Area Directors: Second Round Club Visits — Each District must establish and maintain positive, supportive relationships with its clubs. Area Directors play a critical role in creating this relationship through club visits, which are required twice a year. Second round of club visits begin December 1 and can be submitted beginning December 15. To continue to participate in the Distinguished Area Program, the Area Director must submit at least 75% of the Area Director Club Visit Report compared to the club base. Please reference the District Recognition Program guide, page nine, for more information. 

District Elections Deadlines — Do you know someone that would like to take on a leadership opportunity within the District? If so, encourage them to submit their District Leader Nominating Form to the District Leadership Committee Chair. Check with your District Director or District Leadership Committee chair to confirm the deadline to submit the form. Please refer to Protocol 9.0 District Campaigns and Elections if you have additional questions about the process. 

Club Coach Requirement Deadline — Reminder: Club coaches looking to earn District leader credit for the 2021–2022 program year must be appointed to an eligible club no later than January 1. Serving as a club coach for six months is the first of three requirements to receive District leader credit. The other two requirements are to bring the club to a least 20 paid members and Distinguished or better status on June 30, 2022.

Accredited Speaker Program — Do you know someone in your club or District who is interested in the Accredited Speaker Program? Let them know that applications for 2022 will be accepted January 1 through 31. Point them to the Accredited Speaker Program Handbook and Policy 6.1: Accredited Speaker Program to learn about the Accredited Speaker Program and this prestigious designation. 

My First Meeting Webpage — Are you looking for an easy way to explain what happens at a Toastmasters meeting to new members? Share the My First Meeting webpage with them so they are prepared to attend their first Toastmasters meeting!

Brand Resources — Looking to create your own branded materials? Start by reviewing the Brand Manual and the Brand Portal. Please file a Trademark Use Request or email brand@toastmasters.org to submit your designs for approval. To determine where to submit your request, please refer to page 27 of the Brand Manual.

The Invaluable Evaluator — For many Toastmasters, the evaluation can be almost as nerve-racking as delivering the speech. However, it doesn’t need to be. In fact, a well-prepared and shared evaluation can do more to help members reach their communication goals than any of part of the Toastmasters program. 

5 Ways to Calm the Pre-Speech Jitters — Support new or nervous speakers with these five tips for transforming anxiety into helpful energy to fuel their speeches.

Rehearse, Compete, Rinse, and Repeat — Three Toastmasters discuss the benefits and lessons learned when participating in a speech contest, no matter the level of experience.

Plan for Year-End Supply Orders — With the holidays fast approaching, it's important to place your supply orders by Thursday, December 16. All product orders placed by midnight Mountain Time on December 16 will be shipped no later than Thursday, December 23. Due to the holiday schedule and year-end inventory, all orders received after that date will begin shipping on Tuesday, January 4, 2022. This includes any orders marked for express delivery. If you have any questions or concerns, please call +1 720-439-5050, ext. 1406 from 8 a.m.—5 p.m. Mountain Time, Monday through Friday, or email supplyorders@toastmasters.org.

Be Prepared for Mid-year Training — District Directors, Program Quality Directors, and Club Growth Directors: you will be receiving additional communications about Mid-year Training, including pre-work assignments, in the coming weeks. Be sure to schedule time to complete the pre-work prior to the Core Training Days. The more prepared you are, the more you’ll benefit from the experience.