I’ve been a member of Park City Toastmasters for about a year and a half (minus a few month’s hiatus when I freaked myself out and withdrew from the club because I couldn’t think of a speech topic. I’ll talk about that another time).
I remember when I first started attending, I very much appreciated the consistency of the meetings, how well they were run and the decidedly professional atmosphere.
But, I had a lot of questions. Nothing burning, just general wondering about what everyone’s roles were and why they were doing what they were doing.
I noticed that Julio often said things before the meeting started. Sometimes Lynn seemed to be in charge, and Jon Henry sure did a lot. Then Tracy came on the scene in a much bigger way… but I didn’t know how it all worked.
As part of an ongoing series, I’ll be interviewing the officers of our club to let them shed some light on what exactly it is they do.
Yesterday, I sat with Tracy Harden, our VP of Education, and asked her to talk to me about her role. I found out she does a lot more than I (and probably you) knew.
She told me her primary responsibility in this role is to, “Shepherd our membership through achieving the Competent Communicator, Competent Leadership, and advanced awards.”
It’s also her job to make sure everyone understands how the manuals work, and then to submit the paperwork to TM Int’l so that the member can receive his or her certificate.
In case you didn’t realize it, every time you finish a manual you receive an award for having completed it. You should also receive an in-club recognition after your fifth speech. (If you’re coming up on yours, email Tracy and let her know so we can acknowledge you.)
If that’s not enough, she’s also in charge of all the contests, which is a pile of work in and of itself!
We have several members who are near completion on a variety of manuals (including me), and Tracy has been busy making sure the schedule has allowed for them to complete those goals.
She pointed out that her role works a little differently within the context of our club. In most clubs, the VP Education assigns members their roles every week.
Our club is so large and so dynamic that people need a lot of flexibility to assign themselves. She manages our schedule on Google Docs to make sure the roles are filled, but it’s up to the members to schedule themselves.
If the schedule gets too full and people have to wait too long to speak, she’ll often set up an “advanced” meeting, usually on a Thursday, to give more people an opportunity to speak or perform other roles.
When I asked Tracy how she likes being the VP of Education, she told me, “It forced me to really understand the Toastmaster goals, how to achieve individually, and what it takes to get the Competent Leadership and Competent Communicator awards.”
It also forced her to examine what makes a great club. Serving in this role allows her to see what goes on at other clubs and it quickly became obvious what high achievers we have in Park City. She says, “We should be proud of how dynamic and professional we are.”
On a personal level, this role has allowed Tracy to build confidence in her speaking and leadership ability. It has made her a more fluid speaker at work and she finds it has heightened her community involvement.
She told me her nightstand at home is stacked with books about public speaking and leadership. Looks like the seed she planted in Toastmasters has taken root at home.
