Happy New Year!

It always seems strange to say Happy New Year in July, but as the new Toastmasters year starts it seems appropriate.

As with any new year we start to plan for the year ahead and set new goals and ambitions. Many of us want our clubs to run successful and fun meetings and hope to become a Presidents Distinguished Club by June next year. Others want to grow their membership, giving them the opportunity to gain distinguished status.

7/7 is back

I am delighted to say that once again District 91 is offering club officer badges to clubs who have all seven officers trained in the first round of training.

The benefits of training: helping you succeed

To help your club succeed, Area and Division Directors are arranging a series of Club Officer Training (COT) and Training Leadership (TLI) events throughout July and August. Unlike last year when all training was online, this year both COT’s and TLI’s can be face-to-face events if there is sufficient demand. I have also asked that each division should hold a mix of face-to-face and online events to ensure that every club officer can attend training. Please let your Area and Division Directors know of your preference.

Statistics collected around the world in the past few years has shown that there is a strong correlation between the number of club officers trained at a club and the degree of success in reaching its goals in the following year. Great club hygiene helps to ensure that the club runs smoothly and meets its goals, while still offering a fun development environment to its members.

Training has already started!

I know of at least one area which held a Club Officer Training event earlier this week. Eighteen officers from four clubs attended as both they and their Area Director are keen to start the new Toastmaster year.

Last year the corporate online lunchtime COTs were an enormous success with many officers able to attend during their lunch breaks. A new season starts on Monday 4th July at 12:00. These hour-long sessions target corporate club officers and will include a high number of corporate club presenters who can share their knowledge and the techniques they used to ensure their club’s success last year. A club officer needs to attend three of the ten planned sessions to gain a training recognition which counts towards their total number of officers trained.

If there is a topic concerned with running a Toastmaster club that was not covered in your training and you would like to learn about, then please do let me know and I can arrange for an extra informal webinar session later in the year.

To register for the Corporate COT sessions please visit the D91 calendar at https://d91toastmasters.org.uk/members/news/calendar/

Once again, a Happy and successful New Year.

Diane Richardson,
District 91 Programme Quality Director 2022/23