We have a lot to celebrate and be thankful for in District 91 during these challenging times. First of all, thanks to all of your efforts, almost all of our clubs moved their meetings online and we even have guests and new members joining our clubs in the virtual world. The standard of most of our online events has been superb and I expect our upcoming District 91 Conference with its amazing line-up of speakers to be one of the best Toastmasters online conference in the world!
Would you like to end your year on a high note? Why don’t you become a Triple Crown and complete a third educational award this year?
So far nearly 100 members have won this award over the course of the Toastmasters year. Could you be next? Find out how Mel of Didcot Speakers won her Triple Crown in the video below.
Don’t forget about the Pathfinders Award too that you can win for completing a path of Pathways. Many of these awards were given at the recent Division Hall of Fame and you still have two months to finish a path and become a Pathfinder too!
I am also keen to hear more stories of success and achievement from you. During our District Conference Hall of Fame, we will be rewarding a number of clubs and individuals. I am looking for nominations for the Toastmaster of the Year and the Club of the Year.
The Toastmaster of the year will be an individual whose actions were of the highest standard in supporting our members and clubs. Perhaps he or she inspired you and did something amazing. If you would like to nominate someone, please use this link.
The Club of the year will be a club who achieved excellence throughout the year. While excellence metrics are important, we are also looking for stories and how a club and its leaders supported its members. Can you think of a club that laid out amazing events? Is your club perhaps the best club if the world? If so, use this link to tell us more.
“My first recommendation is to look at the camera. I would like to have more eye contact as if you are engaged with me.”
I’m not sure about you, but in the past few weeks, these words have become a cliché in giving an evaluation to any speech. The repertoire of the same evaluation would leave me wondering if this suggestion adds much value to the speaker and audience? I kept wondering what if I couldn’t afford all those high-end technologies, what if I had to rely on low bandwidth? what if I lived in a small space and couldn’t make do? What then?
One of the reasons I joined Toastmasters is because it is a safe place to practice. For me, that meant my external conditions may not be perfect but I had a place to still practice and not feel ashamed that I couldn’t afford the best technology. I also wondered, what qualities do I need at this moment to empower myself to get the job interview or be asked to facilitate a workshop? Is it the best technology or a fertile mindset?
I didn’t want the fear of not having things perfect to stand in my way, instead, I saw this moment as an opportunity to build my muscle of resilience and shift my perspective. I realized if in my professional life:
1. If I was faced in crises management, can I tune my mindset to observe with what tools is available right now instead of thinking what “I should be having” or I don’t have the right tools yet. As a facilitator in emotional management, I could strengthen my resilient mindset by saying yes to giving more online general evaluations to overcome my itch if perfectionism.
2. If the video was not accessible to others? My past ten years of teaching online shared with me, don’t let the participant feel insecure when they can’t be seen. I adopted a DJ voice or imagined myself having a conversation with a long lost friend on the phone as a way to interact with the audience. As you may have guessed, I used tonal variety as my to-go-to rescue tool and create a safe environment for participants to express themselves.
3. If I had to give a speech to an audience that was visually impaired and realized that I could not rely on their sight or my facial expression or hand gestures, how could I amplify my speech? I started to re-examine my approach to the kinds of words I used and structured content appropriately.
In the chaos of COVID 19, I was reminded:
1. Always work with what you have and relax the grip from perfectionism.
2. As General Evaluator Junkie, I’m given the opportunity to share with clubs how to upscale what they think are imperfections and turn it into an advantage. Let go of the idea you need the best equipment to deliver a good speech.
3. Last but not least, COVID 19 revalidated the value of emotional intelligence, especially in our social competence. I want to communicate and interact successfully with an audience and it’s vital for me to build a trusting relationship. As an evaluator, I must practice the awareness that I don’t know what circumstances the speaker is facing privately, picking on his or her technology may not be the most sensitive or wisest recommendation.
I want to invite you, the next time you take on a role as an evaluator, notice your delivery and content. Practice empathy in the way you will deliver the commendations and recommendations. If want to take it one step further, join us on The D91 24 hour toastmaster event, where I will briefly share some tips on evaluating with video. You will find the link below. If you have any question, you can reach out on social media @kirti168
I’ve been a member of Toastmasters for eleven years and over that period I’ve become a big advocate of visiting other clubs. When asked why, I usually say that, all Toastmasters clubs follow the same basic meeting recipe yet each has its own unique and distinctive ‘flavour’.
I love meeting new Toastmasters, hearing their stories and learning about – well everything.
Visiting Toastmasters Clubs around the globe
It has always been possible for Toastmasters to visit other clubs abroad, but it’s suddenly become a whole lot easier (and cheaper). The rapid switch to online clubs has opened up the whole of the global Toastmasters community in a way that we could never have envisaged just a few weeks ago. I know because I’ve been club surfing while in home isolation.
Here’s where I’ve been
Since 23 March, I’ve been to 22 clubs on all 5 continents plus 4 Division Conferences and a D79 (Saudi Arabia) Leadership presentation.
