Editor’s Note: Recently, I sat down with former Division B Governor Arvee Robinson to discuss the lessons she learned while leading Division B—consisting of 7 Areas, 42 clubs, and nearly 800 members—to President’s Distinguished status while at the same time starting a new business. “You have to make it fun.” Anyone who knows Arvee knows that it should be her anthem.
Q: What do you see as the pros and cons of being a Division vs. an Area Governor?
AR: When you’re an Area Governor, you’re closer to your clubs.
I had seven clubs as an Area Governor. Most now have four to five. I was close
to the Presidents; we became friends. In fact, half of them became my Area
Governors when I was elected Division Governor. As an Area Governor, you can
make a bigger impact on your clubs in terms of mentoring them and helping them
with their Distinguished Club Program implementation.
When you’re Division Governor, you’re not as close to your clubs, but you’re closer to your Area Governors. The only downside to being a Division Governor is you don’t get to spend as much time visiting the clubs. The impact you have as a Division Governor is to help your Area Governors become better leaders and help their clubs. The Division Governor guides the entire Division. He or she tries to guide everyone into success through Division Council meetings and other avenues. I had eight contests (7 Areas and the Division) to attend and participate in twice a year. They were eight opportunities to reach more members and make Toastmasters more memorable to them and more fun.
I liked bringing fun into our Council meetings. As Founder’s District Lt. Governor of Education and Training Celly Adamo says, “Bring food and they will come.” People can’t learn and grow if they’re not present. It’s all about getting the cheeks into the seats. So every Council meeting we had food and sometimes wine and music. We got a great deal accomplished every month with Area Governors, Presidents, club officers, Division Staff, and members attending—and we had fun.
A big advantage to leadership is visibility. Being Area Governor opened the door for me to become Division Governor. Because of my visibility as a Division Governor, I was asked to teach at the District training, something I’ve always wanted to do. That has opened even more doors. This year, I had the opportunity to serve in several different District positions. Regretfully, I had to turn down the offers because I really do have to focus on my business this year.
Q: What do members have a right to expect from their Division and Area Governors?
AR: Anything they need to succeed. The President can ask for help with anything
he or she needs to make the club successful: more training, brainstorming
for ideas on how to solve different problems or make the meetings more interesting,
answering questions on anything from proper procedures to available resources,
help growing membership—anything.
Q: Why should members attend Council meetings?
AR: To get plugged in! At these meetings you will see and interact with a higher
level of Toastmasters knowledge and experience. You will find these experienced
members are very open and ready to share with you; it’s a great opportunity
to learn communication and leadership skills from them. It’s a great
way to get away from the isolation of your club. You will see the opportunities
available to you outside the club and how huge!!! they are. And the fellowship—the
fellowship is tremendous.
Q: Describe your own Toastmasters journey.
AR: I had a particularly embarrassing experience while speaking in public.
I used to do a lot of public speaking to sell my products and services, but
I wasn’t selling anything. At this particular meeting, a lady came
up to me afterward and asked me if I realized that I said “OK” after
virtually every sentence. I was mortified. A week later I joined Toastmasters.
That was in 1996.
My first club was WordSpinners in Pasadena, Club 489. When I moved to Claremont, I looked around for another club that was closer. Steve Smith, DTM, The Division B Leadership Chair, led me to Irwindale, and I’m still a member there. In fact, I’m the President this year. Irwindale met at the Chamber of Commerce building, which had a beautiful stage—a speaker’s stage—and a lectern. It was perfect for us. It met every week—whereas my old club had met only every other week—and it wasn’t in a restaurant. The attention was on the speaker and not the activity in the room; I liked that. I have served as President three or four times; Vice President of Education, Public Relations, Membership, and Mentoring; Treasurer, and Secretary. I served as Sgt-at-Arms at my advanced club, ACTS 416.
In 2003–2004, I served as an Area Governor. I had been asked before, but it had never been the right time. I was in my club for so long that when I finally got out there and saw how much there was to the Toastmasters world, it was a phenomenal experience of personal leadership and growth. I loved being an Area Governor. I had so much fun. I loved helping people. And I loved putting on contest. I had a ball. And of course, during 2004–2005 I was Division Governor.
Q: How did you avoid the infamous burnout that strikes so many Area Governors?
AR: I delegated. That’s the Area Governor’s job. If you’re
getting burned out; you’re not delegating enough and involving more of
your members. This is how you help them grow and possibly develop a taste for
leadership themselves.
Q: What’s the secret to starting new clubs?
AR: Find a community (an office, a social club, a school, etc.) that has at
least 250 members or you will struggle to build this club. You can do it
with fewer prospects; it’s just harder and more work for the Area Governor
and sponsors. When we started the Words of Hope Club at the City of Hope,
they had a community of 2500 people. We chartered in three weeks.
Another point: it’s important to get experienced or strong sponsors and mentors. Find people who will be active and continue with the club once it’s chartered. Too often we try to attract sponsors by telling them their work is done once the club charters. That’s a mistake; that new club needs your experience. You need to stick around and pay your dues. TI provides a great book with a checklist for chartering. Sit down with your new club and walk them through that list. When we were starting, we had the regular meeting and then a business meeting, where we brainstormed things like what name do you want to call yourselves. We explained what officers do, and so on. There is a lot to know and do and you must take these new members by the hand and walk them through it. That’s why ongoing participation by the sponsors and mentors is so important. You don’t just desert that club. It’s like birthing a baby; do everything you need to do for that baby’s survival and well-being.
Q: So are you taking a break this year?
AR: I’m still out there supporting my Division (I’m the Division
B Education and Training Chair) and the District, but more of my time this
year is going into my growing business. But I’ll be back. I love this.
Q: What lessons would you like to pass on to the new Governors?
AR: As a leader you need to know where to take people, and Toastmasters has
created the perfect model for doing this. Your job is to serve the model.
And as long as you stay on that track, you will be successful every time.
That’s what serves your members. It’s not a dictatorship. It’s
about your members. It’s about what they want and what they need. You
have to find out what that is and then give it to them. And then, you have
to make it fun, so they will do it. Remember, it’s not about you; you’re
responsible for leading the Toastmasters way, not your way. What you get
from this is leadership training you can take into the world and use to create
your own groups.
I tell people all the time that if new businesses created a business plan like Toastmasters’, no business would ever fail. To become a DTM, you must open, mentor, or sponsor a new club or coach an ailing one back to health. It keeps new blood coming in as the life cycle of others inevitably ends; it serves growth. At every single level, it gives the buyer a reward—you complete ten speeches you earn a CTM, and so on—and thus encourages the buyer to be faithful and keep returning. A great business model. The only shortcoming—we need a way to reward people beyond the DTM, because there is nothing quite like getting your first DTM. They have so much knowledge and experience, we need to have them actively sharing and coaching clubs, Presidents, and members to success.
Add fun to the mix. If you make that learning experience fun for your members, they will follow you. They will applaud you. Do whatever it takes to get the job done.
Leverage your time and delegate. Most of all, let other people shine!!!