And The Winner Is?? It’s contest time! This is part of the Toastmasters year where we challenge ourselves to step outside of our comfort zone and do something we’re not used to doing. Whether we act as a contestant or help out as a judge or contest officials, we can learn and grow in ways we don’t expect. By the time you read this, club and area contests will be completed, and our focus now becomes Division and then District …

Read more

District 42 Conference In Regina May 3-5, 2024 Dig out your party hats and dancing shoes as we prepare to celebrate Toastmasters’ 100th anniversary at the District 42 conference in Regina on May 3-5, 2024. Whether you’re a seasoned Toastmaster or just starting on your journey, this conference promises to be an exciting celebration of achievements, learning and camaraderie. Theme “As we are talking about what we want to achieve with the conference, three overall themes kept coming up. We …

Read more

HELPING CLUBS FOR SUCCESS I am so excited to be part of this year’s District Leadership team.  This is a great opportunity for me to give back to this organization where leaders are made and to help our clubs succeed.  One of the initiatives that was introduced in the past couple of years was the 30-60-90 days plan to help clubs stay informed on what needs to be accomplished to reduce any surprises. 30-60-90 Days Plan Round 1: Club Officer …

Read more

“Waves of Inspiration” Event District 42 support was out in force on Saturday 29th of July for the Molly Hamilton “Waves of Inspiration” event held in Calgary, Alberta.  Molly is representing Region 4 in mid-August in Nassau, Bahamas, as a semi-finalist in the Toastmasters International World Champion of Public Speaking contest.  She is pictured here with District 42 Director (2023-2024), Eugene Sicat, DTM and District 42 Program Quality Director (2023-2024), Daisy Wei, DTM, who were able to present Molly with …

Read more

Contest Season Is A Wrap Woot! Woot! Congratulations to all the Toastmasters who challenged themselves at the Club, Area, Division and District levels to be their very best. It’s not easy to dive deep and gather your courage to compete. The act of saying yes, and showing up, made you a winner. As the District 42 Contest Chair, I had the privilege of escorting these brave souls through the final, and perhaps the most stressful part, of their contest journey. …

Read more

Reflecting On The Conference Our conference this past weekend was a success. All the attendees had fun and learned a lot. Starting with our keynote speaker on Friday night – Past International Director (PID) Sharon Hill, on her “Just Say Yes.” It was fascinating, entertaining, and very familiar. I can relate to her journey, especially how I always welcome the challenge of moving forward. It reminds me of the quote from Mark Twain that I always apply, “The secret of getting …

Read more

Maximize Your Potential Takes Planning  Today, we have savings, fitness, dental, retirement, and vacation plans – in fact, plans for almost everything we do. So what are you doing about your leadership development plan?  Why not join us April 28 – 30, 2023 at the Best Western Premier Calgary Plaza Hotel and Conference Centre for the District 42 Maximize Your Potential 2023 Hybrid Convention?  Learn from leaders in our community, observe communication at its best, and indulge in the camaraderie …

Read more

Upcoming Motion Regarding Contests Focus efforts on strengthening existing clubs and building new clubs supporting club leaders For some years now, we have been continuing to hold our Fall Contest even though TI advised, on July 1, 2018, the cancellation of the Fall Conference.  The Board approved the directors’ decision in August 2017 with the primary objective of focusing on opportunities that better support club leaders through consistent, high-quality training. This encompasses the contests that we are required to hold, which is the International Speech Contest during the Spring Conference.  Please see this snippet below from TI’s August 20-22, 2017 meeting …

Read more

Judges and Toastmasters Needed for District 42 Contest This spring, D42 is hosting the International Speech Contest. The winner will go on to compete at Toastmasters International. This contest will be online, but will only be shown at the Conference. Winners will also be announced at the Conference. In order to produce the best contest possible, all Divisions need to send qualified judges. Judge Requirements: Been a Toastmaster for at least 6 months Completed Levels 1 & 2 in any …

Read more

District 42 Spring Contest I am so happy to be your District Contest Chair as it’s a real honour to shepherd our most talented and daring Toastmasters on their Competition journey. My whole team is dedicated to providing an encouraging and fair environment to compete. All contests – Area, Division and District – will be online. The final District contest will only be shown during the Spring Conference, so please make plans to attend and cheer on our contestants. INTERNATION …

Read more

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 …

Read more

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 …

Read more

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 …

Read more

The fall contest season has begun in District 42. This is happening around the world as thousands of Toastmasters begin by competing in the home club. Winners move on to Area, Division and District contests. Organizing, delivering and judging each contest is done by a team of their peers volunteering their time and expertise to continue this valued Toastmaster tradition. Together we challenge each other to #mastertheskill and become better communicators. Below is a listing of all the Area contests …

Read more

Stand Out From The Herd

Alas, it is still a while before we are all vaccinated and establish herd immunity. But those who continue with life, rather than collapsing under its weight, will stand out from the herd and be better prepared for the post-pandemic revival. Perhaps the biggest lesson from 2020 is the value of human connection. No, we cannot visit yet. But we can still connect via technology – Zoom, a phone call, even a hand-written letter (a lost art which stands to …

Read more

Fall Speech Contests

The fall contest season has begun in District 42. This is happening around the world as thousands of Toastmasters begin by competing in the home club. Winners move on to Area, Division and District contests. Organizing, delivering and judging each contest is done by a team of their peers volunteering their time and expertise to continue this valued Toastmaster tradition. Together we challenge each other to #mastertheskill and become better communicators. Below is a listing of all the Area contests …

Read more

Speech Contests Winners

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 …

Read more

Pin It on Pinterest