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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 …
Two Reasons to Get Excited It is June and it is the FINAL month of the 2021/22 Toastmasters year. This is a time when this year is winding down and we are starting to prepare for the 2022/23 year. This is the perfect time to get excited about two things – finishing strong this year and setting ourselves up for success next year. Strong Finish How do we finish strong? We finish the last speech or two we need to …
Sunshine Clubs 2022 Are you looking for a Toastmasters meeting to attend over the summer? Look no further. To register your club as a Sunshine Club, please submit New Event Request with your Club name, meeting days/times, and contact info. To qualify for the Sunshine Virtual Badge, submissions must be received by June 30, 2022. Any submission received after that date will be listed; however, the club will not receive the Sunshine Club Badge. If you’re interested in attending a …
You can say YES! We are two short months away from the end of the Toastmaster year for 2021-2022 and it is hard to believe how quickly this year has gone by. I am feeling particularly inspired after our annual conference, and feel energized and ready to support our clubs and leaders to make this year a great success! In addition to celebrating success at our conference, we elected a new District trio and Division Directors who will begin their …
Planting A Toastmasters Garden Dare we breathe & believe spring has finally sprung? My Mom used to say “Never plant the garden until after the long weekend in May.” Planting a garden takes planning, organization, & follow-through. The type of garden you plant (flowers/vegetables/rocks) is key; size is another important component as is location. Then, you need to decide what plants go beside others (potatoes, beans, beets, carrots, etc.) Ensuring sturdy plant growth means you must continually take out the …
SIDE BY SIDE VIEW Is side-by-side view something you use in your Zoom sessions? The view the viewer sees in Zoom is something the viewer can control. You can manage this by using the VIEW icon (upper right corner on my screen) to change from Gallery to Speaker view. The side-by-side view is another option and is very useful when the presenter is using slides. This view allows me to see the slide and the gallery beside it on the …
JOIN OUR TEAM BY BEING A CLUB COACH JOIN OUR TEAM BY BEING A CLUB COACH JOIN OUR TEAM BY BEING A CLUB COACH Join our team by being a Club Coach We are always looking for experienced Toastmasters who can coach a club to rebuild membership and restore quality to the club environment. A few months ago, we launched the HPL callout headed by our past International director, Jacquie Schnider, and current Area Director, Mark Ward. We received some …
What does success look like? It’s hard to believe we have only three months left to the Toastmaster year! But what a significant three months ahead of us! We have an exciting annual conference to look forward to – Strike the Right Note, the Power of Pathways – from April 28 to 30. We will have a chance to connect online to see the best speakers in the District enthrall us with their evaluations and International speeches, select and elect …
Strike the Right Note: The Power of Pathways This year’s conference theme is all about striking the right note by using the power of Pathways. Strike the Right Note: Choosing the Right Partner When Bev LeBlanc asked me to chair the D42 virtual conference and told me to choose who I wanted to work with, it was a no-brainer. I immediately contacted Keith Lee to work with me as co-chair. Keith is a past District Director and educator, who works …
Membership Building and Retention We have shared several articles on membership building and retention. We think we can talk more about it. With all the tips that you have seen and read, there is one thing in common. It is the focus on WIIFM – What’s in it for them (or me in the guests’ viewpoint)? Let us take a few of those tips starting with these below: Welcome guests warmly Schedule educational speeches Welcome guests warmly We know we …
Strive for Progress, Not Perfection I can’t recall where I first heard this quote, but I’ve adopted it as my mantra. It’s been written on my whiteboard at work since the time before COVID. The quote speaks to me; it applies to all areas of my life, including Toastmasters. My DTM project was to chair Division B-Day on Nov 25, 2021. Guess what my theme was? Strive for Progress, Not Perfection. My name is Dawn Thomas-Cameron. I have been a …
Streaming Live to the District YouTube Account For Division Contests Have you ever wondered how to live stream from Zoom to YouTube? Here are the instructions: Print these instructions, have them nearby (i.e. one less screen/tab to have open). Login to the District Zoom Account Join the meeting with the above credentials (you should automatically get Host if not, claim it) Remember the view you are in, is the view that will be live, choose “Speaker View” as soon as …
