Throughout the month of August, I conducted formal visits with all of my Area clubs. To be exact, I met with my six clubs on August 2, 16, 23, 27, 28, and 29. By August 30, I had submitted all of my Area Director's Club Visit Reports through District Central on the Toastmasters International website.
All Toastmasters clubs follow the same basic structure, but still manage to have unique identities. It is a pleasure to see how the clubs develop their own culture and strategies for success. Some clubs have difficulty keeping membership numbers up, while others feel the ebb and flow of commitment levels (especially in the summer months). Some host a variety of fun culture-building events inside and outside of the club, whereas others are high achievers who start submitting Distinguished Club Program (DCP) awards early and often. My clubs were most welcoming and I responded by trying to make special contributions to their meetings. This ranged from helping to judge a contest to giving a 3-minute toast honoring the club to filling in for a speaker who was unable to attend at the last minute. An Area Director has to be prepared for anything - remember? My goal as an Area Director is to support each of these clubs in whatever way they see most fit. I do believe all of them can achieve their goals, whether that may be to achieve Distinguished status, rebuild membership, strengthen their online presence, or enhance their fellowship.
Although the club visit reports have a deadline of November 30, getting them done earlier allows me to focus efforts on additional important matters. For instance, all clubs need to hold their humor and evaluation speech contests by the end of September. They often need help with finding test speakers or guest judges. Fortunately, I have already been invited back for informal visits during the month of September. I anticipate attending several contests and filling roles as needed. Furthermore, the Area speech contests are scheduled for October 13 and the Division contest is on November 3. Hence, we have a ton of work to do. The members of our Division team must conduct all of the planning for these events and find numerous volunteers to fill supporting roles.
The First Club Visit Report
After receiving input on the members currently working towards educational awards, I was ready to submit my first Area Director's Club Visit Report.
Remember how I said that an Area Director needs to be prepared for anything? That's not only true when you show up to a club meeting or event, but all of the time between as well.
When I logged into the Toastmasters International website, I was unable to find the online form for submitting the club visit report. Ultimately, I realized I hadn't been given access to the required District Central systems to do so. Alarmed, I wrote to my Division Director and asked him to help me pursue proper account access. I received a call from the District Director that night and he assured me he would work on it in the morning. Further, this situation led to the revelation that other Area Directors were also missing access. On Monday morning, a series of messages and calls involving our Division Director, Program Quality Director, and District Director, and representatives at World Headquarters led to the restoration of access for us all. Fortunately, it was a minor account issue with the website that was easily fixed with the prompt communication and support of our District leaders.
Submitting the report online was not too difficult. I had already taken notes in the digital PDF version of the report, so it was mostly copying and pasting from that document into the web form. Take note that every single box must have information in it for the form to be submitted. That means you may need to put something like "NA" for the things which you do not have information for. For instance, a club may not have identified the quantity of members working towards and award that is shown in the form. In this case, I just use a name of "NA" and set an end date of June 30 (the end of the Toastmasters year). Once submitted, the report gets emailed to several people, including the District leaders, Division Director, the club President, and yourself.
Intriguingly, a day after submitting my first report, I received an unhappy email from the club President. This was a strange reaction to me, because I did not say anything negative or suggest that the club doesn't do certain things at all in my report. What I did do was logged my observations in an objective way and stated straightforward areas for improvement based on information from Toastmasters International. Furthermore, I even highlighted many positive aspects I witnessed at the meeting.
One of the leadership lessons for me is that we choose the values we want to live by. An Area Director should follow the Toastmasters International values of Integrity, Respect, Service, and Excellence. In particular, the value of Integrity comes into play when an Area Director discovers ways in which a club can be improved. Hiding areas for improvement to appease someone, such as a club President, would be a failure of Integrity. It certainly wouldn't speak well to the other values, or support the quality of the club, either. Therefore, I choose to act with Integrity, Respect, Service, and Excellence.
Yet, just because you live by a certain set of values doesn't mean that others also live by those values. It also doesn't mean that people will react appropriately to your reports, even when they were written in propriety.
Remember: An Area Director needs to be prepared for anything.
Remember how I said that an Area Director needs to be prepared for anything? That's not only true when you show up to a club meeting or event, but all of the time between as well.
