District 106

Newsletter

December 2023

From the Desk of the District Director

December marks six months in this Toastmasters program year. We’re halfway to meeting our personal goals and to fulfilling our club success plans. Distinguished District remains within our grasp, but more importantly is the commitment of your district leadership team to helping you to achieve your communication and leadership objectives. We’re here to help you and to help your club.

Use December to recharge your batteries! Enjoy your time with friends and family. Commit to “hitting the ground running” in 2024!

We launch 2024 with a virtual Toastmasters Leadership Institute (TLI). Club officer training sessions are scattered across January and February. Contest season will see well-prepared International speeches and the fun of extemporaneous speaking demonstrated in Table Topics competitions.

All of our speech competitions will culminate in District championship contests on 03 and 04 May 2024. Make your plans now to attend the 2024 District 106 conference! Our keynote speaker (and workshop presenter!) will be Toastmasters International First Vice President Aletta Rochat! It will be a phenomenal event!

Want to grow your communication and leadership skills? Join a speech competition as a competitor or volunteer! The commitment to excellence made by our speech competitors carries over to each of the volunteers who help to make speech contests happen. Perhaps you will get to say “I was at the (club, area, division, district) competition where World Champion of Public speaking (your name here!) began the demanding journey to becoming recognized as best in the world!”

Our Division Directors, Area Directors, Managers, and District Trio thank you for your many accomplishments during this Toastmasters program year-to-date! We look forward to continued success as we finish the year strong together.

I wish each of you the best of this holiday season and all good things during the new year 2024!

Edward Aylward, DTM

District Director, District 106

Calling All Toastmasters! Volunteer Speech Judges Needed!

The NCFCA Christian Speech & Debate league will be hosting a tournament from January 9 - 11, 2024, at the University of Northwestern. We would love to have you join us in our mission to challenge and equip students to communicate truth with integrity and grace. 

Our tournaments require support from community volunteers who give their time to judge rounds of competition. No experience is necessary because we want our competitors (ages 12-18) to practice real-world communication and get feedback from adults with a variety of perspectives. Your input can truly make a difference.

Would you consider volunteering to judge a round of speech or debate? 

Judging one round requires a commitment of approximately three hours. Your experience will include a brief training video, watching and listening to the students assigned to your room, filling out ballots to rank the competitors, and offering feedback you have on their performance. We offer light refreshments and will gladly provide validation of community service hours upon request. We think you’ll also find the tournament fun!

Please visit our judge registration page to see the schedule of rounds available and choose one or more that work for you. 

Thank you for taking the time to consider this invitation. We are confident that you will be blessed by what you experience if you choose to join us! If you have any questions about registration, please contact our Community Judge Coordinator, Heather Griswold, at StPaulJudges@ncfca.org or (612) 229-4823.

From the Desk of the Program Quality Director

Changed by Christmas Stranger 

Have you ever experienced something so magical it gave you goosebumps? An unusual encounter, an unlikely place, an act of kindness from a stranger that left you speechless or forever changed? These moments I call ‘Love Notes’ from God. It is a gift, and so extraordinary that nothing else can explain these encounters or circumstances but that it was God. 

Recently my daughter shared an encounter that was unexplainable but spilled over with God’s goodness and mercy. She relayed the story and her encounter with the ‘Christmas Stranger.' The tears were streaming down my cheeks with gratitude as she shared her story. Mercy and compassion were shown by this unknown stranger to my daughter.  

The virtues of mercy, kindness and hospitality are gifts I am praying for this Christmas. I am lacking. How about you? What gifts are you hoping for? Perhaps to be Changed. To see things differently? What would it take to relax, laugh more, or play a silly game? It took 3 Ghosts: the Ghost of Christmas Past, The Ghost of Christmas Present and The Ghost of Christmas Future to change Ebenezer Scrooge’s heart in the story of The Christmas Carol. He saw where he started, who he had become, and where he was going. Ebenezer Scrooge had everything except compassion, kindness and joy. He was empty and selfish.

Toastmasters gives us the opportunity to connect with others who want to change and become the best version of themselves. We are here to empower one another by providing tools and a positive learning environment in our clubs and district. Please join me online on Saturday January 6th for the Toastmasters Leadership Institute (TLI) from 9am - 12pm CST.  

