Free Toast Host Toastmaster Web Site - District 38

Free Toast Host Toastmaster Web Site 

PURPOSE 

Provide a repository of Toastmaster Club Information 

Provide easy means of volunteering for meeting Roles 

Provides a recruitment Tool 

FEATURES 

Public Site accessible to all 

Good generic Toastmaster Information 

Downloadable files as necessary 

Calendar of Toastmaster Events 

Links to other Toastmaster Web Sites 

District 38 http://tmdistrict38.org 

TI Public http://www.toastmasters.org 

TI Members http://members.toastmasters.org 

Members Only Area accessible by members with own user-id and password 

Duty roster to gather and store meeting assignments 

Listing of members names, phone numbers, and emails 

Downloadable files for members only 

Email features 

Distribution list to all members gianttalkers@freetoasthost.ws 

Distribution list all club officers gianttalkers-officers@freetoasthost.ws 

Can only send group emails from email of record 

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Go to Http://freetoasthost.org web site 

How to Build a Free Toast Host Web Site 

Request free Free Toast Host Web Site 

Receive Email with Instructions and URL 

Go into Site Administration from bottom of home page 

Change master password 

Add Self to Members List, then other members 

Change Home Page to include meeting place and time 

Change Banner to include club name, but you do need to be able to edit images locally. 

Here is how: 

1. Visit your admin area (administrators only) 

2. Scroll down to the "Upload Custom Logo" section 

3. Click on the "preview the logo templates" link 

4. locate the template that you want to use and right click on the image to begin download 

to your local PC 

5. Open that image using any image editing software (such as PhotoShop or The GIMP) and 

add your Club name, or completely create your own banner -- just stick with the same 

dimensions. IF you are looking for a free photo editor you might want to try paint.net 

http://www.getpaint.net/ 

6. Go back to the upload section and upload your image 

* if you make sure your logo is logo is EXACTLY 670 pixels wide by 75 pixels tall, check the box 

so your logo will not distort. 

Update HTML pages for club information 

Membership page 

Direction page 

Update Calendar to include club meetings and special events 

Assign Update authority for Duty Roster 

Add Internet links as necessary 

Insert Meetings in Duty Roster 

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Toastmaster Web Resources 

District 38 Webmasters email: 

Toastmaster International – Public Site 

webmaster@tmdistrict38.org 

http://www.toastmasters.org/ 

General Toastmaster Recruitment Information – Tips and Techniques 

Toastmaster International – Members Site 

http://www.toastmasters.org/Members.aspx 

My Profile 

Update Member Contact Information 

Display Member Toastmaster History 

Club Business 

Submit Club Officer Lists 

Renew Club Member Registration 

Check Club Member List 

District Officer Business 

Submit Area Governor Reports 

District Officer Reports 

http://reports.toastmasters.org/reports_new/reports.cfm?d=38 

On-Line Store 

District 38 Web Site 

http://www.toastmasters.org/MainMenuCategories/Shop.aspx 

http://www.tmdistrict38.org/ 

District Calendar of Events 

District Points of Contacts 

District News 

Member Resources 

Conference On-Line Registration 

Free Toast Host 

IGroops 

Easy Speak 

Alt Toastmasters Group 

http://www.freetoasthost.org/ 

http://www.igroops.com/igroops/fth 

http://easy-speak.org/kb.php?mode=article&k=9 

http://groups.google.com/group/alt.org.toastmasters/topics 

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This is a 

FreeToastHost.org 

website. 

Main Menu 

• Home Page 

• Membership 

Information 

• Frequently Asked 

Questions 

• Club Calendar 

• Directions 

• Meet Our Members 

• Contact Us 

• Public Downloads 

• Toastmaster 

International 

• Toastmaster 

International - 

Members 

For more information 

on Toastmasters 

International, visit 

toastmasters.org 

Articles 

Since 1924, Toastmasters International has 

helped millions of men and women become 

more confident in front of an audience. Our 

network of clubs and their learn-by-doing 

program are sure to help you become a better 

speaker and leader. Why pay thousands of 

dollars for a seminar when you can join a 

Toastmasters club for a fraction of the cost and have fun in the process? 

