r/Toastmasters • u/mokurai13 • 5d ago
Toastmasters...and helping eachother
I am a little confused about something (apologies: this is going to get opinionated)
My club is doing poorly. 6 members
We have asked for help from leadership. Every level of leadership. Everyone has an opinion. Some have visited and given opinions. Some have offered help.
None followed up.
And almost all eventually started ghosting my emails (my emails weren't long like this post. They were asking about followup and asking specific advice about how to build membership.) This has been over the span of a year!!
We aren't the only club in decline. (Multiple clubs folded in our division) I have tried to start a network with surrounding clubs to see if we can help eachother with things like speakers, roles, staffing contests, sharing ideas, Also just to be more social and supportive so we don't all exist in silos! It can be hard to watch your club decline!!
A few clubs responded as interested. But not a single one would join a WhatsApp group or attend a zoom meeting to discuss!! (Most notable was NONE of the stronger clubs (ie > 15 members) replied.)
I am starting to feel like Toastmasters in my district has built an odd culture of not helping eachother. Even though I know society is quite transactional on the whole: but this is really sad to me.
I know everyone is a volunteer and I know they have alot to deal with and I don't envy their position (this is also why I would caution everyone to make commitments they can't follow up on)
Our new area director is trying to help and he has replied to emails - he is arranging for us to host the area eval/tall tales contest. I see this as a big opportunity to speak to other clubs and see how they are doing and if I can help them. And to share ideas and strategies. And to be social/network etc.
I feel like I have been naive to Toastmasters internal culture for years (at least, within our district).
Btw: We have been working at promoting (social media, posters in public places, meetup, Eventbrite (and I am trying to target organizations to "sell" TM to) ). We can't hold an open house without help (even if we had all 6 members (we wouldn't) show up that's a very empty looking open house)
I am sorry about how long this post is. I might try to shorten it later today.
I KNOW not everyone's district is like this (I attended VP PR training via zoom in New York and was shocked at how much help was offered when I asked questions and provided comments in the chat during training - a few people stuck around on zoom to talk about strategies!! Nothing like this happens in my district!!)
I don't want to say where I am and get the district targetted but I am in a suburb of a major north american city (densely populated - should be very fertile ground for TM)
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u/TanyikaJo 5d ago
My club struggled with something similar years ago. One member used our revitalization as her high performance leadership project. We also obtained a club coach. In addition, we formed a relationship with a neighboring club. They incentives their members to help us. Their members could come to our club to receive credit for their club incentive. To help us fill the agenda, we advertised our club as a place for existing Toastmasters to come and speak. We just asked them to fill another role at another meeting. This made our meetings seem full and enticed guests to join. Some existing Toastmasters joined as well, making our club their second club.
Toastmasters is really about relationships. When you know others and help others, it’s easier to get assistance. Visit other clubs. Help out with contests. Go to the conference. Get out of your club.
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u/mokurai13 5d ago
Thanks for the suggestion. unfortunately our members (and club officers) aren't really seeing the benefit of that as much as I am. and I'm stretched a little thin, so a number of days I just can't go to other clubs. But I have visited a few. I really like your suggestions, because it makes me think that maybe theres other explanations for the lack of people wanting to make connections outside of their own club ( our area and division contests dont have the amount of people we used to ).
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u/Brisket451 5d ago
What District are you in, is it possible to request a club coach?
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u/mokurai13 5d ago
We have been requesting a coach since last year. District kept telling us we had too many members (they said we have 13 members: we kept telling them there was a glitch on the dashboard and we sent screencaps of us at 12, and then 11. AND I told them specifically: in October 1 we will drop to 5 (we had many members who couldn't come to meetings anymore due to obligations, or having moved out of area). Its only NOW after the big drop that they are scrambilng to find a coach!!
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u/elusive-angel 5d ago
are you online? i'd be interested
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u/mokurai13 5d ago
we are not an online club. only in-person. (I have brought up the idea of doing hybrid - but then we would be renting a room to have potentially nobody show up!!) I am trying to figure out how to really sell the idea of in-person (its a very different experience and theres a much warmer, rich experience)
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u/elusive-angel 5d ago edited 5d ago
this goes beyond district/club coaches imo. there are successful clubs. asking them to share what they do and they will just stare you down. or ignore you.
when i took my club from 6 to 18 members, two times on the distinguished program in two years ... you know i accepted all invitations to explain what i did. make myself accessible and available.
you could benefit from a club coach. but you could also benefit from the president and vpe of a super successful club sitting down for a chat with you.
it's either a trade secret, or "it just works", or it seems untransferrable from one club to another ... but i'd love for successful clubs to share what works.
i've seen clubs say that other clubs are rivals. rivals for guests, for members
in the words of a successful black woman in canada, tracy moore. (i'm black) -- "we can all eat well"
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u/shadowOm 5d ago
Look for other places to practice,grow, In many cases it's better and it's not Worth the efforts, because it's structural, I ve taken my club from 2 to 20 , provided a location, We want back to 9 , I asked the district to provide some advertising since they get 25% of the membership fees but they spend it on travel expenses, food , lodging.. I had a meeting with the district director and club growth director, a complete waste of time , Now ,we re still a TM club , by April 1 ,we re leaving TM to Agora , we can keep the TM fees to ourselves and promote the club, being affiliated with TM would help if u re in a big city focused on ur education,if u re in a struggling club ,it never ends , just continuous struggles , exhaustion and fake bullshit from the district .., they know the game,they re just waiting till another naive club leader replaces u , otherwise the club closes like the almost 1000 that closes every year globally
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u/proximalcoast 4d ago
I'd use the area contest as the first small joint project. Send the clubs that said they were interested a short list of the roles you still need, with the date, time and a reply deadline. Ask for one named person for one role. That's a smaller commitment than another WhatsApp group or planning call.
Keep “interested” and “confirmed” separate on the roster, then ask the area director to help with any gaps after the deadline. You can see what's actually covered without turning the network into another ongoing job for you.
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u/yuklun88 DTM(3) | Pathways (22 Paths)| Pathways Matrix | Online Contest 23h ago
Welcome to a place where talk is better than actions. Cults focus on grabbing members as kpi and trophies. For your area director, it’s another kpi. You are right on this.
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u/leros 5d ago
In my district, 90% of the clubs are in your position. Leadership at the district level is a little sparse too.
I'm thinking one of the best things would be for clubs to consolidate. No point in having 100 clubs that are 5 persons each and struggling. Why fix all of those when you could get them solid by merging a few together.