Category: Getting Started

When you are logged in, you will have access to both the same public website everyone else sees and a “backstage” Dashboard area that only logged in users have access to. You can navigate between one and the other using the black menu bar that appears at the top of the screen when you are logged in.

Regular club members will only be able to access a few functions from the dashboard, such as the screen for updating their own member profile (name, email, phone number, etc.). It also includes links to other members-only content, such as the member directory.

If you are a site administrator, you will have access to a longer menu, including both Toastmasters-specific functions and general website management functions such as customizing the theme of the website, posting blog entries, or editing the home page.

The WordPress editor organizes content into blocks representing different content types: paragraphs, headings, images, image galleries, embedded videos, and so on.

The WordPress for Toastmasters extension adds blocks specifically for meeting agendas: agenda roles, agenda notes (stage directions), signup form notes, and widgets for the theme or word of the day and for members to record planned absences. The related RSVPMaker plugin provides widgets for embedding events calendars and for customizing registration forms.

Each content type has different properties that you can edit — for example, the font size for a paragraph, the size and alignment of an image, or the number of occurrences and time allowed for a meeting role (Topics Master) or an agenda note (“Sgt. at Arms opens the meeting. Leads the Pledge of Allegiance,” 5 minutes).

The default block is the paragraph. When you create a new post, enter the title, and start typing in the main content area of the editor, you are creating paragraph blocks.

To add other types of blocks, click the + button (appears both at the top of the page and in the margin when you add a blank line).

The block selector shows a selection of frequently used blocks. If you don’t see the content type you are looking for, you can enter a search term. For example, typing “image,” “photo,” or “picture” reveals the blocks for adding a single image or a gallery images, or other relevant content types.

When working with an agenda, search on “agenda” to find the agenda blocks. If customizing an RSVPMaker form, search on “field” to find the available data entry field blocks. The available list of blocks may depend on the type of document you are working with and what plugins are active.

Inserting Between Existing Blocks

When working with text content, you can typically add a new block just by hitting enter at the end of a paragraph. However, when trying to squeeze content in between other types of blocks — for example, to add text between two images stacked one on top of another — you can use the additional + buttons that pop up when you hoover your mouse between any two blocks.

Another method that comes in handy is using the drop-down menu revealed by clicking the 3 buttons over a block. It includes “Insert Before,” “Insert After,” and “Remove Block” options.

That same button bar includes Move Up and Move Down buttons for moving any given block of content up or down.

See also this article from WPBeginner: 16 Tips for Mastering the WordPress Content Editor

The setup wizard provides access to many basic configuration options, but to further refine your website setup you should learn your way around the menus.

Set New Password

The Set New Password button appears on the Profile screen, along with options for editing your name and contact details. For administrators, Profile is a submenu under Users. Other users will see Profile as a top-level menu.

Toastmasters Settings

The officer’s listing and other Toastmasters-specific options can be accessed from the Toastmasters screen under Settings.

RSVPMaker Settings

The WordPress for Toastmasters system uses the RSVPMaker plugin for WordPress to manage events and event registration. Many options such as whether to display the timezone on events can be set here. RSVPMaker can also be configured to collect money for events using PayPal or Stripe (the Stripe integration can also used by the Toastmasters extension for dues collection).

Event Templates

Your meeting templates and any other event templates you may have created can be accessed through this screen under RSVP Events.

Event Setup

Clicking either Add New or Event Setup under RSVP Events will bring you to this screen. After entering the date and time of your event, as well as basic settings like whether to collect RSVPs (registrations), you will compose the content of your event post in the WordPress editor.

This is how you would create an event that is not a regular Toastmasters meeting, for example an open house, party, or special workshop that your club is hosting.

Events Listing

All events created so far are shown under the main menu for RSVP Events. An edit link appears beneath each individual event.

Pages Listing

The pages of your site are listed under the Pages menu. A similar Posts menu lists all blog posts. Use pages for evergreen content and posts for newsier content, like celebrating a club member’s win at a recent contest.

Edit Links on the Front End

When you are logged in with sufficient editing rights, you will see an Edit Page, Edit Post, or Edit RSVP Event on the black menu bar that appears at the top of the screen.

In the case of events created with RSVPMaker, you will also see many options for the configuration of events and related documents, such as registration forms and confirmation messages.

If an event is based on a template — as meeting events typically are — clicking on Edit Template is one way of navigating to the template, making changes, and then updating all events currently on your calendar.

The “New” Menu

When you are logged in, you will also see a menu labeled New for creating new documents.

The Setup Wizard helps speed the initial configuration of a WordPress for Toastmasters website, consolidating agenda and user account setup functions and initial configuration options that would otherwise require visiting multiple screens on the WordPress dashboard.

It consists of 3 screens:

• Meetings and Basics
• User Accounts
• Next Steps

Step 1

Used to determine

• Time allowed for meeting opening and closing activities
• Number of speakers and evaluators at a typical meeting
• Time allowed for Table Topics, if included on your agenda, and when that occurs
• Time allowed for a break, if included on your agenda, and when that occurs
• Supporting roles including in your meetings
• Whether to ask guests to register online

Step 2

Optionally, change your password. Recommended for Toastmost.org users who received a password by email.

Add accounts for a few other users who can help you test the website. Set club roles and security level as appropriate.

Next Steps

The wizard’s third screen suggests next steps you might take to create initial marketing content for your website (Edit your home page) and view the agenda and signup pages associated with upcoming meetings.

Your club website should already be usable at this point, at least for testing, but if you need to further edit the agenda or tweak the design, the Next Steps page provides pointers and links to relevant documentation.

See also: Video Demo, includes notes and screenshots of where to find these features outside of the wizard.