Toastmasters will give you the skills and confidence you need to effectively 

express yourself in any situation. Whether you are a professional, student, 

stay-at-home parent or retiree, Toastmasters is the most efficient, enjoyable 

and affordable way of gaining great communication skills. By learning to 

effectively formulate and express your ideas, you open an entirely new 

world of possibilities. You’ll be more persuasive and confident when giving 

presentations, and you’ll improve your one-on-one dealings with others. 

Don’t worry! Everyone in a Toastmasters club was once at the level you are 

now. The environment is friendly and supportive, and the self-paced 

program allows you to build confidence with each speaking assignment. And 

you’ll love the applause! Constructive evaluation is the heart of the 

Toastmasters program. Each time you give a prepared speech, an evaluator 

will point out strengths and suggest improvements. At first you’ll be 

applauded for your effort; later you’ll be applauded for your skill. 

• Success Article of 

the Day 

• A Quick Guide to 

Public Speaking 

You won’t regret it. Toastmasters currently has more than 200,000 

members in 80 countries. Our club is just one of the more than 10,000 clubs 

located around the world. For membership meeting information, please see 

our membership information page. 

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Members Only 

• Duty Roster 

• Club Goals 

• Member Goals 

• Mentor/Mentee 

Request Form 

• Forgot Your Login? 

• Available Downloads 

• Edit Your Member 

Profile / Private 

Member Directory 

Giant Talkers Toastmasters Club 

Meets every Wednesday, Noon – 1:00 P.M. 

Giant Food Headquarters 

1149 Harrisburg Pike 

Carlisle, PA 17013 

More About Toastmasters... 

Site hosting and creation provided by iGrOOps, LLC. Technical support provided by FreeToastHost.org, a service 

of Toastmasters International. 

site administration 

The names "Toastmasters International," "Toastmasters," and the Toastmasters International emblem are trademarks 

protected in the United States, Canada, and other countries where Toastmasters Clubs exist. Unauthorized use is 

prohibited. 

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This is a FreeToastHost.org 

website. 

Do your club officers submit 

new member applications 

immediately? 

Technical Support Area: [ FAQ's ] [ FTH Forum ] [ Service Updates ] 

Main Menu 

• Home Page 

• Membership Information 

• Frequently Asked Questions 

• Club Calendar 

• Directions 

• Meet Our Members 

• Contact Us 

• Public Downloads 

• Toastmaster International 

• Toastmaster International - 

Members 

For more information on 

Toastmasters International, 

visit toastmasters.org 

Welcome to the Toastmaster website administration area. Here is 

where the webmaster for this club can take care of any administration 

task for the website. 

Mailing Lists 

Any registered member of this club can send an e-mail to 

gianttalkers@freetoasthost.ws, which will then be sent to all the club 

members. To add, remove, or change an e-mail address in this list, you 

must change it in the Member Administrator. 

Any registered member of this club can send an e-mail to gianttalkersofficers@freetoasthost.ws, 

which will then be sent to all officers of the 

club only. To add, remove, or change an e-mail address in this list, you 

must change it in the Member Administrator, and make sure the "Club 

Officer" checkbox is checked for the member. Do not post these 

addresses anywhere on your website or make them public - these 

are for your members only. 

If your organziation is having trouble receiving e-mail sent from this 

server, select the option below then click the arrow to save. This will 

use the server address as the "From" address instead of the user's e-mail 

address who actually sent the e-mail. 

Use the server address as the "From" address 

Website Statistic Reports (Hits) 

Articles 

• Success Article of the 

Day 

• A Quick Guide to Public 

Speaking 

Members Only 

Select the report you wish to view from the list of available reports below 

and click the green arrow. 

Select Report to View 

Update Club News / Forum Administration 

Update the club news or any other forum by making a new post on the 

forum using your member username and password. To gain 

administrative access to the forum (delete/edit any post, create new 

forums, etc.) use your administrator username and password. To gain 

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• Duty Roster 

• Club Goals 

• Member Goals 

• Mentor/Mentee Request 

Form 

• Forgot Your Login? 

