In August 2010, I ran into a new Toastmaster, Miss Someday. She is a member of Status Quo
Toastmasters in District 25. (The names have been changed
intentionally.) She informed me that she had given her Ice Breaker (the
first speech in the Competent Communication manual), the previous week.
She even emailed me her speech. Last week, I ran into Miss Someday
again. I asked her what speech she was working on. She told me that she
has not given another speech. I was amazed to learn that she has not
given a speech in 12 months. I checked the Distinguished Club Program
(DCP) for her club to see how well the club is doing. The club is at
charter strength. During the past 14 months, the club has had only one
Competent Communicator (CC) completed and no Advanced Communicator
completions. This simply means that the club members are not giving
speeches during the meetings. Instead, the club is holding elongated
Table Topics meetings. This club does not publish any member speech
progress status.
If
members are not giving speeches, they are not growing. If they are not
growing, they will eventually leave the club. I believe that a
Toastmaster should be giving a speech every four to eight weeks. At
this pace, a Toastmaster can complete the Competent Communication manual
(10 speech projects) in 10 to 18 months.
To
ensure that members stay on track towards completion of speech
projects, the Club President and the Club Vice President Education
should check with each member at the start of the DCP year (July of each
year) to determine which manual the member is working on and how many
speeches they have completed. Each month, the VP Education should
publish the status of members’ speech completions. The Club can also
post the status at the meetings. Status charts are available from
Toastmasters International. Members who keep on avoiding giving
speeches should be encouraged and mentored.
I
know there are several clubs in District 25, like the Airport
Toastmasters, that publish Member Speech Completions Progress Charts on
a regular basis. No wonder these clubs always maintain at least a
Distinguished Club status year after year. When members grow and are
successful, the clubs are successful. When guests attend the meetings
and get to hear members give speeches, they are more likely to join. If
they witness a meeting where almost everyone participates in Table
Topics and there are no speeches, chances are they will not return.
Sarfaraz Nazir
DCP Chair
