April 2025 Leader Letter

Envision Y(our) Next Move! — Toastmasters invites you to help get the next 100 years of communication excellence started at the 2025 International Convention, where your near-future goals can intersect with those of the organization. Don’t miss the amazing insight and energy from Keynote Speaker Anne Bonney and Golden Gavel Honoree Matt Abrahams by registering now.

Get Your Convention Spirit On! — Help spread the word about the upcoming 2025 International Convention with fun promotional assets. Display 2025 Convention Zoom Backgrounds in online meetings, post 2025 Convention Social Media Graphics or 2025 Convention GIFs and Stickers on social channels, add the 2025 Convention Email Signature to emails, and share the 2025 Convention Presentation Slides with members before meetings begin, at District conferences, or other upcoming events. Pass on the inspiration to gather in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States this August!

Secure a Sponsor Spot! — Do you know a company (yours?) with a product or service that would be a good fit with communication excellence? Invite them to participate in the 2025 International Convention as a sponsor, where they can showcase their company to hundreds of passionate global leaders and take advantage of a dynamic networking experience. Learn more or email sponsorship@toastmasters.org to inquire about the multi-level sponsor opportunities.

Advise Clubs to Submit New Club Forms Early — More clubs charter in May and June than at any other time, so tell your clubs to beat the rush and submit new club forms early for timely processing. For more information, review the How to Build a Toastmasters Club manual or email the New Clubs Team.

Replay Board Briefing — If you missed the Board Briefing on March 26, don’t worry; you can now watch the recording to hear important announcements from the Board of Directors.

Schedule Candidate Talk Time — Have you scheduled a conversation with the international candidates yet? To learn about the candidates, visit the biography pages on the International Officer and Director Candidates on the Toastmasters International website. Then, use this online scheduling form to schedule time to talk.

Area Directors: Meet Deadline for Both Rounds of Visits — Remember that your support affects the future of clubs in the Area and empowers officers and members alike to achieve their goals. Area Directors must submit reports for 75 percent of their clubs for both rounds of visits to receive credit in the Distinguished Area Program. After each club visit, submit an Area Director’s Club Visit Report online through District Central. Round two visit reports must be submitted by May 31.

Is Your District on Track to Become Distinguished? — With only three months left in the 2024–2025 District Recognition Program year, the best way to make sure your District is on target is by regularly monitoring the District Performance Reports.

To support Districts in building momentum toward success, the District Recognition Program for the 2024-2025 program year is as follows:  

2025 Proposals — The Board of Directors is putting forth eight (8) proposals this year for consideration by the voting membership at the 2025 Annual Business Meeting. Visit the 2025 Proposals page and read through the Frequently Asked Questions for more information on the proposed amendments to the Bylaws of Toastmasters International and the Club Constitution.

Prepare for District Leader Transitions — District elections are taking place and managing the transition to the next program year is critical for your District’s success. View the Leadership Transition webpage for suggestions on how to begin planning. If you need help, please email the District Leader Support team.

Craft a Winning Social Media Strategy — Gain practical, step-by-step tips on using social media platforms to grow your club and engage your members.

Resolve Conflict with Less Conflict — Learn how to de-escalate difficult conversations.

Rejoining Toastmasters After an Absence — Discover ways to encourage past members to return; gain insight from finding out why they left and why they came back.

Support the Envisioned Future — The core ideology of the organization includes the brand promise, the missions, the core values, and the envisioned future. The Board adopted definitions for the core values in 2023. For the strategic plan in 2024, the Board focused on the envisioned future. An envisioned future should be inspirational, aspirational, and challenging. The Board of Directors reviewed the current envisioned future through these three lenses and developed a new envisioned future statement, highlighted on the Our Mission webpage. Please update your club and District websites accordingly.

2025 International Speech Contest Quarterfinals — Effective with the 2024-2025 program year and the region realignment, region quarterfinals were adjusted and are no longer organized by region. Now known as quarterfinals, this level of the International Speech Contest will newly include District winners randomly assigned to one of 14 contests. Contests will have no fewer than nine (9) and no more than 10 contestants. Contest assignments for quarterfinals were determined using a randomization formula. Discover which contest features your District!

Toastmasters/LinkedIn Unveil Public Speaking Certificate — Get on board to help promote the organization’s latest partnership: Toastmasters International and LinkedIn Learning have teamed up to offer the Public Speaking Skills Professional Certificate. Utilize this tool as a leader to introduce the fundamentals of public speaking to prospective members and business associates. Public speaking enthusiasts can tune in to the seven courses (with topics ranging from speaking fundamentals to body language to establishing credibility), then pass the final exam to earn the certificate. The program is designed to equip course takers with the tools needed to speak confidently, craft and deliver impactful presentations, and develop the non-verbal communication skills to enhance any message.

A Smedley Fund Refresh — Donating to the Ralph C. Smedley Memorial Fund® just got easier thanks to the updated webpage. Check it out for yourself or pass it forward, taking note that you can now search to see if a company will match an employee's donation. You can also hear International President Radhi Spear tout the Smedley Fund and your chance to double the impact for Toastmasters in need.

2025 District Leader Training/Convention Registration Information — This year, registration for District Leader Training and the International Convention will be separate. Save the date for two days of impactful training on Monday, August 18, and Tuesday, August 19; then plan to help us get the next 100 years of communication excellence started at the 2025 International Convention, August 20–23. All members and leaders are encouraged to register now for convention. After District elections have been finalized, newly elected 2025–2026 District Directors, Program Quality Directors, and Club Growth Directors will receive details and registration information about 2025 District Leader Training via email.

PRM Communication Plan Updates — Public Relations Managers (PRMs) should continually update their District Communication Plan throughout the 2024-2025 program year. The plan helps PRMs to stay organized, delegate responsibilities, and prepare a smooth transition for the incoming PRM. PRMs can access their plan from the Public Relations webpage. If you have any questions or need help getting started with the PRM Communication Plan, please email pr@toastmasters.org.

Welcome 2025–2026 Region Advisors — Be sure to congratulate the newly appointed 2025–2026 Region Advisors. Region Advisors are here to support you in fulfilling the District mission. Learn more about their role and how your District will benefit by working with your Region Advisor.