The TLI will be the first session of Club Officer training and will feature several guest speakers and electives for you to choose from. The topics are: 

• Speech Evaluations, 
• Using Pathways & Badges, 
• Promoting your Club, 
• Club Success & Moments of Truth, and 
• Cultural Competency.

Following the TLI, there will be 11 sessions of Club officer training to choose from in January and February. The topics for all Club Officer training are: 

• Quality Club Meetings, 
• Using Pathways, and
• Club Officer Roles. 

Please register for one of these training sessions to earn a Distinguished Club Plan point for your club and be better equipped to serve your club. You can register on the District 106 Calendar: CLICK HERE

This Christmas time, consider the gift of the Christ child born to an unlikely girl in an unlikely place who changed the world. This real gift of hope can be life changing when we remember the significance of why Jesus came to the world. Is your heart the same or changed?

Merry Christmas,

Katy Hursh

Program Quality Director, District 106

From the Desk of the Club Growth Director

Toastmasters of District 106,

We are entering the holiday season, and I would like to encourage you to spend time with family, friends, and whoever gives you energy. It’s a great time of the year, and let’s try to make the best of it. 

We have some great things happening, and we need your help! In January, District 106 will be participating in a 90-day LinkedIn campaign. This is our chance to shine! If you are VP-PR, please ensure your “Find a Club” section is updated on the toastmasters.org website - this is very important as we will be trying to generate leads for your club. Also, if you have a LinkedIn page, please update it. We want to do everything to make sure this campaign attracts new members.

I would like to encourage you to update your personal Toastmasters Club websites as well. This is a great opportunity to shine, let’s be ready when people visit our sites.

Important reminder- If you receive an email about a prospective new member, please answer it within 48 hours. If you are unable to answer it in 48 hours, please assign someone who can. Toastmasters International conducted research and found that well over 50 percent of people who submitted a contact inquiry didn’t go to the club because no one responded to their inquiry. We want to take every opportunity to convert guests into new members of our wonderful district. Respond and follow up if you can - it goes a long way!

I enjoyed visiting Roseville this past weekend to celebrate the start of the holiday season with fellow Toastmasters. It was well worth the drive as it was a great opportunity to share some laughs and enjoy the great Toastmasters we have in our region. Thank you everybody for your hard work.

If we, as a district, take care of the little things from now until March, this will make the latter part of the year much easier and more enjoyable. Let’s convert every prospective member, let’s host open houses, and let’s show the world that District 106 has the best Toastmasters.

Remember, we need club coaches. This is a great way to help support our district. We could also use clubs that are interested in mentoring other clubs. Finally, we want to showcase our clubs using open house meetings. If you host an open house and it leads to two new members, reach out to me. We have some great prizes that will help your club.

We are all a team, let’s do this together! If you need anything, reach out.

All the best in this holiday season! I wish you health and prosperity, and I'll see you in 2024.

Matthew Villela, DTM

Club Growth Director, District 106

Email: tm.matthew.villella@gmail.com

From the Desk of the Public Relations Manager

Happy Holidays 2023!

Fellow District 106 Toastmasters! Greetings to you all from the Office of the District PRM [Ashok, Jason, and Margie]. Hope you all are doing well.

Building on the message I posted last month regarding club websites, I want to reiterate how important it is for your club website to be up-to-date and easy to navigate. The club website is key to helping prospective members connect with your club, and you want to make it easy for someone to visit. Especially this time of year, prospective members are looking for Toastmasters' help with their New Year's resolutions - is your club ready for it? Don’t worry about the technical skills! The PRM team is here to help guide you through the process.

Here are some things to consider while you are working on updating your club website:

• Is the home page engaging and current? Photos of people in your club doing things, like a “gallery view” of your club meeting online, help prospective members make a connection with your club.
• Is the meeting information correct, including the time, place, and any special directions such as how to login to online meetings?
• Does the "Contact us by Email" button go to someone who can respond within 24-48 hours?
• In your public Members section, are there at least a few engaging profiles with pictures?
• Are visuals and messaging in alignment with the Toastmasters International brand manual?

