Congratulations to Speaking Machine Club
Congratulations to Club 1528 Speaking Machine for being the first club to complete 10 for 10 Goals of the Distinguished Club Program making them President Distinguished. Please stand and give Speaking Machine a big hand. Also give a big hand to the following President Distinguished clubs for completing 9 of 10 Goals. 4896 Bits ‘N Speeches Toastmasters 1813 Capital Nevada Club 1735 Determined Club 9833 River City Speakers Club 3691796 San Juan Speaks Who is next? You have plenty of time for your club to make Distinguished. Shoot for the sky and make President Distinguished. I know you can do it. Contact your Area Director for help.
D39 Toastmasters Toastimonial: Laurent Frazier
This interview is the 5th in a series spotlighting rising stars in Toastmasters District 39. Do you agree with Laurent’s perspective on how to recruit and retain younger members? Q: Laurent, how long you have been a member of your Toastmasters club and why did you join? A: In November of 2015, I was approached by a co-worker who thought it would enhance my communications skills and business productivity as a sales consultant. I found that first meeting to be full of intense fun, and I loved the way everyone supported each other and participated in all aspects of the meeting. I joined immediately as a charter member of Power Talkers, and have been attending ever since. Q: How do you remember your first few meeting experiences? Why did you keep coming back? A: I remember my first few meetings as being first and foremost a lot of fun! I had a great time at each meeting and started inviting friends and co-workers right away. I kept coming back because I noticed that as I was having fun, my communication skills kept improving. I was shaky during my Ice Breaker speech, but after all the wonderful feedback, I found myself speaking more clearly and concisely at meetings, home, and work. The things I learned at Toast Masters began to subtly work their way into my everyday speech patterns and improve my ability to express myself and share information. I found this to be very encouraging and it intensified my desire to keep attending. Q: What are the key lessons you have learned in Toastmasters? A: One of the key lessons I learned is the power of constructive feedback. Every speech is followed by loving and considerate evaluations. Hearing what one can improve upon can sometimes be intimidating, but the intention of Toastmasters feedback is always to help the person being evaluated, and that intention can be felt. This has also taught me to give feedback to people in other life scenarios from a place that is intended only to help them improve, rather than to be right or get them to buy into my own opinions. Q: What are your proudest achievements in the club? And what would you like to accomplish in the future? A: One of my proudest achievements in Toastmasters was my Icebreaker speech. I got amazing feedback and I learned from my evaluations where I could improve. I am proud to say that I took the suggestions presented and was able to see progress by the time I participated in my first table topics speech the following week. I used to have a tough time accepting feedback, but I am happy to report that I now look forward to it. Another one of my top successes was being voted as the inaugural club President of Power Talkers. Based upon my previous speeches and lessons learned from my Ice Breaker and Table Topics speeches, I delivered a speech from the heart when presenting myself for office. I am proud that my words were able to reach so many people’s hearts and that I have the chance to now serve our club members and aid others in the development of their leadership and communications skills. Q: What would you recommend to other clubs looking to recruit and retain more Millennial members? A: Ah Millennials… We can be a tough bunch to satisfy. I think that the reason our club appeals to Millennial participation is that we understand what they want. As millennials we grew up in a high tech society, but our technology has created a problem, an occasional low touch disconnect from the people around us and the physical world. It’s easy to write a letter when spell check corrects everything, but it’s more difficult to express those same thoughts in spoken words when our devices can’t do anything to assist us. Therefore, when recruiting Millennials I focus on speaking about the accessibility Toastmasters give us, and how it turns our high tech world view into a high touch world view. I speak to potential Millennial members about how Toast Masters helps us achieve the things WE are interested in. I speak to my young co-workers about how it can help enhance their sales by making it easier to communicate products to customers. I tell my friends it can enhance our ability to speak to that guy or girl that we may be too shy to ask out on a date; how it can help us negotiate a raise at work; or negotiate a higher salary when applying for a new job. As Millennials we tend to gravitate towards things that give us a greater ability to get the things we want in life. I also highlight how FUN it is! Keeping our club consistently fun helps us maintain our Millennial membership base. And once Millennials are engaged in something we find both