District 37 - North Carolina Toastmasters

Blogging Basics

2006-02-28T16:43:00.000-08:00

Hello all,

My name is Ted Hessing, CTM/CL, Immediate-Past-President of Queen City Toastmasters and Assistant Area Governor Public Relations for Area 32. That sounds impressive, like I do a lot for Toastmasters, it really isn't! In reality, I'm pretty lazy!! What is important is that Andy Kaplan has been working day and night for years to promote Toastmasters in all aspects - club, area, division, and international.

To that end, Andy asked me to write up a few documents about Blogging and what it can mean to Toastmasters. I am happy to do so. But like I said before, I'm lazy, I don't like to do the same work twice. As it turns out, I had already written a series of how to use Blogging to maximize your Charlotte Business web site. A such, I am only going to publish links to this below.

You may ask yourself, why is Ted posting about business aspects of Blogging? Well, albeit a non-profit organization, Toastmasters is a business. It is very likely that you joined Toastmasters to work on skills that would serve you well in the business world - or at least encountered skills that will help you in this arena. Once we recognize that the most successful clubs are run like successful businesses, we realize that in turn, to make our own clubs successful we should incorporate useful and winning strategies employed by business. If you have any questions, please contact me at Ted@CharlotteWebDevelopment.com

As a side note, this isn't a shameless plug for my business. Those who know me understand my aversion to mixing business with Toastmasters. The links to these articles are simply for ease of use.

Blogs are Easy

Blogs Can Earn You Money

A Sense of Community

Syndication, Sales Leads, and Search Engines

Blogs are Great for Content

Blogs are not Expensive

Personalize Your Business

Business Credentials Building

Blogs as Internet Advertising

Passing the Gavel - Division E Q1 Report

2005-10-12T21:35:00.000-07:00

Division E

Passing the Gavel

By Charles Harvey, Division E Governor

In Division E, we begin our year by communicating (email excerpt) that the “Gavel had been passed” to officers assuming positions of leadership at Club, Area and Division level.

At the June TLI meeting, division council meetings and email communication we pledged to become Distinguished at all levels of our operation and President’s Distinguished Division by the end of our Toastmasters year.
To accomplish our goals, we identified key members for positions of Division Leadership that begin with the appointments of Connie Marthinsen and Pranav Patel to the roles of Assistant Division Governors of Education and Marketing respectively. It also involved nominating key members for Area Governor leadership appointments in Division E: Stephen Hand (Area 51), Lee Tyler (Area 52), Jan Squillace (Area 53), Renee Nichols (Area 54) and Mark Dill (Area 55).

In assuming the gavel we established 3 major goals for Division E:
1) Grow Thru Involvement, 2) Implement Our Plan, 3) Celebrate Our Successes.

Grow Thru Involvement
In growing through involvement:
Division E:
· Participated in District TLI session in June.
· Held division council meeting in August to meet team and set division goals.
· Held Division level TLI session August 4th, teaming with Division D.
· Area and Division Governors (4) attended two training sessions in High Point
· Area Governors and Club officers participated in follow up training at SAS Institute (Softtalk Club) August 23rd.
· Speech contests began at Club and Area levels, with 4 Area contests scheduled and Division contest set for October 19th at SAS institute.

Implement Our Plan
In implementing our plan:

· We set Division Goals for accomplishing President’s Distinguished Division through division council and email communication (see illustration below):
· As a Division we must:
o Maintain Club base of 23 Clubs:
§ Targeting and visiting Clubs under 10 members for coaching and membership building
o Ensue a net growth of one Club or more:
§ Completed charter paperwork for new corporate Club at John Deere, Co. Deere Talk—September 21st.
o Focus on area governor achievement so that every Area is a Distinguished Area or better:
§ Encouraged goal setting to accomplish DCP goals and Area goals.
· Track Area Governor progress each month and email performance (see illustration below) reports to Area Governors with notes to identify goals to concentrate on.

· Follow our Division E calendar (see illustration below) to focus on each month’s business plans and activities and allow officers at all levels to conduct business with links to TI Web site.
· Focus on our goals, business plans and activities each month to guide our actions and ensure that we implement our plan. For example, our goals for September were:
Goals: September:
· Collect all renewal membership dues—before October 1st.
· Start and complete Club Speech Contests and schedule and/or complete Area Contest NLT first week in October.
· Encourage Clubs to set DCP goals (Clubs should target members for accomplishing goals).
· Complete Area Governor visits—use Web Area Report form to expedite.
· Announce District Fall Conference—encourage strong attendance.
· Identify Clubs under 10 members to target for membership growth and educational development. Connie, Pranav and I will come out to educate on membership building and DCP goal setting.

