VP Education

Most people describe the role of VPE as one of the busiest jobs in the club. I do not.

I have been a Toastmaster for 17 years, and VPE 7 different times, for 3 different clubs; a community club, a corporate club, and an advanced club.

Here, I share what I have tested and know works, and what now makes my clubs (and clubs I’ve coached) among the strongest in District 69. Also, I spend very little time each week (<1⁄2 hour per week) on the VPE role, because I’ve streamlined almost every part of it.

The exacts processes, systems and explanation of why I do each part of the role the way I do is explained in this guide, and uses the resources linked below.

This guide is intended to serve a number of purposes:

To help new VPEs get set up, so that the role is not so overwhelming,
To give new and experienced VPEs proven solutions to common problems, and
To give VPEs permission and resources to upgrade their club

To upgrade your club for better meetings, more engaged members and a stronger club; have a read and implement the philosophies 💙 ~ Kate

Download the VP Education Guide

Resources:

Agenda Template

The Agenda template that is beautifully branded, contains all the required information neatly, and is replicable meeting to meeting.

This Google Sheet enables you to input your members, club details and provides a template for you to then quickly create each meetings agenda. Layout, branding, alignment all done for you.

Make a copy and implement into your club

Forward Planner

The Forward Planner template that enables you to track block plan a full year, forecast meetings months in advance, and track member progress.

Make a copy of this Google Sheet, input your members and follow the steps in the VP Education Guide to reduce your admin workload to under an hour per week.

One of the first jobs as incoming VPE of a successful club is to understand what members want from the next 12 months.

Many clubs survey members. However, the questions often focus only on meeting roles or speech goals - which have limited flexibility when you're trying to be equitable for all members.

Instead, it's more useful to use a survey as a planning tool for the entire year.

Many of these questions are not entirely about the question, or serve a dual purpose. Some plant seeds (about contests and future leadership). Others are more looking for comprehension and understanding (such as where they're up to in Pathways).

Our survey asks about:

Speaking goals and meeting participation (the standard),
Pathways progress, understanding, and support needs,
Mentoring (which is an identified weakness of the club currently),
Contest participation (planting the seed if nothing else),
Future leadership interest for succession planning,
Questions about feelings and feedback on the club and meetings too.

What you get is a clearer picture of member goals, earlier identification of support needs, and a clear pipeline of succession in club leadership too.

This should be sent to your members in June ahead of the year. To the left is a direct copy of what I sent ahead of the 2026-27 year as VPE.

Template Member Survey

Projects to work on:

When a club is focused on its product (ie, the meeting), it significantly increases the chance of members seeing value from their membership, and increasing attendance.

If members don’t know, they won’t go. All meetings should be planned in advance to ensure all members are engaged and equitably given roles, and to plan progress for educational achievements and DCP Success.

Agendas should look professional and attractive. The design of a document is too often overlooked, but if the agenda looks professional, guests are more likely to visit, and if members are proud of their club’s agenda, they are much more likely to invite their friends.

We hold contests for 1 or 2 meetings per year. Which means we’re never super practised and polished. However, like all meetings, contests are an opportunity to provide an empowering and inclusive event that builds enjoyment in the club and adds variety to the year.

At times, a year of the VP Education role can move by slowly. But, ~24 meetings can pass by quickly if not prepared in advance. The block plan forecasts each meeting strategically for at least the current year.

Toastmasters is an education organisation. And the education program is Pathways. Every member should be enrolled in a path, be able to find their way to their next project, and mark completed projects as such.

Whenever a member completes a level, we celebrate by promptly approving and publicly recognising that achievement. It’s important for self-confidence and member retention. Also, recognising outside achievement!

Agenda Amplifier Bootcamp

We all know that the agenda acts as the runsheet for our meetings, but did you know that it can be (and should be!) so much more?

A great agenda will be more than the list of segments that need to happen, it will help GAIN and RETAIN members.

It can be:

A Marketing Weapon, used as part of your PR strategy
A Club Hub, to help keep members engaged, and
A Meeting Multitool, regulating energy and helping more than just the Toastmaster to do their role.