September 2025 Leader Letter

Toastmasters Education Series — Motivate your fellow members and help lead your club to distinction by presenting content from the Toastmasters Education Series: the Successful Club Series, the Better Speaker Series, and the Leadership Excellence Series. Encourage members in your club to give these presentations to help them become stronger presenters, communicators, and leaders while supporting club excellence.

Board Briefing Recording Available — Watch the recording to hear important announcements from the Board of Directors.

Renewal Dues Time — Help your club remain in good standing and receive credit for the Distinguished Club Program by processing member dues for a minimum of eight members—at least three of whom were members of the club during the previous renewal period—on or before October 1.

If your club has enabled Self-Pay, members can submit their own dues payments through My Home. To enable Self-Pay for your club, select the toggle button in the “Self-Pay Setting” section at the bottom of the Club Contact and Meeting Information page of Club Central and click “Save” at the bottom of the page. You always have the option to turn off this feature for individual members on the Membership Management page. If you have any questions, please review the Renewal Dues FAQ page.

It's Time to Submit Your Club's Success Plan — A new qualifying requirement for the Distinguished Club Program is that the Club Success Plan must be completed and submitted by September 30. Please upload or enter the completed Club Success Plan in Club Central by going to the Club Success Plan card and clicking on “Upload Plan.”

Earn Credit for Club Officer Training — When club officers are well-trained, club members are better served, leading to increased member retention and greater satisfaction and growth. Your club can also earn Distinguished Club Program credit if you work with your District's Program Quality Director to report your Club Officer Training in District Central by September 30 (changes accepted until October 31).

Learn What the Most Successful Clubs Are Doing — Healthy Clubs is the ultimate compilation of Toastmaster magazine articles highlighting the best remedies and advice from successful club officers and District leaders around the world. Order now in either PDF or Kindle format!

Connect with More Prospects; Gain More Members — This guide helps you communicate with potential members. It also includes customizable templates to easily communicate with prospects and to keep track of your communications.

Meetings Need Some Spice? — Over time, with members lapsing into a routine pattern and identical meeting formats, clubs can become a bit stale. Learn how to spice up your club meetings with changes of pace, fresh ideas, and a dose of fun to create a renewed vitality.

Search It! — The updated search function on toastmasters.org will improve your experience of finding helpful resources. See an example of the results page when “membership building” is entered into the search bar.

Meet Aletta Rochat, DTM, Your 2025–2026 International President — As a longtime Toastmaster and self-proclaimed people person, Rochat is ready to serve the organization. She encourages you to share the opportunity to join Toastmasters with people everywhere.

Give a Captivating Speech — Learn how to weave stories into your speeches to make them sparkle and ensure your message will stick.

Introducing the 2025-2026 Board of Directors — At this year's Annual Business Meeting, the membership of Toastmasters International elected new members to the organization's Board of Directors. Learn more about the International Officers and International Directors who will serve in 2025–2026.

New Member Fee Update — As announced during the August Board Briefing, the new member fee will increase to 25 USD on October 1, 2025. This one-time fee supports administrative costs, Base Camp system access, and provides new members with their first path. The fee has remained unchanged for 20 years, predating our current online engagement system, making this adjustment necessary to continue providing quality member support and services.

The 2025 World Champion of Public Speaking — Following an exciting World Championship of Public Speaking® at the 2025 Toastmasters International Convention, we are excited to announce the new World Champion: Sabyasachi Sengupta, from District 59, who won with a speech titled, “Just Nod.” Congratulations to Mas Mahathir Bin Mohamad, from District 51, for finishing in 2nd place with his speech, “...Raindrops” and Allen Ang Boon Kiat, from District 87, for finishing in 3rd place with his speech, “Keep Dreaming.” Get inspired by watching Sabyasachi deliver his winning speech!

How to Use Club Funds — Club funds can be used to support the club by purchasing materials, paying for the meeting space, purchasing refreshments, and more. Additional information can be found on the Use of Club Funds page.

Check Contact Information — The beginning of a new renewal period is an excellent time for you and club members to verify contact emails and addresses. Members can update their email address and login details by clicking “Edit” on their Profile page on toastmasters.org.

Add Members, Win an Award — When your club adds five new, reinstated, or dual members with a join date of August or September during the Smedley Award program contest period, you'll earn a special ribbon to display on your club banner and a 10% discount on your next club order from the Toastmasters Online Store!

How to Redeem Toastmasters Gift Certificates — Gift certificates currently work the same way as a check or money order. The certificate must be physically sent to World Headquarters, along with the order details using the Product Order Form. Gift certificates cannot be claimed online and photocopies are not accepted. Our mailing and shipping address is:
Toastmasters International
Supply Orders Team
9127 S. Jamaica Street, Suite 400
Englewood, CO 80112
Please provide additional payment information for any remaining balance, if applicable.