· Think of innovative methods for accomplishing our plan: such as designing a Division E DCP Goal Planner (illustration below) to assist Area Governors and Clubs in goal setting and communicating DCP goals upward.

Celebrate Our Successes
To celebrate our successes:

· We signed and chartered Deere Talk (see illustration below)—our new Corporate Club at John Deere, Co, with 21 charter members and estimates of 35 members anticipated by year-end.
§ Celebrated Club Accomplishments (see illustration below):
o Installed new officers
o Awarded banners to new Clubs
o Celebrated individual member educational achievements.

§ Celebrated Speech Contest Winners (see announcement below):
In short, we will achieve President’s Distinguished Division through
o Growing thru involvement
o Implementing our plan, and
o Celebrating our success

We can do it!

Gavel Clubs - Spreading Toastmasters in Schools

2005-09-15T14:08:00.000-07:00

Gavel Clubs

An Affiliate of Toastmasters International

The Gavel Club program is open to any group of individuals who cannot otherwise qualify to become a Toastmasters club due to age, inability to pay full Toastmasters dues, or circumstances, which would prohibit full participation in Toastmaster activities.

PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM
The purpose of a Gavel Club:

1) to help its members improve their abilities to communicate effectively

2) to encourage its members to read and to listen analytically

3) to provide for its members’ instructions, educational materials and the opportunities which will give them skill and experience in the preparation and delivery of speeches

4) to provide its members’ a fair and constructive evaluation of their efforts toward self-improvement

5) to afford leadership training for its members; and

6) to provide opportunities and encouragement for its members to appear before audiences and to express their thoughts creditably

THE PARTICIPANTS
This Club may classify its members as Active, Associate, Honorary and Inactive members, if it deems such classification advisable.
THE SPONSORS

The admission of this Club to affiliation with Toastmasters International, and the continued affiliation and operation of this Club as a Gavel Club, is subject at all times to the approval of the institution sponsoring this Club. Such institution shall designate an individual to serve as Counselor to this Club; that person shall exercise the rights and powers of a Counselor set forth in this Constitution and shall act as the agent and representative of the sponsoring institution in all matters regarding this Club and Toastmasters International.

HOW IT WORKS
To apply for certification, you must send in a Request for Certification, an Officers’ List , and one copy of adopted Constitution and Bylaws accompanied by the certification fee and pro-rated annual fee indicated. Upon issuance of a Certificate of Affiliation to this Club, and so long as this Club remains in good standing with Toastmasters International, this Club is entitled to all the rights and powers, and is subject to all the duties and requirements, of Gavel Clubs as may be stated from time to time in the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws of Toastmasters International, in this Constitution, and in policies, procedures, manuals, and other materials issued by Toastmasters International.

Regular meetings of this Club shall be held as provided by the Bylaws of this Club. Participants, working from a handbook, select officers who preside over the meetings. The remaining class members are assigned other duties on a rotating basis, so everyone is actively involved.

Generally, meetings follow a format similar to that of a Toastmasters club meeting. There is an announced agenda and participants learn and practice parliamentary procedure during each meeting. Lecturing is minimal, but discussion is held during each session. Participants also deliver short impromptu and prepared speeches. In every meeting, participants learn to apply the principles of listening, thinking and speaking.

HOW TO START A PROGRAM
Any group desiring admission as a Gavel Club shall apply to Toastmasters International on forms provided by World Headquarters. Subject to standards and procedures stated in the policies of Toastmasters International, the Executive Director of Toastmasters International has sole discretion to issue a Certificate of Affiliation to a Gavel Club. Each Gavel Club pays a one-time certification fee of $50 (U.S.). Annual dues of $48 (U.S.) are billed each November. Club applying for certification in mid-year will pay pro-rated annual fees.

History of TI: Out of the Past

2005-08-23T18:48:00.000-07:00

Americans firmly believe that it's possible to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. Self-improvement -- be it in the form of a face lift, motivational seminar, morning jog, or new low-cholesterol diet regimen -- is our ticket to Valhalla. It's not too surprising, then, to find Toastmasters International, the world's premier self-improvement club, in Orange County, where sheep ranches blossom into million-dollar corporations and swap meets spawn national clothing chains. What is surprising is that the club -- which dedicates itself to improving leadership skills, self-confidence and communication through public speaking -- originated in Orange County more than 80 years ago.

Off to a Rocky Start
Toastmasters was the brainchild of a Midwesterner named Ralph C. Smedley. In 1903, after graduating from Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Illinois, Smedley took a job as director of education for the local Young Men's Christian Association. Realizing that the older boys who visited the YMCA needed training in communication, he began a public speaking club.

