Leadership
Toastmasters offers leadership opportunities in addition to the opportunity to develop your speaking skills. The first step in the leadership chain is an executive position within the Club. The following are the leadership positions within the Club with a brief explanation of the responsibilities for each position.
President - The President provides the vision for the Club and works with the rest of the officers and members to establish goals for the Club. The President chairs the executive meetings and represents the Club at Area and District council meetings.
Vice-President Education - The VPE is responsible for establishing the agenda for each meeting and for working with members to ensure that the educational goals of each member are met. The VPE keeps a record of each member’s progress and ensures that each member has the opportunity to participate in all aspects of the meeting. The VPE also represents the Club at Area and District council meetings.
Vice-President Membership - The VPM is responsible for helping to recruit new members to the Club and is responsible for ensuring new members are properly oriented to the Club. The VPM represents the Club at Area council meetings.
Vice-President Public Relations - The VPPR is responsible for promoting the Club and its activities to the general public and to the club members.
Secretary - The Secretary is responsible for recording the minutes of each meeting and for handling any correspondence received by the Club.
Treasurer - The Treasurer is responsible for collecting the Club dues each March and September and for ensuring the dues are submitted to Headquarters on time. The Treasurer is also responsible for collecting and submitting dues of new members and for ensuring any bills are paid promptly.
Sergeant-at-Arms - The Sergeant-at-Arms is responsible for ensuring the meeting room is properly set up and for greeting guests to the meeting. The Sgt-at-Arms is also responsible for coordinating any social activities.
Beyond Club Level
There are a number of leadership opportunities beyond the Club level. These leadership roles are at the Area, District and Region level as well as Internationally with all executive positions (3rd Vice-President to President) being elected offices. The following is a brief description of the other leadership opportunities.
Area Governor - The AG is responsible for all the clubs in his/her Area. This involves visiting each Club a minimum of two times a year, promoting the benefits of Toastmasters and promoting upcoming events, installing club officers, organizing club officer training and organizing the various speech contests. The AG acts as a resource person for the clubs in the Area.
Public Relations Officer - This is an elected position and the PRO normally continues in the leadership chain, eventually becoming District Governor. In even years, the PRO will be elected from one of the clubs on the US side of the District and in odd years, the PRO will be elected from a club on the Canadian side. The PRO is responsible for promoting Toastmasters in the District through the Area Governors. The PRO is also responsible for the publication of the District Directory and the District Newsletter. The Newsletter is generally published four times a year.
Lieutenant Governor, Marketing - The LGM is responsible for ensuring the District meets its goals for the number of clubs and for the number of members. This is done through working with the Area Governors and through other member building efforts directly with clubs.
Lieutenant Governor, Education and Training - The main responsibility of the LGET is to ensure the District meets its goals for CTMs and ATMs. Once again, this is done through working with the Area Governors and through promoting the benefits of manual speeches to the members.
District Governor - The DG has the overall responsibility for all the clubs in the District. The DG works with the other three top executive and the Area Governors to ensure the District meets its goals because these goals are a reflection of the success of the clubs and the members within the District. The District Governor is responsible for establishing a year for his or her District year and for appointing Area Governors and other team members as necessary to support the clubs within the District.
International Director - Each year one Director is elected from each of the eight Regions within Toastmasters International. An ID is part of the Board of Directors and helps to set policies which govern the operation of Toastmasters International. The Directors also continually review the educational programs and the requirements necessary to achieve each designation.
3rd Vice-President, 2nd Vice-President, Senior Vice-President and President - These positions, along with the Immediate Past President, form the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors and are elected positions