AUGUST 2015

Inaugural Issue
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Messages from District
Director, Program Quality and
Club Growth Directorspp1-2
Public Relations
Happenings...p3
Best Practices from One

A Message from the Desk of the District Director

Clubs Point of View...p3

Hail & Farewell Highlights..p4

In our hands..... ours to make

District 29 Family,
Individual commitment to a group effort that is what makes a team work, a
company work, a society work, a civilization work. ~Vince Lombardi

District Highlights

Being in Toastmasters is no different. Collectively, each commitment made and kept by each of us as
members and as officers is what will make us successful as a family and as a Team -Together Everyone Accomplishes More.
District 29 is off to a great start in this metamorphic year. Excitement is in the Air! I can feel it with each
purposeful flutter as our club officers are being trained. Success Plans are being written at each level,
starting from the Club to the Area to the Division and the District. Goals are being defined and set for
the year.
Area Directors have been appointed and trained and our Executive Team is in place and functioning
passionately. Area Directors are contacting and visiting clubs. Clubs are setting contest dates and
scheduling Open Houses. Our website is up and receiving high marks from many, and we are preparing for a fabulous conference that will feature Daniel Rex, Chief Executive Officer of Toastmasters International as our keynote speaker.

District Director
Lovely Lall, DTM

Talk of the District

This Toastmasters year every
flutter with Purpose will be the
Talk
of
the
District!
Celebrate the accomplishments of your club and fellow
members on this new initiative
featured on our website.

District Director Club

Award

You will hear details about the Smedley membership campaign, incentives and more from our outstanding Club Growth Director Amy Brener. You will hear about contests and the conference from our excellent Program Quality Director Lynn Wylde. Our Public Relations Manager, Angela Davis is doing a wonderful job in establishing and advancing our public relations programming for the year.
I hope you are one of the many clubs who is planning to conduct regular Executive Club meetings on a
monthly basis. Working on Club Success plans in the beginning of the Toastmasters year is a good
start, helps bring the club officers/members on the same page and is very instrumental for taking the
club to the next level of success. I also want all clubs to start thinking about timely dues payments.
Getting ahead of required processes and requirements is always a good thing.
I wish to thank last year's team, led by Immediate Past District Governor Mahesh Patil, for dedicated
service and success in preparing a path for our 2015-2016 team. I would also like to acknowledge all
servant leaders who came before this year. As I said at the beautiful Hail and Farewell ceremony, we
are here with the opportunity for a metamorphic year because we stand on the shoulders of giants.
I love this quote by Tony Robbins, Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.
If you have not yet identified and set your personal goals for this year, I encourage you to do so. Our
Success is in our hands and it is ours to make.
Let's Fly Together....in this Metamorphic year!

District Highlights,
Continued

From the Desk of the Program Quality Director

This Is Your Year to S T R E T CH!
The District 29 contest season has just begun and this is your year to sign-up! Speech contests are a
Toastmasters tradition. Each year, more than 30,000 members compete. What are the benefits of
speech contests? They are fun; you learn; you grow; and you S T R E T C H on your Toastmasters
journey.
The Fall season features two contests:

Program Quality Director

Lynn Wylde, DTM

Toastmasters Leadership Institute (TLI)

Summer 2015
46% of Officers Trained!
TLI Stats

1.

Table Topics A 1-2 minute impromptu speech where all contestants speak to the
same topic.

2.

Humorous Speech A thematic speech (opening, body, and close), that highlights
the humorous side of life.

Competition begins at the club level, and winners advance to the area and division levels. The contest
season culminates in the crowning of the District champions at the Fall Conference on November 7th at
the Capital One Conference Center, McLean, VA.
Contest Schedule:
Club Level Contests: now through August
Area Level Contests: September
Division Level Contests: October
District Conference: November 7th
General contest information and specific contest dates are available on the District 29 website at
www.tmd29.org.

From the Desk of the Club Growth Director

Happy August!

