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 always too long; when you’re losing, it’s never long enough.”

I believe this might apply to your year ahead as well. When clubs are setting & reaching goals, when members are actively participating in the Toastmaster program, we feel as if we are on top of the world. The year will fly by, seemingly in a heartbeat. Hearing about the achievements will be music to our ears.

On the other hand, when everything seems to be a struggle, when clubs are languishing, when members aren’t renewing, when they’ve all but given up, the year may seem hopeless & endless. The tune being played is like a cacophony of discordant notes.

We started playing a symphony together with Club Leadership Training in June where 508 officers were trained. Training was completed in August with all areas having more than 65% of the club officers trained. All district leaders (Area Directors, Division Directors, & Committee Appointees) were trained in June. It is like a beautiful chorus which keeps repeating.

Now we are on to other components of Toastmasters. We have on-going training on a regular basis. Some of it is district-sponsored; some is hosted by divisions, areas, & clubs. For instance, on September 12, Division B held Judges’ Training to which all members were welcome. Other events are posted on the D42 website calendar. It is updated frequently. Please visit it often to see what’s happening throughout the district. Don’t miss the interesting notes played by members of the orchestra.

One major event the district is hosting is on Saturday, October 9th from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm called, ‘Playing a Different Tune.’ It is a come & go event with a lineup of fabulous presenters. You can stay to take it all in or drop in for one or two presentations. Based on who we have coming, Pres Vasilev, Lance Miller, & Sheryl Roush, I suspect you will want to take it all in. Again, check out the D42 calendar of events to get more details. Registration is required. More information will be coming in the next couple of weeks. This is one verse of our song.

Also upcoming is our fall contest season. The District Contest for Tall Tales & Table Topics will be on Saturday, December 4th. Divisions must have their contests completed by Saturday, November 20th; Area contests are to be done on or before Saturday, November 6th; ideally clubs will have their contests done at least one week before that (October 30th). There will be training for judges & contest officials in the next few weeks. Please be on the lookout for information emails & website postings. Another verse to the song.

The way to counteract the feeling of hopelessness & endlessness I mentioned before is by ensuring our attitudes are enthusiastic, energetic, & excited. From the newest member to the one who has been around the longest, it is all, ALL about attitude. Let’s make this year fly by being optimistic & upbeat, with each of us playing our part. Together we will make beautiful music.

D42 Program Quality Director
Be
v LeBlanc, DTM

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