Celebrating our Distinguished Toastmasters in D91!

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Every year we honour those Toastmasters who have achieved The Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) award. 

This award represents the highest level of educational achievement in Toastmasters. It is a tough but extremely rewarding qualification that shows a Toastmasters has reached the pinnacle of leadership and overcome several leadership and communication challenges. To earn the DTM, a member is required to deliver over 30 speeches, or two pathways, and serve a one-year term as a district officer, serve as a club sponsor, mentor or coach and participate in the preparation of a club success plan.

This is no easy award to achieve! Being a DTM represents the superior level of achievement in both communication and leadership a member has contributed to Toastmasters and their own learning. As PR Manager I was honoured to catch up with these illustrious individuals to quiz them on their achievement. 

I asked all the DTMs the same questions:

1. What is your name, home club and path(s) you are working on?
2. How do you feel about achieving so much?
3. What is your secret to be able to achieve this accolade?
4. Why would you recommend this to someone?
5. What is your next challenge?
 
These are their reponses
 

Rose Nakibirango, London Public Speakers

  1. What is your name, home club and path(s) you are working on?

My name is Rose Nakibirango.

My home club is London Public Speakers

I am currently doing the Engaging Humour path but the humour still eludes me.

  1. How do you feel about achieving so much?

I am so grateful for the many Toastmasters who have made it possible for me to complete this award.

I would like to thank current and past members of London Public Speakers who have supported me in the last 3 years – from evaluating speeches to joining me in demanding projects such as Speechcraft.

A big thank you to the many Toastmasters from other clubs and Districts who were generous with their time and expertise to get me through the range of activities of this award.

  1. What is your secret to be able to achieve this accolade?

Planning when and how I was going to fulfil the different requirements and actively seeking out relevant projects. I had the benefit of an experienced and supportive Toastmaster as my mentor throughout my DTM journey. I highly recommend a mentor for any Toastmaster embarking on a DTM award.

  1. Why would you recommend this to someone?

Without a doubt. It’s not so much the award at the end but the person you become along the way.

  1. What is your next challenge?

My second DTM. I am working towards it. I am excited about meeting new people and learning from them. I know it won’t be the same as the first one – the requirements may be similar but the experience will be different.

Jean Gamester, Cardiff Toastmasters

  1. What is your name, home club and path(s) you are working on?

 Jean Gamester, Cardiff Toastmasters.  Visionary Communication and Motivational Strategies

  1. How do you feel about achieving so much?

My first DTM was in the old system, and for a long while I just did the old CC manual over and over.  I liked that well enough, but I’m really glad I engaged with Pathways, I’ve enjoyed the learning and how the different speeches and activities flowed.  It gave me a new challenge and a longer stretch with more variety.  I’ve also appreciated having done speeches and projects that others do when I am evaluating too, it helps me connect more with what they are trying to achieve. 

  1. What is your secret to be able to achieve this accolade?

For me the secret was planning – knowing which projects I was going to do when and getting them booked in with the support of lovely VPEs. There are people out there who have developed different ways of keeping track of their paths.  I particularly like the ones I found from District 38 – I use the spreadsheets they have there to track my paths.  I have a sheet for the two paths I have completed already and the two I am working on now.

  1. Why would you recommend this to someone?

Learning in Toastmasters is through a constant practice of giving and receiving over time. When we work through the paths and stretch ourselves to take on different speeches and activities, especially the ones that are outside our comfort zone, or are a bit different to what we would normally do, we learn more.  When we support others in their paths building on our experience of doing that work ourselves we develop even further.  This is how we develop such brilliant speakers and leaders.

  1. What is your next challenge?

I would like to complete the next DTM before I finish my term as International Director in August 2024 – I think visionary communication and motivational strategies seem like just the right paths to help me grow in the role too 😊

RAMESH HALAI, TJXpressions

  1. What is your name, home club and path(s) you are working on?

Ramesh Halai, TJXpressions, Presentation Mastery , Engaging Humour

 

  1. How do you feel about achieving so much?

I feel great, Never wanted to become a DTM, wasn’t in my list of things to do;
it wasn’t something I was chasing, so it felt great when it dawned on me that I only had one or two  more boxes I needed signing off before I gain this certification.
It was then a no brainier for me

 

  1. What is your secret to be able to achieve this accolade?

Just say ‘YES’. You will find out you will end up checking those boxes without even realising it; more importantly you will have earned the Badge because you earned it by doing, everyone else around you would have noticed that you are a more confident speaker

  1. Why would you recommend this to someone?

I say don’t do it to get the award, do the things that give you value;
To be more confidence; 
To be able to speak clearly in front of any number of people;
This in return will give the award; it may not be quick but you didn’t sign up to get this award did you?

