What’s Your Mission?
Every District in Toastmasters has one mission: “We create new clubs and support our members in achieving excellence.”
What does that mean for District 35, our clubs and members? I see it as a 3 legged stool – without one of the legs – we all tip over.
The What – The How – The Why
The “What” – “We create new clubs and support our members in achieving excellence.” The District mission is from Toastmasters International – and a guide for every district across the Toastmaster world.
The “How” – We have several ways that get to the “how”
- Officers commit to and attend Toastmasters Leadership Institute Training – to learn their roles and to support their club member’s experience and growth. By developing as Club Officers – the club grows and develops because of trained and engaged officer leaders.
- Toastmasters materials and resources – the manuals, online resources, booklet and flyers that Toastmasters offers. To check out the resources go to www.toastmasters.org/SHOP. The next time you to go to the Shop on the Toastmasters website –put the word “Free” in the search window – and you’ll get a list of all of the free items you can get directly from Toastmasters International.
- Fall Conference and Spring Convention – each fall and spring, District 35 hosts a District-wide event that has excellent training and educational opportunities. To get information on the upcoming District 35 Spring Convention go to http://d35.toastmastersdistricts.org/2017-spring-convention.html. Be part of continuing to understand the “how” of Toastmasters by attending the Convention and Conference.
- The District 35 website – (http://d35.toastmastersdistricts.org) and the Toastmasters website (www.toastmasters.org) also provide information, resources and guidance on speaking, leadership and all aspects of the Toastmaster experience.
The “WHY” is the heart of this process to me, personally. To me – the “why” of this process isn’t to get awards, ribbons or certificates of recognition.
Those great recognition pieces are what we earn by doing the good work – but not what drives the “WHY” of all the work we do as Toastmasters. Receiving your Distinguished Toastmaster designation for example. The medal for your neck and the plaque for your wall are awesome forms of recognizing the work each DTM has completed –but they truly represent all of the time, passion, and work you committed to earn the DTM level.
Let’s focus on the District mission together – “We create new clubs and support our members in achieving excellence” as we move through this last half of the Toastmaster year.
The District has done amazing things – and we will continue to do amazing things for the remainder of this Toastmaster year. Thank you for your diligence and hard work!
Cindy Laatsch, DTM ✉
District Director
District 35
District Toastmasters Leadership Institute a HUGE success
Over 250 District 35 leaders and club members gathered for an inspiring and educational day at Monona Terrace in Madison, Wisconsin on Saturday, February 4.
Mark Brown, World Champion of Public Speaking led two sessions on leadership. In his keynote, he shared practical ideas on how to move from goal-setting to goal-getting. In his second session, Mark examined how effective leadership can be applied to everyday life.
Other sessions included a Club Success Plan panel (Nelly Gillman, moderator), Mindfulness (Cindy Laatsch) and Toastmaster Branding (Allison Goldthorpe). Bus transportation was arranged from Western Wisconsin and Milwaukee. Bucky Badger made a surprise visit at lunch and got the crowd pumped up.
The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Here is a sampling.
I believe this TLI provided great value and experience to all participants. Much was learned, many incredible memories were established, and new friendships forged. It makes me smile to think of this successful event. (Gail Razavi)
This was the most effective, best run TLI that I have attended as a TM. The keynote speaker was outstanding and Cindy and Allison were wonderful too. Organizing buses to the TLI was a brilliant idea and one I hope will be repeated. (Anonymous)
Amazed by Marc Brown’s ability to compel audience to improve. (Anonymous)
It was very worthwhile and good to have it available on a District wide basis. (Jerry Ward)
We had a lot of fun at TLI. It was very well done and provided a lot of good variety. Mark Brown was a phenomenal speaker (Shamaine Schoenherr)
… very motivational (Dick Hawley)
In only its second year, this event is rapidly becoming our premier leadership training event.
The agenda, District Success Plans and copies of presentations may be accessed through the District website under Public Downloads > Winter TLI 2017. Photos may be accessed via District 35 photos on the website.
