Welcome Kevin Hayes, Club Growth Director; Elections; Spring Conference
By now some of you may be aware there is a new sheriff in town. Yes, the man in the big white hat, Kevin Hayes, has stepped up to serve as Club Growth Director following Donna’s resignation in October. You may recognize Kevin as last year’s Division Director of the Year, or the EmCee at the 2023 Spring Conference. Kevin will appreciate your support as he helps everyone Build New Clubs in District 39! From front to back: Kevin Hayes, Club Growth Director; Laura Gregory, Program Quality Director; Lance McMahan, District Director; and Denise Alder Gutherz, Immediate Past District Director. IN OTHER NEWS: ELECTIONS: Does your club elect officers twice a year? If so, now is the time to submit your new officer list. Not sure? Here is where to check. SPRING CONFERENCE: Full session tickets are available at $139 until 39 are sold (<10 remaining at this price) or until November 30 (whichever comes first). Price then increases to $149. Register here today! OFFICER TRAINING: Round 2 has begun. Go to the District 39 calendar to register. Please feel free to share this information with your members.
Toastmasters District 39 Newsletter
In this edition: Register for the Spring Conference today! Save $$. 2nd Round Officer Training is HERE. Mid-Year Elections are Here! Club Growth Director Appointed. An Attitude of Gratitude – an event for the ages! SPRING CONFERENCE May 17-18 Spring Conference Registration is OPEN! First 39 tickets at $139 or until November 30, whichever comes first!! Get your tickets TODAY!!! Where will it be held, you ask? Wackford Center in Elk Grove! SECOND ROUND OFFICER TRAINING Register today for club officer training on Tuesday, November 28 and Thursday, November 30, both at noon. (Must attend both for credit.) More opportunities HERE. MID-YEAR ELECTIONS Reminder – clubs with six-month officer terms need to complete elections and attend training! Semiannual terms end December 31 – new terms begin January 1. Please hold your elections ASAP; get incoming officers trained and hit the ground running! NEW CLUB GROWTH DIRECTOR Please welcome Kevin Hayes as our new Club Growth Director! Kevin served as Division I Director last year and is probably best known for serving as the 2023 Spring Conference emcee and our maître d’ at An Attitude of Gratitude on Saturday, November 11. AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE If you missed An Attitude of Gratitude with maître d’ Kevin Hayes and a cast of thousands, you missed laughs, inspiration, food, and fun! Over 75 District 39 Toastmasters broke bread together and attended myriad training sessions. After enjoying a tasty continental breakfast, attendees enjoyed the informative Club Officer training appetizers provided by Aria Salehpour, Andrew Simpson, Rose Cooke, Guleenna Bakshi, Lynda Mendez, John Fox, Minda Fernish, Lauren Carly, Melanee Cottrill, Deborah Littleton, Francisco Carrillo, and Dennis Andrade. Chefs Barbara Brackett and Joey Waldrop whipped up excitement for the Youth Leadership Program (YLP), causing many to rise up and purchase their own Youth Leadership Program Packet from Shop 39 at a serious discount! After lunch, all enjoyed keynote speaker Donny Crandell’s inspirational speech reminding us to be the hummingbird, rather than the vulture, and always find reasons to be grateful! Chef Louise Houdelette divulged her secret recipe for hosting open houses and gaining new members! Chef Angie Rodriguez provided information on how we could revisit savory selections with Pathways and complete a successful journey. Top Chef Lance McMahan challenged everyone to test their knowledge of the new club sponsor and club coach recipes. Immediate Past District Director Denise Alder Gutherz honored numerous clubs and people from 2022/2023, and District Director Lance McMahan recognized member and club accomplishments since July 1, 2023! 