Page 14 - 2019 March Voices

FROM THE DESK

Club Success Plans:

The Roadmap to

Learn and Earn

Cate Arnold, DTM
Club Growth Director

A few years ago when I worked on completing blueprint for accomplishment: your Club Success
my first DTM, I realized that it was much like Plan. If your officers create and execute it, you
my daughter and son working on their Gold will be actively focused on membership growth
and Eagle Scout Awards. It took years of earning and retention, which leads to stronger meetings.

different badges to get there, but over the Encouraging your members to earn awards
course they developed skills that most of their increases their skills. Do you have a Club Success
peers didn’t get the chance to learn. It wasn’t Plan? If not, it’s not too late. Check with your
the awards themselves that were so valuable, members to see what awards they might be close

but the skills they gained as they earned them. to earning. Look at your number of members
My kids learned to work in teams and to take to see how many you need to be distinguished.
on leadership roles, which helped them a lot, Then take steps to become a Distinguished Club.
especially in college. Just like the individual awards, while it is fulfilling

The Scouts achievement program is well laid to get them, the most value is what we learn. All
out. As my daughter’s troop leader, all I had to do it takes is a plan and a focus on achieving it.
was follow the plan to give the girls
opportunities to practice new skills.

The same is true with Toastmasters.
Like Scouts, if we follow the
course, we gain communication
and leadership skills that give us

confidence and an edge over our
peers.
Renew before
But what is the course that we
follow in Toastmasters? At the March 31,

individual level, its earning awards 2019
towards our DTM. At the club level,
its earning Distinguished Club 45 USD
status. Just like Scouts, there is a APRIL
- SEPTEMBER

14 ONE COMMUNITY