Board of Directors Report
February 14, 2009
Toastmasters’ Board of Directors met during the week of February 9-14, 2009, and announced the results of its deliberations at an open briefing held at Toastmasters World Headquarters on Saturday, February 14. Here are some highlights of the Board’s announcements, especially regarding the status of the current governance reshaping project:
Strategic Planning Committee
The Board re-examined the guiding principles of the governance reshaping project, and presented a refined vision of the structural changes under consideration. These changes can be summarized as follows:
- Bylaws:
- A new regional map, with 14 regions/14 directors/14 region advisors
- International Leadership Committee (ILC) replaces International Nominating Committee
- Policy:
- 14 region advisors
- No regional conferences
- District officer training face-to-face at Convention and midyear (TI pays travel for both)
- E-learning year-round for district officers
- Semifinal speech contests at the Convention
More detailed information on the governance reshaping project can be found at www.toastmasters.org/future.
Marketing and Education Committee (MAE)
The Board made changes to the Speech Contest Rulebook to enable semifinal speech contests to be held at the International Convention.
- There will be nine semi-final speech contests at the International Convention in August (beginning in 2010).
- Contestants will be allowed to use any speech they choose through the semifinal round of the speech contest. Every finalist must present an entirely new and different speech for the International Speech Contest final.
- Districts will provide a list of all contestants in order of ranking.
The Board determined the need for further consistency reviews within the Speech Contest Rulebook and Speech Contest Manual.
- A future MAE Committee will review all rulebook and manual content, in order to simplify language and clarify meaning.
The Board reviewed the job description and training needs of the Region Advisor Marketing.
- Some key components of the RA training will include:
- Club building
- Membership Building, including Toastmasters’ membership contests
- Speechcraft
- Successful Club Series, Better Speaker Series and Leadership Excellence Series
- Membership and retention teams
- Effective corporate visits
The RA will help districts with marketing needs by:
- Studying the district self-assessment in May
- Based on the results of that study, assist in preparing a strategic plan for each district to deal with club building, membership growth and retention. The RA Marketing will work with the LGMs to ensure the plan is being implemented
- Utilizing the District Assistance Program where applicable
The proposed training calendar consists of:
- Face-to-face training at:
- Midyear
- International Convention
- Ongoing training throughout the year via e-learning
RAs Marketing will visit districts as approved by the International President at:
- TLI
- District Executive Committee meetings
- District conferences
- Corporate visits
District Administration Committee (DA)
The District Administration Committee focused on district reformation, district boundaries and the continuing development of the Region Advisor Marketing concept.
- The Board approved the reformation of District 51. The district split will be effective July 1, 2010. The district will elect two lt. governors education and training, two lt. governors marketing and one district governor for the 2009-2010 program year in order to support the transition year.
- The Board approved the boundary change between Districts 62 and 86. There are four clubs impacted by the U.S./Canada border that will be aligned with District 86, effective July 1, 2009.
- Finalized a Region Advisor Marketing (RA) guide which includes:
- Job description for the RA
- Process, criteria and selection to become an RA
- How RAs will directly support the districts
The RAs will work closely with WHQ to ensure each district receives the support they need.
- The Board defined the support relationship between WHQ and the Region Advisor Marketing (RA), as well as ways to maximize the RA support to districts, which includes district visits.
- The Board identified new policies to support the RA structure.
Governance and Policy Committee (GAP)
The Board finalized the proposed changes to the Bylaws of Toastmasters International pertaining to governance reshaping. Proposal A, Global Representation and Support, will be presented to the delegates at the 2009 Annual Business Meeting in Mashantucket, Connecticut. Complete information on the proposal will be included in the proxy mailing that will be mailed on March 31, 2009, to all clubs. Information will also be available on the Toastmasters Web site, at www.toastmasters.org/future. The Board of Directors recommends a “Yes” vote.
The Board drafted policy and guidelines related to the International Leadership Committee. Topics addressed include the following:
- Treating all candidates equitably during the selection process
- Training and orienting new ILC members
- Identifying attributes of effective leadership
- Providing for ongoing discussions between ILC members via an electronic forum and other methods
- Developing a transition and implementation plan
Before finalizing the policy and guidelines in August 2009, World Headquarters will conduct a survey of past Nominating Committee chairmen and members to learn about their experiences and identify best practices.
The Board reviewed the text and use of proxies and made the following changes:
- For the 2009 proxy:
- Added language to clarify the assignment and/or revocation of proxies.
- Removed the option of “abstain” as it pertains to bylaws amendments.
- Having the option of abstain on the proxy has caused confusion in the past. Some clubs have marked “abstain” because the club had no preference or knowledge of the issue, not realizing that the club is preventing the proxyholder from casting a ballot. Having the option of “abstain” on the proxy is not a legal requirement.
- For the 2010 proxy:
- Subject to the approval of Proposal A at the 2009 Annual Business Meeting, international proxies will be distributed no later than May 15 each year.
- The proxies will contain the names of candidates for international officer and international director know at the time the notice of the Annual Business Meeting is given.
Discussion will continue at future Board meetings on:
- Identifying ways to increase the percentage of proxies executed,
- Simplifying the proxy system, and
- Exploring the feasibility of electronic distribution and collection of proxy forms. District leaders spend an inordinate amount of time chasing paper proxies. The Board is looking at ways to ease the administrative burden.
Executive Committee
Bruce Tulgan, an internationally recognized expert on generational trends, leadership and management, will be the recipient of the 2009 Golden Gavel Award.
The members of the 2009 Toastmasters Audit Committee were appointed. Past International President Jon Greiner, DTM, will serve as chairman and Past International President Pauline Shirley, DTM, will serve as co-chairman. These appointments are in accordance with the requirements of the California Nonprofit Integrity Act.
A Conflict of Interest policy was adopted.
- The IRS Form 990 requires more disclosure.
- The policy is a roadmap in staying compliant with the laws.
- Using a conflict of interest policy gives TI a presumption of reasonableness when potential conflicts of interest occur.
- Board of Directors, officers, and key employees will be required to sign a disclosure statement annually.
Preliminary discussion on future TI recognition programs identified the following concepts:
- The need to emphasize and recognize quality at every recognition level.
- The desire to create strong vertical alignment within the entire recognition level.
- The emphasis on the Distinguished Club Program.
A resolution was adopted regarding disciplinary action as a result of a breach of confidentiality and unethical conduct, including revealing confidential corporate affairs of TI. When the sources of the breach are identified, disciplinary action will commence.
Nominating Committee Report
The following international officer candidates were nominated for the 2009-2010 administrative year:
For President: Gary Schmidt, DTM
For Senior Vice President: Pat Johnson DTM
For Second Vice President: Michael Notaro, DTM
For Third Vice President: Dietmar Wagenknecht, DTM
(in alphabetical order) Ralph Wallace, DTM