• Available Downloads 

• Edit Your Member Profile / 

Private Member 

Directory 

access to the administration area in the forums, after logging on as the 

administrator, click the "Go to Administration Panel" link at the very 

bottom of the screen. If you cannot get admin access to the forums, try 

resetting your admin password in the config area below. Full documention 

is available at http://www.phpbb.com. It is suggested that you set an e- 

mail notification each time a new post or reply is made to your forums. 

Forums are prone to SPAM posts. If you are not using your forums, 

it is strongly suggested that you disable them. Forums not used by 

clubs will be automatically disabled within 30 days of setup. These can 

easily be reactivated here. 

Active 

Disable 

Update FAQ 

You can add, remove, or edit the FAQs using this simple interface. The link 

to "unanswered questions" will show you the questions or key terms 

visitors entered that did not come up with any results. 

Update Club Calendar 

You can add, remove, or edit club events using this simple administrative 

interface. 

Update Duty Roster 

As the administrator, you can create new rosters, delete old ones, and edit 

any entry. To add up to seven custom duties to the roster, see the 

"Website Setting" section below. Before you can edit this roster, you must 

register yourself as a member in the "Member Administration" section 

below and use your member username and password, not the admin 

username and password. Have a look at our Instructions and Suggested 

Procedure and share this with your members if your club wishes to adopt 

this procedure. 

Select the following members that will always have admin access to the 

duty roster. To select multiple members, click on the members' names 

while holding your control key. Click the green arrow icon to save. 

Auger, David 

Braley, Laura 

Charles, Kathy 

Ciuffo, Wendy 

Coleman, Brian 

Do not use role descriptions on roster 

Edit Member Quarterly Goals 

As the administrator, you can enter in or update any other member's goals 

by clicking on the edit icon near the member's name. Before you can edit 

the goals, you must register yourself as a member in the "Member 

Administration" section below and use your member username and 

password, not the admin username and password. 

Edit Club Goals 

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It is usually up to the club's VP of Education to keep the club goals up to 

date. Before you can edit the club goals, you must register yourself as a 

member in the "Member Administration" section below and use your 

member username and password, not the admin username and password. 

Select the following members that will always have admin access to the 

club goals. To select multiple members, click on the members' names while 

holding your control key. Click the green arrow icon to save. 

Auger, David 

Braley, Laura 


Ciuffo, Wendy 


Semi-Annual Dues Auth Area 

Here is where you grant admin rights to the officer (usually Treasurer) who 

is responsible for collection of semi-annual dues. This officer (or officers) 

will then have rights to the Semi-Annual Dues Section where he or she can 

send out e-mail "invoices" for members and keep track of collections. This 

is useful information to share with other officers as well. The URL for this 

tool is http://gianttalkers.freetoasthost.ws/members/dues.cgi -- it 

is not linked to the website for privacy reasons. 

Select the following members that will always have access to the Semi- 

Annual Dues Section. To select multiple members, click on the members' 

names while holding your control key. Click the green arrow icon to save. 

Auger, David 

Braley, Laura 


Ciuffo, Wendy 


Available Downloads 

You can make any number of files available to your members by uploading 

them here. These will be uploaded to the private members area. This is a 

great place to include photos, HTML files, Acrobat or Word files. To use 

images in your custom HTML pages, upload the images to the public folder. 

Type File Name Size Action 

New 

File 

Desc 

Access members only website image 

public 

upload 

8

TI_Education_Leadership_Program.doc 

Education Leadership Program 

180K 

delete 

Toastmasters Member Administration 

The required fields are firstname, lastname, and e-mail address - the 

members can update their own information and set their own password. 

New Member 

Order Number (ordered by lastname if left blank) 

Firstname 

Lastname 

Title 

Club Officer (officer's mailing list) 

[ photo 

here ] 

Telephone 

E-mail 

Password 

Member Since 

JPG photo upload (200 pixels wide by 150 tall for best quality) 

Do NOT post this user's name, photo, or bio in the public 

area (please read our FAQ on Toastmasters privacy policy). 

Do NOT post this user's full information in the members 

only area. 

Public information about the member that they wish to share - short bio. 

Private notes on the member that only those with admin access will be able to see (mentoring 

info, physical address, goals, etc.) 

