Al Tuten, DTM
District Governor
What's All this Fuss About a District Anyway ?
That's a question many of you may be wondering about, but never bothered to ask. Let's look at it this way for a moment. Suppose for the sake of discussion that there were no District ... just 120+ clubs across greater Virginia, all doing their own thing.
For several, this might not be so bad. They would be holding fun meetings, with great attendance numbers, reaching milestones, submitting education awards, and attracting more members. But for many others (and the numbers certainly bear this out), things would be very different. Attendance would be low, members would be finding out about roles at the last minute, meetings would be lackluster, and membership levels would be on the decline.
Now suppose we could recruit experienced members from some of these stronger clubs, servant leaders willing to invest extra time and energy in a supportive role to assist clubs, other than their own, as needed. That's really what happens when a District gets formed. The mission of the District, as defined by Toastmasters International is as follows:
The mission of the district is to enhance the quality and performance and extend the network of the member clubs of Toastmasters International within the boundaries of the district, thereby offering greater numbers of people the opportunity to benefit from the Toastmasters educational program by:
- Focusing on the critical success factors as specified by the district educational and membership goals.
- Ensuring that each club effectively fulfills its responsibilities to its individual members.
- Providing effective training and leadership-development opportunities for club and district officer
To this end, you and I are very fortunate this year to be supported by a great incoming team of District officers. With two focused Lt Governors, five wonderful Division Governors, a team of energetic Area Governors, a solid support staff, and so many "uncrowned leaders" willing to step in and help, I almost feel guilty that we have it so good.
I said "almost" because District leaders can't do it alone. Ours is a partnership between Club and District. Club leaders who care, working for the benefit of their clubs and members, will find willing and ready resources as we embrace the goals of the Distinguished Club Program and strive to be successful in all we do. We have the right stuff. Let's work together and make this one great year.
