About District 101
Silicon to Surf
Established in 2016, District 101 serves the area from Mountain View to King City, including most of Santa Clara county and all of Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Benito counties.
A Vibrant Community
District 101 consists of more than 2,000 members in over 150 clubs.
District 101 Blog
A place to share valuable insights, experiences, and knowledge on public speaking, leadership, and personal development.
Our District at a Glance
Extending from Mountain View to Monterey — from “silicon to surf” — District 101 is home to more than 140 clubs and 3,000 members. Our district was established on July 1, 2016 (having previously been part of District 4).
Here is a quick snapshot of District 101:
StructureDistrict 101 is organized into six divisions. Each division typically contains five areas, and each area typically contains 4-6 clubs.
For more information about our areas and divisions, click here.
Leadership TeamThe district is led by a team of officers, including the District Director, Program Quality Director, and Club Growth Director. Each division and area is led by a division director and area director, respectively.
Click here for more details.
Programs
The district sponsors a number of ongoing programs to help members develop their skills. Here are a few examples: Speakers for Stagetime, Club Ambassador Program, Adopt a Club, and Mentor a Club.
Events
District 101 hosts several educational events and competitions during the year, including club officer training, workshops, speech contests, and our annual district conference.
Check out our calendar for more details.
Three Ways to Participate
The beauty of the Toastmasters program is that it provides everyone an opportunity to try something new in a friendly and supportive atmosphere.
Whether you haven’t joined Toastmasters yet or you’ve already earned the rank of Distinguished Toastmaster, there is a wonderful variety of ways in which you can participate — and extend your comfort zone.
1. Be Our Guest
Because the goal of Toastmasters is to help people everywhere improve their communication and leadership skills, any club in our district would be happy to invite you to visit as a guest.
Our district is proud to have a variety of clubs that’s as diverse as our members, with a wide range of affiliations and meeting locations. Check out our Find and Visit a Club page to locate a club near you.
2. Grow by Participating
if you decide to join a club, or if you’re already a member, try to participate as much as you can. It has been noted that learning how to swim can be very difficult if you never get in the water, so get in the water. Go to club meetings. Volunteer for roles. Give a speech. Provide feedback during an evaluation. Every step along the way will help you become a better communicator.
3. Become a Leader
The success of a club and its members depends on how well club officers execute their responsibilities. By providing leadership and support, club officers can foster a positive and supportive environment for members to develop their communication and leadership skills.
President
- Set the tone and vision for the club
- Provide helpful, supportive leadership for all of the club’s activities
- Motivate, make peace, and facilitate as required
Vice President Education
- Become familiar with all aspects of the Toastmasters education program – eg. meeting roles and format, Pathways
- Serve as a resource for questions about education awards, speech contests, and the mentor program
- Schedule members’ speeches and projects
Vice President Membership
- Promote the club and manage the process of bringing in guests and transforming them into members
- Initiate contact and follow-up with guests, making them feel welcome and providing them with the information they need to join
- Monitor membership levels and strategize with the executive committee about how to overcome membership challenges when they occur
Vice President Public Relations
- Promote the club so the community is aware of the club’s existence and benefits it provides
- Update web content and safeguard the Toastmasters brand identity
- Create and distribute promotional material to maintain the club’s presence at various key places on the Web and in the community
Secretary
- Maintain all club records, manage club files, handle club correspondence
- Take the minutes at each club and executive committee meeting
- Update and distribute a roster of the current paid membership and keep the club officer list current at World Headquarters
Treasurer
- Manage the club’s bank account, issue payments as approved by the executive committee, and deposit dues and other club revenues
- Keep timely, accurate, up-to-date financial records for the club
- Submit membership-renewal dues to World Headquarters (accompanied by the names of renewing members)
- File necessary tax documents
Sergeant at Arms
- Maintain the club’s physical property, such as the banner, lectern, timing device, and other meeting materials
- Secure and prepare the meeting space for members
- Open the meetings
Additional Information from Toastmasters International
For more information about these roles, including video tutorials, visit “Club Officer Roles” on the Toastmasters International website. (Note: Member log-in required.)
Additional Resources from District 101
District 101 provides a number of additional resources, tools, and tutorials to help and support officers in fulfilling their responsibilities. Visit Club Officer Resources for details.
Contests
Contests offer members the opportunity to challenge themselves and grow as a speaker or leader, whether they participate as a speech contestant or help organize an event.
Spring Contests
Every spring, District 101 conducts two speech contests officially sanctioned by Toastmasters International. Members initially compete at the club level and can advance onto the area and division levels and then onto the district level at the District 101 Annual Conference in May.
One of these contests is always the International Speech Contest. The District 101 champion in this contest has the opportunity to compete in the “World Championship of Public Speaking” at the Toastmasters International convention every summer.
The other spring contest varies from year to year, rotating among the Evaluation, Table Topics, Tall Tales, and Humorous Speech contests.
Fall Contests
District 101 conducts two additional speech contests as part of the Fall Fusion event. This provides an additional opportunity for members to challenge themselves at different times throughout the year by competing or leading teams to host an event.
Growth Opportunities Outside the Club
In addition to participation at club meetings and contests, District 101 offers several opportunities for members to grow outside of their own club.
Leadership Opportunities
Serving as a club officer is a great way to enhance your leadership skills, and you can build on this experience and elevate your communication and leadership skills further by serving in a district role
Educational Events
District 101 hosts a myriad of educational events throughout the year, giving you an opportunity to learn from experts in their fields, including past World Champions of Public Speaking:
Educational sessions are also offered during the Annual Conference and Fall Fusion events.