D46 Honorable Mention Website 2007-2008
Chartered
Apr 16, 2009
Distinguished Club
2008-2009
President's Distinguished
Club
2009-2010
- GENERAL
- MEETINGS
- MEMBERSHIP
- THE CC - COMPETENT COMMUNICATOR
- BEYOND THE CC
- THE TM ORGANIZATION
- CONTESTS
How does one go about joining Toastmasters?
If you have visited and found the chapter to your liking, ask an officer for an application form. Members are welcomed enthusiastically into the chapter as soon as a standard membership application ("Form 400") is turned in with the appropriate dues. But leave your American Express card in your office, because Hackettstown Toastmasters only accepts cash or checks.
How much does membership cost?
Upon joining Toastmasters, there are three different fees. One is the standard $20.00 fee that every new member must pay in order to receive educational materials (see below). A second is the standard International dues, $6.00 per month. Third is your Chapter dues, $2.00 per month. So if you join at the following times, you'd owe:
| April or October: | $68.00 | |
| May or November: | $60.00 | |
| June or December: | $52.00 | |
| July or January: | $44.00 | |
| August or February: | $84.00 | |
| September or March: | $76.00 |
Then, once you're signed up, dues of $48.00 are assessed every six months, in September and March.
What do I get for my dues?
Your $36.00 semi-annual dues paid to World Headquarters goes partly for the monthly magazine The Toastmaster, partly to support development of new educational programs, partly to support operations at World Headquarters (i.e. the staff who process membership applications, CC applications, new chapter applications, etc. etc. ad nauseam), and partly to support your local District organization.
Furthermore, when you finish your Competent Communication manual, you get two of the Advanced project manuals for no extra charge with which to work toward your Advanced Communicator certificate. Your chapter dues go to pay for the chapter's supplies, such as ballots, awards, ribbons, and educational materials.
Your $20.00 New Member fee gets you the following:
- Competent Communication manual
- Competent Leadership manual
- "Gestures - Your Body Speaks" manual
- "Effective Speech Evaluation" manual
- "Your Speaking Voice" manual
The latter three are instructional manuals rather than project manuals. Only the first two are workbooks.
If I want to drop out of Toastmasters after joining, what do I do?
Simply wait for March or September to arrive and don't pay your dues again. It'd probably be a good idea to let your Vice President Education know to stop scheduling you for meeting roles, though.
How welcoming is Hackettstown Toastmasters to new members?
We love them! Experienced members love to share what they've learned and to see new members make progress. There's virtually no chance that you won't enthusiastically be welcomed and immediately be considered one of the gang.
MEMBERSHIP -cont.-
If I join, will you make me speak right away?
No. You will not be asked to speak unless you're ready. If you feel more comfortable waiting a few months, that's fine. We attempt to arrange the meeting schedules in such a way that most members are involved in some capacity at each meeting, so you'll need to let us know what your wishes are. Speak to our V.P. of Education.
What should my main objective be as a new Toastmasters member?
Well, there are two "right" answers to this question. The first is that your main objective should be to attend every meeting you can and participate to the fullest, helping yourself and the other members of the chapter to become better communicators. The other "right" answer is that you should be working toward the CC award.
The CC - COMPETENT COMMUNICATOR
What does CC stand for?
It stands for "Competent Communicator." The CC is the basic speaking certification offered through Toastmasters. Many members join, earn their CC, and drop out of the organization. It's the basic "diploma." This was formerly known as the CTM.
What do I have to do to earn a CC?
You have to complete the Competent Communication manual, which, in effect, means you have to work your way through the ten speech projects contained therein. When you finish your manual, you'll complete the registration information in the back of the manual and the club VP-Education will enter it online with World Headquarters in California.
Do I have to give all my speeches at Toastmasters chapter meetings?
No. So long as you are giving the speech to an audience with at least one Toastmasters member in attendance, and so long as a fellow Toastmaster completes the manual evaluation for that project, you may count that speech toward a CC. Advise your VP of Education prior to doing this. Up to two speeches per manual may be done outside the club.
Do I have to work through the CC manual in the order the projects are given?
No. You can do the projects out of order if you like. But it is highly recommended that you follow the order given since the projects progress upwards in difficulty. If you have a speech idea or opportunity that better suits one of the later projects you may skip over earlier ones and do that one first. Please consult with the V.P. of Education first.
When I finish the CC what happens?
When you finish, there's a form in the back of your manual to fill out, sign, and give to the VP-Education to enter online with World Headquarters. World Headquarters issues you a CC certificate. If you mark it on the registration sheet they will also send a letter to your employer letting them know. Also, when you turn in the registration sheet you're asked which two advanced manuals you'd like, so you can start working on the AC-Bronze.
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| Updated 09/10/11 |
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