Help Your Clubs Grow — A recent survey of prospective members uncovered that 50% of all respondents never visited a club for one reason; they had filled out the Find a Club form and never heard back from a club representative! Clubs in your District could be missing out on potential members because of a communication error. Ensure that all Find a Club inquiries make it to clubs in your District by encouraging club leaders to update club contact information on the Club Contact and Meeting Information page in Club Central. Use this guide for more detailed instruction and for email response templates.

Get the Most Out of Mid-year Training — District Directors, Program Quality Directors, and Club Growth Directors: plan plenty of time to complete the Pre-work prior to training. The more prepared you are, the more you will benefit from the experience.

Achieve Distinguished Club Program Goals — Review the Distinguished Performance Reports and Club Success Plans to identify the clubs that are on track for Distinguished status and clubs that may need additional assistance to reach their goals.

Share the Convention Sponsorship Opportunity — Companies and corporate sponsors who showcase their goods/services at the Toastmasters International Convention engage with a professionally-minded global audience. At the 2023 Convention, nearly 70% of attendees even self-identified as making some decisions at work! Share sponsorship information with your professional contacts whose companies would benefit from being a convention sponsor and encourage them to apply!

Toastmaster Magazine Reading Challenge! — It's a new year, and while you're setting goals, why not add reading the Toastmaster magazine to your list? Learn how to take part in this three-month challenge.

Election Preparation — The District Leadership Committee should be seeking District leader candidates for the 2024-2025 program year. To ensure the District election is well-managed and successful, please review the Elections Toolkit and message from International President Morag Mathieson along with Protocol 9.0: District Campaigns and Elections in the Governing Documents. The District call for candidates is due on January 15.

International Candidates at District Events — Are you having an International Officer or Director candidate visit your District or make a presentation at one of your District events? Please review Policy 9.1: International Campaigns and Elections for guidelines and restrictions. Contact candidates@toastmasters.org with any questions.

The 4 Ps of Effective Meetings — Check out these proven methods for how to have an effective meeting every time by following the four Ps: purpose, product, people, and process.

Toastmasters 2024 Bucket List — Forget the resolutions! Look to a bucket list of aspirations to take your Toastmasters experience to the next level this year. Take advantage of the built-in Bingo card to mark off your accomplishments.

Tune In! Path of Opportunities — In this episode Toastmaster Kelly Kaur explains how she found her voice and purpose through storytelling, writing, overcoming adversity, and Toastmasters speech contests.

A Year-Long Celebration! — This year is the hundredth anniversary of Toastmasters, a year to be filled with grand ceremony and celebration! Look for a special logo and other digital/website updates, along with resources, to be unveiled later this month. A splash of commemorative products will be available in the Toastmasters Online Store then, too. The pomp and circumstance will be in high gear by August with a 1920s style theme at the 2024 International Convention in Southern California, the birthplace of Toastmasters. Then in October, which marks the official anniversary month, clubs and Districts will have opportunity and ideas to celebrate locally. Stay tuned for more highlights and details of Toastmasters Centennial Celebration with the official hashtag: #Toastmasters100Years.

Ask Toasty! — The help bot on toastmasters.org is completely made over and ready to answer you and your members' questions! Try asking questions like, “How do I add a new member to my club?” or, “Who are Base Camp managers?” In the future, Toasty will also integrate with the Club Quality and Member Support Team phone system for a seamless support experience.

International Director Candidates Nominated — The Toastmasters International Leadership Committee has nominated International Director candidates for the 2024-2025 Board of Directors. Voting will take place at the Annual Business Meeting in August 2024. Find out more about the candidates by visiting the International Candidates webpage.

Planning an Event in the New Year? — Remember, Toastmasters events must be conducted by a club, Area, Division, or District, or by World Headquarters. So, be sure to incorporate the Toastmasters International logo and your club's contact information, making it easy for members and guests to reach out with questions or reserve a spot. Refer to the Brand Manual to download the logo and follow all branding requirements. If you are unsure if your promotional materials are brand compliant, contact the Brand or Trademarks Teams.