The first lesson in this section will cover everything about how to put together your RDG meeting.
3. Day 1
One Day After the Previous Meeting
- The VPE (or committee member) updates the roster with the actual details from the previous meeting and closes it out on Easy Speak.
- The VPE (or committee member) fills in roles that were signed up for on Easy Speak for future meetings.
- The VPE (or committee member) sends out the "Hello Toastmasters" checklist e-mail.
- The VPE contacts the Toastmaster directly (by phone, preferably) to inform them they are now responsible for managing the meeting.
- Members confirm their attendance or absence.
The VPE will need to confirm the details from the previous meeting on Easy Speak and update as necessary. This includes role changes, absences, word of the day, award winners, and more. After that, the sign-up sheet will allow the VPE to fill in roles for the upcoming meeting and beyond - this can save the Toastmaster a lot of effort.
The "Hello Toastmasters" mail uses a template found in the resources folder for this section; after all roles are filled out from the sign up sheet, the VPE should go to the next meeting roster, then use the E-Mail function (currently located in the top right corner). Edit the contents of the template (you can use a text editor like Notepad++), then copy and paste the text into the First E-Mail box, underneath the existing text (you may need to put in a return or two). This will provide members a checklist they can use to plan for the meeting. If you're using Free Toast Host, you can send an e-mail to your members list with the same content.
The VPE should then inform the Toastmaster for the next meeting in case they don't get the e-mail, preferably by phone. Get a positive confirmation. If they can't be the Toastmaster, then work with them to swap dates.
If using Easy Speak, a link to confirm attendance or absence is provided to those that get the mail; this takes minimal effort to use. If you have members who aren't following up here, make sure they know it's important to do so, as it shows respect for those planning out the meetings.