Important information for Toastmaster Members

June 2021: Celebrating A Year Of Achievements

Where did that year go?! June 30 marks the official end of the Toastmasters year, with new office bearers stepping up to the plate at every level - Club, Area, Division, District and Region.

I wish all the incoming teams every success for 2021-22. And I want to express my heartfelt thanks to the 2020-21 teams, who have achieved so much in quite challenging circumstances. Click here to see a short video message, and read on to find out more about our high achievers - and how you can join them!

Wendy Williamson DTM, District Director

For Everyone: Congratulate Our DTMs!

The Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) Award represents the highest level of educational achievement in Toastmasters.

To earn the DTM, you are required to:

Complete two learning paths.
Serve as a club officer for 12 months, participate in the preparation of a Club Success Plan, and participate in a district-sponsored club officer training program.
Serve a complete one-year term as a district officer.
Serve successfully as a club mentor or coach.
Serve successfully as a club sponsor or conduct a Speechcraft or Youth Leadership program.
Complete the DTM project. (Members are required to create and implement a project of their own design, in which they demonstrate the skills and expertise they have gained.)

As you can see, it's quite the "to do" list. So it is with immense pride that we share the names of our members who have succeeded in completing these tasks since July 1, 2020. Congratulations to:

Louise Bark, Shellbusters
Edward Van Gennip, Kingdom Speakers
Karim Premji, North York Project Management
James Shi, Humber Shores Club
Karim Premji, Advanced 60 Speakers
Lee-Anne Leslie, Whitby Intrepid Toastmasters
Kris Nelson, Brooklin Toastmasters
Debra Irvine-Kvistbo, Toronto #1 Toastmasters
Richard Darrell, Spotlight Speakers
Angela Sy Ho, Toronto #1 Toastmasters
Elaine Goulbourne, Brooklin Toastmasters
Timon Harewood, Bay Street Breakfast Toastmasters Club
Alison Knibb, Ebony Toastmasters Club
Julia Lawr, Bay Street Breakfast Toastmasters Club
Laura Wilson, Sun Life Speakers Corner Club
Allan Farrington, Brainwave Speakers
Dorothy Sanderson, Oshawa #1 Toastmasters
Francis Chu, Toastmasters CIPro Club
Matthew Kleinosky, St Vladimir Toastmasters Club
Anne Carol Sharples, Humber Shores Club
Corey Knecht, Oshawa Toastmasters
Rajiv Mahendran, Scarborough Toastmasters Club
Nicole Pinto-Lobo, 222 Jarvis Toastmasters Club
Marenca Kherani, Connaught Speakers
Valerie Campbell, Kingdom Speakers.

And a special mention of Chester Campbell, who achieved his DTM in 2019-20, but whom we somehow omitted in previous newsletters.

If you'd like to join them, find out more about the qualifying criteria here. We look forward to seeing your name in an upcoming newsletter!

For Club Officers - Club Officer Elections

Congratulations to the many clubs that have already conducted their elections, and welcome to the new Club Executives! If your club hasn't yet held elections, use this link to discover some helpful resources.

Two important action points:

Make sure the list of new office bearers has been communicated to Toastmasters International. This is the responsibility of the President or Secretary, and either of you can do this using Club Central. The deadline is June 30, but please don't leave it till the last minute.
Incoming office bearers - register for (required) Club Officer Training. The first sessions are on June 13, and there's a blockbuster session on June 26, for all roles - you can register here. If those dates doesn't suit, check out your options on the District calendar, where you'll find a range of days and times to choose from. Pro tip: you can attend ANY Division's training - you don't have to stick to your home Division.

For Club Officers: Last Chance To Earn Distinguished Club Points

We have so many clubs on the verge of greatness!

All they need is one or two more members, or another Path level to be completed, and they will be a Distinguished, Select Distinguished or even President's Distinguished club.

That's not quite correct - they need those things and then they need to register them with Toastmasters International by June 30. Pro tip: don't leave it to the last minute. Computer systems can get overloaded, or you might get distracted by something urgent.

Everyone can contribute to achieving these goals. Check your club's dashboard, and determine what needs to be done.

