Like most organisations,  Toastmasters International needs to grow and the mission that TI has given to its District Officers around the world is 2-fold: Firstly, to extend the network of clubs (by forming new clubs) and secondly,  to enhance the performance of the clubs we already have (by making them all  Distinguished Clubs).

This Year, as a District Team, we looked at the TI mission and came up with a vision for our own District for the year:

1. One new club in each Area.
2. Every club a Distinguished club (or better).

That is our focus for this

Now we all know what our aim is and where we are going.

In the first round of Club Officer Training, on 26^th June last year, you concentrated on planning. Planning how to get your club to be a Distinguished Club or better. Today you will have an opportunity to review those  plans with your Area Governor and Area Team and make any adjustments that might be needed to keep you on track for Distinguished Club or better.

In the 2009/10 Toastmasters year, only 44% of our clubs were Distinguished or better. Clearly, we need to improve on that. With the excellent planning that we have all done this year, we expect 60% Distinguished or better - and that’s a target !

When it comes to new clubs, as a District, we need to increase our capacity - our capacity to build new clubs. We really need man, many more District Officers, Club Officers and just Toastmasters to be on the lookout for new club opportunities, to get involved and to get those new clubs chartered:

Setting the example for us, right now we have -

• Francois Rossouw, our LGM, starting a breakfast club in the Capetown CBD.
• Robin Prowse, IPP of Rivonia, starting a club at the Wits Business School.
• Erich Viedge, Past Division C Governor, starting a community club in Greenside.
• Frances Fraser, our District Secretary, starting a corporate club at ABSA.
• Marlene van Wyk, Area Governor E1, starting a community club in Uitenhage.

That’s 5 we have on the go which will give us a total of 11 for the year. This is a great achievement but I can tell you that for Select Distinguished District or President’s Distinguished District we would need to have 25 or even 35 new clubs in the pipeline right now!  For our District to grow, we really need to have everyone in District on this same mission!

To make it easier, TLI has very good training material on how to go about starting a new club and your Division Governor can arrange with TLI to run that workshop for your Division.

Remember that one of your aims for today is to meet (and interact with) leaders from other clubs and particularly the other members of your Area Council Team. I’m convinced that for our District to be successful and to grow faster, we have got to have enthusiastic and  inspired Area Teams.

It’s as an Area Team, (lead by your Area Governor) that you need to be planning such things as:

• Starting a new club in your Area.
• Assisting each club in your Area to reach Distinguished Club Status or better.
• Your Area Speech Contest.
• Nominating at least 2 Candidates for Area Governor next year.
• Planning a Toastmasters Day Event (something needs to be done in your Area).

As a starting point I would like each club VP-PR to download the “Just 1” presentation from the website (and there’s a script that goes with it). Download it an present it to your club and that will be Just 1 small thing that you can do to get the ball rolling.

Now all these thing that I say you should be doing as an Area Team –

• They are all leadership opportunities.
• You don’t have to wait for your Area Governor - you can volunteer !
• You can make things happen.
• Get a team together.
• Make it a High Performance Leadership Project.

This is what leadership in Toastmasters is all about ! That brings me to Conference in the Cradle.

The Conference theme is: “Let your Leadership Skills Evolve”.

Conference is on 15^th & 16^th of April (a month earlier than usual) and to find out more and to register you need to go to  WWW.MAXICON.CO.ZA

Remember that Club Presidents and VPEs need to be there to vote at the District Council meeting and you will even have the opportunity to meet our International President, Pat Johnson.

I can promise you that if even 1 person from your club attends, they will bring back enough inspiration to keep your club going for a whole year !