FreeToastHost

[Elisabeth Frost]

Hello officers (current and incoming),

At Jim Chamberlin's suggestion, I looked into using FreeToastHost for our club. For those of you who weren't on his original email, this is an online system that facilitates communication for Toastmasters clubs. It can also be used as a main website but we wouldn't intend for it to replace our normal website but in addition to it because of the ways it would allow members to interact with each other and to access information. I've copied and pasted Jim's explanation below in bold.

Anyway, we have a FreeToastHost site at http://capital876.freetoasthost.cc/. Here is the admin login:

username: capital876
password: letmein

Use this to log in at the bottom of the page.

I've added the club members using Cara's list and subsequent edits. I'm sending you a welcome email similar to the one you would receive as normal members. There is an email address that will send messages to all members. When we add new members, they would be automatically added and would receive an automated email like this one. This would eliminate the messy process of inviting people and then not knowing if they are actually receiving emails. I believe this would be much more efficient than Google groups.

I think it would be a good idea for you all to explore this a bit and take a look at the different items included in the site. I added meeting dates to a calendar. There is also a space to assign meeting roles. I suggest that after exploring it a bit, the officers meet to discuss it and make a decision about if/when/how to implement it club wide.

it's up to the new officers to make any final decisions but I'm happy to discuss it with you tomorrow or at any future time.

Elisabeth

One of the finer points of the FreeToastHost template is that it allows you to see all members at all times, which can include not only their email, but their phone, joining date, even their photo and a short bio.

This information is only available to our members.  The public cannot access it. 

One of the features is that a member who wants to email all the other members of the club, can do so with one email address.  Similarly, if a member wants to email just the officers of the club, they may do so with another email address.

I have seen FreeToastHost revolutionize and facilitate intra-club communication at several clubs.  I have personally set up the FreeToastHost website for Capital Toastmasters 2, and run it for the last five years.  If I can do it, anybody can do it.  It takes a little set up time, but than it's easy for the webmaster to run.  We could easily have Dick continue to do just www.capitaltoastmasters1.org, and have someone else, or perhaps one of the other officers, do the FreeToastHost website.

The site has lots of bells and whistles.  But you can pick and choose.  Personally I've never used more than about 10% of the functionality, but have found it very helpful for what it does.  (Many clubs use it to schedule all roles for the next meeting, something I think would be a bad idea.)

Here are some real world examples of how FreeToastHost could help Cap 1:

Let's say I'm a member and want to know who the other members are.  Currently we've updated the printed roster maybe twice in the last year, and they have been out-of-date within 2 weeks of being printed (if not immediately).  With FTH, any member would have access to all this information all the time, and it would be current.

Let's say that the Treasurer and wants to know if any given member is getting the club emails.  Currently the only way to check is to ask the person who keeps that email list, and Cara has been frustrated to the point where she is now keeping her own separate email list, which only compounds the problem.  With FTH, she could look at the real roster in real time and check to see if a member has been added or a resigned member deleted.

Let's say that you can't place a face.  Currently the only way to place a face is to show up at meetings and look at the face behind a nameplate (assuming they show up).  With FTH, we could add all faces to the member roster so that it would be a lot easier for the whole club to get to know each other better and easier.  

Let's say that you're a member and you want to reach the Treasurer, but you don't know who the Treasurer is.  Currently it would take some time to figure that out.  With FTH, that information would be available 24-7 on the website, with all officers clearly noted.

Let's say that you're the TMOD and you need information about Joe Blow, who is speaking next Tuesday.  Currently you have to ask him, and you're lucky if he responds.  With FTH, much of that information can be posted in a short personal bio that accompanies the person's basic information on the roster.

I hear the voices:  "Yikes!  We don't need two websites!"  and  "If it's not broke, don't fix it!"  To that I'd say that having two websites for two distinctly different purposes would be a good idea.  Dick's current site for purposes of recruitment and outreach, which it is doing astoundingly well.  And the FreeToastHost website for communication within the club.  As for the current reality, I'd say that what we have now is broken and is not serving the club, and by its very nature will continue to be a source of frustration into the foreseeable future.