Smedley called his group, "The Toastmasters Club" because the activities resembled a banquet with toasts and after-dinner speakers. The boys enjoyed taking turns making speeches and evaluating them, as well as presiding at the weekly meetings. Smedley's club blossomed, but soon he was promoted to general secretary of the YMCA and transferred to Freeport, Illinois. After his departure, the Bloomington club died.

In the following years, Smedley organized other Toastmasters clubs wherever he was transferred. In Freeport, businessmen and other professionals who recognized the benefits of communications skills became members. Yet these older members did not save the organization either. The club operated successfully while Smedley was there but disappeared when its founder moved on to Rock Island, Illinois. Subsequent clubs in Rock Island and San Jose, California, suffered the same fate.

Smedley must have despaired of ever seeing his creation blossom into a self-sustaining organization. "I observed a tendency among my fellow secretaries at the YMCA to regard The Toastmasters Club as a sort of peculiarity -- an idiosyncrasy of mine," he later said. "Perhaps it was not altogether orthodox as a 'Y' activity."

A New Beginning in Santa Ana
Finally, the YMCA director arrived in Santa Ana. Once more he organized a Toastmasters club, holding the first meeting in the Santa Ana YMCA basement on October 22, 1924. In Southern California's optimistic climate, the concept caught on. Men from neighboring communities sought out the group and liked what they saw. Smedley was quick to help them organize their own Toastmasters clubs. The new clubs were united in a federation designed to coordinate their activities and ensure uniform methods.

In 1932, the federation was incorporated as Toastmasters International, following the establishment of a club in British Columbia, Canada. Districts were created later, as the number of clubs increased.

For many years, Smedley held the position of general secretary of the Santa Ana YMCA, handling finances, fund raising, program planning, membership matters and the supervision of a number of YMCA employees. In addition,he served as liaison for the local and national YMCA organizations.

Somehow Smedley managed to find time to spread the gospel about Toastmasters, serving as its executive secretary and editor of The Toastmaster magazine, while also maintaining his busy YMCA schedule. He corresponded regularly with members and club officers, encouraging and guiding them in club matters.

International Growth
By 1941, Smedley realized that Toastmasters needed his full-time attention. He resigned from the YMCA and opened a 12-by-16-foot office in a downtown Santa Ana bank, with a desk, typewriter, telephone and second-hand address machine. He hired a secretary to handle the correspondence while he wrote materials for the club's use.

The organization began with two manuals -- Basic Training and Beyond Basic Training -- written by Smedley in the office after business hours. He also found time to write several tomes on public speaking and parliamentary procedure. The Voice of the Speaker, Speech Evaluation and The Amateur Chairman found a ready audience in Toastmaster members. (Smedley also wrote The Great Peacemaker, a biography of Henry M. Robert, author of the famed Robert's Rules of Order.)

Toastmasters continued to grow. The single-room office expanded to four, and past international president Ted Blanding took over the position of executive secretary, while Smedley became educational director and concentrated on learning processes and materials.

Smedley was involved in the educational program of Toastmasters International until shortly before his death in 1965 at the age of 87.

New Directions
Toastmasters has continued to flourish. In 1962, Toastmasters -- by then an organization of 80,000 members and 3,500 clubs -- built its own 27,000-square-foot office building in Santa Ana. Smedley took part in the dedication ceremonies. A second growth spurt came following the decision to accept women as members in 1973.

By 1985, the Santa Ana building was serving 120,000 members and 5,300 clubs worldwide. Expansion and remodeling were necessary to provide 5,000 additional square feet of warehouse space. But within four years, the organization had outgrown the headquarters. In June 1990, Toastmasters International moved into a new world headquarters in Rancho Santa Margarita.

Today, more than 200,000 members take part in 10,500 clubs in the United States, Canada and 90 other countries. Thousands of corporations and government agencies, including Rockwell International in Downey and Irvine's Fluor Daniel, sponsor in house Toastmasters clubs as communication training for their employees. Specialized clubs meet at military bases, colleges and universities, churches and prisons. There are Toastmasters clubs for senior citizens, professional groups, bilingual groups, singles and visually impaired.

Dr. Ralph C. Smedley
Ralph Smedley's contributions to society have not gone unnoticed. In 1950, Wesleyan University granted him the honorary degree of doctor of humane letters, and Santa Ana named a junior high school after him in 1955. In 1956, Toastmasters itself honored him with the title of honorary president and lifetime board member. The Santa Ana Toastmasters Club even renamed itself the Smedley Number One Club in honor of its founder.

But perhaps the best tribute is one that takes place at every meeting of the Smedley Number One Club: A photograph of Smedley and the original club charter are placed in an empty chair near the lectern to represent his continuing inspiration.

Reprinted with permission from Orange Coast Magazine; current membership figures updated by Toastmasters International.

