Pedro Casillas (District Director)
September has been a month of Meetings and Deadlines across D91. As all members will know, during July and August, Area Directors host a series of Club Officer Training (COT) sessions for all club committee members designed to help clubs run their clubs to the best of their abilities to deliver excellent service of all are members. We have found that the clubs with most club officers trained tend to work better as a team and consequently are able to best support their members. Over the past two years we have been offering Club Officer Pins to those clubs who send 7 x 7 club officers to COT. I am delighted to list the clubs who have achieved this: Berkeley Square Speakers, Canary Wharf Communicators Club, Croydon Communicators Club, db Toastmasters – Canary Wharf, Deutsche Bank Toastmasters London, Excalibur Speakers, Experience French, Paddington Toastmasters, Stand & Deliver and The Toast Rack.
I would particularly like to recognise the excellent work that Area Director, Cat Kipling achieved in Area 9, Division L, having 4 out of her 5 clubs send 7 x 7 club officers to COT! Furthermore, she tells me that her other club would have done the same, but they are a new club with only 5 members – all 5 of whom attended COT!!!
Whilst we acknowledge the clubs who achieved the 7×7 Club officer Pins award, I am pleased to see that 19 clubs sent 6 club officers to COT; 37 clubs sent 5 and 55 clubs sent 4. I believe we are moving in the right direction in encouraging Club officers to attend COT and with the excellent help and support of our Area Directors, I look forward to seeing an even better attendance during the second round of COT in Jan/Feb 2018.
District Success Plan – Each year the DLT (District Leadership Team), if tasked with creating a District wide success plan which will enable our District to continue to grow and prosper. The DSP is made up of several goals designed to bring the maximum benefits to our members and are measured against the three main goals set by Toastmasters HQ (you can follow our progress at the Toastmaster Dashboard.
Our CGD, Florian Bay, has been tasked with two goals: 1. Club Growth (Paid Clubs) and 2. Membership Payments (the number of members who pay their Dues at least two times during the Toastmasters year). Andy Hammond, PQD, has the 3rd goal that of Distinguished Clubs. In addition, we have set out our plans for an additional goal designed to grow our leadership base over the coming years. All of these goals are supported by a District Budget which, along with the DSP, have been approved by the DEC (District Executive Committee (DLT and Division and Area Directors) before submission to Toastmasters HQ by 30 September.
Andy Hammond (PQD)
Firstly, thanks to our Area Directors who have been busy supporting Club Officer Training during July and August. While there are still a few reports to be completed, the results are hugely encouraging.
So far 121 clubs have had four or more of their officers trained – that is 78% of our active clubs! That represents some 630 Club Officers who are now better equipped to serve our members, and help them to achieve their goals this year.
A special mention to the 10 clubs who managed to get all 7 of their officers trained:
- Div Area Club
- B 29 The Toast Rack
- H 35 Croydon Communicators Club
- J 4 Stand & Deliver
- K 31 Canary Wharf Communicators Club
- K 31 db Toastmasters – Canary Wharf
- L 9 Berkeley Square Speakers Toastmasters Club
- L 9 Excalibur Speakers
- L 9 Experience French
- L 9 Paddington Toastmasters
- L 56 Deutsche Bank Toastmasters London
There was a Club Officer Training event for Corporate Clubs, hosted by Google in London, that proved extremely popular. We are planning to organise two more such events in January. If your club might be interested in hosting one of these, please do contact me.
We are now well into contest season, culminating with the District finals at Gatwick on 4th November. Do have a look at the resources page on our website, which include online judging training by our District Chief Judge, Andy O’Sullivan.
Florian Bay (CGD)
Since Strength in Numbers – Since becoming Club Growth Director, one major thing stood out to me. It is the vastness of our potential for further growth as an organisation. Down under in New Zealand, there are more Toastmasters members than in Southern Britain despite a population that’s give times smaller!
Just imagine if our organisation was five times bigger. Imagine a Toastmasters club on everyone’s doorstep, in every major organisation and five times more individuals learning to inspire and lead others! Many people say that our country needs more leaders able to inspire others. We are the answer, Toastmasters is the answer and you all have a part to play in growing our organisation further.
Here’s what you can do:
- Bring a friend or colleague with you to a meeting.
- Create club flyers and business cards to be spread all over
- Reach out to fellow members who you haven’t seen in a while and inspire them back in the club.
- Take the lead by organising and marketing a club level ‘Open Night’ to bring in new guests.
- Record testimonials from members and publish them on your club’s website.
Let’s grow forward together!
Diary dates – Clubs must send their membership renewals on Toastmasters.org club central by 1st October. Note that you will still be able to renew late renewing members during October. But you must renew a minimum of 8 members by 1st October in order to remain a club in good standing.
Also check out Florian’s inspirational and informative vlog on how to grow you club.