Featured Posts

I want the naughty kids, and the quiet kids!

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By Sam Warner, Ludlow Speakers, Area J11 Director

The teacher was a little perplexed when I asked her for the naughty kids and the quiet kids to be invited to be participants in the Youth Leadership Program (YLP).  She felt that this special after-school club should be a reward for good behaviour to the children that were already achieving good grades. I explained that in Telford especially, (a factory and mining town) aspirations were not high and some children were destined to follow in their parent’s footsteps into benefits and crime without positive intervention.

Sam with the kids from YLP

YLP changes young lives forever, by giving a voice to young people who find it hard to express themselves in a constructive way, or at all!  Most children have been told to sit down, shut up, and do as they are told.  I ask them to stand up, speak up and tell me about something there are interested in. 

I’m just about to start my 7thYLP with 15 x fifteen year olds.  I have modified the program to better suit English culture and schooling whilst maintaining the structure and teachings of Toastmasters. We do three rounds of speeches, culminating in a showcase in front of teachers, parents and friends.  I conduct group evaluations after each speech and table topic and I have added the grammarian role to help the class learn about grammatical devices, new words and filler words.  Each session has a lesson and the participants all get to take turns at the committee roles. 

The teachers are always so grateful and so impressed with the both the quantity and the quality of the lessons.  The children evolve before your eyes.  They surprise you, delight you and impress you.  I have yet to encounter any actual naughty behaviour.  Most schools ask me to return once they have experienced the program and words gets round – I am very much in demand in Shropshire and Staffordshire. 

We do need more Toastmasters delivering more YLPs in schools.  The teachers want it, the kids need it, and it’s a great development opportunity for any member who wish to enhance their own skills.  I’m happy to advise and guide any Toastmaster that would like to give it a go.  I have met adults that received the YLP training at school  who have gone on to become Toastmasters and they say it changed their lives forever for the better.

If you want to know more, Sam has templates for all the agendas if you want to replicate her delivery of the YLP. You can email her

Club Ambassador Programme

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What is the Club Ambassador Programme?

The Club Ambassador Programme (CAP) is an initiative that rewards those Toastmasters that are never satisfied with attending one club. The CAP promotes the frequent flyer, the explorer – those keen on leaving their comfort zone repeatedly in the pursuit of a new challenge in a new club.

Who can become a club ambassador?

Any Toastmaster in District 91 can! Every time you visit another club that you are not a member of, simply record your progress on the form below, and you will collect points on the programme.

What will I gain?

You will have a chance to visit new clubs, meet new people, learn from others and share your skills with others. You might enjoy a newly invigorated passion for Toastmasters after changing your surroundings, or perhaps push yourself out of your comfort zone.

The further you venture, the more roles you give and speeches you deliver, the more points you get. These go towards our three-tiered Club Ambassador Award.

For 2019-2020, we will award congratulatory pins for all silver ambassadors and branded laptop rucksacks to all gold ambassadors.

Why stop at Gold? The Toastmaster with the most points in July 2020 will be crowned the District’s Club Ambassador of the Year.

New for 2019-2020, Club Ambassadors also collect points for their home club – the home club with the most points will win a £100 gift voucher, with the 2nd-5th placed winning £25 gift vouchers.

What do I need to do?     

1) Pick a club (the further you venture from your area, division or country, the more points you’ll get)

2) Let a committee member know you’ll be attending (sign-up for a role to earn more points)

3) Attend, take part and enjoy!

4) Don’t forget to tell us about your visit by completing this form.

Any rules?

  • Visits do not count if you are a member of the club.
  • Visits to pre-charter clubs and demonstration meetings for new clubs do count. Tell us if this is the case on the form or in an email.
  • If you are an area/division director, only visits to clubs outside your area/division count.
  • Attendance at an Area & Division contest does not count as a club visit.
  • Multiple visits to the same club do not score more points.
  • Only visits between 1st July 2019 and 30th June 2020 will be counted as part of this year’s programme.

For any questions regarding the CAP please email cap@d91toastmasters.org

My Journey in Toastmasters by Brian Skelton

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In May 2005 I attended a three Day Speech Therapy course with the Starfish Project which is a non – profit making organisation that helps people who stammer.

During those three days, amongst other things, I was taught a breathing technique that helps me to control my stammer. It will not make my stammer go away but it gives me control over something that has controlled me since I was a young boy.

Read more

Toastmasters with Different Abilities

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Toastmasters with Different Abilities – Facebook Group

A new Facebook group has recently been set up for Toastmasters with different abilities.  The purpose of this group is to provide a space where disabled Toastmasters can ask questions and share experiences to support them on their Toastmasters journey.

The group was set up because we realised there was a need for a space where Toastmasters who need to do things a bit differently can find out from others who are in a similar situation how they have dealt with challenges and what solutions they’ve found.  This could be valuable to both new and experienced members alike – you never know who might have found the solution to the challenge you’re facing!

If you’d like to join us to get the most out of your Toastmasters experience and help members around the world do the same please come and say hello at Toastmasters with Different Abilities Facebook group!

PR Publications Service – Call for Quotations

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PR Publications Service – Update

Following discussion at the District Executive Committee in September and November, this February we published a call for quotations for the PR publications service on behalf of both Districts 91 and 71.  By the closing date of the 25th of March we had received four proposals from prospective suppliers.  Having reviewed those proposals, the leaders of both districts agreed to re-appoint Panpathic Communications for the period 2016-19, subject to annual renewal.

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Toastmasters UK and Ireland (Districts 71 and 91) are seeking a supplier to deliver a public relations publication service for the period beginning July 2016 for three years, subject to annual renewal.

The following document; UK and Ireland D91 and D71 PR Publication Service Requirement, describes the requirements for the service and provides information about Toastmasters International. It also provides the questions we would like to have answered in any quotation for the service.

The closing date for quotations is the 25th March, 2016.