District 33

The official newsletter for District 33 Toastmasters

District 33
December 2012

WESTWORD
Twas the time before season, with holiday glee, Toastmasters action is stirring, all over District 33. The goals have been set by the people who care, In hopes that Distinguished status will soon be there. The memories of Fall Conference are snug and embed, While visions of a Spring one, dances ahead. With folks in their boots, and others in shoe, Continue to serve others, the whole year through.

A Special Message from the 2012-2013 District 33 Governor Jesse Oakley I-I-I, DTM

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Lt. Governor Reports Division Governor Reports Club Coach Report C.R.A.F.T. Report Nominations Report TM Club Spotlight Fall Conference Images Social Media Quick Reminders

When challenges arise, with such a great clatter, We counter with zeal in a victorious matter. Creating new clubs and growing ones already there, And the smell of unity hovering the air. With a District leader that travels the Calvada sky, That goes by the nickname of I-I-I. Along with his LGET and LGM, They gather Divisions for success, and call upon them. On A, and B, on C and D, On E, and F, and you too G, On Division H, and possibly I, We can do this together!! - the Top 3 cry.

CHECK OUT THE DISTRICT 33 WEBSITE!!!

d33.toastmastersdistricts.org

Goals are met with incentives that are new. And more great ideas that are starting to brew. With community in hand, theres no need to fret. For my fellow Toastmasters, IT AINT JUNE 30TH YET!!

On behalf of District 33 Toastmasters, I wish you a wonderful and prosperous holiday season. Take care and thank you for your time and attention!!

LINDA MARTINS-MANN, DTM WestWord Editor wishes everyone a very Happy Holiday Season!

Kathy Choate, DTM District 33 Lt. Governor Education & Training 2012-2013

Katy Porter, DTM District 33 Lt. Governor Marketing 2012-2013

DISTRICT 33 ACHIEVERS! At our recent Fall Conference in Las Vegas, our District was proud to recognize several clubs and individuals for outstanding achievements. The JUMP START PROGRAM encouraged clubs to get a fast start off the starting block this year. The following clubs won a $25 gift certificates to the TI catalog for achieving four or more Distinguished Club Plan goals from July 1 October 19, with one of the DCP Goals being #7. Aera Toastmasters Powerful Voices Amgen Noon Talkers Santa Barbara Broads and Beaus Say Watt Camarillo Evening Sierra Club Conejo Valley Toast of Sierra High Noon Lectern T.O.T.A.L. Mega Watts UNLV Welcome to our new DISTRICT 33 DISTINGUISHED TOASTMASTERS: Carol Campbell Jeff Landau Cristina Scoble Leona Byrne Glen Herman Shannon Miller Gregory Seymour Vivian Komori Lets also hear it for our COMMUNITY SUPER STAR AWARD recipients. These Toastmasters earned 3 or more educational awards PLUS sponsored 3 or more new members by October 19: Ann Hill Cristina Scoble Aurora Salavante Elisia Meffan Brenda OBrien Vivian Komori I encourage everyone to set a goal to achieve at least one educational. Then, members will continue to grow on their toastmaster journey and clubs will earn distinguished status for members accomplishments.

Current Clubs are working their magic New Club Twinkles light up
I am happy to report that District 33 Toastmasters are inviting friends and co-workers to their clubs. The spirit of Toastmasters is alive in each crafted agenda, in each practiced speech, and in each warm induction of a new member. We are focused on achieving Presidents Distinguished District for this year. There are three numerical goals your success becomes the Districts success: Raise membership by 8% We have added 524 new members! Excellent! Raise # of clubs, by 8% We have added our first club, Olive Branch Orators in Division F!! WELCOME!!! Raise percentage of Distinguished Clubs to 50% Many Toastmasters have stepped forward as Coaches to help clubs to position themselves as distinguished. Thank you!

Awards for the Divisions with the highest membership growth:

Division G - July Division A - August Division E - September Keep Growing. COMING UP: In December: Reach out to 15! In January: Block Parties! Together, we can continue to provide dynamic, entertaining training to our cities, towns and businesses. Together, we can reach for the gold, and achieve Presidents Distinguished!

