Prairie Horizons Volume 2 March 2014
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Page 1
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District 42
Sharing Ideas Among
Clubs!
District Executive
DG Keith Lee …..…….…...1
LGET Doris Henn ………..3
LGM Marg Faryna …….....4
PRO Geetha Nicodemus .6
Chief Ambassador ……....8
Spring Convention ………9
DTM Stories …….....…….10
Learning from Leaders ..12
Inspiring AG ………...…..14
Winning Newsletters ......15
Advanced Manuals ….....16
Club Ideas .................,….19
Joint Meetings .........,.....25
Resources ..................,....26
Speechcraft ...............,….27
Celebrations .........,……..30
About Toastmasters …...31
Compiled By:
Geetha Nicodemus, DTM
Carol Harrison, DTM
Layout & Technical:
Nandini Venkatesan, DTM
Marvin Henry, DTM
Editor:
Carol Harrison, DTM
Assistant Editor:
Darlene Davies, DTM
District Website:
d42tm.org
PRAIRIE HORIZONS Where Leaders Are Made
What’s In It for Me? 2013-2014 Volume 2
Learn as a Leader, One Year at a Time
It has been an amazing year of learning and discovery as your District
Governor for 2013-2014. We have an amazing group of District Leaders
working hard to ensure that the members and clubs of District 42 are
well-served. Let us recognize the various groups of leaders who have
been serving the members of District 42:
The Club Leaders – Clubs are the heart of Toastmasters, and
the members who step up to serve as members of the club
executive play the most critical role in the success of our District.
Their efforts help create opportunities for success for individual
members and our District as a whole.
The Mentors – Members who help other members are members
who make a difference. Mentorship can play a critical role in
engaging members at every level, by promoting not only
individual members’ skills development but also cultivating
relationships and fellowship to make the club experience warm,
productive and enjoyable.
The Trainers - Special thanks to all of the trainers who have been
conducting the second-round Club Officer Training sessions
across Alberta and Saskatchewan to ensure that the members of
the Club Executive are not only aware of their duties but also
have a chance to reflect upon the opportunities that they can
create for members through their service.
District Executive Team New Club: College Plaza Toastmasters
Page 2
District Governor
Keith Lee, DTM
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The Area Governors – These District Leaders
have been visiting clubs, holding Area Council
meetings, organizing Area and Division events,
and working with Club Leaders to help them
understand the Moments of Truth critical to the
Toastmasters program and ensure that members
are getting the most out of the Toastmasters
program.
The Division Governors – These District
Leaders have worked tirelessly to ensure that the
resources of the District are directed effectively
through the organization of events like Club
Officer Training, Toastmasters Leadership
Institutes, Destination DTM/Boot Camps (to
help members identify and reach their next
milestone in the Toastmasters education
program), Division Contests, Division Council
meetings and so much more.
The Club Sponsors, Mentors, and Coaches –
These District Leaders help ensure that both new
clubs and clubs that are working to build
membership can benefit from the insight,
enthusiasm and expertise of experienced
members. Club Sponsors and Mentors helping
new clubs start on the right foot by guiding club
leaders through the critical first year of a
Toastmasters club. Club Coaches work with the
club executive to help them build Distinguished
Clubs that serve their members effectively at
every level.
These members are all volunteers working to
create the best experience for other members.
Make sure to take time during club, area and
division events to recognize the members who
are helping other members make the most of
their Toastmasters experience.
The Toastmasters year runs from July 1 to June
30. Be sure to reflect on your progress towards
your goals so far and start considering what
challenge you will take on next. Move with
purpose towards your next goal, and help
plant seeds through the Time, Recognition,
Example and Encouragement you share with
others in your current role.
Respectfully submitted,
Keith Lee, DTM
Photo: Courtesy of Keith Lee, DTM
Page 3
Training Our District 42 Leaders The Education and Training focus for this
quarter has been directed toward holding
Toastmaster Learning Institutes (TLIs) and
Club Officer Training (COT) in every
quadrant of District 42. Toastmasters from
around the District took part in All Leader
Sessions designed to teach important club
basics such as Mentoring, Membership Building
and Retention and the Club Success Plan.
Part of the District 42 Success Plan this year
has been to deliver quality training in our
smaller and remote centers. Webinar based
Train the Trainer Sessions were conducted
for Peace River and Grande Prairie in January.
District leaders travelled to Red Deer in
December, held a video conference in
Lethbridge connecting with Southern Alberta in
January, and to Fort McMurray in February.
The second round of COT ended on
February 28, 2014. Thank you to all the club
officers who have attended a training session. I
wish you all the best in your officer roles.
Contest season is quickly approaching. The
deadline for each level of contest follows:
Clubs (March 22), Areas (April 5), and Divisions
(April 19). This year’s winner of the District 42
International Speech Contest will be determined
during the Edmonton Convention, May 2 to 4,
2014. The winner will travel to Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia to take part in the International
speech contest and convention August 20
to 23, 2014.
Photo: Courtesy of Doris Henn, DTM
Club Officer Training – Fort McMurray training
session/group February 8, 2014
This year in District 42 we are sending individual
and club award ribbons to the President of
every club quarterly, for distribution and
recognition during a regular club meeting. Triple
Crown, CC/CL, CL/ALB and our DTM recipients
will be honored at the Edmonton Convention.
Congratulations to the 58 Clubs who earned
the Go Getter Award this year by achieving 5
Distinguished Club Goals prior to January 31,
2014.
Keep up the great work District 42. We are
planning to finish the year in record breaking style.
Doris Henn, DTM
Lieutenant Governor Education and Training
Doris Henn, DTM
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Triple Crown: Three educational awards
Page 4
Lieutenant Governor Marketing
Marg Faryna, DTM
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Photo: Marg Faryna, Doris and Nevin Henn
Mentoring in District 42
Consider being a mentor to a
member in your club. Maybe you have
undertaken this responsibility on more than one
occasion already. It is one of the finest ways of
contributing to your club and at the same time,
developing your personal skills and receiving the
gratification of seeing your mentee move forward
under your tutelage. And, as a mentor you can
receive credit for Project 9 in the Competent
Leadership Manual.
A mentor takes a personal interest in helping a
member who is seeking guidance from someone
who is more knowledgeable or experienced than
they are. The mentor is able to offer insight,
perspective and wisdom. The mentee benefits
from the relationship with his mentor and is able
become more successful, learn new skills
themselves and in turn, mentor someone else.
You may also take on the challenge of being a
mentor to a new Toastmasters club and thus
fulfill one of the requirements for the Advanced
Leader Silver. Mentoring a new Toastmasters
club is similar in many ways to mentoring a single
toastmaster. Mentors are the advisors and tutors
for new clubs and have a great impact on the
degree to which a new club succeeds.
They are experienced toastmasters who are
ready to share their knowledge and guide a
new club toward success. The official term as
mentor begins when the new club charters;
and lasts for a minimum of six months. A
mentor’s duties include ensuring the club is
strong and fully functional and making sure
officers understand their duties and have the
tools they need to perform them.
Mentoring a new club does NOT include
creating identical toastmasters clubs. Mentors
educate new club members using materials
available from TI and should avoid saying “In
my club ….” Mentors acquaint new clubs with
educational sessions and teach VPEs how to
use the tools provided. They instill the values
of quality club meetings and exemplary
member service. Mentors are a new club’s
primary nurturers, educating and training
by example.
If you would like to learn more about being a
new club mentor or would like to become a
new club mentor, please email
LGM@d42tm.org. It is one of the most
interesting and gratifying leadership
experiences in Toastmasters.
Marg Faryna, DTM
Photo: Marg Faryna, DTM
Speak MastURS Toastmasters Club in
Sherwood Park and Area Governor Lorenzo
Heinrichs
Page 5
Lieutenant Governor of Marketing
Marg Faryna, DTM
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District 42 has 12 New Clubs
Congratulations to the successful New clubs Sponsors and Mentors of our 12 newest clubs in
the District. These clubs are well on their way to achieving success under the guidance of their
sponsors and mentors.
