February 2025 Leader Letter

Convention Registration Open — Are you ready to Envision Y(our) Next Move with Toastmasters from around the world? Put your stamp on a very special “Envision” board and join us at the 2025 International Convention in Philadelphia this August. You are invited to take part in a happy collage movement that blends the intersection of your near-future goals with those of the organization. Sign up now through April 9 for the early-bird discount—and help us get the next 100 years started!

Keynote Energy Announced! — Come experience Anne Bonney, a spirited speaker, author, podcast host, and workshop facilitator at the 2025 International Convention, where she will present her keynote speech: Ignite Your Next Move: Courageously Dancing into the Future, immediately following the Parade of Flags. Get ready to be empowered with practical strategies to handle change with courage, confidence, and resilience!

Call for Convention Sponsors — Is your company a good fit for taking part in the 2025 International Convention showcase? Know another business that is? Help companies you deem appropriate to present their products or services in front of thousands of communication enthusiasts from around the world! Point them to the convention sponsors webpage to get started.

Nurture Smedley’s Vision on His Birthday Month — Donate $100 USD or more to the Ralph C. Smedley Memorial Fund® in February (his date of birth: 2/22/1878) and you will receive a Smedley replica pin and get a sneak peek of the new education program as development progresses. Toastmasters is currently in the stage of conducting the necessary research to ensure that updated education products meet the needs of current and prospective members. Help keep his vision alive by giving during the month of his birth.

Tune In! — In this episode of The Toastmasters Podcast, hear the journey of Toastmasters’ two newest Accredited Speakers: Lauren Parsons and Maureen Zappala.

Corporate Recognition Award Nominations Open — If your District is scheduled for an official International Officer or International Director District Visit this spring, consider nominating up to two corporate sponsors for this distinguished award. Nominations are due 6-8 weeks prior to your event. Visit the Corporate Recognition Award program webpage today for information on nomination requirements and criteria, marketing materials, and to submit your nomination form. The final date to submit a nomination is April 15.

Submit Club Officer Training Reports — The due date to complete the second round of club officer training is February 28. Club officer training credit should be entered through District Central by March 31 for accurate reporting in the Distinguished Club Program. Districts will have until May 31 to make final adjustments to the second round of club officer training. Please review the Distinguished Performance Reports regularly for accuracy.

International Speech Contest Quarterfinals — Are you ready for your District-level International Speech Contest? Remember that your contest must be held fully in person, and recorded in compliance with the Speech Contest Rulebook. Program Quality Directors should have received a series of emails outlining past disqualifications, tips to set you up for success, and an example of a quarterfinal recording.

Review District Operating Procedures — Many Districts establish operating procedures to guide them and provide consistency from year to year. Review the District operating procedures regularly to ensure it is relevant and current. If the District changes the operating procedures, follow the guidelines in the District Leadership Handbook. Email the proposed changes to districts@toastmasters.org for review. Once approved by the District Executive Committee or District Council, post any approved changes on the District website.

Manage Speaking Times — It’s almost District speech contest time! Don’t let your contestants get disqualified for going over time limits. Gain tips for helping members stick to their time—and understand why Toastmasters emphasizes those limits.

Use Digital Storytelling to Promote Your Club — Use Digital Storytelling to Promote Your Club—Your social media accounts and website copy can come alive through video, audio, animation, and other techniques. Learn the most effective ways to use digital storytelling to enhance your posts.

How Failure Can Actually Benefit You — No one wants to fail, but it’s something everyone experiences. Discover how to use it as a tool for learning and reflection; find out how a setback might be the first step to success.

Successful District Elections Start Here — The District Leadership Committee (DLC) is responsible for seeking, identifying, evaluating, and nominating the best-qualified candidate(s) for each role to ensure long-term District success. The DLC notifies the District Director of the nominated candidates six (6) weeks prior to the election date, and the DLC report must be posted four (4) weeks prior to the Annual Meeting of the District Council.

Avoid Common District Alignment Missteps — Suspended clubs cannot be assigned an alignment for the 2025-2026 program year. The Alignment Committee cannot include suspended clubs when preparing the alignment proposal. If a suspended club is reinstated after the alignment is approved, the District Director will align the club and seek approval from the District Executive Committee at the next scheduled meeting. Prospective clubs may be considered for alignment by the Alignment Committee only if the club will be chartered by June 30. Clubs organized after June 30 will be aligned by the District Director, who will later seek approval from the District Executive Committee at the next scheduled meeting. Email any District alignment questions to districts@toastmasters.org.

Base Camp Access Restored — Important Update — The unexpected Base Camp outage that occurred on February 1, 2025, which resulted in members being unable to log in, has been resolved. All access was restored by 2 a.m. Mountain Standard Time (MST)/Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) -7 on February 2, 2025. We apologize for the inconvenience and are working to prevent similar issues in the future. Please note that this technical glitch also caused pending completion requests and evaluation requests to move back to an unsubmitted state. To rectify, members can simply re-submit the request, and their Base Camp managers or evaluators will be notified.

Thank You, Mid-year Training Attendees! — Mid-year Training is built on foundational sessions conducted at District Leader Training last August. Your discussions, sharing of best practices, and collaboration made the training valuable and tremendously successful. We wish you the best of luck in achieving your year-end goals.