April 2024 Vol. 42

"Treat people as if they were what they ought to be, and you may help them to become what they are capable of being." 
-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

"Leaders realize that by adding a cup of encouragement, they may reap gallons of achievement."
-Stan Toler


Encouragement Echoes Everywhere!

***2024 District 65 Conference***

We're just a few weeks away!

When: Saturday April 27th (9:00am - 5:00pm)
Where: DoubleTree Rochester, (1111 Jefferson Rd. Rochester, NY 14623)

Featuring:
  • Keynote speaker: 2023 World Champion of Public Speaking Jocelyn Tyson
  • District International and Evaluation speech contests
  • Educational workshops
  • Attendees will also receive morning refreshments and lunch!
Final Four: Membership Madness! Incentive

  • Add four or more new members to qualify

  • Receive a $25 Toastmasters gift certificate

  • Contact Rachel Dowling (radowling@gmail.com)to receive your gift card when your four new members have been added
Pathways Tips

Pathways Update

As you may have already heard, an improved version of Base Camp is launching this year. This platform upgrade will bring changes to the Pathways learning experience that members have requested for some time, and we are excited about future improvements this transition will also be able to support!

  • Assess Your Skills – In the new version of Base Camp, projects will be redesigned, and the Assess Your Skills activity included in your projects will be replaced with a new type of before and after reflection.



Evaluations Are Empowering

Have you been inspired by the contest evaluations you’ve heard? Do you want to empower yourself to give better evaluations? Download the Level One Evaluate the Evaluator form from the Level One Project, Evaluation and Feedback Digital Workbook (as a PDF Document on your laptop).

Each time you do an evaluation, ask the speaker that you evaluated to fill out the Evaluate the Evaluator form, or even the Active Listening elective project evaluation form. Either one of these two forms will assist you in giving better evaluations. This action will help you understand what speakers expect from their evaluators. You can share this form with the person of your choice to gather their feedback on what was helpful and what wasn’t in your evaluation.

Stay tuned for an evaluation workshop coming to our district in April.
See you at the conference on April 27, where we will hear our best evaluators at the Evaluation contest.

Avis Brodie, DTM, PDG 
District 65 Program Quality Director 2023-24
Speechcraft Incentive

Speechcraft is an abbreviated Toastmasters experience, like a mini college course on speaking. It is designed for non-members, run by experienced club members. It can be 4, 6, or 8 weeks long. Speechcraft is also an excellent membership building tool.


Our District team would be happy to help you get you started! We’re offering free Speechcraft ($50.00 value) to all District 65 clubs that run a Speechcraft between October 2023 to May 2024.

Please send your questions to PQD Avis Brodie or CGD Rachel Dowling and be sure to contact one of us to register your purchase.

Save

the

Dates
Mastering Speech Evaluations

Special Guest Speaker John Constant, DTM, will unlock the secrets to delivering winning evaluations. Whether you're a seasoned Toastmaster or just starting your public speaking journey, this comprehensive guide will empower you to craft impactful evaluations.

John says: How to be like a doctor and triage your ‘patient’ as an evaluator. In this workshop, we cover off some core skills doctors use and look at how to critically evaluate a speaker. Did you know you could be critical and still give positive feedback? In this workshop, you will learn not only what to evaluate but why.

Tuesday April 9th
7:00pm - 8:00pm
Welcome to Toastmasters

Just joined? Get off to a strong start! An introduction to Toastmasters for all new members and members who joined in the past year.

Saturday April 13th
9:00am - 10:00am 


Followed by...


Pathways 101

For anyone who has not yet started Pathways, whether you’ve been a member for a while or just joined us, this step-by-step guide to the interface is for you.

Saturday April 13th
10:00am - 11:00am

Attend one or both!
Annual Spring District Council Meeting

District meeting for District officers, Division and Area Directors, Club Presidents, and Vice Presidents Education. District election will be held, your attendance is important. Please log in at 5:30 so that your ballot may be assigned to you. 

Tuesday April 23rd
6:00pm - 9:00pm (starts promptly at 6:00pm)
Registration link will be sent to Clubs in good standing

Important documents:
  • Establish your Club Leadership Committee: Club President appoints a Club Leadership Committee of three members in good standing; one of whom being the Immediate Past President as the chair- at least two weeks before club elections.

  • The Cub Leadership Committee selects candidates for each of the club offices.
 
  • Prepare for Club Officer Elections the first meeting in May.
champagne-streamers.jpg
April Club Anniversaries

5460...........AM Lockport..........................4/1/1984
6635...........UB Westwinds...................... 4/1/1999
1027292.....Orange Orators ....................4/12/2007
1196232.....The Larkin Leaders...............4/21/2009
1263588.....Canandaigua Community
...................Toastmasters.........................4/5/2010
3641921.....Tiger Tales Toastmasters......4/28/2014


Dear Patty...
Dear Patty,

I am eagerly working toward becoming a Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) in the Pathways program. I have completed the Leadership Development learning path and have completed Level 1 in the Persuasive Influence learning path. Additionally, I have served as a club officer twice and last year I served as an Area Director. I have also led a Speechcraft program and served as a mentor for a new club.
 
For my DTM project, I have offered to support a local charity organization with a fundraising campaign, which I believe would be a good DTM project.
 
My challenge is, I have tried searching for the DTM project on Base Camp – but I cannot seem to find the tab to launch this. Can you please advise me where I can find this on Base Camp?


            

  -A Future DTM


___
Dear Future DTM,

Way to go! Congratulations on all you have accomplished so far! You are well on the way to achieving your DTM. There are just a couple more steps you need to do, before you can access the DTM project on Base Camp.
 
To request access to this, you must first have completed one full path (which you have) as well as have attained Levels 1, 2 and 3 in your second path. Therefore, I would encourage you to keep signing up for those speeches – and you will soon be on the way to celebrating your DTM achievement!
 
Once you have completed Level 3 in your path – Persuasive Influence – you can then email Toastmasters International at educationprogram@toastmasters.org; they will then activate the DTM project on Base Camp. This will allow you to complete this, alongside your Level 4 and 5 projects of Persuasive Influence.
 
Once again, congratulations on your achievements to date. Achieving your DTM is only the beginning – congratulations for opening this door of opportunity for yourself!


Patty


P.S. Please send any questions concerning your Pathways journey to D65Pathways@gmail.com. Maybe we will select your question to publish next time in the D65 Newsletter.
Follow us on Social Media!