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© 1998-2005 Toastmasters International
The names "Toastmasters International", "Toastmasters" and the Toastmasters International emblem are trademarks protected in the United States, Canada and other countries where Toastmasters Clubs exist. Unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.

How to Use Public Relations to Promote Your Club

2005-08-23T18:44:00.000-07:00

PR Tips
Publicizing and promoting your club is much like public speaking, in that good public relations skills are not taught but rather are developed through regular practice. Good public relations can be defined as anything that produces a positive response and stimulates the reader or listener to do something, such as visit a club meeting or a club web site to learn more about Toastmasters.

Your Target Audience

In the broadest sense, everyone can benefit from joining Toastmasters, so everyone should theoretically be a target for your club's publicity. However, a good publicity campaign is much more likely to succeed if your audience is well defined. Identifying your club's target audience is critical to developing the message you want to convey, as the message will depend very much on the needs of your audience. Having a well-defined target audience will also make it easier to determine the medium with which you will deliver that message.

Types of Activities

There are several basic activities that your club can conduct to publicize itself. Some of these basic activities include posting flyers in a public location (such as a library or company cafeteria), distributing hand-outs or brochures at an event, and arranging public service announcements in newspapers and on the radio. All of these activities are fairly simple to accomplish.

Other forms of publicity can take a little more effort to accomplish but generally yield much greater results. One such activity is to pitch a story to a local newspaper (which may include writing a press release). The most important step here is to get the name of a contact person in the news organization that you are targeting. Because of the nature of Toastmasters, publications such as newspapers can sometimes be persuaded to carry a "good will" story about your club. On occasion, local radio or television stations may even want to arrange an interview.

Framed in the proper light, almost any club event can become newsworthy. Many are relatively routine and may receive only a brief mention. Others have greater news value and may strike a cord within a particular organization, possibly giving your club more extensive media coverage. Listed here are a few suggestions for events that may be potential news stories:

Regular meetings/calendar

Election of officers

Important visitors or guests

Speakers Bureau

Club anniversary

Toastmasters International anniversary month (October)

Joint meeting with other club(s)

Demonstration meetings

Speech contests

Special programs open to the public
(Speechcraft, Youth Leadership, etc.)

For additional ideas about promoting your club, refer to the "Let the World Know" handbook from Toastmasters International. This publicity and promotion handbook is listed in the Toastmasters International Supply Catalog, which is also available online. (The catalog number for the Club Success Plan is 220.)

Special Events

Through special awards, the Toastmasters program allows your club to recognize non-Toastmasters for their achievements. Not only does this benefit the community at large by drawing attention to outstanding individuals in the community, but the presentation of these awards offers a terrific opportunity for your club to generate positive publicity.

Communication and Leadership Award

This award represents an opportunity for the club to recognize someone outside the club for his/her contributions to communication excellence. Recipients may include such figures as public officials, company executives, or local news broadcasters. A complete package describing this award and including a plaque and a sample press release is listed in the Toastmasters International Supply Catalog (catalog number 1972).

Honorary Club Membership

Once a year, your club may award an honorary membership to a non-Toastmaster for outstanding contributions to the community or to the club. The presentation of an honorary membership certificate (Supply Catalog number 508-A) can generate goodwill and publicity for your club.

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Where to promote your club
"Welcome to the Community" Packets

These are distributed to all new residents in a city and contain promotional materials from local merchants and organizations. Your ad or flyer should be included in this package. Talk to your city's Community Development Department or Community Services Department.

Employee Orientations

Make sure in-house Toastmasters clubs in corporations, hospitals, government agencies or organizations have their clubs mentioned during new employee orientation seminars.

Chambers of Commerce

Many Chambers offer non-profit organizations low membership rates. Membership will give you access to posting fliers in the Chamber facility, their newsletter and possibly their website. Many Chambers have various networking mixers that will allow you to give a short presentation describing your company/services. Also, many Chambers have entrepreneurs and small business owners as members; a great target audience for Toastmasters!

Community Parades and Functions

Some clubs have been successful in having a table or tent setup at community/City functions informing the public about their Toastmaster club. Some clubs even participate in their city's annual holiday parade, marching along with their club banner in hand!

Your Neighborhood Library

Many libraries have bulletin boards or racks and displays for current/local information. Advertising at your local library is a cost effective way to reach out to the public.

Open your eyes! The possibilities to promote your Toastmasters club are endless! Best of luck!

