Success Times – Jan 2012

Happy New Year!

by W. D. Smith, Jr., MBA, DTM, District Governor 

Have you set your SMART Goals for this year? Since the Toastmasters year started in July, District 40 has earned 136 Competent Communicator Awards, 43 Advanced Communication Awards, and 120 Leadership Awards! That represents an overall 8% increase over the same period last year! It puts us directly on track to be a Distinguished District this year!

Also, this time last year the district had two new Toastmasters Clubs. This year, we have five on the board and a sixth club that will be chartered any day now! Great progress! There are also more than a dozen other new clubs that are close to getting chartered and another 10 to 15 clubs who are working on setting up kick-off meetings! This is very exciting!!! Again, we are on track to be a Distinguished District. However, District 40’s goal is not just to be “Distinguished”. We strive to be a “Presidents Distinguished” District. We want to be number one in the world!

In order to achieve that lofty goal we need everyone in Ohio, West Virginia, and Kentucky working together to have FUN, achieve educational goals, and recruit new and reinstated members! That is part of what we mean when we talk about getting “Back To The Basics”. Are you breaking all the barriers to success?
Our obstacles in District 40 this year include: members who do not achieve, members who have not renewed, officers who have not been trained, trainers who need to provide higher quality classes, and clubs that have stopped meeting. To overcome these obstacles District 40 members, Club Officers, and District Officers must renew our commitment to excellence. We have to strengthen our resolve. We also must tap into the many human resources available within the District and the physical and electronic resources available at the Toastmasters International Website.

As you finish the month of January, I encourage every member of the District to:
• Write down your Toastmasters SMART goals
• Share your goals with your mentors, friends, and officers
• Be focused and intentional about achieving your specific measurable objectives
• Set milestones or check points where you can review your progress

Vince Lombardi said: “Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.” Every member in the district should try to achieve at least one educational award every year. Additionally, I challenge each Club and District officer to achieve three awards this year. That’s leading by example! Each person who earns this “Triple Crown” in educational awards or earns a “Triple Crown” in membership (sponsoring three members) will receive the Toastmasters “Where Leaders Are Made” pin.

Have you set your SMART goals yet? SMART Goals are those that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-Bound. How much will you achieve? Who will you help along the way? Will your club be Distinguished, Select Distinguished, or President’s Distinguished? How about your Area? What about your Division. What will it take for you to reach your goals? All you need to do is plan your work and work your plan.

See you at the 2012 Spring Conference April 27-29 in Cincinnati where we will celebrate your achievements!

W. D. Smith, MBA, DTM
District Governor

What’s your Toastmasters New Year resolution?

by Eileen James, Lt. Gov Marketing

The New Year brings the opportunity to review what we are doing in our lives, to commit to change, and to improve ourselves in some way.  Many of us make resolutions and succeed in creating better lives for ourselves. We break bad habits and establish new good habits in their place. We learn a new skill or take on a project we’ve been putting off for a while.

But many of us break our resolutions before the end of January.  Often we fail because we do not define what we want to change, set achievable goals, and measure our progress. We fail because we do not commit to success.

As Toastmasters we practice building skills in communication and leadership every time we attend a meeting, take on a meeting role, give a speech, encourage another member, or mentor a struggling newcomer. We build skills as we attend club officer training and take part in speech contests.  We build skills when we encourage someone else to join our club.  We take those skills into other areas of our lives. We use those skills in our jobs and in everything else we do.

As we approach the coming year, let us all commit fully to our own growth and development. Let us all commit to our clubs and to District 40.

Suggestions for Toastmasters Resolutions:

• If your club paid the fall dues late (after October 1), commit to making your payment for spring dues early.  They are due on April 1. Pay by March 1. You will remember to pay the fall dues on time.
• Make sure all seven club officers attend winter training,.
• If your club has not yet added 4 new members, add eight.
• Commit to meeting the DCP goals for communication and leadership awards.
•  Schedule speakers and meeting roles in advance, track each person’s progress, and submit the paperwork for credit immediately.
• If your club is not currently mentoring new members, begin now.
• Schedule your club’s International Speech and Evaluation contests now. Attend and help with area contests. Attend and take a guest to division contests.
• Volunteer for everything!!!
• Commit to attending the Spring Conference, Eastgate Holiday Inn, Cincinnati, OH, April 27 – 29. You will grow.

In discussing literature, we identify characters as static or dynamic. The static characters are those that are the same at the end of the story as they are at the beginning. They do not grow. Dynamic characters are those that grow and develop as a result of the events of the story.

Are you a static Toastmaster or a dynamic one?

Winter Officer Training is Here!

by Larry Goldsmith, Lt. Gov Education & Training

Calling all club officers!  You came out in record numbers to attend training in July.  You learned about your role in your club but now the winter training is coming.  Winter training offers you so much more than a refresher course of your club office.

Winter training allows you to discover how other officers around the District are being successful or are handling issues that you may be facing in your club.  It is a great way to kick start your creative thinking for the rest of your term.

Winter training also gives you time to reflect on how you have been doing in the first months of your position.  It is an excellent opportunity for you to look at where your duties have taken you and how you have handled each challenge.

