Responsibilities

Welcome to the training series for the Toastmasters Vice President Education or VPE. This is video one of five. If you’re watching this, you’ve stepped up to the role of VPE for your club and that’s one of the most rewarding and impactful roles in a Toastmasters club.

My name is Bade Ayanleke and I have in the past held the role of VPE at my club, Sheffield Speakers. So I appear before you as the voice of experience. The VPE is the second ranking club officer and in many ways you are the heart of the member experience.

Your core mission is to plan, organise and direct a club programme that meets the educational needs of every single member. Everything you do should support the club mission to provide a supportive and positive learning experience in which members are empowered to develop their communication and leadership skills, resulting in a greater self-confidence and personal growth. To make this vital role manageable, we can break it down into three core pillars.

Think of these as the foundations of your success as a VPE. First, there’s the meeting management part of it. This is the crafting or dynamic engaging meetings that are the cornerstone of the Toastmasters experience.

Second, we have the mentorship programme. You’ll ensure that every member, especially the new ones, every member has the guidance they need to thrive. And third, we have the pathways management.

You are the club’s chief guide to the Toastmasters educational programme, helping members navigate their personal development journeys. Beyond these three pillars, your role would also include certain important duties. You will collaborate with your fellow club officers representing the club at the area and district levels and overseeing the club’s speech contests.

It’s a significant responsibility, but you’re not alone. This video series is designed to give you the tools, tips, and confidence to excel. In the next videos, we’ll dive deeper into each of these areas.

So, get ready to learn how you can shape a vibrant educational programme that empowers every member of your club. Let’s get started.

Meeting Management

 

Welcome to video two, where we focus on the first pillar of the VPE role, meeting management.

Each club meeting is a key part of your club’s educational programme. As VPE, you are the architect of these experiences. Your primary goal is to organise a programme of meetings that supports member learning and growth.

This means going beyond just filling roles. It’s about variety and opportunity. Don’t be afraid to vary the agendas.

A predictable meeting can become a stale one. Of course, you need to ensure that meeting agendas have slots for members’ pathways project speeches. This is their moment to shine and progress on their pathways journey.

But you can also plan special themed meetings, workshops, or educational sessions from, for example, the successful club series. Modules in this series include a moment of truth, evaluate to motivate, mentoring, and finding new members. These modules are fantastic resources.

For instance, evaluate to motivate can transform your club’s feedback culture overnight. You can present these yourself or better yet, invite your members or other Toastmasters from outside the club to deliver them. It’s a great way to provide value and give others a speaking opportunity.

Now, let’s talk about a common challenge. What if members are not willing to commit to meeting roles? This is where planning becomes your superpower. Here are a few strategies.

First, plan your meeting speaking slots two to three meetings in advance. This gives members time to prepare their pathways project properly. Second, assign the Toastmaster of the meeting role just as far in advance.

Then empower that Toastmaster to work on filling their team’s roles. This shares the responsibility and allows them to build their connections and leadership skills. And third, if your club uses a tool like easySpeak, leverage the automated role assignment process to get a head start.

And finally, always take a moment to explain the importance of filling the roles. It’s about supporting each other’s growth. Here’s a tip from the voice of experience.

A personal ask is always more effective than a group email. A simple message like, hi, John, I see you’re working on your evaluation skills. Would you be willing to be the general evaluator at our next meeting? Something like that can make all the difference.

Remember, as VPE, you do not have to walk alone. Work with your club executive committee and the broader club membership to brainstorm ideas and share the workload. By creating dynamic and well-planned meetings, you ensure that every gathering is a powerful step forward for your members.

In our next video, we’ll dive into managing the Pathways program.

Educational Program

Hello, and welcome to video three. We’re now moving on to our second core pillar, Pathways management.

Pathways is the engine of our education program at Toastmasters. And as VPE, you are the chief navigator, guiding your members to their desired destination. Your role here is twofold, to guide and to administer.

So, you provide guidance to the members as they navigate the system, and you handle the administrative tasks around the completions of the levels and the Pathways. First, let’s talk about guidance. You will need advise members on how to use the Pathways education program to reach their personal goals.

When a new member joins, sit with them, help them with the assessments and talk about how different paths align with their ambitions. Is their goal to be a better negotiator? Perhaps the strategic relationships path is for them. Do they want to improve their management skills? In that case, leadership development could be a perfect fit.

But what about long-standing members? What if a member doesn’t want to use Pathways and is hesitant to participate? This requires empathy and a clear explanation of the benefits. Meet with a member to discuss their concerns. Sometimes change is just daunting.

