D53 Leadership Team News and Letters
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 September - October 2006: A Letter from DG John Lynch, DTM
Now, its time for all of the FUN
Fellow Toastmasters, as we finish the first three months of this Toastmasters year you might look back and feel that time just flew by. We orient new goals for ourselves and then set out to accomplish them. We attended TLI, Division and Area level Club Officer training so that our members could be afforded the best educational environment possible. I commend all of you for your commitment and dedication to meeting your goals and fulfilling your responsibilities these first three months.
As we enter into the next couple of months there are some really exciting events that you should share with your members. First, the Division level Evaluation and Humorous Speech Contests will commence in October. This is a great educational tool for each of us experience and watch fellow members and friends grow right before our own eyes.
The second event is the District Fall Conference on November 4th in Albany NY. The theme of the conference is “Sail into the Future” which incorporates this year’s District theme “Lead with Vision.” This event is not only the culmination of the speech contests but has many educational sessions that will enhance our perception of the Toastmasters program and provide for some great networking opportunities.
The third event actually happens the night before the District Fall Conference! District 53 is 50 years old this year and we have a big anniversary celebration planned for all that can attend. You will enjoy 50’s music and decorations, learn about our District’s history, meet some of the people that were instrumental in our growth and have a lot of fun with friends old and new. This will be a truly memorable event as we celebrate "It's Nifty To Be Fifty."
The final big event will be the “Night with the Champs” on December 16th. Both David Brooks and Darren LaCroix will be visiting our District this year, providing all members and friends of District 53 the opportunity to see our World Champions in action. Look for more information on this free event along with all breaking news on our District website at www.district53toastmasters.org We invite you to help us spread the word on each of the exciting events.
Along with all of this fun your club will be visited by your own Area Governor. Their visit is very important for both the club and the District. Please welcome them and share your experience as Club President with them. All of the information that you provide them will assist us in helping you continue to maintain and enhance the club environment, thus allowing more members to enjoy the rewards of Toastmasters. This will serve to solidify both of your leadership experiences and cultivate new leaders within your club.
In closing, take the time now to re-commit to your club and establish personal and professional goals. Close your eyes and paint that picture of success in your mind’s eye, take that vision and hold it tight. If you do this I know that each and everyone of you will not only reach your goals but the people around you will join you, and that is when the real fun will begin! Go forth and “Lead with Vision” in this “The Year of the Member”.
LEAD WITH VISION
John Lynch, DTM
District 53 Governor 2006-07
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 September - October 2006: A Letter from LGET Will Ryan, DTM
Let’s get right down to the fundamentals of Toastmasters. Nearly everyone who joins our wonderful organization does so to achieve significant personal growth. For some, that growth is about overcoming fear of speaking in public. For others, seeking a promotion at work, Toastmaster is an opportunity to learn leadership skills. Whatever the personal goals, Toastmasters is an organization where authenticity is encouraged and revered.
This second message to you this year begins with a plug for the new Competent Leadership program. I did my first leadership project from the new manual in April and my second and third in August. These experiences have made me a real believer in the program. Similar to speaker development, leader development is about learning by doing. We use the experiential learning process, since we’ve proven that people learn best by doing and receiving constructive feedback.
Speaking about feedback, my wife, Susanna Opper, ATMG was my evaluator for my Project 4 on Time Management. I was the Toastmaster at my home club on August 29, and I received constructive suggestions for improved Time Management. Susanna was asked in the book, “Did the meeting begin and end on time?” I am normally very attentive to timing of meetings, but maybe I wasn’t paying attention. In any case she indicated that my ending was not crisp. Where else can we get such useful feedback? Remember that one of our distinctions as an educational organization is our outstanding use of the evaluation process.
Due to meeting time constraints, most clubs will deliver Leadership Evaluations in written form only, but that doesn’t detract from their value. You are probably asking, “How do I get started?” To support your project selection, I’ve printed a matrix that is enclosed with this message.
Next, let’s talk about club officer training. I’m disappointed at the number of officers we trained this year at TLI, Division and Area levels. We trained 10% fewer officers this year than last. There are many reasons and some excuses for not training officers, but please know that club health and long-term success hinge on trained leaders. Your Area Governor will be discussing this with you, since it’s never too late to develop your club leaders even though the DCP points are not possible after August 30.
It’s time to look at your club success plan and make sure it includes:
- Identified members who plan to attain education and leadership awards. These are member commitments that should include projected dates for completion.