Copyright Toastmasters International District 12

Fall Conference 2005 - It’s Presidential! - Dilip Abaysekara, DTM

2005-08-22T09:16:00.000-07:00

District 37 Welcomes 2005-2006 International President
Dilip Abaysekara, DTM

"Presidential Theme - Find Your Voice, Serve Your World"

This is going to be a “once in a lifetime, never to be seen again” conference! Make your way to the Holiday Inn Airport on the first weekend in November (Nov. 4-6) to meet our newly elected Toastmasters International President as well as Toastmasters from all over NC. Friday night fun includes our annual Evaluation Contest and PDG Roast of Ron Bower. The Hospitality Suite awaits your arrival to greet your fellow TM friends.

Saturday morning will begin with the traditional Parade of Banners followed by the best educational sessions around. The Saturday Awards luncheon will announce the DCP recipients. On Saturday night, dress in your finest and make your way to the Humorous Speech Contest and evening meal! The evening will conclude with music, fun, and dancing!

Registration at www.toastmasters-nc.com and mail it today! We will look forward to seeing YOU in Greensboro on Nov. 4th!

Pam Christopher
Conference Chair
foothills@yadtel.net

Fall Conference Friday - How Much Fun Can a Group of Toastmasters Have in One Night?

2005-08-22T09:12:00.000-07:00

Come to the District 37 Fall Conference on Friday, November 4, 2005. It will be a “rip-roaring” good time!

Join Toastmasters from around the state at 6:30 PM for a Taco buffet. Following the buffet, we will hear a target speaker and the seven best evaluators in our district. The Evaluation Contest will be followed by the Past District Governor Roast featuring Ron Bower. Our Roastmaster for the evening will be the entertaining and popular PDG Rick Reece! If you would like to participate, contact Rick at rtrdtm@yahoo.com.

AND, it all happens in Greensboro, NC at the Airport Holiday Inn, 6426 Burnt Poplar Road. Just register at www.toastmasters-nc.org
See you in Greensboro in November!

It wasn't Toast! It was Biscuits, Banter and Breakfast at WBTV (CBS)

2005-08-19T19:01:00.000-07:00

Lake Norman Club was chosen to have breakfast with the anchors of WBTV, John Carter and Lenise Ligon and weatherman, Chris Suchan on Friday, August 18th. Andy Kaplan, (Past President, Lake Norman ,Public Relations Officer for District 37 and Area 32 Governor), was interviewed live on the WBTV (CBS affiliate) morning show and discussed the benefits of Toastmasters to the early risers in Charlotte. (It was on at 6:55 am).

After the show Andy, Gary Mulherin, Division C Governor and Pat Russell, Lake Norman Club Treasurer and Andy's daughter Adrienne, a future Toastmaster, had breakfast (sponsored by Bojangles) with the show's anchors in the WBTV studios. Adrienne's school, Lake Norman Charter School, Huntersville, NC is holding its first youth leadership program starting in September.

In the fall 2004, WBTV, came to our Fall Conference to do a news segment on our humor contest. We would like to thank our hosts (John, Lenise, Chris and Patty (WBTV Sales Dept) for their hospitality. Charlotte Area (Division C) Toastmasters truly appreciates and thanks WBTV for their on-going support of Toastmasters in this market.

If you aren't having fun, you haven't really won

2005-08-17T13:50:00.000-07:00

If you aren't having fun, you haven't really won
When it comes to achieving Toastmaster goals on a personal or club level, people tend to look for that big brass ring and forget to have fun while riding on the Merry-Go-Round. My motto is If you aren't having fun, you haven't really won.

The slogan I came up with while I was Division A Governor for two terms was Show it! Share it! Savor it! Get it Done with Fun. I am going to continue using that slogan in my new role as Lieutenant Governor of Marketing for District 37. I hope it becomes infectious.

I am compiling a list of volunteers, from across the district, to help with club building, demo/kickoff meetings and rebuilding clubs. Many folks across the district have told me they would help. I am also seeking out those who need to be a club sponsor, mentor or coach for their Advanced Leadership award (AL). These folks will be able to help Division and Area Governors so they don't have to do it alone. Using this information, I will be able to better match volunteers and member's needs to club growth on a geographical basis.

On other levels, I am encouraging clubs to increase their membership by taking advantage of the many Toastmaster membership programs. To help do this, I will be sending helpful suggestions and ideas I have gathered from past and present members.

To help increase member's enthusiasm, I highly recommend that clubs keep track of their Distinguished Club Program (DCP) goals by using progress charts available from TM. I also recommend that clubs refer to the Toastmaster International website to monitor your club's progress.

Whether it is asking me questions, seeking advice, needing information, speaking at a demo/kickoff meeting or presenting a new banner at a charter party, I will be try to be all things to all people at all times. Boy!! Wouldn't that be great if I could? Since that is nearly impossible, I will make the best effort possible to do what I can, when I can and where I can.

