Greetings, fellow D26 Toastmasters.
Hope this article finds you all well during this mid-winter season. The weather may be cold, but our new club prospects are warming up. Our first new virtual club chartered January 31, 2021. Congratulations to Past Leaders United in Service, organized by Nancy Winston! Two other prospective clubs are also on track to charter in the next few weeks. The new club/new member incentives have been extended to June 30, 2021. If a new club charters before then, the charter fee and individual new member fees will be refunded and/or waived. This is a great time to focus on growth. On February 1st, we entered a new membership drive: Talk Up Toastmasters. If any club enrolls five new, dual or reinstated members between February 1st and March 31st, they will receive a recognition ribbon and a special discount for club purchases. If your club currently has a coach, this may also be a big step to fulfilling your Distinguished status! Why not hold an Open House over the next few weeks to attract emerging leaders to our organization. Our ad campaigns in Western and Northern Divisions are in full swing, so we should see a renewed public interest over the next few months. We have also partnered with the Louisville Chamber of Commerce, who will be actively recruiting new Toastmasters over the next year. The momentum has begun, so let’s keep it moving!
Our Retention team has been hard at work working with clubs in need. We still have a shortage of club coach volunteers, but the Toastmasters Speechcraft program is a proven alternative and has recently been revamped. Please visit toastmasters.org to learn more. District 26 will provide legacy workbooks at no charge to the next five clubs who request a kit.
Our Club Growth team is always available to answer questions or provide more information. Please contact Extension Chair Mary Watson (nyassa[at]nulllycos.com); Retention Chair Terry Ploski (terryploski28083[at]nullgmail.com); Club Coach Chair Gbolahan Lasaki (glasaki[at]nullgmail.com); or myself (jsr1113.tm[at]nullgmail.com) at any time.
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