Page 20 - 2016 April Voices

SUCCESSFUL CLUB

Gresham Toastmasters builds stable membership 5 ways

By Rudy M. Erbrich, CC, VP of Education

Founded in April 1951, Gresham “impromptu” meetings. To challenge
Toastmasters is one of the oldest active everyone to go beyond their comfort zones,
clubs in the Portland area. A club legacy and based on the suggestion of a member,
that stretches over more than six decades is we created a meeting where none of the
worth celebrating, while also prompting an roles are assigned in advance, except for
obligation to maintain a healthy, adaptable Toastmaster. All other roles are assigned after
organization that can support community the meeting has started! Members draw lots
needs well into the future. to see which roles they will have that day.
So everybody has to come prepared to be
We have developed and maintained fairly either Table Topics Master, Speech Evaluator,
consistent and high membership levels in Timer, Grammarian or, yes, even Speaker.
the last several years, ranging from 25 to This helped all of us create a pocket speech,
28 people. and it also allows us to be ready for regular
meetings when someone has an unexpected
What is the secret of stable membership engagement come up and someone else has
at Gresham Toastmasters? These five things to fill the role.
work for us.
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1-Honor and celebrate our past. One of “debate”
our members, Don Holtzheimer, has been meetings. Our
with Gresham Toastmasters since 1953, and is newest invention
therefore the longest active club member west is also based on
of the Mississippi. Two years ago, we took the a suggestion of
opportunity to throw him a party, honoring one of our newer
his life and family and saying thank-you to members: We are
his outstanding service to the community and holding our first
to the club. He always leads by example on debate meeting
how to treat each other with respect, so that this month. The
everyone can tell their story. idea is to have
“candidates”
2-Provide a safe environment for making give 5-minute
mistakes. We pride ourselves on being a very speeches and
welcoming and responsive club. Requests then answer
by email or phone are answered the same questions from
day. At meetings, guests are introduced and the audience.
At the end, an
encouraged to
participate, and
it is absolutely
OK for them
to come and
watch for a
few meetings.
New members
are slowly
integrated into
meeting roles
and longtime
members are
very good at
encouraging
them with
written
feedback.

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