The deadline for submission of the ALS / DTM under the legacy program has been extended. See the announcement:
Toastmasters International continues to provide current updates on COVID-19 and how that impacts district and club operations.
Questions and Answers
Should clubs continue to meet in person?
In March 2020, the World Headquarters issued a global directive that all Toastmaster clubs should until June 1, 2020, suspend conducting meetings in person because of the impact of the pandemic. This directive has since been updated with a recommendation that clubs continue to observe the health protocols put in place by their local authorities. For District 99, this means observing the protocols put in place in Northern Alberta and Northern Saskatchewan.
While meeting gathering restrictions are now being lifted gradually, it is still a common concern for some who do not feel comfortable yet to meet in person. It is for this reason that the district leadership team recommends that clubs begin to look at a hybrid model starting in September where in-person meetings are conducted in a space that observes the health protocols while extending such meeting experience to their online audience. Online meetings may continue to the option for most clubs meetings over the summer in July and August.
We have published resources here to help you get up and running. There are several online clubs around the world. We can continue to benefit from their experience and use it to enhance our club meeting experience during and after this time of crisis.
How long do we operate in an online mode?
No telling how long. Toastmasters International initially provided guidance until June 1st, 2020. This has since been updated with a recommendation that clubs continue to observe the health protocols that are in effect in their local region. The International Convention that was originally slated for Paris in August is now being conducted online.
Virtual Meetings
A virtual meeting means having all your members attend a meeting from remote locations. Some clubs employ a hybrid model where some members are remote. But, given the current situation, we will focus on the fully virtual meeting.
What you will need is the following:
A platform that allows club members to share video/voice/content for enough people to facilitate everyone attending (20+ people).
Members need a device compatible with the platform that supports video/voice sharing. Typically Windows 10, macOS, Android and iOS devices provide that support.
Members need a good Internet connection. Online conferencing requires a good internet connection. If you don’t have an adequate connection, then the video will be poor quality and sound will also be affected.
Below is a webinar provided by one of the Online clubs in District 47 that will explain how they do virtual meetings. There are also helpful online meeting resources and tools published by Toastmasters International to help your club achieve virtual victories.
Resources
Online meeting tools are out there. There are several different platforms. The key is to pick one that suits your situation. Below are a couple popular options. We will add more as they become available.
WebEx
Cisco Webex is an option which has recently upgraded their free account to allow up to 100 participants and no limit on meetings. If you feel you need the more advanced features you will find this to be a pricy upgrade. However, the free account should give you everything your club needs. Webex allows sharing of voice, video and content. You can find WebEx at https://webex.com
Zoom
The most popular for Toastmasters clubs seems to be Zoom. You can find more information about Zoom at https://zoom.us. The platform will result in a cost of approximately $20 CAN / month ($240 / year). If your club is used to paying for meeting rooms, this is probably a pittance compared to typical meeting room fees. If you want to try it out, you can have up to a 40 minute meeting without paying any fees.
Teams
The district uses Microsoft Teams which is part of Microsoft Office 365. This option includes Microsoft Teams which is Microsoft’s answer for providing online collaboration (including meetings). The bonus is that this option provides a place to store files and instant messaging for use by the members. This option has worked for one club where one of the members was a subscriber to Office 365 Business Essentials which costs about $80 CAN per year. You only need one license and you can set up meetings which everyone can attend. office.com
Hangouts (Paid Edition)
Google G Suite Users have access to an edition of Hangouts that can support a much larger number of users. There is a cost for this service. But the basic service is very reasonably priced at about $100 / year. gsuite.google.com
Free Options
There are a number of other popular, free options, but they tend come with certain limitations.
Skype Group Video Chat: limited to about 50 participants. www.skype.com
Hangouts (Free Edition): limited to about 25 participants, hangouts.google.com
If you know of any options that has worked for your club, please feel free to leave your comments below and we will update the page to reflect these other options.
Club Checklist
Your club needs to do a few things to continue to function in the current situation:
Contact your members to let them know what is going on.
Select an option for conducting meetings (see right column).
Update Toastmasters International – Club Central to show that your meeting venue has changed.
Update your web site so people know where you are meeting.
Update any other social media (Facebook, twitter, meetup, etc.) to let people know where you are meeting.
Make sure no member is left behind. This may be challenging for some of your members, but it can also be a growth experience for them as well.
Communicate! Communicate! Communicate!
Pursuers: One Clubs Story
Edmonton: March 21st, 2020
When the news of the effects of the pandemic hit the news last week, we knew we needed to act. The executive of the Pursuers club sprung into action. Luckily, they had a tech savvy member who could quickly respond.
