One year out, what was it like being an Area Governor?
 At first it was bewildering. Despite District Officer Training (DOT) and an exhaustive manual there just seemed to be so much to do.
First up after you have been trained there are two sessions of Club Officer Training (COT) you really should attend both sessions. You need to be there to support the clubs in your Area and to support the District Executive. You will probably find yourself volunteered to help somewhere. Remember also that each Club needs to have 4 of its Officers in attendance at both sessions of COT to achieve one of its Distinguished Club Programme (DCP) goals.
I was very fortunate in having a supportive ex-Governor in Sue Voloczi and Division Governor in David Nicholas. The Club and Area Humorous and Table Topics contests seem to be on you almost immediately. It’s important to remember, as it is with most things as an Area Governor, that this is not your personal responsibility. It is important to delegate. You have to be sure that people will actually do what they have volunteered to do (and be prepared to be let down too, have some reserves if possible).
You will also probably be asked to supply Judges and to be a Judge in other Areas. This is of a reciprocal nature so the more you put in the more you get back. It’s also very good experience. You should also be encouraging more experienced club members in your Area to act as Judges.
Once these are over there is the Divisional contest and you may very well have a role to play on the day.
You should also try to get in an Area Executive meeting with the Presidents. VPM, VPE’s and VPPR’s of each of the clubs. It gives them a chance to get together and to share experiences and ideas.
Then it is time for your Club visits. You should already have been in contact with your clubs about their DCP. What are they doing to achieve all 10 goals? Some of the goals are easy, just administrative issues but important nonetheless. They will have been through all this at  COT but you need to ensure this is where they are focussed.
You might choose to deliver the ‘Moments of Truth†Eductional as part of your visit. If you don’t ‘know’ this Educational it is a great one, almost like a health check for clubs and there is a survey form for members to fill in. I collated mine for the club where I delivered it and whilst generally they scored highly there were two areas which were well below the rest. The club knew where to direct their efforts.
The Club visits are important and you should try to get on the Agenda to speak. Club members should know who you are and why you are there. It also allows you to gauge how well the clubs are run and do not be afraid of making adverse comments on your report if you feel they are justified. You should have discussed the issues with the Club President before you do so of course.
Once Christmas is over there is virtually a repeat of the first half of the TMI year. Club Officer Training, Club, Area and Divisional contests (International Speech and Evaluation this time) and another round of Area visits. The second round of Area visits will be much more focussed on the DCP, you are getting towards the pointy end of the TMI year. Are the Clubs going to achieve all their goals? What can you do to help?
Throughout all this you should also be looking at possibilities for forming a new club in your Area. I won’t go into details here that’s a subject for a blog on its own.
If you go through all this and keep your focus you will have had an exhausting but very enjoyable Toastmasters year. I know because I am just about to complete one! Of course it is also one of your requirements if you are heading for a DTM. It can’t be that bad, I’m about to do it all over again. .
