Why is the Distinguished Club Program important?

Our District Historian is hard at work once again on this wonderful look back at what our District used to be like. We look back at 1957 for this week’s Throwback Thursday.

The District reached 40 clubs and counting by 1952, but it took some time for the next club to charter. That would in March 1957 when the Coraopolis club was founded. They would meet Mondays at 8PM at the Coraopolis YMCA.

TLI makeup training will be held next Saturday at 9AM, as well as July 18 in the evening, and also on July 30 in the morning. Plenty of time to register so you attend training and get credit for your club. Attending club officer training will fulfill #9 on the Distinguished Club Program.

Next week, Cranberry Township will be hosting its annual Cranberry Community Days! Several Toastmasters clubs from the surrounding area will be present to share the Toastmasters mission and potentially gain some new members. Both Cranberry High Noon and Cranberry Area clubs plan to be in attendance.

Cranberry Community Days will be held next Thursday, July 14, through Saturday, July 16, at Cranberry Community Park, located at 111 Ernie Mashuda Dr., Cranberry Township, PA 16066. Hours of operation will be Thursday from 4-10PM, Friday from 4-11PM, and Saturday from 1-11PM. Cranberry Community Days is a big draw for the area with over 32,000 in attendance, providing enjoyment for children of all ages, adults and senior citizens. Enjoy FREE Parking, FREE Admission and over 200 VENDORS!

Something to think about as Toastmasters when discussing the Distinguished Club Program. Look at the first six goals, your educational goals. It’s beneficial to us and to the club when do our speech projects and achieve educational awards. Every goal we achieve is a goal for club towards Distinguished Status.

It’s important to talk up Toastmasters with your colleagues, friends and family. The guest whom you bring to your meeting could be the member that the club needs to fulfill their membership goals, and become eligible for the DCP. If Penn Hills could go from Extinguished to Distinguished, there’s no reason your club can’t grow its base either. The sky’s the limit! Pay it forward. New members bring new prospectives and add value to a club.

We just had club officer training a few weeks ago and plenty of opportunity to attend makeup training for you to get credit towards that ninth requirement. Why should you give up part of a Saturday to attend TLI? Because it’s one of the best ways you can come into the new Toastmaster year confident in mastering your role as club officer. Plus you get to learn from those who have done the role before. Trained officers are better equipped to support their members.

Get your slate of officers set early and get that list sent to World Headquarters. Not only does it look good but it shows effective communication among the officers and that has a positive effect on the club. Get the word out about dues being due and get it done early and often. If you have to send mass emails to get your minimum of eight members do it!

Remember, it’s all about the member and the exceptional service that you provide them.