You can find more great information on website templates here.

For guidance regarding Free Toast Host (FTH) club websites, please reach out to us by

sending email to prm@d106tm.org.

We're looking forward to seeing your wonderful websites!

Finally, the District 106 PRM team is hosting a Practical PR Workshop on January 18, 2023, at 6 PM CST. Register for the workshop using this link: https://tinyurl.com/3w3u9x6d

PRM Team [Ashok, Margie, Jason]

Ashok Sunkavalli

2023-2024 District 106 Public Relations Manager

ashoksunkavalli@gmail.com

Cell: (319) 431-2415

Follow us on D106 Website, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok for exciting updates, inspiration and more.

YouTube: 157 LinkedIn: 202 Facebook: 458 Instagram: 299 Twitter: 205 TikTok: 45

District 106 Awards Ceremony 2022-2023

From the Desk of the Club Growth Chair

Take a Step Toward DTM as Club Sponsor / Mentor

Hello District 106 Toastmasters!  

I hope you had fun with the speech contests. We have some amazing speakers in this District and it was a pleasure to participate in the contests as an official or an audience member. I know several people wanted to join the team of new club sponsors and mentors, but felt it was too much with organizing club contests.

Now that club contests are over, we ask if you would consider joining our team of club sponsors and mentors for upcoming new clubs. We have a team in place, but this team needs to grow to meet the District’s new club goals.

Have you thought about how you can help shape the future of District 106?  By becoming a club sponsor and mentor, you can ensure the success of new clubs while helping new clubs discover their personalities. Success of new clubs creates in turn club diversity in the District and strengthens the District’s leadership and communication programs. Wouldn't you like to be part of that success?

As a sponsor and mentor, you get to pass along your knowledge and make new contacts while enjoying another facet of Toastmasters. I promise you will learn a lot of transferable skills and discover how Toastmasters really works. Did you know that successfully serving as a new club sponsor and mentor earns you credits toward your Distinguished Toastmaster designation? Fulfilling this credit is usually an obstacle to earning a DTM as the opportunity does not present itself often. We are inviting you to take advantage of this rare opportunity.

Perhaps you have eyes on serving the District in the Trio leadership. Understanding how clubs are formed will be essential experience to success when you get elected. Furthermore, serving as a sponsor or mentor shows your interest in District leadership and your desire to improve the District. When you present yourself as candidate, you will have a huge advantage over those who lack this unique experience.

If you are working toward earning your DTM, want to serve as part of the District Trio, or just want to help the District meet its new club goals, please consider becoming a new club sponsor and mentor! You will enjoy the experience while helping build District 106. I wish you All the Best for the Holiday Season and many successes in 2024. 

Please contact me at yprevost123@gmail.com to get you started.

Yves Prévost DTM

Club Growth Chair

Yprevost123@gmail.com

From the Desk of the District Leadership Committee Chair

Embrace Leadership: Join Us for a Toastmasters Revolution in 2024-25

Fellow Toastmasters,

As the current Chair of the District Leadership Committee (DLC), I stand before you today with great excitement and anticipation for what lies ahead. The time has come for us to select new leadership to guide us through the Year 2024-25. This process is a critical one in ensuring the continued success and growth of our Toastmasters community, and it is an opportunity for all of us to make a significant impact.

The role of the District Leadership Committee (DLC) is to evaluate all candidates for District elected roles and nominate the best candidate(s). This is a responsibility we take very seriously, as we understand the profound influence our leaders have on the direction and spirit of our beloved Toastmasters organization. Therefore, we invite all eligible members who are passionate about Toastmasters and eager to serve to step forward and be part of this remarkable journey.

Nomination Eligibility: The Backbone of Leadership

To maintain the high standards of leadership in Toastmasters, it is crucial that our candidates meet certain eligibility requirements as outlined in the District Administrative Bylaws. These requirements are designed to ensure that our leaders have the necessary experience and commitment to lead our District effectively.

Here are the eligibility requirements candidates must meet:

ELECTED LEADER POSITIONS

All positions must be held by a member in good standing of a Toastmasters club in good standing. The responsibilities and qualifications of each elected leader position are as follows.