BENEFITS OF THE AREA DIRECTOR EXPERIENCE Build verbal and non-verbal communications skills. Being able to share information in a clear and efficient way. Learn to keep the lines of communication open with the clubs, either through club visits, Area Council meetings, phone and/or email communications. Area Directors connect with club executives who share all information with club members. Strengthen interpersonal and team-building skills. Ensuring a club remains healthy requires a team effort. Form good relationships with the club executives and …
DCP Go-Getter Award Winners The DCP Go-Getter Award was designed to highlight the importance of Membership growth and retention. Striving to attain the 10 prescribed DCP goals in a Toastmaster year, helps create a dynamic club environment and a quality member experience. Just as members are at the heart of a Club, a quality member experience is at the heart of that Club’s Mission statement. Everyone will want to belong to a club that delivers on that mission of a …
Build a Better You One Step at a Time! I am very proud that I earned the title of Distinguish Toastmasters-DTM. It is the result of my 5-year effort. I have accomplished not only many speeches, but also leadership commitments. My original plan with Toastmasters was 1 year and leave. 5 years later, I earned my DTM. I am still learning and enjoying it. It is a hundred miles long journey to build myself a better person today. 8 months …
What inspires you? One thing that I love about Toastmasters is that it is so flexible that it meets a wide variety of needs with the same program. I like to think it stretches to meet you where you are. If you need help with your career or need to prepare for an interview, we have the Dynamic Leadership path or table topics. If you are feeling a little isolated or lonely and want to meet some new people, come …
Let’s roar together WOW! Did you see January and February fly by with lightning speed? Where did the time go? Let me give you a brief recap of the past couple of months: 3 Division training sessions with more than 300 officers and members attending At least 12 educational sessions Area & Division Council Meetings Open House Celebrations Planning for Contest Season We have four months left of this Toastmaster year. How are you going to go out—like a lamb …
Building Membership We have been campaigning for the “Talk Up Toastmasters” award recently. It covers the increase in membership during February and March primarily through spreading the word and bringing guests to your club meeting. We already have one club in our district that has gained five members in February – “Igniters Club.” Here are the tips from Igniters Club. We have two more clubs that are getting there, with three new members in February: “Twin Towers Toastmasters Club” and “Calgary Talking …
ONE NOTE AT A TIME Leadership Training – January 29, 2022 ONE NOTE AT A TIME D42 Leadership Training performed at the Zoom auditorium on Saturday, January 29 to a packed house of over 150 eager and enthusiastic fans! Making a Difference, ONE BOX AT A TIME with Shelter Box was directed by Stephanie Christensen. Please find out how you can help disaster relief assistance in one simple step HERE. Finish the Race ONE KM AT A TIME with Super …
DID YOU KNOW District 42 Website February 17, 2022 Visit the District 42 website to begin exploring. It is a treasure trove of information. To help with navigation on the District website, there are several tabs to click on: Home, About, Events, Members, Clubs, Districts, Opportunities, Blog, Find a Club and Search. These tabs are located at the top of the home page. If you click on home, you will return to the main page of https://d42tm.org If you’re planning …
RE-INVENTING OURSELVES Through Dreaming, Planning & Changing Perhaps you find it interesting, as I do, how quickly time seems to pass when we are adults as opposed to how slowly it seems to go by when we are younger. Remember how Christmas always seemed so far off no matter what month it was. Now in the blink of an eye we are already more than 6 months into our year. Christmas & New Year’s celebrations are behind us. January tends …
Are you a Go Getter? I bet you are! I love February, don’t you? The days are getting longer, and the cold snap over Christmas seems like a distant memory. I’ve attended District and Club Leadership training and I feel renewed and re-energized by better weather, fantastic keynotes and what I know our District will accomplish in the last few months of our year. We had many clubs earn a Go Getter award-a District incentive offered to clubs who achieve …
Membership Building Fellow Toastmasters, we have come a long way. We have had a challenging year, especially with the pandemic and the membership of our clubs is just one of those things that were affected by it. In any case, we have another six months to go in our Toastmasters calendar year. It has been proven that word of mouth is one of the best ways to grow our clubs, which is the basis of the “Talk Up Toastmasters” membership-building …
Visit An Open House Toastmasters District 42 invites you to the following Toastmaster Club open houses to meet members and watch special guest speakers talk about the importance of communication skills for today’s professionals. Toastmasters clubs provide a supportive and positive environment where members have the opportunity to develop their communication and leadership skills,” says Katrina Aburrow, District 42 Director. After hearing from special speakers, members and guests will enjoy a regular Toastmasters meeting that will include prepared speeches, Table …
