Club Officer Resources

Click here to see the officer roles recorded by District at WHQ as trained. It is your club’s responsibility to ensure this is correct. You will need to provide evidence of attendance to resolve any discrepancy.

Combining an in-person meeting with remote attendance is worthwhile. District Officers do it for contests, so you might take a look at our ZoomMaster’s “Using Zoom in online contests” guide on the District Documents page. 

A few extra hints:

• Online attendance is for those who can’t be there in person; your objective should be that everyone feels part of the meeting
• A TV programme with a live audience is an example of a hybrid meeting. This uses a camera trained on the stage and another on the audience
• Work with what is available, only buy to fill gaps
• Consider boosting the sound from remote speakers; a small Bluetooth speaker is ideal
• The more your venue echoes, the closer (and more in front of) your camera and microphone need to be to the speaker
• You won’t get it right first time, but the process can get you a Level 4 or 5 Pathways project if you wish.

Watch D112’s 10 minute summary of main points (highly recommended)

Also this 14 minute summary of Officer Roles presented by Ben Ross (Division O Director, 2021-2022)

Toastmasters provides a lot of information in the “Leadership Central” section under “District Performance Reports”. If you’re looking for an easy way of doing this, check out the “Tech for Toastmasters” YouTube channel, starting with this easy way of fetching the data.

If you want to look at the daily reports, such as who received what award in the current year, the method is similar. The query you need to use is 

http://reports.toastmasters.org/reports/dprReports.cfm?r=3&d=112

(Daily report no. 3 for District 112).

Please note you need to select “Table 2” from the “Display Options” drop-down on the Navigator screen, then click on “Transform data” when that button displays.

• Promotional Funding for club | Facebook Boosting (This is a Google form. If you do not have a Google account, please request that we send it to you via email. Contact: marketing@d112tm.org.nz)
• Generic Script for a Club Annual Business Meeting (ABM) | PDF and Word (provided by Murray Coutts, DTM, PDDG, and reviewed by Chrissy Meyer, DTM, PDDG)
• ABM presentation given by Jehan Kateli (Area Director O3) and Barry Shaw (Division O Director) during Club Officer Training Round 2 2020-2021 (Original information provided by Murray Coutts, DTM, PDDG)
• Editable Template for Club Executive Meeting
• The Club Success Plan checklist (Item no. 1335) is a useful start on the way to plan how your club can be Distinguished or better
• Club Success Plan Template
• Parliamentary Procedures for Business Meetings. D112 uses “Members Meetings” 3rd edition by Mark van Dadelzen. (ISBN/ISSN: 9781927149461) Published by Lexis Nexis. Discounted price at time of writing is $35.00.
• You hope you’ll never see conflict in your club – but if you do, this training aid will help you handle it

• Pathways Map and Member Progress Chart | PDF (provided by Kingsley Moody, DTM, PDDG)
• Member GOAL Sheet (provided by Wendy Wickliffe, DTM, Club Growth Director)
• Moments of Truth template
• Mentoring – PowerPoint slideshow (download)
• How to manage the club mentoring program
• Mentor interest survey
• Personal Plan for Success (provided by Glen Murphy DTM, adapted by Murray Coutts DTM, PDDG). There are three downloadable documents:
  • Presenters Overview, in PDF format
  • Participants Workbook, in MS Word format
  • Accompanying PowerPoint presentation

• Visitors Brochure
• Onboarding a New Member into a Toastmasters Club
• MS-Word survey forms for new members and members leaving the club
• Additional suggestions on the Membership Growth page

• Let The World Know – a manual for Public Relations
• Funding to publicise your club and its  events – find out how to apply on our District Documents page
• Show us all what you can do: put in an entry for the Kingsley Moody “Best Club PR” award! Here are some of the 2021 entrants to inspire you:
  • Lake City Breakfast spearheaded a campaign by all the Rotorua clubs to increase awareness across the city
  • Long Bay Toastmasters  used social media to double their membership DESPITE COVID
  • Pacific Toastmasters showed the difference energy can make (NOTE: This version is abridged)
  • Papakura Toastmasters used the power of Google Business and Facebook to great effect
  • And this is just a teaser! What can YOU do for your club? Make it a “Social Media Presence” project!
• New Year New You campaign available now: png files (download and use), video files (short videos for promoting your club on Instagram, Facebook and Linkedin), and GoogleSlide files (editable for your club’s details). Instruction for GoogleSlides files: Please download first, then edit.
• Powerpoint slides, editable for club use – Special Event Flier and New Year New You
• Quotes and skills – png files (download and use)
• Photo release form on Toastmasters International website
• Video release form on Toastmasters International website
• News release template on Toastmasters International website
• Additional suggestions on the Membership Growth page

Check out our PR Folder – infographics from Warren, tips and tricks, and more!

