December 2024 Leader Letter

Magazine Price Drop! — Get your Special Centennial Edition of Toastmaster magazine while supplies last; now available at a discount.

Corporate Recognition Award Nominations: Now Open! — If your District is scheduled for an official International Officer or International Director District Visit this spring, consider nominating up to two corporate sponsors for this distinguished award. Nominations are due 6-8 weeks prior to your event, so visit the Corporate Recognition Award program webpage today for information on nomination requirements and criteria, for marketing materials, and to submit your nomination form.

Holiday Gift-Giving Idea — Alleviate some holiday stress with an easy gift idea that will leave you feeling good. Contribute to a worthy Toastmasters cause by visiting the online store, clicking on the Smedley Fund link, and making an honorary donation.

Snap to 100! — Finish the centennial year strong and shine with the Toastmasters brand by sharing photos and videos of you, your club, or your District with your Toastmasters swag—whether it’s your club banner, a Toastmasters sweatshirt, or special centennial memorabilia. Post on social media with the hashtags #Toastmasters or #Toastmasters100Years, and don’t forget to tag us.

Area Directors: Prepare for Second Round Club Visits — Each District must establish and maintain positive, supportive relationships with its clubs. Area Directors play a critical role in creating this relationship through club visits, which are required twice a year. While it is only required to conduct visits twice a year, clubs may benefit from additional visits and support. We recommend visiting your clubs at least four times per year. The second round of club visits begins December 1 and can be submitted beginning December 15. To continue participating in the Distinguished Area Program, the Area Director must submit at least 75 percent of the Area Director Club Visit Report compared to the club base. Please reference the District Recognition Program guide page nine (9) for more information.

District Elections Opportunities — Do you know someone who would like to take on a leadership opportunity within the District? If so, encourage them to submit a District Leader Nominating Form to the District Leadership Committee Chair. Check with your District Director or District Leadership Committee Chair to confirm the deadline to submit the form. Reference Protocol 9.0 District Campaigns and Elections and the Elections Toolkit for additional details about the process.

Prepare for Mid-year Training — Throughout the month of January, Toastmasters International will conduct in-person Mid-year Training for 2024–2025 District Directors, Program Quality Directors, and Club Growth Directors. Please finalize airfare and lodging as soon as possible and reach out to the Training Team at training@toastmasters.org with any questions, concerns, or conflicts. Additional communications about Mid-year Training, including Pre-work assignments, will be emailed to you in the coming weeks. Be sure to schedule ample time to complete the Pre-work. The more prepared you are, the more you'll benefit from the experience.

Plan for Year-End Supply Orders — With the holidays fast approaching, it's important to place your supply orders by Thursday, December 12. All product orders placed by 11:59:59 p.m. Mountain Time on December 12 will be shipped no later than Monday, December 23. Due to the holiday schedule and year-end inventory reconciliation, all orders received after that date will begin shipping on Friday, January 3, 2025. This includes any orders marked for express delivery. If you have any questions or concerns, please call +1 720-439-5050, ext. 1406 from 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Mountain Time, Monday through Friday, or emai supplyorders@toastmasters.org.

2025 Accredited Speaker Program Update — Is there a professional-level speaker in your club who should pursue this prestigious designation? The Accredited Speaker Program is designed for those who combine expert knowledge in a particular subject with mastery of the spoken word. Members who are interested in applying should review the Accredited Speaker Program Handbook form and email it to clubofficers@toastmasters.org and ensure that all application materials are submitted to accreditedspeaker@toastmasters.org between January 1 and January 31, 2025.

New Tools for Club Growth — The new Prospective Member Management page makes it easy to view and track Find a Club contacts, so no one gets missed! Learn how to make the most of this system.

District Leadership Committee (DLC) Handbook — Do you have questions about the District Leadership Committee? The District Leadership Committee Handbook has been developed to provide a better understanding of the DLC process to the District leadership team, DLC Chair, DLC members, and candidates. The handbook shares ways to identify candidates and to build a leadership legacy in the District. Please take an opportunity to review it.

Focus on Solutions, Not Challenges — Learn how to deliver difficult news or acknowledge a challenging situation in a way that inspires rather than discourages people.

Stand Out in an AI World — Discover how to work with, not compete against, AI to foster ideas and improve your communication skills.

Use Your Brain to Calm Your Nerves — Even experienced speakers get a case of the jitters. Get easy tricks to tame parts of your brain and keep you calm onstage.