2022/2023 RECOGNITION Sponsored 5+ Members Barbara Wickman; Clare Steppat; Deborah Littleton; Desi Menendez; George Jarosik; Jake Tuschinski; Louise Houdelette; Scott Nutter Distinguished Clubs Reno Storytellers; Capitol Captivators; Pestmasters; Roseville Communicators; Foothill Toastmasters Select Distinguished Clubs University Club; Truckee Meadows; 20/20 Visionaries; Sacramento Downtowners; Manteca Smooth Talkers; Level Up Presidents Distinguished Clubs Washoe Express; Sierra Sunrise; Kit Carson; Capital Nevada; Roseville Rappers; Roseville Toasters; Old Town Talkers; Statement Makers; Mather Toastmasters; The Articulators; Greater North Stockton Club 64; Lodi Toastmasters; The Original Articulators; Sigma Kappa Pi – Sigma Delta Pi Toastmasters; Speaking Machine; Bits ‘N Speeches Distinguished Areas Nancy Wold, Area 61; Chibwe Chungu, Area 63; Shannon Chi, Area 92 Select Distinguished Areas Brady Janes, Area 11; John Fox, Area 94 Club Sponsors Shannon Chi; Ela Jamosmos; Noralee Cole; Kevin Hayes Club Coaches Melanie Stark; Karen Daly; Dennis Andrade Triple Crown Melanie Stark; Ela Jamosmos; Ida Ruffin Sustained Service Award David Betowski, DTM 2023/2024 RECOGNITION Sponsored 5+ Members Stephen Kent Club Mentors Noralee Cole; Kevin Hayes 5 or more Distinguished Club Program Awards The Articulators; Statement Makers; Redding Evening Club; Greater North Stockton Club 64; Speaking Machine; Level Up; River City Toastmasters. An Attitude of Gratitude concluded with a delicious dinner and a ROAST of our Immediate Past District Director, Denise Alder Gutherz! Roasters George Jarosik, Minda Fernish, Brian Hatano, Rick Sydor, Laura Gregory, and Lance McMahan gave no quarter as they sliced up Denise’s year as District Director (or did they?). Regardless, everyone had a great time! Register today for Training and the Spring Conference. Questions? Please contact District Director Lance McMahan, Lance.McMahan@District39.org Program Quality Director Laura Gregory Laura.Gregory@District39.org Club Growth Director Kevin Hayes Kevin.Hayes@District39.org District 39 Toastmasters | P.O. Box 227, Sparks, NV 89432 Unsubscribe Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by Lynda Mendez District 39 Public Relations Manager with Lynda.Mendez@District39.org powered by Try email marketing for free today! “Where Leaders Are Made”
Member’s Dues Are Due!
If you are a club officer – a couple of tips to help you with your renewals… Don’t let a couple of late members hold up your renewal – renew the members whose dues you have collected so you can meet the deadline! The others can be renewed as you collect their dues. Don’t wait until the last day to renew – with over 16,600 clubs around the world, the system gets incredibly busy as the September 30 deadline approaches. A club must have at least 8 members paid by October 1 to be in good standings. There is no longer a grace period. To submit dues renewals online, simply Login to www.toastmasters.org using your personal username and password. Click on Leadership Central, then Club Central Click on your club name to pay renewals. Under Conduct Club Business, click on the option Pay dues. Once on this page, simply select the option of “in the future.” This will pull up all orders with a future membership end date. Select the members you wish to pay for and follow the prompts to submit payment. Consider these important details when processing membership payments: Renewals can be submitted online, by mail or by fax. Please make sure the renewal is complete before sending. Do not submit renewals by e-mail, because financial information in an e-mail is not secure. Dues renewals can be paid online if paying by credit card. If paying by check, print the list indicating the renewing members and mail it, along with payment in US funds, to Toastmasters International. Make checks payable to Toastmasters International. To remain in good standing the minimum requirements are: at least eight members must pay dues and three must be renewing. Need help? Contact Toastmasters International Member Services at renewals@toastmasters.org or call 1 (720) 439-5050.
Area Director Club Visit Reports Are Due!
