How many people from your club are going to the District 73 Annual Convention?
One club that’s leading in attendance is the newly chartered club of Port Melbourne. Although the club only officially chartered last November, they’re already expecting more than ten of their members to attend.
What is even more exciting is that the club has established a number of incentives and subsidies to encourage members.
“We decided to subsidise our members to attend the convention,” says Port Melbourne sponsor, Jacqueline Bignell. “We believe that members who attend the convention experience a whole new world of Toastmasters. When this happens, they’re more likely to become more deeply involved in the organisation.”
So far, the club has conducted four Speechcraft courses, with a fifth starting in March. The funds raised from Speechcraft has enabled them to offer their members a generous convention subsidy of up to $300 per person.
Rather than ‘gifting’ money, there are a number of incentives where members earn points to encourage them to attend. Members earn 100 points for being a Speechcraft coordinator, 50 points for organising a club contest and so on. It’s a system that has got the members interested.
Jacqueline’s own convention journey started with attending one of the Adelaide conventions.
“I was lucky enough to be the Test Speaker at that convention,’ she says. ‘It hooked me on Toastmasters. I was impressed by the contest speakers—it gave me something to reach for. I enjoyed the workshops, I loved the Gala ball and I even attended the District Council Meeting; I was so impressed I decided, then and there, that I wanted to become a district leader.”
What does Jacqueline see as being the greatest benefit to attending the convention?
“The more members from our club who attend convention, the stronger our club becomes” she says. “Members are inspired at Convention and want to reach greater heights in their speaking and leadership; this contributes to excellence in our club and strengthens our club.”
The cost of attending the convention may be out of the financial reach of some members. What is your club doing to encourage members to attend? If you have a subsidy program or an incentive program, we’d love to hear from you. Contact the convention team if you’re also doing something special to encourage your members to attend.
Come to the 2017 District 73 Annual Convention and—Find Your Inner Hero.
The District 73 Annual Convention is being held on the 19th-21st of May, 2017 at the Carlton Rydges hotel. To book, go to the Trybooking website: https://www.trybooking.com/263699
The official website is: www.D73AnnualConvention.org.au