- Processes to make your meetings exciting and attractive to members and guests. When meetings get boring, people stop attending.
- Attendance at District events like the Fall Conference on November 4. At this event your members will grow and develop as they meet and interact with other members. The education sessions will be superb and certainly worth attending. Finally it will be a night of fun as we hear the participants in the District Humorous Speech Contest.
- And don’t forget the District’s 50th Anniversary Celebration on Friday evening, November 3.
As you create your vision for the remainder of the year, consider what Henry Ford said, “If you think you can do a thing, or you think you can’t do a thing, you’re right.” Your club members will rise to the expectation level you set for them. So appreciate them, encourage them and rejoice when they achieve their goals.
Will Ryan , DTM
Lt. Governor Education and Training (LGET)
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 September - October 2006 : A Letter from LGM Karin von Kaenel, CTM
Thank you for stepping up to the task of being a Club President/VPE! By doing so, you’ve shown that you want to take this opportunity to learn and grow and are willing to work for the members of your club.
At the beginning of this Toastmasters year, John, Will, and I determined that Recognition is one of the main values that we want to guide us throughout this year.
Recognition comes in many flavors:
- You can give a box of IceBreaker candy to every new member who has just given their first speech, thereby celebrating that special occasion.
- You can order a 1/2CC certificate from Will Ryan for everybody who has completed 5 speeches in the basic manual.
- You can celebrate every CC with a special pin or badge from TI.
- You can praise people who are ready with backup Table Topics, a backup word-of-the-day, a backup joke, or a backup speech, so they can take over any of those roles at the last minute.
- You can create your own Club Trophy, passed on at each meeting to the person who made the biggest contribution to the meeting.
- You can recognize the Toastmaster who did a great job planning and executing the meeting.
- Or how about giving a bag of M&Ms to the person who did the most in the area of Marketing and Membership?
- The person who maintains the club website
- The person who gets the club advertised in the newspapers, on local TV, …
- The person who printed flyers and distributed them to local libraries, gyms, …
- The person who found a new, creative way to advertising your club
- The person who created a Visitors’ kit
- The person who made the biggest difference for the club’s guests by greeting and welcoming them
It’s important to recognize contributions! Challenge your club’s members and support them! Expect the best from them! And when they accomplish a goal, recognize it!
If you have any questions, please ask,
.
With best wishes for a successful Toastmasters year,
Karin von Kaenel, CTM
Lt. Governor Marketing (LGM)
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 September - October 2006 : A Letter from PRO Ute Brinkmann, DTM
Public Relations. It’s not that hard – just do it.
Fellow Toastmasters,
Are you the Public Relations Officer in your club? Then Public Relations is your theme this Toastmaster year. Make it exciting, make it worth while and make it a learning experience. Because that’s what Toastmasters is all about: education.
“What’s in for me?” you ask.
Gain experience in writing, in advertising, in publicity, in promotion, in marketing, in creating newsletters, in leadership … and get familiar with web sites. As a public relations officer you have an impact on other people. You can change people’s lives by bringing them into Toastmasters – just as your life changed when you experienced the power of the Toastmasters program.
It is you who is going out and make Toastmasters known to more and more people (external PR). It is you who is keeping people in – by informing them of what’s going on in and outside the club (internal PR). We call it Servant Leadership.
You have many helpers:
- Your PR manual gives you a month-to-month list of what needs to be done.
- Toastmasters International provides every club with marketing freebees, you just need to ask (just tug the “free stuff” to an order every 6 months).
- Consider using some of your club funds for more marketing material – or make up your own flyers and posters.
- There are tons of stuff on the Toastmasters International website www.toastmasters.org. Make use of many of the downloadable documents.
- District 53 has a file cabinet on their web site www.district53toastmasters.org/pafiledb/pafiledb.php Make use of it.
- Learn from the pros: (for example)
- Join Yahoo groups to stay abreast of what’s going on in our District 53.
How? Check the district 53 web site www.district53toastmasters.org/d53group.html
I encourage you:
Put some action into your Toastmasters life. Think outside the box, get creative and help your club grow in membership. Make Toastmasters a vibrant place in your own life and fulfill the mission of Toastmasters:
Enhance club performance and bring Toastmasters to more and more people.
and let me know when you hit some success so we can celebrate.
At your service in the year 2006 – 2007
Ute Brinkmann, DTM
Public Relations Officer (PRO)
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