District 106

Newsletter

June 2023

From the Desk of the District Director

The time has finally come to bid farewell and ensure our legacy lives on. Throughout May, we had a conference, a speech contest, and the

handover/installation of new officers. As we near the end of May and head into June, our

success is evident, thanks to the growth of our paid clubs and memberships. We are on the

verge of something extraordinary called "Distinguished District Year 2023"!

We have undertaken various promotional activities to generate excitement about the conference. Additionally, we have re-oriented the roles of club officers and our service to emphasize the value of our members. We even sent unique printed invitations to those members who still need to renew their memberships, and we took the time to acknowledge our long-term who have been with us for over ten years.

We invited the presidents of all 102 clubs to our conference, inspiring them to bring in first-time members. As a result, we have reserved unique slots for these newcomers to foster a sense of belonging and inclusion.

We want to extend our gratitude to the corporate offices of Boston Scientific, Arden Hills, MN, and Allete Powers, Duluth, MN, for their support in establishing and chartering clubs within their organizations.

During the challenging times of the pandemic, we worked tirelessly to revive clubs that had closed during the pandemic. So far, we have successfully restored one club called "Deliver under Pressure." This year alone, we have added 500 new members through 422 new memberships and 71 charters.

We conducted the best speech contest ever, utilizing a hybrid format without encountering any technical difficulties. In addition, we could cover 90% of the conference costs through registrations and silent auctions. This is a remarkable achievement, and it is rare for a large conference like ours to incur such minimal charges.

Lastly, this year presented unique challenges due to the new normal and the hybrid situation, a first in our history. However, the unwavering team spirit and contributions from our Trio members, Area Directors, Division Directors, PRM Team, and other supporting Executive Admin staff have made a significant difference. We are making history, so please extend your support to your home club and nearby clubs to ensure this year becomes a DISTINGUISHED YEAR. We have gained momentum, and our next leadership team is eager to carry forward this legacy enthusiastically.

Thank you all for your unwavering support! By empowering our members and celebrating their achievements, we will continue to grow stronger every year.

Yours in service,

Gopu Shrestha, DTM,

District 106 Director

District 106 Spring Speech Contest 2023 Result

Thank you to all who participated in our hybrid Spring Conference Speech Competition held in Duluth, MN., on May 12th and 13th. Congratulations to all the winners! Click on the link below for the results of our contests.

From the Desk of the Program Quality Director

Club Presidents/Secretaries,



Please enter your club officers list by June 30th! Distinguished club plans receive credit for updating your officer lists on time.

Club secretaries: log in to Toastmasters International at www.toastmasters.org. From "My Home," scroll down to "Club Central." Select "Club Management," for which you wish to update the club officers list. Click "Club Officer Assignment." You will see a "future" option and a"current" option. Enter your future (July 01st, 2023) club officers.

Congratulations! You've taken the first step toward helping your members be recognized as distinguished in the 2023-24 Toastmasters program year!

This Toastmasters District is warm and welcoming! Let's together build into

our DNA – our standard operating procedures – a commitment to open

houses, invitations, and welcoming! Yes, we are finishing this Toastmasters

program year with a solid push to add new members. Let's take that

momentum and continue adding new members… every month!

Plan to come to the District 106 picnic event at Como Zoo in St Paul on

June 24th. We know from our recent District 106 conference experience that it is fun and rewarding to celebrate with one another in person! I look forward to seeing you there! I've included the District 106 Picnic in the Park information below.

Edward Aylward, DTM

Program Quality Director

District Director-elect, District 106

From the Desk of the Club Growth Director

Finishing Strong

Fellow Toastmasters,

June 30th is the last day of the Toastmasters year. There is still time to:

1. Submit your club officer list
2. Give another Pathways speech and make it count.
3. Add another club member
4. Make your club distinguished.

In the last month, many clubs have stepped up their game by doing these four things. You will see which clubs, areas, and divisions have become distinguished by everyone working together towards a common goal. Thank you for your efforts. Because of you, our district will be distinguished. 

As I prepare for the new year as Program Quality Director, please let me know if you are interested in a district leadership role and would like to be on my team. Being a district leader is rewarding and beneficial to tremendous success in all capacities. In the meantime, let's finish strong by making our home clubs distinguished. I know you can do it! 

Finally, I would like to provide all of you with the Club Officer Training registration dates and links that will begin June 24th.

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]. Hope you all

are doing well.

What an incredible year this has been, and all the great things we have accomplished make us all proud of our District 106. Thank you to all the VP-PRs, and Trio leadership for the incredible support. I would

I would like to thank my awesome team (Johnny, Bob, and Margie)for all the incredible work they have put in this year.