Club Growth Director

Amy Brener, DTM

Smedley Award
Program
August 1st September 30th
Receive a "Smedley Award"
Ribbon to display on your
club's banner.
Qualifying
clubs will also receive a special discount for 10% off their
next club order from the TI
Store. (The discount code
expires six months from the
date of issue and is not valid
with any other offer.) The
District will reimburse clubs
up to $40 for an open house
(maximum two per year).
Visit the Open House information page for reimbursement details.

Welcome Newly
Chartered Club to the
District 29 Family!

Geico

August 1st marked the start of the Smedley Membership Campaign. Add 5 new members between the
dates of August 1st and September 30th and receive recognition from Toastmasters International as
well as the District. Why do we need to add new members? The practical reason is that clubs lose
members due to attrition. People retire and move from the area, they change jobs and so no longer can
attend their original corporate club meetings, they achieve their Toastmasters goals, etc. If we dont add
new members, we dont make up for these losses. Members who sponsor other members earn individual recognition from Toastmasters International; if you bring in a new member, make sure the new member indicates that at the top of the second page of the Membership Application.
What about your personal Toastmasters journey? On the Communication side, are you ready to stretch
yourself by joining an Advanced Club? A list of those clubs can be found at http://tmd29.org/
Advanced_and_Speciality_Clubs.html. What about your Leadership goals? Are you ready to step outside your club? There are many opportunities for you to help other Toastmasters and Toastmasters
clubs. Read on for details!
Part of my role as Club Growth Director is to start new clubs and help existing clubs become stronger.
We are always looking for new leads locations or companies our current members think might benefit from a Toastmasters club. If you have such a lead, please contact me at CGD@tmd29.org. If you
want to help form a new club, you can be a Club Sponsor. If you can commit to helping a new club out
for its first six months to a year, you can become a Club Mentor. And if you want to help out an existing
club that needs assistance, you can become a Club Coach.
Sometimes clubs with more than 12 members could use a helping hand. This year I am introducing a
program whereby clubs can partner with other clubs to provide that assistance. This program, which I
am calling Triple C (Club-Club Collaboration), requires a commitment on the part of the helper club to
have members attend each meeting of the helpee club. If your club is interested in either helping or
being assisted, please let me know.
This past week, Lovely, Lynn and I were at the International Convention, where we interviewed candidates for Toastmasters International Directors positions as well as attended three days of intensive
training so that we are better able to serve the District in our new roles. It is our job to serve you, the
member. Please do not hesitate to let me know what I can do to better serve you.
By working together, we can fulfill the District Mission: We build new clubs and support all clubs in
achieving excellence. I look forward to flying with you all.

Public Relations
Happenings

Best Practices: One Clubs Point of View

Visit our Social Media sites

Become fully engaged during your
Toastmasters journey. Visit one of
District 29s social media sites and
find resources and networking opportunities to help you learn and grow.
Visit our website at www.tmd29.org to
connect to our social media sites!

The PRM Award

This award, developed by your Public
Relations Manager, will be given to
following recipients:
Best Club Website
Best Club Newsletter
Best Public Service Announcement (PSA) - Video & Audio
Successful Toastmasters International Video Brand Contest
Entry (JulyDecember 2015)
Successful Toastmasters International Magazine Submission
Complete details will be featured in
the next issue of Metamorphosis.
Awards will be given during the
Spring 2016 Conference.

At the July 18 Toastmasters Leadership Institute in Fairfax, VA, one of the elective sessions
featured members of the PMIWDC#01 Toastmasters Club.
Area 34 Director and
PMIWDC#01 member Paula Green served as
the Panel Master. Six of the seven club officers represented members of PMIWDC#01 in
the panel. Also in the audience was one of
PMIWDC#01s newest club member who
joined Toastmasters 2 months ago.
This Toastmaster year is a significant year for
the club. Chartered 9 years ago, this club
achieved Presidents Distinguished with 10 for
10 Distinguished Club Program (DCP) goals
for the each of the 9 years. Out of 15,000
clubs in all of Toastmasters International, only
45 clubs are Presidents Distinguished with 10
DCP goals for 10 or more consecutive years.
District 29 currently has 2 of those clubs
among this elite list of 45 clubs: Lake Ridge
Toastmasters Club and Bennie Bough Toastmasters Club. PMIWDC#01 plans to be a
member of that very exclusive group.