The club held it’s first virtual meeting on March 18th with 12 members attending. The first meeting was a bit rough around the edges, but the club managed to make it through and had many of the traditional elements: a business meeting chaired by our president, an educational on using the virtual meeting space, a speech by a member from the Pathways program, table topics, evaluations, quiz master, thought of the day, and time for members to comment on what they thought of the new venue.
Interestingly, several members saw the plus side of virtual meetings. For example, it cuts out the commute time to / from the meeting. Another thought was that it would be cheaper since there was no meeting room cost. At Pursuers, the members buy dinner at the restaurant where they meet. Now, they can relax and eat in the comfort of their homes.
This venue also posed an opportunity for a member of the club that lives in Calgary to pop in and attend the meetings. So, while this is a drastic change, it also poses a great opportunity. Maybe some of our members that dropped out because of the time commitment may be convinced to come back. You never know until you try.
Pursuers used Microsoft Teams which was provided by one of the members who already had a subscription. The members were invited to be guests of a “team” created for the club. This team gives the club a place to meet, chat and exchange files securely.
For information on how the platform was constructed, reach out to Glenn Walker DTM at
This is a list of clubs that have indicated they are meeting online.
Title
Club Number
Meeting Day / Time
Meeting Instructions
Contact Person
Contact Email
Contact Phone Number
Club Web Site
Pursuers Toastmasters Club
6901
Wednesday / 7:00 PM
Contact us and we will send you the link. We are using Microsoft Teams for our meetings. Attendance instructions will be sent to people who inquire.
We welcome all guests to our meetings.
Join us at the best place to be on a Wednesday night.
Glenn Walker
780-964-3808
https://pursuers.org
TNT Toastmasters
2291
Every Tuesday/7-9 p.m.
We use Zoom for the meetings and will send the link upon request.
Cheryl Persson
780-288-3533
tnt.toastmastersclubs.org
GP Lunchrappers
6540
Wednesday / 12:10pm
Zoom will be used, meeting ID will be issued Tuesday
Maurissa
780-897-5636
gplunchrappers.com
Telecommunicators Toastmasters
2158
Wednesday @ 12.00 (noon) - 1PM
Please follow instructions on our website:
http://telecommunicators.org/joomla/index.php/news/club
Michael Navrotsky/Jim Guloien
/
780-417-0741
http://telecommunicators.org/joomla/index.php
Excell-Orators Toastmasters Club
8090
1st Thursday of the Month at 6:30 PM
Excell-Orators is an advanced Toastmasters Club. Members must either have achieved a Competent Communicator under legacy program or Level 2 in any Pathways path. Contact us and we will send you the link to our meetings.
Glenn Walker
780-457-0808
https://excelloratorstm.org
Forward Thinkers
8364
Wednesdays 7 - 9 PM
Go to our website for connection information.
Jim Guloien
780-417-0741
http://forwardthinkersclub.org
Prairie Schooners Toastmasters Club
6372
Wednesdays / 12:05pm SK time
We are using Microsoft Teams, the link to join is on our Prairie Schooners webpage https://6372.toastmastersclubs.org/
Sharon Klinger or Sara Popoff
or
https://6372.toastmastersclubs.org/
Evergreen Toastmasters
2897
Tuesday/7:30 pm
We send notice to members through our club website. The instructions and link are included in the email. Zoom is the platform used for online meeting. First one was last night March 24; it worked very well.
Meeting invite link
A note to join 10 mins before
Additional instructions on special settings to select when they join meeting...like option to view all meeting attendees at once.
A link will be sent the night before with the meeting information
Eileen Zurakowski
306-960-2680
https://1318.toastmastersclubs.org/
Melfort Toastmasters
7730542
Thursdays 7pm SK
RSVP to our meeting on our facebook page, email, or text/call us for access to our Zoom meeting! It will be the same link for all future online meetings.
Laurel Korbo or Keith Lee
306-529-3672
https://7730542.toastmastersclubs.org/
Sunrise Toastmasters
6359
Tuesday 7:00 - 8:15 AM
Please contact VP Education Buzz Brown at if you are interested in gaining access to our weekly ZOOM meetings.
Buzz Brown
https://sunriserd.toastmastersclubs.org/
Seven Seas Toastmasters
3296
Wednesdays at noon
Email Brenda or message us on our website or Facebook page and we will provide a Zoom link. All guests are welcome anytime!
Brenda Sandoval
https://sevenseas.toastmastersclubs.org
New Entrepreneurs Toastmasters Club
4291
Thursdays 6:10 PM-7:45 PM
Please download Zoom to your computer or mobile device. Please allow Zoom to access your camera if you plan to deliver a speech.
