Leadership and CATM Club Management

Capital Alumni Toastmasters is an officially chartered Toastmasters International club and is organized to meet the requirements mandated by TI and to advance the goals established by the CATM founders and their successors. Thus, while the management structure and nomenclature used below are almost completely determined by the terms of our TI charter, not every office and committee is required to be filled or staffed, and considerable latitude is afforded us in how we actually distribute authority and responsibility. Furthermore, circumstances and the availability of suitable and interested volunteers are factors in how we respond to the challenge of moving the club forward.

Officers benefit from their service to the club in much the same way that meeting participation hones communications and organizational skills, for it is only by doing that we ready ourselves for greater challenges with increased stakes. Participating in CATM as a club officer is practical leadership training and each position includes opportunities to improve confidence and competence in the following areas:

• Planning and problem solving;
• Conflict management and resolution;
• Motivating others;
• Prioritization;
• Delegation;
• Recruiting;
• Project management;
• Team building;
• Networking;
• Time management; and
• Working with colleagues of all ages and backgrounds.

Experience gained from service as a CATM club officer can provide a valuable foundation or testing platform for positions at work, in professional associations, or with alumni clubs and other volunteer groups.

Some of the additional specialized skills that may be developed by service as a club officer include:

• Report writing;
• Writing for Websites, brochures, and press releases;
• Documentation;
• Marketing;
• Budgeting;
• Facilitation;
• Meeting and event planning;
• Acquisition;
• Bookkeeping;
• Analysis;
• Coaching;
• Benchmarking and evaluation;
• Creative thinking; and
• Goal setting.

Officers meet new people, learn new skills, and do things they would otherwise not be able to do, and they have the freedom to try new things and take risks—all while helping others.

Semiannual training from the Toastmasters Leadership Institute program at District 36 helps new officers get started and it provides a forum for the exchange of ideas with peers from other clubs. Past club officers and veterans are also available as needed to provide additional support and guidance. Free printed materials from Toastmasters International are provided annually.

As stated previously, CATM is an organization of busy volunteers and we believe in being flexible in how we manage the club. Rather than trying to fit volunteers into a rigid set of duties, we try to adapt the system described below to utilize the particular skills, talents, and interests of the volunteers we have at any given time. To help members and officer candidates understand the general essence of each position, we have deconstructed each post into primary and secondary duties and areas of responsibility and further summarized each via bullet points. We have also listed the names of each current office holder, as well as the names of any candidates for the next election cycle. Please contact if you wish to be put on the ballot for any office.

Officer posts left unfilled after each election will be delegated to the club membership to fill on a rotating basis in blocks of three months each until the next semiannual elections are held. Alternately, mid-term presidential appointments may be made to fill the remaining term of vacancies.  

It is important to remember that the more officers we have, the less each officer will have to do to make the club work! CATM club officer positions are as follows: