The Year Ahead

 June 30 will mark the end of this Toastmasters year and July 1 marks the start of the next one.  That means that this month, May, is a prime time for Toastmasters clubs and Districts (groupings of several clubs) to sort out who will take on leadership roles in the year ahead.

During this past Toastmasters year (2021-2022), I held one District leadership role and three club leadership roles.  I was the District Public Relations Manager (PRM), in charge of PR efforts and communication both to members and to those outside Toastmasters.  I was also President of one club and VP Education and sergeant-at-arms of another.  As President, I was to provide overall guidance and direction for other club leaders and members.  As VP Education, I was to make sure members understood the educational offerings of Toastmasters and were able to meet their educational goals.

As I reflect on these roles, I can see things I did well and also opportunities for improvement.  The main thing I believe I did better than I have done in the past is relying on others and delegating certain tasks, though I still have opportunity to delegate even more.  Something I could do better, particularly as VP Education, is keeping track of all those who are mentoring our club's members and ensuring the mentorship relationships are successful.  I've realized mentorship cannot just be a "make sure they have a mentor and step aside" task.  I need to check in to make sure that relationship is working.

The lesson learned is something I want to carry forward into the next year.  I am hoping to once again be VP Education, but in a different club.  In this club, I want to make sure I know who is mentoring whom and that the mentorship is successful.  I also want to make sure I know the members' goals and can help them achieve those goals (whether the goals are something specific to Toastmasters or something more general such as feeling more comfortable in front of a group or improving impromptu speaking skills).  I hope I can also share my takeaways from being VP Education with the person who will succeed me in the club where I am currently VP Education.

In addition to being VP Education of a club, it is also looking like I will be VP Membership and Treasurer of a club.  As VP Membership, I will be primarily focused on helping convert guests to members and following up with past guests to see if they would like to visit again or become members.  As Treasurer, I will collect club dues and manage our club's budget.  This will be my first time serving as Treasurer of any club.  Once I've done so, I will have served in all seven of the officer roles that Toastmasters has to offer!

There is still one additional club of which I am a member where I could serve as an officer in the year ahead.  This is the club where I was President, which is the only position in which a member cannot serve two years in a row.  Because of that limitation, I know I will be in a different role, if I serve as an officer at all.  Stepping aside and letting others fill all the officer roles would be okay with me, but I am also willing to serve that club wherever I am needed.

Finally, at the District level, I will be taking on the role of "Educational Coordinator."  This is a role that assists the "Program Quality Director," who is the second-highest officer in the District.  While "Education Coordinator" is a supporting role and has no "rank," so to speak, I believe it is a very important role as I will be helping to plan educational content and programming for our members, particularly other leaders.  I am excited about this opportunity and really looking forward to being part of both the strategy and tactics of providing educational experiences for others.

As I wrap up this Toastmasters year and reflect on what I have done, I look forward to the year ahead.  There are opportunities to both learn from the past and create an exciting future in my clubs and District!