Jamuna Ramnath, DTM District 33 Club Coach Chair

It is an honor to serve as District 33 Club Coach Chair under the leadership of District Governor Jesse Oakley III. As a District Club Coach Chair I conduct on-line training sessions for Toastmasters to perform their job as a club coach most effectively. I work with our district LGM to oversee the clubs that fall under the radar, support recruiting club coaches, help these clubs grow healthy and to achieve their DCP goals. A Club Coach is an experienced Toastmaster officially assigned to work to rebuild small clubs that have 12 or fewer members. A club coach is appointed once the club has requested for help from the District. Club Coaches are engines to ignite the club to revitalize, instill enthusiasm in members, and implement strategies to achieve distinguished status. A club coach should be

Emma Santa, DTM District 33 C.R.A.F.T. Chair

Give the Gift of Toastmasters This holiday season, the folks from the District 33 CRAFT program have some gifts to share that can help you and your clubs achieve success. To help promote Toastmasters clubs within our District, we have developed resources to help your club get started with a FreeToastHost 2.0 website. On the District 33 CRAFT page (http://d33.toastmastersclubs.org/Rebuilding_Clubs.html), you will find step-by-step video tutorials as well as a guide to what information you should gather beforehand to simplify the process. In addition, club webmasters are encouraged to reach out for technical support. Consider creating rich and robust content for the site by providing Testimonials on how Toastmasters has affected your life! On the CRAFT website you will also find over 100 membership building ideas for your club. We invite you to take a look at the list and discuss those which appeal most to your club. There are some fun ideas, practical tips, and potential High Performance Leadership projects for those working towards their DTM. ~ Mrs. Santa and the District 33 CRAFT Team (Ann, Debby, Cheryl, Dan, Kay, Kathy, Jenny, Tom, & Adella)

Cheerleader, Objective, Able, Confident, and Helpful.

a Being a club coach, you develop and expand your leadership qualities. When a club achieves the distinguished status, club coach is credited towards the Advanced Leader Silver Award. It is gratifying to achieve your own personal goal, while helping others achieving their goals.

A-T.E.A.M.
Albert Nelson ACS, ALB 2012 - 2013 Division A Governor
A is for Awesome! That is what I can truly say about this Division!!! From the Area Governors serving their respective communities to the fellow Toastmasters in Lancaster, Palmdale, Bakersfield, Mojave, Tehachapi, California City, and Ridgecrest, I can say that it is an honor to serve an AWESOME community!!! We are working hard in building membership, looking for new clubs, and reaching the beyond Distinguished goals for clubs, areas, and divisions!!

Achieving Personal Success!

Gloria Davidson, DTM 2012 - 2013 Division B Governor
GIFTS As our thoughts turn to gift-giving this Christmas, lets reflect on the gifts we have received and given this year. While Im thankful that I have enjoyed good health again, I did not anticipate how busy this year would be with Toastmasters. I find the joy of purposeful busyness is recognizing the many gifts we enjoy which are ours to share with others.

Blossom and Grow! Carol Campbell, DTM 2012 2013 Division C Governor
Our area governors have been out visiting the clubs and sending in their reports. They are each working hard to ensure that every club in Division C feels connected to the entire organization, so that we can grow and develop together.

There are many great things that are happening in Division A. Paul Rumburger took 3rd place in the District Evaluation contest, This Division was served with tremendous helpings of strawberries at the Division A Fall contest by the Top 3 District officers, and to sweeten the Division B is ending the year with deal, we also got a chocolate prize for many working as a Club Coach, and membership increase! advanced Toastmasters volunteer as C.R.A.F.T. helpers for 2013. Our TLI To continue the success of Division A, we will have our TLI in January Chair, Carl Lepper, ACG, ALB, is planning a diverse TLI training program 2013, be on the lookout for details!! scheduled for January 5th using best practices to earn his HPL award for his HOLY STRAWBERRIES!! ALS and DTM--great gifts for anyone! May your gifts be many!

We are all doing our part to achieve the desired objective of being distinguished clubs. Currently 5 of the 22 clubs in Division C have met the Thank you Toastmaster members for minimum of 5 goals required to be keeping your doors open so others may distinguished. I am confident that the come to receive the benefits offered by other clubs will continue to work on our TI organization. The club meetings their goals to make things happen. are a constant source of inspiration and A big step in achieving your goals is motivation. Thank you to all the having all officers trained. Please plan officers who serve our clubs! Officers on attending the Las Vegas TLI give leadership and receive personal January 19, 2013, at Cashman Center growth by leading. The District and in the morning. Division training through DEC and TLI meetings is priceless, thanks to the Blossoming and growing is what Top Three and volunteers who work Division C is about. Bolder Voices in to make these events memorable. Boulder City Nevada had their kick off meeting November 14. Their officers were elected November 27. They are working to finish up the chartering paper work to be the first club for the year 2012-2013 in Division C. They have set the goal to have more than the minimum 20 members to charter. We have high hopes that there will be others like them. Have you planted a Toastmaster seed lately?

