeks notice before each speech assignment. If you cannot make a specific meeting, let our Vice President of Education know as far in advance as possible which meeting(s) you will be unable to attend.

We video tape prepared speeches. We will provide you with a two-hour VHS tape when you give your first speech. Just bring it back each time you give another speech to have that one added to it (be sure to cue the tape up after your last speech so our videographer doesn't over write it!).

We will put you on the speech track you want, most members want to give a speech about every five or six weeks. Some want them more quickly, some more slowly. Let our Vice President of Education know your desires. You can always change to a faster or slower track later, as your needs change.

What we expect of you
There is a nominal membership fee. $72.55 gets you your initial communication and leadership training manuals, other materials, as well as paying the initial Toastmaster International dues and our initial club dues. After that, dues are $14.00 per month, which includes both Toastmaster International and club dues.

You will be expected to learn and fulfill your role assignments. We know that life happens, and sometimes you will not be able to attend a meeting. When that happens, you are expected to make every reasonable effort to get another member of the club to fulfill your assignment. You will also be expected to notify the Vice President of Education (if you know more than a week in advance that you will not be able to fulfill a role), and the appropriate "team leader" (the Toastmaster or General Evaluator of the meeting), as well as the VP of Education if giving less than a week's notice.

We expect you to provide us with some background information that we can post on our "members"e; page. This helps other members of the club get to know you better, and provides the Toastmaster of any meeting at which you are giving a speech with information to introduce you to the club.