Winter training is a chance to network with others and share your experiences and celebrate your successes.  It can provide inspiration as you hear inventive and re-energizing stories from other officers.  We all have stories to share in an effort to make our entire District stronger. You may find your own stories will help others.

Lastly, winter training gives clubs credit towards their Distinguished Club Programs.  A minimum of 4 officers have to attend winter training in order to complete the club goal of officer training provided that the club had a minimum of 4 officers attend the training in July.  If your club didn’t meet the minimums in July do not miss winter training.  You may not get the credit but the experience and knowledge you receive at winter training is invaluable to your role and to your club.

Come and experience winter training.  Check out the District website for times and locations near you.  Dates and locations are updated periodically, if you don’t see one near you; contact your Area Governor for information.
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Oscar Educational Award Promotion Updates        
by Larry Goldsmith, Lt. Gov Education & Training

Here Comes the Oscars.

The Oscar awards are presented for outstanding individual or collective efforts in several cinematic categories. The members of the Academy vote for their peers and the best is selected using a complicated method of counting and recounting of the performances nominated in each category.

Like the Oscars, we will be handing out awards for the best performance in several categories. In our version, the selection rules are slightly easier to understand.

And the Award goes to ….

July 1 to December 31, 2011: Area Level

Best Acting Club, Round 1

· The club with the most Distinguished Club points for Communications awards in each area wins the round
· In case of a tie, the club with the most Communications awards will win
· If there is still a tie, the club with the highest percentage of Communications awards per member will win

Best Directing Club, Round 1

· The club with the most Distinguished Club points for Leadership awards in each area wins the award
· In case of a tie, the club with the most Leadership awards will win
· If it’s still a tie, the club with the highest percentage of Leadership awards per member will win

January 1 to March 31, 2012: Division Level

Best Acting Club, Round 2

The area club in the division with the highest percentage of Communications awards per member wins the round

Best Directing Club, Round 2

The area club in the division with the highest percentage of Leadership awards per member wins the round

The winning area clubs from round 1 will compete to represent their Division in the final round

If your club does not win the round, do not worry. As happens in every award season, there are always a few independent pictures that sneak in at the last minute. We have created 3 open spaces for clubs that are top achievers in the District but did not receive the “nomination” to represent their division. These will be the clubs with the highest percentage of awards per member. These 3 clubs will join the division winners in the competition for the top awards at the Spring Conference.

April 1 – 18, 2012: District Level

The final 10 clubs will be published on the District website, and there will be open voting for the clubs to determine which ‘nominated’ club will win the major awards at the Spring Conference. Each nominated club will receive a gift for achieving the nomination but only one can win the Best Acting Club award and only one can win the Best Directing Award.

Best Supporting Actor (for Area Governors):

Awarded to the Area Governor whose Area earns the most Communications awards for the District from July 1, 2011 through March 31, 2012

Best Supporting Actor (for Area Governors):

Awarded to the Area Governor whose Area earns the most Leadership awards for the District from July 1, 2011 through March 31, 2012

Lifetime Achievement Award (for Advanced Toastmasters Clubs):

Awarded to the Advanced Toastmasters Club that earns the most educational awards from July 1, 2011 through March 31, 2012

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Educational Awards Updates

by Larry Goldsmith, Lt. Gov Education & Training

We are falling further behind in our Advanced Communication awards.  We are doing well achieving Competent Communicator awards which means a lot of our clubs are achieving the hardest of their Distinguished Club Program goals but we have only half of the AC awards we had at this time last year.  Get out there and speak!

Congratulations to our newest Competent Communicators:
Mehul Pandya, Dennis Devendra, Susan Schroer, Rebecca Buckalew, Mary Kate Pembroke, Jane Palmer, Kevin Miller, Anita Dawson, John Moorhead, Alan Portnoy, Richard Rykens,

Special congratulations to our newest Distinguished Toastmasters:
Choung Ming (Frank) Chi, DTM, Club#3500 AGOISSI Toastmasters.  Eastern Division, Area 23
Denise Cargile, DTM Club #7083 Cheers Toastmasters Club Western Division Area 33
Thomas Hailey, DTM, Club #2391 Lexington Toastmasters.  Bluegrass Division, Area 41

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Becoming An Advanced Communicator

by Larry Goldsmith, Lt. Gov Education & Training

I remember sitting in my dorm room at college looking at a list of names on a piece of paper.  It was the names of all the majors available to me and I had to pick one to pursue as my degree.  What did I want to be when I grow up?  Which major was going to help me get my first job?  There were a lot of questions to consider at this important crossroad in my life.

I faced a similar decision about six years ago when I finished my Competent Communicator (or Competent Toastmaster at the time).  With 15 advanced manuals to choose from, how would I determine which books to get?  What did I want to be when I grow up?  Which manual would help me get my next job?  There were a lot of questions to consider as I read through the descriptions.  I ended up ordering them all!

