I firmly believe that if you want to ramp up your speaking skills quickly, the fastest way to do so is to participate in the speech, table topics, and evaluations contests held at the area, division, and district level. It is in the contestant role where you really are tested. It is as a contestant where you really have to be prepared and where you fully engage the skills needed to be a better speaker. When you put your skills to the test and thoroughly explore what it means to be a speaker, then growth happens rapidly and you learn almost without realizing what is happening.
So, if speech contests are the quickest way to ramp up your speaking skills; what is the quickest way to being a better leader?
From my experience, if speech contests are the quick route to being a better speaker; the analogous path to being a better leader is jumping into a leadership role. I know that when I took on the Area Governor (now Area Director) role, I learned a lot about what it took to be a better Club President. When I took on the Lieutenant Governor of Marketing (now Club Growth Director), I learned a lot about how to lead a Division or an Area. Finally, taking on the District Governor (now District Director) role, you learn and internalize what it means to be a leader at all levels of the District. It is after this journey that I feel finally ready to take on the toughest of all roles within Toastmasters – leader.
It is in this spirit I am very excited to announce that we are opening nominations for District 19 leadership. We are looking for nominees for the following elected positions:
- District Director
- Program Quality Director
- Club Growth Director
- Division Directors (A, B, C, D, and E)
Interested in more information about these positions? Check this out: https://www.toastmasters.org/~
Of course, there are always a few hoops to jump through for any elected district positions. These are:
- In order to run for office, you must be a member in good standing (you must be up to date on dues).
- No district officer may be re-elected to the same office for succeeding term in which a full year has been served, except the divisions directors may be re-elected to succeed themselves one term.
- In order to run for District Director, you need to have served at least 12 consecutive months as a Program Quality Director (formerly LGET) or Club Growth Director (formerly LGM) or a combination thereof.
- In order to run for Program Quality Director or Club Growth Director, you need to have served at least 6 consecutive months as Club President and at least 12 consecutive months as Program Quality Director, Club Growth Director, a Division Director (formerly Division Governor), or an Area Director (formerly Area Governor) or a combination thereof.
- In order to run for Division Director, you need to have served at least 6 consecutive months as a member of the District Council (e.g. Club president, VPE, Area governor/director, district secretary/administration manager, district treasurer/finance manager)
- Additional information can be found in the District Bylaws here: https://www.toastmasters.org/
Leadership-Central/~/media/ C47D4D9E1D354763B91E2D697A2276 AC.ashx.
We need some candidates to help all of our members get their $6 out of each month. If one of your fellow Toastmasters would fit the bill for taking on this next leadership role, please nominate them by completing the form below and mailing it to [email protected].
– https://www.toastmasters.org/~
If you are looking to step up your leadership and would like to be considered for one of the positions listed, please click on the link above, click the link below, and mail both to [email protected]. The nomination committee needs both forms.
– http://www.toastmasters.org/~/
In order to be listed the nomination committee report, interested candidates should let me know right away of their intention to run and their qualifications so they can be vetted through the committee. I need to provide nomination committee results to the District Director at least 6 weeks prior to the District Council meeting on May 14. Therefore, candidates who submit after March 19 may not have sufficient time to be vetted by the nomination committee in time to make the nomination committee report by April 2.
I can tell you from personal experience that taking on a District leadership role is one of the best things I have done in my 17 years in Toastmasters. It is a lot of work, but I guarantee you will get out of it twice as much as you invest in it.
I look forward to your application.
– Mark, IPDG (now IPDD) 🙂