fun and useful, we are more than eager to share it with our friends and family. Q: What key advice do you have for other younger members to get the most out of Toastmasters? What mistakes should they avoid? A: I would advise younger members to create goals for themselves, and that they view Toast Masters as a way to bridge the gap between where they are and where they want to be. I also recommend that they attend with a friend. Having someone you know there makes things more fun, and you can witness and support each other’s progress better since you know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Regarding potential pitfalls to avoid, I think a common problem can be a fear of commitment and a tendency to stop coming to meetings. I completely understand that life gets busy, especially for younger people who are learning how to navigate adult hood. Just remember that when you feel the inclination to skip out on a meeting, you are developing skills that will open gateways to the things you want in life. Toastmasters will help you become the best version of yourself you can be,
D39 Toastmasters Toastimonial: John Heredia
This interview is the fourth in a series spotlighting rising stars in Toastmasters District 39. How is your club cultivating its next generation of speakers and leaders? Q: John, how long you have been a member of your Toastmasters club and what was the original catalyst that prompted you to join? A: I’ve been a member of Strictly Speaking since May 2014. I had just moved back to Sacramento from San Diego, and a co-worker invited me to join. I was looking to get involved in a new activity. Q: How do you remember your first few meeting experiences? Did someone step up as a mentor for you? A: My first experience was very welcoming and supportive. Dave Hamilton stepped up as a mentor for me, and helped me by conducting a new member orientation. We sat in the cafeteria and went over my goals in Toastmaster, career, and life. I asked him to provide feedback on my decisions, how I was as a leader, and most importantly how I was doing as a Toastmaster. He was very supportive and encouraging with my decisions to become President of Strictly Speaking and an Area director. Q: What are your proudest achievements in the club? And what would you like to accomplish? A: I had a few achievements in the club. Four months after becoming a member, I became the President. I grew the membership from 8 to 24 members and lead the club to achieve Presidents Distinguished. Additionally, I competed at the Area level contest and won 1st place in the International Speech contest and 2nd in the Humorous. I would like to accomplish my DTM. Q: What would you recommend to other clubs looking to attract more Millennial members? A: Make the meetings fun and exciting to come back to. Be supportive and personable. Q: What are the key lessons you have learned in Toastmasters? A: I learned that you can only get better with practice. If you are able to get up to speak, say a few words and sit down, then you have succeeded. The second thing I learned is that the skills and knowledge you gain in Toastmasters are transferrable to other areas of my life. When I apply the basic communication and leadership principles that I’ve acquire from Toastmasters, then I feel confident to succeed in anything I do. Q: How have you applied these principles in your career or other personal pursuits? A: I am currently serving on a Board for a non-profit organization that provides an educational athletic program for grades K-5 after school. I applied the same principles I learned in TM with membership and finances (collecting dues). Within 6 months the organization doubled and memberships were paid in advance. The skills I learned during my training from District 39 and experience as President in Strictly Speaking has helped in my career in prioritizing, problem-solving, and becoming more goal-oriented. Recently, I’ve changed careers to pursue my leadership and speaking skills and gone into Training and Development for the State agency I work for. Q: What key advice do you have for other younger members to get the most out of Toastmasters? A: Be open to learn and take on new opportunities. Get credit for your time and your speeches, and help others to grow with you. Contact John Heredia
Unsung Hero Award
Who are the Unsung Heroes in your club? Are there members in your club who never miss a meeting, who fill in for job duties at a moments notice, who always bring guests, who always provide refreshments or plan club events? Do you know members who excel at providing ongoing education and training for club members? Is there someone in your club who always serves as a club officer or offers to mentor new members? Unsung Hero Nomination Form
D39 Toastmasters Toastimonial: Ia Her
