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General Information
Membership of a toastmasters club can be a very rewarding experience
both personally and professionally. Asheville Toastmasters club is always
keen to welcome guests to our meetings, and those wishing to become
members are encouraged to ask the Vice President of Membership for details.
Once you have made
the decision to become a member, a membership
form must be completed and submitted to the VP of Membership or
the club President, along with the appropriate membership/joining fees
(see below).
The application
for membership is presented to the club by the President and the club
members in attendance vote to accept the new member (the candidate is
required to leave the meeting room temporarily while the ballot is conducted).
Assuming the member is accepted, they are inducted by the President
or Vice President of Membership, and their application is mailed to
Toastmasters International headquarters in California. It usually takes
about two weeks to receive the New Member Kit.
Fees
There is a one-time fee of $20 to cover the cost of the New Member Kit
and processing.
Club membership dues are $3 per month and Toastmasters International
membership dues are $4.50 per month. All dues are payable twice a year
(October and April) and are pro-rated for new members according to the
month in which they join.
You can do
the math to figure out that after you become a member, you are required
to pay $45 twice a year. In return for this, you receive a monthly copy
of the full-color "Toastmasters International" magazine, as
well as membership of the world's premiere communications and public
speaking education organzation. There are no fees for attending individual
meetings (Denny's very kindly provide the meeting room for Asheville
Toastmasters free of charge). All you pay for is your meal.
The meetings are fun, entertaining and educational. There are few (if
any) other forums where you can practice speaking before a friendly,
supportive audience and receive honest, helpful feedback with tips on
how to improve.
Education
We encourage all Toastmasters to embark on one or more of the approved
Toastmasters International eduction and training courses. Upon completing
each level, you receive recognition from the club and from Toastmasters
International, who will send a notice of your achievement to your employer.
Club Rules
During its formation in the 1940's, the club established a set of
bye-laws and articles to which we try to adhere. There are also some
informal "rules".
All Asheville Toastmasters meetings are conducted using the parliamentary
procedures published in Robert's Rules Of Order, the same rules used
by governing bodies all over the world from the US Congress to the British
Houses of Parliament.
There is no dress code for female members, but males are encouraged
to wear a jacket and tie (the jacked should be buttoned when at the
lectern). No, this doesn't mean we're a stuffy, formal organization,
it's simply a way of ensuring that a certain dignity is retained.
Speeches are always evaluated based on delivery, never content (it's
not what you say, it's the way that you say it), but subjects involving
overt political or religious references are deemed inappropriate. Likewise,
networking is fine but Toastmasters is not a forum for "selling"
anything.
Meeting Times
Asheville Toastmasters
meeting usually begin promptly at 6:15pm on Thursday evenings and typically
last approximately 90 minutes. We do not meet on public holidays. During
bad weather, we take our lead from the Asheville City (not Buncombe
County) schools. When the schools are out or finish early on Thursdays
due to bad weather, the club meeting is cancelled for that evening.
In other bad weather situations, the President usually confers with
club officers and a decision is made by 4:00pm. Members are then contacted
by phone.
If you would like
more information about our club, or have a specific question, please
click here.
Diane and Elizabeth
Collins joined Asheville Toastmasters in 2004.
Guests
Guests are always welcome at Asheville Toastmasters meetings. If you
wish to attend, it is not necessary to contact us ahead of time - you
can simply come along. We recommend that you arrive at the meeting around
6:00pm to give yourself a little time to meet some of the members. There
is no dress code for guests, but business casual attire is appropriate
(the male members of the club are strongly encouraged to wear a jacket
and tie but it is not necessary for guests). everyone will be interested
in who you are, what you do and where you are from. This is partly because
we a re a very friendly and inviting group, but also because the club
President may call on any member at random to introduce guests so everyone
wants to be prepared.
You
may be approached by the Table Topics Master of the evening and asked
if you would like to participate in Table Topics. You can find out more
about this fun, entertaining part of the meeting at the Typical
Meeting page, but it is a two minute opportunity to deliver a mini-speech
on a subject of which you have no proir warning. A great opportunity
to practice "thinking on your feet!" Members are very supportine
and guests who agree to participate usually find Table Topics a very
stimulating experience.
At
the end of the meeting, the President may give you an opportunity to
give the club feedback about what you thought of the meeting. These
is no obligation and if you feel uncomfortable speaking to the group,
the President will simply move on to the next order of business.
It
is our goal to ensure the Toastmasters experience is enjoyable and rewarding
for everyone. We cordially invite you to see for yourself.
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