Club News - October 2014

Celebrating 90 years at Balck Walnut Toastmasters Club in Kitchener 

KITCHENER, ON – October 22, 2104, 90 years to the day after Toastmasters' founder Ralph C. Smedley held the first Toastmasters meeting in the basement of a YMCA in Santa Ana, Calif., the Black Walnut Toastmasters Club in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada celebrated with cake.
After an enthusiastic introduction by Sergeant-At-Arms Melissa Kristensen, Wayne Kuhn – the longest currently serving member of Black Walnut – opened the meeting at 7:30am by welcoming members and visitors. One hour later, after two prepared speeches and Table Topics (an impromptu speaking activity), the club dined on cake brought in by the club's sitting president, Matt DiMarco.
Division Governor Bud Brown remarked, "Any time of day is a great time to celebrate 90 years of helping people to improve their Communication and Leadership skills." Here's what other club members had to say:
"Mmmblufwerp buphwlm hrginyung.” - Chris OBrien, Vice President, Education (translation: This is definitely not 90 year old cake)

Mississauga Sales and Marketing Toastmasters

by Dr. Krupa Shankar, MD

Dear Friends,

We have reason to believe we are independent, but in reality we are interdependent. The interdependence is through interaction. Better the interaction, better the chances of all stake holders emerging winners. Money is the tool of interaction. Proper communication is the means. Money may make the world go round, but money is only secondary to the means.

All of us live by selling products or services. Scientists produce insights, which is a kind of service for humanity at large. No matter what we do for a living, be it profession trade or charity, we need to know sales and marketing.

Toastmasters International has been around for 90 years and is currently operating in 128 countries with over 500,000 members. It is probably one of the most useful and successful non-for-profit organizations today, in terms of the use it has been to its members and the ways in which it has contributed to their success. It is built around the principle of enhancing leadership through honing of speaking skills.

Speaking well is more than making entertaining noises. It produces a positive feedback loop in the brain and gets one to become better at thinking, planning and execution. Speaking well is a basic life skill. Sales involves selling what is in stock and marketing involves studying the market from the customers’ point of view. They are the two sides of the coin that constitutes business, but try as much as we would, we can see only one side of a coin at a time. The best one can do is flipping the coin over swiftly and see the 2 sides at the shortest possible intervals. It is necessary to do this as this coin of sales and marketing changes daily, if not hourly. This requires the cultivation of fleet footedness.

District 86 has decided to have a specialty Toastmasters club to focus on sales and marketing for this very reason. This club will focus on skills required for this purpose through mentoring, networking, and role assignment and a structured method of interaction that will permit you to test out your ideas before executing them in your workplace. Each meeting will be like a lab where you can learn through interaction and feedback and maximize your success out there in the real world.

We welcome you to the first meeting on November 3rd at Mississauga Board Of Trade, 701-77 City Centre Drive, Mississauga, Ontario, L5B 1M5 from 6pm to 7pm. We have room only for 35 guests. Please register in advance at eventbrite.  

Tips for Contest Time

Attention Contest Organizers & Contest Chairs

I wish to draw your attention to the following 3 contest rules and 1 common practice.

1. How to introduce contestants?
Stating the numerical order for contestants is the wrong way to introduce them. Do not make the numerical placement part of your introduction for a contestant. Only state Name, Title, Title, Name.

Wrong way:
Our second contestant is Micaela Jones, My Traveling Companion, My Traveling Companion, Micaela Jones.

Correct way:
Please welcome Micaela Jones, My Traveling Companion, My Traveling Companion, Micaela Jones.

2. Contests with 3 Contestants, no time disqualifications – who to announce?

Wrong way:
Only the 1st place winner is announced publicly. The 2nd place winner is told privately afterwards.

Correct way:
2nd place winner announced
1st place winner announced

3rd place winner is not announced

3. Who sets up/takes down contestant’s props?

Wrong way:
• Sergeant at arms connects with each contestant to find out what, if any, props, he or she needs help with.
• A contestant expects the sergeant at arms to automatically take care of his or her props.

Correct way:
• A contestant connects with the sergeant at arms in plenty of time before the contest to see if the sergeant at arms can help set up and take down his or her props.
• A contestant puts props in place quickly while judges are marking the minute before he or she is to speak and removes them immediately following his or her speech.
• A contestant has someone else place props quickly in place before he or she is to speak and removes them immediately following his or her speech.