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send welcome e-mail with user login information and website 

instructions 

add new member 

print historical roles report (w/dates) 

report 

edit historical roles 

Existing Members 

Edit Name Title Telephone E-mail 

Auger, David 

1 Notes: 

Braley, Laura 

2 Notes: 


officer 

3 Notes: 

Ciuffo, Wendy 

4 Notes: 


5 Notes: 

Connors, Anita 

officer 

6 Notes: 

Crawford, Cindy 

7 Notes: 

Crawford, Debra 

8 Notes: 

Dabrowski, Tracy 

9 Notes: 

Daugherty, 

Shanna 

Pres 

SAA 

nobody@freetoasthost.ws 










10

10 Notes: 

DeHoff, LeAnn 

11 Notes: 


DuRea, Arthur CC nobody@freetoasthost.ws 

12 Notes: 

Eckert, Eric 

13 Notes: 

Elaneya, Maria 

14 Notes: 

Fackler, Jeff 

15 Notes: 

Fuhrman, Janine 

16 Notes: 

Gohn, Joanne 

17 Notes: 

Graham, Crystal 

18 Notes: 

Herbeck, Joe 

19 Notes: 








Herrera, Jessica CC nobody@freetoasthost.ws 

20 Notes: 

Kelso, Cory 

officer 

21 Notes: 

Kibler, Jean 

officer 

22 Notes: 

Krouse, William 

23 Notes: 

Lorello, Lou 

officer 

24 Notes: 

Merriman, 

Jennifer 

officer 

25 Notes: 

Miller, Denise 

26 Notes: 

Moran, Shannon 

27 Notes: 

Sec 

Treas 

VPPR 

VPM 

(717) 774- 

4031 



krouse106@verizon.net 





Strom, Michael CC nobody@freetoasthost.ws 

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officer 

28 Notes: 

Wanner, Brian 

officer 

29 Notes: 

Westbrook, Kelly 

30 Notes: 

Winters, Hal 

31 Notes: 

Woodruff, Daniel 

32 Notes: 

VPE 





Welcome E-mail Message 

You can edit this message to suit your exact needs. The following represent 

variables that will be substituted in when the message is sent: {{firstname}}, 

{{lastnname}}, {{masterusername}}, {{websiteaddress}}, {{username}}, 

{{password}}, {{masteremail}}, {{clubemail}}. 

{{firstname}} {{lastname}}, 

Welcome to our Toastmasters 

club w ebsite! This w ebsite 

can be found at 

http://{{w ebsiteaddress}} 

Some of the links under the 

menu heading Members Only 

require you to login using your 

username and passw ord: 

username: {{username}} 

d {{ d}} 

edit message 

Edit HTML Pages 

You can edit any default HTML page online using the WYSIWYG web-based 

editor. You can also add up to nine custom HTML pages, three each under 

the categories Main Menu, Articles, and Members Only. 

Edit 

HTML Page 

Home Page [ click here to restore using default page ] 

Membership Information Page 

Directions Page 

Contact Us Page 

Main Menu: Custom Page Available 



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Articles: Custom Page Available 



Members Only: Custom Page Available 



Custom Links 

You can add up to fifteen custom links, five each under the categories Main 

Menu, Articles, and Members Only. 

Main Menu Link Title 

Toastmaster International 

Toastmaster International - Membe 

Main Menu Link URL 

http://www.toastmasters.org 

http://www.toastmasters.org/Mem 

Articles Link Title 

Articles Link URL 

Members Only Link Title 

Members Only Link URL 

Website Settings 

Before you announce your site to your members, you need to enter a few 

important settings. These can be changed at any time. 

Choose Master Username 

gianttalkers 

Your master username is used as your username (login) for this admin 

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area, forum admin, FAQ admin and club calendar admin. It is also the 

first part of your URL http://[username].freetoasthost.ws as well as your 

group e-mail list [username]@freetoasthost.ws. 

Change Master Password 

verify (re-type) >> 

Your master password is used in combination with your username for this 

admin area, forum admin, FAQ admin and club calendar admin. 

Site Administrator E-mail Address 


All new member information will be carbon copied (CC) to this address. It 

will also be used as the from address for e-mails being sent from this 

site. 

