My dear Toastmasters,
As August draws to a close, I am filled with pride and gratitude for all the work that has taken place across our District this month. Today, on 30 August, our Division Directors came together in true collaboration to deliver a Last Chance Club Officer Training (COT) – giving every club officer ample opportunity to train and step into their roles with confidence.
With the first round of training finishing on 31 August, I want to extend heartfelt thanks to our Area Directors, Division Directors, presenters, zoom masters, timers and most importantly, to every club officer who took time out to train. Your efforts ensure that members gain value, goals are achieved and members see value in the programme. Together, you are building the foundation for success.
Club Success Plans – Leading the Way
I’m delighted to share that 53 clubs have already submitted their Club Success Plan (CSP). This is a fantastic achievement and a strong sign that these clubs are on track to become distinguished, especially as the Club Success Plan is a mandatory requirement this year.
The District deadline is 7 September 2025 and all clubs who submit by then will be part of our Program Quality Incentives (details coming soon!).
A special shout-out to our first two clubs in the District to achieve 6 goals in the Distinguished Club Program:
- Sustainable Speakers
- City Limits Speakers
Both online clubs, and both have already submitted their CSP – well done for leading the way!
Contest Season Begins
Next, we look forward to contest season!
- We’ve already hosted contest drop-in sessions with our Chief Judge and will continue these through September, with support from experienced Toastmasters.
- Whether your club is running contests for the first time or wants to elevate the member experience, help is at hand.
- Clubs that conduct contests will also be incentivised
📌 Save the Date: District Humorous Speech Contest & Table Topics Contest will be held in London on 23 November 2025.
Club Visits – Support in Action
Thank you to our Area Directors, who are out visiting clubs and sharing insights. Already, we’ve had 17 club visit reports, with the very first received from Area Director, Kelvin Lam for his visit of Bath Spa Toastmasters in July.
These visits are key to helping every club excel and you can expect your Area Director to connect with you soon, supporting your club’s next level of growth.
Pathways Enhancements
Exciting news! From October 2025, Pathways will be further enhanced to include Successful Club Series, Better Speaker Series and Leadership Excellence Series. Select advanced manuals will be integrated into Pathways. This is a great time to engage with Pathways.
Celebrating Achievements
Please join me in congratulating:
- Our new Distinguished Toastmasters:
- Barbara Saph, DTM (District Alignment Chair, Salisbury Online Speakers), July 2025
- Rupa Datta, DTM (District Parliamentarian, Wembley Stadium Speakers), August 2025
- Our Triple Crown winners for the months of July & August:
- Leo Shkembi (City Limits Speakers)
- Abhijeet S Rajadhyaksha (Hamwic Speakers)
- Tundie Berczi (London Olympians)
- Kevin Harrington (Reading Speakers)
- Marc Lottig (Sustainable Speakers)
- Anis G Rezaei (Sustainable Speakers)
Mentorship Matters
“Everyone needs a mentor. A mentor is someone who sees more talent and ability within you, than you see in yourself and helps bring it out of you.”
We will be launching our Mentor Buddy program in September, reaching out to mentors across the District for support. Look out for details soon! I had the privilege of seeing my own mentor, Jean Gamester, get elected as the 2nd Vice President at the Toastmasters International Convention in Philadelphia.
Looking Ahead
In September, we will announce this year’s incentives, ensuring that every club, whether with fewer than 12 members or more than 40, has the opportunity to benefit. We’re also excited to launch our District’s Ditch the Nerves podcast and introduce amazing tools to create contest posters and certificates this September. So many exciting things are coming your way, all powered by the awesome hard work of our very own D91 Toastmasters behind the scenes!
As we step into September, we will face challenges and setbacks along the way. But by supporting each other, leading with courage and moving forward together, we will achieve not only our individual goals but also our shared District mission. I want to leave you with the words of Rocky Balboa: “It ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.”
With gratitude,
Seema Menon
Program Quality Director 2025-26
District 91 Toastmasters
Last Updated on 31st August 2025 by Allen Paul