Susan Rayner

Club Finances

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Message from Meg Heyworth, District 91 Finance Manager

Tax, Legal Requirements, Club Financial Term and other matters

Questions arising from club queries are welcomed by the finance team.  A recent query was raised by Elizabeth, a club treasurer in District 91, enquiring if there was any particular accounting year end that club Treasurers should use.  The answer from WHQ was that club financial years should run from 1 January to 31 December.

She commented that their club use 1 July to 30 June to fit in with the Toastmasters year.  Meg sent on this query to her contacts at WHQ who sent this answer “To answer your question about the term year, district finance and related bank accounts are handled within the regular term year, July to June.  However, club finances are handled and transferred during the regular calendar year.  This is mainly due to IRS tax reporting and is something we cannot control.”

Perhaps UK accounting qualified members could let us know if they agree with this ruling as it is the responsibility of the individual clubs to determine the tax filing or other legal requirements in their city, state, province, and/or country, and to file proper forms as appropriate.  Failure to comply with tax or other legal requirements may result in the revocation of a club’s charter.

WHQ also commented on the Club Treasurer section of the Club Leadership Handbook, which says that “operating a club bank account is not a requirement, but if the club decides to operate an account it is the club treasurer’s responsibility to turn over all financial records for the club at the end of the calendar year, this includes changing signers on the bank account.  We understand that changing signers once a year can be cumbersome, but this is a control that is set by policy and having ‘senior members’ as designated signers over one year is not allowable.”

If any Treasurers have any other questions that they wish answered then do contact Meg who is happy to assist in finding the answers.

 

A testament to the value of the Youth Leadership Program

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From  Andrew P Bennett DTM District 91 Youth Leadership Adviser, 2014/15 District 91 Toastmaster of the Year

Youth Leadership - Toastmasters InternationalFellow Toastmasters I can remember taking on my first club Presidency and wanting to contribute something of lasting value that other members could then mold and build upon as time progressed. I think we all, be it as club member or officer, are working towards both our personal growth goals and the continued long term development of our clubs, areas,divisions , districts, taking the communication and leadership skills we gain at Toastmasters International out into our daily lives. communities, the world ……….we can and do make a difference!

One aspect of our Toastmasters Program that is definitely making a difference, especially in District 91, is our commitment to the Youth Leadership Program which is inspiring young people in schools and colleges. That is why I am encouraging you today to choose your favourite tea or coffee and sit down for five minutes to read a remarkable post from Paul Olaiya who gave a speech during ballot counting at Tower Conference in May 2015.

It is time for us to feel both humbled and very proud that through the commitment of our District 91 Toastmasters giving their time and skills as YLP Coordinators we are making a difference to young people’s lives. They are delighted to learn and taking their new found skills with them through continuing education and ……out into the world!

Enjoy reading of Paul’s experience ………https://oasessite.wordpress.com/2016/02/13/leadership-gravitates-to-the-one-who-can-talk/

PR Publications Service – Call for Quotations

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PR Publications Service – Update

Following discussion at the District Executive Committee in September and November, this February we published a call for quotations for the PR publications service on behalf of both Districts 91 and 71.  By the closing date of the 25th of March we had received four proposals from prospective suppliers.  Having reviewed those proposals, the leaders of both districts agreed to re-appoint Panpathic Communications for the period 2016-19, subject to annual renewal.

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Toastmasters UK and Ireland (Districts 71 and 91) are seeking a supplier to deliver a public relations publication service for the period beginning July 2016 for three years, subject to annual renewal.

The following document; UK and Ireland D91 and D71 PR Publication Service Requirement, describes the requirements for the service and provides information about Toastmasters International. It also provides the questions we would like to have answered in any quotation for the service.

The closing date for quotations is the 25th March, 2016.

May 7-8 Spring 2016 Londinium Conference – update

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Keynotes, Contests, Councils and Elections
Come and see our District International Speech and Evaluation Finals!

Date: 7 -8 May 2016
The Grange City Hotel, 8-14 Coopers Row, London EC3N 2BQ (close to the Tower of London)

Spring 2016 Londinium Conference Highlights:

Saturday 7 May Keynote – David Taylor The Naked Leader

 

Sunday 8 May Keynote – Mohammed Qahtani, 2015 World Champion of Public Speaking

 

Buy Tickets :
HURRY!! EARLY BIRD OFFER ENDS 29 FEBRUARY 2016
Click the button below to buy your tickets for Spring 2016 Londinium Conference

Saturday 7 May 2016
09:15 Mohammed Qahtani “The Other side of Toastmasters”
14:00 Max Ridder Patrick “Struggling Clubs/State Street revival
14:00 Elizabeth Toohig “Table Topics”
14:50 David Taylor “Keynote speech”

Sunday 8 May 2016
10:20 Bret Hollywood “Personal Branding”
10:20 Florian Bay/Andrew Bennett “Youth Leadership Program”
11:30 Maria Deegan “Visual Aids”
11:30 Ciaran Moore “Leadership/REP”
12:15 Eric Skates “Mentoring”
13:55 Mohammed Qahtani “Keynote Speech”

And much more….

  • Speech Contest Finals
  • Evaluation Contest Finals
  • Workshops, Keynotes & After Dinner Speakers
  • Election of new District Officers
  • Networking Opportunities
  • Tasty lunch, Gala Dinner & other entertainment

Date:  7- 8 May 2016

Buy Tickets :
HURRY!! EARLY BIRD OFFER ENDS 29 FEBRUARY 2016
Click the button below to buy your tickets for Spring 2016 Londinium Conference

Contact us:
Email: info@springconference2016.org
Facebook: Spring2016LondiniumConference
Twitter: @SpringLondiniun

Youth Leadership – one coordinator’s experience

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The Toastmasters Youth Leadership Program (YLP) is a workshop consisting of eight one- to two-hour sessions that enable participants to develop communication and leadership skills through practical experience. The YLP is presented during or after school. 

A local Toastmasters club serves as sponsor and provides a coordinator to present the program. The individual coordinator attends each meeting, where he or she will lead most of the presentations and counsel participants. The school provides a member of staff to support the sessions and to follow up with the young people between sessions.  YLPs have also been run at Youth Centres.

Our most recent YLP in London

Florian Bay was the coordinator for the most recent YLP that has been sponsored by a club in London. We asked him to tell us about the experience and what he had learned.

YLP Hilde and Florian

Q: How did you get involved in Youth Leadership?

A: It began with a phone call from a fellow club President who suggested I’d be a good person for this challenge. I‘d previously been made aware of Youth Leadership by one of my mentors Andrew Bennett (our District 91 Youth Leadership Adviser) but did not take the lead in coordinating a project, until that phone call.

Q: What were the objectives for the school for the YLP?

A: The school’s objectives were linked to the IBCC/Career Ready programme aimed at providing middle-achieving young people with transferable skills that can be used in the workplace.

Q: Toastmasters is about teamwork: who was involved?

A: Canary Wharf Communicators sponsored the YLP and provided the equipment to get it running. Visiting Toastmasters running educational sessions were Catherine Casale, Elizabeth Toohig and David Marks.

The key contact at the school was IBCC/Career Ready coordinator Hilde Lewis. Her help was invaluable in making the programme a success. She helped by highlighting the value of the skills the students could learn from the YLP; supporting each session as well as following up with students in between sessions.

Huge credit must go to the student committee itself. The committee members quickly made use of the tools provided to them, primarily spreadsheets, and liaised with Hilde to ensure that roles were filled.

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