A Toastmaster meeting should be a respite from the daily grind. With few exceptions, clubs need every dues paying member they can get. The dilemma about enforcing dress codes and language codes stems from the fear of losing a member.
When people ask the guitarist Nick Colionne why he is such a snappy dresser, his reply is "who wants to watch bum perform ? "
It's disappointing when a member shows up dressed like they just shoveled out horse stalls. Inappropriate language degrades the meeting experience even more. Attire and language selection both show how much respect one has for the event. It's one thing to tolerate casual dress. Inappropriate language ? That's easy.
Years ago on my way to becoming a "CC", it bothered me that people were showing up literally like they just came from the gym. My answer was to make a speech titled
"Overdress to Impress". Point being that you can't go wrong dressing up a notch or two even if you're off the clock. Professional speakers always dress just a tad better than their audience no matter what the classification.
I should have taken my own advice this past weekend when I went to a wake and memorial service. I was told it was casual which is par for the course here in Austin, TX. You guessed it - every other guy was wearing their Sunday best suit. Talk about embarrassing.
Striking a balance is tough. Public speaking is terrifying, so why make it more daunting to newbies who dress casually at work ? A dark T shirt and jeans are ubiquitous in I T and graphics cultures.
How does your club deal with dress codes ?