Before You Join

3. Expectations

While the Toastmasters Promise gives you most of the expectations for you, this will go a bit more in-depth. 

Something that can't be stressed enough is that Toastmasters clubs are run by volunteers, and depend on people serving as officers, working on committees, and filling meeting roles. No matter how many members are in the club, if these go undone, the club will weaken and fall apart in time. That's why it's critical for every member to contribute in some way. 

Many prospective members want to know how much a membership costs, but usually don't ask how much time outside of the meeting is needed on a weekly basis to realize the benefits. This can vary depending on your responsibilities at the upcoming meeting, but a reasonable expectation is one to two hours. If you become a member, there is an initial setup period that will take a little time as well.

As a minor aside, you will also need some fairly common supplies, as will be discussed in future lessons. This includes a 1" (or bigger) binder, paper, pens, a printer, and so on.