Div G Absolutely Fabulous Toastmasters
Sponsors Iris M. Talbot, DTM
Div C ATB Calgary Campus Sponsors Johnathan O. Bauer, ACG, ALB & Vincenzo Aliberti, ACS, ALB
Mentors Gayle A Soppit & Marcia J Allen, CC
Div A Coal Steam Ahead Sponsors Peter Kossowan, DTM & Marg Faryna, DTM
Mentors
Div F College Plaza Toastmasters Sponsors Peter Kossowan, DTM & Greg Gazin, DTM
Mentors Hans Von Bloedau, CTM & Greg Gazin, DTM
Div J Crowfoot Communicators Sponsors Samantha C. Marcy, CC, CL & Nevin Henn, ACG, CL
Mentors Andrew Jaremko & Doreen Lily Storck, ACB
Div D Elemental Toastmasters Sponsors Peter Kossowan, DTM
Mentors Lorenzo Heinrichs, ACG, AALB & Margaret Faryna, DTM
Div E Fearless Speakers Sponsors Lorilee G Guenter, CC, ALB & Carol E Harrison, DTM
Mentors Brian Peter Harrison, ACS, ALB & Patti Kehrer, ACB, ALB
Div J Groundswell Group Toastmasters
Sponsors Johnathan O. Bauer, ACG, ALB
Mentors Glen Ernest Brown, ACS, ALB
Div G Healthy Living Toastmasters Sponsors Ron Wayne Zdrill, CC & Keith S Whelpdale, CC, CL
Mentors Sandra Delon & Monique Assi, DTM
Div A Lingo Advanced Communicators
Sponsors Kerrianne Koehler-Munro, CTM, CL, Kamran Akbarzadeh, DTM
Mentors Carisa David, DTM & Gloria J Brons, DTM
Div D Speak MastURS Sponsors Peter Kossowan, DTM
Mentors Indira Pandya, ACB, ALB & Carol Penner, ACS, ALB
Div D The Way We Speak Toastmasters Club
Sponsors Peter Kossowan, DTM & Greg Gazin, DTM
Mentors Candy Huma Khan, CTM & Noel Bentley, CC, ALB
Serving as a new club sponsor or new club mentor will provide you with a terrific opportunity to
develop and grow your leadership skills and will be a credit towards your ALS. We have many more
opportunities to build new clubs in all corners of the District. And we need sponsors and mentors to
help in this endeavour. Please contact LGM@d42tm.org if you are interested.
Marg Faryna, DTM
Page 6
Public Relations Officer
Geetha Nicodemus, DTM
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If they knew how to give the right feedback, they
hesitated, as they feared they would be hurting
the speaker. Her passion to reach out and
educate as many members, ESL and Non-ESL
speakers included, is visible in the fact that she
has been facilitating this session for 4 years now
and has successfully trained over 400 people.
Her sessions are guaranteed to sharpen your
evaluating skills for ESL speakers.
"How to be a Distinguished Club Year after
Year!" was presented by Harry Wenzel, Division
G Governor 2012-2013 and Rochelle
Anderson, Division G Governor 2013-2014.
"Presentation Techniques that really work!" was
presented by Teresa Merry Field and Ben
Thorlkelson, both members of the MVP
Advanced Toastmasters Club.
"Navigating TI and D42 website" was presented
by Christina Kruis and Valerie Erickson.
If you missed any of these webinars, we have a
recorded session available for you on the District
42 website, www.d42tm.org, under the
'webinars' section. Look up our schedule for
upcoming webinars.
Webinars Schedule Missed Webinars
Public Relations Committees
Let me start by introducing a few members who are
supporting the District PR initiatives since the
beginning of this year.
Devan McPherson, who was the Area Governor of
the Year, 2012-2013, is in charge of Anymeetings,
our web conference and webinar service tool.
Devan's BHAG(big hairy audacious goal), he says, is
to have 100 people attending the webinars by year
end! "There is so much information that we have and
that is presented so well by our Toastmasters in
District42, I think that a goal of getting more people
on board to receive the presentation is a worthy
endeavor." He has personally called club executives
for support to push forward his goal.
We have had some great Webinar Educational
Sessions so far. "Organizing Bootcamps" was
presented by Bev LeBlanc, a session for aspiring
Bootcamp Co-ordinators. Bev who was the
Toastmaster of the Year for 2012-2013, explained
how Bootcamps are a way to get pumped up about
planning our Toastmasters journey as well as
connecting with members who have begun their
journey and continue to excel!
Evaluating ESL Speakers was presented by Yvea
Zaels. Yvea, an ESL speaker herself, with English
being her 4th language, created this session as she
observed how members were not able to give
specific feedback to ESL speakers.
Page 7
Public Relations Officer
Geetha Nicodemus, DTM
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Our social media administrator Rhys Davies, has
been aggressive in promoting our Facebook page
to District 42 members and clubs. Since he took
over as administrator our number of likes have
increased from 170 to 317. Rhys’ goal, as
Facebook Administrator, is to provide an
opportunity for members and clubs to
communicate with the district and also serve
members by promoting the District news,
information and events. Rhys has been serving the
District for over ten years now and is working
towards his second DTM, which he hopes to
complete in 2016. He is the past Prairie Horizons
editor and has won many awards.
District 42 You Tube page
Prairie Horizons archive will soon be available
for all our members. We are evaluating the
right tool to present it in. Recording our
members’ achievements is top priority this
year for PR team. Shaila Khan, an
enthusiastic new member, is helping the
District put together a document called
Inspirations. Inspirations is a collection of
stories of our members’ journeys towards
DTM. Virtual trophy room, a website, will be
developed by May Zhou another new
member. This website is specifically for
displaying District Trophies and winners of the
trophies.
District 42 is very blessed to have such
enthusiastic contributors. A big thank you
to all members for your co-operation and for
volunteering your time with us.
Geetha Nicodemus, DTM
Photo: Shaila Khan – Editor DTM
Stories
Page 8
The Toastmasters Revitalized Education
Program
In 2010 the Toastmasters International Board of
Directors approved a strategic plan for the
organization. Part of that plan called for a
“renewed focus on leadership and a
modernization of the communication
program”. For the past few years Toastmasters
International has been analyzing the existing
program and researching possible changes that
would make our education program more
relevant to the needs of its members in their day
to day lives.
A project plan was developed and steps were
taken to make the changes needed so that the
Toastmasters Education Program would
provide real-world communication and
leadership skills that are useful in a globally
evolving marketplace. In the second half of this
year Toastmasters International will unveil its
Revitalized Education Program.
The revitalized program promises to make
membership in Toastmasters even more
desirable than ever before. There are many
changes planned but the core of our education
program will remain in place. Peer learning,
achievement and recognition will remain at the
heart of the process. However the learning
experience will be taken to a whole new level.
Technology will become a powerful tool in
our future learning. You will be able to harness
technology to improve your speaking and
meeting roles.
Right now, a group of 1500 individuals around
the globe are serving as “Learning Masters” to
help test elements of the new program. They are
experiencing parts of the new programs and
provide meaningful feedback to the
Toastmasters project team. The Learning
Masters are a critical link between the project
team and you, the member.
Chief Ambassador
Chuck LeBlanc, DTM
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Revitalized Education Program – Q & A
In addition to the Learning Masters,
Toastmasters has chosen a group of Learning
Ambassadors who will help inform clubs about
the Revitalized Education Program. These
Learning Ambassadors will be assigned
approximately 10 clubs charged with the task to
provide club members with details of the new
program. Each club can expect 2 visits from the
Learning Ambassadors. The first visit will be
in February-March, to provide an overview of
the new program, and the second visit, during
the second half of 2014, soon after the details
of the new program are announced.
District 42 will have approximately 26
Learning Ambassadors who will visit clubs and
make presentations about the program. Each
ambassador will be assigned approximately 10
clubs. At this time we are finalizing the list of
clubs that each ambassador will visit. Once the
list is complete it will be circulated to each Area
Governor and will be posted on the District 42
website.
These are exciting times! Our revitalized
education program will help to reinforce
Toastmasters as the world’s leading
organization for developing communication and
leadership skills. It’s one more proof that
Toastmasters is “Where Leaders are Made”!