5.

Encourage club members to

known outside of the club.

6.

Sustain an active mentoring program

of both new and experienced members.

7.

Create Table Topics questions that

follow the theme of the club meeting.

8.

Guests Actively greet and welcome

guests; encourage Table Topics participation; follow up via email after the
meeting.

9.

Evaluations State the purpose of

the speech before it begins, keep
evaluator format consistent and constructive, and have the person receiving the evaluation stand up during the
evaluation of the speech.

10. Hold special events throughout the

year including:
a.

An end-of-calendar year party;

club officers election.

b.

Special club officer elections

when needed following standard
elections proceedings.

c.

Club level Hail and Farewell

event.

d.

Club guest speaker program.

Quarterly new member orientation of Toastmasters program.

Did You Know?

When you visit our website, there is a
beautiful graphic symbol representing
our District Directors 2015-2016
theme it is a butterfly that circles
many flowers that are marked by
events that occur on a Toastmasters
journey. Did you know each flower
can take you to a page on the website
that speaks to each of those events?
Take a few minutes to journey
through the graphic and learn more
about everything from contests to
TLIs to Conferences. Enjoy your travels on your metamorphic journey this
year in Toastmasters!

Angela Davis, ACS, CL

Public Relations Manager
prm@tmd29.org

Asked what the club believes are best practices, the club members created this list in no
particular order of importance. Hopefully you
will find these ideas useful for your club.
1.

All 7 officers (not just the minimum of

4) are committed and expected to
attend TLI twice a year.

2.

Have a pre-printed agenda with a

consistent format even if roles are
TBD.

3.

State the purpose of each roles at

each meeting. This reinforces the
purpose of these roles to the club
members and informs the guests.

4.

Communicate and coordinate days

before each meeting to ensure the
meeting runs smoothly.

be

Edmond Joe, DTM

President
PMIWDC#01 Toastmasters Club

Meet Our District 29 Division Directors!

2015-2016

Division A Director
Marie Barnes, DTM

Division B Director
Division C Director
Karen Jacobs, ACB, ALS Dwight Yamada, DTM

Division D Director
Dana Richards, DTM

Division E Director
Harminder Lall, DTM

Division F Director
Elke Tucker, ACB, ALB

Hail and Farewell 2014/2105: Highlights and Awards

The annual Hail and Farewell Celebration is a long standing Toastmasters tradition at the District level where the accomplishments of the outgoing District executive team is celebrated, and the incoming team is provided a proper induction and hearty
welcome to district leadership for the new Toastmasters year. During this celebration many awards were given to deserving
Toastmasters in the pursuit of the Districts mission We build new clubs and support all clubs in achieving excellence. The
full list of awardees and photos from the event can be found by clicking here.

Educational Star Award

Glenn Stafford, DTM
Distinguished Toastmaster Glenn
Stafford, a long standing member of
District 29 Toastmaster Clubs was
surprised, humbled and feels blessed
to receive this well-deserved acknowledgment of his remarkable achievement of earning 19 educational
awards during the 2014-2015 Toastmasters year! Thirteen of those educational awards were given to District
29, with three given to both Districts
36 and 58. He deservingly earned
Triple Crown designations in all three
districts! Distinguished Toastmaster
Stafford states jokingly that you can
call him a Triple-Triple Crown winner!

