Some Thoughts Regarding Elected Officer Roles in Toastmasters

District 6 Toastmasters has a long and laudable history. Chartered in 1937, this was the sixth original district spawned in the early days of Toastmasters International. Since then, District 6 Toastmasters has had a remarkable chain of leaders who had a big impact on the organization that goes those early days of District 6 Toastmasters.

The next time you attend a District 6 Spring Conference, look for the photos of the District 6 Past District Governors, now called District Directors. Each photo is unique. In his or her own unique way, each leader led this District by serving in the key roles that led up to what we today call the District Director position. Each traveled and were trained by Toastmasters International. Each served the District for several years with their time and talents building clubs, increasing new membership, and training club leaders. Each was committed to seeing District 6 Toastmasters and Toastmasters International grow.

Serving is a significant commitment of time and personal resources. When someone chooses to run for Club Growth Director, she/he signs up for a five-year commitment to the District. Once elected to the position of Club Growth Director, he/she can look forward to being elected to and serving as Program Quality Director and District Director. Along the way the leader encourages new leaders to serve in his/her administration (Public Relations Manager, Administrative Manager, Division Governors, among many others. Following the District Director Year he/she serves in the Honorary and important role of Immediate Past District Director helping the current District Director to find new leaders to serve in the District. The following year she/she will often chair the District Leadership Committee.

One of the most important roles of the District Director is to identify and encourage up-and-coming leaders to consider taking on expanded roles in the organization. Expanding the leadership base is part of the stewardship responsibilities of all senior District leaders.

There are some roles in Toastmasters International that are intended to be one-time roles. An elected official gets one shot to take on the challenges of the role. Often referred to as ‘the chairs’, the experience is designed in a way wherein the officer gets to see how the roles operate within a leadership team while learning by doing. At the International Level these roles include all the Toastmasters International top Officers (Second Vice President, First Vice President, International President Elect, and International President). At the Toastmasters International Board of Directors Level this includes First Year and Second Year Board Members. At the Toastmasters District Officers Level, this includes all three district top offices (Club Growth Director, Program Quality Director, and District Director).

The District Leadership Roles are modeled after the International Leadership Roles. Once an officer at the Toastmasters International Level successfully runs for Second Vice President, she/he can expect to be elected to the other chairs ultimately culminating in the International President. Except in special circumstances, he/she is not expected to ever run for the Second Vice President again. Likewise, at the District Level, except in special circumstances, a former District Governor is not expected to ever run for the district chairs again.

This precedent establishes continuity, avoids disruption, and engenders a level of trust in the process. It allows the elected leader to plan for and assume the most challenging District roles that help the organization to achieve educational and growth goals. When the District Director is Elected, he or she has seen two prior District Directors lead the district and now has the chance to use what has been learned as she assumes the role of the incoming District Director.

This follows the Toastmasters Servant Leadership model. When elected District Director, the leader becomes First Among Equals. When the leadership reign is over, she/he goes forward to being a regular Toastmasters Member once again. At that point as Immediate Past District director, he/she may consider other challenging roles and/or opportunities within the organization, including Regional Advisor and/or International Director.

I hope that someday soon the Toastmasters International Board of Directors will provide some guidance of these core principles for continuity and consistency of the Toastmaster International leadership experience. For now, I humbly express my thoughts.