You could also ask another member who was initially reluctant but now enjoys Pathways to share their experience. This voice of experience from a peer can be incredibly persuasive. Explain that the essence of their club experience hasn’t really changed.

It’s still about delivering speeches, receiving evaluations, and enjoying a supportive environment. Pathways simply provides a modern structured framework for that growth. There are excellent resources available to help you explain this, like the guides from experienced Toastmasters such as Patricia Radley.

Check your district’s website for these. The second part of your Pathways management duties is the administrative part, and that’s crucial. As a VPE, you are a Basecamp Manager.

This means you are responsible for ensuring that Pathways level completions are reviewed and approved promptly. When a member completes a level, they are excited and motivated. Approving their award quickly validates their hard work and keeps their momentum going.

Make it a habit to check Basecamp Manager at least once a week. By being a proactive guide and an efficient administrator for Pathways, you empower members to take full control of their learning journey. Next up, we’ll discuss how to build a powerful support system through mentorship.

Mentoring & member support

Hello and welcome to video four. In this video, we’re focusing on our third pillar, the mentorship program. If meetings are the classroom, mentorship is the one-on-one coaching that accelerates a member’s journey.

A strong mentorship program is often the single biggest factor in member retention and satisfaction. As VPE, you must ensure that the club has an effective mentorship program. Your primary responsibility is to see that all new members are assigned a mentor shortly after they join.

This is a critical task. You don’t have to do it all by yourself. A great strategy is to ask another experienced member to be the club’s mentor manager.

This person can focus solely on making thoughtful mentor-mentee parents and checking in on their progress. Delegating this empowers another member and ensures this vital function gets the attention it deserves. So, why is mentoring so important and what resources are available to help you build your progress? Mentoring provides new members with a personal guide to the club, to Pathways, and to their own potential.

It gives experienced members a chance to develop their leadership and coaching skills. So, it’s a true win-win. Toastmasters International provides excellent resources.

First, there’s the Pathways mentor program itself, which is a formal program that members can undertake. Encourage your members to enrol in this. Second, remember that successful club series we mentioned earlier? It has a fantastic module simply called Mentoring.

Running this session is a perfect way to recruit new mentors and explain the value of the program in the entire club. And don’t forget to check Toastmasters magazine. It frequently features articles and tips on the subject of mentoring that you can share with your club.

This is another way to bring in the voice of experience from across the globe. By championing and organizing a robust mentorship program, you create a supportive, nurturing culture that empowers members to achieve more than they ever thought possible. In our final video, we’ll cover the other key activities that fall under the VPE’s purview.

Club Leadership

Welcome to video five, our final video in the VPE training series. We’ve covered the three core pillars. Meetings, Pathways and Mentoring.

Now, let’s talk about the other crucial activities where your leadership is key. Club leadership, your role on the area and district councils and speech contests. First, club leadership.

The club constitution designates you as the second ranking club officer. This means you deputize for the club president when they are unavailable. You are a key part of the club executive committee, working with your fellow officers to lead the club and ensure its success.

Your leadership extends beyond the club. You, along with the presidents and the VPE membership, represent your club on the area council. The area council is a support network for all the clubs in your area.

It’s where you’ll collaborate on area level training contests and other events. This is a fantastic opportunity to share ideas and learn from other clubs. Your area director leads these meetings and it’s your chance to plan for their visits and request support.

You also represent your club alongside the president at the district council. This is the governing body of our entire district. Meeting twice a year is where major decisions are made and your club’s voice needs to be heard.

And finally, let’s talk about one of the most exciting times in the Toastmasters year, speech contests. As VPE, you are responsible for managing the organisation of club contests. Note the keyword managing.

Your job isn’t to run the contest single-handedly. Your job is to appoint a contest chair for each contest. You then support that contest chair.

Your main duties are to plan the dates for the club contest well in advance and, crucially, to ensure that the contest chairs, the judges and all the other officials are properly trained in their roles. A well-run fair contest is vital for the club’s credibility and the members’ experience. Your area and district will provide training resources for this.

Being a VPE is a multifaceted role. It’s about detailed planning and big picture leadership. It’s about supporting individual members and representing your club on a wider stage.

Thank you for completing this training series. You have embraced a role that is challenging, rewarding and absolutely essential for the success of your club. Remember to lean on your officers, use the resources available and always connect back to the club mission.

You are now ready to be the heart of your club’s education journey. Good luck.