Club Support Seminars
Is your club (or a club you support) struggling with low membership, low participation, and low meeting quality? If so, plan to attend the District 35 Club Support Seminars. This training series will consist of a team of experienced Toastmasters lending their support to clubs by hosting a series of one-hour sessions focused on building club membership and improving club quality. Each session will consist of a 30-minute presentation on a specific topic, followed by a 30-minute open discussion on that topic.
Sessions will be held on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month from 7:00pm-8:00pm beginning January 16, 2022. Attendance is open to all, but highly recommended for Club President and Vice Presidents Membership.
Please visit the district calendar for complete scheduling and Zoom link information.
This page will also contain links to other training sessions that are in the spirit of Club Support Seminars, including relevant TLI keynotes and other educational materials.
Proposed dates, topics, and presenters (subject to change):
Click on the topic heading for more information
9/25/23
Pathways Onboarding / New Member Orientation
Do you have new members that could use more information about Toastmasters in general, and Pathways in particular? The district Pathways onboarding session has the info you need.
Teri McGregor, DTM
Robert Wall, DTM
Theresa Flynn, DTM
Jason Feucht, DTM
9/17/23
Navigating The Toastmasters Website
Confused about how to use the club management sections of the Toastmasters website? Kris Pool’s presentation will show you the way.
Kris Pool, DTM
8/24/23
Base Camp Manager Training
Learn how to manage Base Camp, the administrative interface of Pathways.
Kris Pool, DTM
8/20/23
10 Minutes to A Better Club Website
Got 10 minutes? You can improve your club’s website! Kathy’s collection of tips and tricks will put you on the fast track to a great website.
Kathy Shine, DTM
6/4/23
The Skill of Impromptu Speaking
Kathy Shine gives great information about how to level up your impromptu speaking skills.
Kathy Shine, DTM
5/21/23
Going Beyond the Club
Christina will lead a panel discussion on going beyond the Club.
Christina Evans
4/2/23
The Pluses of Covid and Pathways
Dick focuses on the positives of negative events.
Dick Hawley, DTM
3/19/23
Storytelling
Gail discusses how to find a story to tell, how to develop it, and how to share one’s journey. A good story involves descriptive words and actions, with a clever beginning, memorable middle, and enjoyable end. There may be a conflict somewhere in the middle as well.
Everyone will have at least a half dozen stories to tell when we are finished!
Gail Rust
3/5/23
Think Like a Caveman: Overcoming Fear
Nicki shares a concept to achieve success in life, including coaching and developing others, networking, and effectively managing change. She explains how to craft an elevator pitch while thinking like a caveman – the 3 areas in business and personal life where this thinking is prominent.
Nicki Vo
2/19/23
Corporate Club Membership Strategies
In this club support session, Jim Vitrano will describe some techniques that have helped corporate clubs attract new members, keep existing members involved and in the fold, and remain valuable resources to their members and companies.
Jim Vitrano
2/5/23
A Guest Comes to your meeting. Now what to do?
Scott will help you learn how to welcome guests when they come to your club.
Scott Kazin
1/21/23
WINTER TOASTMASTERS LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE Keynote Speech
Listen to Toastmasters International newest accredited speaker, Dr. Kevin Snyder, give an inspiring and motivating keynote speech.
Dr. Kevin Snyder, Ed.D.
1/15/23
A Forward-Looking Future for a Stronger District 35
Seasoned presenter Tom Carlson presents on how to make our district stronger in the future.
Tom Carlson, DTM
1/8/23
Looking Good on Zoom
Phyllis Kombol present on how to look professional in virtual video meetings. She touches on three items: visual, audio, and all the rest.
Phyllis Kombol, DTM
12/18/22
Toastmaster Sales Cycle
Club Growth Director, Robert Wall, will present on the Toastmasters Sales Cycle. Have you ever wondered how to talk to people about Toastmasters? Robert covers how to talk to the people you meet, as well as how to convert guests to members.
Robert Wall, DTM, CGD
12/4/22
Cleaning up Hybrid Meetings
This session will cover all aspects of how to conduct effective Hybrid Meetings. Tom Carlson and David Kocol will conduct this session. The first 30 minutes will be devoted to instructions and the last 30 minutes to open discussion and Q&A. Tom Carlson, DTM is the Vision Leader for a Strong District 35. David Kocol, ACB, ALB has a strong background in Zoom technology. The session begins with the premise that in-person attendance must remain the core of club meetings, but that Zoom will take Toastmasters into the New Future for Toastmasters if conducted professionally. District 35 is not there yet, but with professionally run Hybrid Meetings, we can and must get there quickly with little or no cost.