Site Administrator Name 

William Krouse 

This is the main contact person for this site. Updated and notices from 

FreeToastHost.org will be sent to this person. 

Mentor E-mail Address 

Results of the mentor/mentee form will be sent to this address. 

E-mail Aliases 

president 

@gianttalkers.freetoasthost.ws 


forwards to 

forwards to 


forwards to 


forwards to 


forwards to 


An e-mail alias is a forwarding e-mail address to an existing account. You 

are allowed up to five custom aliases that can forward to either the same 

e-mail address, or three different e-mail addresses. Any alias that is not 

defined will be rejected by the server (your group lists do NOT need to be 

defined here). 

Use Custom Domain Name 

www. 

If you have, or would like to use your own domain name in place of 

"freetoasthost.ws" you can enter it here. If you do this, change the name 

servers used at your domain registrar to "NS1.freetoasthost.ws" and 

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"NS2.freetoasthost.ws". You will then also be able to use as your group 

e-mail address [username]@[yourdomain]. 

Upload Custom Logo 

logo is EXACTLY 670 pixels wide by 75 pixels tall (no distortion) 

You can upload your own custom logo to use for this website or preview 

the logo templates, and download the one you wish to use (right click the 

image), typeset your club's name on the image, then upload here. The 

logo image should be 670 pixels wide by 75 pixels tall to avoid distortion. 

Choose Color Scheme 

ti2 

You can preview the themes before you select one. If you change color 

schemes, any customized logo will be replaced with the default logo for 

the color scheme. When you switch back to a color scheme, your custom 

logo will be restored. 

Custom Roster Duty Title 1 

All Star 

Custom Roster Duty Description 1 













Do you have a club duty that is not in the roster? Add up to seven titles 

(ex. "SnackMaster") and descriptions, and they will show up on the 

roster. 

Enter a detailed description for this duty. 

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Custom Roster Message 

Hello! 

Here is our updated roster for {{DATE}}. If you w ish to take an available 

position or remove yourself from a position, visit the duty roster at 

http://gianttalkers.freetoasthost.w s/members/roster.cgi or notify the 

Toastmaster for this meeting. Thank you! 

This is a message that will be added to the roster that is sent out to 

members via e-mail. To insert the date of the roster you are sending in 

the message, use the variable {{DATE}}. HTML is allowed. 

Speaker Information Request Message 

{{MEMBER}}, 

Please update your speech information as soon as possible for our 

upcoming Toastmasters meeting. To do this, visit 

http://gianttalkers.freetoasthost.w s/members/roster.cgi 

There you w ill be able to enter your 

• speech number 

• speech length 

• manual 

• objective 

• title 

i t d ti 

This is the message that will be sent to speakers when admins of the 

duty roster send speakers reminders to complete their speaking 

information for an upcoming meeting. {{MEMBER}} will add the 

speaker's name and {{SENDER}} will be the name of the member who 

sent the reminder. HTML is NOT allowed. 

Remove Items From Your Menu 

Remove the videos before the main menu. 

Remove the "Club News" link under the main menu. 

Remove the "Membership Information" link under the main menu. 

Remove the "Frequently Asked Questions" link under the main 

menu. 

Remove the "Meet the Members" link under the main menu. 

Remove the "Club Calendar" link under the main menu. 

Remove the "Directions" link under the main menu. 

Remove the "Contact Us" link under the main menu. 

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Remove the "Public Downloads" link under the main menu. 

Remove the "Duty Roster" link under the members only menu. 

Remove the "Club Goals" link under the members only menu. 

Remove the "Member Goals" link under the members only menu. 

Remove the "Mentor/Mentee Request Form" link under the members 

only menu. 

Remove the "Speech Feedback" link under the members only menu. 

Remove the "Brainstorming" link under the members only menu. 

Remove the "Speaking Tips and Tricks" link under the members only 

menu. 

Remove the "Available Downloads" link under the members only 

menu. 

Remove the "Edit Your Member Profile / Private Member Directory" 

link under the members only menu. 

Members Public Directory Intro 

Meet the members of our 

Toastmasters Club! Click any 

member photo or name for 

more information. 

This is the text that appears on the "Meet the Members" directory before 

the member listing. It is not a bad idea to add a disclaimer that you have 

written permission from club members to release their names and 

photos. 