You’ve read in your Club Leadership Handbook that you’ll need to give some financial reports to your club. You may find this report template useful. Be prepared to answer the occasional question about the make-up of items in the report.

With any report, its a good idea to 

• Move the report be received
• Open the contents for discussion
• Move the report be accepted

Not sure what’s covered in an Executive meeting? Try this meeting template, which covers the main points. You can change as needed to better reflect your club.

The timing of  Executive meeting agendas and minutes  is often confusing, particularly as District is supposed to do this a month in advance of their meetings.  The agenda always goes out to allow Executive members to add items if they wish – the minutes are just for confirmation. Club practice will vary, but as a guideline:

• A week should be enough for Executive members to read and digest a one-page agenda.
• If the minutes go out too early, they won’t get read – three days before the meeting is likely to be sufficient, and serves as a reminder
• Some Secretaries like a second opinion – sending minutes just to the President for confirmation, and to the Executive later, is no bad idea

This role is a great starter for those wanting to develop impromptu speaking skills. The role is really what you make it; most organisations who recognise the role describe holders as “resourceful and level-headed”.

Toastmasters can add that, if you choose to use it, you are the only member who has a short speaking role at every meeting.

The Sergeant At Arms has the formal responsibility to welcome guests – whether this is done or delegated depends on the club.  If the venue is pre-set and there is not much to put out, the Sergeant could so that – but if there are, for example, tables to put out, then rostering a member as a greeter is a great way to spread the load.

The unique thing about this role is that it does not have resources as such – because you are the resource. If looking for an outline of duties, try “to mentor the Executive so that they leave the club in a better state than when they found it.”

One of your primary aims is to help your President avoid the mistakes you made – but let them make their own.

Outgoing Officer Duties

There are a number of duties the outgoing executive needs to perform, and these are briefly outlined below.

President

1. Plan a transition meeting between outgoing and incoming officers.
2. Prepare the annual report.
3. Install new club officers at the first meeting in July.
4. Ensure the new club officer list is updated on the Toastmasters International website.
5. Ensure smooth transition of leadership to their successor.

Vice President Education

1. Prepare the club forward speaking programme to the end July.
2. Update members’ manuals and progress charts.
3. Lodge member achievement awards for recognition with Toastmasters International.
4. Pass education programme information to their successor.

Vice President Membership

1. Check membership records are up to date.
2. Pass membership program information to their successor.

Vice President Public Relations

1. Prepare a news release about the newly elected officers.
2. Publish transition information in the club newsletter or on the club website.
3. Pass public relations program information to their successor.

Secretary/Treasurer

1. Update the club profile on the Toastmasters International website.
2. Prepare annual financial report for presentation at the Annual Business Meeting.
3. Change bank account signatories.
4. Pass club records to their successors.

Sergeant at Arms

1. Audit club supplies and resources.
2. Replenish club supplies.
3. Transfer club supplies, keys and information to their successor.

Immediate Past President

1. Provide guidance and resources to support current President and executive.
2. Act as Nominations committee chair for the following year’s club executive.
3. Conduct the elections for the following year’s club executive.

Incoming Officer Duties

All incoming officers take office on 1 July and/or January.  There are a number of duties to be performed.

President

1. Hold an inaugural club executive meeting.
2. Plan club goals for the new year using the Distinguished Club Programme.
3. Review duties with each newly elected club officer.
4. Schedule executive committee meetings (monthly or bi-monthly).
5. Prepare a report for club executive meetings.
6. Attend Area Council meetings.
7. Conduct General Business at all club meetings.

Vice President Education

1. Review the club forward speaking program and prepare new program.
2. Promote the educational program to club members.
3. Plan club speech contests.
4. Prepare a report for club executive meetings.
5. Attend Area Council meetings.

Vice President Membership

1. Plan the membership building program.
2. Review and update the guest pack and resources.
3. Prepare a report for club executive meetings.

Vice President Public Relations

1. Plan the annual public relations programme.
2. Review and update publicity materials.
3. Publish a club newsletter and update the club website.

Secretary/Treasurer

1. Record and publish minutes of club executive meetings.
2. Keep the club constitution and bylaws.
3. Develop a club annual budget.
4. Prepare a financial report for club executive meetings.
5. Check club bank account signatories have been transferred.

Sergeant at Arms

1. Assume custody of club property, resources, and keys.
2. Assist with preparation of the meeting venue for meetings.
3. Assist club members with special requirements for speech assignments.

Conclusion

The knowledge you gain from Leadership Training and serving on your club’s Executive is invaluable in work situations – another example of Toastmasters being “a safe place to make mistakes”.