DANTOTSU Striving to be the best of the best. Tiffany Blasco ACB, ALB 2012 - 2013 Division D Governor
Division D is PROUD to announce that we took home the Milo Graham award for the first time in 6 1/2 years. Thank you to everyone who helped Division D reach this amazing achievement! You are inspirational leaders and great friends! Mark your calendars and get ready... SPRING CONTEST SEASON!!! Support our Division D TEAM: D1 - March 30th Afternoon D2 - March 23rd - Afternoon D3 - March 23rd - Morning D4 - March 16th - Afternoon Division D - April 20th- Late Afternoon (Dinner included) at the Wildhorse Golf Club. The theme will be formal black tie affair. In addition, be prepared for an awesome opportunity drawing (over 15 prizes already collected) and an auction. Also, we will be giving out SEVERAL awards at our Spring Contest. Toastmaster of the year, Spark Plug of the year, Area Governor of the year, Outstanding Educational of the year, Club of the year, and Cutest couple of the year! Only 2 Area Governor Positions left for the 2013-2014 year! Turn in your name if you would like more information! Stay informed - BLOG http://division-d-d33tm.blogspot.com/ Facebook: Division D ToastmastersDistrict 33

Leading the Pack on the E-Team Michael Corob, DTM 2012 - 2013 Division E Governor
Leading the pack on the E-Team is an exciting adventure, and division E members are responding well by completing educational awards. As of this writing, there have been this year, 11 CC's, 3 CL's, 2 AL's, 1 DTM, I LPREX, 4 ACB's, 1 ACS, and 1 Accredited speaker- Patrick Hardy from the Lompoc Valley of Flowers Toastmasters. Patrick, along with Craft Chair Emma Santa, DTM, will lead workshops at the full day TLI in Arroyo Grande on January 12th. On January 26th in Paso Robles, a table topics contest will be part of the officer training. This contest will be a great warm up for club, area and division contests. Under the terrific leadership of Carol Sauceda, the Toastmasters at UCSB reestablished a dormant club's charter with great enthusiasm. The Santa Barbara Toastmasters Club has already earned 5 goals and is distinguished, and several other clubs are close behind. Division E Toastmasters share great leadership, fun and teamwork, and are well on their way to achieving personal and Toastmaster goals, and to helping District 33 be Distinguished.

Fusing the Pieces Together Janet Riley ACB, ALB 2012 - 2013 Division F Governor
Division F is on fire. Our California Central Valley and Mountain clubs are working feverishly on becoming Presidents Distinguished. Club members have completed 25 educational goals. Clubs have added 30 new members. Our many club banners will soon be flying Phoenix and Blue Bird ribbons. Continuing to forge ahead we will charter another club at Heald College in Salida, CA. Additionally, we have two clubs working on gaining charter members: Winning with Words in Modesto and Linguistic Lynxs in Merced. Still stoking the embers at other organizations we hope to add another club or 2 in the Merced area after the first of the year. Area Governors, Stu Bennett, Tom Fanelli, and Anthony Butera are fervently planning their spring club visits and Area speech contests. Our TLI is planned for January 12th featuring Governor Jesse Oakley III as keynote speaker, with Lt Gov of Education Kathy Choate and Past District 33 Governor Wayne Choate providing educational sessions to our members. We are working on having a strong team in place to keep on Fusing the Pieces into a United Community.

Linda Sims, DTM 2012 - 2013 Division G Governor

DIVISION G IS GREAT!!!
Wow are we excited in Division G. We had a great contest, the great Area Governors have the visits all done and in and now we have in the works a TLI so special, it knocks my green socks off. We have Paul Smith, PDG, DTM from Division F, to lead a panel on leadership and what Toastmasters offers to help become great leaders. And if that is not enough, we have for our key note speaker, World International Winning Speaker Dana LaMon, DTM from Division A. What a great world we live in! Not only does our District have the cream of the crop for leaders and speakers, but they are so generous that they give time and their expertise is to help other divisions, just because we asked. I want to let everyone in District 33 know how excited and proud that both Dana and Paul will be at our TLI. Also, to let anyone in the District know that they are more than welcome to join us, January 19, 2013 at 9:00AM.

For all the information please give me a call 559-266-0922 We are working very hard on getting new members to join our Toastmasters Family and new clubs. My Area Governors are great; the whole Division G team is great. I am very proud to be their Division Governor.

