Celebrate Everything

One of the nice things about Pathways is the ability for a basecamp manager to print certificates out and create more recognition for the members (which ironically, is one of the reasons why Pathways was created).

Celebrating and recognition doesn't have to stop there, what accomplishments have your members achieved?  Area Director? Division Director? 1st Path? Consecutive years of district service from club members?  Getting to a sustainable membership?  Overcoming the challenges of losing members (and knowledge)?

In terms of outside, non-Toastmasters achievements, be sure that the members are comfortable with the recognition.  For Toastmasters achievements, I usually don't give members a choice.  For example, we had a member achieve DTM who didn't want any recognition for that achievement.  However, I had a conversation with the President and told him that I was going to recognize it if he didn't.  He recognized it.  (If it had been a non-Toastmasters achievement, it wouldn't have been recognized if she didn't want it recognized.)


I put this piece into an email that I sent my Area Directors as we prepare to end the Toastmasters year (and therefore our District service) as examples of what to celebrate:

My home club is ending the year with 11 members and 5 goals so we won't be Distinguished, but we still have things to celebrate. We get to celebrate 4 years of consecutive district officers including the first back-to-back Division Directors to come out of the club as well as our 10-year anniversary next year.
Some of you know that I got my public speaking start in what is now the National Speech & Debate Association and I got the privilege of watching a historic final round, an African-American made the final round of an event (Public Forum) for the first time in the organization's history, some 90+ years.  While his team didn't win, that didn't stop people from celebrating history.
My own high school celebrated its 15th appearance at the National Tournament (in downtown Dallas), even though they didn't have a single person in the Top 16 of any event.

There's something to celebrate regardless of status!

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