Interviewing Contestants

There is no rule about interviewing a contestant only after the 2nd contest if the contestant is participating in both contests.

If two contests are being held on the same day, they should still be conducted as though they were on two separate days.

The contestant is to be interviewed after each contest.

Thank you for all your time and effort to follow the 2014 Rulebook and provide a professional and fun contest for every one!

Believe it or not… there are no losers at contests.  If you’re there, you win!

Janice McDonald, DTM - District 86 Lieutenant Governor Education

Spread the Word! October is Toastmasters Month in Brampton!

On September 10, 2014 during the Brampton City Council Meeting, Mayor Susan Fennell proclaimed October to be Toastmasters Month. Division B Governor Lorna Miller and Hershaw Toastmasters Club President Dennis Bartel accepted the proclamation.(above picture left) Hershaw Toastmasters Vice President Public Relations Jinisha Bhatt(above pictures right) and Vice President Mentoring Hulda Mullings were also in attendance, along with representation from City of Brampton and Brampton Toastmasters clubs. 

Click on Proclamation Image to view 

Watch it on Rogers TV

It turns out that Rogers tapes city council meetings, and now the proclamation is on TV Online!

Watch it Online Here (See it from: 129.35)

Mayor Susan Fennell Reads the proclamation and Hershaw Toastmasters President Dennis Bartel accepts it and thanks her on behalf of the Members of Hershaw Toastmaters. Division B Governor Lorna Miller speaks on behalf of the clubs in Brampton and the importance of Toastmasters in the community.

City Councillor Grant Gibson recognizes the President of the City Of Brampton Toastmasters Cindy Tate, which meets at Brampton City Hall, for her contributions. 

City Councillor Bob Callahan comments on the importance of Toastmasters in the community. He has credited Toastmasters as the reason he went to law school and is a city Councillor, and believes the that program changes lives. 

Spread The Word

Share this article with follow Bramptonians. There are 12 Clubs in Brampton, with 7 of them open to the public. 

Grow Your Membership This Fall

Toastmasters International founder Dr. Ralph Smedley said it best. “We work together to bring out the best in each of us and then we apply these skills to help others."

Membership Is The Lifeblood Of Toastmasters.

Members provide the leadership, and undertake the work of conducting meetings and delivering programs, conferences and training. Members ensure the financial stability of the organization and also Toastmasters standing as a leading benefactor of society.

Your continuing challenge is maintaining steady, healthy membership growth in your club. When is the best time for clubs to get new members? ALWAYS! Why do clubs always need new members? Here’s why!

• More people can fill meeting and officer roles
• No one member is overburdened with responsibilities
• Meetings are more fun, because more people are involved
• It’s easier for a club to help members meet their educational needs
• Make up for natural attrition

Resources To Help You In Your Membership Building Efforts:

Brochures

• Confidence. The voice of leadership. (Item 101)
• Find your voice. (Item 99)
• All About Toastmasters (Item 124)
• Clear Communication. Your organization needs it. (Item 103)
• Success 101 (Item 1622)
• From Prospect to Guest to Member (Item 108)

Flyers

• Features, Benefits and Value (PDF)
• The Benefits of Toastmasters Membership (Item 354)
• Annual Membership Building Contests (PDF)
• Because Communication Isn’t Optional (Item 113)
• Toastmasters Can Help! (Item 115)
• Do You Communicate with Confidence? (Item 116)

Guides Manuals and Handbooks

• Membership Growth (Item 1159)
• How to Build a Toastmasters Club (Item 121)
• How to Rebuild a Toastmasters Club (Item 1158)
• Let the World Know! (Item 1140)

Speaking of Dr. Ralph Smedley, the SMEDLEY CAMPAIGN ends September 30 – get your new members’ names into Toastmasters International and qualify for a ribbon and special website discounts!

Mike Proudlock, Lieutenant Governor Marketing

Celebrating 90 Years

This year Toastmasters International celebrates 90th anniversary. Toastmasters Founder, Dr. Ralph C. Smedley: "Toastmasters grew out of an effort to meet the needs of a group of men [...] [who] needed help in talking, when they were meeting other people. They had the ideas, but they didn't know how to express them. However, they did not want a formal class in public speaking. And when I've suggested a club in which they could learn the talk by talking, they've welcomed the idea." In 1924, a group of men met in a California basement to practice their speeches. 90 years later, men and women throughout the world continue to meet, speak, learn and grow.

