It Takes a Village My Journey to Earning a Second DTM When I started with Toastmasters, I never envisioned earning not one but two such awards. The first was under the legacy program and now this one is under the Pathways program. One thing I have learned is that no Toastmaster can achieve their DTM alone, as it takes a village to raise a Toastmaster. My DTM Committee at the Anniversary celebration. Left to right: Yvonne Gage, Sharon Spaargaren, me, …

Read more

Distinguish Yourself and Your Club Every Toastmasters club strives to be distinguished, and for good reason—it reflects a commitment to excellence. A distinguished club is one where members grow, goals are achieved, and everyone thrives in a positive learning environment. But beyond the club’s success, remember why you joined Toastmasters: to distinguish yourself. Each of us comes to Toastmasters to grow—to develop our communication, leadership, and self-confidence. We aim to become the best versions of ourselves, step by step, one …

Read more

Applause for Our Dedicated Area Directors! By now, I hope all District 42 members have had the chance to meet your Area Directors. They’ve been working hard to conduct club visits and complete reports to support each club’s growth and success. Let’s take a moment to recognize and celebrate their dedication and commitment to Toastmasters! One of the key roles of an Area Director is to visit each club twice a year. These visits are more than a formality—they’re vital …

Read more

Distinguished Leaders of 2023/2024 We are beyond delighted to extend our heartfelt congratulations to several of our past Area Directors and Division Directors who have achieved distinguished status. This prestigious recognition is a testament to their unwavering dedication and remarkable leadership during their time in office. However, we know that such accomplishments are never the result of one person’s efforts alone. It truly takes a village to reach this level of success. These leaders, through their tireless hard work, perseverance, …

Read more

District 42 Of the Year Recipients 2023/2024 We are excited to announce the recipients of our “Of the Year“ awards at the district level. The selection process was no easy task, as each of our nominees brought something exceptional to the table. A dedicated committee worked diligently, recognizing the incredible contributions from every candidate. Each member we considered exemplified excellence, making it nearly impossible to choose just a few. To us, every one of them is a winner, and we were honored …

Read more

A Message from Your 2024-2025 District Director Dear fellow Toastmasters, Are you ready for a new Toastmasters year?! Serving as your District Director for 2024-2025 is an honour. Toastmasters has been an incredible source of growth and learning for me, and I am excited to give back to the District 42 family. I look forward to working alongside you, learning from you, and growing with you on this amazing journey of personal and professional development. First, I want to acknowledge …

Read more

Making a Real-World Impact Through Volunteerism My Journey to a Second DTM I decided all of the projects for my second DTM would include a volunteer organization and have an impact in the real world. As the videographer/photographer for the Medicine Hat Cowboy Poetry Foundation, I had the opportunity to film and edit a historical documentary of Bud Van Cleave, a 93-year-old Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame inductee. Watch the documentary here. The next opportunity was to learn how …

Read more

Recognition and appreciation of our members’ contributions Recognition Recognition of people’s efforts and accomplishments is crucial and should never be overlooked or underestimated. Many individuals go to great lengths to support others, often making significant sacrifices in their personal, professional, and family lives to help others reach their goals. Their dedication involves spending countless hours caring, planning, and thinking, efforts that deeply impact our Toastmasters community. We must remember and appreciate these contributions. Recognizing such dedication is not only fair …

Read more

This DTM journey is not unlike the first! I found looking at the requirements for the Pathways DTM, that I had achieved most of them! And that’s how it was the first time around. But that was a Legacy DTM, this is a Pathways DTM – hmmm! The same objective, but slightly different requirements. When I investigated what achieving the DTM means it “represents the highest educational achievement in Toastmasters, in both Communication and Leadership.” The bottom line is, I …

Read more

Celebrating Excellence An inside look at the Toastmasters District 42 “Of the Year” Awards Toastmasters in District 42 recognizes the outstanding contributions of individuals, clubs, areas and divisions annually. The Of the Year (OTY) Awards celebrate the hard work and dedication of those who make a difference in their Toastmasters community. This article offers a detailed overview of the awards, including their purpose, key players, selection process, and important deadlines. Why Recognizing Excellence? The District 42 Of the Year Awards …