1. DISTRICT DIRECTOR As the District’s Chief Executive officer, direct the District in a way which fosters strong clubs; produces maximum growth in education completions, clubs and membership; and be consistent with the interests of members of Toastmasters International. Motivate the District to achieve Distinguished recognition. Achieve the mission of the District in a manner that motivates volunteer leaders and promotes a standard of excellence in all District activities.

Qualifications At the time of taking office, the District Director shall have served at

least six consecutive months as a Club President and at least 12 consecutive months as a Program Quality Director, Club Growth Director, or Division Director, or a combination thereof.

2. PROGRAM QUALITY DIRECTOR Under the guidance of the District Director, strive to have every club and each member reap the benefits of Toastmasters and to have every club become Distinguished. Provides direction and counsel to Division Directors, Area Directors, and Club Officers on the educational opportunities in Toastmasters. Design and conduct successful District training programs, conferences, and other District educational events.

Qualifications At the time of taking office, the Program Quality Director shall have

served at least six consecutive months as a Club President and at least 12 consecutive months as a Program Quality Director, Club Growth Director, or Division Director, or an Area Director, or a combination thereof.

3. CLUB GROWTH DIRECTOR Under guidance of the District Director, make the benefits of Toastmasters membership available to greater numbers of people. Plan, develop, implement, and direct District marketing objectives. Develop and direct programs for new club development, club rescue efforts, club membership promotion, and membership retention. Achieve Distinguished District goals for membership and club growth. Promote standards of service to the member and to the club.

Qualifications At the time of taking office, the Club Growth Director shall have served at least six consecutive months as a Club President and at least 12 consecutive months as a Program Quality Director, a Club Growth Director or Division Director, Area Director or a combination thereof.

4. DIVISION DIRECTOR Achieve the mission of the District within the Division,

accomplishing District goals in membership building and retention, club extension, and educational accomplishments. Ensure that each club realizes its mission and fulfills its responsibilities to members. Achieve Distinguished Division Program goals and ensure that Areas and clubs within the Division achieve Distinguished recognition. Serve the Division clubs by providing District support and resources through the Area Directors.

Qualifications At the time of taking office, the Division Director shall have served at

least six consecutive months as a member of a District Council.

All Elective Officers (as stated above):

Every officer must have been an active member of a Toastmasters club in good standing for the entire preceding 12 months, or a member for 12 consecutive months within the past three years within the district where the officer shall serve.

One District at a Time:

A member may only be a candidate for elective office in one District at any given time, ensuring their commitment to the role.

One Position at a Time:

A member may only serve in one position within any District Executive Committee at any given time.

These eligibility requirements ensure that our leaders have a deep-rooted connection to Toastmasters and a well-rounded understanding of our organization's functions. They also guarantee that only those who have dedicated themselves to our cause are eligible to take on leadership roles.

An Opportunity for You

If you meet these eligibility criteria and have a deep commitment to Toastmasters, we encourage you to consider stepping forward and becoming a part of our District leadership. The impact you can make is immeasurable, not only on your own personal growth but also on the growth and development of the entire Toastmasters community.

To express your interest, we have provided the necessary forms and guidelines. Please fill out the following forms and submit them by December 31, 2023:

Candidate Application Form (Submit) [Click Here for Form]

Nomination Form (Submit) [Click Here for Form]

Officer Agreement and Release Form (Submit) [Click Here for Form]

Biographical Information (Submit) [Click Here for Form]

Photograph (Submit) [Email]

By taking this step, you not only demonstrate your commitment to the Toastmasters mission of developing communication and leadership skills but also your dedication to strengthening our District and the global Toastmasters community.

The future of Toastmasters is in our hands. Let us come together, support one another, and nominate the best leaders to take us into the Year 2024-25. I have no doubt that, with your involvement, we can achieve greater heights and inspire others to become the leaders they were meant to be.

Thank you for your dedication, passion, and commitment to Toastmasters. Let's embark on this journey together and create a brighter and more inspiring future.

Yours in Toastmasters,

Gopu Shrestha, DTM

Chair, District Leadership Committee 2024-25

Toastmasters International District 106