November 2025 Leader Letter

Get Ready for Mid-year Training — In January, 2025–2026 District Directors, Program Quality Directors, and Club Growth Directors will continue to develop core leadership skills, share best practices and lessons learned, and network with others from around the globe. Complete your Mid-year Training registration as soon as possible and reach out to the Training Team at training@toastmasters.org with any questions. Additional communications about Mid-year Training, including Pre-work assignments, will be emailed to you in the coming weeks. Be sure to schedule ample time to complete the Pre-work. The more prepared you are, the more you'll benefit from the experience.

Help Members Speak on the International Toastmasters Stage! — Do you know a member who should be considered to present at a Toastmasters Journey Workshop in August during the 2026 International Convention in Vancouver, Canada? Please encourage members with the dynamic skillset needed to moderate and/or speak in a breakout session on a Toastmasters topic to apply.

Area Directors: Submit Your Club Visit Reports — To qualify for the Distinguished Area Program, submit your Area Director’s Club Visit Report for first-round visits for at least 75% of your clubs by November 30. Reports are submitted online through District Central. While it is only required to conduct visits twice a year, we recommend visiting your clubs at least four times. If you haven’t done so already, review the club resources available as part of the Club Excellence Curriculum.

Tips for Nominating New District Leaders — The time of year to nominate District leaders is upon us. As you navigate this process, reference helpful resources such as the District Leadership Committee webpage, District Leadership Committee Handbook, Protocol 9.0, and FAQs.

Encourage Clubs to Use the Toastmasters Education Series — These presentations help members learn and share about speech skills, leadership, and club success! "Organizing Your Speech," from The Better Speaker Series, offers strategies and tips for planning an effective speech. In The Successful Club Series, "How to Be a Distinguished Club" outlines the requirements for every club to become Distinguished—or to reach a higher level of Distinguishment. Finally, to learn about the importance of a leader using their team’s and their own values to guide them to success, look to "Values and Leadership" in The Leadership Excellence Series.

Improve Your Club Meeting Roles — Pull back the curtain and discover how all the meeting roles function together to provide members with the best experience possible, whether they’re taking on the role or in the audience.

Learn from the 2025 World Champs — It can be easy to forget that all the polished speakers on the World Championship stage begin at the club level. Will next year’s winner be from your club? As you start preparing for your upcoming speech contest, share the journey of this year’s champions to the big stage, and learn how their clubs supported them. Watch their speeches, read this article, and inspire your members!

Advice on Accepting Feedback — We spend a lot of time learning to give feedback, but receiving it can be difficult. Learn how to determine what type of feedback you really want and how to prevent an overreaction to unhelpful criticism.

Round Two of Club Officer Training Has Begun! — In planning for the training, use the resources available as part of the Club Excellence Curriculum. To receive credit in the Distinguished Club Program, you may begin entering the training in District Central starting mid-November. If you have any questions about club officer training, please contact districts@toastmasters.org.