The Gavel - June 2020
| Pathways to Success Kris Nelson sees a greater openness to change once members start to look at the Paths and their offerings in a more granular way. This seems to provide them with the direct relevance they need to simply try. From a new member standpoint in the prospect clubs, there's definitely a strong engagement with the Pathways educational program as these potential members look at projects which apply to what they're already doing at work or elsewhere. Read the rest of Kris' story here |  To learn more about Pathways and Pathways Trainers, click here |
| A Word from Outgoing D60 District Director Dawn Frail A critical part of any leader’s success is the ability to reflect on an experience and glean the most important lessons. Reflection is an integral part of the learning process, and as I ask you what you have learned this past year, I also look inward to explore my own answer to that critical question. When I think about 2020, I’m not sure I remember any time that has been more transformational. I think we all have a lot to celebrate when it comes to adapting to our new reality. Missing out on some things has caused me to truly appreciate them. Especially to all the newly minted DTMs for this year, we look forward to honouring your success in the future. In reflecting on our journey, it is important to examine who we have become along the way. Here, we need look no further than our core values: Integrity, Respect, Service and Excellence. Looking back, the greatest honour as District Director has been the opportunity |  to work with an incredible team. Isn’t it true that what we always remember most is the people? As I continue to look to the future, I will always remember fondly the opportunity I had to serve District 60 and will appreciate the lessons this leadership journey has taught me. To all of you, thank you for being part of my journey, and it has been an honour to be part of yours. Click here for the full message |
The 2020 - 2021 D60 Incoming Leaders The current Program Quality Director and 2020-2021 incoming District Director is Wendy Williamson. During the past Toastmasters year, the greatest lesson she learned was how adaptable and committed Toastmasters really are. She watched as fellow Toastmasters came together to turn obstacles into | opportunities. As we changed from in-person club meetings to meetings online, hosting virtual speech contests and starting new clubs virtually; Toastmasters came together and gave their time, experience and support to make it happen. And through it all, Toastmasters continued to achieve their educational and leadership goals. This commitment and adaptability will continue into the new Toastmasters year as we reimagine and reinvent our Toastmasters world while the virus continues with us. As we recognize and reward the excellence of our members. What will never change is our commitment to our members and their goals. To providing a quality Education and Leadership training program. In addition, delivering the program based on the Toastmasters core values of “Integrity, Respect, Service and Excellence”. Wendy “Is so excited to see the greatness of our members shine this year”. Click here to read more |
COVID-19 Updates To read the TI letter on COVID-19 DTM and ALS extensions, click here - To read the TI letter on the International Convention in Paris, click here - To get the TI Magazine virtually, click here - Click here to read more from D60 | Check on updates regarding District events and other matters of concern to the members of District 60. - DTM and ALS legacy program extended to 2021 - TI International Convention in Paris deferred to 2021(click here for more details) - Access to Pathway's Basecamp extended to June 30, 2020 for members in good standing as of April 30, 2020 - Print delivery of TI Magazine temporarily discontinued as of May, 2020 |
| Toastmasters Across an Ocean James Shi, Area 64 Director notes that "When a door closes, a window opens.” The current COVID19 lockdown has prevented clubs from meeting in person, yet many quickly adapted to online meetings with fantastic results. During James’ initial research on how to conduct online meetings, he joined an online club called Buddie Toastmasters. By chance, Roc, the president of Athena Toastmasters from Beijing, was searching for the same answer for his |  club. They both realized how online meetings can bridge geographical boundaries and welcomed the idea of a joint meeting. Click here to learn more |
Newly Minted DTMs  Through my Toastmasters journey I gained self confidence, enhanced my communication skills, developed my leadership abilities and had the opportunity to make new friendships too. Toastmasters is priceless because it opens doors to those who are willing to learn and grow. | For more DTM experiences, click here Achieving the Distinguished Toastmaster Award showed me that with planning, dedication and plenty of patience that we can accomplish tasks that we set out to do. It also taught me that my journey was not alone - there were a number of speech evaluators, team members, and other fellow Toastmasters along the way to help me improve my public speaking and leadership abilities. |
| 10 Tips for Super Online Workshops At the best of times, delivering a prepared workshop is a daunting project for any Toastmaster. In these Covid-19 related times, Toastmasters face an entirely new challenge – how to create effective training online with challenging technology. Most techniques we use to connect with participants in classroom sessions are still relevant in the online environment. However, in order to keep participants engaged, the digital facilitator needs to adopt new techniques. The training session may include slides, breakout rooms, chat discussions and participant |  interactions. An uninterrupted flow is crucial for a successful outcome. Click here for more details |
June 30th TI Year End | The Toastmasters' year end is looming, and with it, important responsibilities, including: - Incoming Club Officer lists need to be submitted to TI for a Club to earn partial credit toward their DCP Administration point for the 2020-2021 TM year - Clubs need to submit any completed educational awards - Clubs need to submit any completed DTM requirements |
| New Club Pitch Please's Virtual Transition Starting a new club and moving from face to face meetings in Toronto’s King Street office, to meeting virtually via home office laptops. Pitch Please is a new Toastmasters Club in Area 54 that had to learn how to become a Toastmasters club at the same time as adjusting to the new normal of virtual environments. They’ve have had six meetings so far, five of which have been virtual. The club was started from the desire to have a Toastmasters presence in Toronto for Accenture, a global professional services company with 482,000 |  people in more than 120 countries. This idea became a reality in February 2020 when they kicked off their first meeting at Accenture’s King Street office. To read more, click here |
| D60 Re-Alignment Which Area will your club be in on July 1st?  | Every year District 60 reviews the clubs gained and lost and rebalances areas to achieve a fair alignment of clubs as per the Toastmasters International guidelines. All divisions will see some changes to the clubs in their areas as of July 1st. Want to see if your club has a new Area? Click here for the latest draft of the Alignment report |
| INCENTIVES: - Pathways Member Incentives: various awards (pins, notebooks, etc.) for different levels of Path completion - For more on D60 incentives programs, click here. | NEW BUSINESS - Club Officer Postings: Club Officer postings must be completed and the lists sent to TI by June 30th - 2019/2020 Educational Awards Deadline: Clubs must submit completed educational awards and DTM requirements by June 30th - Of The Year Awards: D60 presents annual awards for Toastmaster, President, Area Director, and Division Director who excels in service to clubs and members; To nominate D60 members (including yourself) between July 1st and July 31st, click here. For questions, contact otya@toastmasters60.com. |
| ONLINE MEETING RESOURCES: - TI article 'It's Time to Meet Online', click here - TI Online Meeting platforms and guidance, click here - TI Online Meeting tips, click here - Zoom Coloured Timer Backgrounds, click here | SPECIAL INCENTIVES FOR CLUB SUCCESS: - Club Buddy Program: Add 5 new members to the Little Buddy Club between Feb 1 and Jun 30, 2020 to receive a US$25 TI gift certificate for each Club - For more on D60 incentives programs, click here |
| UPCOMING EVENTS: - Virtual Round 1 D-60 Sponsored Club Officer Training (Jun 15-18), click here. - Go to Upcoming Events Calendar | What's Happening Click here for more 'Happenings' |
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