Susan Rayner From Hilary Briggs, District Governor D91 UK South
I’m delighted to formally launch the new website we have developed for all Toastmasters within District 91 – UK South: http://d91toastmasters.org.uk/.
The purpose of the site is to:
It is designed to complement the other three websites that are fundamental to our success:
The site is the start of something new which we hope will improve communications between our members.
I’m most grateful to all the hard work behind the scenes by Tazud Miah, Dorothea Stuart and Jean Gamester in particular for enabling us to launch this site.
Please give us your feedback on the site and ideas for how you’d like to see it progress.
Bob Nisbet DTM interviews Martin Berry DTM (Camberley Speakers, Farnham Speakers). Martin is the first person in our new District 91 (UK South) to complete both the communication and leadership tracks and become a Distinguished Toastmaster, the highest award bestowed by Toastmasters International.
Q: How long has it taken you to reach Distinguished Toastmaster?
A: I went to my first Toastmasters meeting on 4 Oct 2005. I still have the agenda! I joined about a month later and did my first ever speech on 12 Jan 2006. My DTM plaque arrived in September 2014. So about nine years.
Q: Why did you first come to a Toastmasters meeting and why did you join?
A: My friend Doug New had been raving about Toastmasters and kept nagging me to go along. I told him quite firmly I wasn’t the least bit interested in hearing a load of stuffy speeches. Eventually he made me an offer: “ If you agree to come along just one time, I’ll pick you up from your home, drive you to the meeting, buy you a pint afterwards, and then bring you back…if you don’t like it I’ll never bother you with it again.” Of course, I loved it. I never guessed the speeches would be so personal, so entertaining, educational and often funny or uplifting. It was as good as going to the theatre.
May 2005 I attended a 3 day course with the Starfish Project, a non – profit making organisation which helps people who stammer. Among other things I was taught a breathing technique which helps me in controlling my stammer. It will not make the stammer go away but it gives me control over something which has controlled me since I was a young boy.
On that course I met Barry Rix who has become a really good friend of mine. Barry is a member of Toastmasters International who helped start Chelmsford Speakers Club in January 2007. I went to the first club meeting. I will always remember that night. I was asked to introduce myself and struggled to say my name. I thought “I can’t go back after that!” I’m really happy that I did not give up.
My Icebreaker speech was on 7 February 2007. Winning the best speaker ribbon was amazing. It is still framed and hanging on my wall at home.
Notice issued 1 October 2014
Dear DLT, Division Governors, Area Governors, Club Presidents and VPEs
You are invited to attend the District Council Meeting on Saturday 1 November 2014 at 11.00am at the Thistle Hotel Brighton, King’s Road, Brighton BN1 2GS. (All members are most welcome to attend, but voting is restricted – please see below).
Members of the District 91 District Council are Club Presidents, Club Vice Presidents Education, Area Governors, Division Governors and District Leadership Team members. (Assistant division governors and assistant area governors are copied in for information only. They are most welcome to attend but will not be able to vote).
Proxy voting: In order for our District Council to conduct business, there needs to be a quorum of a third of all Club Presidents and Vice Presidents Education (VPEs). Therefore it is really important that each President or VPE either attends or looks for a member in good standing from their club to carry their vote (a proxy). If you are sending a proxy, please complete this Proxy Form and give it to the person you want to carry your vote. Note that other District Council members cannot send a proxy, just club Presidents and VPEs.
Here is the proposed meeting agenda : D91_District_Council_Agenda_20141101 and previous meeting minutes : D91 Council Minutes Dun Laoghaire May 2014.
Registration: All members of the District Council who plan to attend the Council Meeting must register with the District Parliamentarian at the credentials desk in advance of the Council Meeting. All proxy holders must present their proxies in paper form (ie. print out and complete the attached proxy form) for validation at the credentials desk.
Motions: Motions for presentation to the Council must be submitted in email format to me by the 15 October 2014. Prior to the Council Meeting, the District Executive Committee will also prepare motions to be presented to the Council (5:15pm to 7pm in the Tennison Room, Thistle Hotel Brighton, Friday the 31 October).
The Conference: This Autumn Conference is the first one for our brand new District 91. If you’ve haven’t already booked, visit http://www.autumn-conference.org
See you in Brighton!
Best wishes,
Susie Bloor
District 91 Secretary