Chuck LeBlanc, DTM
Page 9
Spring Convention May 2-4, 2014
Top Five Reasons to get excited about
District 42 Spring Convention 2014
It’s hard to believe that the Spring
Convention 2014 is less than three months
away. Why should you get excited about
the “Leaders are Forever” event? If you
came to the Fall Conference 2013 you
know what a great experience you’re in for
during this semi-annual event. However, if
you haven’t joined us yet for the best
Toastmasters Convention, here are the top
five reasons you should attend the Spring
Convention 2014.
5. Eat, Relax, Party, Repeat
What event would be complete without a
costumed party and exceptional evening
events? At “Leaders are Forever” 2014, you
will be treated to terrific food at the
Radisson Hotel. Enjoy James Bond themed
cocktails and fun games on Friday, and an
elegant four course meal at the District
Governor’s Ball on Saturday, then dance
the night away with TJ the DJ. Don’t forget
the Hospitality ‘after hours’ Suite!
4. Speech and Evaluation Contests
Every contestant has won 2 to 3 contests
before they get to the Convention. They
won at the club speech or evaluation
contests … then won the Area contest …
then won the Division contest! They will
compete with other Division winners for the
coveted Convention trophies.
Spring Convention
Edmonton, AB
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Come see these contestants: they are the “crème de
la crème” of District 42. You will be inspired,
entertained and uplifted all at the same time.
3. Lead, Learn and Share
Curious how to get the most value out of your
experience at the Convention? Attend different
workshops and share what you learn. The workshops
often focus on teaching various skills and will get you
thinking. Learn about the Toastmasters organization
outside your club. Spring is also the time for electing
District Officers.
2. Networking that is Actually Meaningful
One of the best aspects of the Convention is the
opportunity to network with Toastmasters from all
over Alberta and Saskatchewan. “Leaders are
Forever” 2014 offers the perfect platform to meet and
share war stories with hundreds of Toastmasters.
Why not invite members from your own club to join
you at the Convention? You will all have an amazing
time together!
And the number one reason………
1. An Inspiring Keynote Speaker You want to
Hear
Register now….
“Leaders are Forever” 2014 will be here before you
know it, so what are you waiting for? Don’t miss out,
register today at Springconvention.d42tm.org
If you are looking for a convention that features
If you are looking for a
convention that features Keynote
speakers who offer practical tips
in personal and professional
development, then look no
further. At “Leaders are Forever”
2014, you will hear from Mary
Pat Barry, Accredited Business
Communicator, Top 100
Business Women of 2013.
Page 10
Attaining My DTM
Shaila Khan interviews the District Governor,
Keith Lee DTM for “Inspirations” - stories of
members achieving their DTM.
Why did you join Toastmasters?
I joined the SAITSayers club in 2002 as I was
finishing a diploma at SAIT in Calgary. A friend of
mine noticed an ad on a campus bulletin board and
we decided to check out a meeting together.
What do you like about Toastmasters?
I like the people, the opportunities, and the
personal challenge. There are so many ways that I
have grown through my time in the organization. I
met my wife through Toastmasters, I have gotten
jobs through Toastmasters, and I have been able to
expand my communication and leadership skills
exponentially through the new contexts that District
Leadership affords.
Are there any stories you would like to share
with us?
Actually, one of my proudest achievements over
the years was completing the “85 Stories” project,
where we celebrated the 85th anniversary of
Toastmasters International by collecting the stories
of 85 different Toastmasters from across Calgary
and sharing them online. It was very cool to hear
about the difference that the organization has made
in so many lives.
Also, it is interesting how my first bid for District
Leadership led me to meet my wife! We met at
the Grande Prairie convention a few years ago but
all we did was play Mega-Jenga in the hospitality
room. I was so shy I didn’t actually talk to her
during the game – we just played the game. It
wasn’t until the next convention six months later
that we actually had our first conversation and I
asked her for her number!
DTM Stories
District Governor
C
Lorraine Wheatley, CC, ALB
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What have been the highlights of your journey
to DTM?
I remember attending a cracker-barrel session led
by Rhys Davies many years ago and promising to
complete my DTM that year. It took me a while….
I didn’t finish until five or more years later!
Initially I wanted to complete my High Performance
Leadership project on coordinating Youth
Leadership programs in Calgary. Although I did
accomplish a lot with Youth Leadership, it fell to the
wayside as an HPL. Ultimately, I decided to pursue
a project in my year as Lieutenant Governor of
Marketing that I finished for my HPL. I had an
outstanding guidance committee – Darlene
Davies, Charles Mohammed, and Ray Mulvihill
– and I really enjoyed our conversations. I also
have to thank Doris Henn for motivating me to
cross the finish line in the end.
Another highlight has been the joy of writing thank-
you cards to members who have achieved their
DTM and other educational goals. It takes a lot of
commitment and focus to complete goals within the
program, and you can never have enough
recognition!
.
Page 11
DTM Stories
District Governor
Lorraine Wheatley, CC, ALB
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How has Toastmasters helped you?
It has helped me with my career, expanded my
social circle, and helped me discover myself as a
leader and communicator. Helping to organize
projects and events in service of others has
provided so many opportunities for growth and
contribution to my community – I would truly say
that Toastmasters has helped me define myself
more sharply as a person and find my voice. I want
to build and share my knowledge, and
Toastmasters has helped that process immensely.
Why would you recommend Toastmasters to
others?
Definitely! It provides a fantastic opportunity for
people to expand their skills, expand their
network, and discover opportunities to grow as
a leader, communicator and citizen of the world.
You meet so many people and have the chance to
contribute in so many ways both within and beyond
the club.
What are your future plans?
Following completion of my District Governor year, I
will step back a bit to focus on my family and my
career. I still plan to contribute as Immediate Past
District Governor – Chuck LeBlanc, Greg Gazin
and Ken Tanner have been huge inspirations and
great mentors – and I look forward to seeing our
District be distinguished for many years to come.
What has inspired other Toastmasters
in District 42 to achieve their DTM?
Read more inspiring stories in the
Inspirations booklet.
Michel Conrad, DTM
Freddi Dogterom, DTM
Genesh Chariyil, DTM
Kamran Akbarzdeh, DTM
Bob Gibbenus, DTM
Click ads for Toastmasters International website
Page 12
Learning from Leaders
District 42 Prairie Horizon Archives
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A Look Back
It is a new century so why bother to look back?
Things are new and improved now aren't they?
Sometimes in looking back we can use the
basics and change them enough for our
modern clubs. Yet other articles remain as true
today as they were years ago.
In May each division will be looking for
Toastmasters to serve as Area Governors,
serving the clubs in their assigned areas but what
does it mean. Ask anyone who has been an Area
Governor and they will give you a glimpse into the
highlights and challenges they faced during the
year of service. As I read this article written in the
first Prairie Horizons in the archives I realize that
some things haven't changed all that much. A
good area governor still requires the same
leadership skills as back then. As you enjoy a
look back into the archives, think about whether
you are ready to serve your district as an area
governor. I know from experience it is worthwhile.
WHY AN AREA GOVERNOR?
Wolf Niepelt, Area Governor, Area 7
We have all had the experience of having an Area
Governor drop in on our weekly TM meeting. He is
properly welcomed by the Club President and
receives polite applause. He then sits - stiff, silent,
and observing - through the major portion of the
evening. His remarks at the end of the meeting are
superficial and bland. No concrete ideas are
offered, and the lasting impression of his visit is,
"Who needs him?"!
I must admit, that I never found an answer until my
appointment as governor of Area 7 became a
reality. The answer, of course, is that we don’t
need this type of man as Area Governor. What we
do need, and need desperately, is a man who will
meet his load of responsibility to help all the clubs
in his area every way possible.
His prime function is to insure that all club
officers are properly trained and fulfill
their responsibilities. Part of this, of course,
is helping them in the administration and
the guidance of their clubs. To achieve
this, he must be well versed in all club
procedures and be familiar with the many
aides available from Santa Ana.
How he accomplishes this function will
depend on his individual personality, but
In any event, he must utilize his own ideas,
his imagination and his logic, as well as
show initiative and enthusiasm; above all,
he must have the dedication and be
determined to succeed.
