How to set up your FreeToastHost website to get ready for Pathways.

Pathways has an unfortunate limitation in how Base Camp sends notifications to the club for level completions and other events.
It only sends the message to the club's public (find-a-club) email address, NOT to the VPE or other base camp managers (Pres, Sec), who are the ones who need to see those notifications.  Since some clubs have outdated addresses for their public contact email, the club may not get any notifications.

If your club is using FreeToastHost, there is an elegant work-around available to deliver those messages where they need to go.  (If not on FTH, see *** below).  Here are the instructions, in two parts:

Short version, for experienced FTH administrators:
1a-In the FTH admin console, first verify that officer emails are correct and that the Contact Us Form tab lists the correct officers, and
1b-Under Email and contact forms, Contact Us tab, enable "contact email".
2-In Club central, set the club contact email to the one just set in step 1.

Step-by-step version:

FIRST part, done in FTH:
The site admin needs to enable your FTH contact email.  
1. Login to your FTH club website as admin, and launch the admin console

2. Select a Module: Membership Management
2a. Verify that the email addresses for the President, VPE and Secretary are correct; update them if necessary.  Be sure to click Save, then Close when done.

3. Select a module: Email and contact Forms
3a. On the Contact Us Form, under Club Contacts for the Contact Us Form, select up to three members who are willing to take emails and possibly phone calls from prospective visitors. If you already have them, you're good.
3b. Also on the Contact Us Form tab, check the box to enable the contact email, which will be 
contact-####@toastmastersclubs.org. (the #'s will be replaced by your club number) - copy the address shown, for later use.
3c. The contact address is a PUBLIC email - anyone can send to it.  Switch to the Email Security tab and review the settings to see if you want to make any changes.
3d. Save and Close.

4. Test the contact address by sending an email to it and verifying that the listed contacts got the test message.

SECOND part, done in Toastmasters Club Central:
Change your club's public email address in Club Central to the contact email you just set up above.  Any club officer can do it, as follows:

5. Go to Toastmasters.org, then Leadership Central, then Club Central then login.  Select the appropriate club, if applicable.

6. Click Club Contact and Meeting Information
6a.  Change the Email to be the FTH contact email that was set up in FTH.
6b.  While you're in Club Central, review the other information to be sure it's correct: meeting place and address, map location, contact phone, websites, meeting days, time and frequency

7.  When you're done, don't forget to click the Submit button !

Within 24 hours, the changes will take effect.
After that, any messages from base camp to the club (such as for level completion) will be sent to the three base camp manager officers (VPE, Pres, Sec) INSTEAD OF the listed public contact emails).


*** What about clubs not using FreeToastHoast?
Every club has the same problem: base camp messages are sent ONLY to the club's find-a-club public email address, but the base camp managers (VPE, president, secretary) who need to take action are most likely not recipients.

The solution? Each club will make their own choice, but one good option is to set up a group email for the club's public email address that goes NOT ONLY to the member who responds to public queries, but ALSO the base camp managers: VPE, Pres and Secy.  
The group email should replace your club's public email address per the 'SECOND' sections above.  Google groups or gmail works for this purpose.


George Marshall, D57 Chief Pathways Guide, gdmarshall@gmail.com
Last updated 2/6/2018