This interview is the third in a series spotlighting rising stars in Toastmasters District 39. How is your club cultivating its next generation of speakers and leaders? Q: Before we talk about Toastmasters, help us get to know Ia. Can you share a few interesting facts about yourself? A: I am the third child of a big family of five sons and five daughters. I lived in a refugee camp in Thailand for 8 years before migrating to the U.S. in September of 1992. I actually wrote a story about my childhood experience in this refugee camp, “My Home on No Name Street.” I can speak, read and write fluently in my native language Hmong, and I have also taught others the language. I graduated from UC Berkeley in 2006 with a double major in Political Science and Legal Studies. Currently, I work as a Senior Legal Analyst at a risk management firm called Bickmore in Sacramento. I like to sing for fun and enjoy planning gatherings for my BIG family. Q: How long you have been a member of your Toastmasters club and what was the original catalyst that prompted you to join? A: I joined Pop-Up Toastmasters in July 2013. Although I consider myself a vocal and talkative person at home, other people (especially at work) always view me as a shy person. My managers have recommended that I speak up more at client meetings. Therefore, I decided to join Toastmasters to improve my confidence and speaking skills. Q: How do you remember your first meeting experience? Was there anyone in particular who had a positive impact on you? A: Everyone in the club was very nice and welcoming. After my first visit, some of the club members offered to help me with my membership application. I quickly decided to join. A mentor was assigned to me and I began my CC Manual journey. My mentor Jayne Nielsen is awesome! She offers to read my speech before I give it and she always gives me feedback after each speech. I know that sometimes we feel hesitant to ask for help because we don’t feel like bugging busy people, but it’s always better to ask then not. A small tip here and there really adds up in the end, so I take advantage of my mentor’s knowledge as well as that of the other more experienced members in my club. I could not have excelled in the speech contests without the support of this team. I’m thankful for all of their encouragement and time. Because of the difference it made for me, I’ve decided to become a mentor myself and hopefully I can make the same positive impact on newer members Q: What are your proudest achievements in the club? A: My participation in the Spring 2015 International Speech Contest. At first, I only wanted to put my skills to use by testing how good I’ve become since I joined Toastmasters, but then I placed first place at the Area Contest and went all the way to the District level. I realized that I was better and had more confidence than I thought. Additionally, I’m also proud that I held officer roles within my club. I was the VP of Education for six months and Treasurer for a year. I learned a lot from the other officers in the club through this participation. Q: What would you recommend to other clubs looking to attract more Millennial members? A: I recommend doing an Open House and having the more experienced or seasoned members give a speech. That was one thing that attracted me in the beginning… when I saw someone give a flawless and engaging speech, it made me want to be like that person. I’m sure other newcomers will feel the same way. Q: What are the top personal benefits you’ve received from Toastmasters? A: Confidence. Two years ago, I ended a long-term, but unhealthy, relationship and I wanted to look for ways to gain back my “self”…someone who’s known to be confident, independent and goal-oriented. I even made a goal to be “competitive” again in 2015. Fortunately, I gained all of that confidence back with the support of my club members as well as Toastmasters I met at conferences and contests. And good news on the relationship front… I not only achieved my personal goal of becoming competitive again, but I also attracted someone who sees this confidence in me. I’m now enjoying a new and healthier relationship with him. Q: What key advice do you have for other younger members to get the most out of Toastmasters? A: Attend the meetings regularly and learn from others in the club. Members share their stories through their speeches and everyone’s story is unique. Also be willing to share your story with them. Nobody will judge you. The more you share through your speeches, the more the members will get to know you. I think that’s what I like the most about Toastmasters. It gives me an avenue to share my story. And the best is yet to come! Connect with Ia Her on Facebook Email Ia at iabasicy@hotmail.com for her Refugee Camp story Learn more about Pop-Up Toastmasters in Division D, District 39. (Meets every Wednesday from 12:05 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.) ***
D39 Member Spotlight: Rasheed Bustamam
This interview is the second in a series spotlighting rising stars in Toastmasters District 39. Do your club’s younger members feel the same way? How are you cultivating your next generation of speakers and leaders this year? Q: Hello Rasheed. Which Toastmasters club do you attend and how long you have been a member? A: I belong to Speaking Machine in Elk Grove, and I’ve been a member for around 3.5 years. Q: What was the original catalyst that prompted you to visit the club? A: I realized that I struggled with public speaking (and social interaction in general), so I needed to get out of my comfort zone and become a boss at the aforementioned things. I was influenced by a Brian Tracy book called “Eat That Frog,” whose premise was basically “If the first thing you do in a day is eat a frog, you can be