Thanks to the planning team led by Dave Simono and including Theresa Flynn (Registration), Brad Laatsch (Marketing), Nancy McCulley (Facilities) and Jim Nelson (Educational Sessions).
Keith Cumiskey, DTM ✉
Program Quality Director
Spring Contest Season is Here
It’s contest season again! Club contests should be wrapping up and Area Contests are scheduled through March 25. Winners will advance to the Division Contests (March 26 – April 22) then on to the District Contests May 5-6 at the Spring Convention in Marshfield, Wisconsin. This year we are conducting two contests … Table Topics and International Speech Contest.
Plan to attend a contest (or multiple) and hear some great speakers. Better yet, contact your area and division director and take on a role as judge, timer, ballot counter, or provide other support. Get the most out of your Toastmaster experience.
Our District 35 winner of the International Speech contest will represent us at the World Championship of Public Speaking in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in August.
A calendar of all District 35 speech contests can be found on the District calendar.
Keith Cumiskey, DTM ✉
Program Quality Director
Banner Replacement Program
Toastmasters International introduced the current logo in 2011. Some of our clubs have proudly retained their clubs banners with the previous logo. However, the time has come to embrace the current branding. We would like every club in the District to have a club banner with the current logo.
If your club meets the requirements by March 17, your new banner will be presented to you at the Spring Convention. If your club meets the requirements by June 1, your new banner will be delivered to you by your area director.
We hope you keep your old banners with the ribbons representing proud accomplishments of your club and members. Feel free to bring them along to the Spring Convention in Marshfield. However, beginning with the Spring Convention (May 2017), every club represented in the Parade of Banners must have a banner with the new logo.
Has your club misplaced its banner (old or new logo)? You are eligible for this same incentive.
Do you already have the new logo banner? Send a photo to Keith Cumiskey by April 24 and you will be entered in a drawing for a $100 gift card. Three cards will be awarded at the Spring Convention. If you prefer, we’ll just provide you with a banner stand instead of being entered in the gift card drawing.
As of February 15, there are 37 clubs already eligible.
Contact Program Quality Director, Keith Cumiskey with any questions.
| Requirement | Due Date |
Reward |
| All seven officers trained in one training season and club registration at District 35 conference or convention |
October 24 |
Banner and stand |
| Distinguished Club |
March 17 |
Banner and stand |
| All seven officers trained in one training season and club registration at District 35 conference or convention |
April 24 |
Banner |
| Distinguished Club |
June 1 |
Banner |
Keith Cumiskey, DTM ✉
Program Quality Director
Free Advanced Communication Speech Manuals
Your District leadership would like to recognize your communication awards and encourage you to continue with your educational progress.
For the period January – April 2017, all members who achieve an Advanced Communication award (ACB, ACS or ACG) will receive a free Advanced Communication manual.
When you achieve your Advanced Communication award, send the manual number (not manual name, not description), to Keith Cumiskey, Program Quality Director. Only about half of the eligible members have responded. Keith will place the orders on the 1st of each month.
Keith Cumiskey, DTM ✉
Program Quality Director
Dues Payment Strategies
March 31st is less than 50 days away! In addition, by the time you read this letter, your club will only have two to three meetings to collect members’ dues for the April 1 to October 1, 2017, period and submit them to Toastmasters International.
As a District, we have tried to assist everyone in not being procrastinators and get the dues collected early so when you are officially able to log on to Club Central to pay dues around March 1st you will be ready to do so. For corporate clubs, a letter and dues invoice was sent out to facilitate processing times in corporate AP departments and not have those clubs pay at the last minute. We have put more reminders both on the District website and through Facebook to get everyone thinking about dues earlier and use the remaining meeting to collect and pay dues efficiently.
During the dues collection and payment period, I remind you of three things that may help facilitate the dues process:
- Focus on selling the benefits of Toastmasters. While the importance of the process of collecting and paying dues is very important, it is equally important to remind them of why they are paying dues to continue to receive the benefits provided by the Toastmasters program. Remembering “What’s in it for me?” turns making the payment into a “no-brainer”.