Discussion Board Notification E-mail Address 

Any time a new post or a reply is made to any of the forums on your 

website, a notification will go to this address. Suggested you use the 

member list e-mail address, the officer's list address, or just the 

webmaster's e-mail address. 

Important Message 

Any message here will appear at the top of the home page and the Duty 

Roster page. 

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update settings 

Website Promotion 

Promote this site! Don't forget to a) Update your listing on Toastmasters 

International to include your URL (http://gianttalkers.freetoasthost.ws) 

and b) request that your website be entered in Google.com. 

Site hosting and creation provided by iGrOOps, LLC. Technical support provided by FreeToastHost.org, a service 

of Toastmasters International. 

site administration 

The names "Toastmasters International," "Toastmasters," and the Toastmasters International emblem are 

trademarks protected in the United States, Canada, and other countries where Toastmasters Clubs exist. 

Unauthorized use is prohibited. 

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For the past six months, our club has averaged two or three guests at every 

meeting. Most of them join after the first night. Less than half-way through the 

Toastmasters year, we exceeded our annual membership goal. When we ask 

guests how they located our club, almost all exclaim, “It was your Web site!” 

Being the club Web master, my ears always perk up when I hear “Web site.” The last two guests I 

interviewed told me they looked at the Web sites of all the clubs in the area and decided to visit our club 

because they liked our site the best. They were aghast that some clubs didn’t even have a Web site. When 

queried further, the reason they liked our site best was the welcoming message they received from the text 

and graphics. “I felt that you really wanted me to visit,” said one re-cent guest. Another said, “Your site 

looked so professional. I knew you were the group for me.” 

So how do you build an affordable and professional Web site when you aren’t a computer geek and only 

recently mastered e-mail? Careful research and planning are the keys to developing a great membershipbuilding 

Web site. 

Do Your Research 

Only 30 percent of all Toastmasters clubs in one of the most “wired” areas of the United States – Maryland, 

Virginia and Washington, D.C., – have a club Web site. And yet, in this same re-gion, according to the Pew 

Charitable Trust, 70 percent of adults have daily access to the Inter-net, many with broadband. Of all the 

adults using the Internet, according to a 2004 Harris Poll, nearly half use it to find information on products, 

19

services, hobbies and special interests. Jim Chamberlin, CTM, past president of Capital Toastmasters I, 

says, “At least half of the prospects we’ve had over the last year have visited as a result of our Web site. A 

club without one is at a serious disadvantage.” 

By tapping into this powerful and growing trend, Toastmasters clubs can rapidly and inexpen-sively build 

membership. And they can attract a large number of diverse people. 

To decide what you want to include in your own club’s site, start by touring other club sites. You can do this 

in a variety of ways: 

• Use Internet search engines like Google or Yahoo to find Toastmasters club sites. 

• Check out your local “competition” by using the “Find a Club” feature on the Toastmas-ters 

International Web site and typing in your zip code or city. 

• At the next contest or conference you attend, ask fellow Toastmasters about their Web sites and 

get the URL so you can visit. 

Print out the Web site pages that “grab” you and share them with your club officers. Decide, as a club, the 

look and feel you want for your site. Decide how to display and use colors for elements on your pages to 

create a cohesive and professional style. 

Make a Plan 

Plan your Web site by deciding the types of information you want to make available to the public and to your 

membership. Get out some paper and diagram how you want your pages to look and link together. Web 

sites are composed of pages of content that are linked together by hyperlinks, also called links. Hyperlinks 

are what allows you to “jump” from page to page and back again. 

A menu of links is always helpful to people visiting your site. This is referred to as “navigation.” What you 

show and tell people about your club will be the content of your pages, and the manner that you present 

your information will be determined by your navigation. Many software programs like Microsoft Word have 

templates for Web sites that have a basic page and navigation structure designed for you. 

When designing navigation, keep in mind a few best practices: 

• Avoid creating dead ends. Allow people to jump to any page from any page within your site by 

having all the navigation links available on every page. 

• Make sure your links are large enough for people to read and for people to click on. Tiny buttons, 

text and links are hard for people to use and will turn them away. 

