The Realignment Committee - changing the face of D75
This actually happened as part of my rsponsibilities as Division N Director - yet was not spcific to Division N in particular.... but to the District's future. So I separate it here. Otherwise, this could easily be a Division N - part 5 entry... but it isn't. It deserves a spearate entry.
I will tread lightly with this entry. You see, what we discussed, who said what, who sided where... all these may need be kept in confidence. Yet I must point out a few things, being how important this activity was - and for what purose. Simply put, Toastmasters International noticed how several Districts were floundering. Whether it was because of bad economies in the U.S. under a Trump Presidnecy (or despite it), or other global activities weakening economies, the global membership was weakening. We could probably point to the increas of membership fees from $45 to $60. It may not sound much to others, but to other parts of the globe (like us) we also need to tackle exchange rate issues (a painful multiplier depending one where you are and what economy your nation or state is in). Seeing that some even requested (not us) to retract their District status and just transform into a Division with a mreged group, the organization decided on some rules to define what an Area, Division, and District is. An Are will be composed of a minimum of four clubs, while a Division needs four Areas (so a minimum of 16 clubs per Division). A District must have a minimum of 8 Divisions (though this one I am unsure of the maximum number of Divisions per District.
Looking at District 75 - just two years ago, we were looking at the posibility of splitting the District into two. There were talks of either a plit of Luzon as D75, while Visiayas and Mindanao would be one District - or, a more balanced split would be East and West, running down form Luzon to Mindanao. I knew of this because I was tapped to be part of the discussion on this. We tabled it, though, because the District did not seem able to have two healthy Districts. Lucky thing we did not push through. 2024-2025 seemed a struggle (actually, 2023-2024 was suppoedly a struggle with many clubs falling on the wayside (again, I would connect it to the membership fee increase). We were surviving... then the edict from abouve happened.
To clarify the situation, Division N ended 2024-2025 with just three Areas (one Area short of the new mandate) and we were supposed to have healthy clubs on paper (we would later lose four - one of them being a newly formed club under my term) I also suspect that for some Toastmasters with nulti-club memebrship, they opted to lessen their membership, for some... from four clubs, they went down to three or two. Others, from two to one - as being a member in several clubs weas not worth it anymore. I, myself, went down from three to just one - choosing the club I felt was the best amongst the three. Whereas I once did it to support friends, now I opted to be practical. I suspect many did the same. Then there are some (underground) membership sponsors - who stay as members so long as somenoe pays for their membership. That may have lessened as well. Needless to say, N needed to make sure we had 16 clubs by end of TM year 2024-2025, and though it looked doable, we would be at bare minimum - if our more club falls, N would be in trouble of losing it's Division status.
We were not the only Division in this situation. Of all the Divisions of D75, only A, B and M seemed steady in their numbers. Past International Director Dotty Du was the cahri of the realignement committe and she looked at the numbers of clubs renewals - and not just that... club health as well. Clubs with 8 members were not exactly healthy, after all. So she came to the painful realization that it might be best to contract the District's number of Divisions - lesser number of Divisions, by combining two, and having the numbers either at, or above 16 clubs. She did not do this by demanding it, though... she wanted representatives to tackle these decisions... and it was taked to the Divisoin Directors to either be part of the committee, or choose a Division representative to help discuss and vote on the matters. As N's Director, I accepted the role.
We wold normally meet en banc via Zoom, but we later split into smaller, geographically situated groups for more localized discussions. So Luzon sector met one morning to discuss how we would split up, or combine zones to form one Division. This was where we first considered that Luzon located clubs would be part of a Luzon Division - it would be a challenge for some given the geographical expanse of their new Division, but we considered that possibility as part of the need to reorganized allignment concerns (also removing the confusion of some clubs being part of a Division, but not located in that Division.
Dotty later met with the Visayas Divisions to apparently spilt them into East and West - Mindanao was simply just one Division.
