Free Toast Host Toastmaster Web Site

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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 [email protected] Distribution list all club officers [email protected] Can only send group emails from email of record

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How to Build a Free Toast Host Web Site Go to Http://freetoasthost.org 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: [email protected] Toastmaster International – Public Site 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 http://www.toastmasters.org/MainMenuCategories/Shop.aspx District 38 Web Site http://www.tmdistrict38.org/ District Calendar of Events District Points of Contacts District News Member Resources Conference On-Line Registration Free Toast Host http://www.freetoasthost.org/ IGroops http://www.igroops.com/igroops/fth Easy Speak http://easy-speak.org/kb.php?mode=article&k=9 Alt Toastmasters Group 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

• Success Article of the Day

• A Quick Guide to Public Speaking

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.

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.

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

• Success Article of the Day

• A Quick Guide to Public Speaking

Members Only

Do your club officers submit new member applications immediately?

Technical Support Area: [ FAQ's ] [ FTH Forum ] [ Service Updates ] 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 [email protected], 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 [email protected], 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)

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, DavidBraley, LauraCharles, KathyCiuffo, WendyColeman, 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.


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.


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

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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

[ photo here ]

Order Number (ordered by lastname if left blank)

Firstname

Lastname

Title

Club Officer (officer's mailing list)

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) edit historical roles report

Existing Members

Edit Name Title Telephone E-mail

Auger, David [email protected]

1 Notes:

Braley, Laura [email protected]

2 Notes:

Charles, Kathy

officer Pres [email protected]

3 Notes:

Ciuffo, Wendy [email protected]

4 Notes:

Coleman, Brian [email protected]

5 Notes:

Connors, Anita

officer SAA [email protected]

6 Notes:

Crawford, Cindy [email protected]

7 Notes:

Crawford, Debra [email protected]

8 Notes:

Dabrowski, Tracy [email protected]

9 Notes:

Daugherty, Shanna [email protected]

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10 Notes:

DeHoff, LeAnn [email protected]

11 Notes:

DuRea, Arthur CC [email protected]

12 Notes:

Eckert, Eric [email protected]

13 Notes:

Elaneya, Maria [email protected]

14 Notes:

Fackler, Jeff [email protected]

15 Notes:

Fuhrman, Janine [email protected]

16 Notes:

Gohn, Joanne [email protected]

17 Notes:

Graham, Crystal [email protected]

18 Notes:

Herbeck, Joe [email protected]

19 Notes:

Herrera, Jessica CC [email protected]

20 Notes:

Kelso, Cory

officer Sec [email protected]

21 Notes:

Kibler, Jean

officer Treas [email protected]

22 Notes:

Krouse, William (717) 774-4031 [email protected]

23 Notes:

Lorello, Lou

officer VPPR [email protected]

24 Notes:

Merriman, Jennifer

officer VPM [email protected]

25 Notes:

Miller, Denise [email protected]

26 Notes:

Moran, Shannon [email protected]

27 Notes:

Strom, Michael CC [email protected]

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officer

28 Notes:

Wanner, Brian

officer VPE [email protected]

29 Notes:

Westbrook, Kelly [email protected]

30 Notes:

Winters, Hal [email protected]

31 Notes:

Woodruff, Daniel [email protected]

32 Notes: 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}}.

{{f irstname}} {{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

Members Only: 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 Main Menu Link URL

Toastmaster International

http://w w w .toastmasters.org

Toastmaster International - Membe

http://w w w .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 [email protected]

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 [email protected]


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

Custom Roster Duty Title 2












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 <a href="http://gianttalkers.freetoasthost.w s/members/roster.cgi">http://gianttalkers.freetoasthost.w s/members/roster.cgi</a> 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 membership-building 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,

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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=en-us

• 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 [email protected] 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.

Free Toast Host Toastmaster Web Site

Documents

Transcript of Free Toast Host Toastmaster Web Site