Welcome to our new Bridge Builders Toastmasters members!
We have a New Member Packet for you. This packet, along with guidance from your Toastmasters Mentor, will help to get you off to a great start!
Approximately 100 years ago, when the organization had its beginnings, “toastmaster” was a commonly used term for those who led and spoke at public meetings. Thus, naming the organization “Toastmasters” seemed like a good idea at that time. We practice all types of speaking, not just “toasts”.
Any adult (McDermott/CB&I employee or general member of the local or internet community) can join our Bridge Builders Club. We are open to the public – there is nothing closed, restricted, secretive or elitist about our club.
A guest is invited to share her/his name and how s/he learned about our meetings. That can be done in just a few words or more elaborately. The choice is strictly up to the guest. IF a guest wants to speak more, there are opportunities for doing so.
Encouragement before and acknowledgement afterward – those moments of applause are part of how we support our members (and guests who opt to speak). For online meetings, we use the American Sign Language (ASL) gesture for “silent applause”. It looks like “jazz hands”. Toastmasters meetings have been described as an oasis of positivity in a world often filled with negativity.
Some clubs are very formal, some are less so. Our club has a more casual style while still following the general outline for Toastmasters meetings. For example, we start with the Pledge of Allegiance for those who are comfortable with doing so. We also read aloud the Toastmasters Mission Statement – to remind everyone that we are to “provide a supportive and positive learning experience”. Our club’s casual approach does just that.
ALL levels are welcome. The Toastmasters program meets you where you’re at. Beginner/novice skills grow; moderate skills get enhanced; strong skills get fine-tuned; and expert skills can guide the development of others.
YOU! You pick the Path (there are 11 from which to choose). You set the pace. A mentor will be assigned, but, ultimately, YOU are in control.
There is a one-time application fee of $20 charged by Toastmasters International (TI) for getting a member established within the system.
TI membership dues are $60 for a 6-month period. McDermott/CB&I members pay just $30 with company management showing its support by paying the other half of those dues. In addition to the TI dues, our local Bridge Builders Club dues are $10 per membership period.
That’s what some of our current and previous members thought too – at first. Here’s a link to a testimonial from one of our current Millennial members.
We’re wondering that same thing. Contact us: BridgeBuildersTM@gmail.com
The Toastmasters International website has a wealth of information and resources about the organization. It is where members access and work in the Pathways Education Program.
The District 54 website has information on the District Leadership Team, the District structure and District events, as well as numerous resources for Pathways, Speech Contests and member and officer training.
Bridge Builders Toastmasters use the Easy-Speak website for managing club meetings and recording member progress, as well as a central place to sign up for meeting roles.