rest assured that it is the hardest thing you’ll have done that day.” Brian mentioned Toastmasters as a way for people to get out of their comfort zones. If they could overcome the fear of public speaking, little by little, they could overcome almost anything. I wanted to be able to overcome almost anything, as I was going through a difficult time in my life and filled with self-doubt. So this was something I knew I had to do. Q: What was it about the first meeting experience that made you want to come back? A: It was the encouraging environment. The VPE Darlene Crockett asked me to volunteer for a Table Topic on my first night, and even though I know I bombed it, everyone was so encouraging. They told me I did well and that I’d be a welcome addition to the team, so I would have felt bad if I never came back. Q: What are your 3 proudest achievements in the club? A: I have a lot, but here are three biggies: 1) Becoming the youngest president in the club’s 27 year history, and carrying the torch of President’s Distinguished Club for one more year. 2) Ascending to Area Director. 3) Making it to Division level in the International Speech Contest, and winning 3rd place against much more seasoned speakers. This was a big deal for someone who could barely read a speech 3 years ago. Q: What would you recommend to other clubs looking to attract more Millennial members? A: Millennials love free food (just saying.) Seriously, Toastmasters meetings I attend primarily consist of people over 40. So, an older person calls the meeting to order and leads the meeting. When I go to contests, it’s usually older people who are competing, and chairing the contests. There are some cultural differences between millennials and baby boomers. Many millennials are against outdated notions of what it means to be professional. It is more than just wearing a super expensive suit… any snake-oil salesperson can do that. We will only wear a suit when we absolutely need to, and even avoid situations that require us to wear them. Millennials believe our professionalism lays in our work ethic and how we treat others. If we are to recruit and maintain millennials in our Toastmasters clubs, we need to discourage judgment based on how people are dressed and focus more on acting professional, which includes tolerance and respect. Q: Any other examples of the differences besides the way you dress? What should older members do and NOT do to recruit and retain younger members. Unfortunately, many times, older members can be a bit patronizing or even condescending to younger members. It is important for young people to be given an opportunity to grow. I am fortunate in that Darlene Crockett saw potential in me as a young leader, and nominated me for an officer position. Since I did not see my own potential, it was a pivotal moment in my Toastmasters career. I would have never thought I’d be ready for an officer position without her nudging me. Young people–no, any person– will make mistakes. These mistakes should never, ever, be chalked up to a person’s age. That is probably the fastest way to lose a millennial. Everyone makes mistakes and it helps us grow as leaders. Millennials don’t want to be involved in a group that believes we are incompetent simply because of our age. We need to be given the opportunity to make mistakes, the opportunity to fail, and like everyone else, we sometimes need a hand to lift us out of our pit. Q: What is the top personal benefit you’ve received from Toastmasters? A: The biggest personal benefit would be self-esteem. As I mentioned before, when I joined Toastmasters, I was going through thoughts of self-doubt, wondering if I’d ever amount to anything. Toastmasters gave me a sense of belonging. Even though I hadn’t yet accomplished anything, I still felt better about myself because I felt like I belonged to something big. When I became active within the club, and heard about how a meeting fell apart in my absence, it made me feel like my presence was definitely needed. Q: What key advice do you have for other younger members to get the most out of Toastmasters? A: The more you give, the more you get. Jump at every volunteer opportunity you can get, meet new people and get to know the “go-to” people when you need something done. Just be all-around helpful. When you rise in leadership, it is those people you helped that will save your butt when others start bailing at the last minute (it happens more often than you’d think, unfortunately). And, last, but not least, give credit where credit is due. People love being recognized and honored, even if they are recognized and honored ten times a day because they are always helping people. Express your appreciation to people as much as you can–you can never do too much of that. The fastest way to get someone to never want to
Happy Thanksgiving
From Yreka California, down south to Stockton, from Fairfield, to Reno/Carson City Nevada and to all our Toastmaster Friends around the world – thank you for staying your course from presenting your Ice Breaker speech, working on your Distinguished Toastmaster award, creating and energizing healthy, fun clubs to providing excellent leadership. I am grateful and humble to be a member of this incredible organization called Toastmasters! Happy Thanksgiving!
