Which Is The Best Toastmasters Club?
Which is the best toastmasters club?
Perhaps, you are more interested in knowing, which is the best toastmasters club in your region. Particularly for those who are residing in Singapore, your question will be, “which is the best toastmasters club in Singapore?”
There is no such thing as the best toastmasters club.
Individual clubs may claim that they are the best, or one of the best toastmasters clubs, but that is purely subjective. If you have seen such a claim posted online, that is just a marketing stunt.
So how do you assess a toastmasters club?
You can do it in two ways, subjectively or objectively.
Table of Contents
Subjective Assessment
Assessing a toastmasters club subjectively based purely by personal opinions and reactions. You like your club very much because of the camaraderie, the way your club operates, the atmosphere and the dynamic of your club.
Other toastmasters could possibly also like your club for the same reasons and would like to visit your club regularly. So if most of your club members love your own club and many toastmasters from other clubs like to visit your club too, I believe that it must be a very active and vibrant club. In that way, I would say that your club is very successful and well liked.
After all, a club should be able to inspire its own members to attend its meeting and participate actively. Nevertheless, remember that humans are irrational and fickle.
It is normal to see people who are excited when they attend the meetings and yet would disappear without a trace subsequently. This is because there is no legal obligation for anyone to attend your meetings, even your very own club members. When people get preoccupied with their own personal matters and emotions, they disappear just like some of your friends who have disappeared from your life. Not because you got into a fight but simply because they had other priorities.
Objective Assessment
Assessing a toastmasters club objectively based on a set of criteria set by Toastmasters International.
Toastmasters International bestows on toastmasters clubs 3 level of distinguished awards based on how many of the following 10 goals the individual toastmasters clubs have achieved within the term (from 1 July of the current year to 30 June of the following year). However, a pre-requisite criteria is that the club must have 20 members or a net growth of at least five new members as of June 30th, the last day of the term.
- Distinguished Toastmasters Club – attained 5 of the following goals
- Select Distinguished Toastmasters Club – attained 7 of the following goals
- President’s Distinguished Toastmasters Club – attained 9 of the following goals
Healthy Club
Your club may not have been awarded the Distinguished Toastmasters Club award. However, your club can still be a healthy club if your club possesses the following qualities.
- A good number of members who are committed to keep the club together.
- Senior/seasoned toastmasters members who are willing to mentor you not only in public speaking skills but how to carry out your roles and duties, and not people who throw you into a role and let you swim in the deep water. Some people can learn and turn out very well if you throw them into deep water. However, if they have done well, it is because they have the determination and the potential. Nevertheless, if they managed to come out of it doing well, it is no thanks to you. Many others will simply drown and die when you throw them into deep water. In real life, these people will leave your club.
- Club members who knows how to make people feel welcome.
- Good camaraderie.
The first 6 goals measure the club members’ progress in their prepared speech projects.
The 7th and 8th goals measure the growth of the club membership.
The second last goal is to ensure a minimal attendance and participation at the Club Officer Trainings conducted by the division. The last goal ensures that money is paid to the Headquarter, Toastmasters International, and administrative work is submitted on time.
How to survive?
Some people joined Toastmasters hoping to improve their public speaking but eventually leave because they think that they can never master public speaking. Worse still, they did not take the step to overcome their fear of public speaking. Toastmasters continues to have others who could not commit themselves to attend their clubs’ chapter meeting even for just once a month. So, as they got caught up with their regular lifestyle and did not fit Toastmasters as part of their regular schedule, they eventually decided not to return.
So how do you survive as a toastmaster? Stick to the following 3 pointers.
- Be self-motivated
- Train yourself. It is always good if you have someone to mentor you but if there is not, observe good speakers, practice your public speaking on your own and reflect on your performance.
- Visit other clubs and you will come across some very friendly toastmasters that you can build a good relationship with and guide you along.
Most outstanding toastmasters did not meet some grandmaster who decided to take them under their wings. However, they knew what they want and they disciplined themselves to achieve what they wanted. The key is to be disciplined and be self-motivated. That goes the same with everything else in life.