Area Director Club Visit Reports Are Due! In order to foster club quality, Area Directors visit the clubs in their Areas at least twice a year (in a first round and a second round of visits). As the link between the club and the District, Area Directors make themselves available during these visits to answer questions and offer clubs support. This District support helps clubs retain and build membership as a result of positive member experiences. For credit in the Distinguished Area Program, Area Directors must submit an Area Director’s Club Visit Report for the first round of visits by November 30 and for the second round of visits by May 31, 2021. These reports may be submitted online through District Central. Club visits are opportunities for the district, through the area director, to support clubs and improve club quality. The Area Director’s Club Visit Report guides area directors in evaluating club quality during these visits by assessing the club at each of the Moments of Truth. Area directors identify opportunities for improvement and specify the support that clubs need from the district, helping clubs retain and build membership through positive member experiences. This important contribution on the part of area directors helps clubs grow and earn Distinguished recognition. Are Area Director visits still being completed? Yes, Area Director visits are still occurring, but will need to be conducted online. Since clubs are either not meeting or have switched to meeting online, should Area Directors still conduct their visits? Yes, Area Directors should still conduct their visits, now more than ever, but should do so online. If clubs are not meeting, it is a good opportunity for the Area director to extend their support. Area Directors can get an understanding of why the club is not meeting, as well as the rest of the information required for Area Director reports. The Area Director can also help facilitate the club meeting online. First Round Club Visit Reports are due by November 30, 2020 Blank Area Director Club Visit Form Link Submit Area Director Club Visit on-line Link Serving Clubs Through Visits Complete Guide for Area Directors Nancy Potts DTM Program Quality Director 2020-2021 nancy.potts@district39.org text/cell 775-722-3973
Zoom accounts and Virtual Club Support
Dear Division Directors, In order to better support your members and clubs during the COVID-19 group size limit, the Trio has authorized funds to purchase two Zoom Pro accounts per Division. The two Zoom accounts will provide each Division virtual meeting options for Club, Area, and Division meetings and Contests in lieu of cancelling meetings. These accounts will be reimbursed during the months of March, April, May, and June. Here is what we need for each Division Director to do: Find 2 people in your Division that will serve as Zoom Masters for your Division. Each Zoom Master will : Acquire and Manage 1 zoom Pro account for your Division Schedule virtual zoom meetings for Clubs, Areas and meetings in your Division. Serve as Tech Support for Zoom meetings in your Division. Collaborate with Zoom Masters in other Divisions to help share needed resources. Share Division Zoom Master contact information with the Trio Submit 2 zoom receipts in Concur for reimbursement in April, May, and June Contribute to the Zoom Masters group discussion A Zoom Masters page will be created that has information regarding virtual meeting best practices, Zoom Master contact information and other collaborative information to help support our members & our clubs. As always, we appreciate your patience and your willingness to work together for the good of District 39. Thanks, Wes
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update
Updated March 17, 2020 FAQs have updated, please review ASAP. The Trio is aware of the impact the coronavirus (COVID-19) is having on members and clubs in our District. We are in regular communication with Toastmasters International and are closely monitoring the situation and taking the necessary steps to support our members. Please revisit this page often. We will update it as new information becomes available. Guidance from Toastmasters International – www.toastmasters.org/COVID (Additional Resources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and California Department of Public Health.) Due to safety and government restrictions, Toastmasters International understands that clubs may not be able to meet in person. Therefore, they encourage you to meet online if in-person meetings are not possible or preferable. Frequently Asked Questions Will Division speech contests be canceled? No. The District Executive Committee decided on 3/16 to continue the 2019-2020 contest cycle. Between March and June 1, 2020 all contests will be conducted virtually. Will District Conference be canceled? Toastmasters has mandated that all Area, Division, and District Events can no longer be conducted in person prior to June 1, 2020. The District Conference has therefore been postponed until June. The April venue will be cancelled. All tickets sold will be refunded. The District will reschedule the event in June. Once we have determined the price for new tickets, we will move ahead with a June Conference. Will District Council meeting be canceled? No. The District Council meeting will be conducted virtually on May 9th, 2020. District Business covered: Club Alignment Elections Proposals What will be the format of the Online Meeting? Online meetings shall have the same format with the regular meeting agenda. The only difference is the medium. Some best practices to follow would be: Unmute only when speaking to reduce noise etc. Turn off all the webcams except the speaker and the timer’s webcam, so that the timing signals can be seen by the speaker. Table topic master can call out the member to respond, at which point the member can unmute and speak. We understand that it’s a far diminished experience in comparison to the in-person club meetings. As soon as in-person meetings are possible, the clubs are expected to switch back to regular meetings at their venue. Tips and Resources Stay at home from community events if you: Feel sick or have symptoms (fever, cough, sore throat, etc.) Recently had contact with an individual known or suspected to have COVID-19 Or if you are at a higher risk (elderly or immunocompromised) Traveled to China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Italy, Iran or other high-risk areas in the past 14 days. Check the CDC website for more details. If your club is holding meetings In-person Completely avoid shaking hands and other physical contact (use elbow bumps, or wave hands, etc.) Create physical space to minimize close contact (one arm length, sit every other seat) Provide hand washing capabilities or hand sanitizer or disinfectant wipes, and tissues Avoid touching your face or high touch surfaces with your bare hands (use a tissue) If you’re not able to access your meeting space, meet Online using available video conferencing applications such as: https://www.freeconferencecall.com/ https://hangouts.google.com/ https://www.webex.com/ https://www.zoom.us/
New Pathways look and feel
Toastmasters has fixed one of my Pathways User Interface issues. It now opens a Tab for you instead of creating a popup. Login to Toastmasters.org www.toastmasters.org/login Visit your profile www.toastmasters.org/my-toastmasters/profile Click on Pathways Transcript Link Click on Open Curriculum button Click on Launch Button When it launches the Lesson it creates a new Tab for you instead of a Pop-up windows.
