I've been to about 4 meetings at this point, and have just officially signed up to be a member.
Finding a club:
I started with 'Find a Club' through Toastmaster's International and found several within a 5-mile radius. There are some clubs that are nested within specific companies for their employees, and happen usually at lunchtime. There were plenty of other open clubs nearby, so I selected the one that worked best for my schedule. I haven't visited other clubs as I liked the folks at the first club I visited, but it's advised to shop around before committing to one club. I've just learned there are also groups that will have 'Post Toast' social gatherings!
Attending as a guest:
I emailed the club to ask for an invitation. I highly recommend this, even if the club's time and location are listed. There are times when clubs go on breaks or host special events, and it's also helpful for organizers to make space. Now that I've attended a few sessions I know they are warm and welcoming with walk-ins, but mindful etiquette is also appreciated.
My local club meets in a church social room, and has averaged 10-15 members. Each week there are new guests and the organizers have been welcoming and accommodating. There are a couple of opportunities to actually speak as a guest, first in your introduction (just a 'why Toastmasters'), and also in front of the room for an on-the-fly, 1-2 minute 'Table Topic' response. In the weeks I've attended as a guest they've offered me official, lightweight roles in the meeting. Last time I was an 'Ah Counter' and shared how many times people used filler words at the end of the meeting.
Becoming a member:
My club's policy is to officially offer membership after three visits. There are two simple forms and a $70 annual fee. This covers the cost of operating the club, access to online curriculum and resources (which I've not gotten into yet).
Members are expected to attend meetings with consistency, either in person or via Zoom, and take on specific roles within each meeting. The first official speech you make as a member is the Icebreaker, a 5-7 minute introduction speech. I held off on signing up for a couple of week as an official member until I felt I had an approach for my Icebreaker. It was a challenging but really fun process of coming up with a topic and I've started working on it.
There's also a way to specialize through the 'Pathways' program There are a number of different paths with specific curriculum, including Motivational Speaking, Conflict Resolution, Engaging Humor. I am TBD.
About the members:
There have been generally 10-15 people in the meetings (this includes a couple who show up online). There are people from a wide range of industries, which was a nice surprise - I was expecting a bunch of computer engineers, this being the Bay Area. There were people at different stages of their career, some non-Native English speakers.
Most members are there for professional development, but also personal development. It's been a mix of folks who have been with the club for several years, and just a few months.
I've heard that 6-months is pretty common for many people. It's been really nice to see that some members are good friends.
Case in point, a former member who had moved to LA had been invited to make a special presentation, a humorous speech, via Zoom and she surprised everyone by driving up to deliver her (hilarious) speech in person. She actually started out on Zoom and burst into the room as part of her delivery - super clever and so fun!
Overall, what I appreciate most is how committed the members are to the club. There's been a really strong culture of accountability and personal growth. The club is only as good as what people put into it and this group really holds themselves to the organization's missions of Integrity, Respect, Service, and Excellence.
Meeting Format & Roles
The meetings have been highly structured. There are members who set up the AV and Zoom link, and each week there are speeches and roles assigned for the next meeting. At each meeting, each role is explained with a simple script.
There is a Mr/Ms Toastmaster who oversees the meeting, and weaves in their own themed presentation throughout the meeting. The topic of presentation is up to the individual, and so far they have been about golf and astronomy and dreams.
The Timer keeps each speaker accountable to the time parameter with green, yellow & red flash cards.
There is an 'Ah' Counter who keeps track of the times people use filler words. 'Um' is my weak spot, and having this function in the meetings has already made me more mindful about using filler words, even in casual conversations (These filler words are often a crutch for transitions, but there are alternatives to 'um', like 'therefore', 'resulting in', 'moving forward', or even just a pause. So helpful!).
The Grammarian takes notes on each speaker's grammar for both areas for improvement and for compliments on compelling uses of English. They also present a new word and members are encouraged to use the word throughout the meeting (I can remember 'caveat' and 'vex').
The Evaluator seems to be hardest role. Giving good feedback, especially in a group setting, can be really difficult, but so far I've been really blown away by the commitment, kindness and thoughtfulness of the evaluators thus far. They've been able to provide really constructive, tactical feedback and have handled this role with sensitivity. Seeing how the evaluators deliver feedback is actually what encouraged me to sign on officially.
There are 1-2 Prepared Speeches, each about 5-7 minutes in length. More experienced members have been choosing varying styles of speeches to help broaden their skillsets. This is especially fun to watch as you get to see people employing specific strategies.
A person also comes up with Table Topics, which are light questions that are assigned to people at random. Responses are structured to last 1-2 minutes, and really tests how to respond on the fly. My first table topic was a question on Haggis, the Scottish heritage dish that's made from sheep's heart and lungs, and is baked in its bladder. Topics are lighthearted and there's always a difference in what your response was and what you actually wished you said.
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