  1. What is your next challenge?

Good question, I have the confidence to do pretty much anything I want to do; 
Whether it be travel in a hot air balloon over turkey or traveling to see the 7 wonders of the world; or something completely different
The honest answer is I haven’t decided yet; to get to the answer I will first document, prioritise and prune my to-do list, which is probably >100 in size. 
Then start working down the list and re-prioritising I as go along.

LUCINDA HARMAN, Shilling Speakers

  1. What is your name, home club and path(s) you are working on?

Lucinda Harman, Shilling Speakers

Completed 4 paths and 2 x DTMs

  1. How do you feel about achieving so much?

I don’t consider it so much. I believe in creating new goals and always raising the bar. 

  1. What is your secret to be able to achieve this accolade?

 It takes discipline, commitment and a lot of time investment not only in your own speeches, projects yet also giving back in leadership. A heart and soul for servant leadership and willingness to find the winning team formula. To be humble and agile in your approach to leadership and all that goes towards a DTM award.

  1. Why would you recommend this to someone?

It is an all rounder award requiring you to speak, charter clubs, mentor, lead, train and thus a very good training ground. These skills if transferred effectively can set you up professionally on a very good footing.

  1. What is your next challenge?

My focus has moved to corporate training and speaking. Definitely the TED stage and a lot more international appearances. This is probably my biggest unanswered question inside Toastmasters. 

And well done to my fellow DTM awardees.

Regards Lucinda

So, D91 Member, we hope this gives you a sense of the massive achievement DTM represents. To find out more about the Distinguished Toastmasters qualification: https://www.toastmasters.org/education/distinguished-toastmaster

Chris Arning,

D9 PR Manager, 2022-2023

Welcoming the World to Toastmasters

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By Tina Plamadeala

City of London, Open House, 17th January 2023

The City of London Toastmasters held a successful Open House event on the 17th of January, which drew over 150 attendees who were interested in improving their public speaking and leadership skills. The event was organized by a dedicated team of Toastmasters members and the committee, who worked tirelessly to ensure its success. The speakers at the event demonstrated a clear commitment to their personal development, each bringing their unique style and perspective to the event, making for an engaging and diverse line-up. For a flavour of the venue and the great atmosphere and vibrancy of the event we have made a take away video which you can view here:

What Made the Open House a Success?

Teamwork

The success of the Open House can be attributed to the collaboration and teamwork between club members and the committee. By working together, the team was able to ensure that the event ran smoothly and effectively achieved its goals of attracting new members and promoting the club.

The team was composed of members with diverse skill sets, such as marketing and promotion, event planning, organisation, and public speaking. Having a positive and supportive team dynamic, where members encouraged and supported each other, shared ideas and skills, and worked together to overcome challenges, helped build a strong and cohesive team.

Effective Communication

Communication was key to the success of the Open House. Effective communication within the team helped ensure everyone was on the same page and that tasks were completed efficiently. Clear and concise communication in promoting the event on social media (including this eye catching graphic) helped attract more guests. Effective communication also created a welcoming atmosphere, providing attendees with information and guiding them as needed.

Execution

The execution of the Open House was critical to its success. From setting up the venue to welcoming guests and promoting the club, careful planning and attention to detail were necessary for a successful execution.

Free Pizza!

Providing refreshments and creating a comfortable and engaging environment also contributed to a positive experience for attendees.

Converting Guests to join us…

What we try to impress on Guest attendees is that a Toastmasters club in your local area has so many benefits, a few of which include:

  1. Improved Public Speaking Skills: Joining Toastmasters community provides the opportunity to improve public speaking skills in a supportive and encouraging environment. Members can practice speaking in front of a group, receive constructive feedback, and build confidence in their speaking abilities.
  2. Personal and Professional Growth: Toastmasters not only helps improve public speaking skills, but also provides opportunities for personal and professional growth. Members can develop their leadership abilities, enhance their communication skills, and improve their listening and feedback skills, leading to increased confidence and opportunities for growth and advancement.
  3. Sense of Community: Being a part of a Toastmasters community provides a sense of belonging and a supportive network of individuals who share a common goal of improving communication and leadership skills. Members are encouraged to support and encourage one another, fostering a positive and uplifting atmosphere.