Unleash Your Finest Moments! Michon Loyd ACS, ALB 2012 - 2013 Division H Governor
I am cruising down the D-33 highway in my Toastmobile which is packed with four outstanding Area Governors sipping their favorite energy drinks. As I look in my rear view mirror at the first six months of this Toastmasters year, I am so proud of the accomplishments of the Division H Team: 100% Division H Club Officers trained, festive Area Contests, a Division Contest of Champions, successful Division Council meetings, 24 educational awards to date, and 100% Division H Area Governor Visits reported! When I look at the road ahead for the next six months, it is pedal to the metal as Division H maintains high speed to reach the finish line: Presidents Distinguished Status. With one new club being chartered in Area H-3 as we drive and twinkles in the sky for Area H-1, we have DCP goals plotted into our GPS (Grand Performance System) and we are leaving no club behind. We have numerous clubs already Distinguished and many others working hard toward that goal. Area H-4 newsletters light our way and we have built a strong communication network in Division H. We are ready to floor it and end the year with the ride of our lives!

SPRING DIVISION CONTESTS ARE COMING SAVE THE DATES!

DIVISION A April 6th DIVISION B April 13th DIVISIONC April 20th DIVISION D April 20th DIVISION E April 13th DIVISION F March 23rd DIVISION G March 23rd DIVISION H April 6th DISTRICT 33 May 3rd and 4th

Fulfill Your Leadership Destiny

By Cheryl Wronski, DTM, IPDG
Nominations are now open for the 2012-2013 District Officers. I hope that you will continue or start your leadership path. You will have wonderful experiences and learn new skills! Elections for all Division Governors, Lt. Governor of Marketing, Lt. Governor of Education and Training, and District Governor will be held at the Spring Conference, May 4, 2013, at the Doubletree in Modesto, CA. Requirements for each position can be found at http://www.toastmasters.org/offqual. Nominations will be reviewed by the Nominating Committee. Once the Nominating Committee Report is announced at the February 16th DEC, the candidates may officially begin campaigning and have a campaign article printed in the Westword. Deadlines: January 30, 2013: Email of intent to run and for which office sent to: Cheryl Wronski, Nomination Chair, ccwronski@gmail.com. NOTE: I can email the forms to you upon receipt of the email or you can obtain the paperwork (nomination form and agreement form) on the TI website and email the forms to me). The links are http://www.toastmasters.org/offnom and http://www.toastmasters.org/oar February 10, 2013: Submission of nomination paperwork to nominations Chair. Feel free to contact me with any questions at my email (ccwronski@gmail.com) or call: 805-577-8348.

District 33 welcomes the following new clubs to the community: Olive Branch Orators #2105184 Turlock, California Magic Masters #2847655 Salida, California Bolder Voices #2852298 Boulder City, Nevada Which new Toastmasters clubs will be the next to charter? STAY TUNED AND FIND OUT!

ATTENTION!
The Toastmasters online store and sections of Club and District Central will be unavailable from 6 a.m. Pacific Standard Time on December 14, 2012 until January 1, 2013 for scheduled maintenance. In addition, as part of the annual inventory process, all orders received after 6 a.m. on December 14 will be shipped during the first week in January and Will Call orders cannot be filled from December 15 through December 31. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

DISTRICT 33 TOASTMASTERS CLUB SPOTLIGHT PRO-CON DEBATERS Thousand Oaks, California

In reflecting on the highlights of 2012 I find that among my fondest memories of the year gone by are those of the meetings of Pro-Con Debaters, Division Bs first Toastmasters debate club. What I have enjoyed so much about the club is the feeling I have always taken away from every meeting that my expressed opinions were always well-respected, no matter how controversial a position I may have taken on a debate topic. Correspondingly, I have been enriched with the warm feeling of admiration and respect for my peers and their viewpoints in matters we debate, where we have learned to conduct our business pointedly but with dignity, principle, and valor like statesmen waging a fine art. In the repertoire of the well-rounded Toastmaster, the ability to debate effectively should never be lacking. Just as speaking opportunities arise in the non-Toastmasters world that like club meetings involve one-way communication to attentive audiences, so too do other real-life scenarios that call for public negotiation with an adversary on a topic of disagreement. In such settings, being able to engage masterfully in a way that both shows and demands respect while moving towards a resolution favorable to ones own interests is a skill no Toastmaster should be without. Pro-Con Debaters is Division Bs training camp for developing and honing such a skill. Pro-Con Debaters meets at 7 PM on the second and fourth Friday of every month at the Mandarin Buffet in Thousand Oaks. All are welcome. Richard Baumann President, Pro-Con Debaters http://procondebaters.wordpress.com

ALL NEW - TOASTMASTERS 1+1 CAMPAIGN

On December 1, 2012, Toastmasters International announced a brand new membership campaign!! Refer a friend to a Toastmasters club and you will get an awesome reward!! For more information, go to the following link below!! http://www.toastmasters.org/1plus1

COMMUNITY LEADERS WANTED

Are you interested in becoming a community leader? You can take the first step by being an officer in your Toastmasters club!! Club officer elections and Toastmaster Leadership Institutes are happening for the 2013 Spring term. For more information, contact your Division and Area Governor.

