District 5 Toastmasters Clubs

The mission of the club is to provide a mutually supportive and positive learning environment in which every member has the opportunity to develop communication and leadership skills, which in turn foster self-confidence and personal growth.

District 5 Toastmasters has over 130 clubs to visit and join - from North County to the coast - downtown to the border - inland to El Centro and Yuma, AZ.

See Our Club Realignment for 2009-2010
(NOTE: .xls file - right-click to download)

Clubs are the heart of the Toastmasters program - it's where the members meet weekly, several times a month, or monthly. We have open community clubs, company clubs, and advanced clubs for Toastmasters working on Advanced Speaking & Leadership skills.

Maintaining Strong Clubs Sheet
Use this valuable tool created by David Carroll, DTM, to track how your club is doing.

Club Standards

A successful, dynamic, quality Toastmasters club meets the following 10 standards:

Meetings are showcase events. Meetings start and end on time, are fast-paced and flow smoothly, with no awkward transitions between segments. Participants are prepared.

Club officers are effective. They are trained in their roles and they fulfill their responsibilities.

Membership recruitment is ongoing. Every club needs a constant influx of new members to combat natural membership turnover, to bring fresh ideas to the club and to provide a stronger leadership base.

New members are oriented and inducted. Members who are formally inducted into the club and are oriented to club operations and the educational program are more likely to be active, supportive and enthusiastic members.

Every member is assigned a mentor. Mentors help new members become familiar with the club and work on their first few speeches. They help experienced members to develop special skills.

All members are working toward their Competent Communication (CC), Competent Leader (CL) and other educational awards. Scheduled speakers give manual speeches.

All members are trained in effective evaluation. Every evaluator gives positive comments and offers specific suggestions for improvement.

Members are recognized for their accomplishments. Swift recognition for achievements encourages members to set and achieve even higher goals.

Everyone is working to help the club become a Distinguished Club. All members are familiar with the Distinguished Club Program, its value to the club and the club's plan for becoming a Distinguished Club.

Administrative work is handled promptly and efficiently. The club keeps its financial and membership records current and accurate. Club leaders submit documents such as club officer lists, dues renewal invoices and award and membership applications promptly to World Headquarters.

A Toastmaster's Promise

As a member of Toastmasters International and my club, 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 Series or Competent Leadership manuals.

To prepare for and fulfill meeting assignments.

To provide fellow members with helpful, constructive evaluations.

To help the club maintain the positive, friendly environment necessary for all 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.