We got to sleep in a bit later this time around, as the Saturday, September 8 District Executive Committee (DEC) meeting began at 10:00 a.m. It's hard to believe we've all been on the job for almost two months since our previous gathering. While our first meeting was mostly about training, this event was mostly about business.
After brief introductory remarks, we received update reports from our District Director, Program Quality Director, and Club Growth Director. Each Division Director also briefly gave a status update. Further, there were a number of public relations and incentive initiatives announced, which I was quite excited about. These are specific to our District and year-by-year planning, so I will refrain from mentioning specific details. What is nice to see, however, is how District goals can be closely tied to rewards and recognition for clubs and individual members. This places the emphasis on using District resources to add value to the member experience. It is also a good reminder for clubs to do the same for members.
Most of the day was spent reviewing the proposed District budget for the year. Our District Director led the discussion alongside the Finance Manager. We were given descriptions of every category of the budget and justifications for the amounts. There was also opportunity to discuss specific items and any additional items that may need to be included. Subsequently, we voted to approve the budget among the DEC attendees. The next phase is an online vote among the DEC members and club leaders (every President and Vice President Education). This vote is scheduled to take place online on September 22. If approved, the District budget would be finalized for the year.
As of today's meeting, 51 of 168 Area Director's Club Visit Reports had been submitted online throughout the entire District. The official deadline for these reports is November 30, but our District leaders requested that they be finalized by September 30. This intends to give them time to analyze the reports and proactively provide support to struggling clubs swiftly.
In most cases, it seems that the Area Directors have visited their clubs at least once by now. However, they may not have finalized all of their reports. For instance, many are waiting for additional details from club leaders. Often, those entail the education awards and DCP points the clubs are planning to earn for the year.
Personally, I had all of my first-round visits complete and reports submitted online by August 30. I didn't realize it at the time, but this put me in exclusive company worldwide. To me, I was simply following through on the goal that our Division team had set. That was to get our initial round of formal visits and reports completed by the end of August.
To be honest, it is necessary to have these items completed as early as possible, even if certain details are not yet available. That's because the stream of duties never ceases in the Toastmasters world! That's a universal truth not limited to any particular level, be it in club leadership, up to the District Director, or beyond.
Consider the scope of a Toastmasters year for an Area Director. By the time initial club visits are complete, we have several other things to attend to. Clubs need help getting their speech contests completed by the end of September. Meanwhile, we must lead the planning for our Area contests in October and assist with Division contests in November. Once the new calendar year begins, it's already time for another Toastmasters Leadership Institute (TLI) season, followed by a second round of formal club visits and reports, then a second round of contests. As you can see, the cycle repeats without any breaks throughout the entire year. Getting tasks done efficiently helps things keep moving.
At the moment, my biggest focus is on finding volunteers for the Area contest on October 13. In addition to the formalities, I like to schedule informal visits with my clubs. During the first half of the Toastmasters year, I should have visited each club at least two times.