International President 2008-2009 Jana Barnhill, DTM, AS: "We inspire each other to move beyond whatever is holding us back. What's holding you back? Be it personal, or professional, large or small, we must first believe that we can. And Toastmasters can instill that belief in us, if we let it." What's holding you back? Would you let Toastmasters to help you?

Executive Director 1958-1967, Maurice Forley: "While many Toastmasters become excellent public speakers, this is not the purpose of the program. The purpose of Toastmasters is to help all its members help themselves by learning to speak effectively and with confidence at any time and under any circumstance." Why not you? Why not now?

International president 2009-2010, Gary Schmidt, DTM: "We provide service to our clubs and our members within this outstanding organization, but most importantly, we provide service to the world. We take the skills and talents we learn in Toastmasters, and make our professions better, our communities better, our families better, and ultimately, we change and improve the world." How does that sound to you? Do you have a dream of a better community, a better family, a better you? Join us. Together let's make your dream a reality.

Toastmasters International is a world leader in communication and leadership development. Our membership is 313,000 strong. These members improve their speaking and leadership skills by attending one of the 14,650 clubs in 126 countries that make up our global network of meeting locations. "Many thousands of men throughout the free world have profited by Toastmasters training, and have been led into more productive living, more satisfactory living by these means." (Dr. Ralph C. Smedley)

Toastmasters Resources - History, 90 Years, and Promotion Ideas

• Toastmasters’ History PowerPoint Presentation by Paul F. Clark, DTM
• An Overview of Toastmasters’ History by Paul F. Clark, DTM, and Tim Keck, DTM
• Historical Timeline
• Archived Documents and Photos
• History Crossword
• 90th Anniversary Party Ideas
• Sample Table Topics
• Your Club's History article by Dr. Ralph C. Smedley
• Toastmasters Trivia Questions
• History Banner
• 90th Anniversary Logo
• 90th Anniversary Press Release Template

Tips on Telephone Talk

by Bud Brown, DTM

Talking on the phone is similar to presenting a speech you present at Toastmasters.  It is often also a sales call.

First, a phone call is like a speech because ...

• A phone call is more effective if it can be planned ahead of time.  This isn’t always possible, so hang on to your table topics skills.
• An effective phone call has a time limit.
• A powerful phone call has an opening, body and conclusion.

Second, a phone call is like a sales call because ...

• As with a sales call, you typically want to get a certain outcome.
• To achieve this you need to ask questions.
• You can combine these two to get one effective call.

Planning: Before you call someone, decide what you want the outcome of the call to be.  For example ...

• Make a pitch for annual dues.
• Invite yourself to their next executive meeting have them get all of their executive to scan the District website for information relevant to their office in the club.
• Once you know what you want to achieve, ask yourself if there are any obstacles to achieving that. I’ll come back to that question shortly.

Timing: Have you been trapped in a phone call and it never seems to end?  Plan a call to last a specific time. We have experience putting a lot of ideas into 5-7 minutes.

• Consider keeping your calls in that time frame. 
• Put a clock in front of you when you call and think of a red light coming on when you get to 7 minutes.

Opening: When you call, you want to have an opening such as you would use to open a speech. 

• The Competent Communicator manual says “The opening should immediately catch the audience’s attention and tell the audience what you will be talking about” for example, “Would you like to be able to plan your club’s goals for the whole year that you are president? That’s what I want to talk about in this call.”

Body: In a phone call, the body can differ from a speech. 

• Instead of making three points, ask three questions that draw the conversation toward the objective for the call and mould the information exposed by those questions into your conclusion.
• Take the list of obstacles you created and turn them into questions. (see the chart below)

Tips:

• I know that one thing which has always scared me about this kind of approach is that the other person never seems to know the script and they might give completely different answers than I expect.  For that reason, I try to create about 8-10 questions that I could ask. I start with three particular questions in mind, if the answers go off the rails, I have back up questions to get me back on track.
• I will have these available as examples but obviously; you will have obstacles of your own experience leading to questions of your own more suited to your own purposes.  Just remember to keep them open ended (no questions that can easily be answered with one word like yes or no).
• Listen carefully to the answers you get.  The people you speak to will tell you how to persuade them.
• Finally, once you have let the person you are speaking to give you enough information, use your table topics skills to mould their ideas, attitudes and perspectives into a wrap up “call to action”:  e.g. “It sounds as if you have already figured out that having your members committed to working on their goals over the course of a whole year will get your club closer to DCP.  That result would be easier to achieve if you collected membership fees for a full year. Would you propose that in those terms to your executive?”

