Kill your (Toastmaster) Darlings

William Faulkner told authors:

In writing, you must kill all your darlings.

How does that apply to a Toastmasters District?

Toastmasters International is a great organization to help you learn speaking and leadership skills. Each year, TMI encourages Clubs, Divisions, and Districts to reach the President’s Distinguished level.

The key requirement to become President’s Distinguished is Growth. Eight new members at the Club Level. “No Net Loss of Clubs” at the Division Level to become Distinguished; add a new club to reach President’s Distinguished. And at the District Level, President’s Distinguished requires an 8% increase in BOTH members and clubs.

It’s hard work¹. And sometimes it has perverse effects. Districts close to the President’s Distinguished Level sometimes start clubs, that aren’t, shall we politely say, designed to last. Clubs with membership lists that look a lot like a list of “friends of the current administration.”

And maybe that’s OK if your District is tantalizingly close to reaching President’s Distinguished. But what if you’re in one of the Districts that isn’t going to sit up front at the International Convention? What can you do to help your District next year?

Kill your Darlings: the Near Dead clubs that are on – or even off – life support. Clubs propped up by paper members. Clubs that meet once a month, maybe. Clubs with half the members they need to have a full program. And especially, clubs with chronically low membership. Sam Mehta, DTM, Past District Governor of District 65, addressed this in a letter to his District, noting,

A club struggling with perpetual low membership has a demoralizing effect on its members.

And beyond the Club, on the Area, Division, and District Directors.

While we hope every Toastmasters Club succeeds, some don’t. Like seeds in a garden, some sprout, some grow, and some don’t make it. Like trees in a forest, some magnificent clubs fall, even though they looked fine just last year.

Need more reasons? Struggling clubs require:

• Too Many Resources. “Let’s appoint a Club Coach!” How many experienced TM do you want to spend the next year – or two – trying to revive a Near Dead Club?
• Too Much Attention. Have you ever been at a DEC meeting that devolves into a report on every struggling club, and the actions we can take to revive it? Is that the focus you want?

As part of a District’s strategic planning, Districts not well above Distinguished on June 1 should “kill all your struggling clubs.” Doing it in an off-year helps the District long term because:

• A lower club base makes next year’s efforts more attainable.
• Dedicated members are freed to work as Sponsors and Mentors for new Clubs.
• The Club Growth Director can seek new opportunities.
• It focuses the District on the future and not the past.

Are you willing to take the hard steps now that will set up your District for success next year, and the year after?