Vision and Mission Statements
Having a vision statement and a mission statement helps
define the direction of a club. As a club strives to
reach its objectives, reviewing these statements can
help put the activities of a club into perspective.
Please refer to the descriptions below for some ideas
about vision and mission statements for your club.
Vision Statement
A vision statement declares a vision of the future.
It is a very succinct encapsulation of the reason for
a group or organization to exist, and often consists
of just a single sentence or two. In most situations,
the vision statement for an organization changes very
little over time.
As an example, the statement below is the mission statement
of Toastmasters International.
Toastmasters International empowers people to achieve
their full potential and realize their dreams. Through
our member Clubs, people throughout the world can
improve their communications and leadership skills,
giving them the courage to change.
Mission Statement
A mission statement declares broadly how a group or
organization will work to help bring the stated vision
into reality. It is the touchstone used to determine
the validity and priority of all activity of the organization.
Updating a mission statement periodically is a normal
process for most organizations, as the organization
learns more and better ways to approach the goals defined
in that organization's envisioned world.
Frequently, an organization may have a mission statement
without an accompanying vision statement. When this
is the case, the vision of the organization is normally
implicitly stated within the mission statement.
As an example, the statement below is the published
mission statement of Toastmasters International.
Toastmasters International is the leading movement
devoted to making effective oral communication a worldwide
reality.
Through its member clubs, Toastmasters International
helps men and women learn the arts of speaking, listening,
and thinking -- vital skills that promote self-actualization,
enhance leadership potential, foster human understanding,
and contribute to the betterment of mankind.
It is basic to this mission that Toastmasters International
continually expand its worldwide network of clubs,
thereby offering ever-greater numbers of people the
opportunity to benefit from its programs.
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