WordPress for Toastmasters*
This tutorial covers some hidden gems and relatively new features in the WordPress for Toastmasters agenda management system, such as the ability to assign roles based on who hasn’t done them lately and the “Agenda with Contacts” view that lets you see contact information of members in the context of who has or has not taken a role.
I presented this as a speech at Club Awesome Toastmasters in Coral Springs, Florida, where the WordPress for Toastmasters software was born.
This tutorial doesn’t cover absolutely everything, but it touches on the major menu items. The basic idea to understand is that the agenda is a document that can be viewed in multiple modes:
- A role signup form
- A meeting organizer’s view of the form for editing assignments
- A printable agenda
- A version you can send to members via email when you are trying to fill roles, showing openings on the agenda and the link to follow to sign up
Designing one of these agendas is a separate topic (see: Tutorial: Agenda Editor), which I didn’t cover here because that’s mostly a topic for the VP of Education and webmaster). This tutorial focused on functions that all members should understand.
Here is an outline of the major agenda options. Note that some options may not appear on the agenda if the related function has been disabled or access has been restricted by a website administrator.
The Suggest Assignments and Recommend options are not covered in the video.
Edit Signups – Switches the form from signup mode to editing mode, allowing the user to assign roles to other members. A meeting organizer can also adjust the number of speakers and time allowed for each portion of the meeting.
- Suggest Assignments – If enabled on your site, displays the role editing form with suggested assignments displayed in any open roles. The members without a role are picked semi-randomly, according to a formula that favors assigning members who have not done that particular role recently. A meeting organizer can accept or change those role assignments before saving the form.
- Recommend – Like Suggest Assignments, the Recommend mode uses matches members without an assignment to open roles. The difference is instead of being assigned to the role, members will receive an email notification saying that the meeting organizer has recommended them for an open role.
- Reorder – Lets the meeting organizer change the order of speakers and evaluators.
- [Date] – Displays the signup form for the chosen date.
- Edit [Date] – Displays the editing form for the chosen date.
Agenda – Click to print agenda. Or hoover your mouse to display the options below.
- Print – Click to print agenda.
- Email – Click to email agenda. You can add a note to members about volunteer needs and customize the default subject line.
- Show – Displays the printable agenda without launching the print dialog.
- Agenda with Contacts – Displays the a version of the agenda with contact information for each member assigned to a role, followed by listings of members who have marked themselves absent for the meeting and those who do not have a role.
- Speech Introductions – Displays each speaker’s speech project, title, and introduction information if recorded in the website.
- Contest Scoring Dashboard – An interactive contest scoring and judging utility, intended primarily for use by online clubs.
- Online Timer – A speech timing utility. Picks up the time requirements from the agenda.
Agenda Setup – Opens the agenda document in the WordPress editor (only displayed if you have editing rights). This is how you change the basic setup of the agenda, such as the list and order of roles.
- Agenda Setup: Template – Same as above, only you’re editing the template the meeting agenda is based on. You do this to alter your standard meeting setup.
- Agenda Layout Editor (Advanced) – Alter the format of the printable agenda.
- Agenda Sidebar – If you use the version of the printable agenda with a sidebar, this is where you change the information to be displayed on the sidebar. Useful for incorporating additional information on dues, deadlines, and upcoming special events.
Signup Sheet – Display the printable signup sheet for the next several week.
- Look Ahead Editor – Shows the role openings for multiple weeks at a time in editing mode.
Planner – Allows the individual member to sign up for open roles at multiple future meetings.
Edit Signups – switches the form from signup mode to editing mode, allowing the user to assign roles to other members
Agenda
Show
Agenda with Contacts
Speech Introductions
Contest Scoring Dashboard
Online Timer
Agenda Setup
- Agenda Setup: Template
Agenda Layout Editor (Advanced)Agenda Sidebar
Signup Sheet
- Look Ahead Editor
Planner
