Polk Street Speakers Club

Toastmasters International Club #4449
Marietta, Georgia

FAQ

 

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(Frequently Asked Questions)

Here are some common questions and answers about Toastmasters:

Is Toastmasters Free?

No.  And YES.

There are membership dues to participate in the Toastmasters program (see "How much does it cost?" below), but VISITING a Toastmasters club is absolutely free.  In fact, we encourage people to visit - it's the best method for finding out how Toastmasters works and how right it is for YOU!

How much does it cost?

There are three fees involved in joining a Toastmasters club:

  1. Initial Fee (charged one time)
  2. Dues to Toastmasters International (every 6 months)
  3. Dues to the Local Club* (every 6 months)

Currently, these figures are:

  1. $20
  2. $27
  3. $6*

So, that's $53 to join and $33 every six months after that.
(* Local dues vary for each club.)

Is Toastmasters a "civic" organization?

Toastmasters isn't a civic organization like Kiwanis or Rotary.  Our mission is education, and our members come from all professions, religions, political groups and such.

That said, we DO try to do more than just our own meetings.  Toastmasters are often asked to supply speakers for local events.  There are also contests among Toastmasters clubs.  And last year, a group of our members volunteered as phone-answerers for a PBS station telethon.

How long does Toastmasters take to complete?

That's a difficult question to answer for several reasons:  For one, you will work through the programs offered by Toastmasters at your own pace.  For another, there are SEVERAL different programs you can choose to work through.  Finally, even though there are definitely milestones to "complete", most Toastmasters view their membership as an ongoing thing.  As each goal is reached, another goal takes its place, because there is always more to learn.

The basic program, called the Competent Communicator (CC) can be completed in less than a year, if you choose.  Or you can take as long as you like.  Each subsequent program can vary greatly depending solely on what YOU want to put into it.

Is Toastmasters Accredited?

Toastmasters is not the sort of education program that is accredited, because we aren't teaching to a specific subject or certification curriculum.  In fact, we're not "teaching" in the schoolroom setting sense.

What we ARE doing is learning as a group, from seasoned members and from fresh new faces, not to mention some very well thought out study materials.

And Toastmaster achievements DO look good on a Resume.  The reason is simple:  When you've achieved recognition through Toastmasters, you've actually gotten up and DONE the work.

I'm too afraid to get up and speak!

Then Toastmasters is the PERFECT place for you!  In fact, that's a big part of why we're here.  Fear of speaking in public is one of the most common problems people have.

So why is Toastmasters any different from speaking at your school or on the job or in your civic club?

bulletSpeaking is what we DO.  We're focused on helping you improve your speaking, not your civic project or your company bottom line.
bulletWe WANT you to succeed.  No one in a Toastmasters group is going to poke fun at you.  You're talking to a friendly audience, full of people who want you're presentation to go well.
bulletYou can try-try-again.  Blow that presentation at school and it may be the last chance you have.  Not at Toastmasters!  Learning involves repetition, and we're here to help you repeat as often as it takes.

Then you can take your newly improved speaking skills and use THEM to make your mark in school, on the job or anywhere else.

I'm not free on Tuesday night when you meet.  What can I do?

There are LOTS of Toastmasters clubs with lots of different schedules.  Finding one which meets when you can be there is easy.  Just stop by the Toastmaster International website and look for clubs in your area.  The listings tell when and where each club meets.

But stop by Polk Street Speakers Club anyway, if you happen to be free some Tuesday night.  You might find that you like us so much that you want to rearrange your schedule and make US your Tuesday commitment.

Do I get anything for bringing in new members?

Of course you do!  You get new people to help with your speaking and new people to help with theirs.  (No money, though - we actually use that to run the club.)

Membership is important.  Having a good-sized group means that we get lots of different voices, AND enough people to handle all the aspects of our regular meetings.

But Toastmasters is NOT one of those "multilevel marketing organizations" that claim to sell some product when what they really want is a pyramid of membership dues.

Other Questions?

If you have other questions, drop us a line and ask, on the Contact Us page.  Or better yet, come by for a Meeting! 

 

 

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Last modified: November 11, 2007