Division Governor of the Year Award

Katherine Ransom, DTM
As Division Governor of Division A
during the 2014/2015 Toastmasters
year, Distinguished Toastmaster
Ransom led her Division with the
theme of empowerment to others.
Her division, led in TLI attendance,
TLI Golden Toaster Clubs, Education
Awards, Distinguished clubs and still
chartered two new clubs with no loss
of clubs during the year. The most
special part of this journey for Distinguished Toastmaster Ransom is a
testament of her leadership style to
watch others growth, and knowing
that I had a direct impact. She
recommends to fellow Toastmasters
Dive in! Do something before you
have a chance to develop a fear of
trying, or of failing! After observing
Distinguished Toastmaster Ransoms
success, we are all encouraged to
take that leap into success!

Area Governor of the Year

Ae-Kyong Morrell, ACB, ALB
During her tenure as Area Governor of
Area 11, she accomplished all of her
requirements but also provided support
to clubs by advising them on strong
points and areas of improvement. She
went further to reach out to each member individually, listen to their goals and
offer insights from her own experience
in how to become successful in their
Toastmasters journey.
She turned
feedback into the action by soliciting
support from leadership for clubs. It is
no wonder that she led a Presidents
Distinguished Area!

Toastmaster of the Year Award

Catherine Calvin, ACB, ALB
Toastmaster Calvin considers the
Toastmaster of the Year award a
tribute to her mentors who have provided encouragement, support and
recognition. I owe all of them a big
thank you for their support along the
way. This award was special because of the support and encouragement of Toastmasters that she both
admires and by whom she feels nurtured. She humorously relates when
Distinguished Toastmaster Immediate
Past District Governor Mahesh Patil
began to list the accomplishments
she herself had earnedshe all of a
sudden realized he was describing
her! As Toastmaster Calvin begins
her current Toastmasters year as the
Area Director of Area 64 in Division F
she will surely continue to support,
encourage and positively influence
other Toastmasters along her journey.

Toastmasters Leadership Institute (TLI): The Benefits of Attending TLI

Don't miss the opportunity: TLI season ends August 31st.
Learn the principles of club leadership, broaden your horizons through engaging electives and network with fellow Toastmasters by
attending the Toastmasters Leadership Institute (TLI). Strong and successful clubs have fully trained officers so sign up today!
There are still more opportunities for your clubs officers to become trained. For more information, click here.
Not convinced? Here are more benefits of attending TLI:

Club officer training provides the knowledge and tools for club officers to do their roles successfully.

Club officers trained at TLI help fulfil a requirement for officers to receive Advanced Leadership Bronze ( ALB) credit.

Trained club officers contribute to member satisfaction and club success. Clubs with trained officers are more exciting, more new
members join, more education awards are earned, and those clubs are more successful.

Clubs with 4 officers trained during each TLI season (summer and winter) results in half DCP credit for DCP Goal # 9.

Clubs with 7 officers trained during each TLI season results in the club receiving the "Golden Toaster Award" (a ribbon for the club
banner) at the Fall or Spring District Conferences.

The "Beyond the Club Experience" is priceless.

Kudos to the Area Directors Who Have Completed 100% Club Visits!
Tanya WhiteDeyo, ACB, ALB
Area 53,
Division E

David Lang, CTM

Area 56,
Division E

Chiharu Bullock,
ACB, ALB

Paula Green,
ACS, ALB

Area 52,
Division E

Area 34,
Division C

Special Tribute to One of Our Own

It is with sadness that we share this disheartening newsone of our District 29 family members, Mark Goldberg,
CC, CL, Hunter Mill Toastmasters club, very recently
passed away after a very short battle with cancer. He
was a dedicated and exemplary Toastmaster, always
eager to assist at the club, Area, Division and District
levels. He is already being missed. Our prayers are with
his wife Sara and the family. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Marks memory may be made to University of
Michigan Mens Glee Club (https://ummgc.org), Arena
Stage (www.arenastage.org/donate), or to a charity of
ones choice.

www.toastmasters.org

District #29
www.tmd29.org