How to Begin Forming a Club

Once you've decided what type of club you want to form, seek help from other people. Contact the District Governor (email: DG@tmdistrict65.org) or Lt. Governor Marketing (email: LGM@tmdistrict65.org). These people can help you put together a team of people that will help the club charter and that will work with it for up to a year after it charters. The team includes:

Club sponsor. Each new club may have up to two sponsors. The sponsor is responsible for organizing the new club, including selling the new club idea to prospective members, helping to set up regular meetings, completing paperwork, and planning the charter presentation. Sponsors receive a certificate when the club charters and can receive credit toward the Advanced Leader (AL) award. Special recognition is given to those who repeatedly serve as club sponsors. Note: Sponsors must apply for credit no later than 90 days after the club's official charter date. Any changes or additions to the sponsor assignments must be made no later than 60 days after the club's official charter date.

Club mentor. Each new club may have up to two mentors who are appointed by the District Governor. Mentors should be experienced Toastmasters who actually join the new club, providing guidance during the first six months to one year of its existence. The mentor also receives a certificate when the club charters and, if he/she fulfills the role satisfactorily, credit toward the Advanced Leader (AL) award. Note: Mentors may apply for credit no sooner than six months after the club's official charter date. Any changes or additions to mentor assignments must be made no later than 60 days after the club's official charter date.

Occasionally an entire existing club may help to start a new club and may present the demonstration meeting. A Sponsoring Club offers the new club encouragement and advice, and its members attend the new club's charter presentation. Sponsoring clubs earn the “Founder's Award” club banner ribbon. The sponsoring club works with the mentor after the new club charters to:
• Arrange inter-club meetings and exchange of speakers and evaluators
• Invite the new club's officers to attend meetings of the executive committee
• Invite the new club's members to attend anniversary meetings, speech contests, and other special meetings
• Present programs from The Better Speaker Series, The Successful Club Series, and the Leadership Excellence Series at the new club's meetings
• Remind the new club about District training programs, Area speech contests and other District meetings and functions and encouraging their participation at these events.

If you will be starting a new club in a city or town other than your own, arrange for someone living in that city or town to help you. Your District Governor or Lt. Governor Marketing may know of other Toastmasters members or former members living there who may be willing to help. These people can serve as your local contacts, arranging the time and place of the demonstration meeting, answering questions from potential members, and coordinating local publicity. In addition to your District Governor and Lt. Governor Marketing, other people may be available to help you:

Marketing Committee Chairman.
This person coordinates the District's club extension activities, including checking new club leads, seeing that all prospects are contacted, and ensuring that effective demonstration meetings are presented to prospective new clubs.

Marketing Committee.
In many Districts a group of experienced Toastmasters members actively seeks and contacts new club leads and handles demonstration meetings for all prospective new clubs.

Area Governor.
As soon as the District Governor assigns the new club to an Area, that Area Governor should begin paying regular visits to the new club, offering guidance and encouragement. The Area Governor also should arrange for club officer training and encourage new members to participate in District activities.

New Clubs Department.
This department at World Headquarters issues all new club charters and supplies the materials necessary to build clubs. The department can answer any questions you may have about the charter process or paperwork.
phone: (949) 858-8255
email: clubs@toastmasters.org