Princeton Toastmasters

Frequently Asked Questions

1.    How do I join the club? To join the club, you must contact the Princeton Toastmasters VP of Membership. You will be given a membership application to complete and ask to pay the membership fee (check or cash, no credit cards accepted). Once you join, the VP of Membership will provide you a “welcome” package containing information on the different roles and activities you can participate in a Toastmasters meeting, including information about the first speech called, “The Icebreaker.” In addition, you will receive the Competent Communicator (CC) and Competent Leadership (CL) manuals that will guide you along your speeches and projects.

2.    How much are the membership fees? New members must pay a one-time initiation fee of $20.00. Dues for Princeton Toastmasters are paid semiannually; $55.00 due during September for the October through March membership period and $55.00 due during March for the April through September membership period. Your dues will be prorated if you join in between these renewal periods.

3.    What are the benefits of joining Toastmasters? Toastmasters offer many benefits. In addition to offering a flexible self-paced program where you set the pace you feel comfortable, Toastmasters provides a forum where you can:

• Acquire effective presentation skills.
• Become confident and persuasive in front of a group.
• Overcome fears.
• Think quickly – improve ability to ‘improv’ and think/speak on your feet.
• Develop leadership skills.
• Develop keen listening skills.
• Get constructive feedback.
• Much, much more (see http://www.toastmasters.org/fbvchart).

4.    What happens once I join? Below are some of the activities that new members usually participate in:

• Attend PTM meetings.
• Get a mentor (see question #8, below, for more information on mentorship). 
• Consider signing up for smaller roles, such as Timer, Wordmaster, Jokemaster, Ah-Counter, etc.
• Sign up and give speeches at your own pace.

5.    What usually happens at a Princeton Toastmasters Club meeting? The format of the meeting consists of the following activities, giving its members the opportunity to participate in a variety of roles:

• Opening of the meeting and opening remarks from the President.
• Introduction of the Toastmaster, who presides over the meeting’s program and explains the meeting.
• Prepared speeches from members, about 5 speeches on average.
• Impromptu speeches from members (also known as Table Topics).
• Oral evaluations of the prepared speeches.
• Reports from other evaluations, grammarian, “ah” counter, and timer.
• Awards presentation.
• Signing up for future activities.

6.    How long are the meetings? The meetings usually last for about two hours.

7.    Can I join more than one club?  Yes. You would be responsible for paying membership dues to the other clubs as well, minus the fees for the manuals.

8.    Is there anyone who can help me with preparing for speeches/roles once I join? Yes.  We have a Mentorship program which offers you an experienced Mentor to help acquaint you with our club and the various Toastmaster roles as well as guide you through your first three speeches. The mentor serves as a role model, coach, and confidante, offering knowledge, insight, perspective, and wisdom useful to the person being mentored.

9.    Are visitors (non-members) expected to participate during the meeting? Only paid members are allowed to participate in meeting activities. However, typically, visitors are asked to introduce themselves at the beginning of the meeting, as well as give their impression of the club and meeting at the end of the meeting.

10.  How do I know what to speak about in the speeches I need to make?

• Speak about you. Tell the audience about things that you’ve experienced.
• Speak about things you know. Think about areas of interest and expertise and share them with others.
• Speak about things you would like to know.

11.  How much of my time must I commit to Toastmasters? One of the benefits of Toastmasters is that it is based on a self-paced program. It is up to you to decide how much time you want to spend. However, the more you practice, the better speaker you become. 

12.  What is a time-frame to achieve the certifications that Toastmasters offers, such as Competent Communicator (CC) and Competent Leadership (CL)? There is no timeframe. As mentioned above, Toastmasters provide the flexibility of a self-paced program where you manage your progress at your own pace.

13.  Where can I find more information about Toastmasters? Please visit the Toastmasters International website at www.toastmasters.org.