Then & Now: Communications Evolution Technology has been evolving for a long time, along with different forms of communication. The most primitive means of communication are cave paintings, which would then lead to hieroglyphics, all the way down to our modern-day equivalents, emojis. The innovations and imagination of humanity are astounding, as it is terrifying. However, one of the innovations that we are continually progressing in, is how we stay in contact with each other, even through the vastness of …
WHAT DOES 2022 HAVE IN STORE FOR YOU? WHAT DOES 2022 HAVE IN STORE FOR YOU? WHAT DOES 2022 HAVE IN STORE FOR YOU? What does 2022 have in store for you? I can hardly believe it is January of a new year! It doesn’t seem like it was that long ago that it was January of 2021, and I was wondering what 2021 would hold for me. At that time, I was the D42 Club Growth Director, marvelling that …
DCP Go-Getter Award The mission of a Toastmasters Club is to provide a supportive and positive learning experience in which members are empowered to develop communication and leadership skills, resulting in greater self-confidence and personal growth. What are the goals of your Club? An updated Club Success Plan will list the goals your Club hopes to achieve. Where are you starting from? A Moments of Truth with input from all members, will give a snapshot of where you are. How …
Dynamically Speaking Toastmasters Like a beacon of light during this challenging time Dynamically Speaking Toastmasters has fostered communication, connection, and collaboration to its club members. Our diverse membership, of fifty-three participants, range in age from their 20’s to their 70’s andjoin us from five countries and three continents. Currently, we are the second-largest Toastmasters Club in Canada. While we do love the “bragging rights” associated with a large club, this is secondary to the relationships we develop with each of …
Club Fitness Award Winners The Club Fitness Award was designed to highlight the importance of: Maintaining an accurate Club roster Developing a Club Success Plan Conducting a Moments of Truth workshop Club Roster Every organisation has administrative tasks to take care of, in order to be effective. A Toastmaster Club is expected to remit member payments to Toastmasters International, twice per year. A Club holds elections and submits an Officer List once per year. What happens if an Officer leaves …
Igniters Toastmasters Another year of Igniting Spirits! Igniters Toastmasters like many other clubs had a challenging year. We were able find solutions and energize the members to keep Igniting Spirits! We are proud of being a President’s Distinguished Club for the past 7 years in a row and a place where laughter, learning, and friendship flourished. Mentoring is a cornerstone at our club to help members grow. Our President embraced using Zoom for our meetings. Having technical expertise and being …
Being the captain of a ship, a leader, is not easy. We all have made our fair share of mistakes. I am sure that we have learned quite a bit both, from our successes and failures. Today I would like to share 5 ways of leading your ship in your Toastmaster life. Captain a Vision As the captain of your ship, it is a requisite that you have a vision. After all, you are that one that will lead yourself …
CREATING A SYMPHONY TOGETHER Wow! What a couple of weeks it’s been. Six Division contests & 27 Area contests. Just WOW! Congratulations to all contestants but especially to the winners. In competitions a judging team selects winners, those who received top honours. We celebrate their giving their best, creating a beautiful rhythm to their words. I believe, however & as trite as it seems, there are no losers. Each person who stood before an audience, presented their speech, & learned …
KEEPING OUR TOASTMASTERS FAMILY TOGETHER Is it me, or is it hard to believe that it is December and that we are almost half way through our Toastmaster year?! I love December because it’s when we take a bit of a breather and gather for the holidays with friends and family. I also love what the holiday season is about – hope and faith. There is a lot of reason for faith in District 42. We have not let the …
Marketing and growing membership of your club. We can all learn from successful clubs in our district and other districts. We heard many talks on these areas, and we could need some more tweaking or adjustments on how we do things. So here are some of those valuable tips we have seen achieved success: Doing more referrals. 80% of the guests who join Toastmasters meetings are through referrals. This is how we use the good old-fashioned word of mouth for …
We are working on the list of winners of the Club Fitness club incentive so look forward to hearing more about those incentive winners in the January Dispatch. Now that clubs have finished working on the Club Fitness incentive, it is exciting to announce the next opportunity for clubs to work together to achieve a District award – the Go Getter Award. The Go Getter Award is given to any club that achieves a minimum of 5 Distinguished Club Program …
District 42 Toastmasters continues the time honoured tradition of hosting Speech Contests. Area winners are advancing to Division Contests.
