Club Coach - Gavel Club - Youth Leadership

Club Coach

The objective of the Club Coach program is to help struggling clubs become Distinguished Clubs. Some of the program specifics are:

• The club must have 12 or fewer members at the time of appointment
• Up to two coaches may be appointed to each club
• The coaches cannot be members of the club at the time of appointment
• The assignment lasts to the end of the current club year if the club reaches distinguished status or better, or the end of the subsequent club year if Distinguished Club status or better is not reached in the first year
• Credit toward Advanced Leader is awarded upon successful completion
• A certificate will be sent to the club coach(es) upon successful completion
• Districts are asked to publicly acknowledge appointments and successes

To volunteer or to receive more information, contact Club Coach Chair - Brenda DeArmond, DTM .

Coach Appointment Form

How To Rebuild a Toastmasters Club

Club Coach Flyer

View Current Assigned Coaches

Gavel Club

An Affiliate of Toastmasters International The Gavel Club program is open to any group of individuals who cannot otherwise qualify to become a Toastmasters club due to age, inability to pay full Toastmasters dues, or circumstances, which would prohibit full participation in Toastmaster activities.

Purpose of the Program

The purpose of a Gavel Club:

• to help its members improve their abilities to communicate effectively
• to encourage its members to read and to listen analytically
• to provide for its members' instructions, educational materials and the opportunities which will give them skill and experience in the preparation and delivery of speeches
• to provide its members' a fair and constructive evaluation of their efforts toward self-improvement
• to afford leadership training for its members; and
• to provide opportunities and encouragement for its members to appear before audiences and to express their thoughts creditably

The Participants

This Club may classify its members as Active, Associate, Honorary and Inactive members, if it deems such classification advisable.

The Sponsors

The admission of this Club to affiliation with Toastmasters International, and the continued affiliation and operation of this Club as a Gavel Club, is subject at all times to the approval of the institution sponsoring this Club. Such institution shall designate an individual to serve as Counselor to this Club; that person shall exercise the rights and powers of a Counselor set forth in this Constitution and shall act as the agent and representative of the sponsoring institution in all matters regarding this Club and Toastmasters International.

How it Works

To apply for certification, you must send in a Request for Certification, an Officers' List , and one copy of adopted Constitution and Bylaws accompanied by the certification fee and pro-rated annual fee indicated. Upon issuance of a Certificate of Affiliation to this Club, and so long as this Club remains in good standing with Toastmasters International, this Club is entitled to all the rights and powers, and is subject to all the duties and requirements, of Gavel Clubs as may be stated from time to time in the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws of Toastmasters International, in this Constitution, and in policies, procedures, manuals, and other materials issued by Toastmasters International.
Regular meetings of this Club shall be held as provided by the Bylaws of this Club. Participants, working from a handbook, select officers who preside over the meetings. The remaining class members are assigned other duties on a rotating basis, so everyone is actively involved.
Generally, meetings follow a format similar to that of a Toastmasters club meeting. There is an announced agenda and participants learn and practice parliamentary procedure during each meeting. Lecturing is minimal, but discussion is held during each session. Participants also deliver short impromptu and prepared speeches. In every meeting, participants learn to apply the principles of listening, thinking and speaking.

How to Start a Program

Any group desiring admission as a Gavel Club shall apply to Toastmasters International on forms provided by World Headquarters. Subject to standards and procedures stated in the policies of Toastmasters International, the Executive Director of Toastmasters International has sole discretion to issue a Certificate of Affiliation to a Gavel Club. Each Gavel Club pays a one-time certification fee of $50 (U.S.). Annual dues of $48 (U.S.) are billed each November. Club applying for certification in mid-year will pay pro-rated annual fees.  

Gavel Club - Club Officer Information Form

Youth Leadership

Purpose of the Program

The program's unique eight-session, workshop style design enables participants to develop this potential through practical experience.

The program is not in competition with school programs or courses, or other established youth projects. Instead, it's a supplement to these programs, providing emphasis on specialized skills and individual needs. Participants learn speaking and leadership skills they will use for the rest of their lives. They learn to:

• Overcome the nervousness everyone feels when asked to speak before an audience.
• Organize and present their ideas logically and convincingly.
• Listen carefully to others' ideas.
• Offer advice that will help others improve their speaking and leadership skills.
• Participate in - and even lead - group discussion or meetings.
• Participants increase their self-confidence as they learn.
• They may also make new friends and have fun, verifying that Toastmasters is an enjoyable learning experience.

The Participants

Each Youth Leadership Program group is limited to 15 to 20 people, with a maximum of 25 in case of attrition. This allows each participant to receive individual attention and to have the opportunity to get practical experience. The program is not an award to honor those who already have become leaders inside and outside of school. It is for the much larger group of young people who have not yet developed the ability to express themselves. Participants are selected for what they can become, not for what they already have done.

The Sponsors

A local Toastmasters club serves as sponsor for the program and supplies the experienced people needed to present the program. These adults are patient and understanding since they too have had experiences similar to those of the participants.
The adult with overall responsibility for the program is the coordinator. He or she works closely with any cooperating organization and attends each meeting, conducting most of the training and counseling participants. The coordinator has an assistant, who conducts discussions and substitutes for the coordinator should he or she be unable to attend a meeting.

How It Works

Participants for the program are selected by the sponsoring Toastmasters club or by a cooperating organization. The program is presented in eight sessions during or after school, or on weekends. Each session usually lasts one to two hours. There usually is no cost to participants for tuition or materials. The materials used in the program are produced by Toastmasters International and are provided by the sponsoring Toastmasters club.

Each session is conducted as a meeting, not a class. Participants, working from a handbook, select officers who preside over the meetings. The remaining class members are assigned other duties on a rotating basis, so everyone is actively involved.
Generally, meetings follow a format similar to that of a Toastmasters club meeting. There is an announced agenda and participants learn and practice parliamentary procedure during each meeting. Lecturing is minimal, but discussion is held during each session. Participants also deliver short impromptu and prepared speeches. In every meeting, participants learn to apply the principles of listening, thinking and speaking.

How to Start a Program

Youth Leadership Programs may be conducted for scout troops, 4-H clubs, church youth groups and many other organizations, and for young people in the community. However, all programs must be presented by a Toastmasters club, following the guidelines in the Coordinator's Guide (Catalog No. 802). Clubs may order Coordinator's Guides and Particpant's Notebooks (Catalog No. 805) from World Headquarters.

For more information about the Youth Leadership Program, contact the Lt Gov Marketing

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