1. Obtain a copy of the booklet "How to Build a Toastmasters Club: A Step by Step Guide" (catalog #121) from Toastmasters (online store found here).
2. Identify an opportunity and the contact person.
3. Hold an Informational Meeting with the contact and any other relavant people involved such as Director of Human Resources or Director of Training in a company or other persons wishing to help start the club.
   1. Give them various types of Toastmasters literature, particularly ones that explain the benefits of Toastmasters. Some suggested items are:
      1. brochures
      2. typed handouts
      3. manuals
      4. Toastmasters magazine
      5. Be sure to explain the entire chartering process
   2. Discuss financial needs. Some examples of financial needs are:
   1. Charter fee
   2. International Dues
   3. local dues
   3. Set time and place for a demo meeting
   4. Make suggestions on how they can advertise the demo meeting. See "Example Demo Invitations" for some examples. These may be copied and changed to suit your circumstance.
4. Alert the appropriate District Officers (Area Governor, Division Governor, District Trio) about the prospective new club.
5. Get your Extension Team (X-Team) together and assign roles for the Demo Meeting.
   1. The role players needed are:
      1. Toastmaster
      2. Speaker
      3. Evaluator
      4. Table Topics Master
      5. Table Topic Speakers (2 or 3)
      6. General Evaluator
      7. Word Master
      8. Ah Counter/Grammarian
   Ideally, these roles should be handled by different people. However, roles can be doubled up if needed.
   2. Be sure to have an attractive agenda printed. See "Example Demo Agenda" for an example.
   3. Decide on what other literature to bring and who will bring it.
   4. Include experienced Toastmasters who are willing to serve as Club Sponsors and Club Mentors if possible. You may have up to two of each.
6. Stay in communication with the contact person and answer questions as needed.
7. Hold the Demo Meeting:
   1. Keep it to about a half an hour so that there will be plenty of time for questions from the audience.
   2. Have a sign-in sheet that collects their contact information including phone number and e-mail address. Try to get the sign-in handled prior to the start of meeting and catch late comers before departure.
   3. Have your contact or a representative of the company, church, etc. open the meeting and introduce the Toastmaster
   4. Give guests an opportunity to be a Table Topic Speaker but don't push.
   5. Set up the time and place for the Organizational Meeting. This is a good time to decide how often and how long their meetings will be.
   6. Introduce Club Sponsors and Club Mentors
8. Hold an Organizational Meeting:
   1. That meeting should include the club sponsors who bring the charter paperwork. The charter paperwork can be found here. Note: On the web site, for Part D select the one called "Districted".
   2. Elect interim officers.
   3. Decide on local dues. Some examples of how local dues are spent: : TLI training, Conference fees, club banner, ribbons for best speaker, etc., traveling trophies for Ah Award, Word of the Day, etc., training modules for Better Speaker Series, etc.
   4. Decide on club name. You can hold a contest for this if you want to.
   5. Sign up members. Dues are International Dues are $27 for six months plus $20 for new members (total $47) regardless of when the club charters. Transfer members pay nothing if they are paid up at their former club. Reinstated members and dual members pay $27. Local dues are added to this and stay in the club.
9. The interim Treasurer opens the clubs bank account if local dues are collected:
   1. File IRS Form SS-4 to obtain EIN which is available here.
   2. Select a bank without monthly fees if possible
   3. Continue to hold meetings having experienced Toastmasters helping the new ones with roles. Continue to get commitments for membership until you have 20
10. Announce that the charter will be applied for after the next meeting. All persons wanting to be a "Charter Member" must sign up by then.
11. Send in the "Application to Organize" with $125 for the new club kit which includes 20 new member kits with manuals. This can be obtained online here.
12. Fill out and send in the charter paperwork:
    1. Be sure to name the Club Sponsors and Club Mentors in the paperwork.
    2. Charter Officers and club info form (part A in the book).
    3. Charter membership roster with home address and e-mail (part B in the book).
    4. Constitution and bylaws with proper signatures (part C in the book).
    5. Remittance form (districted part D in the book) and one payment (check or credit card). NOTE: Toastmasters International will only accept one payment. If individuals are paying separately, the payments must be consolidated into one account and the payment made from there. (If the club does not have a bank account yet, you can go through the District Treasurer. Make checks payable to "Toastmasters District 22". The District can only take checks and cash. Then the District will make one check and return it to the club to be included with the paper work.)
    6. Group exemptions authorization (Part E in the book)
    7. Copy of IRS form SS-4 (from opening the bank account) if applicable
13. On the Toastmasters website, new clubs can be found here and Prospective clubs can be found here .
14. District Governor receives new club charter and charter member certificates. This usually takes one to three months after the charter paperwork is submitted.
15. Schedule a Charter Party:
    1. District Governor presents the Charter to the President
    2. Invite all members, guests, sponsoring organization leaders, and district leaders
    3. Use this as an opportunity for publicity and more recruiting

by Cyndra Melville, DTM, 2006-2007 Lt. Governor Marketing