When I logged into the Toastmasters International website, I was unable to find the online form for submitting the club visit report. Ultimately, I realized I hadn't been given access to the required District Central systems to do so. Alarmed, I wrote to my Division Director and asked him to help me pursue proper account access. I received a call from the District Director that night and he assured me he would work on it in the morning. Further, this situation led to the revelation that other Area Directors were also missing access. On Monday morning, a series of messages and calls involving our Division Director, Program Quality Director, and District Director, and representatives at World Headquarters led to the restoration of access for us all. Fortunately, it was a minor account issue with the website that was easily fixed with the prompt communication and support of our District leaders.
Submitting the report online was not too difficult. I had already taken notes in the digital PDF version of the report, so it was mostly copying and pasting from that document into the web form. Take note that every single box must have information in it for the form to be submitted. That means you may need to put something like "NA" for the things which you do not have information for. For instance, a club may not have identified the quantity of members working towards and award that is shown in the form. In this case, I just use a name of "NA" and set an end date of June 30 (the end of the Toastmasters year). Once submitted, the report gets emailed to several people, including the District leaders, Division Director, the club President, and yourself.
Intriguingly, a day after submitting my first report, I received an unhappy email from the club President. This was a strange reaction to me, because I did not say anything negative or suggest that the club doesn't do certain things at all in my report. What I did do was logged my observations in an objective way and stated straightforward areas for improvement based on information from Toastmasters International. Furthermore, I even highlighted many positive aspects I witnessed at the meeting.
One of the leadership lessons for me is that we choose the values we want to live by. An Area Director should follow the Toastmasters International values of Integrity, Respect, Service, and Excellence. In particular, the value of Integrity comes into play when an Area Director discovers ways in which a club can be improved. Hiding areas for improvement to appease someone, such as a club President, would be a failure of Integrity. It certainly wouldn't speak well to the other values, or support the quality of the club, either. Therefore, I choose to act with Integrity, Respect, Service, and Excellence.
Yet, just because you live by a certain set of values doesn't mean that others also live by those values. It also doesn't mean that people will react appropriately to your reports, even when they were written in propriety.
Remember: An Area Director needs to be prepared for anything.
The First Formal Club Visit
At the start of August, I attended my first formal club visit (of six total that need to be completed prior to November 30). For the most part, it was a normal meeting, just like any other. I got introduced to several club officers, members, and guests. Of course, I was also responsible for observing the general procedures of the club, such as the meeting structure, how guests are welcomed, and the cultural atmosphere.
Prior to my visit, I already had several communications with the club officers by email. I also met some of them at previous events, such as speech contests and TLIs.
On the day of the visit, I did some extra research. This included reviewing the club website, learning about the history of the club, and checking on its current status (using the data available on the District dashboards).
At the conclusion of the meeting agenda, the club reserved a few minutes for me to speak. I used this time to perform a brief toast-style presentation. I noted some interesting historical features of the club, recognized recent accomplishments, and reaffirmed my goal to support the club however necessary this year. Lastly, I made some key announcements, such as the ongoing Smedley Award* membership drive and the District's request to have all club contests completed by the end of September.
After the meeting, I sent a thank-you note to the club officers and followed up on items we discussed. Furthermore, I invited the club officers to contribute to the Area Director's Club Visit Report. I welcomed them to contribute as much or as little as they desired. I requested that they return their contributions within one week.
Ultimately, it is my responsibility to file the report online. However, there are certain aspects that are not easily observed by an outsider and can be better informed by the club officers. An example would be the names of members who are currently working on education awards and their anticipated completion dates. In a complementary way, there are things that are better informed by a third-party observer, such as a description of the club atmosphere from a guest's perspective. Hence, I find it appropriate to both complete the report myself and invite the club officers to contribute. Moreover, the purpose of the report is to identify how the quality of the club can be improved. Achieving this goal requires support from both the District and club officers.
For my part, I filled out the report fully with my own observations immediately after returning home from the meeting. However, I would wait until after receiving the club officers' input to submit the final report online.
I am looking forward to upcoming club visits, both formal and informal. I have five more clubs to visit on a formal basis before November 30. In addition, we already anticipated more informal visits with this club, such as for their upcoming contests and open house events. Likewise, there should be several opportunities to visit my other Area clubs beyond those meetings required for formal reporting.
*The Smedley Award is an annual membership drive available to all Toastmasters clubs. It entails getting five members to join between August 1 and September 30. Clubs that achieve this feat are recognized with a special ribbon and discount on a future order from the Toastmasters International store.
