How receptive are clubs to new members?
Since most people are genuinely terrified of public speaking, Toastmasters has its hands full recruiting members. There’s virtually no chance that you won’t be enthusiastically welcomed into any club you join and immediately be considered one of the gang. Occasionally, however, people get into bad situations, but the same is true of ANY organization. There are jerks everywhere. Toastmasters probably has its share. For this reason, the author of this FAQ considers it a good idea to visit ALL Toastmasters clubs in your area before deciding which one you want to join. If a club that you visit turns out to be full of jerks, please don’t assume that this is true of the entire organization. Once in a while, people come to forget that they’re part of a larger organization and act as though the message and mission of Toastmasters doesn’t concern them. Please nod, leave, and visit some other club. This is definitely the exception, but we cannot honestly say that it never happens.
