SCAM ALERT! Scams are everywhere around us. With the advent of email and social media, scammers have become better and better at deceiving people. How can you avoid being a victim of email scams? 1. Don’t open emails from a person or company you don’t recognize. If you do open these emails, avoid clicking any links. 2. If you recognize the name of the sender and you open the email, check the following Are you addressed personally? If so, is …
Toastmasters is evolving! The DTM Master Mind Group is considering new ways that Speechcraft, can be explored. The next meeting, in September, will introduce a way Speechcraft might support the formation of a new club. The digital Speechcraft Program is a new way of delivering this program. Perhaps it being different can be an opportunity rather than a challenge. We will connect with some members who have run this program, and others from out of District 42 who have leveraged …
Call for District Leaders Call for Area Director We are still looking for Area Directors to lead some areas in Divisions C, E & F. As Area Director, you serve a vital role in Toastmasters. Of all District leaders, you are the closest to clubs and members and are a direct link between them and the Division and District. It’s a rewarding role with many responsibilities. During your term you will do the following: Visit every club in your area …
New Beginning Kudos to all our leaders who have taken a new role or are continuing similar positions in our district. We cannot thank you enough for doing this. Some of us could still be wondering, “How can we live up to the expectation?”, or even “Where do we start?” or “How can we keep to this?”.I can share this excerpt below from one of my favourite movies “Forrest Gump” as this has helped me in many of the journeys …
Celebrating Accomplishments Dear Members, As we approach the end of another remarkable year, it is with great pleasure and a sense of pride that I reflect upon our collective accomplishments and the progress we have made. Together, we have navigated through challenges, embraced opportunities, and achieved remarkable milestones that have shaped our district’s success. Over the past year, our team has exhibited unwavering commitment, resilience, and a shared vision propelling us forward. Collectively, so much was accomplished and I take …
MORE THAN SEX AND MONEY “There are two things people want more than sex and money: recognition and praise.”Mary Kay Ash, Founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics “There is more hunger for love and appreciation in this world than for bread.”Mother Teresa HOW do we recognize and appreciate? Ribbons Money Promotion Certificates Cake Prizes Handwritten notes Words of gratitude Pat on the back Announcements Video Awards WHY do we recognize and appreciate? reflects the core values of the organization someone sees …
March – Month of Madness March is a month of renewal, growth, and change. As the winter months come to a close, the days become longer (YAHOO!) and the air becomes warmer (sometimes). Spring is on the horizon and with it comes the promise of new beginnings and fresh starts—tulips break ground and the smell of newly-mowed lawn is in the air. This month, take the time to reflect on your goals and aspirations. Make the SMART. Whether you have …
Status of Club Officer Training Highlights: 46.28% of officers trained See detailed status here. 7 out of 7 incentive We have 6 clubs that have achieved 7 officers trained during the 1st and the 2nd round of training. Congratulations to the exceptional, extraordinary, and excellent work from the following clubs: We are truly proud of you. You set an outstanding example for our district. Worth to mention other clubs that were close to achieving it where they have achieved 7 of 7 during …
SHINE THE LIGHT Stories of Inspiration and Success In District 42 we believe that every member has a story to tell. Stories which can bring hope to other members who might be stuck, and inspiration to clubs which may be languishing. District Director Bev LeBlanc wants to leave a legacy of hope and inspiration by collecting these stories and sharing them on our District website. Her goal is to collect and share 200 stories from our members and clubs. We …
The Heart Tree The ‘LOVE’ month is upon us. You’ll likely see hearts & flowers everywhere. You may receive Valentine’s notes from many sources. Let me be one of the first to give you one: I find it almost unbelievable that we are more than halfway through our Toastmasters year together. There are fewer than five months left until another team takes the reins. So many members have contributed countless hours & ideas to help make the Toastmasters experience better …
Time Management Tips That Work There are so many valuable and excellent articles in TI. Here is another one that I read recently on “Tips for Time Management“. It talked about several techniques, from: Creating a Time Audit, Having a Power Hour, Batching similar tasks together, Rating tasks based on importance or difficulty and organizing your day accordingly; Creating routines, Setting time limits to get things done, and Challenging to put a time limit on tasks. I particularly like 3 of …
Getting Creative With Public Relations Brave Branding Be familiar with the Toastmasters brand and the core pillars of the organization. In Toastmasters, all members are guided by integrity, respect, service, and excellence. Start thinking outside of the box and be bold with your messaging. Each club is different and unique, don’t be afraid to advertise these quirks! Stats Knowing more about your membership is a great way to research what means most to your members which will help you create a …
Promoting Your Club Event Do you know how to promote your club event? District 42 Event calendar is used mainly for District, Division and Area advertising. Special events such as Club Anniversaries or special guest speaker events might also find their way to our Event Calendar. So where does that leave our clubs? Social media is the answer. Does your club have a Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn page or any other Social Media Platform? This is where you can promote your …
Leadership Is About Behavior, Not Titles I read this article – Leadership Is About Behavior, Not Titles – last year and have been thinking about it and applying it since then. I wanted to know if I ever fall into the category of being a leader for the title. I never really understood the difference during my early years in leadership at work, but I think I fell more into that category during those years (not easy for me to admit). …
Holiday Greetings Dear fellow Toastmasters, As we approach the end of another year, it is a time to reflect on all that we have achieved and to look forward to the new opportunities that lie ahead. I am grateful for this opportunity to extend warm holiday greetings to all of you, and to express my deep appreciation for your dedication and commitment to our shared mission. Toastmasters is a wonderful organization that brings people together from all walks of life, …