Toastmasters International reports many members quit clubs before achieving their Competent Communicator.  That is a shame.  It is like dropping out of High School before you graduate.  What good will that do you?  The education received while working the Competent Communicator manual will help you learn the basics of speaking in public.  But the Advanced Communication manuals are like attending college.  Why not take advantage of the advanced communication manuals to help you hone specialized skills on your way to becoming more successful in your career?  Who wouldn’t want to be better at:

•       Speaking to Inform
•      Public Relations
•      Facilitating Discussion
•      Speeches by Management
•      Professional Speaker
•      Technical Presentations
•      Persuasive Speaking
•      Communicating on Television
•      Interpersonal Communication

These are all Advanced Communication Manuals available to you as part of the Toastmasters program.  Along with these you can learn about speaking to entertain, effective storytelling, humorous speaking and other helpful specialized titles.  Our clubs need to be advertising these manuals to their membership.  Clubs need to show their members that once they reach the level of Competent Communicator, there are advantages to staying in the club and improving their communication and leadership skills.  These manuals offer practical experience in handling a variety of speaking situations in personal and professional areas.   Make sure club members know these manuals exist by having the list or manuals available at every meeting.

If you are already working on an Advanced Communication award, you may be hesitant in your club to schedule a presentation when there are many members in your club still working on their Competent Communicator manual.   That is very generous but remembers your growth in the program is just as important.  Do not limit your opportunities or jeopardize your development.   One way to give an advanced manual speech is to contact the Advanced Toastmaster club in your area and give a speech at one of their meetings.  Not only will you be able to give a speech that requires unique specifications or time requirements but you will also get excellent evaluations.  You can find more information about the Advanced Toastmaster club in your area by asking your Area Governor or searching on the Toastmasters International site.

What do you want to be when you grow up?  Chances are there is an Advanced Communication manual that can help you get there.

10 Ways to Promote Toastmasters International

1. Create club or district business cards indicating your meeting time and place, and distribute them to friends and colleagues along with a personal comment on how Toastmasters training has benefited you.

2. Use mugs, wear Toastmasters shirts.

3. Display your Toastmaster trophies in a prominent place in your home and office.

4. Wear your Toastmasters pin! It’s a good conversation starter.

5. Libraries. Submit extra copies of the Toastmaster magazine to the library’s periodicals department and attach a card with the club’s contact information. Also post fliers and ads on bulletin boards.

6. Employee Orientation. Make sure in-house Toastmasters clubs in corporations, hospitals, government agencies or other organizations have their clubs mentioned during new-employee orientation seminars.

7. “Welcome to the Community” packets. These are distributed to all new residents in a city and contain promotional materials from local merchants and organizations. Your ad or flier should be included in this package.

8. Universities and Community Colleges. Like cities, many Universities have internal cable TV and radio stations, as well as publications reaching students, staff and faculty. Arrange to have a Toastmaster give a presentation as a guest lecturer in a speech communication class. Or better yet, try to participate in communication-related campus events – like “Communications Week,” for example – and be prepared to host a booth and offer promotional fliers. If your district already has a University club, make sure it is publicized in campus media, as well as in new-student or freshmen orientations.

9. High Schools. Organize or judge speech contests for seniors, or give seminars on career planning. Even if students don’t join your club, this is an opportunity for media exposure and gives parents, staff and teachers a good impression of our organization.

10. Offer Speechcraft and Youth Leadership Programs. This is a great way of showing the public what Toastmasters is all about.

Related Resources

• Speechcraft in Brief
• Marketing Resources
• Start A Club
• Membership Building
• Speechcraft

Toastmasters in the limelight!

By Imran Sheriff, Public Relations Officer

(Below Image) Janna Yeshanova-Stephens, member of Northwest Toastmasters 859 was featured in ThisWeekNews.com. Congrats Janna!

Article: “Life coach uses her story to inspire others”
http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/upperarlington/news/2012/01/03/life-coach-uses-her-story-to-inspire-others.html

(Below Image) Rupali Mistry, member of New Albany Toastmasters club was featured in ColumbusLocalNews.com. Congrats Rupali!

Article: “Toastmasters teach lessons in public speaking, self-confidence”

http://www.columbuslocalnews.com/articles/2011/12/13/multiple_papers/news/allnatoast_20111209_1107pm_6.txt

Downloads Corner

Download the Better Speaker Series for Free

The outlines and PowerPoint shows for all 10 titles in The Better Speaker Series are now available as free, downloadable PDFs and PowerPoint shows in the Toastmasters Online Store. Download the entire series or individual titles at no cost.

Latest News

Looking for convention speakers:

Plans for the 2012 International Convention in Orlando, Florida, are well under way, and we are currently accepting speaker applications for the education sessions. We seek top-notch presenters who are experts on topics related to self-improvement and professional growth. All one-hour sessions must fit one of the two tracks: Communication or Leadership.

As a leader in Toastmasters and a veteran Convention attendee, you are familiar with the high standards expected of Convention presenters. Therefore, your input and recommendations are highly valued. If you know someone who would be a good fit, please refer them to www.toastmasters.org/CallforPresenters. And if you are interested in applying – all the better. Please remember that the deadline to apply is January 30.