Before a new Area Governor can help his
clubs, he must first determine where aid
is most needed. He should establish
personal contact with the executive of each
club in his area. His first project should be
to help build and maintain individual
club enthusiasm and spirit. This can best
be achieved by active participation in each
club's programs. He should always be
prepared (as a good Toastmaster) to fill in
at a minute’s notice in an emergency. He
should not push himself into the
foreground, but he· should never shy away
from a challenge or the opportunity to
participate, He will not only help the club,
but also gain the respect of the members in
his clubs.
Page 13
Learning from Leaders
District 42 Prairie Horizon Archives
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Once he has familiarized himself with his clubs, the
Area Governor should instigate inter-club
activities. Working with his full Area Council, he
should organize a Speakers Bureau, a speakers
exchange program, and a combined, inter-club,
public relations program. He should promote joint or
single club sponsorship of Speechcraft and Youth
Leadership Programs. It is true that some clubs
may have already instituted some of these
programs, but the Area Governor can incorporate
all clubs into these activities for much more effective
results. Who else but the Area Governor has the
time and opportunity to properly co-ordinate these
undertakings?
He should not, however, confine his thinking to just
Toastmasters meetings. A good Area Governor
should be continuously on the lookout for speaking
opportunities for Toastmasters outside of their
clubs. Every such opportunity not only provides a
challenge for experienced Toastmasters, but also is
of great publicity value to our organization.
After almost a year as Area Governor, I can only
say that the position is full of challenges, full of
pitfalls but is also full of rewards, It is really no
different from anything else worthwhile in life, Attack
the problems and success is 'in the bag'. It is your
initiative and determination that decides the
outcome!
Click for PH Archive
Opportunities in D42
What leadership skills do you want to
develop?
1. Club Coach
2. Club Sponsor
3. Club Mentor
4. Area Governor and Assistants
5. Division Governor and Assistants
6. Speech Contest Chair
7. Boot Camp Organizers
8. Club Officer Training Trainers
9. Prairie Horizons Contributors
10. Convention volunteers
More opportunities….. for Leaders
Mentors – Leaders Who Makes a Difference
Past District Governor Mona Cooley and team
members Darlene Davies, Bob Gibbenus,
Peggy Gibbenus, Marvin Henry, and Nandini
Venkatesan have created four training modules
to assist clubs in developing a mentoring
program to help members get the most out of
the Toastmasters program.
Module 1 - Promoting the Vision of a Club
Mentoring Program
Module 2 - Implementing the Program
Module 3 - Training the mentors and mentees
Module 4 - Building the B.E.S.T. mentoring
relationships
Mentoring Resources
Page 14
Inspiring Area Governor
J53 Area Governor
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Newsletter of the Year
Shelley Goldbeck
Leadership as an Area Governor
1. Sponsored 12 members, 3 sponsorships given to
Sisi Wu
2. Initiated, developed and maintained
Toastmasters at Suncor internal website
3. Organized individual meetings to recruit and sign
up new members
4. Generated about 40 guests attendance across
Suncor based clubs. Achieved by initiating mass
email sent to 6,000 Calgary-based employees in
cooperation communication department.
5. Recruited members by supplying promotional
material to ESL-focused speech pathologist
office
6. Attracted new members via signage posted on
workspace walls
7. Cooperated with club Suncor based clubs on
membership drive
8. Marketed club via company internal classified
postings
9. Initiated including information about TM during
company employee orientation session
10. Communicated with company learning and
development team include TM in course offerings
11. Generated guest attendance by connecting with
all participants of company offered Facilitation
with Ease course
12. Connected potential members with Fort
McMurray based clubs
13. Improved club’s guest information package
14. Mentored new members and introduced TM
educational program
15. Initiated club official mentorship program
16. Developed and delivered for Calgary-wide TM
audience the “TM educational program” session
organized by CATs
17. Applied and secured $750 of club funding via the
volunteer grant from Suncor
Yvea Zaels
Leadership Tasks
Area Governors do a variety of tasks to
help their clubs and their area. Each Area
Governor brings their unique personality
and abilities to the role. Each club in each
area has similar needs such as marketing
their club to attract new members, having
club officers trained and working to the best
of their abilities. Yet each club also has its
unique culture which brings some individual
needs that may need help of the Area
Governor in meeting.
This is one list from one Area Governor
last year. Maybe you can take some of
these ideas and make them your own or
they may spur you into thinking of things
that would work to promote your Clubs,
your Area, your Division and Toastmasters
in general. Have some fun as you work
towards the members being served in the
best way possible.
Carol Harrison, DTM
Yvea Zaels
2012 -2013 Area Governor Division J
Page 15
Winning Newsletters
WAAMtastic Toastmasters
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4. A club newsletter helps members hone
communications skills. As Toastmasters we
continually aspire to become better
communicators. Just as we have multiple ways of
receiving news (radio, TV, print, online, mobile),
we have multiple ways to communicate. As our
club newsletter editor, I always invite members to
participate by writing short reports of meetings or
contests or by taking pictures.
5. There is great satisfaction in producing a
newsletter. I produced a bi-monthly newsletter
for a former employer. As I hand delivered about
150 of the 200 newsletters, I witnessed first-hand
the impact of my product on my colleagues. They
would immediately cease working to devour the
latest news. Their enthusiasm validated my
team’s efforts and eased the pain of looming
deadlines and wrestling with technology.
6. A club newsletter is an effective way to
record your club history. Our former secretary
needed to know about past club contest winners
so she could add their names to our winner’s
plaque. By referring to our newsletter archives I
was able to provide her with accurate information.
7. A good club newsletter can add
credibility and prestige to your club. In 2012
and 2013, as VP Public Relations, I won the Herb
Ashley Award for our club’s newsletter,
WAAMtalk. Winning these awards was a
tremendous honour for my club and me. I have
since delivered a number of talks about building
award-winning newsletters. I am always happy to
share my skills and expertise in this area.
If you are the VP Public Relations for your club, I
encourage you to dip your toe in the water and
create a club newsletter. You and your club will
enjoy great rewards.
Shelley Goldbeck ACG, ALB Thinker, Writer,
Speaker WAAMtastic Toastmasters.
Seven Good Reasons to Have a
Toastmasters Club Newsletter
Producing and distributing a club newsletter is
one of the duties of the VP Public Relations.
Here are just seven reasons to produce a
newsletter for your Toastmasters club.
1. Your club newsletter is a wonderful way
to officially share news with your
Toastmaster members. We keep our members
up-to-date on member achievements and other
club, area, district and division news. We include
features like Member Profiles, Speaker Spotlight,
and Word of the Month. We print speeches or
excerpts of speeches. We glean information from
Toastmaster magazine, encapsulate it and share
the main ideas with readers.
2. Your club newsletter is also useful for
recruiting new members. In our club, we are
reminded to share our electronic copies with
prospective members. Hard copies of the
newsletter appear in the lunch room near the
bank of microwaves, in the coffee rooms on each
floor, and in the reception area. One of our
members reported that he came to our building
for a job interview, noticed our club newsletter in
the reception area, and set his sights on winning
the job because we had a Toastmasters Club.
The company’s esteem was elevated because of
the presence of our club!
3. A club newsletter is also a great way to
communicate with managers and guests of
your company. As your club members achieve
educational designations, win contests and other
Toastmaster accolades, it is important that their
colleagues and managers know about those
achievements. It is not only great for the member
but also adds to the prestige of the club and its
perceived importance.
Click for WAAMtastic Toastmasters website
Public Downloads
Page 16
Inspiring Lessons
Advanced Manuals
Completed all 15!
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Photo: Courtesy of Terry McBride
Cecilia receiving her plaque at TLI
Hi there fellow Toastmasters. Cecilia Elizabeth
DTM here. I am pleased to come to you with
some wonderful news. Recently I have been
honored by Division E for finishing all 15
Advanced Manuals. I am proud to lead the way
for all of you to do the same.
Some time ago at an Area Governor training I
informed Keith Lee, our District 42 Governor that
I was just about to finish my last speech in the
last advanced manual. Yes, all 15 of them. Keith
asked me if I would be so kind as to write an
article for the Prairie Horizons newsletter. So
here it is.