When that was done, we considered what we could name the Divisions... retain old ones? But which one? Start with new ones for all? Use a different option? (Baybayin lettering was considered). This was where the committe was literally split in half. Others wanting to keep their old letters, others looking at the option of starting with new ones for all. It was a close one, and the new letters for all option won the vote. It was fair for all to start anew was whet we considered, and though it was decided that we would support the decision, regardless of the outcome, it seemed that others did not do so.
We heard mutterings, and I was even witness to such complaits, seeing the Director not explaining why the Committee considered the decisions, playing the victim card of 'I was outvoted'. I had to step in and explain that there were reasons to consider. I doused some water on the fanning flames. After all, many were arguing out of connection to the traditional letter. I simply said, the committee was made up of Directors representing the District - we did not choose based one one Division's wants - they needed to trust these people.
Still, the rumors persisted. It was after all a committee suggestion. It would be blocked during the plenary session in Cebu. I felt that many were arguing againt the proposal, because they did not see the entire picture. In fact I even mentioned in our chat that we started out as Divison representatives, but we became the District caretakers. The message was simple - we needed to see the District's big picture... not think locally.
Come the plenary, I could feel the tension, and when the proposal was put forth, there were questions, and as I was about to speak, another Director pointed out that we, as Division Directors acted out on our mandate as representatives - why couldn't they (the rest ot=f the membership, trust us? Thre was also talk of delaying decision and what would the results be? Apparently it would be painful for the District as we could even lose recognition form TI, if we did not resolve this in the give timeline. Seeing that we had a lot to lose, the vote went forward, and the report was accepted and ratified.
My take on the whole experience? It was democracy in action. But I also saw some characteristics from some Toastmaster leaders that made me dissapointed. Not willing to look at things in a larger context. Not having the inegrity to act in solidarity with the committee decisions. There alse seemed to be a lack of commitment when communicating to the rest of the membership; how missing meetings made some realize there were decisions they could not defend to their constituents because they were not privy to the discussions in between votations - in this case, maybe they should ahve asked for someone to better represent them at the start.
Simply put, if you lead, you have responsibilities. This whole experience reinforced that. With exception to chariwoman Dotty, I have not mentiond names - those of us present and part of the discussion will know identities. I also did not mention the arguments that made us finally decide on a whole new set of letters... the unsued ones. There were reasons for this. I will only say that as far as I'm concerened, we voted after careful consideration and discussions. Knowing most of the people involved, I would resepct their choices... even if I did not agree with some. But after diciding, we act as one. We came up with the option fair for the District - not just one or two divisions.
I'm proud of this experience. I stand by the decision made.
I will tread lightly with this entry. You see, what we discussed, who said what, who sided where... all these may need be kept in confidence. Yet I must point out a few things, being how important this activity was - and for what purose. Simply put, Toastmasters International noticed how several Districts were floundering. Whether it was because of bad economies in the U.S. under a Trump Presidnecy (or despite it), or other global activities weakening economies, the global membership was weakening. We could probably point to the increas of membership fees from $45 to $60. It may not sound much to others, but to other parts of the globe (like us) we also need to tackle exchange rate issues (a painful multiplier depending one where you are and what economy your nation or state is in). Seeing that some even requested (not us) to retract their District status and just transform into a Division with a mreged group, the organization decided on some rules to define what an Area, Division, and District is. An Are will be composed of a minimum of four clubs, while a Division needs four Areas (so a minimum of 16 clubs per Division). A District must have a minimum of 8 Divisions (though this one I am unsure of the maximum number of Divisions per District.
Looking at District 75 - just two years ago, we were looking at the posibility of splitting the District into two. There were talks of either a plit of Luzon as D75, while Visiayas and Mindanao would be one District - or, a more balanced split would be East and West, running down form Luzon to Mindanao. I knew of this because I was tapped to be part of the discussion on this. We tabled it, though, because the District did not seem able to have two healthy Districts. Lucky thing we did not push through. 2024-2025 seemed a struggle (actually, 2023-2024 was suppoedly a struggle with many clubs falling on the wayside (again, I would connect it to the membership fee increase). We were surviving... then the edict from abouve happened.
