District 8 Club Building

Club Building Ideas

By Past District 8 Governor Omer Roberts, DTM

How many guests has your club had in the last six months? How many joined? Does the Toastmaster do a mad scramble at most meetings to fill the program? Do members double up because there aren�t enough people to do all the jobs? Then your club needs a transfusion! Membership decline can be slowed or stopped. Here are some ideas and publications from Toastmasters' Supply Catalog to help your club start to rebuild.

Have an experienced Toastmaster give the Successful Club Modules "The Moments of Truth" and "Creating the Best Club Climate" or "Finding New Members for Your Club." Show members that their commitment is necessary to build a better club and then formulate a plan for membership growth. The set of modules is catalog 289, and costs $39.95 + S&H. These modules are also credited toward the Competent Leader award.

Offer Speechcraft, catalog #205 ($15.00 + S&H), to organizations. Possible targets include businesses; government agencies; scoutmasters; PTA�s; service clubs and more. Contact businesses through your local Chamber of Commerce (and invite the Chamber manager to come to your meeting as well). Speechcraft can be 4, 6 or 8 sessions and is a condensed version of the C&L program. Your Area Governor can help your club organize and present a Speechcraft.

Present a Youth Leadership program to Scouts, 4H, FFA, Junior Achievement, or other similar youth organization. Youth Leadership is also a condensed C&L program. When the program is complete, have a graduation ceremony and give parents invitations to attend a club meeting with their son or daughter. The kit is catalog #811 $12.00. Invitations, #345, are 25 for $5.00.

Market your club to communities using ideas from Toastmasters� Public Relations and Advertising Kit, catalog #1150, $18.00.

Have a membership contest over two or three months. Give points for bringing a guest, more points for a guest who returns (second and third times only), and the highest points for a guest who joins. Have a nice award for the winner at the end of the contest. Tie your club contest in with Toastmasters annual membership recruiting awards.

Analyze your meetings. Use the publication "Master Your Meetings", catalog #1312, $3.00. Sloppy meetings are sure to turn off your guests.

Treat guests well. Prepare a "cheat sheet" for members on how to handle guests. Welcome your guests, recognize them, inform them about what is going on, and offer them the opportunity to speak. Have handouts available including a copy of your program schedule, club membership roster, the C & L manual and issues of The Toastmaster magazine.

Don�t embarrass guests in Table Topics. The Table Topic Master should explain Table Topics to visitors before the meeting begins and ask them if he or she would like to participate; an embarrassed guest is not likely to return and join.

Make the sale! Give each guest an application, catalog # 400 (free), and explain the cost to join and continue membership. Talk about the benefits they receive for their nominal membership cost including the C & L manual, The Toastmaster magazine, and the learning environment of the club. Try to get them signed up before they leave. If they aren�t ready, be sure to ask them to return next meeting, and let them know whom to contact for further information. Give the guest a phone call well before the next meeting to tell them how you enjoyed having them and inviting them back.

Have an induction ceremony for new members, and give them a membership pin, catalog # 5751, $2.75 each. Also, get the new member orientation kit, catalog # 1162, $5.00 for five. Use it as a guide to design you own club new member packet.

Assign new members a mentor to help them through the first four speeches (more if needed). Be sure the coach is qualified, interested in the new member and will take time to help them along.

These are only a few ideas you can use to build your club�s membership. You will find many others in your officer manuals, in The Toastmaster magazine, and at conferences and seminars you attend. Remember that success in membership building requires a commitment by members to invest their efforts in recruiting, and retaining, new members. Make your commitment to excellence, and go into action!

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