I joined Toastmasters in July of 1995. The
reason was pretty lame but true. My husband,
Dusty (Bill Dustin) had joined Toastmasters after
meeting Alice Hanlin at the Emma Lake
Toastmaster weekend which was put on by Big
Thinkers Toastmasters club. The first meeting
he planned attend was the 10th anniversary
party for Big Thinkers. Well.........this was
...NOT...going to work for me. If I remember
correctly, I said, "Well, you are not going to party
without me." One thing I must make clear, is that
the Cecilia you know now is not the same
Cecilia Elizabeth I was then. I was introverted,
lacked confidence, and was a very, very shy,
scared person. The woman you know now is
extroverted, confident and not shy at all. It is all
because of Toastmasters. Thank you fellow
Toastmasters.
My "Toastmaster Journey" really began shortly
after I joined Big Thinkers. I joined the executive.
Several seasoned Toastmasters, Alice Hanlin
and Mickey McLellan, had my best interest at
hand and took me under their wing. These two
ladies mentored me and helped me realize I was
not an "ugly duckling" and that I did have value.
Above all I believe this is the best kept secret
about the Toastmasters organization.
Mentors not only help folks become better
speakers but really help them become
"Humans Being More". Through it all I was
always "befriended" The thing Toastmasters
all do very, very well.
Over the first year I discovered what
Toastmasters was all about. I discovered that
Toastmasters had two tracks: a
Communication track and a Leadership track.
I attended the Emma Lake workshop where I
could learn about the possibilities and
opportunities to focus on in my Toastmasters
journey. By September of the first year, I had
participated in the International Speech
Contest. What a learning curve that was! I
also helped Alice Hanlin at a Youth
Leadership program at Montgomery school.
By June of my first Toastmaster year I had
obtained my first CTM, (That is the old name
of the award and equivalent to the CC manual
of a Toastmaster's first 10 speeches). Of
course the list goes on and on....
Why and how did I do it?
THIS IS "THE KEY" One thing I discovered is
that Toastmasters had a sheet called
"Toastmasters Recognition". It laid out the
Speaking and Leadership Tracks and
described what one needed to do to obtain
each Toastmasters level. It was so clear.
Page 17
I pinned it up on the bulletin board in my office,
where I could see "where I was" and most of all
where my next step would be. Then I started
working though those steps. During all of this
progress I worked on different Advanced
Manuals, modules and leadership opportunities.
Next my mentors made sure I was on the club
executive, keeping me involved. I started with
Secretary and moved on to Treasurer. I have
done all the roles more than once.
Advanced Manuals:
1 & 2 The first two manuals I did
were Entertaining Speaker and Specialty
Speeches. I think this is a good place to start with
their projects such as Speak off the Cuff and
Resources for Entertainment. I think this is a
good way to ease into speaking and learn from
the evaluations.
3 & 4 The next two manuals were Speaking to
Inform and Public Relations. These helped me
in my club executive roles such as VP of Public
Relations and Bulletin Editor. While I worked on
those, I also worked on the modules Impromptu
Speaking, Evaluate to Motivate and Taking the
Terror Out of Talk. Since I was working on
my Competent Leader I did a couple of modules:
Keeping the Commitment and Impromptu
Speaking which helped me keep focused.
I also made sure I entered speech contests,
attended training and spoke with my mentors,
frequently.
5 & 6 Professional Speaker and Interpersonal
Communication were the next two manuals that I
soaked up as President of Big Thinkers. These
helped me communicate better with the executive
members and the club. I became Club
Toastmaster of the Year and was nominated for
Division Toastmaster of the Year. Believe it or
not, someone else actually did more speeches
than I did.
Advanced Manuals
Completed all 15!
Subhead
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At this point I had been a Toastmaster for
two years. I attended District 42 conference
in Grande Prairie as a first timer. I become
an Area Governor and did a High
Performance Leadership manual to help me
function in that role.
7 & 8 Speeches by Management and
Special Occasion Speeches and modules
Evaluate to Motivate and Mentoring. These
helped me learn by doing as well as allowed
me to help others learn.
9 & 10 Technical Presentations and Story
Telling also modules Creating an
Introduction and Organizing a Speech.
An Area Governor is a District leader. I
could share my obtained knowledge and
help others. I was Toastmaster of the Year
at the club level for the second time. This
was very important to keep me focused and
energized as a Toastmaster. It should be
said here, that I always have a Competent
Communicator Manual on the go to help my
club with points. I had now completed three.
11 & 12 Communicating on T.V. and
Persuasive Speaking were two manuals
that helped me speak at the U of S
Pharmacy and Nutrition Speechcraft
program, and helped me with executive
roles especially VP of Education.
Page 18
13 Humorously Speaking, I always thought I
had no sense of humor but wanted to enter the
Humorous speech contest. What better way is
there to learn how to do so!
14 & 15 Interpretive Reading and
Discussion Leader, The year was now 2013
and I could see the end in sight. With the help
of my two clubs, Living Skies Advanced and
Big Thinkers, I jumped in. I knew I would need
a lot of understanding and help to muddle
through these last two manuals. With helpful
advice from many, including Carol Harrison, I
picked topics and gave it a try.
I can't wait to see what the NEW Education
program will bring. I am currently working on
the Leadership Excellence series and will
check out what Better Speaker and
Successful Club modules I have NOT done.
Maybe it would be beneficial to the club for me
to do those. After all they are there for us to
learn from and for us to help others learn from.
It does not matter how much you think you
might fail.... It only matters that you try.
Also, I have said many times "Never do a
speech for free" Always get your speech
evaluated, inside the club and outside of the
club.
There is much, much more to list on my
journey, but the topic here was to speak of
why and how I managed to do all 15
Advanced Manuals. The rest is for
another time. I will leave you with this.
Make Toastmasters a part of your life, and
DO NOT QUIT. Keep on speaking,
evaluating, and leading. There is so much
to do and learn from. Keep moving do not
stagnate. I always have a Competent
Communicator (by now I have done it 10
times at least) and Competent Leader
manual on the go. I do one of those every
year, for club points. Right now, I also
have a Specialty Speech Manual handy
in my Toastmaster briefcase. Because,
not only have I done the 15 Advanced
Manuals, I have done several of them
more than once.
I know without a doubt that I am a better
person because of Toastmasters. I pray I
am helping others with their journeys.
Respectfully submitted,
Cecilia Elizabeth, DTM (Twice)
Advanced Manuals
Completed all 15!
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Page 19
Club Ideas
Speech Topics & Themes
Subhead
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Speech Ideas & Club Meeting Possibilities
Are you a VP Education looking for new ideas
for your club meetings? You will find a few novel
ideas from clubs in this article which I am sure do
not begin to showcase all the unique ideas that
have been attempted.
Maybe you are a club executive that already thinks
outside the box, at least on occasion, and have
implemented a variety of ideas in the last year or
many years of your club’s existence. I challenge us
to look at this as an opportunity to mentor other
clubs by sharing the successful meetings our
club has done. Of course you could also share a
few less than successful ideas because they might
spark someone’s imagination and with a few
changes be able to make them work.
Just like the club leadership sometimes struggles
to take meetings in a new and different direction to
keep the learning fun, so does the individual
toastmaster wonder how to come up with yet
another speech topic. I often hear this question
asked by newer toastmasters, Speechcraft
program participants and yes even seasoned
toastmasters, “What should I talk about? Where do
I find a topic for my next speech?”
While it is a true statement, “Speech topics are all
around us”, it often seems they are in hiding. We
search and search only to come up empty. Then
there are the times when something sparks out
interest and we know it is the bones of a speech.
Later we try and pull it from our memory banks only
to realize we don’t have the combination to the
vault. The remedy is to simply write down the idea
when it comes to you, at least the main point or
what sparked the idea so you can work on it later. I
know it is not always as easy as it seems
especially if it happens in the middle of driving or
as you drift off to sleep. Each person will need to
come up with the solution that works best for this –
maybe a voice recorder.
Finding the elusive speech topic ideas comes
as you read, as you listen to others speaking
and even from different meetings your club
has. They might be sparked by your hobbies,
your work, family oddities and yes each
family has someone who makes us shake our
head or laugh, or even from a single quote that
means something to you.
