2015 Fall Conference
2015 Fall Conference November 6 & 7, 2015 Follow Your Path to Success Hosted by Division C Tim Gard, Certified Speaking Professional and Council of Peers Award for Excellence recipient is a tears-in- your-eyes-laugh-out- loud speaker who teaches people to be more resilient and resourceful. Talented, innovative, and memorable, Tim provides amazing take-home value delivered with his one-of- a-kind presentation style. Join us at the Fall Conference to learn unseen possibilities for solutions to difficult situations. Gaia Hotel and Spa 4125 Riverside Place, Anderson California 96007 Hotel Room Rate: $89.00 plus tax per night. http://www.galahotelspa.com Toll Free: 877-778-3977 Phone: 530-365-7077 When making room reservations, mention “Toastmasters District 39 Block” to receive a room rate of $89.00 plus tax per night. Questions about the conference: Registrar: Denise Alder (Denise.Alder@district39.org)
Dues Are Due
Dear Club Officers, Your club’s membership renewal orders are now available on the Toastmasters International website. To avoid interruption of your club’s good standing, ensure payments are submitted to World Headquarters and received by October 1, 2020. When using a credit or debit card, submit renewals online by logging in to Club Central with your username and password. Next, follow these steps: From the Club Central home page, select the club name and number you want to pay renewals for. On the Conduct Club Business page, select Pay dues. On the Pay Dues for My Club Members page, select In the future and click Submit. All orders with a future membership end date will appear. Select the members you wish to pay for, provide your payment information and follow the prompts to process your payment. When preparing payment, consider these important details: Membership renewal dues can also be submitted by mail or by fax. If paying by check, make your check payable to Toastmasters International and mail it to: Toastmasters International Attn: Renewals P.O. Box 9052 Mission Viejo, CA 92690 For your club to remain in good standing, the minimum renewal requirement is eight paid members—at least three of whom must be renewing members from the prior period. Unpaid officers will have access to Club Central for 30 days after their membership end date. If you have additional questions regarding paying renewal dues, how to reinstate your club or how to avoid suspension, please visit the Renewal Dues FAQs, or contact Club and Member Support by email or phone +1 949-858-8255. Sincerely, Toastmasters International
Toastmasters Join Yuba-Sutter Chamber of Commerce
The Yuba-Sutter Chamber of Commerce honored local Toastmasters International clubs on February 17 at a ribbon cutting ceremony in Marysville. Toastmasters members and officers, Chamber ambassadors, and local dignitaries attended the ceremony at the Caltrans District 3 offices to celebrate the benefits of Toastmasters. Eight Toastmasters, including former Division Governor, Lauren Carly, shared their testimonials, explaining how Toastmasters’ focus on public speaking, communication, and leadership skills has strengthened their careers and improved their self-confidence. “I started my career as a typical, shy, civil engineer,” Carly said. “Joining Toastmasters brought about a complete 180. I started getting picked for conferences, technical presentations, and public meetings. It took my career much higher than I originally thought I would go.” State Assemblyman James Gallagher’s office honored the local Toastmasters clubs with a Certificate of Recognition, to “recognize Toastmasters and their exceptional growth in the area.” The event highlighted six clubs in the Yuba-Sutter area, whose members include professionals, business owners, educators, military personnel, and other community members. Clubs offer a comfortable, supportive environment for members to practice and improve their public speaking and leadership skills. The celebration was publicized by the local newspaper, The Appeal-Democrat. More photos are available on the Yuba-Sutter Chamber of Commerce’s Facebook page.
Congratulations, Fall Conference Winners!
The District 39 Fall Conference was held November 7-8 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Sacramento, CA. Finalists from all nine divisions competed for the Humorous Speech Contest and the Evaluation Contest titles. In addition, Immediate Past District Governor Joey Waldrop announced the winners of the 2013-2014 Toastmaster of the Year, Division Governor of the Year, and Area Governor of the Year awards. District 39 also awarded California Chief Justice Tani Gorre Cantil-Sakauye with this year’s Communication and Leadership Award. Humorous Speech Contest 1st place – Ruth Schwartz (Empire Toastmasters Club, Grass Valley, CA) 2nd place – Rachel Ringenbach (Amped Toastmasters Club, Reno, NV) 3rd place – Marisa Shadrick (Toast at Noon, Redding, CA) Evaluation Contest 1st place – Alice Pongracz (Kaiser Thrive Talkers, Roseville, CA) 2nd place – Michael Hansen (Skillbuilders Toastmasters, Citrus Heights, CA) 3rd place – Cheryl Weibling (Sunset Speakers, Red Bluff, CA) Toastmaster of the Year – Larry Shields Division Governor of the Year – Pat Knight Area Governor of the Year – Tina Machado District Governor Award – Sue Eisberg Communication and Leadership Award – Tani Gorre Cantil-Sakauye (Chief Justice of the California Supreme Court and the California judiciary)
Interview with Colin McKechnie
