Last week end was our first Division contest of the season, held in Bracknell. All Area winners get to compete and you can be assured of a quality event as winners get to win a place in our District final to be held In London on 1-3 May 2020. It is also an opportunity to listen so a number of educational sessions and connect with members from far and wide. Visit our District calendar to find the details of the next Division event. I look forward to seeing you there.
Our Club Ambassador programme is a friendly way to visit Clubs whilst earning point for your and your Club and get a chance to become our District Club Ambassador of the year. Why not schedule a visit when you are next in a different part of the country whether on business or simply a holiday!
Our annual District conference, London 2020, is approaching (1-3 May 2020)! Would you like to be part of history? If you want to know more and get involved, drop me a line. There are a number of roles available whether it be Finance, Marketing, Education, Sponsorship, Logistics or Registrations. Our conference Director Barry O’Connell will be sharing more information as we get closer to the event, for now save the date!
As we head into the autumn, it’s Toastmasters contest season! For all members this an opportunity to step forward and try something new; this may be as a competitor, chairing the contest or being a judge. This is the perfect chance for experienced members to mentor and share their knowledge with those taking some of these roles for the first time. An important consideration now that renewals have taken place, is checking that members are in good standing, i.e. have renewed their membership.
Thanks to all the hard-working club Treasurers, Vice Presidents Membership and Presidents that have been focussed on their club’s finances over the last month. Membership renewals have been processed thick and fast. The 20:80 challenge has proved a good one for many clubs across our District. What is it about pizza that our members love? A full list of those clubs that have achieved the reward of £50 for their pizza party will be published after the end of the renewal period.
The new club demonstration box production line has been in full swing, with the first box dispatched to Burnham Speakers (located in Buckinghamshire) ahead of their demonstration meeting on 16 October. Closely followed by Swansea Speakers demonstration meeting on 17 October. Support for demonstration meetings is welcomed, contact me if you want to get involved.
When members step forward to set up a new club, they do not do so alone. There is plenty of support available from the Club Extension Committee and experienced members. Recently, Club Extension Chair, Bob Bowes, delivered the first of the new club sponsor and mentor workshops. Thanks to all that attended. More of these events will follow.
September is always an interesting month in the Toastmasters calendar. The buzz, recognition and inspiration of International Convention slowly fade away. The final pieces of the administrative jigsaw fall in place during September with the online District Council Meeting. Finally, contest season begins in earnest in September with Table Topics & Humorous Speeches contests at the club level.
I am really proud that thanks to your efforts, the current Toastmasters year started with a bang! This year, we’ve had 100% of our District Leaders trained and a record number of Club Leaders trained at Club Officer Training. Most importantly, renewal performance is higher than last year and about 20% more members have joined our ranks compared to last year! Last but not least, nearly 350 educational awards have been submitted.
Well done you for choosing extraordinary, bravo for choosing growth!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNYj4pZ7Knk
This is only the beginning of an amazing adventure of growth and excellence. I am learning loads this year as District Director. Chairing an online meeting with nearly 150 people attending was a first for me last Saturday. I’m looking forward to receiving loads of incisive feedback during our 360° feedback exercise in our next team meeting.
You too can learn a lot this year and a great way of doing this is to set yourself a goal. If you’re a club President, resolve to build a legacy for others to build on. If you’re a club VPPR, unleash your creativity and make a name for your club in your community or company. All of you, attend meetings and set yourselves goals. Why don’t you try to finish your first pathway this year or become a triple crown by completing three levels by June 2020?
Arnaud Satre Arnaud Sartre, Program Quality Director
Returning from the International Convention made me reflect on several point:
Our organisation is now present in 143 countries which means wherever we may travel, we will have friendly Clubs welcoming us
Many Districts look up to our own District 91, testament to all our amazing members and the great work we achieve together
There is wealth of knowledge and experience right on our doorstep and across other European Districts, and I am sure they would love to visit your Club given the chance
The Summer window for Club Officer training is now closed, but rest assured the winter season is already in the planning. You may have heard the recent announcement, we will start the Winter Club officer training on 1st November, a month early! An opportunity not to be missed whether an aspiring Club officer or already elected.
I look forward to visiting many of your Autumn contests, and witness the best we have to offer for Humorous and Table Topics speeches. Fancy a new challenge? Why not say Yes to your Club and become a participant in your Club contests, with a chance to represent your Club in May for our London 2020 conference.
Talking of London 2020, why not be part of history and volunteer to help? If you want to know more and get involved, drop me a line.
And don’t forget, you have until the end of September to renew your membership and continue to benefit from our Pathways learning Programme.
The month of August for many is a time for a holiday. Each one of us will have a different idea of what holiday is best for them from relaxing on a beach, hiking through the mountains or attending the Toastmasters International Convention in Denver. What do all these have in common? The stories we can share from our summer break experiences.
As members come back to their club meetings over the next couple of weeks, I’m sure there will be plenty of opportunity to reflect on the memories of our activities during the summer. There’s bound to be something of fun that has happened with a sun lounger.
2013 World Champion of Public Speaking, Pres Vasilev
For my part, I headed to Denver for the Toastmasters International Convention. What a fantastic learning and networking experience this was. It’s an event where we have past champions of public speaking milling around, freely available for a chat!
As are the Toastmasters Board of Directors, who are all approachable to the members attending.
First Vice President, Margaret Page, DTM
2015 World Champion of Public Speaking, Mohammed Qahtani
One thing I picked up from the Convention about healthy clubs, is that “30 is the new 20”. Clubs are much more viable when they have 30 members. Think about that for a moment. For clubs that teeter around the 20 members mark, attracting new members throughout the year and retaining established members is key. Consider adding the goal of “30 is the new 20” to your club success plan.
August and September is the time of the Smedley membership drive, when clubs seek to attract 5 new members. This is a fantastic opportunity to promote your club meetings and events that you’re hosting to encourage guests to attend. Share you activities on social media and include the District’s social media links – on Facebook and Twitter that’s @ToastmastersUKI
For our members, this is the renewal period and behind the scenes all club committees are busy, particularly the club Treasurers. They are working hard to collect members’ dues and submit them to Toastmasters International World Headquarters. Why not make their lives easier and make your dues payment today?
The incentive on renewals this year is the 20:80 campaign. That means renewing at least 20 members and retaining 80% of your membership base. Pizza is the prize on offer for clubs that achieve this, so renew, retain and win!
The hard work in our District has continued through the summer. There are now three newly chartered clubs – Moodys, Zig Zag and Legacy Speakers Brixton. I am sure you will join me in welcoming these clubs to the Toastmaster family.
