Are you setting a goal for yourself, your club, your Area, your Division? If not, why not? Let’s set a goal together! Where do we want to be by the end of this Toastmaster Program year? What needs to be done to reach that goal? Make it achievable, do-able and attainable. Put the steps in place, and work the plan.
Club Officers: YOUR CLUBS CAN BE DISTINGUISHED THIS YEAR! To become Distinguished, clubs must meet the following requirements: Earn a minimum of 5 DCP (Distinguished Club Program) points and have a membership of “Charter Strength (20) or a net gain of 3 members” by the end of the Toastmaster Program year. This new change from 5 to only 3 members is effective immediately, and runs through the program year 2023-2024. This change makes it easier to become Distinguished! Let’s take advantage of this!
Pathways is here to stay, so instead of saying “we can’t”, “we don’t want to” or members giving speeches and no one getting credit for them, let’s embrace Pathways and take advantage of what it has to offer. Take a few minutes to have someone show members how to get into the Pathways site, how to sign on and choose a path. It’s really not nearly as difficult as it may appear. A few clicks here and a few clicks there…. do it once or twice and then you’ve got it down. We have a Pathways Chair who can assist whenever needed! There is Pathways training available twice a month, where hands-on assistance can be shared. There is no reason for members to give speeches and not get “credit” for them! Working towards a DTM? Then you definately want to keep track of the levels and paths completed. The members earn awards and the club gets credit when members reach level goals and complete a path. It’s a win-win for everyone! Even if you are giving speeches, simply to give a speech, and not interested in earning “credit” for it, why not take that credit anyway and help your CLUB become Distinguished?! I believe that many clubs have missed out on becoming distinguished because members are giving speeches and not having them submitted as completed/earned levels.
To become Distinguished everyone in the club needs to work the program!
Here are some tips to help your clubs become Distinguished:
- Set a goal to have all the members of your club 100% Pathways enrolled by the end of October.
- Assign experienced members as mentors to new members.
- Assist all new members to enroll in Pathways and choose a path, as soon as they become a member.
- Encourage members to give speeches where they get credit on their chosen Pathways paths.
- Work with the members to get their speeches and projects confirmed as complete as required.
- Work on membership building- it’s important to have no “net loss” in membership, and a membership count of at least 20 (Charter strength) or a net gain of 3 by the end of the Toastmasters program year.
- Make sure the meetings are fun and inviting, so that all members and guests want to return again and again.
- Invite guest speakers from other clubs to engage the members and share thier experiences and stories.
- Invite the Pathways Chair to attend a meeting and share and answer questions.
- Challenge your members to bring in guests and new members.
- Hold “Open Houses” or special events and invite people from the local community.
- Lead your meetings by example: Have fun, be encouraging, share your enthusiasm with others!
By doing theses things, your clubs will grow in membership, in active participation and in achieving success. Let’s help our members to help our clubs – so everyone can be on their way to Distinguished!