Just as I challenge each club to share their
meeting ideas, I want to challenge each of us
to begin to jot down our thoughts, our
possibilities for speeches and even share
with each other things that jogged our thinking.
The same speech topic done by different
individuals will bring varied perspectives.
Maybe this is an idea for a meeting – have
one topic that multiple speakers speak on
and learn more about their individuality through
their perspectives.
I hope the following articles will spark your
imagination as a club or personally to try
something new or give you the next great
speech idea.
Carol Harrison, DTM
Page 20
Photo: Brian Harrison
Julie Jorgenson giving the Presenting an
Award Speech
This meeting celebrated the
achievements of members, enabled a
member to complete a Competent
Leader requirement, encouraged other
members to continue to work toward
their own goals and showcased an
advanced manual in the process.
Excel Celebration Meeting
Saskatoon, SK
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Celebration Meeting
Carol Harrison, DTM
The invitation read, “You are invited to help us
celebrate at Excel Toastmasters Club 8903.”
Excel’s former club coach and now member of the
toastmaster club, along with several other
members decided to plan a club special event
which would count towards a requirement in their
CL manual. But more than simply checking off
another requirement she wanted to celebrate the
fact that Amee had achieved her Distinguished
Toastmaster and Carol Harrison, her mom, had
achieved her second distinguished toastmaster
designation.
Jennifer arranged for invitations to be sent to their
family members, to former Excel members that still
kept in touch and to members of other clubs that
knew this pair of toastmasters well. She also
arranged for the entire program of celebration to
showcase the Special Occasion Advanced
Manual.
On December 7, 2013 one of Excel’s regular
meetings became a special event. The meeting
started with a toast (Mastering the Toast) to the
pair followed by introductions around the room
with everyone telling how they knew Carol and
Amee. Lorilee Guenter, also a toastmaster,
roasted (The Roast) her sister Amee followed by
Brian Harrison Speaking in Praise of his wife
Carol and daughter Amee. Then Julie Jordison
from Excel presented the DTM plaque to Amee
and Anna Penner also did this speech
(Presenting An Award) as she presented the
DTM plaque to Carol who then practiced the
Accepting an Award Speech. All speeches were
then evaluated by others attending that meeting.
This meeting celebrated the achievements of
members, enabled a member to complete a
Competent Leader requirement, encouraged other
members to continue to work toward their own
goals and showcased an advanced manual in the
process.
Page 21
GP Toasters
Grande Prairie, AB
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Theme Meeting: Self-esteem
Task – share your Toastmasters “mini story”
AND choose a quote regarding Confidence.
Gary Janz, CC Toastmasters help me to have
self-esteem in my speaking. I have more
confidence in speaking.
“Anyone who ever gave you confidence, you
owe them a lot.” ~Truman Capote
Jeff Spilger, ACB, CL I joined Toastmasters
because I wanted to be more confident in
professional situations such as job interviews,
and perhaps professional presentations, should I
ever have to do them. Toastmasters help me tell
people what’s on my mind in an organized
fashion and discover my talents.
“Other people’s opinion of you does not have to
become your reality.” ~ Les Brown
“People think of us if we could know how seldom
they do.” ~ Olin Miller
Liz Ramsankar, ACB, CL Toastmasters help me
to get over my fear and it helps me a lot with the
way of life.
“We probably wouldn’t worry about what people
think of us if we could know how seldom they
do.” ~ Olin Miller
Paulette McGinnis, ACS, ALB I joined
Toastmasters because I needed to build my
confidence and Toastmasters has done that for
me.
“Success comes in cans, not can’t” ~ Author
Unknown
Trudy Beyer I joined Toastmasters because I
was hoping to improve my public speaking skills
and self-confidence. Toastmasters help me to
organize and develop skills.
“It is not the mountain we conquer but
ourselves.” ~ Edmund Hillary
Carolyn Smith, ACS, ALB I joined
Toastmasters because every time I stood in
front of a group to speak, my knees were
weak, the butterflies choked me and I had no
words, only ums and ah’s. Toastmasters help
me because it has given me skills for
speaking and leadership – the skills are
graded from simple to more complicated.
“We are like the little branch that quivers
during a storm, doubting our strength and
forgetting we are the tree – deeply rooted to
withstand all of life’s upheavals.” ~ Dodinsky
Arlene McDonnell
Club Coach and Treasurer
Photo: Courtesy of Jeff Spilger
Page 22
GP Toasters
Grande Prairie, AB
Subhead
Sample Text
Humorous Speech
Am I Really A Slob?
My mother used to think so.
One day she came to my apartment and decided
it needed cleaning.
I don’t know why my scattered stuff should bother
her.
Or why she thinks she has to pick everything up.
All the bottles and other containers on my
dresser, my counters and on my floor.
But she does.
Or why she thinks rugs need to be vacuumed and
cleaned.
Or floor washed.
Or dishes washed on the day they are used.
But she does.
She held up every item of clothing I have and
gave me the choice:
Wash it. Wear it. Junk it. Or off to the Goodwill.
She also invaded the areas under my bed where I
store all my colorful candy wrappers.
She didn’t know that I was planning to frame them
into the most beautiful picture you ever saw.
Yup. You guessed it. Into the garbage!
Then she invades my bathroom and demands
that I sort the hundred or so bottles of lotions I
have there.
Yup. Most of them went out!
Next, she interferes with my clothes closets and
insists that one is for summer and the other is for
winter.
I ran out of hangers trying to please her.
Her next victim was my store room where I hid all
my pizza boxes and garbage.
You guessed it – out they went.
The good news is that:
The goodwill got two bags full of clothing.
The garbage bin only got one.
My mom bought two clothes hampers for my
bedroom
She also bought two covered garbage cans for
my storeroom -
One for garbage and one for recyclables.
Guess what! My mom doesn’t think I’m a slob
any more.
AND NEITHER DO I
Liz McDonnell
Page 23
Innovative Toastmasters
Saskatoon, SK
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Club with a Special Focus
- Carol Harrison, DTM
Innovative Toastmaster Club chartered almost 29
years ago but has undergone many changes in those
years: a name change, a few different venues for
their meetings, and becoming a special focus club.
This last change may have been the most significant
and definitely the largest change to this long time
club. Innovative Toastmasters club now has a focus
for members who enjoy working and learning
alongside those who might need extra help in
learning or desire to move through the program
at a slower pace.
Amee and Carol Harrison were appointed as club
coaches for Innovative Toastmasters club in 2010
and began the process of adapting the club to meet a
new and special focus. During the next two years
they spread the word throughout Division E, to any
organization that worked with people who had some
disabilities or special needs and to those who worked
in these many organizations.
Carol invited a young woman she met to come as a
guest. It took months before Melissa accepted her
invitation. It took a lot of courage for her to walk into
that first meeting and simply introduce herself.
Slowly she began to feel more comfortable with
the few members she had met but when a new
person attended the meeting her shyness and fear
returned. Today the progress is amazing. Melissa
has completed her Competent Communicator,
Competent Leader, and Advanced Leader Bronze.
She has coordinated a Speechcraft program and
attended division training. Fellow club members have
even convinced her to try speech contests. All these
achievements have taken her far outside her
comfort zone in introducing her to larger groups of
Toastmasters. She has become our biggest
promoter by inviting others to come and learn in a
safe and supportive environment. Our latest guests
came not only because she told them about
Innovative Toastmaster but because they saw the
difference it has made in her life.
Photo: Courtesy of Melissa Edge
We met Daniel when he accepted Melissa’s
invitation to come as a guest to a meeting. His
shyness and insecurity in talking to people
prevented him from even telling us his name.
He relied on others to introduce him. After
many meetings he finally could introduce
himself. More meetings passed and then he
tried timing but left giving the report to
someone else. We applauded when he tried a
table topic for the first time. Daniel finally felt
safe and as his trust grew he began to chat
with members during break and after the
meeting. It was a great moment for us and his
mom could hardly believe the positive change
in him. Now Daniel regularly introduces
himself, has done a few table topics, can
give a timer’s report and at our last meeting, in
his role as quizmaster, came up to the lectern
to ask the questions. After the meeting, with a
huge grin on his face, he told us he thinks it is
time he does his ice breaker speech. Our
members wait with less than barely contained
excitement to hear what he tells us about
himself.
