March 2021 Leader Letter



District News

 

Humor Webinars: Forward the Funny — Did you laugh and learn with The Humor Workshops in February? Whether you joined in live or not, you can now access Part I and Part II On Demand; please share these links on your District social media channels to highlight the value of Toastmasters, not to mention forward some funny content.

PRM Communication Plan Updates — Public Relations Managers (PRMs) should continue updating their Communication Plan throughout the 2020-2021 program year. The plan helps PRMs to stay organized, delegate responsibilities, and ensure a smooth transition for the incoming PRM. Those PRMs who haven’t started working on their plan, can access it from the Public Relations page on the Toastmasters’ website. If you have any questions or need help with the PRM Communication Plan, please email pr@toastmasters.org.

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Last Chance to Redeem a Free Path! — There are still over 168,000 free paths remaining to be redeemed by March 31, 2021—did you or your members forget to claim yours? For those of you who renewed your membership for the October renewal period by December 31, 2020, visit your Toastmasters profile, click the “Choose A Path” button, and follow the normal path selection process to redeem your free path.

Stay On Track To Be Distinguished — Ensure you reach your targeted District Recognition Program (DRP) milestones by focusing your attention and efforts where they are most needed. View the Performance Dashboard for the latest statistics on your overall District performance. DRP goals must be met on or before June 30, 2021.

Add Credit for Club Officer — Recognize club officers who attended second-round training by submitting club officer training through District Central on or before March 31, 2021. Report updates are due no later than May 31, 2021. Please check your report regularly to ensure it’s accurate. This will help the clubs in your District receive credit towards the Distinguished Club Program.

Have You Completed Your Area Director Visit Report? — Submit an Area Director’s Club Visit report through District Central on or before May 31, 2021 to receive credit toward the Distinguished Area program. We encourage you to visit your clubs four times during the program year to ensure clubs are well supported. Remember that your support affects the future of clubs in the Area and empowers officers and members alike to achieve their goals. If you would like to reacquaint yourself with club visits, please reference Serving Clubs through Visits: A Guide for Area Directors.

Help Clubs Maintain Good Standing — All clubs without eight paid members during the October 2020 renewal period have already received an email informing them they are no longer in good standing. Ensure membership dues payments for the next renewal period are submitted by March 31, 2021 to keep clubs in good standing. If clubs in your District are struggling with membership, consider offering them a Club Coach if they qualify.

New Club Incentive — All new clubs that organize through June 30, 2021, will be granted its charter fee (125 USD) and the new member fees (20 USD per member) waived. To qualify, new clubs will need to pay the 45 USD membership dues for each charter member, along with the prorated amount for the next renewal cycle (April 2021 for clubs organizing through March, or October 2021 for clubs organizing April through June), and fully complete the charter process by June 30, 2021. Any questions regarding this incentive can be directed to newclubs@toastmasters.org.

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Speechcraft Webinar: Recording Now Available! — If you missed the informational webinar for District leaders, watch the recording to learn more about the new Speechcraft digital experience from the experts who helped create it. The presentation includes a demonstration of Speechcraft content, marketing tips, and a Q&A. You will also get guidance on how to support clubs in hosting a quality Speechcraft that adheres to Toastmasters policy and protocol.

Where in the World is Richard? — International President Richard E. Peck has so far visited 80 countries during the International President World Tour! Follow his journey as he virtually visits every country with a club by viewing this interactive map.

New Member Experience Survey — How well do clubs in your district treat its newest members? Encourage clubs to give this survey to new members 30 days after they have joined. They can then gather the feedback and use it to close gaps and improve the club’s welcome experience.

Leadership Self Evaluations — New resources are available to help you in your leadership journey. District leader self-evaluation forms are now available! Use these evaluations in your District to help track leadership growth and close previously missed gaps.

360-Degree Evaluations — Another exciting leadership development tool, 360-degree evaluations, are now available for District leaders! These evaluations allow for peers to evaluate leaders and aid in their leadership development. Download these evaluation resources and learn how you can implement them in your District!

Find the Right Speakers — One of the most important aspects of planning your conference is selecting educational speakers. Here are a few guidelines to help you get started.

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Zoom Fatigue, Be Gone! — Online meetings: First they were challenging, then fun and exciting, and then, for some, the monotony set in. Luckily, you can counteract that. Read some tips to keep your virtual meetings fresh and fun, to keep growing and improving, and to keep your members coming back.

Learning to Evaluate Everybody — Don’t be intimidated by title or tenure; both new and advanced members benefit from honesty. Here is advice to help you build the confidence you need to evaluate even the most advanced speakers in your club.

Speechcraft Gets an Update — Speechcraft® is like Toastmasters 101—a chance for clubs to teach what is essentially a course on public speaking. As durable as Speechcraft has been, it needed modernizing. Learn how a digital component and Pathways connection highlight the revision.

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Get Excited for 2021 Online Convention! — The Board of Directors recently decided to conduct an online convention August 23-28, 2021; as a result, the previously announced in-person convention in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. will not be taking place. Last year’s first-ever online convention brought together more than 59,000 registrants from 203 countries; astonishingly, nearly 90% of last year’s online convention-goers were first-time attendees. This year, the goal is to stay safe, while expanding on the attendance, education, and excitement of last year’s convention—making it one of the best Toastmasters experiences of all time! Stay tuned for upcoming 2021 convention details.