Tom Carlson, DTM
and
David Kocol, ACB, ALB
11/6/22
Conducting A Membership Drive
This session is a review of the basics of General membership drives and discussion of how clubs can focus efforts for maximum impact.
Theresa Flynn
10/16/22
Running a Successful Board Meeting
Take away some tips on how to run an effective board meeting.
Cindy Laatsch, DTM
10/02/22
Conflict Resolution
In Toastmasters, as in life, we may see conflict. Tonight we’ll have an interactive conversation about what it is, how we feel about it and how knowing yourself is often the key.
Cindy Laatsch, DTM
9/11/22
Effective Club Coaching
There have been many positive changes to the club coaching program that went into effect on July 1, 2022. These include a required club coach module be completed prior to being assigned. We will highlight those changes as well as have a practical conversation on what it really takes to be a success at club coaching. Beyond the Toastmasters materials.
Paul Arnhold, DTM
8/21/22
How To Take Notes So People Want To Read Them
Do you take meeting notes but feel like no one ever reads them? Are they relegated to an obscure file somewhere “just in case”? Join Jill as she discusses how to write meeting notes that people will actually read.
Jill Keating
6/5/22
Corporate Clubs – Internal Marketing
Corporate Toastmasters clubs are different from Community Toastmasters clubs in several ways and the methods we use to market these clubs are different too. Why do some corporate clubs thrive and others fold within a year? In retrospect, it’s easy to see how corporate clubs succeed or fail.
Keith Cumiskey, DTM
5/15/22
Creating The Best Club Climate
A club’s climate is the deciding factor in whether guests become members of our clubs and whether those members continue to participate and remain active. The learning environment and member interactions sets a unique mood to your club which influences the performance and growth of all your club members. In this club coach session, six different topics will be shared and discussed in regard to Creating the Best Club Climate. Come take a listen and see if your club needs to take some proactive steps to continue to thrive in District 35.
Kris Pool, DTM
5/1/22
Setting The Stage For Success: Meeting Roles & Responsibilities
In a quality meeting, every role contributes to the meeting’s success. Mark will lead us with a presentation and discussion on the importance of each club meeting role in creating a positive learning experience.
Mark Robinson, DTM
4/3/22
Hybrid Meetings
Mandates from the pandemic shut down Toastmasters and we were advised to continue with virtual meetings. It would be easy, all you needed was a laptop. Now we know it was not all that easy. A face-to-face meeting and Zoom meetings cannot be run as “one size fits all.” This presentation will take you through the process to make two run as one.
Tom Carlson, DTM
3/20/22
Speechcraft
Speechcraft is a blended learning program designed to provide optimal support for learners interested in building their communication and public speaking skills. The directed learning portion of Speechcraft is delivered by an experienced public speaker, most often a member of Toastmasters International. The follow-up, or individual, learning intended to support the in-person sessions is delivered online through interactive materials designed specifically for adult learners. Learn how single-digit clubs have successfully presented Speechcraft and been able to re-energize their clubs.
Dick Hawley, DTM
3/6/22
Organizing An Open House
We’ll discuss the importance of hosting an Open House to build club membership. We will focus on the planning and implementation of an Open House, and well as having a debriefing discussion with the team on what went well and what can be improved for next time. And let’s not forget the importance of following up with the guests that attended!
Carol Mather, DTM
2/20/22
New Member Mentoring
Providing a successful mentoring experience to new and returning Toastmasters goes a long way when recruiting, retaining, and helping Toastmasters feel a part of their clubs. This evening, Susan will share her experience with mentoring new members.
Susan Brushafer
2/6/2022
Going Beyond Finding New Members For Your Club
Have you ever been stumped with how to add new members to your Toastmasters club? Mark A. Robinson, DTM is here to help you find your perfect process. Are you ready to learn his techniques for keeping your membership building on ‘PAR’?
Mark Robinson, DTM
1/16/2022
Moments Of Truth
A “moment of truth” is an episode where a person comes in contact with any aspect of the Toastmasters experience and forms an impression of a club’s quality and service. What impressions are giving to your potential and current members? Schedule time with your club to facilitate a Moments of Truth session.
Kris Pool, DTM