Toastmasters Core Value: Service

When I joined Toastmasters, my focus was mostly on myself.  I considered:  What can I gain from membership?  How will this help me improve my skills?  What do I enjoy about the meetings?  I think this is common when starting any educational journey - we start the journey to grow our own skills and knowledge.  As the journey progresses, we gain knowledge, skills, and confidence.  And what do we do after we have gained the knowledge, skills, and confidence we sought?  In addition to continuing to grow ourselves even further, we can start seeking opportunities to help others grow their knowledge, skills, and confidence.  This is where the Toastmasters core value of service comes in.

Toastmasters members can serve fellow members in many ways.  One way is through mentorship, which includes helping a new member set and work towards their goals.  This is service to another individual.  

Members can also serve their entire club by becoming a club officer.  They can maintain records as secretary or treasurer, help ensure the club has a quality meeting space as sergeant-at-arms, publicize the club and its accomplishments as VP PR, help grow and maintain membership of the group as VP Membership, ensure the membership as a whole is meeting their educational goals as VP Education, or provide overall leadership and direction as President.  All of these roles are important to maintaining a vibrant and successful club.

Finally, members can serve beyond their club by taking on other leadership roles starting at the District level.  A Toastmasters District is made up of many clubs, and District leaders could be responsible for supporting a few clubs in the District, all clubs in the District, and/or other District leaders.  One very important District leadership role is the Area Director who guides, supports, and informs 3-6 clubs.  For many, including me, the Area Director role is the first leadership role taken beyond the club, the first act of service to the broader Toastmasters community.  It provides a vital connection between clubs and the broader Toastmasters organization, giving clubs greater awareness of the offerings of Toastmasters and helping ensure the clubs continue to serve the needs of the members.  Thus, an Area Director serves not just one other member, and not just the 8-20+ member of their own club, but dozens of members across multiple clubs.

What is really neat about all these service opportunities is that the member engaging in them is not just helping those they are serving, but is helping themself as well.  I have gained numerous new insights by talking with my proteges, discussing ideas with fellow club officers, and visiting other clubs as an Area Director.  As I continue in this service, my ability to serve grows, a skill I can leverage as more members join my club or new clubs join our District.  It is a virtuous cycle of ongoing growth stemming from the core value of service.

As you reflect on your own journey, in Toastmasters or otherwise, I challenge you to find opportunities to use your knowledge and skills in service to others.  I think you'll find, like I have, that you not only serve others, but they end up serving you as well.  The more you serve, the more your effectiveness in service will grow.  You might even inspire others to serve as well!  When we all serve one another, we experience a multiplying effect that truly makes the world a better place.