Sincerely,

Michael Kesselring, DTM (Yippee)
Dist. 37 Lt. Gov. of Marketing '05-'06
- Two Term Division A Governor, '03 to '05
- Select Distinguished Division '04-'05
- Division Governor of The Year '03-'04
- President's Distinguished Division '03-'04
- President's Distinguished Club '04-'05
(Mountain Messengers #3261, President)

Barney's Bits - Tips for Better Speech Evaluations

2005-07-18T08:05:00.000-07:00

TIPS FOR BETTER SPEECH EVALUATIONS

Here are some how-to’s

Presented By E. Barney Barnum, DTM
Past District 37 Governor
Lake Norman Club #3832
Huntersville, NC

Help speakers gain self-improvement by:

¨ Being genuine (speak from your heart)

¨ Recognizing their strengths

¨ Creating a climate for motivating change

¨ Recognizing and giving areas for improvement (positive change)

¨ Suiting the evaluation to the level of that individual speaker

REMEMBER: Rule #1: Judge the speech, not the person (avoid value judgements)

Judging the delivery:

· Earnestness

· Appropriateness

· Organization

· Conviction/passion

· Sincerity

· Body language

· Voice delivery/inflection

· Eye contact

· Grammar/colorful word pictures/phrases

Pitfalls to avoid:

ü Avoid reading word-for-word from the manual for the evaluation

ü Avoid whitewashing (making it all sound too good)

ü Avoid lethal surgery (this is nurturing, remember)

ü Talking, talking, talking (stick to the agenda)

ü Providing nothing for the speaker to improve/build upon

¨ Here are 6 Guidelines for building and maintaining self-esteem when you evaluate:

1. Be genuine. To be effective, your feedback must be honest and sincere. It should reflect your genuine desire to help the speaker improve.

2. Recognize strengths. Research has shown that adults who receive sincere, deserved praise achieve greater growth than those who don’t.

3. Recognize improvements. Emphasize areas where the speaker has shown improvement. Let them know they have accomplished something worthwhile.

4. Create a climate for motivation. Help the speaker realize he/she can improve even more.

5. Avoid value judgments. To be effective, feedback must concentrate on the speaker’s behavior – not on the speaker as a person. This is especially important when evaluating someone who is nervous or lacks confidence.

6. Provide positive direction. Show the speaker how he/she can improve even more.

10 Key Ingredients and the Key Behaviors of an Effective Evaluator:

1. Show That You Care – Be sincere and genuine

2. Suit Your Evaluation To The Speaker – Adapt to that particular speaker

3. Learn The Speaker’s Objectives – Know in advance strengths and weaknesses

4. Listen Actively – Listen with your eyes as well as your ears; match content with delivery

5. Personalize Your Language – “It appeared to me…”; “My reaction was…”; “I suggest…”; A technique I found useful is…”

6. Give Positive Reinforcement – Your praise must be deserved; hollow flattery backfires

7. Help The Speaker Become Motivated – Encourage and remind them of their goals

8. Evaluate The Behavior – Not The Person – Their values are personal; avoid imposing yours

9. Nourish Self-Esteem – End on a positive note; strive to help the speaker feel better

10. Show The Speaker How To Improve – Show, not just tell

Here are areas where many evaluators fall short.
I’ll be positive and give you some key disciplines here.

AGAIN, I REPEAT: Your key purpose is to help the speaker improve.

Here are three things that make that happen:

1. Focus on what you feel the speaker should be doing – not on what the speaker should not be doing. This reflects the difference between evaluation and criticism.

2. Keep your recommendations to a manageable minimum. Select the one or two areas in which you feel the speaker can make the greatest degree of improvement for the next speech.

3. Present your recommendations in a positive way, giving specific suggestions and examples. Show the speaker how to improve – not just what to improve.

Goldmine Club Annual Ice Cream Social and Tall Tales Contest

2005-06-06T17:21:00.000-07:00

Sat. July 9, 2005 9:00 AM - Noon
/toastmasters
Baker's Creek Park - Kannapolis, North Carolina

Don't let this one get away! Join the Goldmine Toastmasters in their annual Tall Tales and Homemade Ice Cream Contest.

North Carolina Toastmasters are invited to participate in both the Tall Tales & Homemade Ice Cream competition.

Tall Tales Contest guidelines:

Give a 5-7 minute talk exaggerating as much of the truth as possible.
Judging and timing will be in accordance with normal Toastmaster contest rules.
Let Jay Nodine jnodine@vnet.net know if you would like to enter the contest.
Ice Cream Contest guidelines:

Try to beat last year's champion!
Ice Cream must be homemade (or fool the judges).
Contestants may enter as many flavors as they want.
Give your entry and name (make the name fancy) to the Contest Chairman
We encourage Toastmasters to bring guests.
Public is invited!

