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Dear ${1:`(-> (message-fetch-field "to") (mail-extract-address-components) (car))`},

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The simple version to membership is:

- Money:

The club collects a monthly membership fee of 15 €. We pay it in 6
months intervals, for the periods October-March and April-September at
90 € each. When you join as a new member, you only pay for the months
until the next period begin, in your case would you join in August, you
would pay 30 €, for August-September.

There is a one time registration fee of 25 €, to register you with
Toastmasters International. That registration is life-long and world
wide valid. Were you to join other clubs in other cities, or countries
later on in life. You would only need to pay that club's corresponding
fees, and skip the new member fee.

- Bureaucracy:

You need to fill the membership form, and send it back to me. I have
pre-filled some fields regarding the club, and its fees. Don't worry
about page 3: Payment Information. We don't take your money, you send us
your membership fees via bank transfer to the club treasurer.

The bank details are as follows:
Bank Name: Raiffeisenbank im Nürnberger Land eG
Account Holder Name: Nuremberg Toastmasters
IBAN: DE35 7606 1482 0004 3987 26
Please include your full name and "TM Membership" in the payment reference.

Once that is cleared with the treasurer. You get 2 online accounts. One
for Toastmaster International, where you keep track of your learning
path and your public speaking manuals(called Pathways). And one for
EasySpeak which is the system we use to organize each of the club
meeting roles.

If you want to join as a member at a later time(like September, October,
etc) it is OK, mention it on the membership form, do the corresponding
math to calculate your fee and pay.

You don't have a membership contract with the club, no german 2-year
contract. We don't charge your bank account for the membership fees. You
have to send us the money every half year to remain a member. If you
stop, your membership runs out. If you change cities and join other
club, you just worry about their membership, ours will run out. You
don't need to cancel anything with us.

If you want to join more than one club, maybe for more practice ours.
You will have to pay the fees of each club.

- Where does the money go?

Most of your membership fee goes directly to Toastmaster International,
to give you access to the "franchise", and all the learning material on
their website as your individual learning program (the manuals called
pathways). You also need to be a registered member to participate at the
Speech contests and conferences.

A second chunk goes to pay the German VAT,(Umsatzsteuer) that the German
Government forces Toastmasters International(TMI) to collect on the
membership fees they request. It didn't use to be like that, because we
are all simple volunteer organizations, and TMI is a US non-profit. But
since last year it became a point of "discussion" among all german clubs
and other concerned parties, and now became mandatory since July this
year, even for the german toastmasters clubs that are e.V.

The remaining money is to pay for club expenses, like the venue, those
simple drinks and snacks offered at the end of the meeting and whatever
else that we might need. The rest of the benefits are part of the club
life and we are a volunteer organization.

- Final considerations:

I consider that joining a club(any kind) requires a life style change.
You have to take time to go to the club, practice whatever it offers, at
the club and by yourself and you have to deal with the people in the
club. For that you should choose somewhere that is most compatible with
your lifestyle.

Toastmasters International is a global "franchise". In the Nürnberg area
there are some other clubs.

Noris Toastmasters      Nuremberg   www.noris-toastmasters.de
Bamberg Toastmasters    Bamberg     www.bamberg-toastmasters.de
Erlangen Toastmasters   Erlangen    www.erlangen-toastmasters.de
Nürnberger Rhetoriker   Nuremberg   www.nuernberger-rhetoriker.de
(German speaking club)

If you haven't, you should give them a try. Maybe you like their venue,
meeting schedule or people better. Or maybe not and you'll be happier
with us, in which case we'll be happy to have you as a member.

Feel free to contact me if you have any further questions.

Best regards,
Óscar
VP Membership
Nuremberg Toastmasters Club