Toastmasters International -Pathways Additions Arrive

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Numerous new initiatives and updates were shared at the Toastmasters Board of Directors Briefing in August.

Pathways Learning Experience

To benefit member education and contribute to club success, two new components are being added to the Pathways learning experience. The new developments are largely in response to feedback from members and club officers.

Pathways Enhancements: The first item in each level of a path will now be a requirement to complete meeting roles. Members will start with more straightforward roles, such as Table Topics speaker, and then progress in their path to more involved functionary positions, such as Toastmaster of the Day. For clubs to succeed, all members need to be involved in meetings, and tackling meeting roles is a great way for everyone to practice their communication and leadership skills.
To further improve club quality and success, members will now also deliver 10-15-minute presentations on various topics in the Education Series. These presentation requirements will be in Levels 3 to 5. In Levels 3, 4, and 5, members will give one presentation from The Successful Club Series; in Level 4, one presentation from The Better Speaker Series; and in Level 5, one presentation from The Leadership Excellence Series. The presentations will help Toastmasters share and learn about speechwriting, delivery, leadership skills, attracting and maintaining members, and holding quality club meetings, among other topics.

The new meeting role and presentation requirements are in addition to the other required projects at each level of a path. The projects currently required in all path levels won’t change. You can review these in the Paths and Core Competencies document on the Toastmasters website.

These enhancements, reflecting a desire for more members to take on club meeting roles and learn the steps that go into building a high-quality club, are expected to go into effect in late October.
Vintage Paths: Two vintage paths are scheduled to be released in 2026, including one featuring foundational content designed by Toastmasters founder Dr. Ralph C. Smedley.
One path will include the Basic Training Manual with original content from Smedley. The manual will be available on Base Camp with its original vintage look. The other path will consist of the Competent Communication manual and two Advanced Communication manuals, also accessed on Base Camp. The vintage paths will give members additional flexibility in the Pathways program while providing a window to the organization’s past.

More information about new Pathways developments will be shared on the Pathways Updates page as it becomes available.

New-Member Fee Increase

The one-time fee that members pay when they first join Toastmasters will increase to $25 USD (up from $20 USD). This change, effective October 1, marks the first increase to the fee in 20 years.

The money from the new-member payments support organization administrative costs, member access to the Pathways Base Camp system, and the free initial path that members get in the education program.

Future International Conventions

The site of the 2026 International Convention will be Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The event will be held August 19–22.

District Realignment

A Transition Committee consisting of past District (and other) leaders has been established to help Districts growing through realignment, which starts in the 2026–2027 program year. As previously announced, Districts in Regions 1 through 7 will be realigned.

The Transition Committee will be assisting Districts with certain activities, such as selecting a District Alignment Committee and District Leadership Committee, and holding council meetings. The review and realignment of Districts from Regions 8 through 14 is also underway and more information will be shared at a later time. More information is available in the realignment map on the Toastmasters website.

World Headquarters Hours

The Member Support phone queues and email inbox will now have a full 12 hours of coverage (7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mountain Time).

Board Candidates

Election campaigns for candidates for the Board of Directors will be streamlined and modernized. The goal is to make the process less time-consuming and stressful for all involved. To that end, the following changes took effect for the election cycle that started September 1, 2025:

Board candidates will not be publicly announced until the International Leadership Committee nominations are published.
The Toastmasters website will serve as a single location to learn about all the candidates, including floor candidates. Information about the new candidates will only be posted after the International Leadership Committee has completed their nomination (typically February or March at the earliest and May 1 at the latest).
District leaders will no longer conduct candidate interviews with Board candidates.
The Candidate Showcase will now be held separately from the International Convention, allowing members to learn more about the candidates before voting.
These new changes are reflected in Toastmasters Policy and Protocol, Policy 9.1: International Campaigns and Elections.