As we welcome the new year, there’s plenty to anticipate and prepare for in 2025.
Here’s what’s coming up:
Club Officer Training
Effective leadership is key to a successful club, and our Club Officer Training sessions are here to help you grow as a leader. If you’re a club officer, don’t miss this opportunity to enhance your skills and knowledge. Please check the district 91calendar for upcoming training or contact your Area Director should you have any questions. Calendar of Events – Toastmasters UK South – District 91 Members
For corporate club officers who couldn’t attend the November sessions, or could only attend in part, a final training opportunity will be available in February. Be sure to take advantage of these to equip yourself for a productive year ahead.
Further details below:
The Road to Distinguished
Is your club on track to achieve Distinguished status this year? The Distinguished Club Programme is a valuable roadmap for club success, but it takes consistent effort and teamwork to stay on course. Now is the perfect time to review your progress, align your goals, and ensure you’re meeting the needs of your members. Let’s work together to make 2025 a standout year for your club!
International Speech and Evaluation Contests
The excitement of contest season is just around the corner! Start preparing for this year’s International Speech and Evaluation Contests. Whether you’re competing or supporting your club’s contestants, it’s a chance to showcase and celebrate public speaking excellence.
To kick off the season, join our District Chief Judge, Arnaud Sartre’s webinar on Sunday, 19th January 2025. Gain valuable insights and guidance to ensure your contest experience is both rewarding and successful. Further details below:
Mark your calendars for the highly anticipated 2025 District 91 Conference taking place from 2-4 May 2025 at the Radisson Red Heathrow. It’s set to be an inspiring weekend of learning, networking, and celebration.
Tickets go on sale later in January, so be sure to secure yours early! Additionally, the “call for speakers” is now open! Don’t miss your chance to share your expertise with a wider audience. Follow this link to learn more and apply: https://forms.gle/wLRSC3KFM5Z9YpXx8.
Let’s make 2025 a year of growth, achievement, and community. We look forward to seeing you at these events!
Yours in service,
Debbie Williams, DTM
Program Quality Director 2024-2025
District 91
What a fantastic month it has been! A huge congratulations to all the winners of the Humorous Speech and Table Topics Division Contests. Your success is an inspiration! A special shoutout goes to all participants who took on the challenge and achieved personal growth, your efforts and courage are commendable. To all the functionaries and helpers who made these contests run seamlessly, thank you for your dedication and teamwork. We look forward to seeing all winners at the District contests taking place at the Distict 91 Conference.
Conference Update
I am thrilled to introduce the D91 Conference Director for 2 – 4 May 2025 is Bolu Olubajo. Bolu is a member of Holborn Speakers and looks forward to formulating and leading the conference team for a successful conference. Find out further details about Bolu and see the announcement of the conference venue here.
Club Officer Training
We were treated to an incredible lineup of speakers at our recent Corporate Club Officer Training. From exploring Pathways to learning how to maintain momentum and stay focused, the event was packed with actionable insights. A heartfelt thank you to Christine Lennon DTM, Marc Lottig DTM, Andrew Tsuro DTM, Pat Johnson DTM PIP, and Morag Mathison DTM, for sharing their expertise and facilitating these outstanding sessions.
If you missed out, don’t worry, further training opportunities for all other club officers will be available now through to the end of February 2025. Don’t miss your chance to learn and grow.
Incentives We’re delighted to announce the winners of the Club Success Plan incentive! This initiative encouraged clubs that were not distinguished last year to submit a club success plan for this year. Congratulations to the following winners:
07814710 LSBU
05042742 Deutsche Bank Toastmasters London
07084351 Worcester Speakers
03105854 Malvern Speakers
07850144 Verizon EMEA Online
Your dedication to planning for success sets a strong foundation for achieving your goals this year.
Here’s to a joyful and successful festive season—wishing you a very Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year, and continued success in the months ahead!
Time moves fast, and as we move into the second half of our Toastmasters year, there’s a lot on the horizon to prepare for and celebrate! Here’s an update on upcoming training, new tools, recent contests, and some important updates on club incentives.
Club Officer Training Round 2: Strengthen Your Leadership Skills
Round 2 of Club Officer Training (COT) is just around the corner, offering a valuable opportunity to refresh your skills, exchange ideas, and prepare for the second half of the year. The training period starts on 1st November 2024 and ends on 28th February 2025. Attending COT sessions is an invaluable step toward club success. Let’s come together, learn, and prepare for a strong finish to the year. All details will be posted in the district91 calendar.
