May 2022 Leader Letter

Save the Date! — Mark your calendars for August 17–20 to experience the quintessential public-speaking and storytelling event of the year—Toastmasters International announces its first hybrid convention, to be hosted in the “Music City” of the United States, Nashville, Tennessee. Learn more about the 2022 International Convention, which will be accessed both in person and through an online platform. Registration and additional details coming later this month.

2022 Voting Proposals — The Board of Directors is putting forth 12 proposals this year for consideration by the voting membership at the Annual Business Meeting in August. Please review the Proposals page for more information on the proposed amendments to the Bylaws of Toastmasters International and the Club Constitution.

Distinguished Toastmasters Award (DTM) Submissions — This program year, early DTM award processing is not taking place, and any roles ending on June 30, 2022 are unable to be applied to the DTM for the current program year. Applications for the Distinguished Toastmasters award can be submitted to Education Services (educationprogram@toastmasters.org) for processing. If you have questions about the Toastmasters Pathways learning experience, visit the Education Program FAQ page, or you can reach out to the Education Services team.

Grow Your Club — A great way to add new members to your club is by participating in the Beat the Clock membership-building program, which features the opportunity to earn a special ribbon and qualify for 10% off your next club order. To qualify, your club must add five new, dual, or reinstated members for May or June and pay their membership dues by June 30.

Revitalize With the Club Coach Program — If your club has 12 or fewer members, it may qualify for the Club Coach Program. If you would like one or two experienced Toastmasters to collaborate with your club on strategies to increase membership and master your club meetings, please reach out to your District leaders. Clubs wishing to have a club coach appointed on or after July 1, 2022, must follow the new eligibility requirements. More information regarding the changes to the Club Coach Program will be emailed to all club officers later this month. For questions on the program, or if your club is not in a District, please contact clubcoach@toastmasters.org.

California Clubs Tax Reminder — It's time to file your 199N California e-Postcard with the California Franchise Tax Board (FTB) for the 2021 tax year (January 1 to December 31). As California non-profit entities, clubs (including corporate clubs) are required to file a 199N electronically by May 15, 2022.

Calling All Convention Sponsors! — Toastmasters International is now taking applications for its global showcase opportunity in August. Do you think your company or club corporate sponsor might be an ideal convention prospect? Share sponsorship details with company representatives, if so, and suggest convention is an ideal venue for them to gain worldwide exposure to their brand, products, and/or services. Applications are due June 1.

Increase Your Membership for the Distinguished Club Program — The end of the program year is just around the corner! The last day to add members for the 2021–2022 program year is June 30, 2022. Keep in mind that to be eligible for recognition in the Distinguished Club Program, your club must earn at least five goals throughout the program year and meet the qualifying requirement of having either 20 members or a net growth of at least five new, dual, or reinstating members as of June 30. If your club wants to add those extra members, we suggest hosting an open house or demo meeting or conducting a Speechcraft event.

Time for Club Officer Elections! — Club officer elections can now be held for officers taking over on July 1. Information on the election process and Club Leadership Committee procedure can be found in the Club Leadership Handbook and the Club Election Videos. After the election, your Club Secretary will need to log in to Club Central and submit the revised officer list by June 30 to receive Distinguished Club Program credit. If you struggle to find volunteers, share the Role Summary for each club officer position with potential leaders.

How Are Your Leadership Skills? — Feedback is fundamental to the Toastmasters experience, so evaluation forms have recently been created to give you and District leaders the opportunity to have the same type of helpful insight that is so essential in club meetings. Discover more about the benefits of self-evaluation and group feedback for club officers and District leaders.

The Do's and Don'ts of Facebook Posts —Since its creation in 2009, the Official Toastmasters International Members Group has provided a forum for members to discuss Toastmasters, public speaking, communication, and leadership, and to gain perspectives from members outside of their clubs. Keep the do's and don'ts in mind when posting on the page or responding in the comments section.

Club Marketing Guide to the Rescue —Supplement your club's marketing efforts with tips, goals, and links to marketing tools all in one place, the Club Marketing Guide.

Online Club Tips —Some club members are more comfortable meeting remotely during these changing times. All online-only clubs can be found in the Resources section on the Toastmasters International website. Here you will find tips and tricks for club officers participating in online meetings. You can also find software information for online meetings here. If your club is hosting online speech contests, the Best Practices for Online Speech Contests is available for you, too!

Use Updated Resources —Did you know that the Toastmasters website and resources are updated throughout the year? To ensure you are using the most up-to-date version, utilize the Resource Library to download the files you need. Using the latest version of items like the Membership Application for existing clubs and the Charter Membership and Club Officer Information for chartering clubs will help your club add new members accurately and without issue.

Keep 'Em Coming Back — Many clubs put their focus on recruiting new members; but for true quality, it's critical to keep the existing ones. Read top tips for meeting members' needs and discover advice from other clubs on how to embrace new opportunities for energizing your membership.

Squeezing in More Speeches — Does your club need to mix things up? How about adding a speech-stuffed session? Many clubs are holding Speakathons (or Speech-a-thon, Speech Marathon, or Speak-out)—a Toastmasters meeting dedicated primarily to prepared speeches and evaluations. Learn more in this May Toastmaster article.

Toastmaster Articles You Can Use — Check out and share this round-up of Toastmaster magazine articles with tips and tricks for everyone! Whether you're a new member looking for guidance, a club officer in need of advice, or you're stuck trying to write your next speech—there are helpful articles you and members can turn to.

ERP Service Interruptions — The Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) platform, which will serve as the foundation for the overall digital strategy that supports the Toastmasters online experience, is preparing to unveil on May 23! With it comes exciting opportunities for the near future, including the ability for members to directly pay their dues online. To support this month's launch of ERP, some of the organization's online and back-office transactions, as well as its website availability, are temporarily suspended. Visit the Service Interruption Overview page for more details.

The Master of Promotion — When you serve as Vice President of Public Relations, you learn how to develop a publicity calendar, create more effective press releases, give better media interviews, tell more compelling news stories, and how to build branding materials. Start increasing your club's visibility and help attract visitors, all while boosting your confidence in this club officer role.

Emailing World Headquarters — Please note that you will receive an automatic email reply when you contact us at World Headquarters. We respond to emails we receive as quickly as possible in the order they are received. One way to help streamline email contacts for prompt service is to avoid including multiple World Headquarters email addresses in the same communication, as it may be categorized as spam or result in a reply not reaching you.

Zoom Discount Code — Is your club using Zoom to conduct online meetings? You may want to request a discount code for 50% off your plan. If your Club President hasn't already received a code, send an email to clubquality@toastmasters.org with your request, and you will receive your code within two weeks. If you already have your code or have questions about this program, please visit Zoom Discount FAQ.