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What is Zoom?

Zoom Video Communications is a remote conferencing services company headquartered in San Jose, California. It provides a remote conferencing service that combines video conferencing, online meetings, chat, and mobile collaboration.

PLEASE DO NOT POST YOUR ZOOM LOGIN / CALL-IN INFORMATION IN A PUBLIC FORUM

A District Resource

As a way to facilitate online meetings and to keep our clubs active during these trying times, the District will be providing Zoom accounts to all Division Directors to share with their clubs in order to hold online meetings at no cost to the club.  If, as a club, you are interested in utilizing this FREE service, please contact your Division Director.

Educational Resources

If you have not yet had a chance to use Zoom, you do not necessarily need a computer, you can also call in.  Zoom has a very extensive training portal on their page for those of you that are not familiar.  We would recommend that all clubs view the resources first and hold a practice meetings before holding a full club meeting.

Click here to be directed to the Zoom training portal

Additional Resources – Free Conference Call

Virtual Meeting Etiquette

Even though we are losing some benefits of in-person meetings, we are gaining practice and feedback in video communication skills. We can learn how to better manage virtual meetings; focus more on our verbal expression; and adapt our body language for the small screen. Use this document as a baseline, each club should agree upon details.

These are some of the District 13 recommendations for virtual meetings, especially with Zoom.

NEW ROLE – Appoint a Zoom Master to handle the details of running the computer portion of the meeting so the Toastmaster and others can run their roles as usual.

  • Zoom Master should display the speaker’s documents/powerpoint allowing the speaker to still be visible in his/her screen.
  • Zoom Master or VPE will schedule online meetings through platform and email links to members and guests.
  • Set up meetings to start with attendees’ audio and video off. Let them unmute when they are ready.
  • At the beginning and ending of the meeting, Zoom Master can unmute all to allow members to interact.

The Toastmaster will email out the agenda before the meeting and present it at the beginning to walk through the roles.

The Toastmaster, Table Topics Master, and General Evaluator will lead and introduce all speakers.

All Attendees:

  • MUST remain on mute when not speaking.
  • May unmute and speak after you are introduced by whomever is leading the meeting.
  • You are encouraged (but not required) to use video capabilities during speaking roles.
  • For best video, have the lighting in front of you instead of on the side or behind you.
  • If the video or audio seem to break up, then try turning video off for attendees.
  • Please do not send messages through chat to the member who is speaking (speaker, evaluator, etc) or to the timer during a speech or other timed speaking role!

Tips for Speakers:

  • You should scroll the gallery to see the timer and pin the timer’s image.
  • Use more side to side movements.
  • Use front to back movements with care. Things closer to the camera appear larger than those further away.
  • Beware of your background and how well you show up against.
  • Fast gestures may make body parts “disappear” on the video.
  • Enunciate and speak slower than in person to be sure that listeners can hear and understand.

The Timer can use one of the following options:

  • Timers can change their backgrounds to green, yellow or red using the set virtual background feature. The timer can share their screen along with the speaker sharing theirs.
  • For a set of Official TM Timing Cards, click here.
  • Type into the chat box to indicate green, yellow, and red for each speaking role. If someone is presenting their screen, they will be able to hear the dings in the chat to indicate time.
  • Timers can hold up a green, yellow or red card – include the word for each color on the card to make it more noticeable for those with poor video reception.

Tips for the Table Topics Master:

  • If the Table Topics speakers are volunteers, the Master can ask up front for volunteers. Members either respond in the chat box or raise their hand on the video. Members will be called upon in the order of the messages until time is up. (One club ended up selecting an emoji to use in the chat to indicate TT volunteer, like a 4-leaf clover for St. Patrick’s Day.)
  • If the Table Topics speakers are volun-tolds, the Master can ask the question, call on a member then the member will unmute themselves.
  • You may privately chat to the Topics Master/ballot counter with your vote for best Table Topics response.

Online Attendance Status

If your club has made the move to meet online, please indicate that in your Club Demographic section of Club Central. Click the “Yes” button for Online Attendance and then save your changes. Additionally, in the Club Contact and Meeting Information section, you may update the club’s street address and type “Online” into this field.

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Club Transition Video

By watching this specially created video, Help Transition Your Club to Online Meetings, you can glean helpful tips to ensure your club can still meet online.

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Online Club Fliers

In order to alert current and prospective members to your club’s online details, we are attaching two online fliers in PDF form that you can customize and deliver digitally.

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Virtual Meeting Tips

Looking for online meeting tips? We have created a hub dedicated to online meetings! Click here for tips and tools. Check this page often, as more information will be added regularly.

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Digital Ribbons

For fun and pride regarding your meeting’s Best Speaker, Best Table Topics, and Best Evaluator, we’ve created new digital ribbon options, too!

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Media Email Template

You can also alert all of the media outlets in your community to help grow and maintain your club members by utilizing this email template.