District 106

Newsletter

April 2023

From the Desk of the District Director

March month was a crucial month for us as well as for Toastmasters as a whole. It's a renewal month and a month where there are high chances of clubs becoming suspended if they weren't paid clubs in the September renewal period. We were able to renew all clubs but one. I want to thank my district officers for continually engaging with their clubs by helping them to renew members on time. It is possible that the "SELF-PAY" option helped us succeed in renewing clubs more than in previous years.

During this renewal period, we brought in new members. Therefore, we compiled and uploaded a handbook for new members to our website. Feel free to download it and ensure new members have access to it. Assign mentors accordingly.

World Head Quarters has decided to increase the membership fees from $45 to $60 per 6-month enrollment period. It will be in effect after Aug 1, 2023. So, please let new and existing members know about this change in membership dues.

Long-time members are the backbone of our clubs. This is our clubs' first recognition of long-term members for their membership and service. I am thrilled that clubs maintain a positive and supportive environment.

We finally reinstated a club that was suspended during COVID-19. At the same time, we have been connecting members to join other clubs who could not reinstate their clubs.

We are very close to chartering two new corporate clubs in March-April 2023. Please help us promote Toastmasters in your workplace, social organizations, and community.

We are finally in transition to the new normal post-pandemic days.

Toastmasters is not only for communication and leadership development but also for volunteering in an organization. We recognize distinguished members who demonstrated personal growth in their clubs. Our (TMOY) Toastmaster of the Year Chair, Jackie Flaherty, has disseminated the criteria to nominate this distinguished member. Please check our District 106 website and select your club members for your area director.

Last but not least, the D106 Spring Conference will be in Duluth. So please join us and get together at our Spring conference on May 12 – 13, 2023, in Duluth, MN. Click here to Register!

Yours in service,

Gopu Shrestha, DTM,

District 106 Director

From the Desk of the Program Quality Director



Congratulations, District 106 club officers! Your clubs are fortunate to have you in place to help guide them. Participating in the second round of club officer training illuminates your commitment to your members! Seventy-eight clubs (out of one hundred one total clubs) trained four or more officers. Click here to view the D106 club officer training report. Fourteen clubs achieved the "Magnificent Seven" status by having all club officers trained. Congratulations!

I'm pleased to report that the distinction shown by District 106

Toastmasters members reflect beautifully in the 32 clubs which have

already achieved sufficient distinguished club plan points to qualify as

distinguished clubs. Per our dashboard report, Club Performance - 106

(toastmasters.org), we will be eligible to become a distinguished district by achieving 41 or more distinguished clubs. We have just under three months remaining in our Toastmasters program year. We can easily make it to 41 or more distinguished clubs. Keep focusing on member goals. Please help them to achieve education program level completions and get those recorded. Let's celebrate our members and their remarkable

achievements!

"Seas the Moment!" Our District 106 Conference is coming up quickly.

Make your plans to be present in Duluth on May 12th and 13th. Let's get

together to celebrate our district speech competition champions in FOUR

speech contest categories: Table Topics; Tall Tales; Evaluation; and

International. Our International speech contest champion is undoubtedly on the way to the World Champion of Public Speaking title! Kimberly Myers, our Toastmasters International Region 4 Board of Directors members, will deliver inspirational keynote remarks and conduct a workshop on dealing with change. As we enter the post-pandemic world, we are experiencing many changes and growth opportunities in approaching our Toastmasters experience. The change will continue to challenge us, but each day is a step closer to the new Toastmasters International.

I'm excited to journey with you as we prepare to enter into our second 100 years as THE most effective communication and leadership skills experience. The distinction you bring to this organization is without equality. Join us to celebrate this organization's positive impact on our personal and professional lives. Come try out the Yoodli application! Recognize multiple volunteers who will receive awards and recognition for helping to guide us on our journey. Come to learn about Rotary International. Come for food and fellowship. Click here to register now for the District 106 Annual Spring Conference.

