Let’s “Get To The Finish Line” Together!
If you attended the Fall Conference at The Abbey Resort in Lake Geneva – you heard Toastmasters International Director -Magnus Jansson – talk about how finishing a Toastmasters year strong is a lot like winning the Indianapolis 500 race.
As an Indianapolis native – Magnus explained the power of the Checkered Flag – and how all along the year, like race car drivers, we as Toastmasters receive signals as we work through the year. Certificates of completion, awards, you name it
This year – District 35 is asking us all to “Get To The Finish Line” together – so we can finish this year as a Distinguished District. Why is this important? Because a Distinguished District means we are growing, thriving and learning together as Toastmasters.
If your club grows by 1, 2 or 4 members between today and June 15, 2017 – your club will receive a Checkered Flag Ribbon for your club’s banner – custom-imprinted with the number of members you grew – 1, 2 or 4.
After the end of the TM year on June 30, 2017 – we’ll publish a list of the Checkered Flag Ribbon winners on the District website. Your 2017-2018 Area Director will deliver the club’s Checkered Flag Ribbon banner when they visit the clubs after 7/1/17.
Let’s “Get To The Finish Line” and grow each club by 1-2 or 4 members by June 15, 2017. Let’s win this race and finish this year strong as a Distinguished District. Questions? Contact me! Thanks for all you do!
Cindy Laatsch, DTM ✉
District Director
District 35
OK, but I’ll never serve as an officer
That friend or colleague that with whom you’ve been talking Toastmasters about for years has finally agreed to attend a meeting and join your club, but with the caveat “ok, but I’ll never serve as an officer”. Or, maybe that person is you.
In much the same way that we develop our communication skills in a safe environment within the Toastmaster club, we also develop our leadership skills. Toastmasters is “Where Leaders are Made”
Are you familiar with the Toastmaster promise? Every new member signs the Membership Application which includes the promise “to serve my club as an officer when called upon to do so”.
Now is the time to talk to one of your club officers about serving during the upcoming year. Club elections are generally planned for the first meeting in May. Officer terms typically run from July 1 – June 30, although about 10% of our clubs elect officers for a six month period. Training is provided twice a year for a half-day or evening session.
Have you already served as a club officer (especially Club President or Vice President Education) and are looking for more … more challenge, more impact, more learning (and more fun)? Consider serving as a District Officer. Contact a current District Officer for more information.
Keith Cumiskey, DTM ✉
Program Quality Director
Congratulations Talk Up Toastmasters Recipients!
I wanted to take a brief moment to recognize the following clubs who had 5 new, dual or reinstated members join their club in the months of February and March and earned the Talk Up Toastmasters award from Toastmasters International.
- Reedsburg Area Club
- Ayres Associates Toastmasters Club
- Brookfield Toastmasters
- Expressions Club 9769
- Rumble Don’t Mumble Toastmasters
These clubs join the Resource Advanced Toastmasters, who earned the Smedley Award last fall, as clubs that have achieved recognition in one of Toastmasters International’s membership programs. What a great example all of these clubs provide in striving to obtain new members to provide new perspectives for their clubs! Congratulations to all of these clubs!
Ed Thelen, DTM ✉
Club Growth Director
Conducting An Open House
There were 16 clubs that took advantage of the Open House incentive that ran from December through March. In reviewing the submissions that I received, I noticed a few common themes from the Open Houses that I thought I would share with everyone.
- Promote the event well. The vast majority of the submissions used various formats to spread the word about their Open House. They used a combination of paper and electronic postings (Facebook, internal sites for corporate clubs) and word of mouth to get outsiders to attend. This advance preparation sets the tone toward a successful meeting.
- Make the Open House a “can’t miss” event. Many of the Open Houses were successful because they had enticements that wanted to make individuals come. One example is Southwest Toastmasters that had the mayor of Franklin speak at the event. A common theme at the Open Houses was to have some food along with the meeting. This was important to give people time to socialize and make the guests attending feel like they were valued participants at the event which will leave that important positive first impression in deciding to join.
- Ask for the sale. One of the requirements for the incentive was to have at least one member join the club. In order to meet this requirement, the clubs had to make the ask for the guests to join the Toastmasters club as a result of the great Open House experience. Considering most of us are not natural salespeople, this is not an easy task, but the worst answer you are going to get is a “no” if an individual decides the Toastmasters program is not for them.
The encouraging sign from this incentive is that I’ve seen a number of clubs conduct an Open House this month even though the incentive is no longer in place. Others are realizing the positive impact an Open House event can have on club membership. If you have not yet conducted an Open House this year…there is no better time than the present to start planning one!
Ed Thelen, DTM ✉
Club Growth Director
Scheduling Member Meetings
Do you ever struggle to get all of your officers in one place at one time? Are you ever trying to meet with members and you can’t seem to work out a time and place?
With so many different people involved in so many different things, this happens to me all the time. To remedy it, I use a service called DoodlePoll (https://beta.doodle.com/). DoodlePoll lets you pick the best dates and times on your calendar and then just send a link to others so they can pick which works for them. It’s free to use the basic version as many times as you need.
Try DoodlePoll today to get everyone together, easily!
Christine Piela, CC ALB
District PRM
Toastmasters’ District 35 Spring Convention proudly presents
An Exquisite Evening
You are cordially invited to join us for a post-banquet
Hospitality & Networking Reception
Saturday evening, May 6th
Our District 35 Spring Convention offers you an opportunity to don your finest and experience an elegant evening of networking, fun and esprit de corps!