Tips for heartfelt Thanksgiving toasts
How to raise a glass and express gratitude with class RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, Calif., Nov. 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ — We all want to express appreciation for family, friends and blessings at Thanksgiving, but the challenge is finding the right words and the best way to say them. Toastmasters International, the global leader in communication and leadership skills development, offers tips on how to deliver a toast of gratitude this season. As William Arthur Ward famously said, “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” George Yen, Toastmasters’ 2013-2014 International President, says the best way to deliver a message of gratitude is to speak from the heart. “Thank people you care about, share personal examples of what you’re grateful for, perhaps offer a quote if the words seem relevant.” Toastmasters’ How to Give a Toast video offers the basics to get you started. In addition, the following pointers can help you to gracefully give thanks for loved ones, good health and well-being: Reflect and remember. A toast should be original, heartfelt and fitting for the event. At Thanksgiving time, thank family members, guests –even the chef, and offer specific examples of what you are grateful for. Be brief. A toast should last no longer than three minutes. If it’s longer than that, you’ll lose the audience’s attention. Begin by saying something along the lines of: “Let me express gratitude…,” “I take this opportunity to thank…,” and “May I take a moment to salute…” Use humor if it feels right, but make it tasteful and appropriate. Don’t say anything that could possibly offend or embarrass anyone present. Gestures count. Use expressions such as smiling, nodding and eye contact to denote warmth and appreciation. Add a quote, such as the one by President John F. Kennedy, who proclaimed Nov. 28, 1963, as a day of national thanksgiving with these words: “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” Polish it with practice. Rehearse your message in advance in front of a friend or group. Check out Toastmasters’ tips for special speaking occasions. To practice your toasts and speeches in a Toastmasters meeting, use www.toastmasters.org/findaclub. About Toastmasters International Toastmasters International is a nonprofit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of meeting locations. Headquartered in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, the organization’s membership exceeds 292,000 in more than 14,350 clubs in 122 countries. Since 1924, Toastmasters International has helped people of all backgrounds become more confident in front of an audience. For information about local Toastmasters clubs, please visit www.toastmasters.org. Follow @Toastmasters on Twitter. SOURCE Toastmasters International
District 39 Member Spotlight: Stephanie Maynard
This interview series will reveal insights about what motivates members to join and succeed in Toastmasters. Q: Stephanie, what was the original catalyst that prompted you to visit Toastmasters? A: I was unemployed in a bad post-college market, looking for anything to give me a leg up. While job shadowing a reporter (my degree is in Journalism,) he mentioned Toastmasters could be beneficial for me as a way to not only improve my public speaking (because no matter how good you are there’s always room for improvement) and network with business professionals. So I looked online, found Lodi Toastmasters was the closest with the best time and everything is history from there. Q: How long you have been a member? A: I first joined 2-3 years ago. There was a time when I had to stop being a paying member due to financial reasons, but I kept coming when I could and this last quarter was able to reinstate myself as a Toastmasters member. Q: What was it about the first meeting experience that made you want to come back? A: To be honest, I don’t remember a lot of specifics about the first meeting. I remember winning Table Topics my very first time. I’ve noticed with open-ended Table Topics and new people there’s a lot of real raw honesty that can go into a first-time guest’s table topic, which is what happened with me. I also remember how nice and open everyone was to talking and I probably stayed around chatting for at least 20 minutes after the meeting had adjourned. I came back because the people were friendly, because I wanted to see if I could get something out of it and because at the time I really didn’t have much to do with having no job. Having a weekly meeting helped give me a sense of focus and purpose, even if it was just one day out of the week. Q: What are your 3 proudest achievements in the club? A: My greatest achievement is undoubtedly when I competed in the 2014 Table Topics Contest. I made it all the way up to the District level and took 2nd place. I had done Speech and Debate in high school but I had never competed on a level like that. I haven’t been able to compete since then, but I’m hoping to soon. I’m proud of finishing my competent communicator manual (and in a fun twist of fate, that