January 2023 Leader Letter

Welcome, Semiannual Club Officers — As we enter the second half of the 2022–2023 DCP year, prepare for your officer position by referring to the Club Officer Resources, digital Club Officer Kit, and the Club Officer Agreement and Release Statement. Your Club Executive Committee should also meet to discuss and review the Club Success Plan to ensure the club is set up to meet its program year goals.

Grow Your Club — A recent survey of prospective members uncovered that 42% of those who never visited a club had filled out the Find a Club form and never heard back. Your club could be missing out on potential members because of a communication error. Ensure that all Find a Club inquiries make it to you by updating your club's contact information on the Club Contact and Meeting Information page in Club Central. Use this guide for more detailed instruction and for email response templates.

Inspiring Speakers: We Want You! — Do you have an amazing talent for capturing a crowd? Apply to be a presenter at an upcoming Toastmasters event! We welcome dynamic moderators, panelists, education speakers, keynotes, comedians, and more, who have experience addressing large international audiences, be it in person or online. Use this form to submit a video and be considered today.

Welcome Rotary Members into Your Storytelling — As Toastmasters, we know how important telling a story effectively can be to our personal and professional growth. Since the Rotary/Toastmasters alliance and subsequent Toastmasters coursework that Rotary members have access to, more of them want to find fulfillment through articulating and sharing stories, too. We can also grow from listening to others' stories, learning from diverse perspectives, and hearing about personal revelations. Create an inclusive and welcoming club environment by encouraging and offering feedback to members and guests who want to share and develop their storytelling skills. Consider that their stories might even inspire you and your members in newfound ways.

Semiannual Officer List: Still Time! — If you missed the deadline to submit your new club officer list for January 1–June 30, it is not too late to get it recorded. Outgoing club officers will have Club Central access until January 30 to submit their newly elected club officers list. For assistance, email clubofficers@toastmasters.org.

Use Updated Resources —To ensure you are using the most up-to-date version of resources, utilize the Resource Library to download the files you need. Using the latest version of items like the Membership Application will help your club add new members without issue.

Translated Resource for New Officers —Newly elected club officers can learn about their roles with the Club Leadership Handbook— currently available in Arabic, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, English, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, and Tamil.

Invite Your Friends to Toastmasters! — Clubs around the world are filled with vibrant, dynamic, and helpful members who support each other along their paths to improvement. Discover how to attract, invite, and encourage guests to join by adding a personal touch.

5 Keys to Delegation Mastery — One of the most important skills a leader needs is the ability to delegate. Take these five tips and learn how to shift from doing to leading.

Meet Your Future Self —Today — A growing body of psychological research provides insights and strategies to help you become your ideal future self. Find out how to WOOP yourself into shape (Wish, Outcome, Obstacles, and Plan) in this January Toastmaster article.

An Informed Club is a Successful Club — Throughout the year, club officers should routinely review and edit their Club Success Plan in Club Central. This will ensure the club is on track to meet the Distinguished Club Program goals it set for itself. Club officers can also edit or update goals and assign new tasks to members to stay focused on the club's desired outcome.

Instant Speech Analysis is Here! — Thanks to the new Toastmasters Yoodli partnership, Toastmasters can now receive immediate analytical speech feedback by logging into www.toastmasters.org/MyHome and clicking on the Yoodli card to record a speech on the platform. Yoodli's artificial intelligence (AI) will then break down insights, such as how many filler words were used, the pace, eye contact, if any non-inclusive language was used, and more. Encourage members to check it out today!

International Director Candidates Nominated — The Toastmasters International Leadership Committee has nominated International Director candidates for the 2023-2024 Board of Directors. Voting will take place at the Annual Business Meeting in August 2023. Find out more about the candidates by visiting the International Candidates webpage.

My Home is Your Home — In November, Toastmasters unveiled My Home, a more personalized home page experience for members, along with some menu updates, for faster and easier website navigation. Try it out as a leader, then encourage members to try it, simply by logging in. This is also a good time to remind members that the Toastmasters website is full of valuable resources, now made more accessible.