Read more

Recognition Club & Individual Recognizing Individual Sponsorship If you have helped promote and sponsor new members to join your club, you have made a significant contribution to our membership growth and deserve recognition. Sponsor five or more members within one program year to qualify for the following rewards: a unique blue pin for 5 members, a unique burgundy pin for 10 members, and a special discount code for 25% off your next product purchase from the Toastmasters Online Store for …

Read more

My Third DTM Decision To Make About five years ago when the Pathways program was first introduced in our district I had a decision to make: Whether to continue in the old program to complete my Distinguished Toastmaster Award in the two-year grace period, as I was halfway through my Communication and Leadership manuals (older toastmasters will recall these fondly), or switch to the new Pathways program. This would have been my third DTM and I wrestled leaving my work …

Read more

Secrets To Success “There are no secrets to SUCCESS. It is the result of preparation, HARD WORK, and learning from failure.” ~Collin Powell We all have different reasons for joining Toastmasters. It was in the spring of 2015 that I moved to Calgary and other than the people I worked with; I didn’t know anyone in this wonderful new city. It was in 2016 that I joined Toastmasters after one of the worst years I had experienced. I will spare you …

Read more

20 Years In The Making It was one cool December 2004 evening when I had dinner with a university friend. It had been years since we saw each other, and it was an excellent opportunity to reminisce about our school days.One thing that night stuck in my mind; a new strange word I hadn’t heard before. Toastmasters.I started to become curious about what it was about. First, I thought it was a group of people baking and cooking something; like …

Read more

Embrace Excellence Awards and Incentives Await Your Club’s Triumph  District 42 is rolling the red carpet to honor clubs that reach for the stars and achieve the prestigious Club Fitness Award and the inspiring 7 out of 7 Incentive. The Club Fitness Award is your golden ticket to recognition. Clubs that dazzle us by meeting three remarkable requirements before October 31, 2023, will be in for a treat. Update your TMI Roster, Conduct the “Moments of Truth” from the Successful …

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

DTM II, Electric Boogaloo As I am nearing the end (for now) of my Toastmasters Journey it’s time to reflect. I joined Toastmasters to be like my Big Brother Bob. Bob is a professional public speaker, leadership coach and published author.  I wanted to be just like him. Confident, eloquent, and charismatic. What I got out of Toastmasters was much, much more. Confidence  Before Toastmasters, I was shy, and insecure and could not talk to people at a party without …

Read more

Pinnacle of Achievement: My Second DTM Award- With the Grace of God Hats Off to Weekend Wordmasters Toastmasters Club for Being the Greatest Support for Achieving My Second DTM Honour How I Started This Journey First of all, I want to thank all my dear members at Weekend Word-masters Toastmasters Club, DTM Randall Edge, and DTM Laurel Wingert my mentors. Also, DTM Michele Fisher has been so supportive whenever I needed help since the day I joined the club. I …

Read more

Around District 42 I have been deeply engaged in collaborating with the District team while acclimating myself to the responsibilities of the Club Growth Director role. I’ve been actively engaging with the Region 4 teams, forming dedicated teams for both the Club Coach and Club Extension Committees. My efforts have also encompassed formulating a comprehensive market analysis plan for the district. Despite our district’s current count of 100 clubs, there is a pressing concern, as five clubs hover on the …

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

My DTM Journey I started in Toastmasters in 2014 as a chartered member of Civil Speakers Toastmasters in Regina. I was having issues with my manager, and I wanted to build my communication and leadership skills. She was not sending me to courses to build these skills, so I decided to join the Toastmasters club that was being chartered at City Hall in Regina. Slow Start My toastmaster journey started off slow. It took me over a year to complete …

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

Claire Wyllie, Controller, and Richard Peck with Corporate Recognition Award

Fluor Canada Ltd. (Fluor Canada) was awarded Toastmasters Corporate Recognition Award at Fluor’s Calgary offices on Friday, April 28. Claire Wyllie, Controller, accepted the award on behalf of Fluor Canada and the local Toastmasters chapter, Fluor Communicators.  Richard Peck, DTM presented this prestigious award, while visiting District 42’s 2023 Conference. Also, Toastmasters from across southern Alberta and southern Saskatchewan who gathered in Calgary for the “Maximize Your Potential” hybrid conference. Fluor Recognizes Benefits to Employees “It is an honour to …

