This series concludes with the final two officers to be discussed: the club President and VP of Education. These two roles are considered the top two officer positions in the club. The reason for this is that the President and VP-Education automatically get votes in the District Executive Council. The "DEC" meets twice a year at the District Fall Conference and Spring Convention. Matters dealing with the District as a whole are voted on and discussed. So, these two officers form a link between the club and district as they represent the club at these DEC meetings.
Now let's look at each officer position.
VP of Education - The VP of Education is considered the second-ranking officer behind the President. The VP of Education's main focus is all things educational about the club, primarily the progress of the members through Toastmaster's educational tracks. In our club, the VP of Education passes around a signup sheet for the next 5 meetings. Members sign up for the roles they want to do. The VP of Ed then fills remaining holes in the agenda via in-meeting anoouncements and through e-mail. This officer also initials members' speech and leadership manuals after each meeting, and submits award applications when a member achieves a communication or leadership designation. The VP of Education also is responsible for scheduling club speech contests and recruiting members to serve as contestants or judges.
President - This is the top officer role in the club. The president is the club contact for other Toastmaster entities. If Toastmasters International needs to pass some important information to the clubs, then the letter or e-mail is sent to the President. He/she is contacted by the Area Governor frequently, most importantly to schedule the Area Governor's semi-annual visit. Within the club, the President works with the other officers to make sure that meetings are scheduled and run well. They should also verify that Toastmasters rules and regulations are being followed. They also open and close the club meetings and conduct the business portion of the meeting. You may also think of the President as the "face" of the club. They help set the mood an tenor of the club meetings and the club as a whole. Many newer members think that the President must be the hardest of the roles because of all that has to be done. But remember, officer opportunities exist to help members learn leadership skills. By practicing delegation, the president does not have to feel that he/she must do it alone. Sometimes the office serves as a springboard to other Toastmaster postitions out side of the club -- for example, Area Governor.
Our club will hold officer elections in May. Please read my earlier post where I descibe the various reasons why someone would become an officer. Please consider taking on one of the 7 roles. You'll enjoy the discovery of your own leadership strengths, and you'll be helping your club stay strong and provide an environment where all club members can grow and flourish.
Friday, April 20, 2012
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Club Officers (cont.) - The Treasurer
Of all the officer roles in Toastmasters, the easiest one for someone to figure out the duties is the club treasurer. If it's the treasurer, it must have something to do with money, right?
Correct!
The treasurers main duty is to watch over the club's finances. More specifically, it is the treasurer who gets involved whenever money comes into or goes out from the club. The two busiest months for the treasurer are March & September -- because Toastmasters International requires all clubs to pay their renewal dues by April 1 and October 1. If the club is corporate-based, the treasurer uses those preceding months to work with the corporation to receive whatever monetary support is given to the club. If the club allows non-employee members, then the treasurer invoices those members for their dues. If the club is a "community" club such as ours, then the treasurer needs to contact all members to request their dues payments.
Outside of these two dues-paying periods, the treasurer would accept applications & checks from new members, then log on to TI and enter the app & payment. The treasurer also places orders for any Toastmaster supplies from International, and pays out reimbursements at the local level that are approved by the club president. And of course the treasurer receives the monthly bank statements & reconciles the club's check book.
As you can see, the treasurer's work seems to come in spurts. It requires someone with attention to detail and is a self-starter. If other officers need to keep reminding the treasurer to pay /collect dues, or they take weeks to enter a new member app, the club is going to feel the impact. Delays in paying member dues could affect whether a member receives an educational award they are due, or a member's eligibilty to compete in speech contests. This is a great officer role - even a good one for a first-time officer. As with all the officer positions, training is available from TI (through the officer manuals), the District (TLI/Officer Training) and former treasurers of your club.
Please consider taking on a club officer role. Our club will hold its elections in May for the 2012-13 Toastmasters year.
My final post on club officers will focus on the last two officer positions: VP of Education and President.
Correct!
The treasurers main duty is to watch over the club's finances. More specifically, it is the treasurer who gets involved whenever money comes into or goes out from the club. The two busiest months for the treasurer are March & September -- because Toastmasters International requires all clubs to pay their renewal dues by April 1 and October 1. If the club is corporate-based, the treasurer uses those preceding months to work with the corporation to receive whatever monetary support is given to the club. If the club allows non-employee members, then the treasurer invoices those members for their dues. If the club is a "community" club such as ours, then the treasurer needs to contact all members to request their dues payments.
Outside of these two dues-paying periods, the treasurer would accept applications & checks from new members, then log on to TI and enter the app & payment. The treasurer also places orders for any Toastmaster supplies from International, and pays out reimbursements at the local level that are approved by the club president. And of course the treasurer receives the monthly bank statements & reconciles the club's check book.
