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. Over 480 club executives were trained in June. All the Area Directors & Division Directors trained before July 1st. What a fabulous way to begin the new Toastmaster Year.
In addition, a plethora of specialized events such as the Circles of Gold & Pathway Training, to name but two. Special events included a Speaker Showcase with Pres Vasilev, Lance Miller, & Sheryl Roush. Check out their websites to get a taste of who & what they are.
Going forward members, clubs, & the District need to assess & make some decisions.
- Why are you in Toastmasters?
- What is your purpose for being here, in a club, and giving up your time & energy?
- Are you just content with attending a coffee meeting or do you want to improve yourself?
These are not rhetorical questions; they need to be addressed. None of us has enough time on earth to waste precious moments doing something which has no purpose.
Purpose
The same can be said of clubs. What is the purpose? If a club meets just to meet without any real purpose, why? Find your club’s purpose so people have a reason to join, so members stay & contribute. Find your purpose so everyone progresses & gets out of Toastmasters why they originally signed up.
Vision
After determining your purpose, set a vision. Toastmasters has determined the mission of clubs & districts. A mission, however, is not a vision. A mission Is what we do; a vision is where you want to be in the future. Where do you want to be in June of 2023? Do you want to digress or fall back or stay the same as you are now or do you want to improve? Staying the same isn’t an option because it is impossible. The two choices are digressing or improving. Which do you choose?
If you choose to improve, decide what that means for you. Set your aspirations. You can set them high or low, but I suspect, simply because you are a Toastmaster, they will be on the high side. You’ve likely heard the phrase,
“Aim for the moon, if you miss, you just might reach the stars.”
- Let’s not be realistic.
- Let’s dream.
- Let’s use imagination glasses.
- Let’s unlock our potential.
You never know where it will lead.
Once you set your aspirations or dreams, plan how you will do it. Dreams are not realized in one big leap, but rather in incremental steps over time. If you set your vision to complete a Pathway by next June, figure out what you will do next month, then the next, then the next. This is to plan for success, or in Toastmaster lingo—A Success Plan!
As your next District Director, my vision for our District 42, 2022-2023 is:
We will be a Smedley Distinguished district with all club executives duly trained, every club achieving charter strength, & every club distinguished.
I encourage everyone to join me in this vision so District 42 continues to be one of the best, if not THE best in the world. Oh, what the heck, let’s just be THE best in the world.