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Toastmasters UK North & Ireland

Club Mentor

Summary

A Club Mentor in the Toastmasters International framework is an experienced Toastmaster who guides and supports a newly-chartered club as it establishes itself. The mentor’s role is not to run the club, but to share their experience, point the club toward best practices, help build club culture, and encourage excellence. As per official guidance: “Your responsibility is not to run the club but to let it know its options and guide it toward excellence.”  The term typically begins at charter and lasts for six months to one year. 

Mentor Requirements

There are specific requirements that a member must meet before they can become a Club Mentor.  Note that the requirements were updated by Toastmasters International in 2021.

In order to be appointed as a Club Member a member:

  • Must be a paid member in good standing
  • Appointment paperwork (application to organize form 1 or email WHQ – newclubs@toastmasters.org when chartering) must be sent to WHQ within 60 days of charter

Mentor Recognition

  • Each mentor receives a pin upon assignment.
  • A certificate will be sent to each mentor upon successful completion.
  • Mentors are recognised in May at the annual district conference.

Benefits

For the Club

  • The club gains access to a seasoned mentor who can bring experience, structure and guidance.

  • The mentor helps the club adopt best-practice processes (meeting structure, officer roles, member engagement) thus accelerating growth and quality.

  • The club is better positioned to implement the educational programme (eg. Pathways) and administrative duties (dues, membership, awards). 

  • Through this support the club is more likely to become strong, stable and sustainable. 

  • The mentor fosters a culture of membership-building and retention from the outset, which helps long-term vitality. 

 

For the Mentor

  • Enhances personal leadership and mentoring skills by working at the club-level and helping others grow. 

  • Reinforces the mentor’s own understanding of Toastmasters protocols, educational pathways and club management.

  • Provides recognition for service and contributes toward the Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) award—mentoring a new club fulfils the “Club Mentor or Club Coach Role Completion” requirement. 

  • Offers a sense of fulfilment in helping a new club succeed and build positive impact in the district/community.

  • Builds networks and visibility within the district and increasing goodwill among clubs and leadership.

Main responsibilities

  • Build rapport with the club – share your experience, lend your support and attend every meeting.
  • Provide Club Officer orientation – If Club Officer Training sessions are not available immediately, explain the club officer roles and how they can perform each role effectively.
  • Introduce Pathways to the club – Make a short presentation on Pathways to get the club members interested and sign up for this program. Reach out to the District Program Quality Director if you need assistance running this session
  • Ensure the club is strong and functional – Lead members to helpful resources. Share lessons from your own experiences.
  • Familiarise the club with the TI website(toastmasters.org + https://d71toastmasters.org ) –  Encourage club members to use it as a resource for updates on the club’s progress in the DCP, and downloadable forms and documents as well as for performing administrative tasks like submitting new member applications, dues renewals and educational award applications.
  • Conduct The Successful Club Series program – so members can develop the skills they joined the club to learn. Help the new club grasp how the communication and leadership tracks facilitate their skill development. Emphasise the importance of recognizing members who work toward their goals.
  • Make certain that club officers attend district-sponsored training – Also meet with each officer individually, educate each about what standards they must meet and how to meet them. Provide information about the tools each officer needs to perform his or her duties. Start by ensuring each officer has (and reads!) the Club Leadership Handbook.
  • Conduct The Successful Club Series program How to Be a Distinguished Club – Explain how the DCP is a tool the club can use to keep itself on track and focused on providing members with the service and environment they need to achieve their goals.
  • Help club members build positive habits – Emphasise the need for members to regularly come prepared to meetings, to perform Pathways projects, to present evaluations and to project a positive, enthusiastic attitude.
  • Create a quality club – A club’s standards for service must reflect the quality and reliability of the Toastmasters program. The best way to teach clubs how to do this is to encourage them to conduct the module Moments of Truth from The Successful Club Series. Make sure the new club knows and applies these quality standards to current and new members. Remind them the same care and attention afforded to guests and potential members also should be given to current members.
  • Foster a culture of membership-building within the club – Every club, even new clubs, should continually strive to bring in new members. Membership-building activities give clubs a stronger base of leaders and provide a continuous flow of original personalities and ideas that help keep club meetings fresh and exciting.
  • Be the eye and ears for the District Leadership – Though each club will be assigned to an Area Director, Club Mentors work closely with the clubs, for at least 6 months after their charter. If you see any red flags (examples : pattern of irregular meetings, member drop out, drop in energy/interest level , club officers not active anymore etc..) in the club, bring it to the attention of the District Leadership.

How to apply

If you are interested in volunteering as a Club Mentor, send an email to the Club Growth Director of District 71 (placeholder email: [insert email address]) with the following details:

  • Your name and Toastmasters membership number

  • Your current club affiliation (name and number)

  • A brief summary of your Toastmasters experience (office roles, Pathways progress, etc)

  • A statement confirming you are a paid member in good standing and meet any district requirements for a mentor

  • Your availability (times/days you could work with a new club)

  • Any preference for the geographic area or meeting time of the club you’d like to mentor

    Once received, the Club Growth Director will consider your application, match you to a new club that needs a mentor, and coordinate the formal appointment paperwork (mentor agreement, district submission to TI if required).

 

Resources

Online Guest pack:

https://toastmasters.org/membership/why-toastmasters

Resources

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