SMEDLEY AWARD WINNERS Congratulations to the two clubs in our district: Dynamically Speaking Club CanOrators Toastmasters Club We could not be more thrilled and proud of their accomplishments including this Smedley Award where we have seen they successfully gained 5 new members just in the months of August and September. What is their secret? Better to hear it from them, as Ron MacTavish of Dynamically Speaking has shared: “… our philosophy about attracting new members. We run stellar meetings, which are renowned for their high energy. …
WHERE IS YOUR FOCUS? Message from the District 42 District Director Katrina Aburrow, DTM I heard a quote recently that says, where your focus goes, your energy flows. It really got me thinking about where our focus is now and where our energy is going. We are one of the only Districts in Region 4 to hold fall contests, so I hope your focus has been on Tall Tales and Table Topics contests, whether as a competitor, official or an …
WHAT IS YOUR GOAL? Message from the District 42 District Director Katrina Aburrow, DTM He who fails to plan is planning to fail. Sir Winston Churchill Most of us are familiar with this quote from Sir Winston Churchill. It means a lot to me because of my experience in planning through Toastmasters. I used to think that I had zero experience in planning and my lack of confidence in strategic planning made job interviews particularly scary. I didn’t realize that …
SMEDLEY CLUB AWARD Message from Eugene Sicat, District 42 Club Growth Director Big salutes and congratulations to the two clubs in our district, Wascana Club and Dynamically Speaking, who have already added five new members as of September 15, and we are still 15 days before the deadline for the prestigious Smedley Club Award. As of September 15, we have 3 other clubs who are very close to reaching 5 new members. By September 30, we sure hope more clubs …
IT’S ALL ABOUT OUR ATTITUDE Making Music Together Message from the D42 Program Quality Director Bev LeBlanc, DTM I was watching a baseball game a couple of days ago. The score was 16 to 4 in the third inning. 16 to 4 in the THIRD inning. That’s a football score! As I was shaking my head, feeling sorry for the underdog, I remembered something I once heard Wayne Gretzky say in an interview: “When you are winning, the game is …
Trust—A Key Ingredient of Leadership Message from the D42 Program Quality Director Bev LeBlanc, DTM Most people who join Toastmasters do so to improve their communication skills. Something wonderful happens in the process. As their communication skills improve, other people start listening to their opinions & ideas. Leadership skills develop as members improve in communicating with others. The Toastmaster tagline of ‘Where Leaders Are Made’ is truly fitting. When I became Program Quality Director, I said ‘Leadership is not a …
Could You Be Getting More Out Of Toastmasters? Message from the District 42 District Director Katrina Aburrow, DTM When I began my Toastmasters journey in 1998 at Bedstone Olympics Toastmasters I had no idea I would ever become a future District Director, but like many of you we started Toastmasters for one reason and our journey takes us somewhere far better than we could have ever imagined at the outset. I was an education volunteer at the Calgary Zoo and …
Toastmasters District 42 Youth Leadership Program Toastmasters International has been invested in the Youth for many years. They’ve put together a training that was implemented successfully over time. However, Christina Kruis, Direct Past District Director for District 42, felt that to connect with younger kids, we had to adapt the program in such a way that we could engage with them. We had a pilot program at the Seton Library Calgary in 2019 run by the current Region 4 PRM, …
District 42 Toastmasters continues the time honoured tradition of hosting Speech Contests. Area winners are advancing to Division Contests.
Leadership is not a right. It is a privilege. I truly feel privileged to be your Toastmaster Program Quality Director for the next few months. Further, I’m also truly blessed to have so many of you express your encouragement and support. Rise to the Toastmasters Challenge I’ve been fortunate to meet some exceptional leaders throughout my 20 plus years in Toastmasters. People like Mr. Toastmaster Peter Kossowan, Neil Wilkinson and Jana Barnhill, past presidents of Toastmasters International. Jana unknowingly instigated …
Ten area directors began their DARE journey not only to discover and enhance their leadership skills but also to be recognized for their journey. The recognition is the DARE award based on the four aspects of an Area Director journey. Develop (leadership style) Achieve (success plan) Relate (to clubs and members) Encourage (quality clubs) The Journey Continues Although it has been a challenging year, they have journeyed well. The DARE award will recognize the effort which they have made and …
Toastmasters District 42 invites you to the following Toastmaster Club open houses to meet members and watch special guest speakers talk about the importance of communication skills for today’s professionals. Toastmasters clubs provide a supportive and positive environment where members have the opportunity to develop their communication and leadership skills,” says Christina Kruis, District 42 Director. After hearing from special speakers, members and guests will enjoy a regular Toastmasters meeting that will include prepared speeches, Table Topics™ (impromptu speeches) and …
Leadership when you serve at district level provides increased opportunity to hone your skills. On January 30th, 2021 Toastmasters District 42 Area and Division Directors will have the opportunity to attend their second District Leader training of their 2020/2021 term. Much like Club Officers, District leaders attend training that is designed for them to learn how to better serve their clubs. Among the quality interactive session of great presenters, Lance Miller will be delivering the featured keynote “Toastmasters – An …
Search & Win! Enter your name to win 1 of 2 copies of “The Story of Toastmasters Vol II” Bonus – Become familiar with District 42’s resources
Randy Maus is the Clarity Coach at Front of the Room Leadership. Stepping up to lead, his company provides leadership training. When he started his business, he already had fifteen years of experience. But he only spoke to larger audiences a few times a year. He wanted feedback to improve consistency in his speaking and presentation performance. Randy joins Toastmasters Randy knew about Toastmasters from friends who were long time members. Consequently, he was aware that it was a place …
Toastmasters District 42 has a new award. It recognizes the one-year journey of an Area Director. The DARE award augments the traditional scoreboard performance approach. DARE considers the four elements which yield success as a director. Developing a leadership style reinforces the ‘where leaders are made’ Toastmasters International hashtag. Achieving tasks reinforces the district mission of supporting the clubs. Relating to the executive and members reinforces that areas work as a team. Encouraging clubs to be recognized reinforces the concept …
District 42 Toastmasters continues the time honoured tradition of hosting Speech Contests. Area winners are advancing to Division Contests.
