Hello Fellow Toastmasters!

Last year, under the superb guidance of Mary Lou Hermes as District Governor, District 78 came as close as it ever did to becoming a Distinguished District! This year, we want to make this become a reality!
The Distinguished District goal can be accomplished only one way – that is to have Distinguished Divisions and Areas. Distinguished Divisions and Areas only happen one way – to have Distinguished Clubs!
Check status of your Area and Division here: Distinguished Division/Area Report for District 78

Each level of the Distinguished Goals can be distilled into 3 simple areas of concern:

Membership – Does your club have 20 or more members? If not can you plan to succeed in having a net growth of 5 members? Check the new TM website for members to check out the “base membership” as recorded by Toastmasters International. Distinguished Club by Division/Area - District 78

Work from this base to have a net gain of 5 members! It is important, then to have your paid membership list current, especially at the October 10th and April 10th deadlines for submission of dues. If you do not have your dues submitted as of today, get them in ASAP! If only part of your membership has paid their dues, get these recorded either online or by mail postmarked no later than October 10th, and submit the rest ASAP. Check the status of your club here: October Dues Renewal Status - District 78

 It is also important to report your Club Officer List before the TI deadlines. This is an easy DCP goal to achieve. The deadlines are December 31st and June 30th if your terms are 6-months. June 30th for the majority of clubs in District 78. If you have a turnover, please update the Officer list ASAP so that notifications of Toastmasters business can be sent to the correct individuals. Club Officer List


Educational Awards – Do you have a plan for who is going to achieve educational awards in your club this year? If you plan ahead now, the VP of Education can make adjustments in the schedule to accommodate those individuals who are working towards achieving these goals. The new CL award is easy to achieve, also, if club Officers encourage the use of the manual, and demonstrate the importance of using it – it helps improve club “programming” by assisting each member to not only understand the different meeting roles, but also to participate in “outside the club” activities, such as Area Contests.
The goals are simple:
2 CC’s – I have found that in “mature” clubs, this goal can be difficult if there are no new members. However, I work not only from advanced manuals (working on my AC Gold) but also keep a “CC” manual handy and work out of it, too! Sometimes a meeting needs a “fill-in” speaker. That is when this manual can come in really handy! I am on my third CC manual. A member can complete the CC Manual once a year per club! Same with the CL Manual! (I am on my second “new” CL.) Naturally, it is a lot easier (and wiser for long-term club stability) to keep getting new members! Remember to talk about Toastmasters and what it has done for you in any conversation! This is how we get new members! Invite people to be your guest! Keep an ear out for possibilities for new clubs in your Area – maybe someone who is reluctant to come as your guest works at a place that is ripe for a Toastmasters Club! New clubs increase the awareness of Toastmasters (the world’s best kept secret for personal growth), and more awareness equals more members!
Distinguished Club By Division/Area - District 78

Be sure to recognize individuals who have achieved an educational award. Announce it at your next meeting! Area Governors – send a congratulatory e-mail to club members in your Area clubs as they achieve these goals. It is easy to check online:  Educational Achievements - District 78

Officers – Besides reporting your Club Officers timely, Training of Club Officers twice a year should be another easy to achieve DCP Goal. When I first volunteered to be a Club Officer, I had no idea what I was supposed to be doing. (Yes, I was given an officer manual, but I didn’t really read it too closely.) It wasn’t until my first Officer Training that I figured out how I could serve my club as an officer by serving the members of my club. My first position was as Secretary. I decided to make the minutes kind of funny, so I wrote little notes about the Table Topics respondents, and used the meeting theme as a “background” for my minutes. I also sent them as e-mails as soon as I had them written out. I found that writing the minutes as soon as possible helped me to remember what went on, and also to actually get them done! I have since noticed that many clubs include next week’s meeting participants in the minutes. This is a great idea! Wish I had done that!
But I digress! Officer Training is NOT just the Area Governor’s responsibility! Certainly, the AG is the key, but Club Officers with experience should volunteer to help with presentations at training, with planning the location and time of the training(s) (sometimes it works well to have a club “host” the Officers Training.) Most clubs have 7 officers. The minimum to have trained is 4, semi-annually. The training need to be done at the beginning of the officer term – that is, in the summer – complete and recorded by the end of August, and at the mid-year, as a refresher. The mid-year training can also be a “lessons learned” sharing for newer officers. This training needs to be completed December through February and recorded on the TI website. Check your club’s DCP status anytime by going to this website location:
Distinguished Club Program and entering your club number. You don’t even have to be signed in to get most of these reports!

To achieve Distinguished Area, the Area Governor also needs to get those club visits done as a minimum semi-annually. When I was Area Governor, I was tentative, at first, to attend other clubs’ meetings. Then I realized what a kick it was! I learned new things to bring back to my “home club,” and got ideas that helped me to really serve better as an Area Governor! I tell everyone that I would have made a better Area Governor the second time around! As of today, there are no distinguished clubs or Areas in District 78, but it is early in the TM year! Who will be the first? Watch it live, here: Distinguished Club By Division/Area - District 78

Divisions become distinguished when the Areas become distinguished – the requirement for Areas is 60% of clubs distinguished. (And it tends to be rounded down!) In other words, an Area with 5 clubs needs to have 3 of these become distinguished! Maybe have a friendly competition among the clubs in your area to see which will reach distinguished status first! See the action:  Distinguished Division/Area Report For District 78
 

Clubs only need 5 goals to make distinguished status! Officers Trained, Dues Renewal, Officer List submitted are 3 of these goals! Get a couple of “CC’’’s and a “CL” and you’ve made the minimum goals! This is easy! Now to make sure you have 20 members or a net growth of 5 for the year. Start looking now, and you will find that these goals will accomplish themselves (almost!) Keep your awareness on them, and they WILL happen!

Check on the performance of the entire District – see how your club is helping out!
District Performance Report For District 78

And YOU were there…!

(Me, too!)

Brian

“Your Voice IS Your Identity”

Brian Logsdon
District 78 LTG Marketing 2007-2008
"Shaping Ourselves, Shaping Our World"