The first was Paris Toastmasters, where I know fellow Toastmaster Carol Bausor. Vive la France!
Dnipro Toastmasters in Ukraine held a themed meeting “Cats & Dogs” introducing members’ pets on a slide show and carrying the theme through speeches and Table Topics. I was delighted when my impromptu story about our rescue dog won Best Table Topics award. I liked this quote:
“Don’t you feel like we are all trapped on the huge cruise ship called Earth
and there is nowhere to escape?”
The same day, I discovered Storytellers Sunday, an initiative by the Eastern Europe District Director which attracted 110 visitors in as many cities. We heard six stories on “The Meaning of Life” then an Open Mic session gave us three more tales. I have been twice more on “Lies, Lies, Lies” and “Oops, I did it Again”. You can find the group on Facebook.
Dun Laoghaire outside Dublin was charming with lilting Irish accents. I loved the fact that they start and end their meetings with an aphorism:
“What lies in the well of your heart comes up in the bucket of your speech.”
I also came across a new role, that of Poetmaster, who shared a poem about lock-down.
In one day, I visited three clubs. At lunchtime, I sat in on TK Maxx’s corporate club in London; the very polite and respectful Emerald Toastmasters in Nigeria; before finishing off the day at London Victorians to hear three mini-debates on Monarchy, legalizing drugs, and pros and cons of Artificial Intelligence. Wow, what a day!
As I speak fluent Dutch, I chose to visit Toastmasters Antwerpen in Belgium, a club I had visited many times in person when I lived there. Their theme was one of my favourites: “Personal Development books”.
Another day of three meetings: the energy-filled Bangkok Toastmasters in Thailand where I was Table Topics Evaluator and learned that they do not need to hoard toilet rolls as at home, they use bidet sprayer; Pinnacle Advanced Toastmasters in Sri Lanka where 50% of members are DTMs and finally, Experience French in London where I was Table Topics Master.
I met President “Tom in the Hat” at Eloquent Entrepreneurs in Denver, Colorado, a club for members with the entrepreneurial mindset. Three Toastmasters also visited from Taiwan. The next day, I attended one of my old Belgian clubs, Fonske Leuven, where I took on the General Evaluator role. I was a charter member of the club in 2009 and it was wonderful to be reunited with some of the other founding members including one, whose first-ever speech I heard and now he’s a DTM!
On Friday, I visited Singapore Online Speakers, where I had the privilege of hearing the 2001 World Champion of Public Speaking, Darren Le Croix, deliver a presentation on creating “Unforgettable Presentations.” You can hear this at the D91 Conference. The next day, I visited Gemstones in Nigeria along with visitors from several countries.
In the last ten days, I have visited clubs in Brussels (Anglo/Spanish), Marbella (Spain), Antwerp (again), Bangkok (different club), Baghdad (young professionals), Pinnacle Advanced in Johannesburg as Grammarian and this morning, Foveaux in New Zealand. Tonight, I’m going back to my first club, Toastmasters Hasselt in Belgium to give a speech and be Table Topics Master.
A great way to make more of your membership
As well as these international clubs, I attended Division H Conference where I picked up valuable online presenting tips from the Target Speaker in the Evaluation Contest, who gave a talk entitled “How to be a Zoom Director.” Division K had not one but three past World Champions as Keynote speakers. I gave my ACG Leadership presentation in the Division AConference and was honoured to be invited to be the Target Speaker for Division J. I would not normally have travelled to these events and paid the entrance fee but now could benefit all for free!
In four weeks, I have visited all these clubs and events, met hundreds of Toastmasters, made new friends and made dozens of pages of notes, all for the price of my Toastmasters membership. International visiting online is a great way to make the most of your membership. Lock-down will not last for much longer so I recommend making the most of the opportunity.
Want to have a go?
By now, you should have some appreciation of the enormous range of Toastmasters experiences.
So how do you get started?
There are many different ways to find online Toastmasters clubs. Here’s how I do it:
By Location
Go to www.Toastmasters.org. Select “Find a Club” and type in a location. Contact the club and ask for details of their online meetings.
Via easySpeak
If you want to find clubs in the UK, log into easySpeak, click on Organization (left-hand column) then select D91, then Meetings. Now select Calendar (top left) and “All online meetings” in the drop-down menu (bottom left). You will see clubs listed on every date. Choose one, click on the meeting manager and send an email.
Via Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Toastmastersclubswithonlineattendance/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/ToastmastersInternationalMembers/
Some unofficial lists that members are compiling:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1TYgVo7nCUZQMgDkzbrQTTS3kWqgoCC-MAtH_yGr2IaE/edit#gid=0
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1mH_Ow0vQ0yEMSklNYLNEt0LPKRE6IzwSKjnzcUFdjx0/edit?fbclid=IwAR0-sjXEB5wdo_DX78GOrmcXv9-YkCLbN_-NbqlwLPyNuN1Rl1-C-NnDLFc#gid=0
Remember to check the time zone of the meeting against UK BST time. You can do this here: https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html
No need to pack your suitcase. Enjoy your travelling.
