You recently joined a Toastmasters club

to improve yourself at work or else in public speaking.
You were then rushed to accept a leadership position.
Leadership is free labor benefiting TMI.

Club goal

You think that the club mission statement is education.

From the perspective of Toastmasters International, the clubs are sellers to get new members.

Rewards

Toastmasters has made a remarkable innovation multi-level marketing organization. The distributors don’t get a money. The distributors must also pay dues.

The rewards are pins , ribbons, titles meaningless of TM world.
These awards bear zero resume value.

Leadership positions

You accepted an officer role at your club.

You then realized the time commitment is MUCH higher than what you were told upfront.

Their “leadership” is not leadership useful at professional environment at all.
Their leadership is to run the club business and turn these clubs into sellers of membership.

Toastmasters International (TMI) true metrics of success are number of members. The quality of speaking has never been a metric since Pathways. Ethics never a concern.

Two conflicting mission statements

TMI actually has two mission statements: one for clubs (education) and one for districts (membership sale). This causes conflict.

However, it makes great sense if only one is the “real” mission statement (membership sale), and the other (education) is marketing fluff…

If you have a conscience, the club is your prime directive.

Your club(s) don’t need TMI. TMI needs you.

Your club can continue as usual without paying dues to Toastmasters International.
Immediately, your members will save a tons of money.
The use of trademark word “table topics” cannot be used anymore. You can replace by whatever terms . ex: “impromptu speech”, “elevator speech”.