Innovative Toastmaster club has members that
give dynamite, detailed evaluations. Members
do speeches on an amazing variety of topics
and even compete in contests now. But the
biggest reason to celebrate is all the
confidence they gain by taking each small
step while having loads of fun.
Page 24
Photo: Trevor from Miracles played didgeridoo
Creative Club Ideas
Challenge: Share something unique your
club has done which might inspire
speech ideas; inter club visits or simply a
new twist for a fun meeting while we
learn.
Green Day
The Wascana Toastmasters Club #577 supported
the Saskatchewan Roughriders Football Western
Conference Champions, by dressing in Green. To
celebrate the home team, who was playing at home
in Mosaic Stadium/Taylor field, in the Grey Cup
against the Hamilton Tiger Cats. This is a historic
event as the Saskatchewan Roughriders are going
to be playing in a new stadium in 2017, making this
was an awesome event. On November 24, 2013 the
Saskatchewan Roughriders did win the Grey Cup
which we all are so proud of. The Wascana
Toastmasters Club #577 is the oldest club in
District 42.
Don Rosom VP Public Relations
Photos: Chris Greer
Wascana Club Green Day Igniters and Miracles
Regina, SK Calgary, AB
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Igniting Miracles!
On Jan 14, Igniters shared another wonderful joint
meeting hosted by Miracles at the Unity Church.
The evening began with a delicious potluck. Roles
were divided between the clubs, Gabriella
Ostendorfer was Chairman and Igniters
President Marvin Henry was Toastmaster.
Miracles President Bob Ellwood and Abhinav
Sikand gave inspiring speeches and received
new perspectives from evaluators Mona Cooley
and Michael Coady. Passionate Table Topics!
The meeting was filled with friendship, fun, and
camaraderie the challenge word of the day!
Special thanks to VP PR Leanne James.
Nandini Venkatesan VP Public Relations
Photo: Courtesy of Don Rosom
Page 25
Possible Speech Ideas Through a
Combined Club Tour
James Kalyn
Big Country Toastmasters, a Moose Jaw fixture
with a history that spans over fifty years, has a
long-standing tradition of holding monthly special
events for members. These can include dinner
meetings, speech contests, and other standards
that you might expect to find at Toastmasters. But
the club has also led members to some unique –
and fun – educational opportunities.
“In the summer, we’d usually get together for a
picnic or something,” said Area Governor and Big
Country Toastmasters member Lorna Arnold,
“but a few years ago, we decided we’d like to kick it
up a notch.” From that point on, the club members
began trying out some new activities, including a
trolley ride through town, and a tour of a
historic local cemetery. “The tour guide had so
many stories,” said Arnold. “We learned so many
things about our own city that we didn’t know.”
Another club tradition was to hold a joint meeting
with the TAPS Toastmasters club from Moose
Jaw, as well as other clubs from Area 18. In past
years, these had been held in Chaplin,
Saskatchewan. However, because the joint
meetings were held in the evening and involved a
lot of driving (Chaplin being nearly an hour’s drive –
one way – from Moose Jaw), they often felt rushed.
The solution? Combine the joint meeting with
a tour.
This year, the clubs moved their shared meeting
to a Saturday, and spent an afternoon exploring.
Gravelbourg, which boasts “a touch of Europe
on the Prairies,” is home to a beautiful cathedral
which was built in 1919 and designated as a
National Historic Site in 1995. The club
members were given a guided tour of the
building, along with the nearby Gravelbourg
Museum, before sharing a picnic in the park.
According to Arnold, the tour guides’ stories
went a long way toward making the trip a
memorable one.
“One artist at the cathedral, I don’t even know
how many angels he painted. And he’d paint the
faces of his family and his friends on the good
angels. But the people who crossed him... their
faces wound up on some of the less savoury
characters.”
The tour was ultimately a great success. The club members enjoyed a fun day and learned a few things in the process. They may have even come away with a few ideas for their next speeches – and some ideas for their next outing. Photos: Courtesy of Brian Smyth
Joint Meetings
Moose Jaw, SK
District 42 Toastmasters
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Resources
District 42
District 42 Toastmasters
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Of the Year Awards
Dispatch: It is never too soon to begin
thinking about these nominations but
sometimes we leave them until the last
minute. Have you ever struggled to write a
good testimonial? Want tips on how to
make your of the year form and
accompanying letter stand out from the rest
and give great recognition to hardworking,
deserving club members?
Visit d42tm.org website. Go to resources
and then forms in room 301A. Here you will
find the proper forms to use and if you
scroll down the page you will find an
excellent resource to help with writing
fantastic testimonials. These tips can be
used any time within and outside of
Toastmasters to help you show
appreciation and recognition to a deserving
individual.
Of The Year Awards
Rookie of the Year
Toastmaster of the Year
President of the Year
Public Relations of the Year
Area Governor of the Year
Division Governor of the Year
Setting Up Club Websites
Having a club website is the easiest way to grow your membership. “Be Seen, Be Heard, Be Found” Watch my 5 min video intro - Show #038 - FreeToastHost for Club Websites Part 2 shows you how - Show #039 - I walk you through screenshots of how to start. This is my HPL project. Please contact me
to help start your website and & let me know when a good day & time is.
Don’t forget! You can use this effort towards your CL credit Project #10 – Club Webmaster
Terry Kozlyk, DTM
terry@TDKtalks.com
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Speechcraft
Regina, SK
District 42 Toastmasters
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Healing Through Public Speaking
Mona Hill is a Toastmaster in Regina,
Saskatchewan, Division B. She has discovered
how the benefits of the Toastmaster program
can help young people learn valuable skills
that go beyond the communication and
leadership as they participate in a Toastmaster
Speechcraft Program she runs at her place of
employment.
How often have we recognized the ashen
appearance of people when they are asked to
get up in front of a group of people and speak?
Usually the first thing we notice is their body
language, with arms crossed, eyes averted,
shock and anxiety written all over their faces.
Fifteen years ago, when the Regina Adult
Learning Centre (renamed Ignite Adult
Learning Corporation) incorporated
Toastmasters Speechcraft into the
curriculum as a method of developing public
speaking skills in the young adults between 18
& 30 years of age, the organization realized
the important effects the program would have
even beyond giving a good short speech.
I have been facilitating a version of
Speechcraft in a classroom setting for three
cycles now. The young adults, who are hired
as apprentices in our program are well
aware that during the 43 weeks they will be
working, they will be expected to learn how to
get up and give a 3 minute speech.
As that first day in ‘Toastmasters” class
arrives, the trepidation on their faces and in
their voices becomes almost painful! The
whining, the moaning, the hiding does not
work! Each apprentice receives a copy of the
Speechcraft manual that is carefully created
by Toastmasters International to give the
participants a step by step dip, toe by toe, into
the world of writing and giving speeches.
First speech! The Ice Breaker!
“Tell us a bit about yourself! You can talk
about your past, the present and your
future goals.” After much cajoling and a
couple of classes of preliminary process
learning we got down to business. For the
most part, the apprentices did well on the
first go round. The podium was only
rocked back and forth to where it
almost fell down, twice! Clothes were
twisted, feet were shuffling and pointing,
hair was pulled, braided, and caressed and
eyes were intensely focused on their notes
as they read aloud, most of them feeling as
though they were going to throw up!
We all clapped and admired each other as
they bravely talked of their lives
throughout the next 18 classes. You see,
for the most part, our apprentices are very
reticent to share their personal stories. It
takes a great deal of trust in other people
to open yourself up in a society where you
have been marginalized and your attempts
to gain an education are obstructed on so
many levels.
There are countless reasons why the
average young Canadian was and still is
unable to finish high school. Many are
personally debilitating. The decision to take
charge of one’s life and try again despite
countless odds including poverty, racism,
addictions, lack of support from the current
education system, dysfunctional families,
lack of healthy housing, and single
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Speechcraft
Regina, SK
District 42 Toastmasters
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The decision to take charge of one’s life and try
again despite countless odds including poverty,
racism, addictions, lack of support from the current
education system, dysfunctional families, lack of
healthy housing, and single parenthood, is not an
easy decision to make.
