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The Youth Leadership Program is our future! This is the program to get youth engaged in Toastmasters. They are introduced to the program and some even extend that experience into membership as adults. Others have parents who are introduced to the program and become club members. Mostly, these teens are so open to the skills and experiences Toastmasters provides them. Even when starting off reluctant they are quickly engaged and taking risks. Perhaps current members want this experience for their …

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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 …

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The Big Rock Pioneers Toastmasters Club’s 20th Anniversary Celebration The Big Rock Pioneers Toastmasters Club’s 20th Anniversary Celebration in Okotoks on June 1, 2023, was a gala of grand proportions. The evening started with a meet and mingle, where current and former club members were able to renew their acquaintances. Then, the toastmaster for the event, Shelley Goldbeck, gave her opening remarks and reminded attendees of the items on the agenda. Certainly, one of the highlights of the celebration was …

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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 …

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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 …

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Club Mentor: The Sky’s The Limit Donna: Kepler Astrologers Toastmasters is a one-year-old club. With the idea for an online club geared towards Astrologers, we needed support with the Toastmasters parts. Susan, a former Astrology student and active Toastmaster became a Club Sponsor along with Brian; Mike and Wendy joined the team as Club Mentors. Wendy: I remember my first day as Club Mentor at Kepler Astrologers Toastmasters with the same fondness as my first day of University French class—in …

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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. …

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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 …

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YOU can make it happen My dear Toastmaster Friends. May has arrived and with it comes a sense of renewal and possibility. As we move further into the year, it’s easy to get bogged down in the day-to-day struggles of life. But May is a reminder that spring has sprung and new beginnings with it. Our annual conference is done. As a first-ever hybrid conference, we excelled at many things. I believe everyone felt an exceptional warmth in their heart …

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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 …

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Showers in April with a Chance of Flowers As we enter the month of April, it’s a time to reflect on the progress we have made in the first quarter of the year and to set our intentions for the months ahead. It’s a time to push ourselves forward, overcome obstacles, and reach for our dreams. April is a month of transition, as the winter season comes to an end and the promise of spring is in the air. It’s …

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Your Town Hall It is challenging to navigate through contentious topics, and we tend to shy away from them to avoid any headaches or woes; however, as leaders, we owe it to our members to face it and bring it out in the open. Discussions can quickly become arguments, with people choosing sides. However, asking questions will create a bridge of understanding and respect. Sometimes, another person will recognize your sincerity and want to understand their perspectives and sentiments. This …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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Work Smarter, Not Harder Creating Content Online Cramped for time?  Consider allotting 2-3 hours one day a week/bi-weekly/monthly, dedicated to creating and scheduling posts.  Most social media sites allow you to schedule a post for a later date; this allows you to free up time in your schedule, so you do not have to commit time every day.  Check out the page insights to know when your followers are coming online the most to make sure your content is reaching …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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). …

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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, …

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Upcoming events and initiatives We made the first half of our Toastmasters period with all our members’ participation and perseverance.   We are grateful for doing what you do to make our district outstanding. Upcoming events and initiatives: Leadership Training:  We have the Leadership training scheduled in our district, and you can check our Events Calendar (link) for the details and registration.  The training dates are: Jan 20, Feb 4, and Feb 22 Alternatively, suppose none of those schedules fits, you can …

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It’s That Time of Year Again Hello & Greetings My Friends of District 42, Music, decorations, hustle & bustle, excitement, lights, good spirits, family, & friends all are part of the upcoming season. No matter where you are, the Christmas season is filled with myriad activities. In the greater scheme of things, family & friends, are the icing on the cake. The cake, the base for all the above trimmings, is the feeling we have of being blessed; for living …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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