Develop New Clubs
New clubs bring Toastmasters to a wider audience, and are a vital part of our district’s success. It is, therefore, important to start them with the right foundations – and this means raising up well-qualified sponsors and mentors.
Every new club lead is an opportunity for an experienced sponsor/mentor to walk through the new club development cycle, side-by-side, with somebody who isn’t familiar with the process.
As Club Growth Director, I will make it a priority to ensure that the practical, experiential knowledge related to starting clubs is not only available to everybody who wants to learn it, but to ensure that we’re challenging the next generation of leaders to step up and take ownership of our district’s future.
Revitalize Existing Clubs
Toastmasters offers the club coaching program to clubs whose membership has dipped below 12, as measured at a semiannual dues renewal period.
These are the clubs that are eligible to have a club coach appointed, and it should go without saying that every club in this situation that wants a coach should have a coach.
Yet the challenge isn’t just finding coaches for those clubs, but in equipping those coaches to do their jobs. It’s one thing to get a club back to “distinguished” status; it’s quite another to leave the club with the knowledge required to do that on their own in subsequent years. The latter is what we must strive for.
As Club Growth Director, I plan to work with the Club Coaching Chair to identify the most common challenges that our club coaches are facing, and ensure that our coaches have both the resources and the training to not only help their clubs get back on their feet, but to equip the club to stand on their own once the coach leaves.
Retain & Grow Members
As Club Growth Director, I plan to coordinate the development of practical, experience-based resources that can provide needed training, inspiration, and hope to clubs of all sizes that want to grow and flourish – not just clubs that qualify for a club coach.
That means if your club is flourishing, I’d like to hear how you’re doing it – so we can share that information with clubs that are looking to grow their membership.
And if your club is looking to grow their membership, I’d like to know your challenges so we can focus our resources on finding solutions.
By proactively identifying challenges and working together to solve them, we can create a successful future for all the clubs in our district.