District News

Early Bird Ends Soon — Don’t miss your chance to register for the 2026 International Convention at the early bird price. Join your fellow Toastmasters for education sessions, workshops, networking, World Champion of Public Speaking®, and so much more. Discounted pricing ends April 12, so register today.

Replay Board Briefing — If you missed the Board Briefing on March 25, don’t worry; you can now watch the recording to hear important announcements from the Board of Directors.

Advise Clubs to Submit New Club Forms Early — Did you know chartering in April helps clubs align with the regular renewal cycle, avoiding prorated renewals due October 1? They can get started by submitting the Application to Organize online. For additional information, review the How to Build a Toastmasters Club manual or contact newclubs@toastmasters.org.

Welcome 2026-2027 Region Advisors — Be sure to congratulate the newly appointed 2026-2027 Region Advisors. Region Advisors are here to support you in fulfilling the District mission. Learn more about their role here and how your District will benefit by working with your Region Advisor.

Area Directors: Receive Credit for Both Rounds of Visits — Area Directors must submit reports for at least 75 percent of their clubs for both rounds of visits to receive credit in the Distinguished Area Program. After each club visit, submit an Area Director’s Club Visit Report online through District Central. Round two visit reports must be submitted by May 31.

Information Hub — The District Leader Tools website has recently been updated, allowing you an easier way to find the materials, tools, and resources you need to build your District. Take a moment to browse and bookmark each section for quick reference throughout the year.

Prepare for District Leader Transitions — District elections are taking place and managing the transition to the next program year is critical for your District’s success. View the Leadership Transition webpage for suggestions on how to begin planning.

Club/District Realignment Information — Where will your club be assigned to begin the 2026-2027 program year? Visit the District Realignment page to download available reports. They will be updated periodically to reflect the addition of new clubs and any modifications. If you need help, please email the District Leader Support team.

Africa’s Rapid Growth — Africa has seen an astounding amount of growth recently. Between 2014 and 2024, West Africa had a staggering 310% growth and Southern Africa saw a 60% jump in membership. (All other Districts had a cumulative negative growth rate of -3.1% during that same period.) Find out how Toastmasters has not only grown but flourished across the continent and gain inspiration!

Using AI for Speech Prep — Artificial Intelligence is everywhere and can help with many tasks, but writing a speech shouldn’t be one of them. However, there are plenty of other ways that AI can help you prepare a speech, such as organizing and enhancing your content. Discover some do’s and don’ts for helping members (and yourself!) navigate AI’s continually changing tools.

2026 District Leader Training Registration — This year, registration for District Leader Training and registration for the 2026 International Convention will be separate. Save the date for two days of impactful training on Monday, August 17 and Tuesday, August 18 and then plan to reach for public speaking excellence at convention. All members and leaders are encouraged to register now for convention. After District elections have been finalized, newly elected 2026–2027 District Directors, Program Quality Directors, and Club Growth Directors will receive details and registration information about 2026 District Leader Training via email.

2026 International Speech Contest Quarterfinals — With the region realignment that went into effect starting with the 2024-2025 program year, region quarterfinals were adjusted, and are no longer organized by region. Now known as quarterfinals, this level of the International Speech Contest includes District winners randomly assigned to contests with no fewer than nine (9) and no more than 10 contestants. Contest assignments for quarterfinals were determined using a randomization formula. For more information on quarterfinals, including contest assignments for 2026, visit the quarterfinals webpage.

Support the Envisioned Future — The core ideology of the organization includes the brand promise, the missions, the core values, and the envisioned future. The Board adopted definitions for the core values in 2023. For the strategic plan in 2024, the Board focused on the envisioned future. An envisioned future should be inspirational, aspirational, and challenging. The Board of Directors reviewed the current envisioned future through these three lenses and developed a new envisioned future statement, highlighted on the Our Mission webpage. Please update your club and District websites accordingly.

Is Your District on Track to Become Distinguished? — With only three months left in the 2025–2026 District Recognition Program year, the best way to make sure your District is on target is by regularly monitoring the District Performance Reports.

To support Districts in building momentum toward success, the District Recognition Program for the 2025-2026 program year is as follows: