My dear Toastmasters,
Where did September go? Q1 is almost over and when I look back, I’m amazed at how much our District leaders have achieved over the summer – planning, training, meeting, listening, visiting clubs and preparing for what lies ahead. And I’m extremely proud to be part of this team.
We’ve held our first District Executive Committee meeting and our first District Council meeting, both finishing on a positive note, with some learning along the way to help us keep improving. Our District Success Plan and budget have been approved, giving us a clear foundation for the year ahead.
Before District Council Meeting
After District Council Meeting
Now comes the exciting part: putting those plans into action.
Helping Our Clubs Succeed
September is an important month for our clubs too.
If your club hasn’t yet submitted your Club Success Plan, please make it a priority before 30 September and if it interests you, you can view it on the dashboard
It is one of the criteria for ensuring that your club achieves Distinguished Club status. More importantly, it helps your club agree where you want to go and how you’ll get there.
And don’t forget to renew your membership and encouraging your friends, colleagues and family to join your club by 30 September, so that your club achieves Smedley Award recognition. Every renewal counts. Behind every membership payment is you, choosing to continue your journey as a better leader and communicator as well as helping your club thrive.
Clarity Creates Action
Last Sunday, we brought our Division Directors together for a leadership session.
Yogi, our past Division Director, shared a fantastic session on Clarity and Transparent Communication on how we give clear direction, so people know exactly what is expected, what they need to do and why it matters.
It made us stop and think. We came away motivated to change the way we communicate with our Division Directors, making our messages clearer and hopefully, easier to act on. It’s about making sure people know what matters- keeping the main thing, the main thing.
District Leadership Sequence Change 2027-2028 onwards
Starting with the 2027-2028 election cycle, the District leadership sequence is undergoing a change from:
District Director → Program Quality Director → Club Growth Director
to:
District Director → Club Growth Director → Program Quality Director
The sequence is changing, however, the roles stay the same.
The District Director will remain the highest-ranking officer, followed by the Club Growth Director and then the Program Quality Director.
Under the new sequence, candidates for District Director will normally need to have completed a full term as Club Growth Director. For one transition year 2027-2028, there are exceptions in place giving current leaders a pathway to continue their leadership journey with grace.
Taking the Leap
I’ve also been enjoying visiting clubs and seeing our members in action.
It was inspiring to see John(Immediate Past President) at Toastmasters at the BBC and hear his message about keeping focused on the goal despite the multiple challenges organisations face in turbulent times. Look out for his message on why you should set up a Toastmasters club at your workplace. His message whether he will charter a club knowing what he knows now is “ I absolutely will”
At MLP London Bridge Speakers, while meeting Nick(Area Director), I took part in their Table Topics contest & won it too ϑ, where the question was: What three words describe your summer?
My answer was in three phrases rather than three words!
Moving into the stretch zone.
Overcoming limiting beliefs.
Unconditional faith.
And using this success in other situations. The last one came from something rather personal.
While in Whistler, Vancouver, I finally did something I had wanted to do for years, yet had never quite gathered the courage to do: bungee jumping.
This time, I did it. Standing on that platform reminded me that overcoming one limiting belief can give you the confidence to tackle another.
Sometimes, we just need to take the leap.
And Now… Let’s Go!
Let’s support each other.
Let’s support our clubs.
And let’s work together towards becoming a Smedley Distinguished District.
Because behind every goal is a member.
Supportive. Simplify. Sustainable.
Warm regards,
Seema Menon, DTM
District Director, District 91, 2026–27
Last Updated on 25th September 2026 by Suhas Kumar