WHY TOASTMASTERS?

2023-2024

Created by Division
District 127
“ We learn best in the moments
of enjoyment

-Ralph C. Smedley
Toastmasters Founder
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Toastmasters Overview 02

Toastmasters Structure 03

Pathways Program 04

Online Meetings in the Workplace 05

Achievements and Awards 06

Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) 07

Toastmasters Mentor Program 08

Toastmasters Club Meeting Format 09

01
TOASTMASTERS OVERVIEW

Toastmasters is an international nonprofit organization that helps individuals improve

their communication, public speaking, and leadership skills. It offers a supportive and
structured environment for members to practice and develop their speaking abilities
through prepared speeches, impromptu speaking, evaluations, and leadership roles.

What are the benefits of the Toastmasters Program?

Enhanced Communication Skills

Toastmasters helps members improve their public
speaking, presentation, and communication skills
through regular practice, constructive evaluations,
and peer feedback

Leadership Development
Numerous leadership opportunities that allow
members to develop and refine their leadership skills.
By taking on club roles and participating in club
activities, members can improve their organizational,
decision-making, and teamwork abilities.

Confidence Building
Provides a supportive and non-judgmental
environment where members can overcome their
fear of public speaking, build self-confidence, and
enhance their overall self-esteem

Networking and Relationship Building

Toastmasters program fosters personal growth and self-
improvement. Through continuous practice, learning,
and receiving feedback, members can develop better
communication skills, increase their self-awareness,
and achieve their personal and professional goals.

The best way to truly understand and benefit from Toastmasters is

to join a local club. Attend meetings, participate actively, and
embrace the opportunities for growth and improvement that
02
Toastmasters offers.
TOASTMASTERS STRUCTURE
Toastmasters is "all about the member” hence structured
like an inverted pyramid that places the Members at the
top. The hierarchy is made up of Members, Club, Area,
Division, District and Region.

The Members (YOU)

Within the club, members progress through an Education program know as
Pathways. The Pathways program provides a curriculum of self-paced
projects that cover a range of communication and leadership skills. Members
complete projects, deliver speeches, and receive evaluations from fellow
members to enhance their proficiency.

Your Club
Consists of individual members, and an Executive Committee
comprising elected officers who act as President, VP Education, VP
Membership, VP Public Relations, Secretary, Treasurer and the Sergeant
at Arms.
Your Area
A Division is sub-divided into Areas, each headed by an Area Director. Areas
typically consist of 4-6 clubs. The Area Director serves as a liaison between
the Division and the Clubs, providing support and assistance to club leaders

Your Division
A District is sub-divided into Divisions based on geographic proximity.
Divisions are led by Division Directors who coordinate activities and
provide support to clubs within their division.

Your Disctrict
Toastmasters International is divided into geographical Districts, which
typically cover a specific region or country. Each district is led by a District
Director and a team of elected officers. Districts organize events, such as
speech contests and leadership training, to support clubs within their
jurisdiction
Your Region
The region is responsible for organizing and
conducting training events, conferences, and other
educational programs for district leaders and
members within their jurisdiction. These events offer
opportunities for networking, learning, and sharing
03
best practices.
PATHWAYS PROGRAM

Why should I join Toastmasters? What is in it for me?

Are you a sales professional, an entreprenuer, a medical practitioner, a teacher, a trainer, a
professional, a home maker, a finance executive, a conversationalist, or a student/intern/fresh
graduate? The Pathways learning experience is an interactive and flexible education program
like no other. You can choose a path that aligns with your personal and professional goals,
making the learning experience more relevant and engaging. This is one of the most holistic
program designed to help you become confident communicators and effective leaders.

That is interesting. Tell me more!

Pathways program gives you an opportunity to build more than 300 unique skillset
competencies, 11 specialized learning paths, online content, affording you to learn anytime,
anywhere along with real-world, transferable skills - all while having fun with others in the
process! And it is very simple. Once you become a member of the club, you get to choose from
one of the 11 paths as your education program.

What is the duration of this program?

Pathways is a self paced program. You can complete it at your own pace. Some complete it in 6
months, some take 6 years. It does not matter. As long as your club membership dues are paid,
you can access the program from any part of the world.

That’s fantastic! How do I get started?

Please get in touch with the VP-Membership or the Club President and
they will help you with the membership process. 04
ONLINE MEETINGS IN THE WORKPLACE

How can Toastmasters help me become better with online meetings at work?
The pandemic necessitated a widespread shift to remote work for many organizations. With
employees working from different locations, online meetings became essential for maintaining
communication, collaboration, and coordination among team members.

The pandemic also accelerated the digital transformation of workplaces, prompting

companies to adapt to the changing work culture. Hybrid meetings, combining both online
and in-person meetings based on the specific needs and circumstance of the organization,
have become an integral part of this shift, supporting remote work, flexible schedules, and
distributed teams.

By participating in the Toastmasters program, you can develop and refine the communication,
leadership, and interpersonal skills necessary for successful online meetings in the workplace.
Whether it's delivering effective presentations, actively engaging in discussions, or demonstrating
confidence and presence, Toastmasters equips you with the skills needed to excel in virtual work
environments.

05
ACHIEVEMENTS & AWARDS

In Toastmasters, you are recognized for every achievement and milestone you and your club
reach. Whether you choose to explore one path or several, every step you take will be
supported and celebrated along the way.
Badges
Earn digital badges on Base Camp to show fellow club
members all you’ve done. Receive a path badge when you
finish a path. Every time you complete a level, you’ll receive
level badges signifying your achievement. You can also
award feedback badges to recognize members of your club.