Club Fitness Award Recipients At the time we are writing this article, we have identified some of the clubs in our district that have achieved the Club Fitness Award. With the help of our Area Directors, we confirmed that they have completed: Renewing and updating their Club Success Plan Verifying Club Roster Conducting a Moments of Truth Club Roster Administrative tasks aren’t sexy, and there really isn’t anything to show for the effort! But these are the invisible jobs that make a Club run smoothly. …
A Success Plan for Life Looking at the calendar on my wall, instead of just seeing the days filled with things to do, if I step back a bit, I see we have already ended our first quarter of the year. Who snapped their fingers & made it so? 39 or 39ish. How many of you can guess what this number means? It is the number of days until CHRISTMAS (depending on when you read this article). Again, someone snapped …
Where do We Go From Here? As District Director, I have a vision: It seems I’m asking myself this question almost every week. The District (as in all of us) finishes one round of activities, only to start another. Let’s consider where we are at this moment. As of July 1, we had 101 active clubs. We now have 108 paid clubs. Yahoo! I have no doubt we will soar even more. This is a year of rebuilding as our …
Sponsoring a New Club What is a Club Sponsor? A club sponsor is assigned to each new club attempting to charter and plays a fundamental role in successfully creating a new Toastmasters club. The Club Extension Committee assigns club sponsors based on inquiries or applications from members progressing towards the Distinguished Toastmaster accreditation. A club sponsor is an experienced Toastmaster with leadership skills, a passion for Toastmasters, and a strong dedication to helping charter a new club. Each new club …
Adding value to your Toastmaster club After thirty months of the global pandemic, businesses, government bodies, and volunteer organizations all realize they must deliver more value to their customers and members than they have been able to recently muster. But can a battered Toastmaster club add value? The best way for a club to approach this situation is to do a thorough review of their current strengths as they complete their annual Club Success Plan. Do a SWOT or SOAR …
Message From D42 District Director We have been blessed with a fabulous summer. A little bit of rain, a little bit of thunder & lightning, a little bit of Toastmasters. District 42 has always had clubs which like to take a respite from their weekly meetings. Other clubs continue without a break. Whichever type your club is, these next few weeks will get all of us back on track to improving our meetings, attracting new members, but not forgetting those …
The Platinum Rule An article on the Platinum Rule caught my attention recently as it relates to how we serve our members. We are accustomed to the traditional Golden Rule where “we treat other people the way we like to be treated.” This article pointed out that such a golden rule may not be the best way. To serve others in a more efficient, effective, and everlasting way is by applying this – “Treat other people how they want to …
What is a Club Mentor? A Club Mentor is an appointed advisor for a newly formed club. Club Mentors have a great effect on the degree to which a new club succeeds. Who can be a Club Mentor? An experienced Toastmaster in good standing who has completed or is close to completing their first pathway and has been a club officer. What is the Time Commitment for Club Mentor? The assignment term is no less than 6 months to a …
For every imagined goal, a Toastmaster role will lead you to success. Follow the three Leadership Keys and step by step attain your goals. See the attached checklist to get started. Ready Resources Set Team Go! Next Step LEADERSHIP KEYS IN DEMAND Corporations, organizations and communities are hungry for leaders that will propel them into the future successfully. Consider this short list of required qualities and imagine what other skills you can develop through Toastmasters. Relate to others Active listening …
DTM Master Mind The DTM Master Mind Project is up and running! We have many District 42 ADs, DDs and hard-working Toastmasters as part of these groups. Obtaining a DTM award is not everyone’s goal, and is not the reason people usually join Toastmasters, but if it is your goal, or if you just like to take advantage of opportunities that come your way, this is a group we hope you will explore. We heard a presentation from the new …
How can I inspire you? Dear District 42 Members How can I inspire you? What do you need to take your Toastmaster membership to the next level? Let’s recap a bit & then look forward. This has been quite the year. We held the first Tall Tales Contest in many years. To say the least, it was fun. Our International Speech Contest winner, Joanne Smith, went to Regional Finals. We had star-studded training, organized by the divisions & the district. …
Beat the Clock Membership Building Drive We always aim to run meetings on time, finish speeches on time and reach membership goals on time. In essence, we always try to “Beat the Clock”, hence the name given to this period’s incentives. It is indeed an excellent motivator for finishing the year on time and with impressive numbers. The incentive requires adding five new, dual, or reinstated members with a join date between May 1 and June 30. Applications and payments must be …
Lessons Learned Leadership Training I know you go to online meetings all the time and it goes like clockwork! Hah! Nothing goes like clockwork! The difference is whether or not that is obvious! On June 15, the part that did not work was pretty obvious, right off the start! Fortunately, or not, that first big presentation was about leadership, and how we all drop the balls at some point; it is a question of picking them up and getting back …
Plan for the Upcoming Year “Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now.” -Alan Lakein Reflecting on that quote, we realize that we always get ahead when we plan early. We will likely achieve our goals when we prepare beforehand. We will probably get further ahead when we get started earlier. Here is what our year will look like: We have another exciting year coming. We are keen to have …
OTY – Recognizing the Best of the Best District 42 is where Distinguished leaders are made and where we recognize the phenomenal leaders who make our district as successful as it is. We celebrated excellence in leadership at the spring conference with DARE awards for Area Directors and with the District of the Year awards for the leaders who contributed most across our district from 2020 to 2021. The Of the Year awards recognize the best of the best and …