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 leadership roles) Been district officers for multiple districts (division director and area director) Co-created the pathways matrix on the new education program Training 110 districts on virtual and hybrid contests during the pandemic (day and night- burnout and ended up in hospital Also trained and coach tons of amazing speakers and two winning the world championship in this contest (there are other world championships tougher than TI)
How this fairytale of toastmasters international turns becoming false empowerment, lies, coverups and slavery.
Let’s be real on one thing: most members are nice and friendly. This only applies to those without agendas, which brings to the first problem in this cult- no membership restrictions despite there are rules on that, like freeloaders, manipulators , salesman and racist individuals joining this cult, and imagine they become high ranking roles, what does happen? Toxic culture starts to spread and solidify. I met some lovely people that I still kept as friends till this very day but most , nah. Some are nice to you to get you as a member to be in their club, then? Burnouts and say: would you want to be a committee member? Then serving the community with a big mission on training leadership. Hey?! We join tm clubs for different reasons, doesn’t mean it’s free labour!?!? We can train leadership in our own company or other voluntary organisation. Free labour, slavery (not servant leadership mind you), while other unappreciative souls criticise you this and that. Hey, this is not a people pleasing cult, this has turned into a place filled with hypocrisy.
Which brings to the second problem: where does the money go? To their pockets. How much does daniel Rex and many others earn? While On average, most clubs do not have enough money to sustain on expenses like venue renting, and freeload on free venues and create a competitive environment. Some club officers pour in money into the club, to keep it competitive, while TI just quietly takes money for their inefficient email management, pretend to ignore emails,spent our money on lawsuits on those toastmasters who sue them because of disabilities, discriminatory rights etc (not to mention Smedley fund is filled with bullocks which indirectly support their personal agendas, like war related)
Even changing to pathways (education program) is supporting minority over majority votes , as someone who have completed all paths, create the pathways matrix to help all fellow members, the new program is worse than the previous one, yet whoever initiate this , wish to revamp toastmasters community. Yet have they done well on educating members to help them understand it? A great number of members just do it, ignore a number of requirements because they don’t have “time” to real the manual, and do it to get DTMs etc. The program was not user friendly, less practical for the real world and still foolishly backing it up as a revolutionary change. No, not at all. If you have spent the money you greedily taken and pour it here, on a crap system online, perhaps this would have turned into something better.
While I slightly touch on the topic on DTMs, these DTMs, officer titles are false empowerment to trap members to serve for free WHILE paying membership fees. It’s not like rotary or JCI, lions etc, when they know they will serve roles, tm is not too open about it and secretly said all materials by toastmasters belong to TI. Sorry , you don’t own our rights when it’s our time, effort and we are not your employees! Where is the rights of your materials that you have spent months and years to make? personal goals? Like the virtual online contest rulebook during Pandemic. it’s not made by them, it’s made by our combined efforts in Asia with me spearheading them. there are many senior citizens taking credits off us to reap it off as they wish to be “loved” and “cared” like Carole Mucollch, Susan Ellesworth, George Marshall, Jimmy diente etc. Officers create their own cult within their districts, putting only their own friends or puppets into the officer role. What it appears to be fair elections turn into a game show of politics. Members who sincerely wish to serve the community got silenced and defamed behind the scene etc. I have too many district evidences to put it here. Titles are just an incentive to serve, yet toastmasters international treats us as disposable pawns, even like Margaret page!
Let’s look at even deeper issues that I know, have proof about (I will only provide it for legal trial purposes) and actually most districts hidden agendas.
Let’s look at some common things that happen within a club or tm community. Communication problems, priorities in life, work commitment (remember your life is more important, I ended up in hospital a few times because of foolishly serving my club) , members not doing speeches (which affected a club’s kpi on the DCP points) , little visitors due to club promotions, and expensive membership fees (some clubs do charge high to cover the membership fees and logistic fees to run ) every club around the globe has their own issues. TI, district don’t really care other than sending area directors to come by, make a report and helping a little bit out of their much appreciated free time while most of the district money goes to contests, conferences, and travel expenses (for show offs)
These are only just internal problems. Let’s look at more serious real problems that happen in tm.
Money laundering Sex scandals Harassment Discrimination Censorship Confidentiality clause to threaten you on your membership if you disclose Promoting your own business/ selling your products and services Defamation Freeloading your work Bullying and cyber bullying resulting in suicides White-washing an incident while harm has been done Avoiding to reply and deleting comments to create a positive atmosphere, toxic positivity Brainwashing members to serve the community when they don’t intend to (PUA)
And this is not the bottom of the list My three mentees passed away because of this. Thousands of members around the world suffered
And TI tolerated it , or put a scapegoat on it.
Talk about safety huh? No way I am recommending toastmasters to anyone in my lifetime.
End of my 3 cents.
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