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Club Officers
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Six
Month Club Officer Elections!
Clubs who
elect officers every six months need to get on the planning band wagon.
Elections are right around the corner. The immediate past or ANY past
club president (if the immediate has moved elsewhere) serves as the
nomination chair of the Nominations Committee. Members of that committee
can be anyone or can be the current officers. Check your club By-Laws
for the conduct of nominations, announcements, and voting.
After the election is completed make sure the "Club and Officer Information"
form is completed and mailed to the World Headquarters, District's
Top 3 (especially the Governor), and your Division and Area Governors.
Remember Toastmasters is about communication! In fact that semiannual
Club and Officer report is a requirement for all clubs.
Inform those newly elected officers of the three month District sponsored
officer training window for Competent Leader qualification AND Distinguished
Club Program goal.
Club
Officers Not Alone!
Club officers do not have to do their jobs alone! They are to chair one or several committees that support their responsibilities. This provides leadership training and experience at a lower level. It provides your club with an officer mentorship program and those committee members make excellent replacements at the next club election. By the way, your committee members are welcome to attend District sponsored officer training at any time (do not have to be elected to attend -- but elected officers must attend for DCP or CL credit.
Club
Officers!
-
Step
#1. On August 1st and February 1st, start
making announcements at each club meeting of "Dues Payable." Even start
accepting money and issuing receipts for the next six month period at
that time. Corporate Club's which support their members dues may need
an invoice to their company's Accounts Payable or Human Resources Department,
as appropriate.
Step #2. On August 15th and February 15th, send a "Notice of dues payable" to each member who has not yet paid their dues. Corporate Club's may need a follow-up notice to their company's Accounts Payable or Human Resources Department, as appropriate, if they have not paid.
STEP #3. On September 15th and March 15th, send the Club's check to cover all who have paid by that date along with the amended semiannual membership printout to Toastmasters International, regardless how many have paid, and the white and yellow copies of the semiannual report form. Note: Credit cards can not be used for dues, only for supply catalog orders. Always, keep a copy of your submitted report for the clubs records. Meanwhile, continue to solicit those who may have some monetary delay for payment -- of course using discretion so as not to embarrass a Toastmaster friend (Club or District Officer). The club's failure to submit dues and membership reports jeopardizes members' competitions, receipt of recognition awards, and a club's participation in the Distinguished Club Program (DCP).
SUGGESTIONS:
- Make announcements for 6 weeks beginning August 2st and February 1st. Perhaps, have their mentor also remind them. After 6 weeks, deal with them one-on-one. When you have exhausted all attempts to allow members to pay late (or even a deferred payment plan set up by the club treasurer and executive committee), submit an additional club check for those who paid after the club's remittance to TI, but no later than October/April 30th, and listing those late paying members with the same information on the semiannual membership report. Likewise, keeping a copy of all submissions. YES, these late payments do count as per capita payments (PER CAPS - a District critical success factor), it is just a bit of accounting nightmare for the World Headquarters. Don't beg your friends to improve themselves, however you may want to find out if the club has done anything to make them so hesitant, since we are not talking about a lot of money for six month dues.
- Send only one notice to a member. They have to want to be a member. They will be removed from all mailings (Toastmaster magazine for one) soon after non-payment (a month or two is typical). After the October 1st. or April 1st., they can not vote, receive or use Toastmaster recognition awards or compete in Club or higher level contests if they or the club is not current with dues! They or the club will be suspended by the World Headquarters after six months of non-payment of the TI dues.
- Have receipts available for each member, prior to the club's first announcement. Some employers reimburse employee for Toastmasters dues and other self-improvement programs.
- Never advance payment for any member. Maybe the club can assist them with a payment schedule, but only submit them to World Headquarters when all payments are received. The DCP no longer has a "retention" objective.
- Keep a copy of the club dues check and the semiannual membership report. Mail the originals to Toastmasters International via Certified Return Receipt to verify delivery. Advise your Area Governor as to when the paperwork was mailed to TI.
- Mailing by the 15th of September or March will ensure your club's qualification for the District 8 "Early Bird Award" for your banner. There is a Distinguished Club Program goal of submitting "One Semiannual Membership Report and One Club Officer List submitted on time." We encourage clubs to do both time frames and objectives on time.
