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# An Independent Critic of Toastmasters International and collective open community

OpenToastmasters.org was created as an independent platform where members and former members of Toastmasters International can discuss their experiences, share feedback, and explore ideas related to public speaking clubs and organizational governance.  

## Sitemaps

- [XML Sitemap](https://opentoastmasters.org/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website.

## Posts

- [Toastmasters brings back vintage CC path](https://opentoastmasters.org/toastmasters-brings-back-vintage-cc-path/) - Toastmasters International recently announced the return of the vintage Competent Communicator (CC) path. Some longtime members see it as a positive gesture, but many feel the underlying issue remains unresolved: legacy titles such as Advanced Communicator Silver (ACS) were discontinued with the launch of Pathways, leaving members who completed dozens of speeches without equivalent recognition.
- [Toastmasters : the real truth - cult, toxic behind the scenes](https://opentoastmasters.org/toastmasters-the-real-truth-cult-toxic-behind-the-scenes/) - My Background in toastmasters: I had been a toastmaster for over 16 years, joined when I was a university student and devoted nearly 1/5 of my life on doing pro bono work for this cult. Been a competitor - won district contests and online contests (Gave up for 6 years as I apply for district
- [Balancing Needs of the District vs Your Own Needs?](https://opentoastmasters.org/balancing-needs-of-the-district-vs-your-own-needs/) - A member has previously posted here as a former Admin Manager, Division Director, Area Director, and more. Recently, [he/she] stepped down from those roles, and things were going smoothly for a while. However, when the PRM position became available, [he/she/they] was approached to take it on. This member enjoys the social media aspect of the
- [Medium: why she is leaving Toastmasters](https://opentoastmasters.org/medium-why-she-is-leaving-toastmasters/) - This comes from a Medium article https://medium.com/@king.tinac/why-im-leaving-toastmasters-f2a9adc2a5e4 In October 2013, she walked into her first Toastmasters meeting feeling both excitement and trepidation. Her goal was clear: she was a singer and wanted to give a recital for her friends, but she was unsure of what to say between the songs. She had heard that Toastmasters
- [Toastmasters Area director role](https://opentoastmasters.org/toastmasters-area-director-role/) - After serving as club officer in your club, what is the expected job of Area director ? How much workload for a volunteer position ? This can vary greatly depending on the District's culture and the ambitions of the District Director, as well as your Division Director. Some Division Directors are micromanagers; others are rarely
- [What went wrong with Toastmasters?](https://opentoastmasters.org/what-went-wrong-with-toastmasters/) - Dubious leadership If you truly want to embody the "Where leaders are made" tagline, remember that real leadership is less about adhering to a "distinguished" plan that primarily boosts TI's membership revenue. Instead, it’s about creating a club that its members are genuinely proud to be a part of. An exceptional club prioritizes the needs
- [A tale of two organizations](https://opentoastmasters.org/a-tale-of-two-organizations/) - Two organizations Ralph Smedley initially founded Toastmasters as a platform for honing communication skills. Over time, however, it has transformed into two distinct entities. One of these still adheres to Smedley's original vision, particularly in clubs that remain true to the club mission statement. The other, focused on the district mission statement, has taken on
- [Toastmasters WHQ announced a social media monitoring and discipline group](https://opentoastmasters.org/toastmasters-whq-announced-a-social-media-monitoring-and-discipline-group/) - Dear Toastmasters, I would like to introduce the Social Media Monitoring and Discipline Committee to the members of The Official Toastmasters International Members Group. The committee was formed in September 2022 and includes Past International President Jim Kokocki, Past International Directors Kevin Doyle, Dotty Du, Teresa Dukes, and Gloria Shishido, along with World Headquarters staff
- [Agora Speaker a threat to Toastmasters](https://opentoastmasters.org/agora-speaker-a-threat-to-toastmasters/) - Both the founder and many of the initial supporters received all kinds of insults, hate mail, personal threats, and even official legal threats from top lawyers in the country to desist. People with leadership positions in other organizations were asked to step down or were directly expelled simply for expressing their support towards Agora. We
- [TMI is a MLM business model](https://opentoastmasters.org/tmi-is-a-mlm-business-model/) - MLM = Multi-level marketing Ralph Smedley 's vision Ralph Smedley originally created Toastmasters as a place to develop communications skills. It has since evolved mutated degenerated into two organizations. One of them, centered around the club mission statement, still follows Smedley's vision, at least in some clubs. The other, centered around the district mission statement,
