By Kris Nelson

It’s that time of year here in Toastmasters – the time when leaders are seeking volunteers for a variety of leadership roles. It might also be the time that you, fellow member, are looking at what you’ve learned this year, and how you might grow in the future.

It’s this time of year where I most encourage you to step beyond your club and try something new.

But why, you might wonder. There are so many reasons!

• Meet new people in other parts of District 123. Did you know it would take about 10 hours to drive between the most distant clubs?
• Build on your existing skills. This is a great chance to apply skills you’ve already learned in new ways – this is great resume material.
• Develop new skills. Toastmasters is a worldwide organization, and you’ll build new leadership and teamwork skills as you work on the district team.
• Give back. You’ve learned and grown in Toastmasters. Wouldn’t it be great to lead in our volunteer organization as a way of giving back?
• Education Achievement. Some roles, like Area Director, provide direct credit towards your Distinguished Toastmaster award. Others can easily be used in your Pathways projects such as Leading in Your Volunteer Organization and High Performance Leadership (both available in all paths), Lead in Any Situation, Manage Projects Successfully and so many more.

This coming September, I’ll celebrate my tenth anniversary as a Toastmaster. As a terrified new member, if someone had told me that I would be already mentoring and advising others as a Past District Director, I would have laughed in their face (in a terrified way, of course!), and yet, here I am, doing just that.

There are so many wonderful gifts I’ve received through my Toastmasters leadership journey so far, including valuable lessons and incredible friends.

I encourage you, fellow member, step out of your comfort zone. If you’ve been approached about a role, give it your best! Ask for something a bit smaller if you feel that’s better for you. If you haven’t yet been approached about working on one of our district teams, your inquiry is welcome! Check out opportunities at Awesome District Opportunities for 2024-2025 – Toastmasters District 123, or connect directly with one of our incoming trio members to ask about being a part of their team:
Heather Drakes, DTM, District Director-elect
Cynthia Scott, Program Quality Director-elect
Madhukar Shahi, Club Growth Director-elect

If you’d like to talk more about what leadership might offer you, I’d be glad to chat anytime. Feel free to reach out to me at [email protected]!

Kris Nelson, DTM, PDD