We begin the evening’s festivities with our annual Awards Banquet, District Officer Induction and our heralded Hall of Fame Awards Ceremony.
Our post-banquet reception offers music, complimentary hot and cold hors d’oeuvres, and a cash bar. Formal attire is encouraged. This promises to be a fabulous event!
Register for the awards banquet at: http://bit.ly/2nmvSn4
2016 World Champion of Public Speaking finalist offers coaching at Spring Convention
We are offering a special bonus workshop on Sunday morning following our Spring Convention.
Sunday morning, May 7th, 9:00 am – 10:30 am
Our Keynote speaker, Katina Hunter, a 2016 World Champion of Public Speaking finalist, is hosting “Polish Your Presentation and Shine!” where she’ll provide real time coaching as five of our District members deliver speeches.
Spectators and speakers will learn world class practices and techniques. If you are eager to advance your presentation skills and discover what it takes to become a champion, you won’t’ want to miss this event!
Admission is just $25 for this rare opportunity to witness firsthand the tips and tools of a World Champion speaker.
You can pay at the door or register online at: http://bit.ly/2nmvSn4
For more information, click here.
Check Out Spring Convention: Details & Videos
If you have questions about the convention or want to get a sneak peek at the educational sessions and marketplace, click here.
Be sure to catch our daily posts and follow us on the District 35 Toastmasters Facebook page and our LinkedIn Group.
Please “Like”, comment and share our Spring Convention posts on your club’s social media sites. Help us spread the word. And keep checking back for more to come!
Adventures as an Ambassador
It was a normal Monday in March. I was wearing my “Ask Me About Toastmasters” pin as usual. Then a young man did ask me about Toastmasters. I gave my quick talk about what it was, and what it do to help your speaking ability, leadership ability and confidence. He had heard about the organization before, and he now seemed convinced about checking out a club. I gave him my card, but I had no immediate idea what clubs to suggest, since it turned out that I was far from District 35.
James is a guide at Hampton Court, one of Queen Elizabeth I’s palaces, yes, in England. My Deputy Division Director Aundrea Price and I were on a tour of the country. (Strangely, as a tour guide, James is more likely to be answering questions than asking them.) While this fan of the Elizabethan period was fulfilling a decades-long desire to visit the actual places that she trod, I was able to help talk up Toastmasters in District 91. It was a heady experience.
Ironically, that evening we were headed back to London to visit the largest Toastmasters club in Europe – London Public Speakers. A quick train and cab trip later, we were at the Shipwright’s Arms, a pub at the corner of Tooley and Bermondsey Streets, almost in sight of Tower Bridge and the Crown Jewels. We had fish & chips and bangers & mash for dinner (it is an English pub, after all), then retired upstairs to the meeting room.
We received our agendas – on A4 paper, of course – and took our seats. The room was pretty full, but became more and more packed as the meeting was about to begin. More and more chairs were deployed, and the open floor space became more dear.
Mark Twain declared that travel is fatal to prejudice, and this meeting was a sterling example. Most of the attendees were British, of many different ethnicities. But the Toastmaster was Megan from Canada, and the Grammarian was Emmanuelle from France. Oddly, we weren’t the farthest from home – one guest was from Vancouver, BC on a couple-month IT gig. There were quite a few accents in the room, partly because the English accent can vary quite a bit across the country.
The meeting was more than two hours long, but the energy was palpable and it certainly didn’t drag. (Admittedly, there was a break in the middle to go get drinks from the pub downstairs.) In the first half of the meeting was Table Topics, with six questions about holidays (vacations). Pre-chosen people were called up by Topicsmaster Alfredo by name, and surely there must be another Tim amongst the forty-some people there? No! (It turns out that we were both specifically put on the list for Table Topics.) My question was about how I deal with language issues on holiday. I showed my American panache (the word of the day) in answering it – I decided to have my holiday in a country where I knew the language – and I was able to draw laughter from a European audience!
The second half of the meeting was four speeches and their evaluations. First was Simon’s practice speech for a banquet the next week – proposing donations for an air ambulance organization. Then Arin gave his CC Project Four, describing climate change. Next, Mandelina had a go at her International Speech Contest speech, in preparation for the Area contest the next Friday. And finally, I heard one of the best “Inspire Your Audience” (CC Project Ten) speeches that I have seen, from David. If they hadn’t been given in a mix of European accents, it might almost have been a club in Milwaukee, down to the city lights and construction we could see outside the window.
We had a lot of fun, and the club members and fifteen or so guests enjoyed their visitors from across the pond. We were invited to come back any time.
England is my dream trip – Elizabethan history, Harry Potter, Doctor Who, Sherlock Holmes, Downton Abbey, and HMS Victory – what’s yours? Could Toastmasters be part of it? It’s easy to see what clubs are in the area when you travel, and don’t forget your Club Ambassador form.
Now, I haven’t heard back from James, but I like to think that he’s found a club to visit and join around East Molesey. (I’ve now looked up the clubs near to Hampton Court.) I hope he’s enjoying his new adventure. All because a couple of crazy Americans travelled way outside London to visit the palace where he works. The moral is, always be ready to talk about Toastmasters, and don’t forget your pin – you might meet someone fun! Cheers!
Tim Bailey, ACB, ALB
Division B Director