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.
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.) ***
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
Donny Crandell – District 39 International Speech Winner
Donny Crandell represented District 39 at the Toastmasters International Public Speaking Contest. Donny gave it his all, he was on top of his game. He owned the stage. Donny did not place but he made District 39 proud with a flawless delivery. “It was a pleasure to represent our district in the semi-finals at the World Championship of Public Speaking. We had a great group of people supporting me and I could feel their encouragement as I was speaking. I wished I would have won, but I learned 3 great lessons from participating. 1) Be more concerned about the message of your speech than on winning. I think I wanted to win a little too much. 2) Be sure to have at least 1 part of the speech that makes a heartfelt emotional connection with the audience. I think my speech may have lacked a little in that area. 3) Be careful with your comments if you feel the judges may have misjudged. I needed to wait a few days before making any critical comments. Those are my lessons! I also think our district is blessed to have some great speakers and coaches. I really appreciate the time and energy that Jeffrey Purtee, Russ Steele and John Davis gave to me in coaching. Thanks guys! I had a blast and would love to do it again. In the meantime, if I can be of any help to any one on our district, I’m available and I’m free.” Donny
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.]
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