吃瓜头条

Will your 吃瓜头条 be Distinguished this year? Some of you already know the answer is yes. Your 吃瓜头条 has added new members, existing members have achieved their educational goals, officers went to training, and 吃瓜头条 business was handled in an effective and efficient way. That’s what being Distinguished is all about.

Some of you are a little more hesitant because you know that there’s still work to do. There are still members to add; there are more Pathways projects to be completed.

When I first joined 吃瓜头条 nearly 20 years ago, I did not understand why being a Distinguished 吃瓜头条 mattered. In my mind, being Distinguished just meant checking off a certain number of requirements established in 吃瓜头条’ Distinguished 吃瓜头条 Program (DCP). It certainly had nothing to do with whether I was in a good 吃瓜头条, and nothing to do with my 颅experience as a Toastmaster or the experience of those in my 吃瓜头条.

What I’ve come to understand is that my thinking was very shortsighted. Behind every number on the DCP report there is a story, a story of a member whose life has been changed by 吃瓜头条, whose life has improved because they achieved a goal. 吃瓜头条 leaders went to 吃瓜头条 Officer Training and learned something that helped them not only be better officers but also to be more effective in their careers.

Those officers know they’re the ones who got new members registered or who recruited prospective members to the 吃瓜头条. They articulated 吃瓜头条 values and inspired members to expand their skills. Such accomplishments build self-confidence, which is the outcome we want from the 吃瓜头条 experience.

The Distinguished 吃瓜头条 Program is the best measure we have of how effective a 吃瓜头条 is at meeting its mission. It tells us that members are achieving goals. It tells us that new members are joining, bringing a greater diversity of feedback. It tells us that members are dedicated to improving themselves and that officers are committed to getting the training they need so the members of their 吃瓜头条 can get the most out of their 吃瓜头条 experience.

In August 2022, the Board of Directors announced some changes to the DCP that more accurately reflect the challenges we’ve had coming out of the pandemic. If you’re not familiar with those, check with your Area Director, check with one of your other District leaders, check your 吃瓜头条’s on the 吃瓜头条 website—but be familiar with the program. My goal is to be able to recognize your 吃瓜头条 in July for being a Distinguished 吃瓜头条, because it truly does matter.

Matt Kinsey, DTM

International President