• Keep your navigation consistent. Visitors will expect to find the navigation in the same place on 

every page. The most common places for navigation links are down the left or right side, or across the top of 

a page. 

• Label your navigation links descriptively so visitors can anticipate they are heading to the right 

page. A link that says “Map” isn’t as informative as a link that says “Finding Our Club.” 

Write Your Copy 

Once you have decided what you want to show and tell people about your club, it’s time to write the “copy” 

(text) for your pages. You can type your copy directly into a program that formats it for the Web. With 

FreeToastHost.org, you can type directly into their template, and...voila! You have a Web page. 

Keep your text short so that viewers don’t have to scroll down a long page to read information. Consider 

writing a brief separate page for each of these topics: 

• A welcome statement 

• An information statement detailing when and where your club meets 

• Directions and a map for getting to your meeting 

• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) where visitors can find answers to common questions about 

Toastmasters and your club 

• “Meet Our Members” gallery where members can put up pictures of themselves and share some 

personal information 

• Links to Toastmasters International, to your district Web site, and other resources 

Illustrate Your Text 

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“A picture is worth a thousand words,” and that is so true on the Web. Snappy graphics can add visual 

interest to your site, making it look professional. Photographs and graphics also will give your site a friendly 

feeling and break up text making it easier to read on a computer screen. 

There are many free resources for clip art and stock photos on the Internet so you do not need to be an 

artist or photographer to add a little dazzle to your site. If you are fortunate enough to have a digital 

photographer in your club, ask him or her to snap some pictures of members at a meeting so you can 

include some “action” shots in your pages. If you have a film camera, simply ask your film developer to 

create a photo disk with your images on it. 

Don’t forget to get signed release forms from every member or guest whose picture or information you post. 

Pictures that are displayed on the Web have to be saved in a format that is compatible with Internet browser 

programs. The most common formats are “JPG” and “GIF”. Most digital cameras will save photos in a “JPG” 

format. Graphics that you find on the Web will already be compatible. 

Assemble and Back Up the Pieces 

There are many free resources on the Internet that can help anyone build a quality Web site without knowing 

any computer programming. Most of these tools use templates to guide you through the design and creation 

process. They will write the HTML code for you and link your pages together. Having your plan in place, your 

copy written and your graphics selected will allow you to quickly assemble a professional site, sometimes in 

one sitting! At the end of this article you will find a list of tools you can use to build your club Web site. 

Make sure to copy (back up) all your files and save them on a CD or external computer drive after you are 

done. Whenever you change your site, keep a copy of the new files in the same place. Having a copy of 

your site on an external medium makes transferring ownership of the site to a new Webmaster a snap. It 

also ensures that you have a back-up copy in case your computer has problems. 

Getting on the Web 

How do you get your new site on the Internet? Web sites exist on computers called “Web servers.” These 

machines are connected to the Internet and configured to let other computers view the material on them. 

The HTML files and graphic files that make up your site have to be uploaded (transferred) to a Web server 

from your local computer. Depending on the tool you used to create your Web site, some or all of your files 

may already be stored on a Web server and ready to be viewed. 

If you have created your Web site using FreeToastHost, you will take advantage of a free service designed 

expressly to make Web site-building for Toastmasters easy and fun. FreeToastHost.org is a Web-hosting 

service created by a Toastmaster for all Toastmasters. But it is more than just a free hosting solution; it is a 

pre-designed Web site for your club to use, complete with many templates (colors and designs) to choose 

from. 

Some clubs use other Web site-building programs on the Internet (such as Yahoo’s GeoCities). With either 

of these methods, you can use the tools the host provides to upload any necessary files, such as graphics, 

to the Web server. With FreeToastHost, these extra tools are designed for use by Toastmasters. Jeff Miller, 

DTM, who is Vice President Marketing for the DTM Leaders club in Laurel, Maryland, says, “I had no trouble 

at all adding text, adding member information, and publicizing our club’s Web site using FreeToast Host. It 

was pretty straightforward.” 

