I have just been elected a Club Officer – now what?

Congratulations on being elected an Officer of your Club!  An excellent opportunity to maintain, develop and enhance leadership skills that will be invaluable outside of Toastmasters.

From June to August, District 60 offers Round 1 Club Officer Training (COT) where you will learn the responsibilities and best practices of and for your role, gain valuable insights and be given resources to help set your club up for success.  Start your year focused, confident and ready to lead!

Please choose the date and time that works best for you from the options below and register using the corresponding link:

• July 14 (Mon), 11:30am – 1:00pm (online only) – Register Here
• July 22 (Tue), 6:30pm – 8:00pm (online only) – Register Here
• July 26 (Sat), 10:00am – Noon – Hybrid Session
  • Online Registration Here
  • In-Person Session Registration Here  (limited seats)
• Aug 6 (Wed), 11:30am – 1:00pm (online only) – Register Here
• Aug 14 (Thurs), 11:30am – 1:00pm (online only) – Register Here
• Aug 28 (Thurs), 6:30pm – 8:00pm (online only) – Register Here

District 60 has the honour of having been chosen to beta-test brand new Club Officer Training material.  This session, which still qualifies for club officer training credit, has been scheduled for:

• Aug 16 (Sat), 1:00pm – 5:00pm – Register Here

If you would like to see the new material and provide feedback to influence its evolution, then this session is for you!

Membership dues – avoid the TAX!

As of August 4 2025, Canada is taxing membership dues.  The taxes will be collected in US dollars by Toastmasters International at time of membership renewal.

For example, if your address on file with Toastmasters International (TI) is in Ontario, then when you renew your TI portion of your membership fee for a year as of October 1, you will be paying $15.60 US in tax in addition to the $120 US TI renewal fee.

The good news is if you renew with your club prior to August 4 2025, you can pay tax free from October 1 2025 to September 30 2026.

Please note that the club portion of the membership fee will not be taxed.

For additional information, please check your inbox for an email from Toastmasters International dated June 18 that outlines this change in detail.

Looking for your Club to be Distinguished?  A CSP is now mandatory!!

Toastmasters International has now mandated that in order for your Club to be Distinguished, the Club Officers must submit a Club Success Plan (CSP) by September 30th at the latest.

Club Success Plans are online and can be found within Club Central under Club Management – please click here.

Don’t delay, complete your plan today and rest easy that your club can participate in the Distinguished Club Program.

But wait, there’s more – the Distinguished Club Program (DCP) is evolving!

Check out the chart below … membership requirements are changing for the recognition levels, plus there is a New Recognition Level –> Smedley Distinguished for those clubs that achieve 10 DCP points and at least 25 members.

The George Keenan Award Nominations are in and the Winner is …

Wendy Williamson – Congratulations Wendy!

The George Keenan Award is presented each year to a Toastmaster who exemplifies the Toastmasters values of Respect, Integrity, Service, and Excellence.  A Toastmaster who continues to serve in various capacities, both visible and behind-the-scenes, as well as promote Toastmasters within District 60 and beyond.

George Keenan was a Toastmaster that encompassed all these qualities. His wife, Judy, and the District Leadership Team established this award in his name in 1985 to recognize the on-going contributions of dedicated Toastmasters.

Come and Cheer for an Outstanding Community Leader!

Every year at D60’s Annual Conference, we recognise a non-toastmaster who has made substantial contributions in communication and leadership within our community with a special lunch held in their honour.

Past recipients include:

–  Angie Peters – President & CEO, Yonge Street Mission
–  Cindy Yelle – CEO, Canadian Olympic Foundation
–  Mark Wafer – Tim Hortons franchise owner, and advocate for individuals with disabilities

And this year, the winner is Lynda Tilley, Executive Director of Moorelands Kids

Congratulations Lynda!

Pathways has evolved!

Your Pathways platform just became smoother and easier to navigate. Enjoy the revamped learning experience by selecting the “Go to Base Camp” card on “My Home”.

What’s New?

• More intuitive navigation to launch paths and complete projects.
• Optimized mobile access from a browser on your mobile device.
• Automatic submission of path and level completions for recognition in Club Central.
• Increased accessibility for members who are Visually Impaired.
• Ability to share your accomplishments directly to social media, including LinkedIn.

Log in to see how the new Base Camp can elevate your Pathways experience –> click here.

From Region 6 to Region 5

You belong to a club that belongs to an Area that belongs to a Division that belongs to District 60!

What you may not know is that District 60 belongs to one of 14 Regions worldwide, and for the last few years that Region has been Region 6 which currently comprises 10 Districts.

As of July 1, 2024, we have moved!  We have moved to Region 5, which will be more west-east than Region 6’s north-south configuration.

Please click here for more information.

Using Prepared Speeches for Career Success – Panel Discussion

Senior management of a corporation will often ask its workforce to improve communication skills. Communicating effectively and with confidence is highly valued in the workplace. Prepared speeches at Toastmasters are a great way to learn to present a message that is simple yet effective and impactful, one that will differentiate you in the workplace.

At the Using Prepared Speeches for Career Success – Panel Discussion hosted by District 60, the following three topics were discussed:

1. Benefits of Giving Prepared Speeches to Career Success:
2. How to make speeches less effort and more fun
3. How to make Pathways works for you

The distinguished panel comprised of the following:

1. Andrew Mertens, DTM, 2022/23 District 60 District Director
2. John Ribeiro, DTM, Certified Leadership Coach
3. Mthabisi Mhlanga, Winner of District 60 2022 International Speech Contest and Quarter-finalist at the 2022 World Champion of Public Speaking.

The panellists shared many personal career success stories which they felt were due to the skills learned through prepared speeches. The overarching message was: If we are at Toastmasters to learn to communicate effectively and with confidence in the workplace, then it is important that we give as many prepared speeches as possible.