Making History
~ A Struggling Club’s Journey to Becoming President's Distinguished Club ~
Perhaps a rollercoaster would be the best comparison for the Leadership and Public Speaking Toastmasters Club # 2515, in Beaufort, South Carolina. For its first 18 years, the club fluctuated between periods of full membership and great member involvement, combined with long periods of dormancy, when the club had only six members, struggling to keep the club alive. During this period the club never achieved the Distinguished Club award.
Finally in 2010, one month after the club's 20th Anniversary, the club not only became a distinguished club, but reached the highest distinguished club level - a President's Distinguished Club, with a membership of 27 members, placing #1 in the Area, and #2 in District 58/the state of South Carolina.
The road to that success was an arduous one. Until 2003, the club had a great location and a fairly steady number of 10 to 20 members.
Unfortunately, in 2003 the club lost its regular meeting space and then the club's biggest struggles began, nearly closing its doors for good several times.
The search for a new meeting location seemed desperate. Most places were either too expensive or too small. The members began holding their meetings at restaurants, where at times it was difficult to hear the speakers' voices due to noise in the establishment. For the next three years, the club moved its meetings to nursing homes, motels, and other various venues, each presenting a different set of challenges. During this time, the club's membership dwindled to three active members and three "angel" members who remained members only to keep the club alive.
Finally in 2006, a team lead by a Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM), Michael Agrest and Bob Huddleston, from Charleston, SC, came to the rescue of the Beaufort club. Twice a month the "rescue team of 5 to 7 members" traveled around 70 miles to ensure a great meeting. We invited as many guests as possible to the meetings held at a local restaurant and the club slowly started gaining momentum and growing in numbers.
It was one of the guests who suggested meeting within one of the local largest medical centers' community room. The meeting room was as professional as any Toastmaster club dreams, with plenty of parking around the building, and centrally located. Soon the club grew to 20 members, but for some reason was unable to keep the members involved enough to accomplish the DCP.
In May 2008, when Master Sergeant (USMC retired), Eric Russell, returned from Afghanistan and decided to join the Beaufort Club, the club was again down to less than 10 members. Eric Russell's enthusiasm and commitment were key to the club's upcoming streak of successes. At the next club officers elections, Eric was elected as the club president and under his leadership the club attained heights that were never experienced before.
The process the new club president adopted - that finally lead to becoming a President's Distinguished Club - was a rather simple one, but adopted with determined consistency and teamwork. And teamwork it was, getting help from several Toastmasters from the area: DTM Jonas Gadson, Area 14 Governor Karen Mott, and Hilton Head Fast Trackers' club president Jane Jude, provided guidance and "Lessons Learned" that demonstrated the Core Values of what Toastmasters is all about!
Upon becoming the Leadership and Public Speaking Toastmasters Club # 2515 president, Eric, implemented the following:
a) Held monthly executive committee meetings, which were led in a very professional manner. Each officer had to report on what they did in the past month toward the club's success, as well as had to commit two to three new actions they'd take to ensure further growth. Each officer had up to 7 minutes to provide their report
b) Stressed the importance of putting on quality meetings
c) Aggressively encouraged - and led by example - to invite guests to every meeting. This resulted in each meeting having a mix of close to 30 individuals present at every meeting members and guests) and the conversion rate from guest to member was a very successful one
d) Strong mentoring program for each member, which helped each member accomplish their educational goals (and this is the heart of it all - members will stay if they feel they get what they joined for; as well as the club will succeed if the members accomplish their goals)
e) The VP of PR aided in getting the club more exposure by publicizing the meetings, successes, etc. in the local paper, Face Book, Twitter, etc....
There is nothing that can stop a great Toastmasters club from accomplishing a distinguished club status, as long as the leadership team does their job and inspire members to give manual speeches, attend meetings, and even attend the leadership team to Toastmasters Leadership Institute (our club attended the last TLI with a record of 8 members - 5 officers and 3 non-officer members).
Someone once wisely said it that "In Toastmasters, showing up at meetings half-way guarantees one's success." The other half is provided through love for public speaking and high dedication to the club's success.
E.G. Sebastian, ACS, is a Leadership Development Coach, Speaker, and Author of Communication Skills Magic. He’s been the member of the Leadership and Public Speaking Toastmasters Club # 2515, in Beaufort, South Carolina, since 2003. Contact him via www.egSebastian.com .
