From a Triple Crown to the Chair of the District Council
When I became a Toastmaster back in 2010 I was immediately sold with the idea of what the organisation was about, through the wonderful welcome and induction I received from my club Wessex speakers in Winchester. I very quickly set myself some objectives to work through my competent communicator manual and unlike a lot of members also got through my competent leader manual at relative pace. Within a year of membership I had also managed to achieve my advanced communicator bronze award.
I decided that I wanted to understand more about the organisation I joined and I remember going to a divisional speech contest early in my membership. This sticks in my mind because it was the first time I met Past International Director Jean Gamester. To my utter surprise my name was called out by her when she was on the stage and I was presented with something called a Triple Crown. Although the award was unexpected and very nice, I remember driving home thinking even at that point I wasn’t sure what it really meant to be part of an organisation as big as Toastmasters International.
In the couple of years that followed, I remember going to the conference in Swindon, one in London near to the Tower of London, one in Gatwick and when I was serving as Division Director I stepped up to become logistics chair for the Mayflower conference in Southampton. I remember vividly the thank you speech that Vanessa King DTM gave when she prepared to step down as District Director and remember thinking how proud I was to be involved with such an amazing group of people. Somehow I still feel tired when I think of that conference, but it holds memories I will always cherish.
It feels very strange therefore, to be less than a week away from our conference in Heathrow where I will chair the annual business meeting as District Director. The conference team under the leadership of Debbie Williams and Bolu has done an amazing job to put together such an exciting agenda. At the time of writing we are sold out of our Gala Dinner and VIP tickets. As you will see from Debbie’s article – there is still time to buy day tickets!
So…. If you want to build memories, spend time with friends, maybe even make some new friends, then you need to come along and be part of the fun.
You will not regret being helped to see how big and impressive this organisation is – but most importantly how impressive the talent and members are that we have here in District 91.
Buy your ticket today – and maybe one day you will be inspired to become the District Director too….
Yours in service,
Steve Vear
Last Updated on 30th April 2025 by Allen Paul