If you know how to do things, you will always have a job. If you know why you do them, you will always be a leader.
- STRIVE MASIYIWA, founder of Econet
Note: This blog is an abridged version of “The Distinguished Club Program and Club Success Plan” manual (item 1111). I have attempted to simplify it for the new member.
The Distinguished Club Program (DCP) includes 10 goals that your club should strive to achieve each year. The purpose of the program is to incent clubs to achieve specific goals in both the Pathways education program and the administration of a well-run club.
The 10 goals have been grouped into four areas, which will be explained below. The Distinguished Club Program is an annual program, running from July 1 through June 30. Based on how many of the goals were met out of the 10 and whether or not the qualifying requirement (explained below) has been met, the club may be recognized as a Distinguished, Select Distinguished, or President’s Distinguished Club.
When your club meets the qualifying requirement and also does the following, it is eligible for Distinguished Club recognition at year-end:
- Achieve five of 10 goals Distinguished Club
- Achieve seven of 10 goals Select Distinguished Club
- Achieve nine of 10 goals President’s Distinguished Club
THE 10 GOALS EXPLAINED
Education: Members who have the opportunity to earn education awards are reaching their goals. When members have the opportunity to reach their education goals, they are benefiting from the Toastmasters experience and become better speakers and leaders.
1. Four Level 1 awards achieved
2. Two Level 2 awards achieved
3. Two more Level 2 awards achieved
4. Two Level 3 awards achieved
5. One Level 4, Level 5, or DTM award achieved
6. One more Level 4, Level 5, or DTM award achieved
Membership: When new, dual, and reinstating members join, everyone’s experience is enhanced because your club has enough members to provide leadership and fill meetings and committee assignments. Quality clubs have enough members to make meetings diverse and engaging. When new members join, meetings have more variety and natural attrition is offset. This results in an enhanced experience for all club members.
7. Four new, dual, or reinstating members
8. Four more new, dual, or reinstating members
Training: Trained club officers are better able to serve and support your club because they know how best to fulfill their roles. When club officers are well trained to perform their duties, club members are better served. This makes the member experience more positive, which leads to increased member retention.
9. A minimum of four club officer roles trained during each of the two training periods
Administration: Submission of the dues renewals and the club officer list on time, which will help your club run more smoothly, benefiting your members. When your club fulfills its administrative duties on time, members and your club as a whole receive recognition for their accomplishments.
10. On-time payment of membership dues accompanied by the names of eight members (at least three of whom must be renewing members) for one period and on-time submission of one club officer list
QUALIFYING REQUIREMENT
A qualifying requirement is a prerequisite for participation in the program. If either qualifying requirement is not met, your club may not earn Distinguished recognition even if all of its goals are met.
To be eligible for recognition, a club must be in good standing and must meet the qualifying requirement of having either 20 members or a net growth of at least five new, dual, or reinstating members as of June 30.
The Membership to Date number is reflective of the current number of members that have paid dues to an individual club. This number matches the number of members on the club roster except for when members transfer out of one club and into another.
Membership Base Your club’s membership base is calculated at the beginning of the Toastmasters year (July 1). The membership base equals the number of paid members the club had on June 30 of the previous Toastmasters year.
Membership at Year-end The total number of members (renewing, dual, new, charter, and reinstated) in your club whose membership dues payments were received by World Headquarters is your club’s membership at year-end.
Net Growth occurs when the total number of members at year-end (June 30) exceeds the membership base.
SUMMARY
There are two distinct parts to the Distinguished Club Program, which many new executives fail to internalize. Not only are there 10 points to be achieved, but there is also the requirement to have 20 members on June 30 (or a net growth of 5 members if the club started the Toastmasters year with less than 20 members). For example, if a club is struggling and started the year with just 6 paid members, it is unrealistic to expect them to be able to have 20 members a year later. However, 11 members, a net growth of 5, is definitely achievable. This allows struggling clubs to rebuild and still be able to achieve Distinguished status. Because there are also goals related to membership, these two are often mixed up. I hope this short blog helps you to more clearly understand the Distinguished Club Program. For a more in-depth explanation of the program, please refer to the manual, which is readily available at toastmasters.org.
Karen MacNeil, DTM
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