Become An
Area Director!
What is an Area Director?
As Area Director, you serve as the direct liaison between the District and the clubs. An Area Director is appointed for a term of one Toastmasters program year, running from July 1 to June 30.
Area Directors conduct club visits at least twice a year to each of the clubs within their respective Areas to understand and support club needs. In turn, these visits help District leaders understand how to support and meet the needs of each club.
Area Directors are members of a Division Council — a team to serve the clubs within a Division and support the 4-5 Area Directors within the Division, under the guidance of a Division Director.
Why would you want to be an Area Director?
As an Area Director, you can:
- Improve your skills as a speaker in a leader in environments outside of your club
- Share your knowledge and experience to support other
- Toastmasters clubs
Learn from other Toastmasters clubs and bring that knowledge back to help your club - Meet other growth-minded individuals from across the District
- Earn required credit toward the Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) award
Qualifications
Ideally, Area Directors have served as a Club President or Vice President of Education. However, interested members who have served in other officer roles will also be considered. To serve as an Area Director, you must be a paid member of a District 95 club in good standing.
Responsibilities
Guidance: As Area Director, you are responsible for leading your Area by serving the needs of clubs. In order to understand clubs’ needs, the Area Director contacts Club Presidents monthly to discuss their performance in the Distinguished Club Program. The Area Director also discusses District training and other District events with the Area clubs. As Area Director, you follow up on items identified during previous contact with Club Presidents.
Area Director’s Club Visits:
Make at least two club visits per club per year. Assess club membership and its leadership’s willingness to grow. Determine who fulfills education achievements and when these are completed. Submit the Area Director’s Club Visit Report online.
Area Progress:
The Area Director participates in Area Director training provided by the District. The Area Director reports regularly to the Division Director and District leaders on Area progress.
Distinguished Programs:
It is the Area Director’s responsibility to motivate and assist each club in the Area to become Distinguished.
Area Speech Contests:
As Area Director, you are responsible for coordinating Area speech contests. These contests are often held jointly with other Areas to share support. You may ask the Division Director for assistance in planning these events. The Program Quality Director will ensure there are training opportunities for contests.
District Executive Committee:
Area Directors are members of the District Executive Committee (DEC), the governing body that ensures the District and leaders are fulfilling the District mission to build new clubs and support all clubs in achieving excellence. The DEC meets once every two months under the direction of the District Director.
While serving as an Area Director, you are ineligible to compete in Toastmasters Speech Contests.
For more information about this role, refer to the District Leadership Handbook and the District Administrative Bylaws, Article VII: Officers in the Governing Documents.
Here is the link to the new shortened (10 pages) Club Success plan