Dec 31, 2009.  It is the last day of the year, and the last day of my term as the President of CCTMC.  I have gained so much in the past 6 months: the experience, the skills, and most importantly, the fellowship with my team and members.  I believe the other officers have also felt the same way.  All of the members have worked together to bring the club to new heights.  I believe the concept of fellowship is taking root in the culture of CCTMC, and I have high hopes that it will continue and become a pillar of what will always make this club special. 

It has becoming more apparent for everyone that genuine fellowship is important for the growth of our club   It is the heart that pumps blood to all other parts of the body.  Through fellowship, we can give encouraging and honest feedback; Through fellowship, we can push one another to grow, and accept the challenge from others, knowing that it comes from love.  Through fellowship, we can build a constructive, trusting, and long-term mentoring relationship.  Through fellowship, we can listen, sympathize and motivate as leaders.  Most importantly, through fellowship, we can learn to connect with other human beings, and become better people ourselves. 

I have been asked, what is the key ingredient to high retention rate, participation, and mentoring program?  As hard as I try to attribute any success scientifically to a specific process, method, or framework, as I have heard from other experienced Toastmasters leaders, instinctively I know, it all begins from the heart.  The fundamental question I hope all Toastmasters officers will ask, is how to build the fellowship among your club members.   And I don’t believe there is a formula for this.  I am fortunate and lucky that everything clicked together.  In many ways, I don’t know how it happened.  But I’ll try to offer some insight as the President.

Books on leadership have endless overlapping advice on how to lead an organization.  A Toastmasters club, when you look at it generically, is just an organization.  Many of my experience come from business as a manager, but I’m terrible with details and planning, and wondered how I ever got things done.  I was blessed with a strong ex-com team, whom I relied on.  Many members stepped up to the plate and filled in other duties along the way.  And as president, I only had to focus on one thing, which has never been my strengths:  pour out my passion out for the members as much as I could.  How can I expect the members to be dedicated if I cannot find the time to do so?  The vision I had for CCTMC would be nothing if I were not able to channel my passion into it.   

In conclusion (because everything we write and say at Toastmasters has to have a conclusion), I can honestly say, the hard work in the past 6 months has been all worth it.  I am glad that the club has made important strides these past six months, and I have high hopes it will continue to do so.  For all leaders and future leaders of CCTMC and other Toastmasters Clubs who reads this article,  I would like to urge you to channel your passion into building fellowship with the members.  That is the beginning of everything.  

signing off, 

Hubert Lin,

President of CCTMC July-Dec 2009