this, though. How can we respect and trust people enough to elect them to office, then proclaim decisions are self-serving, short-sighted, and not in the best interests of our members? I find those positions contradictory and incongruent. While I am not naïve enough to ignore some past patterns that helped fuel the opposition, I am certain that our leaders are also aware of the past and its role in creating the current level of distrust. Global Representation will bring in more voices, more points of view, and potentially better outcomes. The creation of the ILC, a larger, more representative body, should assuage any disquieting notions about our current nominating process, not aggravate it. Let’s give it a chance to function, learn what we can from its first year of operation, and make adjustments as we go forward.

Principled resistance to change:

One of the reactions I found most encouraging about the debate regarding our future direction is the passion for our organization that was evident in the points of view expressed. Just about every member had an opinion. I wish we would have more issues in the future that invoke the passions of our members, and spur on more discussions.

Two of the most prevalent opposing views that I heard were first, that we were attempting to do much more, too fast, and too soon, and second, the “frightening” specter of the ILC. Points well taken. At a time when we are in the process of expanding our reach to more and more parts of the world, this new structure positions us perfectly to accomplish that goal and is consistent with our strategic plan goals. Progress can be accomplished either by taking gradual, incremental steps, or one giant leap forward. We chose the latter, and good for us! Let us all rally behind this new reality, and use it to move our organization forward. The ILC provides us with some opportunities we have not had in the past.

The ILC

One of our greatest opportunities for a more diverse, more representative, and more accountable core of nominators rests with the new ILC. The unease of many with this committee is a result of past practices, or perceptions that the committee acted in an unfair or arbitrary manner. There are several aspects of the ILC that I believe would be an improvement on the past. First, as a larger body, it will serve as a finer sieve through which applicants can be filtered and their qualifications evaluated more precisely and evenly. Second, it provides another level of service to more of our leaders. Third, with at least three past presidents on the committee, we can be assured of the utmost level of integrity, demonstrated commitment to putting Toastmasters International first, and a very keen set of discerning eyes relative to our future leadership needs.

Opportunities for an even greater level of comfort by our members include:

• Transparency – Every effort should be made to make the operation of this new body as transparent as possible. The criteria for selection of the ILC members should be more widely known. Results of candidate surveys should be published, as was the case in previous years.

• Equal voice – With committee members at different levels in the organization, it is important for the more senior members to create an environment of equal voice in discussions. This will validate the input of “lower ranking” members, and not leave them feeling obligated or coerced to support the selection of the “big wigs”.

• The ILC should be required to explain to the Executive Committee (in the case of Officer candidates), and to the entire Board of Directors (in the case of Director candidates), its rationale for nominating candidates, instead of merely presenting the nominations to those bodies.

• Interviews – We should clarify the specific procedures used to interview candidates, and make that information public. Would the ILC call candidates, or vice versa? When? One at a time, or all together via conference call?

• Evaluation – The Board should establish an evaluation process for the first year of operation of the ILC using a “best practices” model, and apply the lessons learned to future years. This would give our members and potential candidates the confidence that the process is fair, principled, and in the best interests of our organization.

With Global Representation, we have boldly taken a great leap into our future. Whether you are a new or seasoned member, we are all in this movement together. We are all heirs to our common Toastmasters heritage – let’s embrace this new direction! Envision Our Possibilities Together!