Antonia Harrison
President, Shilling Speakers
Immediate Past Area A1 Director
Hi everyone, I’m Mel Cunningham. I’m VPM for both Oxford Orators and Didcot Speakers clubs, and I’m in the process of completing level 5 of the Dynamic Leadership pathway. I’m a headshot, event and scientific conference photographer and like all of us, my working and personal life has recently been jackknifed into lockdown.
This weekend, I was delighted to deliver a keynote speech at District Joy’s International Speech contest via zoom. It was the story about how I survived a medically induced six month lock down several years ago.
I was forced to let go of the hectic life I had, and make some seriously drastic changes to my attitude, outlook and priorities. I had to battle with months and months of being unwell, fear I would never recover and many unhelpful suggestions.
I’d like to share what I learnt then, to help you persevere through our current lockdown to prevent the spread of COV-19. I have also written the full story for you to fully understand my journey or you can watch the video of the speech.
Lesson number 1: Accept that this is the now. Now is all there is. There is no fighting or changing it. It’s a realisation that will come to you in an instant or gradually.
Reading or rereading Eckhardt Tolle ‘The Power of Now’ is my best suggestion.
Lesson number 2. Establish whether you are a moving or a still meditation person. And practice that every day. Doesn’t have to be crack of dawn nonsense, just when you need it. Now, I am a crack of dawn person, but that’s my superpower.
Try a few tai chi or qigong videos and discover if you need gentle movement to still your mind and breath into a meditative state.
Lesson number 3: Celebrate and appreciate the simple in your surroundings. Find something joyful, peaceful or uplifting every day to celebrate.
I’ve started a private instagram account to select one image of peace that I share with my lock down buddy, Mackenzie, my dog. I would encourage you to do something similar, like 100 days of happiness or the daily moments of calm instagram projects.
Lesson number 4: A bucket list. Though I liken it to something that sounds very similar.
When this is over, I’m spending as much time as possible walking and protecting the elephants. That was how I celebrated the end of my last lock down and I intend, if possible, to do the same, this time. Figure out what is truly important for you to do, change or prioritise.
Lesson number 5. Always ask your best friends and family for help. Or strangers. Inbetween doesn’t seem to work when you are struggling.
My life during my first lockdown wouldn’t have been anything without my two best friends who lived with or next door to me, and my two best friends in foreign countries, staying in touch virtually. You’ll be amazed at the support, advice and love you receive, if you ask.
Lesson number 6. When it ends, there is SO MUCH JOY, it’s almost hard to contain. But there is also one final trap we all need to prepare for upon release. There will be alot of anger, resentment and frustration at having to rebuild your/our lives again.
This is my personal lesson, because in the end, I needed alot of counselling, therapy and support to recreate my life again. We will all going need to invest in this to recover and rebuild.
Lesson 7. Nurture and maintain virtual relationships, to be as strong as in person ones. They aren’t the same, but they are currently the best we have. It’s an opportunity to embrace technology to support and supplement our relationships.
Total plug here: With my professional photographer’s eye and some surprising hacks for tricking the crappy computer camera, there’s so many ways to ensure that your virtual connection continues to be strong.
It’s all in the quality of the image you share, because we rely on someone’s visual cues to connect emotionally. If you can’t be seen clearly or see someone else clearly, it might cost you some of that connection, the relationship or your business or job.
If you are struggling and would like a ‘light me up in the zoom’ session, please do get in touch. It’s already proving to be incredibly effective for doctors working online, academics sharing their research and simply keeping families connected.
Lesson number 8. Go back to Lesson 1. Repeat, especially when we are not in lockdown.
My experience was personal, but not unique. There are many people who have been through a similar experience for various reasons, and many who are still suffering, with no possibility of their situation changing. I was fortunate to have escaped, and have had a chance to reflect and now another chance to put what I learnt back into practice. I believe this current global situation has many personal and universal lessons for us all, if we are prepared to embrace them. I hope one or all of my personal lessons will help you now.
Our next District Council Meeting will take place online on Saturday 2 May from 10:00 to 13:00. All Club Presidents, Vice-Presidents Education and members of the District Executive Committee are invited to attend and have their say on the following:
Elect the Division Directors, Club Growth Director, Program Quality Director and District Director for the 2020/21 Toastmasters Year. More information about the candidates can be found here.
Vote on the alignment of clubs to Areas and Divisions. The alignment committee report and proposals for the 2020/21 Toastmasters Year can be found here and the supporting spreadsheet here.
Hear updates from the District Leadership Team on District performance, District finances and how we are delivering on our District Mission.
Your attendance can make a major difference in the way the District is run. For example, following a motion put forward at the September 2019 District Council Meeting. The District Leadership Team opted to open a bank account in the United Kingdom to lessen its dependence on solutions provided by Toastmasters World Headquarters which in turn enabled the District to serve its members better!
