May 2023 Leader Letter

Sign up for a Sea of Possibilities — Register now for the 2023 International Convention, a hybrid experience taking place August 16-19 in beautiful Nassau, Bahamas at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar Resort. Catch the wave of inspiration through live and livestreamed sessions and festivities.

Share the Convention Sponsorship Opportunity — Companies and corporate sponsors who showcase their goods/services at the Toastmasters International Convention have to opportunity to engage with a professionally-minded global audience. At the 2022 Convention, 25% of attendees even self-identified as being a primary decision maker at work! Share the sponsorship information with your professional contacts whose companies would benefit from being a convention sponsor. Email inquiries are due to corporaterelations@toastmasters.org by June 1.

Distinguished Toastmaster Award (DTM) Submissions — Applications for the DTM award must be submitted to Education Services (educationprogram@toastmasters.org) for processing; they cannot be processed in Club Central. Submissions for the 2023-2024 program year will not be processed until the current program year has been finalized.

Revitalize With the Club Coach Program — If your club has 12 or fewer members and would like an experienced Toastmaster or two to help with strategies to increase membership and master your club meetings, reach out to your District leaders about the Club Coach Program. Any club that is appointed a club coach on or after July 1, 2023, will need to follow the new eligibility requirements (information about changes to the program will be emailed to club officers later this month). For questions about 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 2022 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, 2023.

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.

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 2022–2023 program year is June 30, 2023. 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. Find information about the election process and Club Leadership Committee procedure in the Club Leadership Handbook and the Club Election Videos. After the election, your Club Secretary will need to submit the revised officer list in Club Central 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.

Share 2023 Convention Resources — Encourage members and non-members to get excited about the 2023 International Convention (#TIGoesBahamas) by utilizing new promotional tools, now available. Display 2023 Convention Zoom Backgrounds in online meetings, share 2023 Convention Presentation Slides with members before meetings begin, and post 2023 Virtual Convention Social Media Graphics on social channels.

下载简体中文版 — 卓越的调解员
Newly translated! — Download The Great Peacemaker in Simplified Chinese.

ΚΑΤΕΒΑΣΕ ΤΟ ΣΤΑ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΑ — Βγάλε τον Ηγέτη από Μέσα σου, Όλα Όσα Θέλεις να Μάθεις σχετικά με τους Toastmasters, Τα Οφέλη της Συμμετοχής στους Toastmasters, Ομιλία "το Σπάσιμο του Πάγου"!
Newly translated! — Download and use these items in Greek! Develop Your Leaders from Within, All About Toastmasters, The Benefits of a Toastmasters Membership and The Ice Breaker!

Online Club Tips — Does your club meet exclusively online? Discover tips to effectively run and manage online clubs. Does your club meet Compare and contrast online meeting software providers to decide which is best for your club. Learn how to host exemplary Does your club meet online speech contests, 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 without issue.

Bilingual Clubs Cross Borders — Toastmasters clubs can be found in 144 countries, with members speaking dozens of languages. Meet five bilingual clubs that are bringing people together by speaking in languages different than their native tongue.

It's Never Too Late—Or Too Early—To Learn — Although they're at two different stages of life, Kingston Fletcher, 96, and Manny Megerssa, 18, both had a reason to join Toastmasters. Discover how a retired business executive and soon to be high school graduate get the most out of their memberships.

Reduce Barriers for People with Hearing Loss — Do you know how to make your club meetings welcoming, inclusive, and accessible for those with hearing loss? Read these tips to improve the experience for someone who is hard of hearing for both in-person and online communication.

Make Succession a Success — It's an often-overlooked part of every club officer's list of responsibilities: Prepare your successor for office. Now is the time to create a transition plan for your incoming club officers—and the ones after that.

Tune In! Harness the Power of Your Voice — Do you cringe at the sound of your own voice? In this episode of The Toastmasters Podcast, hear tips from 20-year vocal coach and recording artist Jillian Mitchell to improve the quality of your voice and use it for powerful effect.

Emailing World Headquarters — When you contact us at World Headquarters, we respond to emails as quickly as possible in the order they are received; you will initially receive an automatic reply. One way to 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 as quickly as possible. If you already have your code or have questions about this program, please visit Zoom Discount FAQ.