The Healing Begins
As the classes progressed, our apprentices learned
how to write a speech with a goal in mind and an
opening statement that would grab the audience
attention and create talking points that led to a
conclusion. They learned how to tell a “STORY”
they already knew. A few even gave fantastic
speeches beginning with a general idea, and adding
in specific examples without using notes.
By his fourth speech, one young man with a slight
cognitive disability, who at the start of his first
speech, pulled out completely wrinkled pages from
his pocket, laid them on the podium, smoothed them
out as best as he could and read line for line, was
able to walk up, introduce his speech and present it
with no notes whatsoever. He had basically
memorized a 3-4 minute speech. He received a
thundering round of applause!
Each young person had many stories to tell during
those weeks. The majority of the speeches became
increasingly personal as they learned to trust in the
process and more importantly, they learned to trust
their facilitator and one another. As they learned
that laughter could be shared over silly mistakes,
that their challenges could be addressed in a
kind and loving manner, and their stories would
be accepted with compassion, our apprentices dug
deeply into their lives to reveal the so often painful
realities of the barriers they faced that prevented
them from finishing high school in the first place.
Some stories were adventurous, many were cathartic
to a point that we brought a box of tissues into the
room for ALL of us to use as our tears flowed in
empathy.
The battles fought to begin a new life at Ignite
Adult Learning were evident in the titles. “Where
I Found My Dad” was a vivid image that no one
could imagine, except for the one other young
woman in the class who learned she was not the
only one who lost a father to suicide. That fact
and the strong bond experienced through those
speeches from two young women would never
have occurred if it had not been for Speechcraft.
We experienced stories of the inner strength it
took for some to make the decision to give up
their addictions and focus on a healthy future for
their children. “Never Give Up!”
“My High School” was a picture painted by a
young man who had taken the chance to change
his life by enrolling in Ignite as he finished his
federal parole conditions. This too quiet, heavily
tattooed, tough young man’s bravado from in his
past life of crime manifested in his opening
statement, “Have you ever wondered what it
would be like to live in a maximum security
prison with all those bad people? Wait! I was
one of those people living in maximum security
for four years.”
His story continued to describe in vivid detail,
how he was lured into gang life by lies and
deceit. He taught us of the daily fear of being
killed by other inmates and guards alike. He
described his past of living with and committing
violence as a daily ritual almost.
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Speechcraft
Regina, SK
District 42 Toastmasters
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Then he talked about his dream for the future of
having freedom for the first time since was 14
years old. The rest of his speeches gave us a
panorama of his life in detailed description of the
abuse and horrors of poverty, racism, and
addictions. He described his time at Ignite as the
beginning of a ‘Light at the end of a tunnel.”
There were many speeches pointing to a
multiplicity of past societal abuses and neglect.
They included the education system, (teachers and
fellow students), families and bureaucracy. They
told of their anger and pain resulting in out of
control behaviours that led to dropping out of high
school.
Some were challenged with the actual writing
process. Due to past experience, they came to
believe, “I can’t write.” They had never experienced
the smaller classroom and individualized teaching
they receive at Ignite. By the time they were
done, our apprentices began to understand that
the only thing preventing them from writing was
their own thinking patterns.
Significance
When at the end of the program I asked the
apprentices to create a list of the value of
Toastmasters Speechcraft, this is what they told
me.
“We learned to understand our challenges and
strengths. We learned to appreciate the value of
gentle constructive criticism and how to laugh at
ourselves without fear. We discovered how to
listen to one another and learn from each speech
and evaluation we received. We learned that with
patience and time and a change in thought
processes we could overcome many of the
learning barriers we have lived with. We also
learned how to be supportive of one another and to
work together as a group towards team building in
order to get the job done in the allotted time.” They
learned to surmount barriers towards ultimate
success.
Each step in the Toastmasters Speechcraft
in-class process is a key to connecting with the
whole Ignite Adult Learning method.
Toastmasters reinforces the learning they
engage in through the other components of our
program such as Lou Tice’s Thought Patterns,
writing and reading skills, employment
skills such as confidence and communication
in a job interview, on the job problem solving,
and personal accountability to get a job done
on time. They even believe they learned how to
“teach well” through the process of speech
evaluations.
We are very proud of our apprentices as we
travel with them through their forty three week
program and take joy in their growth, as they
become confident young adults ready to take
on the employment they learn and become
responsible fellow citizens, parents, volunteers,
and employees.
Mona Hill, RSW
Ignite Adult Learning Corporation
Support Services and Speech Craft Facilitator
Speechcraft
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Charter Clubs
Toast of the Town in Stony Plain, Alberta
chartered on June 28, 2013. It was the last club to
charter in the 2012-13 year, helping District 42
reach Select Distinguished. The charter
celebration was held outdoors on September 10.
A great late summer evening, was well attended
by dignitaries and members.
College Plaza Toastmasters Club celebrated its
Charter on November 27th. The Charter event was
sponsored by Westcorp at their ‘sleek and
sophisticated’ Matrix Hotel. District 42
representatives LGM Marg Faryna, Division
Governor Willard Robitaille and Area Governor
Gisele Rheault were present to honour the
Charter Members of the club and formally install
the Club Officers.
Happy 60th
Camrose Toastmasters celebrated their 60th
Anniversary on October 18, 2013. Past
members and guests gathered at the Camrose
Casino to catch up and enjoy the evening. In
attendance was charter member Fred Swartz
who became a toastmaster in 1953 so he could
feel more comfortable talking to people he didn’t
know (front row, left)
Celebrating 25 Years
CU@Noon Toastmasters celebrates 25 years.
They will be having an evening of celebration on
Friday March 14, 2014. Details are available on
d42tm.org
Media – YouTube
On Monday February 17, 2014 Accessible
Media (AMI) aired a story featuring Chrysalis
Social Butterflies Toastmaster Club. It should
now be available on You Tube. Check out this
Media Coverage for one of our District 42 clubs.
Photo: Camrose Website
Stay tuned for the next edition of the
Prairie Horizons!
Celebrations and Anniversaries
District 42 Toastmasters
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Photo: Courtesy of Marg Faryna
Photo: Greg Gazin, DTM
Hans von Bloedau, CTM - Mentor,
Yasmin Ahmad, President
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Learning about Toastmasters
New Members & Guests
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Sharing the Toastmasters Advantage
Has Toastmasters helped you with your
communication and leadership skills? Do you
know friends, family, and colleagues who
might benefit from visiting a Toastmasters
Club?
Welcome to Toastmasters International
Looking to develop speaking and leadership
skills? Ace a job interview? Ignite your career?
Toastmasters International is a world leader in
communication and leadership development.
Our membership is 292,000 strong. These
members improve their speaking and leadership
skills by attending one of the 14,350 clubs in 122
countries that make up our global network of
meeting locations.
Membership in Toastmasters is one of the greatest
investments you can make in yourself. It is also
one of the most cost-effective skill-building tools
available anywhere.
www.toastmasters.org
How Does It Work?
A Toastmasters meeting is a learn-by-doing
workshop in which participants hone their
speaking and leadership skills in a no-pressure
atmosphere.
There is no instructor in a Toastmasters meeting.
Instead, members evaluate one another’s
presentations. This feedback process is a key
part of the program’s success.
Meeting participants also give impromptu talks on
assigned topics, conduct meetings and develop
skills related to timekeeping, grammar and
parliamentary procedure.
Members learn communication skills by working in
the Competent Communication manual, a series of
10 self-paced speaking assignments designed to
instill a basic foundation in public speaking.
Why should I join?
The Toastmasters program offers many
benefits that help people in all walks of
life. As a result of participating in
Toastmasters, you will:
Increase your self-confidence
Become a better speaker
Become a better leader
Communicate more effectively
About District 42
District 42 comprises more than 280
corporate and community clubs in
most of the cities and towns of Alberta
and Saskatchewan. To learn more
about District 42 please visit:
www.d42tm.org.
What will you do to improve your
leadership and communication skills
this year?
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