I’ve been a regular reader of Sara Marks’ Ah, Um, Er… blog, which was the 1st Toastmasters-related blog I ever encountered.  While she has not written entries as frequently as before, I still check her blog whenever I check other Toastmaster-related blogs most days in case she has something new.  I noticed she put an entry today about a topic that in many ways hit the nail in the head for me – how some clubs and districts misuse the Distinguished Club Program.  What triggered Sara to put an entry about this was a recent entry she encountered in A Toastmasters Journey blog by Bill Bishop.

Both Bill and Sara have comments about the DCP that not only I would agree with, but what I probably would write if I had my own entry about my view of the DCP.  If anything, what I would add is that the Distinguished Club Program is Toastmasters International’s standardized way to measure the success of a club through membership, educational awards and club leadership.  Just like a member takes feedback from a previous speech to improve for the next set of speeches, a club can use this to outline what the club has done well and what it can do better in the coming years.  Nothing more, nothing less.

To paraphrase the conclusion of my previous entry, wouldn’t it be great if those running our clubs and districts stop thinking about their legacy and achievement due to the Distinguished Club Program and focused on using the program towards serving the needs of the clubs and its members?