- [The disaster that is the Toastmasters Pathway program](https://opentoastmasters.org/the-disaster-that-is-the-toastmasters-pathway-program/) - My assignment was to build a social media presence. Therefore I'm supposed to talk about the best use of online communication. I need to maintain a social profile to promote myself or an organization. This project is a cat walk for me. I'm a computer expert. I've been using social media. I've maintained a website
- [Pathways, the reason to Replace Toastmasters](https://opentoastmasters.org/pathways-the-reason-to-replace-toastmasters/) - I joined Toastmasters to become a better speaker, just like 100% of new members. I've been a DTM since 2012. Three times, I dived into Pathways with great expectations for my real-life speaking projects. Three times, I left frustrated. Pathways seems to emphasize feelings over skill-development, and leadership over speaking...which is the opposite of the
- [Toastmasters International censorhip](https://opentoastmasters.org/toastmasters-international-censorhip/) - You wonder how Toastmasters keep polished communication on social network ( facebook , club website, personal blogs ... ) . Despite the outcry about the clunkiness of Pathways, you won't find many criticisms . Except on reddit.com/r/Toastmasters/ that is not controlled by Toastmasters International. Here are their policies 4. Code of conduct VII. Social media
- [Where leaders are made $$](https://opentoastmasters.org/where-leaders-are-made/) - If you want to exemplify the "Where leaders are made" tagline, consider that real leadership is less about following some "distinguished" plan that mostly benefits TI with extra membership $$, and more about building your club into a group that its members are proud to belong to. A truly excellent club meets its members needs
- [Stepping down and getting a cold shoulder](https://opentoastmasters.org/stepping-down-and-getting-a-cold-shoulder/) - This post really hurt my feeling towards the poster. A former Area Director, Division Director, Admin Manager, Conference Co-Chair announced he was going to focus more on his career advancement and leave officer roles at Toastmasters. Now he is being ignored by who he thought were his people. Frankly , never waste your time on
- [Why my club decided to drop out of Toastmasters](https://opentoastmasters.org/why-my-club-decided-to-drop-out-of-toastmasters/) - TL;DR We dropped out because of Pathways and because the Fall contest has been permanently cancelled. I've been an on/off member of Toastmasters for 9 years. I've been a member of three different clubs, served as the president for two different clubs, and served in a number of other officer roles as well. I really
- [What made you leave Toastmasters](https://opentoastmasters.org/what-made-you-leave-toastmasters/) - NotTheOnlyGamer Combination of factors for me: The REP ("Pathways"). I don't want to be online all the time, I want printed manuals. Their DRM and enforcement is a clear sign that it's not about the member anymore, it's only about the money. Dues increases: From $30 to $45 to ... , at a time when
- [Has Toastmasters Failed the Digital Disruption?](https://opentoastmasters.org/has-toastmasters-failed-the-digital-disruption/) - The organisation needs to embrace the digital disruption instead of running away from it, and confidently take steps to evolve. Otherwise, it runs into the danger of quickly becoming an ivory tower.
- [What an Toastmasters officer feels like an unpaid job ?](https://opentoastmasters.org/what-an-toastmasters-officer-feels-like-an-unpaid-job/) - I just quit after 17 years. Was asked to be a club officer almost immediately after joining. Have been a district officer numerous times. As soon as I told my district that I didn’t want to be a district leader or club officer for 2022-2023 (after putting in 40 volunteer hours a week sometimes on

## Pages

- [About](https://opentoastmasters.org/about/) - ⚠️ Legal Notice — Non-Affiliation Statement OpenToastmasters.org is NOT affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or in any way connected to Toastmasters International. "Toastmasters" and "Toastmasters International" are registered trademarks of Toastmasters International, Inc. The use of that name on this website is solely to identify the organization that is the subject of criticism and
- [Toastmasters International Finances under scrutiny](https://opentoastmasters.org/toastmasters-international-finances/) - Profitable for only few, built on volunteer workforce Toastmasters has a very unique business model. The volunteers (club, area, district level) are the driving forces to convert, sell membership. For their efforts, the volunteers receive ribbons , no financial awards. The management of Toastmasters International (TMI) are overpaid. TMI headquarter also made a wrong decision
- [Toastmasters International finances under the scope](https://opentoastmasters.org/toastmasters-international-finances-2/) - #post_contentToastmasters International finances under the scope

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