Flavio Siqueira
780-297-2378
https://netoastmasters.toastmastersclubs.org
Fort Saskatchewan Toastmasters Club
4023462
1st and 3rd Thursday of the month 7:30pm to 8:30 pm
Members and guests are invited to join via Microsoft Teams. The meeting link is on our website.
April Kliachuk
https://fort.toastmastersclubs.org/
CUatNoon
7341
Wed - Noon
It is a Zoom conference, contact the President for Zoom Meeting ID.
Kimmee Fischer
https://cuatnoon.com/
Sundowners Toastmasters Club
3826
Monday - 7:30 - 9:30 pm
We are using 8x8 platform. It works better on Google Chrome. No download is necessary. Please send an email to get the meeting link.
Wilson Souza
780-934-0199
https://sundowners.toastmastersclubs.org/
Innovative Communicators
958725
Wednesday / 5:15pm
From our website, visitors are directed to contact VPM or PVE; Members receive a weekly invite to a virtual meeting via email.
You will get an email from the club with information about how to join each week
Kathy Archer
780-618-8921
Power Speakers Toastmasters
3650
Wednesdays 7 pm to 8:45 pm
Members of Power speakers Toastmasters are committed to keep the momentum. We feel that the impact of this Corona virus is going to change the way we communicate. We will see more virtual training's, educations, meetings, seminars' etc. It is important that we develop these skills along with other skills we practice every week at our meetings. Until we can start our regular in-person meetings, we are we have started online virtual meetings from April 1st, 2020. We believe that online meetings will be fun as well as it will provide tools to practice new skills. After evaluating few options, we have signed up for Webex.
We use Zoom for our online meetings. We have about 20 members who definitely can provide opportunities for those who would like to speak. We are a group of friendly toastmasters who are committed in helping out each other. The trend nowadays is more towards on line interview, check us out and get practiced on your on-line interview skils.
Estella Mah, VP-Membership
780-554-2999
https://zoom.us/j/56876345575687634557
Go Pro Speaker Toastmasters
6935129
Second Tuesday of each month / 18:30
Please mute your microphone upon meeting entry if not done so automatically
Blaine Zuk
http://www.goprospeakers.com/
Articulate Edmontonian Toastmasters Club
19358
Fridays @ Noon
Meeting is 12:05 - 12:55 every Friday.
All / any guests welcome, please reach out to us if you would like to attend and we will send you the zoom link.
We strongly encourage members and guests to connect at 7:00 p.m. for audio and visual checks and to confirm roles and introducations. Please check club website for program themes and special events.
Please visit our website for Zoom login information. All are welcome. https://323.toastmastersclubs.org/
Shalini Kashyap, VP Education
https://323.toastmastersclubs.org/
Brain Injury and Stroke (BIS) Toastmasters Club
4206395
1st and 3rd Thursday 1:00 to 2:30 pmPlease
Please send your name/email address to club president listed below, and the host of virtual ZOOM will invite you via email.
WillarWillard Robitaille, DTM
(780) 667-6105
Southen Lights Toastmasters
3684
Wednesday Evenings 6:30 p.m.
Please log in through link in zoom about 15 minutes before 6:30 so we can meet you and you can ensure your connection is working well.
Michelle St. Louis, President
www.southernlights.ca
Northern Lights Toastmasters
489
Saturday, 1:15 PM
Please contact us through our club website for the Zoom link and more information about our club
Shiran Thambugala
https://489.toastmastersclubs.org/
Edmonton Advanced Toastmasters
1742
3rd Thursday each month, 7-9:00 PM
Please contact us through our club website for the link to our Zoom meetings
Marg Faryna
https://1742.toastmastersclubs.org/
Core Development
1339804
First 3 Tuesdays of month/0800
Welcome present and past members, guests and the world. We are a friendly Club enjoying "a delicious glass of lemonade during a lemon type of time". Come join us, learn and experience a different type of public speaking and meet up with some old and new friends. We are using a Zoom link and suggest you arrive at 0745 to get settled to start sharp at 0800 and ending at 0900.
Ken Mark
780 721 5899
coredevelopment.toastmasters.org
Spiritual Living Toastmasters
1399120
2nd and 4th Thursday of the Month at 7:00 p.m. MT
To join our meeting, please send your request to .
Jenafor Andel
780-451-4237
https://1399120.toastmastersclubs.org/
W.E.
