Toastmasters International -The Path to Your DTM

So, you want to earn the Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) designation. Sure, seeing those three letters next to your name would be great, but where do you start? The DTM Award Application has all the information listed for you. You must complete the following requirements and have a club officer verify that you have done so prior to submitting the application to World Headquarters:

Complete two learning paths in the Pathways learning experience.
Serve as a club officer for 12 months. (If your club has six-month terms for officers, you can fulfill this requirement by serving as a club officer twice, but you don’t have to do it in consecutive terms.)
Participate in the preparation of a Club Success Plan and participate in a District-sponsored club officer training program.
Serve a complete one-year term as a District officer.
Serve successfully as a club mentor or coach.
Serve successfully as a club sponsor or conduct a Speechcraft or Youth Leadership program.
Complete the DTM project. Members are required to create and implement a project of their own design, in which they demonstrate the skills and expertise they have gained.

Tips for DTM Completion

While there are no shortcuts, here are some tips to help you complete your DTM.

Put Toastmasters on your to-do list every day, even if it’s just for completing one small item.
Find a mentor to help understand the DTM requirements and keep you inspired.
Keep a print or digital record of everything you do toward the DTM.
Sign up for speeches as often as you can. If your club has many willing speakers, suggest a Speakathon (a meeting where multiple speeches are given, often without a Table Topics® session) to allow for more speeches to be given.
Join a second club. This allows you to complete more speeches or to be an officer in another club.
Ask your Toastmasters friends for help. Your Area Director, Division Director, and District leaders can help you find opportunities to be a club mentor, sponsor, or coach. They also can help with ideas on Speechcraft, Youth Leadership, or forming new clubs.
Ask non-Toastmasters for help. Friends from work, school, the chamber of commerce, your local library, or charitable organizations may know of places that can benefit from Speechcraft or Youth Leadership. They may also have ideas for where a new club can be formed.
Remember your DTM project can be done outside the Toastmasters setting. You can do a project to benefit your school, university, religious group, or other volunteer organization. Just be sure to include at least one Toastmaster on your guidance committee.