I am continuing to serve our District 106 as PRM for the upcoming year 2023-2024. Margie Peterson will continue to serve as Podcast Manager for 2023-2024. Please help me welcome our incoming Newsletter Editor in Chief, Jason Sonnek. Transitioning duties from outgoing team members Johnny and Bob is in progress. Thank you both for doing phenomenal work in this area as well.

Calling on all Toastmasters who are interested in serving our PRM Office 2023-2024. Please reach out to ashoksunkavalli@gmail.com. Open positions include Chief Web Editor, Social Media Manager, and Content Writer.

Thank you to all the Clubs participating in the 2022-2023 PR Contest. Winners were announced at the Spring Conference 2023; here are the Winners:

• Best Website: Anoka Toastmasters
• Best Newsletter: Powertalk Toastmasters
• Best Event Promo: Powertalk Toastmasters
• Best Social Media: Wordsmith Toastmasters
• Special Recognition for PR promotion: PRomote the Possibilities Toastmasters.

Check the video link below posted on our YouTube Channel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svqBlj5NQUA

I recommend all incoming VP-PRs review Toastmasters brand guidelines when posting content on your Club website and social platforms. Click here to access the Toastmasters Brand Manual.

You can access more PR content from our District 106 page Office of Public Relations.

District 106 has issued a press release for the corporate award given to ALLETE Inc. during our International Director Kimberly Myers visit to Duluth, MN. Congrats, ALLETE Inc.!

Check the news article on the WDIO ABC Channel by clicking here.

The 2nd Corporate Award has been issued to Boston Scientific Corporate Club "Shock, Rhythm, and Talk Toastmasters" during our International Director Kimberly Myers's visit to Minneapolis.

Here is the link to the photo clicks taken at our District 106 Spring Conference 2023: https://dropvent.com/ see14563

District 106 Social channel presence by the Numbers:

Facebook: 420 Twitter:182 LinkedIn: 193 Instagram: 275 You Tube:146 Tik Tok: 19

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

From the Desk of the Toastmaster of the Year Chair

Hopefully, all the clubs have submitted their Toastmastmaster of the Year (TMOY) club winner to their Area Director for consideration of Area TMOY. These will be announced in June, and the Area TMOYs will be considered for Division and District awards and recognition.

Now relax and congratulate your club on fulfilling this duty in a timely manner and celebrating all of your club members for helping to keep your club fun and active.

For more information (deadlines and timelines) and the TMOY form, please visit the D106 TMOY page here.

With gratitude,

Jackie Flaherty,

TMOY Chair

From the Desk of the Youth Leadership Coordinator

We may be coming to the end of the Toastmaster Year, but we are not reaching the end of youth that need you. Please consider taking on a Youth Leadership Program now and in the new year. I am here to help and answer questions.

As they said in the Peace Corps Promotion years ago, "It is the Hardest Job you will Ever Love." That is true for the Peace Corps, and it is true for YLP. They are both a lot of work, life-changing, and equally rewarding.

Contact me, and let's get you started. 

Daniel Grundtner

https://dan.grundtner@gmail.com

YLP Chair '22-'23

District 106 Toastmasters,

To say we had an unbelievable year in forming four new clubs. This year the clubs counted for chartering are 1. North Star Evaluators 2. Just Say It! 3. Toltzmasters, 4. Boston Scientific- reinstated.  

It sounds simple, but it is far from that! The number of people involved in the effort to create a new club is numerous. Apart from the new club mentors & sponsors, there was the effort of the Club Growth Director, Katy Hurst, juggling balls that are not only moving vertically but also changing directions. There was a demo team of dedicated toastmasters who freely gave their time to help whether they got credit or not. Then there was the energy expended by those who contacted our Club Growth Director to find the required paying 20 members to charter the club & organize them to come together.  

When you look at how a new club charters, it is a beautiful example of teamwork through communication & leadership. This is the essence of Toastmasters. It is a complicated process, but it works.

One of the missions of the District is to form new clubs. In 2023-24, we will be continuing with this work. We are always looking for Toastmasters who want to participate in this exciting team process. Being a new club mentor & sponsor is part of the requirements for earning the DTM. New club sponsors help charter the club, while the new club mentors help establish the club once it is chartered.

So that you know – the District needs you. If you are looking to complete your DTM or you want to help, please get in touch with me at yprevost123@gmail.com. We will do our best to find a compatible group for you.  

Have a fantastic summer!

Yves Prévost DTM

Club Quality Chair