Club Officer Training Standards
On July 13th, 2019 our District had a DECM, a meeting of the District Executive Council, for the purpose of sharing information and making important decisions throughout the District. During the DECM our District Director made a statement regarding Club Officer Training Standards. This is the statement that can be found in the meeting minutes. There has been a lot confusion throughout our District over the Training Standards. Throughout our District there have been differing opinions as to the minimum standards on training. It has been confusing to our Officers and ultimately affects the excellence of our clubs. This year a document was produced by the Quality Team called “District 39 training standards” It was based on the belief that Districts can set their own Training standards. However, upon further inquiry, we now have validated and finalized direction from Toastmasters International. The training minimum has been and always will be based on Training Club Leaders item 217. I was recently reminded by Toastmasters Headquarters that The District Director is responsible to ensure the standards in the Training Club Leaders guide are followed. Therefore, this is the protocol. District 39 will be in compliance with Training Club Leaders guide this year and going forward. Adjustments will be made to training events on the District calendar. Toastmasters Club Officer Training standards will be posted: On our District website Announced on the District Facebook page Sent to every officer in the District so everyone is informed of the minimum Club Officer Training standards. All new Training Events must fulfill the minimum training as specified in the Training Club Leaders guide. NOTE: I have instructed our Program Quality Director to ensure the Quality Team and Trainers will provide opportunities for all Club Officers to makeup their extra training hour they may have missed in previous trainings. At the time of this Post there are five weeks remaining in Training Round 1. Deadline: Round 1 Club Officer Training ends on August 31 Time is running out: Most of the trainings in District 39 Training have met or exceeded the minimum training standard. However, there are some training events or series of events on the calendar that show only one or two hours of training on their agenda. If you are a Club Officer that took one of these shorter trainings, please take the extra training opportunities to ensure Toastmasters will give your club credit for your training.
D39 Vision 2020
Greetings District 39 Toastmasters, Why did you join Toastmasters? Why do you stay? I joined to improve my communication skills. I stay because of what I have learned and the wonderful people who have become my friends along the way. I hope you have a similar story you can share. The Toastmasters New Year begins on July 1st. There are a few changes this year, but our Mission is still the same. If we focus on doing the right things at the right time, we will achieve amazing things this year. How will we know what the right things are? We need to plan for Success. I am asking all leaders in our great District to collaborate with each other and plan for a President’s Distinguished year. Let’s be One Team heading down One Path becoming One District that everyone wants to join! District Mission: We build new clubs and support all clubs in achieving excellence. Vision Statement: District 39 will achieve President’s Distinguished status before May 31, 2020 Slogan: Focus Together on the Most Important Thing Motto: One Team • One Path • One District What is the Most Important Thing? (Execute Success Plan) Core Values: Integrity, Respect, Service, Excellence Big Picture: President’s Distinguished District The One Thing: Execute Success Plan Guiding Principles: Speak with hope about the toughest of issues. Be Solution focused rather than problem focused. Refrain from reacting and giving voice to pessimism, criticism, self-criticism. Speak about problems to the right people in the right way. Replace negative words and thoughts with positive and encouraging words. First 100 days (June 6 – Sep 14): Success Plan – District, Division, Area, Club Training – Division, Area, Club Club Visits – Know your clubs Retention – No member loss, No club loss Growth – New Members, New Clubs Second 100 days (Sep 15 – Dec 24): Quality – 100% Trained Growth – Add net 5 members Distinguished Clubs – Distinguished in December Club Visits – submit reports Nov 30 Third 100 days (Dec 26, 2019 – Apr 4, 2020): Training – Club Officers Contests – Club, Area, Division Final months (April, May, June) Conference Succession Planning Distinguished Clubs Club Visits – submit reports May 31 District 39 Vision 2020
New Toastmasters Navigator
Toastmasters is updating their user experience to be more web and mobile device friendly. Check out the new interface Toastmasters Navigator on your mobile device.