achievement was the last needed qualification to make our club eligible for a Distinguished Club that period). The last thing I’m proud of isn’t necessarily an achievement, but I’m listing it anyway. I feel like I’ve become kind of a go-to person in my club for speech evaluations and there are a lot of newer members who ask me for advice on prepared speeches and table topics. I’m proud of that not only because it shows how far I’ve come within Toastmasters but it also makes me feel that I can really give back to a group that gave me so much. Q: What would you recommend to other clubs looking to attract and retain more members like yourself? A: It’s difficult to say, but I think the best practice is to take the basic benefits and word them to a newer generation of needs. Millenials might not hear ‘public speaking group’ and think they need it. I didn’t at first. I had done 4 years of speech and debate and was completely comfortable speaking in front of a group… so why did I need something like Toastmasters? It was the possibility of professional networking that really caught my ear, but I ended up staying because I could feel my self-confidence improving and not just when I was speaking. Toastmasters is so much more than just speech practice and it’s that valuable ‘everything else’ that I think would catch Millennial attention. Toastmasters is interviewing with authority; it’s leading a team with confidence; it’s daily social interaction skills; it’s professional networking; and it’s preparation for everything from a classroom presentation to a report to your boss to a YouTube channel and everything in between. Q: Anything else you want to add about Toastmasters’ benefits for you? A: There’s a sense of self confidence and speaking with authority that I cannot stress enough. There’s been so many times members of my family have commented about how good they think Toastmasters has been for me and how they have noticed changes because of it. Keep in mind, none of these family members have gone to a meeting or seen me compete (though hopefully one day!) What you learn from Toastmasters doesn’t stay at the meetings or only spring up in the workplace. It sticks with you. I have noticed a change in even my casual conversations with people. I’m more confident, I listen better and I speak better. Q: So how is your job search going? Just recently after a long bumpy road, I finally started my career job and I’m having to do some kind of report or presentation, formal and informal, at least once a week. Toastmasters has been extremely helpful, but I also think that without Toastmasters I may not have gotten this job at all. Over 200 people applied for this position. Of those 200, only 20 were invited to take a test. The top 4 scores of the test were then interviewed. Just this week, my manager told me that the first time she met me in the initial testing phase, she didn’t know who I was or remember what we spoke about, but she remembered how I spoke and acted and her initial impression of the smallest of verbal and nonverbal interactions was that I could be someone she could work with. In the actual interview panel, my manager told me that I had been everyone’s first choice. I don’t know if any of that would have happened without Toastmasters, but I can say with
The Road to Distinguished Toastmasters
Honorable, Eminent, Notable—These are some ways that organizations describe those members who have reached the pinnacle of success. In Toastmasters, we call those people Distinguished Toastmasters (DTMs)—the highest award a Toastmaster can achieve. Webster’s dictionary defines distinguished as: successful, authoritative, and commanding great respect. Distinguished Toastmasters are a rare breed. Less than one percent of all Toastmasters ever achieve that designation. In District 39 we have about 140 DTMs currently. These members have persisted in achieving all of their educational awards, every leadership goal, and have served the clubs and district by being officers, conducting speech crafts, and starting or helping to start new clubs. Why become a Distinguished Toastmaster? What makes these people strive for that mountain of achievement? There may be as many reasons as there are Distinguished Toastmasters. Some are life-long learners and want to continue learning. Others are focused on job promotions. Many continue to achieve goals to help their clubs to success. Still others want to have the prestige of the initials, DTM, behind their names. Whatever the reason, achieving a DTM award is not the end of a Toastmaster’s career but the beginning of an advanced opportunity to apply what they have learned to attain even higher levels of leadership and communication competency. A graduate degree, so to speak. Are you ready to be a Distinguished Toastmaster? Check out the requirements below. You may already be closer than you think. Need help? Contact your District leaders and/or look for special training at the Toastmasters Leadership Institutes in June, July, August, December, January and February. For more information contact: Noralee Cole, DTM – DTM Encourager Phone: 916-524-5895