Page 19 - January 2021 Voices

FIELD NOTES

Is Toastmasters a Smart Investment?

Jennifer Schmidt, EH1

Today, the average cost of joining a Toastmasters world gives you a well-established and large
club is $118 per year. As we look at our budgets professional network. Through the online

this January, it’s worthwhile to think about the Pathways program, you can learn 300 different
actual value of Toastmasters as we establish our competencies and choose from 11 various
personal and monetary goals for the year. learning paths. You also have the opportunity
ersonal Growth—Short of taking a speech to compete in speech contests to further test

Pcommunication course, which starts at your skills.
$199, most speaking opportunities happen out eadership Opportunities—If you
of necessity at work or family events. Whether Ltake a basic management course at a
addressing co-workers, the Rotary, or making a community college it costs about $350. Or you

toast at a wedding reception, you won’t receive a can learn management skills by running for
detailed evaluation to make your speech better. It an elected office in your Club, Area, or District.
takes time and practice in refining those skills to Toastmasters offers many opportunities for
confidently present your ideas. In Toastmasters, developing leadership skills that are useful as you

you get to practice ahead of time and receive progress through your career. Whether you are
feedback along with ongoing support. You also leading a meeting, mentoring, or collaborating
learn how to do impromptu speaking over the on a committee, the hands-on training is in
course of a year versus an 8-week class. Meeting addition to the resources on the Toastmasters

people who are working towards similar goals International website.
and developing friendships, while having fun, By comparing Toastmasters yearly cost of
is an added bonus. $118 versus similar alternatives, proves how
rofessional Development—There are Toastmasters is the better deal for personal,

Pmany choices you can make when it professional, and leadership development. Other
comes to professional development including choices offer short-term solutions that don’t
joining groups that share business leads and include all the options of Toastmasters. If you
cost $300 per year or more. In the last 96 years, add up all the programs, skills, networking, and

Toastmasters has grown into an international long-term success of Toastmasters, there is no
organization with over 16,200 clubs, 364,000 equal comparison. Which makes Toastmasters
members from 145 countries. The ability to a smart investment.
virtually travel to different clubs around the

VOICES! | JANUARY 2021 19