As you can see, the treasurer's work seems to come in spurts. It requires someone with attention to detail and is a self-starter. If other officers need to keep reminding the treasurer to pay /collect dues, or they take weeks to enter a new member app, the club is going to feel the impact. Delays in paying member dues could affect whether a member receives an educational award they are due, or a member's eligibilty to compete in speech contests. This is a great officer role - even a good one for a first-time officer. As with all the officer positions, training is available from TI (through the officer manuals), the District (TLI/Officer Training) and former treasurers of your club.
Please consider taking on a club officer role. Our club will hold its elections in May for the 2012-13 Toastmasters year.
My final post on club officers will focus on the last two officer positions: VP of Education and President.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Club Officers (Cont) - Membership & PR
I would like to continue the theme of the past two posts, and discuss two more club officer roles: the Vice President of Membership and the Vice President of Public Relations.
VP of Membership. The primary responsibility of this officer is to work with our guests and guide them through the process of becoming a member. Toastmasters International describes the VP of Membership as the club's "number one recruiter"; however, recruiting new members is a task that every club member participates in. In our Eastside Madison club, the VP of Membership creates a "guest packet" which contains information about Toastmasters in general, a description of each of our agenda roles, a copy of "The Toastmaster Magazine", and an application for membership. The VP of Membership should introduce themselves to the guest prior to the meeting, hand them a guest packet, and ask them about how they heard of Toastmasters. After the meeting, you would meet again with the guest and ask them if they have any questions regarding the meeting. If the guest fills out an application, then you would guide the guest through the process of filling out the app, then forward the app and the new member's check to the Treasurer. There is no need to put on airs or "strong arm" the guest; just be yourself and discuss how Toastmasters can improve their communication skills.
VP of Public Relations. If the VP of Membership helps get a guest from the "front door" to becoming a member, then the VP of PR plays an important role in getting the guest to the front door. The VP of PR communicates to the outside world of our club's existence. Our club already has a website and a presence on Facebook. If you become VP of PR your goal would be to keep these web portals up to date, so prospective guests know we are here. It's important to keep the club news and information up to date, since a visitor may think we are not active if the website shows club agendas from 6 months ago. I've always thought the VP of PR is a great role to have because you are bounded by your own imagination. What can we do to continue to spread the word about Toastmasters, and our club in particular? The VP of PR should also promote upcoming Toastmasters events to club members. Keep track of the dates for speech contests, club officer training (TLI), and district conventions. Encourage members to attend and participate in these events, since these are benefits of their membership.
Remember, our club will be holding elections for the 2012-13 Toastmasters year in May. Ask current officers about their roles and seriously consider helping the club by serving as an officer.
My next post will be on the club treasurer.
VP of Membership. The primary responsibility of this officer is to work with our guests and guide them through the process of becoming a member. Toastmasters International describes the VP of Membership as the club's "number one recruiter"; however, recruiting new members is a task that every club member participates in. In our Eastside Madison club, the VP of Membership creates a "guest packet" which contains information about Toastmasters in general, a description of each of our agenda roles, a copy of "The Toastmaster Magazine", and an application for membership. The VP of Membership should introduce themselves to the guest prior to the meeting, hand them a guest packet, and ask them about how they heard of Toastmasters. After the meeting, you would meet again with the guest and ask them if they have any questions regarding the meeting. If the guest fills out an application, then you would guide the guest through the process of filling out the app, then forward the app and the new member's check to the Treasurer. There is no need to put on airs or "strong arm" the guest; just be yourself and discuss how Toastmasters can improve their communication skills.
VP of Public Relations. If the VP of Membership helps get a guest from the "front door" to becoming a member, then the VP of PR plays an important role in getting the guest to the front door. The VP of PR communicates to the outside world of our club's existence. Our club already has a website and a presence on Facebook. If you become VP of PR your goal would be to keep these web portals up to date, so prospective guests know we are here. It's important to keep the club news and information up to date, since a visitor may think we are not active if the website shows club agendas from 6 months ago. I've always thought the VP of PR is a great role to have because you are bounded by your own imagination. What can we do to continue to spread the word about Toastmasters, and our club in particular? The VP of PR should also promote upcoming Toastmasters events to club members. Keep track of the dates for speech contests, club officer training (TLI), and district conventions. Encourage members to attend and participate in these events, since these are benefits of their membership.
Remember, our club will be holding elections for the 2012-13 Toastmasters year in May. Ask current officers about their roles and seriously consider helping the club by serving as an officer.
My next post will be on the club treasurer.
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