 Bud Brown is the Division W Governor of District 86, A Corporate trainer and keynote speaker specializing in communication skills.

Division News - September 2014

Toastmasters is...

A great place to meet people Internationally.
A great place to learn. 
All that and more!
 
As Division L governor, I have the honour of covering a large area from Burlington to Brantford, south east  to Welland and Niagara Falls, covering 25 clubs and just shy of 5,000 sq. km.  For such a large part of Ontario, one could still drive around to any club at one end to the another club at the other end in about 1 hour (pending traffic of course).  I had the honour of visiting Garden City Toastmasters last week in St. Catharines. The club was having a special meeting to honour recent Speechcraft graduates, members whom had achieved a CC and reaching 6 speeches. It was a time to honour their accomplishments, and with any Toastmaster meeting, always a great place to meet people.  You already knew that part.  At your meetings, you see people from all walks of life coming together learning to develop their skillsets. 
 
As a Toastmaster, did you know you are welcome at just about any Toastmasters club in the world?  And it is very much an international organization, with huge growth of new clubs in India and China.  At Garden City, Mr. Allen Page, a former St. Catharines citizen, was visiting the city where he grew up, with his wife.  They are in Canada for a couple of weeks, visiting from China.  Mr. Page, ACB,ALB and Area P4 Governor, realizes the importance and opportunity of visiting other clubs – anywhere in the world.  Just about every club does things differently.  Mr. Page had a page of ideas he gleaned from visiting the club to take page to his Area clubs.  Visiting another club, regardless of where in the world it is, can be a great learning opportunity.

Not only can the visitor learn something new, but the members can learn something from their guests.  Why else do we ask our guests if they have any comments or observations before we wrap up a meeting? It is a great place to learn and improve.
 
Mr. Page covers 3 clubs in one area, fairly close together, but as soon as you leave that area and move to the Division level, things start to explode!  Just taking a look at one club from one area to another area, the vastness of China comes to light.   To visit a club in Division A from his Division P would take a flight of over an hour … or you can drive for about 12+ hours!!  That’s in the same Division!  I can get to any club in any area in Division L by car in about 1 hour.  Mr. Page and others like him travel for hours, literally days to visit fellow clubs.  That is dedication for you!  Hate to see their mileage counts.
 
We may not be able to visit clubs in China, an opportunity to go to the International Conference in Malaysia, or even clubs outside our Division.  You do have an opportunity to visit clubs in your area and your division.  You can meet new people, learn something that could help your club AND you can bring a Passport to show your own growth.

Toastmasters is…..   so much more than you may have originally thought.  Step outside your club, open up your world and your horizons.  You could be surprised by what you may find.
 
John Constant, ALB, ACB
Division L Governor

Triple Crown Pin to Extraordinary Toastmasters in Division A

Division A gives the Triple Crown Pin to those extraordinary Toastmasters who earn 3 educational awards in a single program year.So far in 2014-15 these high achievers are:

• Karim Premji of Fluid Communicators and Leaders and Nielsen Insightful Club, for his ALB, ALS, ACS & DTM.
• Karen Walters of Golden Gavel Club, for her CL, ACB & ALB.

Please join me in congratulating both Karim and Karen for these splendid accomplishments.

Gerry Fryer, ACG, ALB Division A Governor  

Division Governor Conference Recruitment Challenge

The Fall Conference is just 2 months away.  Registrations are going well but .. We can do more. So, I am dropping the gauntlet. I challenge my fellow Divisional governors, who can sign up an additional 20 members for the conference first? And I don't mean just for contests, I mean at least Option 1, Option 2 or for the full Conference. 20 members in LESS THAN 60 days.

Which Division will reign supreme for this challenge?  Who will come first. Can we ride the Division L Train to Success? What say thee my fellow governors?  Care to take up this worthy challenge?

John Constant, Division L Governor, District 86