A lot of work goes into arranging club officer training, and we’re pleased to offer specialized sessions just for our corporate clubs. Behind the scenes, someone has been working tirelessly to tailor this training for corporate club officers. Please join us in welcoming the District 91 Corporate Club Training Lead, Jill Segal, who has been instrumental in crafting a relevant and impactful program for our corporate clubs. Jill’s dedication and insights will make a meaningful difference for our corporate club officers this year. Read further about Jill here.
In the meantime, please see below details of Corporate Club Officer Training taking place next month.
New Base Camp: Elevate Your Pathways Journey
In major news, Toastmasters International recently launched the newly redesigned Base Camp platform, which brings an improved, streamlined experience for all members working in the Pathways program. The updated platform allows for smoother navigation, making it easier to track your goals, complete projects, and find resources as you progress. If you haven’t had a chance, log in to explore these updates — your learning journey just got even better!
Celebrating Club-Level Contests: Congratulations to All!
A heartfelt congratulations to all clubs who have held their Humorous Speech and Table Topics contests so far. We’ve seen some fantastic speeches and quick-witted responses, highlighting the talent and skill across our district. Thank you to every participant, judge, and contest official who made these contests possible. Now, as we move to the Area and Division contests, we invite everyone to show their support by attending and cheering on contestants as they represent their clubs.
Club Success Plan Incentive: Update and Apology
I’d also like to extend my sincere apologies for the delayed notification regarding the incentive for submitting Club Success Plans. I understand that many of you have been eagerly awaiting this announcement, and I regret the hold-up. Unfortunately, some of the information is incomplete, which has prevented me from finalising the list of winners. Please know I am working to resolve this and hope to make an announcement very soon.
District 91 Conference 2-4 May 2025
Please save the date and register your interest now to stay updated with the latest news, ticket details, and opportunities to attend or volunteer at the D91conference!
It’s been a busy and productive month filled with club officer training, preparations for the contest season, and much more. As we look ahead, I’d like to focus on key updates to help you prepare for what’s coming next.
Pathways Update
The below message from Toastmasters International highlights an important transition ahead that I want to bring to your attention:
Base Camp Outage (October 9th-25th, 2024): To facilitate the transition to a new system, Base Camp will be inaccessible from October 9 until October 25, 2024, for critical platform testing. If you’re currently working on a project or plan to during this period, please download any necessary materials or wrap up outstanding tasks beforehand. Below are key items that will not transfer to the new system, so make sure to act if these apply to you:
Feedback on Base Camp: If you have feedback you’d like to keep, whether it’s constructive criticism or words of encouragement, take a screenshot or save the text elsewhere.
Documents in My Documents: Download any uploaded files you wish to retain. Once the new Base Camp is live, you can upload them again.
Assess Your Skills Activity: This feature will be redesigned in the new system. If you’d like to retain your responses, take a screenshot or save them separately.
Understanding Your Leadership/Communication Style Projects: The answers to these questionnaires won’t be transferred. Be sure to capture your results if you’d like to keep them.
Story Collection Tool (Engaging Humour Path): Save any information recorded here by copying and pasting it to another document before the transition.
Meeting Roles: Save a record of any meeting roles you’ve logged in Base Camp.
Completion Certificates: Certificates won’t transfer, so download copies of any you’ve earned.
Additionally, to ensure your educational progress is fully up to date, please ask your club officers to approve and submit any pending Level completions via Club Central before October 9. T
The new system promises to be more user-friendly and will feature training videos to help you navigate the changes.
Contests
For those of you who missed the recent webinar on contests with our District Chief Judge, Arnaud Sartre, you can catch up by watching the recording here:
In the meantime, here are some general FAQs that may help clarify any queries you may have:
All contests at Area, Division and District Level will be held in person only.
A Note on Eligibility: A contestant competing in, for example, the Table Topics contest is not eligible to hold a contest official role (e.g. judge) within the same contest type in which they will be competing. They would not be able to compete if they were a judge for the same contest type in a different area. It would be fine if they were competing in Table Topics and a judge for the International Contest. However, if a contestant were the judge for the same contest type that they would be competing in, they would be disqualified from competing as they no longer meet the eligibility requirements listed on page 7 of the Speech Contest rulebook.
For clubs who would like additional general training, please connect with your Area Director to arrange further sessions. In the meantime, here is a link to ClubOfficer Tools—which has further information on roles, tutorials, resources, and more for club officers.
Save the Date – District 91 Conference 2nd-4th May 2025
Mark your calendars! The winner of each Division contest will compete in the District Contest at the District 91 Conference in May 2025. This exciting event will take place in London, with the venue to be confirmed soon. If you’re interested in supporting the conference, perhaps as part of a High-Performance Leadership project, please get in touch. There will be plenty of roles available for those who want to get involved and make the event a success. In the meantime, check out this video of me looking at venues – the fun has started!