Directions:

From I-85 South (Charlotte):
Take Kannapolis Exit 58 onto S. Cannon Blvd (Hwy29N)
Go north 1.9 miles to 3rd traffic light.
(Note: after 2nd trafficlight, Centergrove Rd
will change to S. Loop Rd.)
Turn left onto Centergrove Rd.
From Cannon Blvd go 2.5 miles to 6th traffic light.
Turn left onto West A St.
Go 6/10 mile and turn left into Baker's Creek Park.

From I-85 North (Greensboro):
Take Kannapolis Exit 63.
Go west on Lane St.
(Note: after 3rd traffic light Lane St.
will change to N. Loop Rd.)
From I85, Go 3.8 miles to 4th traffic light.
Turn right onto West A St.
Go 6/10 mile and turn left into Baker's Creek Park.

Sweet Home Alabama - Region VIII Toastmasters Conference

2005-06-06T14:45:00.000-07:00

I just returned from the Region VIII (Southeast US and Bahamas) Toastmasters Conference at the Marriott in Birmingham, AL. This is a brief report of some of the highlights of the conference. (other attendees may add their own observations in other posts coming later to this blog).

I had a chance to meet the district leaders from LA, AL, SC, NC, GA, FL and the Bahamas. I also met the incoming President of Toastmasters International, Dilip Abayasara from Camp Hill, PA who will be attending our District Fall Conference in the Greensboro area on Nov 4 and 5th.

David Scruggs represented our District well placing 3rd in the international speech contest out of 7 districts. His speech was about his father.

The winning speech was by Chakisse Newton of Columbia, SC who gave a speech about her grandmother and Cardinals. She will be representing Region VIII at the World Championship of Speaking in Toronto, CA in late August.

Sindy Martin (LEAP to leadership), Joel Schanker (How to give evalutions) and I (Public Relations Officer training) were presenters at the conference.

Ron Bower, Rhonda Vrell, Charisse McLeod and Mike Kesselring went through their leadership training and were sequestered in a training room with TI officials all weekend.

James Fair (not to be confused with James Farr) was elected as International Director representing Region VIII.

Randy Harvey, (www.randyjharvey.com)
last years World Champion of Speaking winner was at the conference both as a speaker and education session leader. He gave two speeches -- one about his Mom and the other which was his "winning speech" called "Fat Dad". He taught his session on how to choreograph and plan your speech including where to stand on stage at what gestures to use at each moment in your speech. He has written a book that takes you through how he wrote and developed his winning speech.

If you have a chance this summer, I recommend trying to make it to Toronto for the World Champion of speaking. Information should be at www.toastmasters.org . If you can't make it this year, next years International Conference will be held in Washington, DC.

A fun story on public speaking and speech preparation.
Sindy Martin (LEAP for Leadership presentation) was featuring among some leaders with energy (the E in the word Leap, Richard Simmons, the exercise guru). Her speech is based upon a best selling book in which he is mentioned. Last week, she looked at the web for a quote from him about leadership but didn't like what she found. Sindy e-mailed his office at the address listed on his website to see if she could get a better quote. On Saturday morning, just before she was ready to give her speech. Her mobile phone rang. On the other end was Richard Simmons.

If you want to hear and see a great speech, come to the Lake Norman Speech-a-thon (www.lakenormantoastmasters.com) on Wednesday to see Matthew Charity give his Division (Greater Charlotte area) winning speech.

Finally, as we begin the new year for Toastmasters on July 1, take advantage of all the speaking and leadership opportunities to learn and grow outside of our club meetings.

Andy Kaplan
Area 34 Governor
2005-6 District 37 Public Relations Officer
arksales@aol.com

Tell us your success stories for 2004-5

2005-06-01T06:45:00.000-07:00

Please take time to post your comments about how Toastmasters has impacted your life this year. Did it help your career? Make new friends? Provide emotional support? Help you speak or lead better? If we choose your story for a newsletter or press release during this year, you will get $10.00 gift certificate to the Toastmasters International Website store.

(Note: So we can contact you for a future article, remember to leave your name and club # or name in the posting)

The International Speech Winner is ....

2005-05-24T05:28:00.000-07:00

Triad Toastmaster wins State Championship
Thursday, May 19, 2005 10:59 am
By David Scruggs,
Contributing Reader

David Scruggs of Winston-Salem will represent North Carolina in the next level of the 2005 International Speech Contest, sponsored by Toastmasters International.

On April 30 in Asheville, Scruggs won first place among a field of six speakers. These elite contestants had been narrowed already from the more than 140 Toastmaster clubs across North Carolina. Scruggs’s winning, humorous and motivational speech, titled “It’s About Time,” addressed the challenges of procrastination.