Congratulations to the 53 clubs that have already achieved Distinguished status!

For Everyone: A Tribute To District 60

Wendy Williamson writes: It is my privilege to pay tribute to District 60 at this momentous point in time. On July 1, 2021, the completion of the long awaited reformation will occur and District 60 will begin a new journey as a smaller, more manageable district.

District 60 began in 1952 and at its largest included 347 clubs and served Toastmasters in Metropolitan Toronto, Eastern Ontario to the west of Kingston, Southwestern Ontario to the west of London, Central and Northern Ontario to Elliot Lake, Sudbury, Timmins and the Niagara Peninsula.

As growth and success continued, so did the need to create a more manageable district and on July 1, 2008, District 60 was split and the new District 86 was formed.

Again, growth and success continued to be achieved by both District 60 and District 86 and 13 years after the first reformation we are now celebrating our second reformation and the new District 123, a spin-off from District 60 and District 86, is about to join the Toastmasters family.

In its long history, District 60 has had the pleasure of hosting four different International Conventions, each time in Toronto, in 1967, 1977, 1993 and 2005.

We have produced 14 International Directors. District 60 has become one of the strongest districts in Toastmasters International.

We have achieved Distinguished District status or better 26 times and have celebrated many members being awarded the ultimate Toastmasters International Citation .

This reformation is bittersweet as many of our Toastmasters members and friends will no longer be in District 60 – but you will always remain a part of us. Our deepest wish is that as District 123 your new district and members continue to achieve your goals and be successful.

In District 60, we will continue on our new path of growth and success together. We will continue to celebrate our members, celebrate our clubs, and celebrate our district. We will continue to provide a mutually supportive and positive learning environment in our clubs. Because in District 60, “Members Matter Most”.

Best wishes to all members and clubs in District 60 and District 123!

For Everyone: Where's My Club?!

Or, more precisely, Where Will My Club Be On July 1? You know that our new District 60 and brand new District 123 come into being on that date, and a lot will change.

District 60 will change from nine divisions to six, and three "Division Letters" will change - G to B, H to D, I to E. Plus all the corresponding Area numbers will change.

In District 123, everything is brand new.

Think of it as a Toastmasters “Where's Waldo?”. You can find out where your club will be located as of July 1 by reviewing the D60 Alignment Report right here and the D123 Alignment Report here.

New District 60

Brand new District 123

For Everyone: Calling For Your "Of The Year" Nominations

Every year, the district recognises members whose dedication, commitment and efforts have significantly contributed towards the achievement of the District’s mission.

The four Of-The-Year Awards (OTYA) are:

Toastmaster of the Year
Club President of the Year
Area Director of the Year
Division Director of the Year.

To find out how to qualify and how to nominate a fellow member or even yourself, click here .

Pro tip: The window for nominations is July 1-31. But familiarise yourself with the criteria and begin collecting the required information now.

For Everyone: Making Progress On Pathways

Program Quality Directors Aneeta Pathak and Kris Nelson write: One of our key objectives this year was to encourage members and clubs to embrace Pathways learning.

This meant more than just signing up for a path – it included members who were actively working towards Pathways levels, club excellence, and DCP credits. With this in mind, we set an incentive for clubs based on every member completing at least Level 1 in any path.

Two clubs did achieve this lofty objective, each receiving $150 in Toastmasters International Gift Certificates:

1 York Speakers Club

Applewood Achievers

In reviewing club achievements, we also noted many clubs who came close to achieving this, and have recognized the spirit of excellence in one club per division, with each of these receiving $100 in Toastmasters International Gift Certificates:

Division A: University of Toronto Toastmasters

Division B: Advanced 60 Speakers

Division C: ART Advanced Royal Toastmasters

Division D: Speakers Club

Division E: Kawartha Lakes Toastmasters

Division F: Deloitte Toronto Toastmasters

Division G: Schulich Toastmasters Club

Division H: Speakers Club of TDAF

Division I: Speakers Club of Ryerson Engineering (SCORE)

Congratulations to all of our winners - and to every club who took this opportunity to grow and support members in their achievement! We salute you!