January 2024 Leader Letter

Grow Your Club — A recent survey of prospective members uncovered that 50% of all respondents never visited a club for one reason; they had filled out the Find a Club form and never heard back from a club representative! 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.

Share the Convention Sponsorship Opportunity — Companies and corporate sponsors who showcase their goods/services at the Toastmasters International Convention engage with a professionally-minded global audience. At the 2023 Convention, nearly 70% of attendees even self-identified as making some decisions at work! Share sponsorship information with your professional contacts whose companies would benefit from being a convention sponsor and encourage them to apply!

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 have Club Central access until January 30 to submit their newly elected club officers list. For assistance, email clubofficers@toastmasters.org between January 1 and January 31, 2024.

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.

California Clubs: File Your 199N — In mid-January, California club presidents and treasurers should be on the lookout for an email from the California Franchise Tax Board (FTB) with instructions for e-filing the 199N tax form for the 2023 tax year. View filing instructions and note that the deadline to e-file is May 15, 2024.

Welcome, Semiannual Club Officers! — As we enter the second half of the 2023–2024 Distinguished Club Program 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.

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.

Toastmaster Magazine Reading Challenge! — It's a new year, and while you're setting goals, why not add reading the Toastmaster magazine to your list? Learn how to take part in this three-month challenge.

Building Extraordinary Teams — Every January, Toastmasters clubs either mark the halfway point for their leadership team, or they elect new club leaders for six-month terms. Now is a good time to examine what your club needs, what you bring to the team, and how you want to grow your skills.

The 4 Ps of Effective Meetings — Check out these proven methods for how to have an effective meeting every time by following the four Ps: purpose, product, people, and process.

Toastmasters 2024 Bucket List — Forget the resolutions! Look to a bucket list of aspirations to take your Toastmasters experience to the next level this year. Take advantage of the built-in Bingo card to mark off your accomplishments.

Tune In! Path of Opportunities — In this episode Toastmaster Kelly Kaur explains how she found her voice and purpose through storytelling, writing, overcoming adversity, and Toastmasters speech contests.

A Year-Long Celebration! — This year is the hundredth anniversary of Toastmasters, a year to be filled with grand ceremony and celebration! Look for a special logo and other digital/website updates, along with resources, to be unveiled later this month. A splash of commemorative products will be available in the Toastmasters Online Store then, too. The pomp and circumstance will be in high gear by August with a 1920s style theme at the 2024 International Convention in Southern California, the birthplace of Toastmasters. Then in October, which marks the official anniversary month, clubs and Districts will have opportunity and ideas to celebrate locally. Stay tuned for more highlights and details of Toastmasters Centennial Celebration with the official hashtag: #Toastmasters100Years.

Ask Toasty! — The help bot on toastmasters.org is completely made over and ready to answer you and your members' questions! Try asking questions like, “How do I add a new member to my club?” or, “Who are Base Camp managers?” In the future, Toasty will also integrate with the Club Quality and Member Support Team phone system for a seamless support experience.

International Director Candidates Nominated — The Toastmasters International Leadership Committee has nominated International Director candidates for the 2024-2025 Board of Directors. Voting will take place at the Annual Business Meeting in August 2024. Find out more about the candidates by visiting the International Candidates webpage.

Planning an Event in the New Year? — Remember, Toastmasters events must be conducted by a club, Area, Division, or District, or by World Headquarters. Be sure to incorporate the Toastmasters International logo and your club's contact information, making it easy for members and guests to reach out with questions or reserve a spot. Refer to the Brand Manual to download the logo and follow all branding requirements. If you are unsure if your promotional materials are brand compliant, contact the Brand or Trademarks Teams.