Scruggs is an executive coach, leadership development consultant, and partner in Organization Insight, a consulting firm specializing in leadership and organizational change. He is also a member of the National Speaker’s Association.

Scruggs is a member of Northwestern Toastmasters, one of several clubs in Winston-Salem. Northwestern is the home club of the state champion for two of the last three years. Joel Schanker of Northwestern won the District 37 (all of N.C.) competition in 2003.

On June 4, Scruggs will compete in Birmingham, Ala., with five other district winners for the eight-state regional championship and the right to compete later in the International Finals in Toronto, Canada.

Toastmasters International enhances leadership and fosters human understanding by helping men and women learn the arts of speaking confidently, listening carefully, and thinking critically.

How Toastmasters Can Help You?

2005-05-22T20:16:00.000-07:00

How Toastmasters Can Help You

Your success in business is based on how effective you are. Through participation in the Toastmasters Communication and Leadership program, people from all backgrounds learn to effectively speak, conduct a meeting, manage a department or business, lead, delegate, and motivate.

How Toastmasters works.

As your improved communication skills become obvious within the workplace, increased visibility, recognition and promotion will follow. Your improved presentation skills will win you the respect and admiration of your colleagues and employees - and make them wonder what you did to change!

Leadership skills acquired through participation in Toastmasters will increase your management potential.

As a Toastmaster you will acquire an increased ability to motivate and persuade, making you more effective as a supervisor or manager.

Members of Toastmaster Clubs have access to a wide range of educational materials, including books, audio and videotapes, and seminar programs available at reduced cost through the Toastmasters International Supply Catalog.

How Toastmasters Meets Your Needs

Established in 1924, Toastmasters International uses time-tested programs that are continually updated to meet participants needs. Self-paced programs allow you to progress as rapidly or gradually as your needs dictate. The hands-on Communication and Leadership program provides the "how-to" and the practical experience so critical to progress.

Toastmasters Clubs meet at various locations in the morning, at noon and in the evening. You'll be sure to find a Club that fits your needs. The Toastmasters program is cost effective, especially when compared to seminars charging hundreds of dollars per day. There is a $16 new member fee, and $18 dues every six months.* Clubs may also assess local dues to cover local expenses. An atmosphere of professional camaraderie makes your Toastmasters Club a unique learning environment -- informal, yet dedicated to learning.

The Toastmasters program can be tailored to meet your personal objectives. Whether you desire improvement in prepared or impromptu speaking, greater skill in the use of visual aids, experience and knowledge is to be gained in the areas that most interest you.

How The Program Works

The Toastmasters program exposes each participant to a wide range of communication experiences. Each new Toastmaster receives a New Member Kit. The kit features a copy of the basic Communication and Leadership manual, general orientation materials and information regarding skill improvement in areas such as speech evaluation and the use of gestures.The initial prepared speeches, as outlined in the basic Communication and Leadership program manual, are designed with the new Toastmaster in mind.

A variety of assigned speeches help the participant develop competency in areas such as organization, voice inflection and persuasiveness. During the meeting's Table Topics session, members learn to think on their feet by delivering short impromptu speeches, lasting one to two minutes. After giving a prepared speech, each Toastmaster receives a constructive speech evaluation. This process recognizes speakers for their strengths and provides valuable insight into problem areas.

Upon completion of the basic Communication and Leadership program, Toastmasters may participate in the Advanced Communication and Leadership program. Participants may choose from specific business oriented topics such as Speeches by Management and Technical Presentations.

Workshop style Success/Leadership programs are also available, offering opportunities for further skill development in areas such as leadership, public speaking and conducting business meetings. These programs are especially effective as in-house training and can be tailored to meet the needs of your company.

© 1998-2005 Toastmasters InternationalThe names "Toastmasters International", "Toastmasters" and the Toastmasters International emblem are trademarks protected in the United States, Canada and other countries where Toastmasters Clubs exist. Unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.

Welcome to District 37's Newest Communication Tool

2005-05-21T11:53:00.000-07:00

This is our new tool for communicating and receiving feedback from our District 37 North Carolina Toastmasters - A BLOG or weblog.

This is a place for our district to discuss any topic of interest to further our toastmaster member's experience. We will be using this site to share ideas on how our District can become President's Distinguished for 2005-6.

Our officers for the coming year are:
Rhonda Vrell, District Governor (DG)
Charisse McLeod, Lieutenant Governor, Education and Training (LGET)
Mike Kesselring, Lieutenant Governor, Marketing (LGM)

Let's have fun and explore the new way of communicating on the web...

Andy Kaplan
2005-6 District 37 Public Relations Officer (PRO)