A message from District 19 Governor Kelly Nielsen
Starting April 1, a club must have eight members to remain in Toastmasters. That’s an increase from the current minimum of six. That very important message was sent by Toastmasters International on December 23 to all club presidents, and I want to make sure you’re all aware of it, and have the opportunity to ask questions.
There are many clubs in District 19 that don’t currently have six or seven members, and they must do something to continue as a Toastmasters Club. And many more clubs have between eight and ten members, making them vulnerable.
Another important ramification is that anyone competing in this spring’s International Speech and Table Topics Contests after April 30 has to represent a club with eight or more members.
One part of the 2010 Strategic Plan set by Toastmasters International was to reenergize its focus on ensuring members receive a high-quality club experience to improve member satisfaction and increase retention. A feasibility study was developed and implemented. As a result of the feasibility study, the Board of Directors voted during its August 2013 meeting voted to revise Policy 2.0 of the Toastmasters International Club By-Laws to raise the club membership minimum to eight effective April 1, 2014.
This means any club in District 19 that does not have eight paid members (three of whom must be renewing their memberships) by April 30th, will be a club not in good standing. No members in this club will be eligible to compete in Contests. And this puts the club in jeopardy of losing its charter.
As a District, we currently have eight clubs with less than eight paid members. We also have another 18 clubs with only 8 to 10 paid members. We are at a point were membership building needs to be top priority in our District.
There are several tools you can use to build membership in your club. Below are a few of them:
- Request a Club Coach from Mark Latta, LGET, at [email protected]. To learn more about a club coach, please click www.toastmasters.org/Club_Coach_Flier.aspx.
- Present Moments of Truth to your Club (resources below)
- Host an Open House for your Club. Tom Traynor is a great resource ([email protected])
- Create a Club Campaign to bring in prospective members (guests)
- Host a SpeechCraft
- Don’t forget about your current members. Member retention is key. Are your current members engaged?
- Give all your Club Members a band to wear on their wrist. Then explain the member cannot take the band off until he/she brings a guest to the club. (from Joan Johanson, DTM, PID)
- Extra Toastmasters International magazines can be placed in doctors’ offices and other waiting rooms. Please include your club information in the magazine (day of meeting, time, place, person to contact, etc.).
- Add new flavor to your meetings: Theme meetings, Interviewing Preparation, Chairing a Board Meeting, Giving Feedback, a 24 Hour President’s Challenge (24 hours before the meeting, the Club President will give the speakers their speech topic), Backwards meeting (start from the end), Academy Awards, The Great Debate, etc.
- Invite past members to answer an exit survey.
If you have further questions about this new Toastmasters International Club By-Law, please contact Kelly Nielsen, DTM at [email protected].