Our club meets every 1st Tuesday and 3rd Thursday of the month. It's a slightly complicated schedule, but you can find the schedule listed on our meetings page.

Where is the meeting?

We ALWAYS meet in the conference room on the fifth floor of the Farmers Insurance building at 3041 Cochran Street in Simi Valley. For visitors, park in one of the visitors spaces and enter in the front of the building. Tell the Security Guard you've come for "Toastmasters" meeting on the fifth floor. He will contact a club member to meet you.

Do I need to let someone know that I'm coming?

No need to let us know. If it is the 1st Tuesday or 3rd Thursday of the month, we'll be meeting. We're happy to have you at any meeting.

How do I get involved?

Getting started is very easy--simply come to a meeting. ALL of our meetings are open to guests. You will not be asked for any money and we do what we can to keep you comfortable. You may be invited to speak, but are free to decline-we know how hard it is to be put on the spot, we'll understand. Since we meet during the lunch hour, feel free to bring a lunch and enjoy the meeting. It should be fun. Visit as many meetings as you like--join when you're ready. When you are ready, we'll get you an application and help you get started.

How does Toastmasters "work"?

Toastmasters International is made up of hundreds of clubs all over the world. It started with a group of men who wanted to learn to publicly speak better and grew from there. The general principal of Toastmasters is that the best way to get better at speaking is to speak and to receive encouraging feedback.

There are several different "curricula" provided by Toastmasters, but the core is the "Communication and Leadership" program. When you sign up to join our club, you will buy a starter packet which will include the "Communication and Leadership Manual". Within this manual there are guides on preparing 10 speeches. Each speech is 5-7 minutes and will work to develop one area of communications (e.g. gestures or word usage).

No one will make you give a speech, the program is self-paced. You choose when you want to give your speeches and the topic of the speech. Simply coordinate with our Vice President of Education (a Farmers employee named Alicia Koger) and get yourself a slot on the agenda. At the meeting you will deliver your speech to the club. When all of the prepared speeches are finished, another member of the club, who was previously assigned, will evaluate your speech. Don't worry, this person has been right where you are and knows how hard it is to prepare and deliver a speech. I am proud to say that in my experience, Toastmasters in general and our club in particular provide some of the most encouraging feedback I have ever heard. When you have completed all 10 speeches in the manual, you will receive the Competent Toastmaster (CTM) certificate.

How much does this cost?

The dues for our club are $27 every 6 months ($20 is for Toastmasters Int'l, $7 is for our club. However, for new members, you will pay for your starter packet. This costs $20, but includes several valuable tools and a subscription to the Toastmaster magazine. Our club collects an additional annual fee of $5 to cover miscellaneous supplies and an occassional meeting lunch (i.e. sandwiches, soda, treats).

What is a normal meeting like?

Our normal meetings last from 11:45 until 12:45. A good meeting has somewhere between 10 and 15 people in attendance. We do our best to give every member of the club a chance to speak at every meeting if only for a couple of minutes. We try hard to start on time, but that's easier said than done. For more about our club meetings, visit the Meetings page.

Can I leave early?

Certainly. It's best if you can stay until the end, but everyone will understand if you have something to get back to. Honestly, most of our meetings wrap up early, but we have been known to run a little long, so it's best to block out at least till 1:00 if you can.

Should I bring anything?

It helps to have a pen. Otherwise, there's nothing else that you might need. Again, since it's a lunch time meeting, a number of our members bring lunch. You are welcome to do so also.

Are non-Farmers Insurance employees welcome?

Our club is open to anyone 18 and over who wants to grow in their communication and leadership skills. We are lucky enough that Farmers Insurance allows us to meet in their facilities, but we're very happy to have members from other companies and walks of life. If you are not a Farmers Insurance employee, you simply need to make sure that you use the front parking lot and entrance to the building and sign in with the security guard in the lobby. One of our members will be happy to escort you to the meeting room.

What if I was already a member?

Simply join again. If you still have your C&L manual, you can simply continue the program. If you don't, you'll need to get another one. Even if you were still a member of another club, we'd be happy to have you. As usual, the best way to start is to simply attend a meeting, make sure we're the right club for you. When you're ready, just ask and we'll get you all of the right materials.

English is my second language, is that a problem?

No, it is not. We have had and currently have several members for whom English is their second language.

Anything else? Just know that you are welcome to come and check us out. Visit as often as you like. If you think Toastmasters will be of value to you, join our club. I have personally benefited a great deal from my involvement. I believe this is the best place to grow your public speaking skills. I don't know how many times one of our guests tells us that they procrastinated about visiting and wish they hadn't. Why not visit our next meeting?