Certificates
Receive digital certificates whenever you reach important
milestones in Pathways. To celebrate your
accomplishments when you finish a level or complete a
path, you can download or print a certificate directly from
Base Camp.

Employer letters
Let your employer know about your achievements with official letters
sent from Toastmasters. This is a great way to show them the
commitment you’ve made toward personal growth. Employer letters
can be requested when you complete Level 3, Level 4 or Level 5 in a
path.

An email from the International President

Enjoy a celebratory email from the International President
congratulating you on your success when you complete a path. You
may also request a printed version of this commemorative message
from World Headquarters.

Path completion
Proudly receive the accolade of Proficient for each path you
complete. For example: “Toastmaster XYZ completed the
Motivational Strategies learning path and is now Motivational
Strategies Proficient.”
06
DISTINGUISHED TOASTMASTER (DTM)

What is Distinguished Toastmaster?

The Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) award represents the highest level of educational
achievement in Toastmasters.

How can I earn the DTM?

1. Complete two learning paths.
2. Serve as a club officer for 12 months, participate in the preparation of a Club Success Plan,
and participate in a district-sponsored club officer training program. (If your club has six-
month terms for officers, you can fulfill this requirement by serving as a club officer twice,
but you don’t have to do it in consecutive terms.)
3. Serve a complete one-year term as a district officer.
4. Serve successfully as a club mentor or coach.
5. Serve successfully as a club sponsor or conduct a Speechcraft or Youth Leadership
program.
6. Complete the DTM project. (Members are required to create and implement a project of
their own design, in which they demonstrate the skills and expertise they have gained)

EDUCATION
Completed 2 different
Paths
Complete the DTM Project

CLUB LEADERSHIP
Serve as a Club Officer for
one 12 months or two 6
months term(s)
Attend district sponsored
COT

DISTRICT LEADERSHIP
Serve a complete one-year
term as a District Officer

CLUB EXTENSION
Serve successfully as a Club
Sponsor (new club) or conduct
a Speechcraft or Youth
Leadership Program

CLUB SUPPORT
Serve successfully as a club
mentor (new club) or a Club 07
Coach
MENTOR PROGRAM: A WIN-WIN-WIN!

Why Mentoring Matters?

Toastmasters members have a long history of supporting and nurturing each other through
mentorship. The benefits of mentorship can create a win-win-win situation for all parties involved.
It’s a win for the mentee, who gains support and guidance; a win for the mentor, who gains
experience communicating and connecting with new people; and a win for the club when a
personal connection increases member satisfaction, engagement, and retention

Pathways Mentor Program

The Pathways Mentor Program gives you the opportunity to help others by
building and reinforcing the skills needed to provide effective mentoring.
Complete this program and become a credentialed mentor once you are
Proficient in a path.

What is Project Aristotle?

In addition to the Pathways Mentor Program, Division C has initiated another Mentorship program,
which will serve as one of the tools developed to create a special partnership between two
Toastmasters, based on commitment to the mentoring process, common goals and expectations,
focus, mutual trust and respect.

Mentors would support mentees on either or all 4 aspects:

Speech

Meeting Roles

Club Officer Roles

Leadership

“ Quality is not an act, it is a habit – Aristotle

08
TOASTMASTERS CLUB MEETING FORMAT

What is goal of a high quality Toastmasters Meeting?

The main objective of any Toastmasters meeting is to give every club member an opportunity
to practice his or her speaking skills, in front of a group. To accomplish this, each member is
scheduled to perform various duties. Some of these include Speaker, Evaluator, Table Topics
Participant, “Ah” Counter, Grammarian, Roast Master, Table Topics Master, Timer, General
Evaluator, to name a few.

01. Prepared Speeches

Speeches are normally between 5 and 15 minutes in length.
Members follow the guidelines of the Pathways Program to
deliver their speeches

02. Table Topics/Impromptu

One of the most challenging elements of
communication is impromptu speaking. Table
Topics offers the ongoing challenge to speak in
front of a group without preparation. Members are
called to the front of the room to spontaneously
comment on a subject that is provided by the Table
Topics Master for the day.

03. Prepared Speech Evaluation

One of the most rewarding elements in Toastmasters is the
forum to deliver a speech and the get evaluated in a supportive
environment. An evaluator typically congratulates the speaker
on a job well done, points out several areas of the speech that
were performed well and offers 2 or 3 areas to improve upon.

09
“ So many clubs, so many venue we travel
Starting the evening with the sound of the gavel
The Sergeant at Arms walks in all bright and gay
Followed by the President’s speech and the word of the day

With the manual as a guide and your mentor by your side

You are running out of time…. Oh blimey!
you don’t want to get disqualified

Then comes the speeches, NO Ah’s, umm’s or glitches

Keep good eye contact, use the stage - no twitches
Open and close in a very strong way
That’s what our fellow Toastmasters say

We all paid our dues to get where we are

We got table topics that were truly bizarre
Then the evaluations worth more than a dime
Let’s hear the evaluators and have a good time

Instead of complaining that life is so boring

Get out on the stage, watch your energy soaring
Know there’s a place you can practice your craft
Oh no, your skill just starts with a draft

You’ve all come here not by fate

But only because you want to be great
Join us and learn to speak with ease
With Toastmasters it really is quite a b-r-e-e-z-e

Division
District 127
“Unlock Your Potential: Join
Toastmasters Today!
#BreakingBarriersNotYourBudget