How many people do you know decide to tackle Leadership roles - each of which can be considered a big challenge? (raises hand).
One year and two months ago, I was lined up to be the next President of the Hall of Learners Advenced Toastmasters - this after my stint as the club's Vice President for Education, and briefly, it's VP for Public Relations as well. Evernyone anticipated it, and I was ready to take on the challenge. I would succeed Distinguished Toastmaster Joyce (our club's Charter President), whose brainchild this Advanced Club for Toastmasters in the Southern area, was.
Then, outof the left field came a call for help... literally a call on my cell phone. Distinguished Toastmaster Tisha asked me to be the next Division N Director. Something unplanned, unknown too (last I held a Division Governor post' the Director's predecesor, was two decades ago). Though it was a 'been there, done that' experience, I did not know anything about Division N. Heck, I did not even know where 'N' was located. But... there was a need to help, so after a moment's hessitation, I said I'd do it.
Wasn't there anyone ready and willing to take on the Director's position? No to the combined count. Sure there were some who seemed qualified. But none felt ready to take on the role. Frustrating as it was, no one was stepping up in the Division's Directorship plate - hence my getting the call. Makes me wonder... was I the first choice outside the Division? How did choosing to talk to me come about? Director Ida said once that she was right in choosing (suggesting I be approached to take on the role), but other than that, was there any discussion about it? And me? I will just have to ask Tisha about this some time.
Be that as it may, I suddenly found myself getting ready to take on two large responsibilities. Yes, it can be argued that I was not a newbie to either - and between the two, the Division Director's role was wider encompassing (it was a District position), but my jumping into a Division that had leadership challenges meant I had to prioritize what to do to get the Division running.
Conversely, my HOLA responsibility felt a bit lighter - after all, I had a winning team for my Excom, so it would be a breese, right? If only that were true. Right at the middle of the term, i had about six non-renewals. It wasn't me (or so they said), but more them - how life was stepping in. So reccruitement became one priority - and I need remind everyone that we couldn't recruit newbies - we had a criteria to follow. Which made recruiting harder than usual - we needed to prove we were worth the additional membership payment for a dual club member - with HOLA as their second priority.
But as I said, at least, here in HOLA, I had a great team.
In Division N were were struggling to finalize our council's line-up. This forced Troy to make the sacrifice to rejoin as an Area Director. We had not legitimate Club Growth Director - hence I could see why we were unable to form a new club during my term. Still, we focused on what we could control - making the Division community grow. That was my goal. And yes, there were clubs that were not seemingly ready to be forgotten. This one, at least I can say we succeeded. This was well seen by how officers fo each club started to club hop to other clubs, and help each other out. They became less strangers, and more friends, even. This was my long game for N. And it worked.
Still, Divison N had great projects along the way - a Fun Run, with great t-shirts at teh start of the TM Year. Then a Rookie's Contest - which both exposed new Toatmasters beyond their clubs, and became a trial run for our ADs in preparation of their own Area, and later, our Division Contests. Prior to that, we had our Year End (Christmas) get together, and at the end a highly successful Last Hurrah Division-wide joint meeting. In between we asked out Toastmasters to try club hopping. As Director, I attended Inductions, regular meetings, activities by specific clubs - and I showed everyone (or at least, I trries showing them) that there was a Division they could turn to - to ask help with. I even cross-polinated N clubs with H by letting them all be part of Friends of HOLA - a group chat I made while I was VPEd of HOLA, with intent to build a chat group where Toastmasters from H, B and N can connect, ask or offer help with club roles.
That was basically how I led the group. But apparently, that was not all. There were the District activities as well... and as N's Director, I got 'ahem' dragged into these too.
I'm talking about the monthly District Council meeting. A good thing these meetings seemed organizaed with each Director given templates to fill up on what to report, and when. That was the more serious side... there, too, was the fun side. It was an honor to celebrate the Centenial of Toastmasters with the entire District. It was also great to experince the Turnover in Cebu with free accomodations and reimbursible plane fare. Likewise the DisCon a.k.a. Pasigarbo where I once again attended as first and foremost, the Division N Director, but managed to squeeze HOLA activities in between.
I will say it was a but of a stretch looking to be with my HOLA companions, and likewise find time with my Division N peeps. But I somehow managed to do both - though I missed out on a few pictures because I was not sticking around one group only. Ah well...
For the most pasrt, Pasigarbo was a D75 affair with the contests where I wathced my N contestants in one place, but kinda missed out on the HOLA contestants... with exception to Inah, who competed in anotehr place simultaneously - Inah reached the finals. so I got to see her compete. Not so Jude. Ah well.
There was one other District responsibility... the realignment of the District. Given the different Divisions inability to show a convinving mid year positive retention, it was worrisome for us to see some Divisions not reaching Toastmaster International's minimum goals for a Division of having four Areas minimum, and with each Area having four minimum clubs. In a minimum number of 16 clubs, many of us were in the 11-14 clubs level... with some Divisions having just three areas. Division N was one of them, and we were not even counting out potential clubs dying, to reach 13... and of those 13, two were questionable for xontinued existence. Frustrating... but in a Corporate club, when C-suite management decides to scrap the program, the clubs just disappear. Frustrating... but what can you do? Making matters worse, is the ghosting we got from their officers. Unless we had inside info, we'd be left in the dark - this despite numerous times we tried reaching out to them.
This was why the realignment of Divisions - some merging, others splitting to form other divisions. Us renaming every Division to be fair with all D75, and I got to better know some of my Division counterparts due to this exercise. Even among us... true leaders emerged. I'll remain this vague for the sake of others who've not met my internal expectations of a Leader. Let me just say that I'm proud to have been part of D75 history with this realignemnt committee initiative, and the Centenial celebration.
This brings me to the present. June 30th marks the end of my term - both as HOLA president and Division N Director. I'm glad I'm done - I get to relax a bit more with a more forgiving Toastmasters schedule... yet I'm not yet fully out of it. as Immediate Past Director, I hang on in an advisor capacity - same with Immediate Past President. But as i retire these two important roles, I am asked to take on a different, and equally out of the left field, District role. I am the new Ethics Committee Chair for D75.
Yes, I know... me Ethics committee chair? What do I know about this? Why me? This position is normally given to a past District Director... so again the wuesiton, why me? The cryptic explanation that I came highly reccomended by a (or some) PDD or PDGs remains that... cryptic. I'm honored that some see me that way.Brother... what have I gotten myself into... again. :D
