Hello!
I am Mark Wing, the new Division D Director. My area covers western Massachusetts and northern Connecticut. I joined Toastmasters in August 2014 as a charter member of NE Toastmasters. My motivation for serving as Division Director is to help the clubs in my area. I recognize that many of the clubs in my area are struggling with membership. Given our current trajectory, it is possible that my area could be reduced to handful of closed corporate clubs. This is not something I want to see happen. It has helped me grow both my public speaking and leadership skills. It would be a loss to our community if this opportunity was no longer available.
I am looking forward to working with my team of Area Directors to support and grow our clubs. I am always interested in learning how successful clubs operate to see if what they do can be applied elsewhere. For example, I was recently at a work-related meeting in Manchester, New Hampshire. In the corner of the conference room was a banner for Millworks Toastmasters. The top of the banner was covered by ribbons. When I looked up the club, I could see few things that I thought were interesting:
- They are a President’s Distinguished club and needed one more new member to reach 10 DCP points
- Their membership was in the mid-20s
- They met at 7:05 am!
I have been a member of clubs that have struggled with meeting times. My home club is at noon. I am usually able to attend, but sometimes work obligations interfere. Other clubs are in the evening, but this cuts into family time for many. Could before work be the perfect solution for many Toastmasters? I know if I worked in Manchester, I would be at Millworks Toastmasters’ next meeting.
I am looking forward to working with the Toastmasters clubs in my division for this upcoming year. If you have unique ideas of how successful clubs operate, I would love to hear them. You can reach me at divddir@d53tm.org.
Sincerely,
Mark Wing
Division D Director 2023-2024