Helping Visitors Find Your Site 

Congratulations! You did it! You planned and designed a Web site, created copy and graphics, uploaded 

your work to a Web server and now your club has its own site. There are millions of Web sites on the 

Internet and the number grows every day, so how can you help people find yours? First, register your site 

with Toastmasters World Headquarters. The club president or other officer can update the club’s information 

by adding the URL for your site. 

Second, register your Web site with the major Internet search engines such as Google and Yahoo. This will 

increase the chances that visitors will locate your site if they are looking for it. The best way to ensure that 

your site is listed with a search engine is to fill in the keywords fields when registering your site. Keywords 

for a Toastmasters Web site could include: 

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• Toastmasters 

• Public speaking 

• Presentations 

• Communication skills 

• Leadership skills 

• Your town or city name 

Resources 

This list only features free resources because most Toastmasters clubs run on a tight budget. I have tested 

everything listed here and continue to use many of the resources myself. If your budget allows, your club 

can pay for services and software for a wider selection of advanced features. 

Free Toastmasters Web site Hosting 

• FreeToastHost – http://www.Freetoasthost.org – Offers a simple, easy and fun way to design and use 

your club’s Web site. It also boasts many useful behind-the-scenes tools to make life easier for club officers. 

The newest is a dues renewal notice/ collection tool. Imagine how happy your club officers will be when they 

can send dues invoices from your club Web site! 

• If you want to try something else, search for companies and organizations using this reference site 

http://www.free-webhosts.com/ that will host your club’s Web site for free. This site includes advanced 

searching, so you can narrow your search by eliminating sites that force you to display advertising. 

Free HTML Authoring Tools for Macintosh and Windows 

Even if you use a template, it’s always good to know some HTML tags. 

• nVu http://www.nvu.com/ 

• Amaya http://www.w3.org/Amaya/ 

• Mozilla Suite http://www.mozilla.org/products/mozilla1.x/ 

Free Clip Art 

• Microsoft free clipart and photography – http://office.microsoft.com/clipart/default.aspx?lc=enus 

• Barry’s Free Photos – http://www.barrysfreephotos.com/index.php 

• Clipart Connection – http://www.clipartconnection.com/ 

• Cool Archive – http://www.coolarchive.com/ 

• Free Submissions to Search Engines – http://www.google.com/submit_content.html and 

http://submit.search.yahoo.com/free/request 

Beth Stinson, CL, is a member of Greater Olney Toastmasters in Silver Springs, Maryland. Reach her at 

beth.stinson@yahoo.com 

Web Page Reminders 

Through FreeToastHost.org, your club can have a professional-looking 

Web site that adheres to TI’s branding guidelines. 

A professional-looking Web site is important for publicizing your club and attracting new members. 

Toastmasters International has a free Web-hosting service, FreeToastHost.org, that your club can use to 

create, maintain and host its own Web site. In addition to hosting your site, FreeToastHost.org provides - 

templates and step-by-step directions you can use to design and customize it. No experience in Web site 

design is necessary. Toastmasters International strongly recommends that you use FreeToastHost.org for 

your club’s Web site. 

• the club name, meeting time and location, and a contact telephone number 

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• the mission of the club 

• the features and benefits of Toastmasters club membership 

• Distinguished Club Program goals and progress 

• membership promotion ideas for the club’s members 

• a calendar listing club and district events 

• a date identifying the timeliness of the information 

• a link to the Toastmasters International Web site 

• a link to the district Web site (if available) 

Club Web sites should not contain material that is not relevant to achieving the mission of the club. Clubs 

may only place on their Web sites information about candidates for club, district or International office who 

are members of that club. 

The Web page may also include an online version of the club’s newsletter. It must carry the Toastmasters 

International trademark acknowledgement statement as published by World Headquarters. Toastmasters 

International – the trademark owner – reserves the right to determine how clubs use trademarks as part of 

domain names. While the vice president public relations or Webmaster designs and maintains the club Web 

page, the club president is the publisher and is responsible for its content. 

Clubs may include on their Web pages the names, addresses, telephone numbers and e-mail addresses of 

club officers, the creator/maintainer of the page (the Webmaster), club support personnel and individual - 

members after having received express written permission from each individual. Individual member 

information (such as member addresses, e-mail addresses or telephone numbers) may be placed on club 

Web sites only if it is placed in a password-protected area. 

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