Prior to my visit, I already had several communications with the club officers by email. I also met some of them at previous events, such as speech contests and TLIs.
On the day of the visit, I did some extra research. This included reviewing the club website, learning about the history of the club, and checking on its current status (using the data available on the District dashboards).
At the conclusion of the meeting agenda, the club reserved a few minutes for me to speak. I used this time to perform a brief toast-style presentation. I noted some interesting historical features of the club, recognized recent accomplishments, and reaffirmed my goal to support the club however necessary this year. Lastly, I made some key announcements, such as the ongoing Smedley Award* membership drive and the District's request to have all club contests completed by the end of September.
After the meeting, I sent a thank-you note to the club officers and followed up on items we discussed. Furthermore, I invited the club officers to contribute to the Area Director's Club Visit Report. I welcomed them to contribute as much or as little as they desired. I requested that they return their contributions within one week.
Ultimately, it is my responsibility to file the report online. However, there are certain aspects that are not easily observed by an outsider and can be better informed by the club officers. An example would be the names of members who are currently working on education awards and their anticipated completion dates. In a complementary way, there are things that are better informed by a third-party observer, such as a description of the club atmosphere from a guest's perspective. Hence, I find it appropriate to both complete the report myself and invite the club officers to contribute. Moreover, the purpose of the report is to identify how the quality of the club can be improved. Achieving this goal requires support from both the District and club officers.
For my part, I filled out the report fully with my own observations immediately after returning home from the meeting. However, I would wait until after receiving the club officers' input to submit the final report online.
I am looking forward to upcoming club visits, both formal and informal. I have five more clubs to visit on a formal basis before November 30. In addition, we already anticipated more informal visits with this club, such as for their upcoming contests and open house events. Likewise, there should be several opportunities to visit my other Area clubs beyond those meetings required for formal reporting.
*The Smedley Award is an annual membership drive available to all Toastmasters clubs. It entails getting five members to join between August 1 and September 30. Clubs that achieve this feat are recognized with a special ribbon and discount on a future order from the Toastmasters International store.
The August Area Newsletter
Due to the overwhelming amount of information that club and District leaders must keep track of, I decided to put together a monthly email newsletter for my Area.
This is simply an email, broken into sections, and sent out to the President and Vice President Education (VPE) of each club. I chose to keep things simple by using text and links, rather than adding graphics or maintaining a separate mailing list through an online service.
The idea is to make a monthly announcement of key items that should be on the club leaders' minds and provide them with essential resources, without overwhelming them with tons of separate messages. The newsletter is something they can return and reference as needed throughout the month. It doesn't have to be read through in full upon receipt. They can visit it when a particular topic becomes of special interest.
Here are the topics I included in the August newsletter.
Lastly, I reminded everyone that I looked forward to visiting over the next month and that they should be sure to let me know how I can best support their clubs this year.
This is simply an email, broken into sections, and sent out to the President and Vice President Education (VPE) of each club. I chose to keep things simple by using text and links, rather than adding graphics or maintaining a separate mailing list through an online service.
The idea is to make a monthly announcement of key items that should be on the club leaders' minds and provide them with essential resources, without overwhelming them with tons of separate messages. The newsletter is something they can return and reference as needed throughout the month. It doesn't have to be read through in full upon receipt. They can visit it when a particular topic becomes of special interest.
Here are the topics I included in the August newsletter.
- Smedley Award: An annual membership drive that occurs August 1 to September 30 where clubs get special recognition for adding five members during the period.
- Semi-Annual Dues Renewal: To be eligible for DCP and remain in good standing with Toastmasters International, all clubs must get their semi-annual dues filed by October 1.
- Proxy Voting: I encouraged clubs to assign their proxy votes for the International Convention.
- DCP: I reminded clubs of the DCP opportunities. In particular, two of the easiest goals to achieve require having at least four officers trained in each round of TLIs and getting renewal dues filed on time. This frees clubs up to work on the challenges of membership growth and supporting members' educational progress. Further, I reminded the club leaders that DCP is not about scoring points, but is a measure of a club's quality. Therefore, DCP should be pursued as a proactive approach to ensure a quality experience for members.
Lastly, I reminded everyone that I looked forward to visiting over the next month and that they should be sure to let me know how I can best support their clubs this year.