Thank you for your ongoing dedication and enthusiasm. Let’s continue working together to make this a remarkable year for District 91.
As we embark on a new Toastmasters program year, it’s the perfect moment for reflection and goal setting. This is an ideal time to conduct a “Moments of Truth” (MOT) session—a tool that helps clubs assess their strengths and identify areas for improvement. By engaging in this structured evaluation, you can discover the best aspects of your club and pinpoint opportunities for growth. My focus this month will be on education, and how we can all use these insights to drive our personal and collective success.
Harnessing the Power of Education
Our vibrant learning community offers a structured curriculum with clear milestones, providing us with the tools to measure our progress and set ambitious goals for the months ahead. This period of renewal presents the perfect opportunity to assess our Toastmasters journey so far and to map out new objectives that will propel us to even greater heights. Remember, we’re in it together, supporting each other every step of the way.
One of the first steps you can take is to confirm your enrolment in Pathways with your VP of Education or Secretary. If you’re already enrolled, challenge yourself to complete at least one level of your path this year. Pathways offers a wide range of competencies, from public speaking and leadership to strategic planning and project management. The online platform is designed for flexibility, allowing you to progress at your own pace and fit learning into your schedule. By participating in various meeting roles, you can refine your skills and gain practical experience in a supportive environment.
In It Together: The Importance of Training
Training plays a crucial role in our growth as both individuals and club members. It equips us with the knowledge and tools necessary to excel in our roles, ensuring that we can effectively support our clubs and fellow members. The knowledge and skills gained through training are not just for personal development—they are essential to the health and success of our clubs. I would like to extend my gratitude to all the club officers who have recently attended training. Your dedication to honing your leadership skills is invaluable to the success of your clubs and our district.
The Importance of Submitting an Education Award
Submitting an education award is not only a personal milestone but also a significant contribution to your club’s success. Here’s why it matters:
It recognizes your hard work and progress, boosting your confidence and encouraging further development.
Each education award submitted helps your club meet its Distinguished Club Program (DCP) goals, which are crucial for the club’s overall health and recognition.
Your achievements can inspire other members to pursue their goals, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and support.
Helping your club achieve Distinguished status enhances its reputation, attracting new members and retaining current ones.
For VPE’s there is a special webinar on Sunday 1st September providing top tips on submitting education awards.
Upcoming Webinars
This month, we have several webinars lined up, detailed in our District Calendar of Events. Topics include:
Submitting Pathways Education Awards
Membership Renewals
Contest Masterclass – (how to run a successful contest)
Speechcraft
…. And more!
All webinars take place on Sundays at 5pm. I encourage you to check the D91 calendar for the full program of events and take advantage of these learning opportunities.
Contests
In January 2024 the Toastmasters International Board of Directors announced that all contests from the Area Level must be held in person only, removing the previous exceptions to allow a remote option, which has been in place since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Club contests can be held in any format (e.g. online, hybrid, in-person). This decision only affects contests from Area level upwards.
While insisting that all contests must be in person, they have given the option to run an online speech contest, which can run all the way to the District level. However, the board did not increase the number of contests available, meaning that we can still only run a total of 4 English speaking contests.
A consultation process started on 16th July where Area Directors were asked to consult their clubs for feedback on whether we keep the same contests or remove the Humorous Speech contest to accommodate an online contest.
The District Executive Committee (consisting of the District Leadership Team, Division and Area Directors) will be making a decision regarding the contests that will run during this program year on 1st September 2024, which will take into consideration the feedback received during the consultation. We will then write to all clubs shortly after this date.
Could You Be Our Next Conference Director?
Are you curious about what it takes to be a Conference Director? In our exclusive interview with five former Conference Directors, we explore the challenges and rewards of this role. If you’re interested in submitting a bid to host our next conference or would like more information, please get in touch.
As we commence this new Toastmasters year, let’s seize the opportunity to reflect on our journey and set ambitious goals. Whether you’re exploring Pathways for the first time or aiming to achieve new educational milestones, now is the time to take proactive steps towards personal and professional growth. Each step you take not only enhances your skills but also contributes to the success and vibrancy of your club. Let’s support each other in reaching new heights and making this year our most successful yet. Remember, we’re in it together!
Warm regards,
Debbie Williams
Program Quality Director, 2024-2025
P.S. I’ve just enrolled in a new Pathway! If you have too, let me know—let’s embark on this journey together! I’m looking for an accountability buddy!
