Old Town Toastmasters member and Distinguished Toastmaster, Anton Vanterpool II, DTM, speaking at a Division F Fall Conference
How to join Old Town Toastmasters
Once you’ve decided that Old Town Toastmasters is the perfect club for you, there are only a few simple steps to become a member:
- Attend a meeting – Old Town Toastmasters meets on the 2nd and 4th Monday of every month in Old Town Alexandria. Networking starts at 6:15 pm and the meeting begins promptly at 6:30 pm.
- Complete and submit application – Any club officer will answer your questions regarding club membership and supply you with a membership application. Submit the completed application to any club officer when you are ready to join.
- Pay initial membership dues – Generally, membership dues are collected semi-annually every March and September. However, if you are a new member paying for the first time, membership dues are handled differently. New members pay a $20 Toastmasters International “New Member Fee” plus a prorated amount up to $60 to cover your current semi-annual membership period. Check with the club’s Treasurer for the amount that you will need to pay. Payment methods accepted are PayPal®, cash, or personal check (click here for details).
- Await membership processing – A club officer will send your application and fees to Toastmasters International World Headquarters. You will be notified via e-mail when your membership process has been completed, typically up to a week.
- Congratulations! You are now a member – Log in to the Toastmasters International website (www.toastmasters.org) to get started on your Toastmasters journey.
The Toastmasters Promise
As a member of Toastmasters International and Old Town Toastmasters, I promise:
- To attend club meetings regularly
- To prepare all of my speech and leadership projects to the best of my ability, basing them on projects in the Competent Communication, Advanced Communication or Competent Leadership manuals
- To prepare for and fulfill meeting assignments
- To provide fellow members with helpful, constructive evaluations
- To help the club maintain a positive, friendly environment necessary for members to learn and grow
- To serve my club as an officer when called upon to do so
- To treat my fellow club members and our guests with respect and courtesy
- To bring guests to club meetings so they can see the benefits Toastmasters membership offers
- To adhere to the guidelines and rules for all Toastmasters educational and recognition programs
- To maintain honest and highly ethical standards during the conduct of all Toastmasters activities
Congratulations – you’re on your way to becoming a better communicator and leader! You won’t regret it. Toastmasters International is a non-profit educational organization, regarded as the leading organization dedicated to communication and leadership skill development. As a member, you will gain all the tools, resources and support you need.
Our club, Old Town Toastmasters in Alexandria, VA, is just one of the more than 16,800 clubs located around the world. For membership or meeting information, please visit our meeting information page. Headquartered in Englewood, CO, Toastmasters International’s membership exceeds 358,000 in more than 16,800 clubs in 143 countries. Since 1924, Toastmasters International has helped people from diverse backgrounds become more confident speakers, communicators, and leaders.
Why pay thousands of dollars for a seminar or class when you can join a Toastmasters club for a fraction of the cost and have fun in the process?
Toastmasters is a place where you develop and grow – both personally and professionally. You join a community of learners, and in Toastmasters meetings we learn by doing. Whether you’re an executive or a stay-at-home parent, a college student or a retiree, you will improve yourself; building skills to express yourself in a variety of situations. You’ll open up a world of new possibilities: giving better work presentations; leading meetings – and participating in them – more confidently; speaking more smoothly off the cuff; even handling one-on-one interactions with family, friends and colleagues more positively.
By learning to effectively formulate, organize and express your ideas to others, you can achieve all kinds of success. You’ll be more capable and confident when giving presentations. You’ll be more persuasive when pitching prospective clients. Want to be better at negotiating your salary with your boss? Networking at business or social functions? Motivating co-workers – or your kids?
The environment in a Toastmasters club is friendly and supportive. Everyone at a Toastmasters meeting feels welcome and valued – from complete beginners to advanced speakers. In a club meeting, you practice giving prepared speeches as well as brief impromptu presentations, known as Table Topics. There is no rush and no pressure: The Toastmasters program allows you to progress at your own pace.
Constructive evaluation is central to the Toastmasters philosophy. Each time you give a prepared speech, an evaluator will point out strengths as well as suggest improvements. Receiving – and giving – such feedback is a great learning experience. In Toastmasters, encouragement and improvement go hand-in-hand.
Our club, Old Town Toastmasters in Alexandria, VA, is just one of the more than 16,800 clubs located around the world, but it is the one that is conveniently located in your neighborhood. We are a dinner club, which literally means you can combine learning new skills with having dinner with friends (dinner not included in club fees)! For membership or meeting information, please visit our meeting information page.
Anyone who is a strong leader has to first be an effective communicator. In Toastmasters you will hone your speaking skills, and you will develop leadership abilities – through evaluations, listening, mentoring, serving as club officers and filling roles in club meetings. You will take those leadership skills out into the world, running businesses, mentoring youths, organizing fund-raisers, coaching teams and heading up families.
Become the speaker and leader you want to be. Confident, charismatic leaders weren’t born that way. Toastmasters members learn to tell their story. They listen and answer. Through our community of learners, they find their path to leadership.
For membership or meeting information, please visit our meeting information page.
Toastmasters International. Where leaders are made.
For more information, please see our meeting information page.
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