District 39 speech contest winner shares his advice on stress management, travel to Malaysia, and how to maintain healthy Toastmasters clubs. Colin McKechnie will represent District 39 at the International Speech Contest on August 21 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He has been a Toastmaster for more than 20 years and is currently a member of two clubs in District 39: Manteca Smooth Talkers and Manteca Leadership Club. This will be his first time competing outside of the District but his second time visiting Malaysia. Colin runs a training business out of Turlock, CA, where he teaches stress management, communication skills, and team building. I had a chance to catch up with Colin to find out how he is preparing to compete against some of the top speakers in the world. First things first: Why did you join Toastmasters? I wanted to improve my communication skills, especially impromptu speaking — that’s a skill that will benefit you in any business. I joined two clubs and challenged myself to give an impromptu speech every two weeks. I would ask the audience to provide the title, characters, and scenario, then would work them into a speech on the spot. Did it work? Have you seen benefits as a result of your involvement in Toastmasters? Yes. I have gained a few promotions in my career that I would not have achieved without these skills. What can you tell us about your winning speech from this year’s District Contest? The speech is titled, “One Day at a Time.” My message is that you are in charge of your own life. When people are in deep trouble, they can learn how to live one day at a time. That sounds like a very positive message. The speech has some serious elements, including my experience with being diagnosed with cancer. But I allow the audience to rise back up from those serious moments with humor. I’ve heard some sad speeches that leave the audience feeling down. I don’t think that’s what we should focus on as Toastmasters. We should be inspiring people. What was the experience like, to win the District Contest? I had never competed at the District level before. I competed at the Club, Area, and Division level, but just for the fun speeches, like the Humorous Speech Contest and Tall Tales Contest. I happened to take my blood pressure before the contest, and it was through the roof: 213/105. [140/90 is considered high, according to the American Heart Association.] It was much more intense than just giving a regular speech and I could feel the tension in my body. Part of my job is teaching stress management – I realized I needed to start using some of those techniques! Can you share some of your tips for stress management? Here’s a tip: Don’t enter speech contests! No, but seriously, the key is not to focus on yourself. Instead, focus on the good that your message will bring to others. Also, you tend to take shallower breaths when you get nervous. If you can count to 10 and focus on taking deep breaths, it will help calm your nerves. You can also use your nervous energy in a positive way; let that excitement propel you forward as you run up onto the stage. How are you preparing for the next level of competition? One thing I am working on is how to use the entire stage. It is 50 to 70 feet wide, so it takes time to walk from one end to the other. I need to be very conscious of my movement. At the same time, I want to avoid over-rehearsing my speech to the point that my movements and gestures look staged and unnatural. If you can genuinely relive your story every time you tell it, your body creates natural gestures without even thinking about them. Do you have any other tips for your fellow Toastmasters? I am a strong believer that successful clubs have to support their members’ educational objectives, and they also have to be fun. You can’t just achieve objectives and you can’t just have fun. You have to include both elements in order to retain members and attract new ones. When do you leave for Malaysia? I leave on August 17. It will be quite a journey. I’ll be returning to Malaysia for the first time in 48 years. At the time, I was serving in the British military, defending the country from infiltrators. I’ve changed a lot since then, and I’m sure Malaysia has, too. No matter what else happens…at least people won’t be shooting at me this time! Good luck, Colin! You can reach Colin via his website www.colinspeaks.com.
We did it! District 39 earns Select Distinguished status!
For the first time since 2008-09, the district reached the coveted Distinguished level. For the first time in 20 years, we earned Select Distinguished. (read more) [The dashboard posted by Toastmasters International on Saturday, July 13, indicated our Select Distinguished status.]
Welcome to the New Year
Fellow Toastmasters: I’m jazzed to serve alongside my Trio-mates—Lt. Governor Education and Training John Davis and Lt. Governor Marketing Sondra Nunez–as we embark on our year as your elected leaders. Philip Williams, Public Relations Officer, along with Treasurer Myra Golson, Secretary Sue Eisberg and Parlimentarian Rick Sydor, are also anxious to serve you. We are dedicating ourselves—as our predecessors did—to making the district distinguished once again and providing the tools for the members to be successful. Along with our energetic team of division and area governors, we are committed to serve you, the members. I’m confident that the district will be successful—and ultimately distinguished—because of our combined efforts and teamwork. And that includes you. Thank you for putting your trust in us. We appreciate your support as we work together toward a common goal—providing the members with a life-changing experience. Live for Excellence! Brian Hatano, DTM District Governor 2014-15
Introducing 2014-2015 District 39 Trio Team
Congratulations to the New Incoming District 39 Trio District Governor – Brian Hatano, DTM Lt. Governor of Education and Training – John Davis, DTM Lt. Governor of Marketing – Sondra Nunez, DTM District 39 Incoming Division Governors Division A – Mike Sullens Division B – Tina Machado, DTM Division C – Joyce Pope Division D – Brad Craig, DTM Division E – Andrew Silvester Division F – Debbie Cullifer, DTM Division G – David Betowski Division H – Lance McMahan Division I – Wes Johnson
2014 – 2015 Final District 39 Realignment
The proposed 2014 District 39 Realignment was approved on May 17th 2014 at the Spring Conference Board Meeting. 2014-2015 Final District 39 Realignment rev: 7/14/14