What does Distinguished mean?
What does Distinguished mean?
Quite a lot actually
- First the dictionary – “very successful, authoritative, and commanding great respect”. Does that sound like your club?
- Toastmasters Definition of Distinguished club – can be seen here - https://www.toastmasters.org/resources/distinguished-club-program-and-club-success-plan-english
- Simplified version of Distinguished Club, is – enough club members are working in the education program to ensure that members are achieving their goals and stimulating others to achieve their goals as well. – enough new members are joining, and current members are being retained to sustain the club at a level that will ensure quality meetings – club executive officers are trained to a high level to ensure the best possible support of club members – and that the clubs administration is accurately handled and maintained.
Why
- Top of the list – All members deserve to belong to a quality club
- It’s a way of letting prospective members know that yours is a quality club
- Bragging rights
- If you are serving as a club or district officer, it is a quantifiable measure of success. There are Recognition programs at all levels that both incentivise success and give Toastmasters International (all the way over in Denver, Colorado) a way of knowing that their programs are being applied successfully.
What can you do?
- Start by learning about the Distinguished Club Program
- How about some WOW - https://www.toastmasters.org/wowfactor
- Finish off all your legacy program projects and submit them.
- Start working in Pathways – submit level completion awards in club central
- Get trained – watch for training events here - https://d96toastmasters.ca/event/month
- Get your club officer list in to Toastmasters by June 30- this is the responsibility of the outgoing executive but the incoming executive should follow up on this before June 30, 2019