Ed Aylward

District 106

Program Quality Director

From the Desk of the Club Growth Director

Tending the fire

I could hear the rhythm of the crashing waves along the northern shore below as I stirred the fire at our campsite. It had been a play-filled day of swimming, exploring, and walking along the shoreline. Making time with my husband at one of our favorite places for some recreation, rest, and reflection is something I look forward to. These times away from work or duty provides the opportunity to recalibrate.

Toastmasters is like that campfire. It's a place folks can gather together to share stories, dreams, and challenges. Sometimes a Toastmasters club may only seem significant once you realize it will go out without members tending the fire. Getting a fire started is more challenging than watching a fire. Are you tending your fire?

I remember our District Director Gopu Shrestha said at the beginning of the year, "We are going to be a distinguished district." He believed that despite our numbers, we would be distinguished. I doubted but followed his and Ed Alyward's example and recommendations. There have been highs, lows, glimmers of hope, and moments of sheer joy! It has been a journey for all of D106. By steadying one another, we have continued to grow forward. Since January, we have gained 91 members and are on our way to becoming a distinguished district.

I am so grateful for each of you tending your clubs and helping one another. Retention Chair Greg Scholz encouraged me to keep going and continue meeting together when even my home club struggled to get eight members during this last renewal period. Despite the challenges, when I look back at where we started and how far we have come. My heart is filled with gratitude. Oh my, have we overcome what challenged us at the beginning. Do you know if it has been worthwhile? Indeed it has. "What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will understand later." - John 13:7

Katy Hursh

District 106

Club Growth Director

From the Desk of the Public Relations Manager

Fellow Toastmasters and VP-PRs!

Greetings from the Office of the District PRM [Bob, Margie, Johnny, and Ashok]. I hope you all are doing well.

We want to call upon fellow Toastmasters who are interested in serving at the district level in the following roles:

• Public Relations Manager
• Web Editor
• Social Media Manager.

The District 106 PRM has been hosting the PR Club contest for the last few years, and we would like to continue this tradition of recognizing the clubs doing the work for their club growth and helping to share the success that will help other clubs in the district. It’s an incredible opportunity to develop new skills and help the district simultaneously. I would love to hear from you.

Here is our Video Cast Series Episode#3: “Mentor-Mentee Minutes,” our Newsletter Editor Bob Bazinet talking with Nancy Knoth, sharing her Toastmasters experience and Mentor-Mentee relationships. Click here to view:

Reminder! The last date to submit your entries for our Public Relations Club Contest is April 25, 2023. Click here to submit your entries for the Public Relations Club Contest.

Our Public Relations Club contest includes the following:

• Best Website
• Best Press Release/ News Article
• Best Social Media
• Best Club Event Promotion
• Best Corporate Club Promotion
• Best Video of sharing a success story of the Club

District 106 Social channel presence by the numbers:

Facebook: 413 Twitter: 178 Linkedin: 191 Instagram: 269 YouTube: 141

TikTok: 15.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok for exciting updates, inspiration and more.

If you have any questions, comments, feedback, or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out! 

Together we keep the Toastmasters brand strong!

PRM Team [Johnny, Bob, Margie, Ashok]

Ashok Sunkavalli

2022-2023 District 106 Public Relations Manager

ashoksunkavalli@gmail.com

Cell: (319) 431-2415

Applying for a Free Canva Pro Account

(U.S. clubs only)

Toastmasters International and Canva have joined to offer members of Toastmasters (U.S. clubs only)to share a Canva Pro account. Canva Pro allows you to produce great slide presentations, flyers, newsletters, and much more with an extensive library of templates, designs, images, and the capability to upload logos, fonts, and color palettes. In addition, Canva features a social media tool that gets your club seen. Post and engage on Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Twitter.

You will need to download a 501c3 document to get started. You can click here to learn how to download this document and follow the guidelines to get your free Canva Pro account.

Regards,

PRM team

Toastmaster of the Year 2022-23 Program

This is your friendly reminder that clubs should be considering who their Toastmaster of the Year (TMOY) is for 2022-23. May 31 is the deadline for clubs to select their TMOY.