To clarify the situation, Division N ended 2024-2025 with just three Areas (one Area short of the new mandate) and we were supposed to have healthy clubs on paper (we would later lose four - one of them being a newly formed club under my term) I also suspect that for some Toastmasters with nulti-club memebrship, they opted to lessen their membership, for some... from four clubs, they went down to three or two. Others, from two to one - as being a member in several clubs weas not worth it anymore. I, myself, went down from three to just one - choosing the club I felt was the best amongst the three. Whereas I once did it to support friends, now I opted to be practical. I suspect many did the same. Then there are some (underground) membership sponsors - who stay as members so long as somenoe pays for their membership. That may have lessened as well. Needless to say, N needed to make sure we had 16 clubs by end of TM year 2024-2025, and though it looked doable, we would be at bare minimum - if our more club falls, N would be in trouble of losing it's Division status.
We wold normally meet en banc via Zoom, but we later split into smaller, geographically situated groups for more localized discussions. So Luzon sector met one morning to discuss how we would split up, or combine zones to form one Division. This was where we first considered that Luzon located clubs would be part of a Luzon Division - it would be a challenge for some given the geographical expanse of their new Division, but we considered that possibility as part of the need to reorganized allignment concerns (also removing the confusion of some clubs being part of a Division, but not located in that Division.
Dotty later met with the Visayas Divisions to apparently spilt them into East and West - Mindanao was simply just one Division.
When that was done, we considered what we could name the Divisions... retain old ones? But which one? Start with new ones for all? Use a different option? (Baybayin lettering was considered). This was where the committe was literally split in half. Others wanting to keep their old letters, others looking at the option of starting with new ones for all. It was a close one, and the new letters for all option won the vote. It was fair for all to start anew was whet we considered, and though it was decided that we would support the decision, regardless of the outcome, it seemed that others did not do so.
We heard mutterings, and I was even witness to such complaits, seeing the Director not explaining why the Committee considered the decisions, playing the victim card of 'I was outvoted'. I had to step in and explain that there were reasons to consider. I doused some water on the fanning flames. After all, many were arguing out of connection to the traditional letter. I simply said, the committee was made up of Directors representing the District - we did not choose based one one Division's wants - they needed to trust these people.
Still, the rumors persisted. It was after all a committee suggestion. It would be blocked during the plenary session in Cebu. I felt that many were arguing againt the proposal, because they did not see the entire picture. In fact I even mentioned in our chat that we started out as Divison representatives, but we became the District caretakers. The message was simple - we needed to see the District's big picture... not think locally.
Come the plenary, I could feel the tension, and when the proposal was put forth, there were questions, and as I was about to speak, another Director pointed out that we, as Division Directors acted out on our mandate as representatives - why couldn't they (the rest ot=f the membership, trust us? Thre was also talk of delaying decision and what would the results be? Apparently it would be painful for the District as we could even lose recognition form TI, if we did not resolve this in the give timeline. Seeing that we had a lot to lose, the vote went forward, and the report was accepted and ratified.
My take on the whole experience? It was democracy in action. But I also saw some characteristics from some Toastmaster leaders that made me dissapointed. Not willing to look at things in a larger context. Not having the inegrity to act in solidarity with the committee decisions. There alse seemed to be a lack of commitment when communicating to the rest of the membership; how missing meetings made some realize there were decisions they could not defend to their constituents because they were not privy to the discussions in between votations - in this case, maybe they should ahve asked for someone to better represent them at the start.
Simply put, if you lead, you have responsibilities. This whole experience reinforced that. With exception to chariwoman Dotty, I have not mentiond names - those of us present and part of the discussion will know identities. I also did not mention the arguments that made us finally decide on a whole new set of letters... the unsued ones. There were reasons for this. I will only say that as far as I'm concerened, we voted after careful consideration and discussions. Knowing most of the people involved, I would resepct their choices... even if I did not agree with some. But after diciding, we act as one. We came up with the option fair for the District - not just one or two divisions.
I'm proud of this experience. I stand by the decision made.
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