At City of London Toastmasters we strive to create a safe and supportive place for personal and professional growth. The Open House gives us the perfect opportunity to demonstrate that and to invite Guests to come back and eventually to join us and be part of a community dedicated to improving communication and leadership skills. We hope that the success of our Open House inspires other Clubs to organise similar events to welcome potential Members in their area.

If you’re already a Toastmaster but in London want to join us here’s our Club website : https://cityoflondontoastmasters.org/faq/

Tina Plamadeala, VPPR, City of London Toastmasters

If you want to find out more about how Tina promotes her Club then you can check out this interview with D91 PR Manager, Chris Arning.

The Laughing Toastmaster: All You Need is LIKES. Love in the Age of Social Media

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Love in the Age of Social Media

When my boyfriend asked me what I wanted for Valentine’s Day I didn’t hesitate, ‘Can you get all your office colleagues to LIKE my page’?

Yes Toastmasters, it has come to this, I don’t want to be loved, I want to be LIKED. Boyfriend can send cards and flowers, but that won’t make me feels as loved as 50 new LIKES. As the Beatles’ song would say now, ‘LIKE, LIKE me do’.

This isn’t me talking. Experts say social media is changing our concept of love and in the future our self-worth will be measured by the number LIKES, FOLLOWS, FRIENDED and LITTLEHEARTS we get. Guess I’m just ahead of the times! With 7.63 billion people in the world, the opportunities are endless!

Of course, many people moan and say it’s the end of romance and that getting an e-card is like drinking decaf coffee, you don’t feel anything and it’s sad. Millennials on the other hand will cry, ‘You want a PAPER card?’ and accuse you of personally destroying the Amazon, the forests, the eco-system, the planet, the universe, the future, their livelihood, the-possibility-of-ever-buying-a-home-I-resent-you … you old fogey.

Being an old fogey myself (defined as someone who still uses Facebook), I admit it’s difficult for these youngsters-doomed-to-live-with-mum-for-the-rest-of-their-lives…to comprehend what went on in ‘fogey times’.

  • When ‘strong or weak’ did not refer to passwords, but traits of your future husband.
  • A hashtag (#) was the first step to playing Ticktacktoe, not a way to communicate with as little effort as possible. #IluvU
  • Click-through Rate (CTR) was how many times your husband changed channels on the TV remote control and Conversion Rate (CR) was strictly for religions.
  • If you FOLLOWED someone it was stalking and GOING VIRAL was a pandemic waiting to happen.
  • Lastly, a HANDLE was attached to a door and PLATFORMS were reserved for 1970 shoes.

Please understand, I’m not against social media, on the contrary! I believe it comes with love-enhancing opportunities that us ‘old fogeys’ would have relished!

Let’s start with dating. Remember those blind dates your well-meaning friends hooked you up with? The date would turn up with the personality of an amoeba and more dandruff than a tax inspector? Then it turned out he WAS a tax inspector? Now you can google them to death and then check Tinder, Grinder and REMINDER to swipe them left. Forever.

Equally reassuring are ‘dinner dates’ which today consist of sharing pics of your Deliveroo while texting ‘Yummy’. What a relief not to worry about stupid chit chat or having to drown your burps while eating that enchilada.

Remember those love letters people wrote? (Ok, I wrote). So long and convoluted they made War and Peace look like a Tweet? Such a waste of time! I never got any action anyway. Nowadays just send an inappropriate pic of yourself and you’re in!

Then there’s the ‘Wedding Scene’. Gone are the days when you picked the bridesmaids because they were your friends. Now you choose them because they’re photogenic. No budget for your wedding? No worries! Get married in front of a green screen background and post a Bahamas wedding! Because what’s important are not the vows, but … you guessed it, the LIKES. Never mind your honeymoon includes sending round-the-clock pics to your 801,702 followers, because if you don’t post, it’s like it never happened. Today Descartes would claim, ‘I POST, therefore I am’.

Now you’re married and it’s all about ‘puppy love’. Not that pimply, prepubescent love of yesteryear. Today it’s about your puppy in a Cupid Costume with hubby and you in the background kissing. #AdorablyCute. A billion LIKES!

