Tip of the Week: All about our online roster

We have our online roster so that members can easily drop out of and pick up roles.  If you are scheduled for a role and can’t make it, please “reply all” (or send a message to electrictoasters@electric-toasters.org), then go to the website and remove yourself from the schedule.  To do that, go to the blog, http://electrictoasters.blogspot.com and click on “Duty Roster” on the right side.  Then log in with your username and password (if you forget them, please send Jason an email).  Then you can easily change your name on the roster with "Available.”

If you know you are attending a meeting and would like to pick up an open role, go to the online roster by following the above steps and change the “available” status to your name.  Then send a follow up email to the Toastmaster of that meeting to let him/her know that the role is filled.

 This “self-service” option gives everyone the ability to adjust their schedule to the Electric Toasters schedule!  If you have any questions or problems with the website, please let us know!

Tip of the Week: Can’t make a speech? Let the club know ASAP

If you are scheduled to give a speech but can’t give it for whatever reason, it’s OK!  Please let the club know ASAP by sending a message by “reply all.”  If you know or suspect on the Friday before the speech that you won’t be able to attend or ready to present, it would be great for your replacement to have the weekend to write the speech and rehearse. When you cancel the Tuesday before or day of the speech, there is less time for a replacement to prepare. We know there are sometimes last-minute crises that pop up at work on the day of a speech; it happens to all of us, and that’s OK.  But if you know or suspect in advance you can’t make it, please give the club as much time as possible to find a replacement and for that replacement to prepare.

Tip of the Week: The Contests are coming! The Contests are coming!

Contest season is rapidly approaching!  The spring contests include the Speech Evaluation Contest and the granddaddy of them all, the International Speech Contest.  Electric Toasters will be holding its club contests on March 7 and March 14.  All club members in good standing are welcome to compete in the Evaluation Contest on March 7.  The winner will compete in the Area Evaluation contest and can advance to the Division and District Evaluation contests.  The International Speech Contest on March 14 is open to club members in good standing that have completed at least 6 speeches in the CC manual.  The winner will compete in the Area International Speech Contest, and can advance to the Division and District Contests, as well as the Semifinal and Final International Speech Contests which will be held at the Toastmasters International Convention in August in Orlando, Florida.  

Challenge yourself to step outside your comfort zone and compete in a contest!

Tip of the Week: The Toastmaster Role

This is an oldie, but a goodie!  Our club has many new members, and they have been rocking the Toastmaster role!  For a little refresher, here is a summary of the duties of the Toastmaster, before, during, and after the meeting.  I also have attached an agenda template for the Toastmaster of the week to use in creating the meeting agenda.

 Toastmaster duties before the meeting:

·         Contact the speakers and obtain speech title & length and any info to relate in the introduction of the speaker.

·         Make sure all roles are filled – check the duty roster and confirm that people with roles are attending the meeting.

·         Prepare remarks relative to the theme of the week.

·         Prepare and print out copies of the meeting agenda.

Toastmaster duties in the minutes before the meeting:

·         Arrive early to the meeting to help set up the room and distribute the agendas and voting sheets.

·         Welcome guests in person and collect their contact information.

·         If people with roles are not present by noon, work with the General Evaluator to find a replacement for their role.

Toastmaster duties during the meeting:

·         Have the Club President (currently Ania) or another present officer start the meeting on time at 12:00 noon, and wrap up the meeting just before 1:00.

Toastmaster duties after the meeting:

·         Visit with guests and gauge their interest in joining Electric Toasters.

·         If the VP-Education (currently Jason) isn’t present, email him/her the revised list of roles for the day.  This information is used in the creation of future schedules.

Have fun!