- If per chance, they continue to attend without making any effort to pay, then the club can take a vote to deny membership in the club. This is why, members are voted into a club, just in case it is necessary to remove them.
- If a club inadvertently crosses off or omits a member from the membership list, the club "at any time during" the semiannual period, may submit a letter to the World Headquarters, stating that the member in question is active and their semiannual dues payment (or proof of submission) must accompany the letter.
NOTE: Information suggested by Dick Chadwick, DTM, Division B Governor.
Importance
of Certain Reports and Forms!
Proxy Forms -- Are mailed by the World Headquarters in the March to April time period. These proxies are signed by your President for the Regional and the International Conferences and are then mailed to the District Governor. Even if the club president "plans on attending" the proxy for each event should be mailed to the District Governor (DG). The DG will return the proxy at the appropriate meeting when properly notified. Significance of the Officer Report (listed below) is felt here. These are mailed to the President of Record from the last Officer Report.
Officer
reports -- Due to the World Headquarters by the end of December and
May. Clubs report: contact information, meeting frequency and time.
This is placed on the Toastmasters International web site for your
club!
These reports also control the mailings of important information at
critical times of the year. Proxies, new officer kits (the club's
copies not the individuals), semiannual reports and membership rosters,
and "Tips" flyer.
Semiannual reports -- Due to the World Headquarters with the payment of dues by the club. The due dates are April 1st and October 1st. While a grace period is reported in the recent "Tips" is the 15th of the month, do NOT wait to mail the check, membership roster (original), and the semiannual report. The grace period is the "headquarters" fudge factor for the US Postal Service and their internal distribution.
Club
Officers!
Club
President and Vice President of Education are voting members of
the District Council.
In some Areas and Divisions the club President, Vice President of
Education, and Vice President of Membership are voting members of
your Area's Council.
All club officers are voting members of the club's Executive Committee
which may meet as the President see fit.
Club
Officers!
Complete the majority of the requirements for Competent
Leader (CL) while or even before you finish your Competent Toastmaster
(CTM)!
You do not have to complete your CTM before you start your CL. In
fact, you can have everything done for the CL (except the CTM), and
the moment you complete the CTM requirements, you then have fulfilled
the CL requirements. You apply for both CTM and CL at the same time.
Ok,
what do you need to do for your CL?
- Hold
elected office for six consecutive months (July 1-December 31 or
January 1-June 30) and participate in the preparation of the Club
Success Plan (a sample is outlined in the back of the Distinguished
Club Plan booklet) for that term, that term must be complete before
you apply for the CL!
You do not have to hold office for an entire year -- even if your club only elects officers once per year! You just have to serve either of those six months periods and have taken the officer training for that period. Your club can not usurp Toastmasters International rules (we have heard of clubs trying to change the rules). - Complete district-sponsored club officer training conducted in your term of elected office. Ensure you sign-in at the training for your elected office. (There is a three month window for district sponsored training, one month before through the first two months of the period and the training must occur on or before August 31 or February 28 to be credited for CL and the DCP!) Contact your Area or Division Governor for dates and times!
- Give any two "The Successful Club" series" presentations to any club. Only "The Successful Club" series qualify!
- Complete the CTM requirements. (Again, dual application for CL and CTM may be sent or faxed to the World Headquarters [FAX number: (949)858-1207].
Likewise one of your requirements for CL helps your club complete part of a Distinguished Club Program (DCP) goal, Your club has to have at least four officers (same or different) trained during each the three month "officer training windows" (listed below) to complete a Distinguished Club Program (DCP) goal. There is only one DCP Club officer training goal each Toastmaster Year (July 1--June 30). However, a minimum of four club officers have to be trained in the two separate training periods in order to attain the one goal in the DCP.
Club President and Vice President of Education are voting members of the District Council. In some Areas and Divisions the club President, Vice President of Education, and Vice President of Membership are voting members of your Area's Council. All club officers are voting members of the club's Executive Committee which may meet as the President see fit.
Distinguished Club Program
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Call
our Info Line: In Greater St. Louis: (314)726-9834
Remainder of District 8: 1-800-569-0595
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comments are welcome at gavelmaster@d8toastmasters.org
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