IMAGES OF THE DISTRICT 33 FALL CONFERENCE FAMILY REUNION PAGE 2 Tuscany Hotel & Casino Las Vegas, Nevada November 2-3, 2012
Photos courtesy of Philip Dahlheimer ACG, ALB Area C-4 Governor, District 33 Photographer

IMAGES OF THE DISTRICT 33 FALL CONFERENCE FAMILY REUNION PAGE 2 Tuscany Hotel & Casino Las Vegas, Nevada November 2-3, 2012
Photos courtesy of Philip Dahlheimer ACG, ALB Area C-4 Governor, District 33 Photographer

SEE YOU AT THE 2013 DISTRICT 33 TOASTMASTERS SPRING CONFERENCE MAY 3rd and 4th, 2013 in MODESTO, CALIFORNIA

Why Use Social Media?

By Martha Navarrete, EMPA, ACB, ALB
During a job interview, I was asked about my use of social media: Martha, how do you promote yourself? and How do you keep informed on what is happening? I responded to these questions as if they were Table Topics questions, and gave what I thought was my best impromptu answer. In a quiet setting, I reflected more deeply on the implications of these questions. Until I was asked, I actually believed social media to be a waste of my time and I refused to use it a waste of my time? I was completely wrong! Today, I share with my Toastmaster friends some Facebook tips, knowledge, and our speaking engagements. I have a tweeter account which media feed keeps me current in ways that traditional media like TV, radio, newspapers, and magazines cannot. I stay informed of what is current not only in the Toastmasters community, but in other areas I find interesting, and I am exploring the world of possibilities using YouTube for posting videos of my speeches. As a former University professor, I have always wanted to help people learn. This is why I will soon offer classes to help you navigate your way on the effective use of these tools. Today, if someone was to ask me the same questions about my use of social media, I would not only give a good answer, I would give it with confidence and know-how. Are you interested in learning more about social media? If so, e-mail me at Martha.navarrete@icloud.com.

YOUTH LEADERSHIP KUDOS

Big time kudos goes out to Division B Toastmaster Patricia Holland for organizing a successful Youth Leadership program with the local Ventura County 4-H group. Thirteen 4-H participants went through eight twohour sessions of Youth Leadership class instruction. Their hard work, growth, and learning efforts were demonstrated by presenting individually prepared speeches at their graduation. WAY TO GO PATRICIA AND 4-H!!! For more information on Youth Leadership Program, contact District Youth Leadership chair Angelina Manchester, DTM (agmlv@cox.net)

QUICK DISTRICT 33 REMINDERS..

REACH OUT TO 15 CAMPAIGN
During the months of July, December, and May, if you invite a non-Toastmaster to your club, you will get a Toastmasters pin!! For more information, contact your District 33 Lt. Governor Marketing Katy Porter, DTM (katy_porter@ncci.com)

DISTRICT 33 BLOCK PARTY

District 33 Toastmasters is inviting all clubs, areas, and divisions to have a BLOCK PARTY! Plan early, communicate with your community and reap the sweet rewards! The Division with the highest percentage increase in members during each Block Party month (August, January, and May) will win a bucket of strawberries!! For more information, contact your District 33 Lt. Governor Marketing Katy Porter, DTM (katy_porter@ncci.com)

COMMUNITY SUPERSTAR AWARD If you have earned 3 educational awards AND sponsored 3 new members, you will receive the ALL NEW District 33 Community Superstar Award!!! This award is available for the 2012-2013 Toastmaster year!
For more information, contact District 33 LGET Kathy Choate (nolimit_one@msn.com)

BLUEBIRD AWARD
The Bluebird Award is for Toastmasters clubs that maintains Distinguished club status for the 2012-2013 year. The President and club will receive a beautiful Bluebird pin and a ribbon for the club banner! For more information, contact District 33 LGET Kathy Choate (nolimit_one@msn.com)

PHOENIX AWARD
The Phoenix Award is for Toastmasters clubs that grow strong and become Distinguished for the 2012-2013 year. The President and club will receive a beautiful Phoenix pin and a ribbon for the club banner! For more information, contact District 33 LGET Kathy Choate (nolimit_one@msn.com)

UNITY IN THE COMMUNITY RIBBON

The Unity in the Community ribbons are given to Toastmaster clubs that have a mentoring program for the 2012-2013 year.