- Make it convenient for individuals to pay the dues. More clubs are moving beyond the conventional methods of paying dues by either cash or check to be more aligned with today’s culture of paying for goods and services. Clubs are using a Square, PayPal and Venmo to collect dues via credit card payment. There may be additional cost-effective ways to allow additional methods for payment as well.
- One more reminder that there is no grace period. Those individuals that do not pay their dues by March 31st will go into an “unpaid” status. A club needs to have at least eight paid members to remain in good standing. Being a club and a member in good standing is important for continued participation in Toastmasters’ programs.
Please reach out to me if there are any questions regarding dues.
Ed Thelen, DTM ✉
Club Growth Director
Coach, Sponsor, and Mentor – What’s The Difference?
As we approach the onset of the Pathways program, many individuals are working toward their Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) award within the current educational program. One of the requirements for the final leadership award toward this path, the Advanced Leader Silver (ALS) award is to serve as a Club Coach, a Club Sponsor or a Club Mentor.
Since I have heard these terms used interchangeably amongst even experienced Toastmasters, I thought I would clear up any confusion and briefly describe these roles.
A Club Coach is an individual that assists an existing club that is struggling. A club may request a coach if the club has 12 members or less within the club. The Coach is not currently a member of the club they are assigned to be a coach but can join the club after the assignment is made. The Coach works with the club members and officers to put together an action plan to help improve the club. Recognition is achieved if the club reaches Distinguished Club status or better at the end of the Toastmasters year. Club Coaches can be assigned for an additional year if the club does not reach Distinguished Club in the first year.
A Club Sponsor is someone who helps with the initial stages of a new club’s formation. The Sponsor helps provide participation in the demonstration/kick-off meeting and assists with marketing suggestions for the forming club’s members to assist in attracting more individuals. Once the club has the necessary 20 (or more) members to charter, the Club Sponsor assists in the completion of the paperwork to be sent to Toastmasters International. The Club Sponsor also assists in planning the Charter Party a few months after the club charters. Recognition occurs once all the charter paperwork has been received by Toastmasters International and has been assigned to a Division and Area within the District.
A Club Mentor assists the newly chartered club for at least six months after their official charter date. The Mentor provides guidance to the new members on how to conduct their meeting roles and provides some general suggestions to help the club improve as a whole. The Club Mentor may also join the club if they wish to do so. Recognition occurs after the Mentor has served in that role for at least six months past the club’s official charter date as listed in the reports on the Toastmasters International website.
Please feel free to contact me or reach out to me if you have any questions about these roles or are interested in serving in one of these roles.
Ed Thelen, DTM ✉
Club Growth Director
Press Releases Made Easy
Have you ever considered writing a press release for your club but didn’t know where to start? Press releases are a great way to inform the media of all of the spectacular things your club is doing. You can use them to do things such as advertise an event, share an achievement, promote an open house, congratulate a member and much more.
Luckily for us, Toastmasters has a great archive of example press releases that are free to use, here: https://www.
As always, feel free to contact me with any comments, questions, concerns or feedback. I’m here to help you!
Christine Piela, CC ALB ✉
District PR Manager
Make Sure Your Ballots are Cast on May 6th
Your club has two votes in district business decisions, including the election of the incoming leadership team. Make sure your ballots get counted! The next District Council meeting is May 6th, in conjunction with our spring convention.
Did you know that your club’s President and Vice President Education are members of the District Council? As members, they are each entitled to one vote at district business meetings. However, if one or both is unable to attend, a member can vote on their behalf by proxy.
What should clubs do to preserve this right?
- Be informed of the issues. The May 6th meeting agenda will be posted on the district website (d35.toastmastersdistricts.org) at least one month before the meeting. The slate of candidates vetted by the District Leadership Committee (aka, the “nominating committee”) will also be posted.
- Know who is attending the convention from your club. Registration is open now, so talk about the convention at your upcoming meetings.