Submission dates for 2022-23 TMOY:

• June 1: The club selects a TMOY, and Club President submits information to their Area Director.
• June 15: Area Director selects Area TMOY & forwards it to Division Director and TMOY chair.
• June 25: Area Director notifies the Area TMOY recipient.
• June 25: Division Directors forward nominations to the District Director and the TMOY Chair.
• Division and District TMOY awards are announced at the Summer 2023 Toastmasters YLeadership Institute (TLI).

You can find all the information on the District 106 website under the 'District" tab. Click on District Toastmaster of the Year for more details, dates, and the Outstanding Toastmaster Guidelines form.

Please let me know if your club wants a guest speaker to discuss the TMOY awards and process. In addition, I've developed a 6-8 minute PowerPoint presentation to help members learn more about this annual award.

Jackie Flaherty

jackieflaherty@yahoo.com

District 106 TMOY Chair 202-23

From the Desk of the Desk of the Club Quality Chair

Hello District 106 Toastmasters and friends,

As Club Quality Chair working with Katy Hursh, District 106 Club Growth Director, we are excited about new clubs joining our District106. Our latest new club is LPI Toastmasters. There is another club on the verge of chartering as well. Thanks to the Toastmasters who have joined the demo meetings to make this happen. Those Toastmasters will be getting an essential credit towards earning their DTM.  

Do you ask what you need to do to get in on this? You can either be a sponsor or a mentor to a new club. A sponsor is a Toastmaster who organizes and recruits at least 20 members to form either a community club or a corporate club. The mentor is the advisor who serves at least six months after the club charters. Both those experiences bring your leadership and communication skills to a new level. Challenge yourself to work outside the comfort of your club. 

You say you also have yet to hear about demo meetings and would like to get that credit toward a DTM. To get a hold of the demo meetings and participate in the action surrounding the start of a new club, please reach out to me so I can add you to the list of invitees. Once you are on the list, this list will be active next year, even if you are not assigned this year. Creating new clubs is a constant endeavor of District 106. More clubs are coming, and we always need dedicated Toastmasters who want to dive deeper into how Toastmasters International work.  

 Why not you? Get in touch!

Yves Prévost DTM PDD

 yprevost123@gmail.com

From the Desk of the Youth Leadership Coordinator

Gilliane Arens wrote this month's Youth Leadership Program article. She was Toastmaster Of The Year for District 106 in 2019-20. Arens is an active and inspirational Toastmaster in her home club, Ordway Orators, #4709, and outside her club. She took over for me as the YLP coordinator at Urban Roots; She went on to find another YLP opportunity to share her love of Toastmasters. Here is Arens' story.

Confessions of a Youth Leadership Coordinator

by Gillian Arens

It sounds daunting if you're unfamiliar with the concept of a Youth Leadership Program (YLP) or what it entails. But then you remember, we are Toastmasters, and we do daunting things (like speaking in front of people) all the time. But we're pretty good at it.

Last Fall, I worked with two of my fellow Toastmasters to create a YLP for 7th and 8th graders at The Journey School, a free public charter school in St. Paul. The school enlisted our expertise to help their students prepare for an upcoming public speaking night.

I had experience working with high school-age students in a YLP, but 7th and 8th graders were new territory. Therefore, the lessons and concepts we learn in Toastmasters, like vocal variety and gestures, had to be distilled to make them accessible to this age group.

Some ideas we came up with were to play the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air theme song to illustrate how you structure a story with an introduction, body, and conclusion. We also played a drawing game where one student selected a silly monster card and then described the monster to another student who would try to draw it. This was how we approached the concept of using descriptive language. (Candy as a prize also helped, but don't tell the principal!)

The best part of working with students in a YLP is seeing how much they grow throughout the program. I love hearing about everything they want to discuss and hope that I make it less scary for them so their experience speaking in public is FUN.

If you are interested in creating a YLP, I highly recommend it. It has been one of the most fulfilling things I've enjoyed being part of as a Toastmaster. Gillian Arens

Submitted by,

Dan Grundtner

District 106

Youth Leadership Coordinator