Pedro Casillas – District Director (DD)
This January saw the coming together of District Trios from Region 11 and 12 (UK, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Australia and New Zealand and Brazil) to attend mid-year officer training in Lisbon.
Some of the highlights:
- District Council (DC) – It was confirmed the end of November DC will be replaced with a Virtual DC meeting (to be conducted by 30th September) and one face to face meeting (to be held by 31st May the following year). As you know, the DC is made up of DLT, DEC and ALL Club Presidents and VPE’s. The purpose of the DC is to discuss and vote on district business, which includes the voting for the D91 budget; district offerings and an opportunity to hear how the district is progressing with DSP. Virtual DC meetings will introduce a new way of conducting business which will be both a challenge and opportunity for us to learn and grow. Toastmasters International (TI) will be announcing the preferred software and training we will need later in the year.
- CEO Dan Rex visit to D91 – I am delighted to announce that TI CEO Dan Rex will be visiting D91 in May. Following on from last year’s successful visit by TI President Mike Storkey and Region Advisor Aletta Rochat, it will be another opportunity for D91 to show off all the great things that are happening in our District. As we start the planning for the visit, we will be looking to have Dan visit as many clubs as possible across the district. Once we have the full itinerary, we will be in touch with further details.
- Other changes – In addition to the introduction of Pathways from 20th March 2018, we will also we facing the introduction of General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) in May. We have been in touch with world TI HQ and have been promised guidance well in advance of GDPR introduction. Once I have more details, I will share with you.
- Even more changes – With the removal of the face-to-face district council in November, TI has also decided that Districts will no longer hold a district level Humorous Speech Contest and Table Topics Contest finals in November. The DLT and DEC will meet to discuss contests in the coming months and will reach out to D91 members for your input (for example via Dee Alimi’s survey) before we reach a final decision, which we will vote on during DC in May. We have various options available to us which all will need time to review and discuss.
Andy Hammond – Program Quality Director (OQD)
We are now into the second round of Club Officer Training (COT) events. While these are designed primarily to provide your Club Officers with the information and tools to help their members and their clubs to be successful, the sessions are open to all members. Please do go along and meet your fellow members and find out how other clubs do things. There is always something interesting to learn, and you will have different ideas and experiences to share too. For details of your local COT contact your Club Officers or your Area Director. A list of Area Directors is available on our website.
We are holding another Corporate COT on 6th February, hosted by Mindshare at St. Giles High Street in London. We will shortly be emailing Club Officers in the London Divisions with booking details. Contact me if you would like more information.
It is also speech contest season. If you are involved in organising a contest for your club you will need to know the latest rules. The Speech Contest Rulebook can be downloaded from our website. Further information, including training videos from our Chief Judge, Andy O’Sullivan, is available here.
Do you want to meet the Chief Executive of Toastmasters International, Dan Rex? We are delighted to announce that he will be our special guest at the D91 Spring Conference in Bracknell in May. He will be making key note presentations on both Saturday and Sunday.
Pathways is truly underway and due to be rolled out from 20th March 2018 – read my latest update on Pathways.
Florian Bay – Club Growth Director (CGD)
A rising tide lifts all boats
I was in for a treat in Lisbon as I love harbors, their smells and bustle of activity that goes with them. A trawler unloading sardines for canning, a cruiser liner carrying dozens of enamored couples across the seas and mighty oil tankers feeding their liquid cargoes to refineries.
Yet, all boats be it a tiny dingy or a mighty battleship, float on the waves and the oceans. When tidal waves approach the harbour, all of them will rise in unison, the rising tide lifts all boats.
When your club grows, your members grow at the same time and you too grow in ways that you didn’t imagine were possible. It never ceases to surprise me that some of the best feedback I’ve had, came from new members or first-time guests present at the meeting where I delivered my speech. They brought new ideas, experiences and knowledge with them. None of which I would have benefited from had my club not grown by welcoming them.
Why did you join Toastmasters? Was it to gain in confidence in order to master public speaking? Then ask yourself what you can do to your club and what your club can do for you by growing and giving you a public snd a community to support you in growing your confidence.
When your club grows, you grow too! The rising tide lifts all boats!
Remember to Talk up Toastmasters in the next few months. Lets grow forward together by bringing these coveted ribbons and prize home. Lets organise Open-houses meetings and invite the public to grow with us. Lets share our stories, your stories across the web, airwaves and ether and spread the word about Toastmasters.