- Fill out the Proxy form if needed. Presidents and Vice Presidents Education attending the convention need only check in at the Credentials Desk between 7 am and noon on May 6th. They will receive paper ballots upon check-in. If either is not planning to carry ballots, download the proxy off the district website and assign it to a club member. That member will then exchange the proxy for ballots at the Credentials Desk.
Please be aware that members are limited to 2 ballots. If you belong to multiple clubs, you cannot cast more than 2 club votes. The exception is that members of the Executive Committee get 1 vote, and may also carry club ballots for a total of three. No one can carry more than 3 ballots. See the District Administrative Bylaws, Article X for further information. The bylaws can be found on the Toastmasters International website under Governing Documents.
Did you know…
At District meetings, a club’s proxy can be carried by any member of the club.
At International meetings (taking place in August), a club’s proxy can be carried by any member of the district.
Rhonda Williams, DTM
Immediate Past District Director
District 35
Come One Come ALL!
You don’t want to miss the District 35 Spring Convention hosted in Marshfield, Wisconsin on May 5-6.
Our theme this year is “Past, Present & Future: Reflect on Your Path to Your Future!”
Together we’ll explore:
- Were we’ve been as an organization (all the fabulous things we’ve done and the skills and knowledge that you’ve gained as a Toastmaster!)
- What Toastmasters has to offer you (meeting you right where you are now to help you grow into the person you want to become) and
- How Toastmasters can support you in developing the skillsets you want and help you get where you want to go.
Here are a few things convention has to offer:
Maybe you’re new to the Toastmaster experience. You’ll discover the many valuable tools, programs and supporting members Toastmasters offers you to hone your speaking and leadership skills.
Perhaps you’re looking to make new contacts, expand your network and make new friends, or take your leadership skills to the next level (learn what it takes to be a club officer, how to run a committee, get that next promotion or grow your business management skills).
As a club officer, you may want to learn best practices to help support your members and grow your club.
Or it could be that you’re ready to up-level your presentation skills and take your speaking experience outside your club. Do you aspire to become a professional speaker? We’ll show you how.
We’ve got all of this and more!
Life is an open road, filled with many choices, a few curves and LOTS of possibility.
Where can Toastmasters take you? Wherever YOU want to go!
Register now at the District 35 Website.
And you’ll automatically get in the early bird drawing which offers some fabulous Toastmaster prizes.
But you’ve got to register to enter.
See you at convention!
Paula Houlihan
Convention Chair
District 35 N2 Area Director
Legacy
A legacy is a powerful idea and one that can give us pause. What type of legacy have we been provided and what type of legacy will we leave?
In the last 2 years, I have lost my Father and Mother and the thought of legacy has come into sharp focus for me. For me, their legacy was not found in the boxes that I have from their estate. Those boxes are filled with memories and trace a history of each of their lives and the life they shared for 56 years. I even learned that my Mom once competed in a state speech contest in the 50’s! The real legacy was the words they shared and the example they set for me to follow
My Dad had a very outgoing personality and loved to tell stories. He really enjoyed meeting new people. He taught for 33 years and loved his students and they loved him because he believed in each one, regardless of ability or previous reputation. In his class, every student had a fresh start.
My Mom was an excellent active listener. She had a passion for listening to people’s stories and was sincerely interested in each person she knew.
As Toastmasters, we have a unique opportunity to create our own legacy. We learn to write, perform and evaluate speech. One of the greatest opportunities we have is we create our own speech content! When we craft our speeches our words have the ability to connect to others and impact our world in positive and amazing ways. In listening to each other speeches we learn more about each other and develop friendships that are unique.
As you think of your own journey in Toastmasters and in life ask yourself what type of legacy do I want to leave? How am I pouring into others to encourage them in their journey?
It has been a privilege to be in district leadership and getting to know each of you in District 35. I am looking forward to continuing our year together and can’t wait to hear how you are building your own legacy in others.
Kind Regards,
John Scott
Division F Director