Getting Started in Menifee Toastmasters

It is a pleasure to have you as a new member of our club. We take pride in providing a safe, respectful, and encouraging environment for you to develop your communication and leadership skills. We all want you to succeed in achieving your goals.

We suggest that you take the following steps to begin your Toastmasters journey:

• Your First Few Weeks
  • Review the content available to you here on our club website. You will receive a welcome email with member login information. If you need help accessing or using the website, just ask any of our experienced members or club officers. You can also contact the club to request assistance.
  • Set up your online profile.
    • For instance, you may want to add a picture of yourself, your social network or website links, and contact information.
    • Note that your contact information (by default) is used only for Toastmasters-related purposes. However, you may find that providing this information will benefit your professional life as well if you choose to make it public.
  • Familiarize yourself with the club meeting roles.
  • Create an account at Toastmasters International and take the Pathways personal assessment to determine which learning program to select.
• During the First Month
  • Start a Pathways program and prepare to give your first speech, the Ice-Breaker.
    • Accomplishing your first talk before club members will help you to begin to get over any fear or nervousness of standing up in front of people and talking. Notice how supportive other club members are!
  • Carefully watch other club members giving talks and listen closely to their evaluations. You can learn a lot this way to help you prepare for your own speeches.
  • Participate in Table Topics to help get over the fear of speaking before others and organizing your thoughts on the fly.
  • Start signing up for club roles. Some good roles for Toastmaster newbies are Ah-Counter, Timer, Grammarian, Vote-Counter, and Joke Master.
  • Invite a friend or colleague to visit our club.
    • By now, you’re starting to become a part of our club and building great relationships. This is the perfect time to share your experience with others by inviting them to visit. In addition, it’s good to bring some friends along for extra support during your first speech.
• After Your First Speech
  • Set a goal for when you want to complete your first Pathways program.
    • Communicate with the Vice President Education (VPE) to set a date.
    • For most people, speaking once per month is a good pace. Thus, you can expect to complete your initial Path in 9 to 12 months.
• After Your Third Speech
  • Start signing up for additional roles, such as Evaluator and General Evaluator.
• After a few Months in Toastmasters
  • Sign up for Toastmaster to gain experience in organizing and running a concise on-hour meeting.

To gain an understanding of meeting roles, go here.