Finally, its break-up time, better known as #HateUDivorceU. Millennials have it so easy! No more awkward moments when friends you had as a couple have to pick sides and say things like, ‘Let’s stay in touch!’ and never talk to you again. Social Media allows you to take the initiative and DEFRIEND, DELETE, DEFOLLOW, DE-LINK, DEHANDLE, DECLINE. #NeverLikedYouAnyway

What a LIKE-able time to live!

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to target the 7.63 billion people in the world, starting with the 280,000 Toastmasters in 144 countries who I’m hoping will LIKE, FOLLOW, FRIEND and LITTLEHEART me back.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Sonia Aste is an engineer, writer and comedian. She’s a Toastmaster and member at Riverside Communicators Club.
More from Sonia on her website, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram

D91 Leader Letter January 2023 Club Growth Update

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Club Growth Update

Reflecting on our membership growth: retaining members and converting guests

Since the start of the Toastmasters year, we have welcomed four new corporate clubs and 1054 new members to District 91. We are now at the halfway point of the Toastmasters year. Now is a good time to review how your club is doing. Here are a few things to consider:

1. Guests are the lifeblood of any Toastmasters club. If you are struggling to get guests to your meetings, you may want to review your marketing efforts. Please also review whether your club’s contact details (address and contact number) are up to date on ‘Find a Club” on the Toastmasters International website, and on your club’s website (if you have one).

2. Are you converting your guests into members? Please take time to speak to each guest at meetings and invite them to join your club, the fact that they have turned up means that they are ready to start their Toastmaster journey. They will stay if made to feel welcome and asked to join.

3. Do you have an onboarding process for new members? How new members are onboarded is key to the longevity of their membership.

  • Do you offer mentors?
  • How quickly are they onboarded to Pathways?
  • How quickly are they integrated within your clubs?

4. Are your members attending meetings and doing speeches and roles? If a member has not attended for a while, then please get in touch with them. You could even send a survey to all your members to see what your club could do better or conduct “moments of truth”.

5. Review your club success plan and check how you are doing against those original plans. If you didn’t create one, don’t worry, it’s not too late to put one together and plan the rest of the year.

6. Are your meetings fun and enjoyable? Try new things at your club such as themed meetings, debates etc. You could even visit other clubs to pick up further ideas.

The renewals window is open, and we would like every member to have reasons to stay within their club. This is especially important because happy members are attractive to guests who, in turn, will become our new members and future leaders within District 91.

I would recommend that you complete your renewals as early as possible. There will be an award of £50 for the first 30 clubs that renew 20 or more members by 28th February 2023. All renewals must be completed by 31st March 2023.

Debbie Williams

Club Growth Director

D91 Leader Letter January 2023 Program Update

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leader speaking to large audience

Program Quality Update

Training, contests, club success and the D91 Conference

We are now just over halfway through the Toastmasters year. It is a good time to review progress against your Distinguished Club profile.

At the District Officer Training this weekend we ran sessions to help Area and Division Directors identify what clubs need to achieve to become Distinguished by the end of June.

While becoming a Distinguished or higher achieving club is important for tracking members’ progress as well as that of the club itself, please also remember to have “high energy” and fun meetings, so that guests want to join, and members want to keep attending.

Training

The Club Officer Training sessions are now under way. A quick reminder that training in D91 is three hours long and includes a session specific to the officer’s specific role. It is important that training records are updated on a regular basis.

Area Directors, please let your Division Directors know as soon as possible who has attended your training and the role they perform at which club(s) as soon as possible so that the records can be updated. Doing this will avoid having to remind people to attend when in fact they have already attended a training.

Please also remind your clubs that if they have all seven club officers trained, they will win a set of club officer pins if this is the first time that they have achieved that goal this Toastmasters year. They can also win a £60 voucher if the club has already had 7 officers trained in the summer round of training.

Area and Division Training events can be found on the D91 Calendar

Contests

Please remember that club contests can be online, in-person or hybrid. Area and Division contests must be hybrid. This was agreed upon at the District Executive meeting in Brighton in September 2022.

Conference

The District 91 conference in May. The location contract is currently being reviewed and a conference update was provided at our District Officer Training over the weekend. Keep your eyes out for confirmation of the conference location very soon!

Diane Richardson

Program Quality Director