4406
1st & 3rd Wednesday each month 5-6:30 pm
So far we are using Zoom. see our website or Facebook page
Penny Nilsen
306-241-4880
https://wesaskatoon.toastmastersclubs.org/
Capital Communicators
1596
2nd and 4th week of the month. 12pm-1pm
email me at for google meeting invite.
Anders
https://capitalcomm.toastmastersclubs.org/
Norwood
284
Thursday / 7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.
Email us at or via the website submission form for the Zoom link.
Greg Laskey
780-902-4605(c)
www.norwoodtoastmasters.ca
Brownlee's Best Toastmasters
3423
Tuesdays 12:05pm - 1:00pm
Contact us at
Lynell Bird
780-237-0192
www.brownleesbest.com
Attitude Boosters Club
7022
Tuesdays at noon
Contact us and we will send you the meeting link.
VP of Membership (Perry)
https://attitudeboosters.toastmastersclubs.org/
Northern Welcome Toastmasters Club
9842
Second and fourth Monday/6:15-8:00 pm
Contact club secretary for details
Margaret Plunz, DTM
(306) 425-3407
Toast at Twelve Toastmasters
851346
Thursday at 12:05p.m.
Check our website for information on how to connect or send an email and we will provide the information.
Patricia Rijavec
780-433-1289
https://toastattwelve.toastmastersclubs.org/
Golden Mountain Toastmasters
864
1st and 3rd Thursday of the month / 7pm
Call or send an email to Harry Paynter
Harry Paynter
780-432-2496
Let's Talk Toastmasters Club
3692103
7:30PM Mondays
We have the meeting link on our home page. Once you have connected with the link, please be patient while we let you into the meeting room.
Our club will be meeting online to maintain physical distancing measures and accommodate work-from-home club members. Guests and perspective members are welcome to participate.
Please email our club for an invitation to attend our meeting via web-conference.
Yolanda Han, Club President
https://moneytalkers.toastmastersclubs.org/
Campus Howlers
7536
Wednesday / 5 PM
If you would like to attend our meeting you can e-mail us at ( ) and we will send you a meeting invite. We are meeting using the WebEx platform. You don't need to have a subscription or pay for anything. We do however suggest that you download the WebEx app, as that provides the best connection. You will need internet access and a device to connect. Hope you can visit us!
Sarah Parker, Club President
https://campushowlers.toastmastersclubs.org/
Eloquent Albertans Toastmaster Club
6110
Thursdays 12:00 pm
Join us at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/458290255 Meeting ID: 458 290 255
. Please contact us if you plan to attend as a guest.
If you can't join audio through Zoom, the Edmonton area teleconference number is 587-328-1099
Dan McCosh
780 983-9912
https://eloquentalbertans.toastmastersclubs.org
Upward Bound Toastmasters
6395
Wednesday 7:00 pm
Join us at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89777147611 Meeting ID: 897 7714 7611
.If you can't join audio through Zoom, the Edmonton area teleconference number is 587-328-1099 or find your local number at https://zoom.us/u/abaoNVT55o.
For quick Zoom Video Tutorials, check out https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/206618765-Zoom-Video-Tutorials.
Dan McCosh
780 983-9912
https://upward.toastmastersclubs.org/
Dynamic Toastmasters
7792
Friday, 2:00 pm
Contact Club President Tao Jin for meeting details. We use Webex
Tao Jin
780 281-8390
https://7792.toastmastersclubs.org/
Latino Canadian Entrepreneurs
4472443
Second and Fourth Monday of the month. At 6:45 p.m.
Please, send us your email, and we will provide the Zoom meeting invitation. Everybody welcome!
Hello! We have moved our meetings online and conduct them via zoom. Not only is it a great way to continue to practice your public speaking skills but it is a great way to connect with people. If you are feeling curious, we would love to have you as a guest for a complimentary meeting.
Rutuja Kadam
(preferred)
https://bowmen.toastmastersclubs.org
Sunrise
6359
Tuesday 7:00 - 8:15 AM
Connect to https://sunriserd.toastmastersclubs.org/ for Zoom meeting instructions.
Buzz Brown
403 601 7993
https://sunriserd.toastmastersclubs.org
Pipe-Up Toastmasters Club
737481
Every Thursday (except holiday), 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
Please send us an e-mail if you like to attend in the meeting as a guest.
Haider Alahi
587-337-5529
https://pipeup.toastmastersclubs.org/
Northern Welcome Toastmasters Club
9842
Second and Fourth Monday of the month at 6:30 pm
Contact Margaret Plunz, Secretary
Margaret Plunz
306 425-3407
Fabulous Facilitators
6436
Tuesday / 7 pm
Contact us via club website at https://fabulousfacilitators.toastmastersclubs.org for link to visit
