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How Area Governor Visits Can Help Your Club Thrive
Your club is not alone! Toastmasters’ local service model exists to help. This is how it works: Your club belongs to a small group of neighborhood clubs called an area. Each area is run by an area governor, a veteran Toastmaster who knows what it takes to build and support healthy clubs. And twice a year, the area governor will visit your club.
Sometime between July 1 and October 31, and then again between January 1and April 30, the area governor will visit your club to develop new friendships, enjoy a meeting and offer assistance where needed. Take advantage of this great opportunity to make the most of a visit from the area governor.
He or she can help you to:
- Review the Distinguished Club Program report online to determine where your club is in relation to its membership goals.
- Review your Club Success Plan (and will request a copy before the visit).
- Share your club’s historical information and demographics with any new members.
- Customize your area governor visit and ensure the club is getting the most out of it.
Each club visit will vary depending on the arrangements your club president makes with the area governor.
Focus on those items that are applicable to your club:
- Discuss the club mission.
- Discuss characteristics of successful clubs through best practices.
- Ask the area governor how to meet the needs of your members and how to measure results.
- Request that he or she perform a sample manual speech for the club.
- Review the Toastmasters programs (e.g., Membership Building, Distinguished Club Program)
- Identify prospective district leaders in your club – tell you about leadership opportunities within Toastmasters
Along with visiting the club, your area governor may wish to spend time with the club’s leaders. He or she will probably ask you for feedback about the visit. This is another opportunity to make sure you’re getting full value from your area governor visits. The area governor may ask how communication between your club and district leaders can improve. Let those leaders know how best to contact you or other club officers.
You’ll have the chance to sit and discuss where the club is in relation to year-end goals and plan strategies to ensure those goals are achieved. The area governor will help you use the Distinguished Club Program and Club Success Plan as your guide. Your visitor will then recommend methods for moving forward and point out opportunities for enhancement.
Even after your club visit, the benefits continue:
- The area governor will submit a brief report to the district team, informing them of your progress
- He or she may follow up with your club and see how things have been since the visit. If your club needs additional support, this will help guarantee that it’s provided.
- He or she will probably keep records of your visits and pass them on to the next area governor. This will ensure that any transfer of leadership won’t affect your club’s access to help and guidance from the local leadership.