Welcome

Congratulations on joining Gilbert Toastmasters Club #499! You are now a member of the well-oiled machine that is the Gilbert Club. The most important thing you can remember about the Toastmasters program is that you get out of it what you put into it. If it is part of your plan to progress slowly, that is perfectly fine; likewise if you wish to progress quickly, go for it! You might even want to join other clubs in the area to speed up that progression, and if that is your plan, we encourage you to do so. Assuming you have already signed the membership application if you are reading this, please take this opportunity to review the Toastmaster's Promise you have made. Following the points in the Promise will not only help you maximize your benefits of the program, but will also help promote the quality and effectiveness of the club you have joined and therefore will help contribute to the benefits received by your fellow members.

If you wish to have a mentor coach you through the first three speeches (or beyond) and your first functionary roles, please contact the Vice President of Education. You may ask for a mentor to be assigned to you (with your approval, of course), or you may approach a specific member yourself.

Getting Started (Evaluation Forms & Competent Leadership Manual)

If you haven't already begun doing so, please go ahead and start filling out evaluation forms for speeches presented at the meetings. Do not be intimidated by a speaker's level of experience. Even as a new member, you have eyes and ears and your own opinions that are of value to the speaker. Try very hard to come up with at least one or two challenges for improvement.

Label your Competent Leadership (CL) Manual and bring it to each meeting. As you attend on a regular basis and begin serving in various functionary positions, you will earn credit toward completing your manual projects. If you remember your manual each week, you will complete your projects and earn your Competent Leader award in no time at all as you fulfill your assigned roles or serve as a last-minute substitute.

Voting You In and Inducting You as a Member

If the club is functioning properly, there should be an evening very soon following your submission of your membership application where you are escorted out of the room by the Sergeant at Arms and officially voted into the club. There are several reasons why we do this. The simplest reason is that it is required by our Gilbert Toastmasters Club Constitution and by Toastmasters International. We find it an excellent opportunity to make you feel special by realizing that we actually want you to be a part of our club, badly enough to vote you in, and it is an opportunity to give you as the new member a warm welcome to the club in the form of a standing ovation when you are brought back into the room.

The induction ceremony is a separate event. These ceremonies occur regularly. You will be called up in front of the membership, the Toastmasters Promise will be read, and you will be asked to agree to it. The membership will be asked to serve as your support throughout your Toastmasters experience.