Read more

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 …

Read more

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 …

Read more

I first joined Toastmasters in 2002 as I had a problem with filler words! I used a lot of them and took a long time to get to my main points when speaking! Not a good thing as the first 30 seconds of a conversation or an interview is so important! Some people even make a decision about you in such a short period of time. During that first year, I completed 9 speeches in the Competent Toastmaster Manual and …

Read more

We have recently completed another season of “Of the Year Awards”. What a beautiful moment to pause and appreciate all the hard work that has gone on both in front of the screen and behind the scenes! Congratulations to all our winners; and a huge shout out to the many volunteers who dedicated hours of work to make the contests run smoothly. If all this is new to you, or if you have ever wondered how to participate in the …

Read more

Journey to DTM Determined to Make a Difference I first joined Toastmasters to learn how to convince my Director to listen to my ideas.  No matter how I shared ideas with her, she just wasn’t listening to me!  I wanted to make a difference, to make improvements, to make impactful changes.  I realized soon after joining Toastmasters, to have more influence, I needed a leadership position, but to get a leadership position, I quickly found out, I needed to have …

Read more

COVID, Global Mentoring, & My Virtual DTM Triumph The Distinguished Toastmasters Award (DTM) is the highest honor acquired by a Toastmaster. In 2020, COVID-19 restrictions were beginning; that is, everyone was required to wear face masks and to a social distance of at least 6 feet apart when meeting or passing another person. Toastmasters International Meetings were going online due to national, provincial, and municipal emergency regulations. After two months of social distancing, I attended my Home Club CREB Talkers …

Read more

DTM What? DTM Path Review Joining Toastmasters in June 2020 was merely to improve my confidence and skills in public speaking. Initially, Pathways seemed like a chore: I wanted nothing to do with it. And, a DTM was furthest from my mind, when it was explained to me in light detail. What catapulted me to embrace Pathways, and ultimately accomplish a DTM? A bit was from feeling incomplete without going through a road of requirements to somewhere that is acknowledged by a long recognized …

Read more

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 …

Read more

Along the path to Distinguished Toastmaster, we learn the value of leadership and team building. When I began my Toastmaster journey 4 years ago, I was unaware of the DTM designation or its requirements. I do remember an announcement when fellow club member, Lisa Branch, my first mentor in Toastmasters, received hers. Quite frankly as a newbie, I was focused on getting through my Ice Breaker speech. Thus, the significance of her achievement was lost on me. Club Leadership – …

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

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 …

Read more

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 …

Read more

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 …

Read more

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 …

Read more

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 …

Read more

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 …

Read more

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 …

Read more

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 …

Read more

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.  …

Read more

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 …

Read more

The Distinguished Club Program is a road map to club success. Striving to attain the 10 prescribed goals helps create a dynamic club environment. Additionally, it provides a quality member experience. District 42 provides the Go-Getter Award to clubs who achieve 5 Distinguished Club Program (DCP) points by January 31.  Achieving at least 5 DCP points by January 31 gives clubs a great head-start on achieving Toastmasters International distinguished status. Now having already achieved the necessary points, focus can be …

Read more

Explanation of DARE Journey

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 …

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

Of The Year Awards

Congratulations to District 42’s OTY (pronounced O-tee) Award recipients for the year July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2019! 2018-2019 Of The Year Recipients Congratulations to the following Toastmasters on their accomplishments: Public Relations of the Year – Angela Detmold, DTM – Verbal Gainz Toastmasters | E19 Rookie of the Year – Marcy Field, VC5 – Fluor Communicators | D23 Toastmaster of the Year – Ken Humphreys, DTM – Twin Rivers Club | A15 President of the Year – Lorraine …

Read more

DARE

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 …

Read more

Recognition Incentives

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 …

Read more

Pin It on Pinterest