Recognition makes members feel happy, valued, and that they are achieving their goals. It is motivating, it is collaborative, it helps build a team. Additionally, it builds confidence and self-esteem. I like to think of Toastmasters District 42’s Recognition and Incentive program as the “Ultimate Membership Retention Tool”. Consequently, members who are noticed and have their successes acknowledged, stay. Finally, this program is offered for free to every Club and Member. District 42 recognizes the work, as well as the …
Alisen Dopf experienced information overload when she joined Toastmasters. As a new member she relied on in-person meetings to learn about Toastmasters. However, when the pandemic hit, it became a challenge to transition from in-person to online meetings. Alisen realized her situation was not unique. As a result she decided to create the New Member Boot Camp. When new members don’t know how to access information they get frustrated. They don’t understand the roles during a club meeting. They don’t …
The website is the visage of District 42 Toastmasters. Coincidentally, it’s also the place we as members go to for information. All events, including contests, conferences, and training appear there. As a plus we also get to know our leaders via their profiles. In other words, the website is a gold mine of information. Website A Primary Priority When D42’s Public Relations Manager, Marcy Field, joined the Executive Team in July 2019, she quickly recognized the website needed modernization to …
Learning brings growth, teaching us to shift gears skillfully, and start leading! 73% of District 42 club officers participated in training in June and August 2020.
Capitalize on the opportunity to join an elite group of people who can say, “I planned a District 42 Conference.” Volunteer to Lead the next D42 Conference.
How do you create an event 300+ people could attend from a distance? In 11 short weeks, Susan Cramer’s team of 4 delivered District 42’s first-ever virtual conference.
On June 30, 2020, Darlene Davies, DTM, stepped down as the D42 Circle of Gold Core Team Leader and announced a new COG leader for District 42. Darlene was honoured to announce Laura Chambers is taking on the role of D42 Circle of Gold Core Team Leader for 2020-2021. Please give a warm welcome to Laura. She is raring to go, enthusiastic and full of ideas about how Circle of Gold can continue to grow in our District and beyond …
Voting is finalized. We are happy to congratulate the new 2020-21 team, whose term officially begins in July 2020. Meanwhile, they are leaning in to finish the current term with renewed vigor. District Director (Elect) – Christina Kruis Program Quality Director (Elect) – Ryan Rupchan Club Growth Director (Elect) – Katrina Aburrow Division B Director (Elect) – Arunima Bhattacharya Division C Director (Elect) – Randy Maus Division D Director (Elect) – Tammy Frenette Division E Director (Elect) – Vincenzo Aliberti …
The winners of District 42’s Humorous Contest are: On Saturday, April 18, District 42 took Speech Contests online. Not only is It incredibly impressive to see how it all came together, the preparation and expertise of the contestants as they adapt to this new venue, is truly inspiring. INTERNATIONAL CONTEST Congratulations to the winners of District 42’s International Contest are: First Place: Kanak Khare from LIV AD-Libs Second Place: Valerie Erikson from Literally Speaking Third Place: Kelly Kaur from …
By Irma Goosen | VP Membership, Fluor Communicators D23 The magnitude of COVID-19 shocked the world early in March 2020. Day-to-day routines changed. Following an announcement from Toastmasters International cancelling in-person club meetings, solutions were needed. “How would we connect with our Toastmaster peeps?” “Will the contests go ahead?” “What about my Pathways, my DTM, my CC?” Determined to optimize this new opportunity to learn, grow and expand, leaders and members alike stepped forward. As a result, the idea for …
If so, Toastmasters Leadership Training is available this winter for every Toastmaster in District 42. We are happy to report over 900 people participated in the four training sessions in November and January. In addition, to learning how to level up their club experience, they laughed, danced and had fun together. Never the less, instead of experiencing FOMO (Fear of Missing Out), be sure to register for one of the three remaining training dates in January and February 2021. Each …