Table of Contents
From the Desk of the District Director:
Welcome to the second quarter of the Toastmasters year. It’s hard to believe how fast this year is passing us by.
Last month, we held our first District Council meeting for the year. Thank you to all of the club officers who registered and attended. We were able to pass our District budget, ratify our 2019/2020 realignment, and approve all appointed District leadership positions.
Hopefully by this time all of your clubs have begun working through the plans you have put in place to make this your club’s most successful year yet. If not, then there is no time like the present to decide to make a difference in your club. We know that when clubs put their focus on their members and meeting the needs of the members that is when we see clubs thrive!
By now you hopefully have all your membership renewals in. If you, or some of your fellow club members have not yet renewed, it is our wish that all members continue their Toastmasters journey in positive and supportive clubs.
By the time you read this we will be well into speech contest season, and many of you will have started competing in your Club, Area or Division Contests. I know that I, like many others are looking forward to taking in the fall speech contests again. Even if you are not competing, take an opportunity to visit an Area or Division Contest, and cheer on the competitors. Trust me, those who are competing will be grateful for an enthusiastic audience.
Are you looking to grow your leadership experience beyond the standard club experience? We are currently taking applications for District leadership positions. Perhaps you would like to serve as an Area or Division Director? Or maybe you would like to serve on the District Trio, as a Club Growth Director, Program Quality Director, or District Director. If you see this in your future, reach out to our District Leadership Committee Chair, Ben Smith, DTM here. You won’t regret it.
Here’s to another awesome quarter!
Sincerely,
Dave Gibson, DTM
2019-2020 District Director.
From the Desk of the Program Quality Director
Humorous Speech Contests
Our fall Humorous Speech Contest Season is underway! By now, many of our clubs have already hosted their speech contests. For those who haven’t yet, or are pondering if they will, I encourage you to do so.
Competing in a speech contest is one of the best ways to improve your speaking and presentation skills, as well as strongly improve overall confidence for nearly all situations in professional and personal life events. Also, assembling a club speech contest is a great team building exercise for all club members. Once your club contest is complete, inform your Area Director of your 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners right away so they can prepare their Area Contests.
Most of the Area Speech Contests are on the D106 Events calendar. I encourage you to attend your Area’s Speech Contest, either as a volunteer or an audience member. Our competitors are taking a big step towards their personal development, we should all support them by attending and cheering them on!
The winners of the Area Speech Contests will compete at their Division Contests, which I also encourage you to attend. The District Trio will be attending all Division Contests to support our contestants and to share news and announcements of upcoming events.
The winners of the Division Contests will compete at the Annual District Conference in May 2020.
A couple big things to remember for our competitors as they advance to Area and Division Contests:
- All contestants MUST be a current member in good standing, meaning dues renewed by September 30th.
- All contestants MUST be a member of a club in good standing, having 8 or more members renewed by September 30th.
For more specific rules about speech contests, reference the 2019/2020 Speech Contest Rulebook on the Toastmasters.org website, or use the link on D106TM.org/Info/References/Speech Contests.
Good luck to all who are competing!
Annual District Conference: Calling all Volunteers!
Plans for the Annual Conference on May 1st & 2nd are currently underway. Our Conference Chairs are looking for volunteers to assist them in hosting this big event in these areas:
- Registration
- Decorations
- Greeters
- Conveners
- Friday/Saturday Night Events / Hospitality Rooms
- Silent Auctions
- Education Session Presenters
- Photographers
For more information on these volunteer positions, or to sign up, please contact me directly at PQDirector@d106tm.org
Pathways Education Achievement Recognition
Congratulations to all the members who have achieved Level 5 in Pathways this Toastmasters year!
- Justin Larson – Lino Lakes Toastmasters – Dynamic Leadership Level 5
- Judy Peterson – Marsh Winds Toastmaster Club – Presentation Mastery Level 5
- Jessica Parker – The Leaders Club Toastmasters – Strategic Relationships Level 5
- Jeff Thaler – Cargill Trademasters Club – Visionary Communications Level 5
From the Desk of Club Growth Director
Starting New Clubs:
Would you like to start a new club, but you’re not sure were to begin or what is required?
Send an email to CGDirector@d106tm.org or feel free to give me a call at
(651) 269-9095 for more information or to schedule a meeting.
Growing Your Club Membership:
Many of our clubs are starting to think about having open houses to assist with growing their club membership or preparing brochures to promote their clubs.
Below are four questions that can assist you as your club starts the planning process:
- Why are you a Toastmaster?
- Why are you a member of the club or clubs you are attending?
- Why have you remained a Toastmaster after earning your Distinguished Toastmaster Award?
- What makes your club unique?
Club Coach:
Interested in Serving as a Club Coach?
We’re excited to announce an upcoming Club Coach Training. Please join us at the District 106 Club Coach Training on Saturday, October 26th from 9:00 am to 10:00 am at the Riverwood Community Center.
We currently have 11 awesome Toastmasters interested in serving as a club coach, the need for club coaches is great. Will you join us in helping a low member club with their Toastmasters journey?
Please note due to the number of clubs that need club coaches we will only be assigning one (1) club coach per club that needs a club coach.
Public Relations News
Input Requested: Your Club Website
Your website can be an ambassador that encourages people to visit your club.
The D106 Club Website Engagement Project team, led by Lumary Ortiz-Rivera, wants to help you do that!
In order to provide you with the best ease-of-use plan, we need your valuable input in a short survey. If you haven’t already taken the survey, please do so right now. It will only take a couple of minutes.
Link to Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/XR27QVN
EVENT: Improv Your Speaking, 11/21
Join us for a fun, free and interactive workshop using improv techniques to make us all better communicators.
Date: Thursday, November 21
Time: 7-8:30 PM (doors open at 6:30)
Location: Brookdale Library, Brooklyn Center
Register at Eventbrite: http://bit.ly/d106improv1121
EVENT: Save the date: Nail that Interview, 1/23/2020
Mark your calendar for a job interviewing workshop in St. Paul on Thursday January 23, 2020, featuring a panel of Human Resources professionals, interviewing strategies and more! More details soon.
PR Contests: Start Planning!
Execute your PR efforts with excellence. At the Spring Conference in May, we will recognize exemplary efforts in 6 categories this year:
• Best Club Website
• Best Press Release/News article
• Best Newsletter
• Best Social Media
• Best Club Event Promotion
• Best Corporate Club Promotion
You may submit to multiple categories.
Link to more information: https://d106tm.org/club-pr-contests/
Diane Windingland
Public Relations Manager, District 106
District Leadership Committee
Where Leaders are Made
While it is our organization’s tag line, it really does explain what Toastmasters does. Where are you at on your leadership journey? Is it time for you to take that next step? Then you’re in luck! 🙂
The District Leadership Committee is looking for nominations for Division Director and Trio roles for the 2019-2020 Toastmasters year.
If you’d like more information or would like to submit a nomination, please contact me at bensmithtm@gmail.com
Ben Smith, DTM
Past District Director, District 106
Incentives
