January 2017 District 57 Toast Post Newsletter blog

 

 

942433_639554056054721_1215357716_n2017 Spring Conference Announcement by Sally Philbin, DTM, Conference Chair

Mark your calendars on May 6th for the District 57 2017 Spring Conference at the California Maritime Academy, showcasing the International Speech and Table Topics Contests. We are gearing up for another fabulous conference where you are invited to FIND YOUR PATH through Pathways, the new Toastmaster’s Program designed by Toastmasters International and being rolled out first right here, in District 57.

Now that I have your attention, I am pleased to offer you the opportunity to get in on the ground floor. Any successful endeavor requires the hands of many talented individuals. Luckily, we have just that in District 57. Please contact me (That would be Sally Philbin, Conference Co-Chair) right away to throw your hat into the ring to make this fabulous conference a reality.

Opportunities abound! Not only do we need a lot of hands, we specifically need: Education Chair, Friday Night Showcase Chair (Contact Randie Ellington at pqd@d57tm.org), Raffle Chair, Conference Decorations Chair, and Educational Session Presenters.

Yes, we need educational session presenters! Please submit your topic suggestions here.

Send emails of interest or suggestions of interested volunteers to Sally Philbin at springconference@d57tm.org.

FIND YOUR PATH at the District 57 2017 Spring Conference! You are needed!

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VICTORIOUS WITH TMClub Member Spotlight: A.T. Lynne

Purpose is The Key by A.T. Lynne

Looking at the silver-lettered and embossed certificate I recently received for my Advanced Communicator Silver achievement, I’m invited to look back over the road of my Toastmasters journey. A long and winding road it’s been, starting with my first visit to a Toastmasters club in San Diego, to joining a club in Bend, Oregon, then memberships in four more clubs from Texas, Arizona, Nevada and back to California.

And what becomes clear is that everything I achieved in Toastmasters was determined by an internally set purpose.

My introduction to Toastmasters happened one summer morning in 1987 when my friend Carol dared me to go. Neither of us knew what Toastmasters was really about (and the internet wasn’t around for a quick search). Carol said she’d heard that the people were nice, and they would treat us to breakfast on our first visit. My purpose, that first time, was simply to satisfy my curiosity.

However, curiosity alone wasn’t enough for me to want to endure that club’s habit of clinking spoons on water glasses whenever a speaker used a filler word. They suspended this torture when I was invited to introduce myself, but I was so thoroughly intimidated, I didn’t return or reconsider Toastmasters for years.

The next time I walked into a Toastmasters meeting was in the middle of a snowy winter in Bend, Oregon in 1991. Then, my purpose was to distract myself from a recent divorce and to start my life over. It was a small club of friendly Toastmasters who gave me a lot of opportunities to speak. Within 6 months, I’d completed all 10 speeches to achieve my Competent Toastmaster (CTM/CC equivalent).

Soon after that, I took a job as a Federal Environmental Monitor. My first assignment was on pipeline construction in the Rocky Mountains where I was the only woman and the only federal agent. It’s very possible that my Toastmasters skills were what saved me from being shot — a deed that more than one drunken pipeliner threatened to do.

The next three times I joined Toastmasters — in Texas, Arizona and Nevada — was primarily to participate in a community of diverse and interesting people. I enjoyed serving in meeting roles and gave speeches now and then from various advanced manuals. Happily, that purpose was satisfied during a time when I relocated every year or two.

Then, in 2005, settling in Sausalito and publishing my first book brought more opportunities for public speaking. When I joined Talk of the Town Toastmasters in San Rafael, my purpose was to become an accomplished, professional public speaker.

Only when I decided to use the Toastmasters program to develop as a more accomplished and truly competent speaker, was I able to move beyond my first achievements. Yet, every step was in the right direction. Beginning with mild curiosity, through the desire for a community of interesting friends, to the determination to commit to advanced public speaking abilities, each level of engagement served its intended purpose.

A.T. Lynne, Vice President of Membership
Talk of the Town Toastmasters, #7075

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About High Performance Leadership (HPL) by Jean Cunningham, DTM

“HPL” or High Performance Leadership project is designed to help you become much more cognizant of your ability as a leader, as well as areas that you can become more proficient. HPL gives you the ability to be a leader rather than a manager; and let me tell you there is a huge difference between the two.

You design a project where you are leading others, who have specific projects, jobs or tasks that need to be accomplished, so as to reach your overall vision and mission of the bigger picture. To accomplish that, a leader must collaborate with the “Action Team” members, to all understand and become one with the vision/mission.

Once this occurs, then the strategic plan is designed by the team and the actual physical project starts. Adjustments may need to be made as a team, and new actions implemented. Assessment of the progress of the project, and the timeline are reviewed regularly. Members ability to complete their tasks are assessed and solutions determined as a team.

You as the leader of this team, do what all leaders should be doing.

  1. Gain Consensus on the “Vision and Values”
  2. Provide “Direction”
  3. Use all the talents of “Persuasion”
  4. Give “Support”
  5. “Develop” your team members
  6. Show meaningful “Appreciation”

Leaders provide “Service Leadership” or relationships; so that workers can focus their energy to do their best work. Being a leader is not all about you, but rather the vision/mission or goal you foresee.

 


Every month, we will be putting out a newsletter with information about what is happening in District 57, tools for success, club member spotlights, and more. Look out for the Toast Post newsletter in your inbox!

Check out the last few editions here:

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