District Director
Greetings inspirational valued members of District 112
Having recently returned from Mid-Year Training, Club Growth Director Sharon, Programme Quality Director Neil and I have picked up a lot of information that we will be using to guide us throughout the balance of our current Toastmasters year. Topics on our agenda for the two days of training included; Club Health, Team Dynamics, Talking about Toastmasters, Branding, District Goals, Finance, Effective Committee’s and we also were provided with an Organisation Update. Much of this information will be shared with your Area and Division Directors in our next District Officer training which is coming up in March.
I would like to formally acknowledge and recognise Brendon Richardson from Silver Service Toastmasters Club who has achieved his “Distinguished Toastmaster” (DTM award) since our January newsletter. Brendon your efforts and commitment are both valued and appreciated. Congratulations!!!
As an overview the total awards that have been registered for District 112 since the 1st July 2018 until 31 Jan 2019 are:
CC ACB ACS ACG CL ACB ACS HPL DTM Level1 Level2 Level3 Level4 Level5 TOTAL
91 28 22 14 58 16 18 8 18 203 48 16 4 2 546
I am aware that there are quite a number of members who have completed Level 1 in Pathways however their achievement has not yet been formally registered by their Club VP Education under Club Central. Please do remember that when Basecamp Managers approve a Level completion in Basecamp, this does not automatically register the award for formal acknowledgement. If there should be any confusion in your club relating to this, please talk to your Area Director in the first instance.
Wishing you all the very best for the rest of February. I look forward to providing you all with another update in early March where we can revisit the registered education awards and begin to acknowledge and celebrate our clubs who have achieved Distinguished status or better.
Toastfully yours
Toni Sharp QSM DTM
District 112 Director
021 1147 254
D112director@toastmasters.org.nz
PROGRAMME QUALITY DIRECTOR
Hello District 112 members! We have been blessed with some great summer weather over recent weeks, trust you managed to enjoy it over the break!
Have you as a club reviewed your methods of obtaining visitors to your club? Are you maximising your opportunities?
With respect to the information that is available on the Toastmasters International Club Finder, today there are 25 clubs (exclusive of corporate clubs) in the district that have not registered club websites. 14 clubs that have not registered contact phone numbers and 64 clubs that are using personal email addresses as their club contact.
Having a personal email address means that only one person receives that email that may be intended for Base Camp Managers. As a BCM are you frustrated that emails meant for you do not arrive in a timely fashion? Check your club forwarding address on the Toastmasters International website and see that it is current and suitable. The district provides a club forwarding address, for every club, that may have multiple recipients.
Imagine yourself as a visitor to your club. Are the greeting signs in the right position, easily seen. Is it obvious where to go to attend the meeting? Is there someone to greet visitors at the door? Will the visitor sit by themselves or have a member alongside to answer their questions and point out what’s happening? Sometimes it’s the little things that make a difference. You and your visitors deserve a great club experience and it is you, club members, that will initiate change and improvement.
Not sure what to do and what your options are? Your Area Director and the District team is there to help.
Club Leadership training events for the second round of the 2018-2019 year will be continuing very soon and in the future some interesting changes will be happening in this area. Get along to your local training event to get the Goss!
Remember to also bring along a member of your club team who might like to take on a club leadership role in the coming Toastmaster year.
Have you booked your accommodation for the May, 2019, Conference? Have a look here for conference details. https://newbeginnings.org.nz/
Are club officers aware that the dues renewals for the March-September period are open now? The earlier the club can get those renewals completed the easier it will be for members to advance their educational goals.
Since Pathways launched, many members have suggested changes or possible improvements to the product. Toastmasters International have told us they listen to feedback and many of the changes that will be forthcoming are the direct result of members’ input. The story is very much, if we don’t ask, we don’t get. If you have positive suggestions on improvement, then please forward them to Toastmasters International or we can do that for you.
The first new Path to be made available since Pathway’s launch will be available within a week. Look forward to a Path orientated towards humour! Many of the Districts members will appreciate this Path!
Neil
Neil Stichbury DTM Program Quality Director – District 112
Text: +64 2 7527 4913 Email: D112program@toastmasters.org.nz
CLUB GROWTH DIRECTOR
We are incredibly lucky to have an exceptional CEO. I have come away from mid-year inspired by Dan Rex’s leadership. Delivering training to well over fifty leaders, who all have their own opinions and needs, cannot be an easy task.
When completing the Level 2 Leadership Project, Understanding Your Leadership Style, eight different leadership styles are described. It was fascinating to watch Dan apply a range of different leadership styles to match the individual with whom he was interacting, He picked up very quickly when a no-nonsense approach, a coaching approach or a nurturing approach would be the most appropriate. These are skills we can all learn and apply at our clubs and in our areas, divisions and District.
Dan displayed true service leadership as well, when at every occasion he ensured our needs were met before he sat down or started eating.
Our Trio at mid-year training with our CEO Daniel Rex, Immediate Past International President, Balraj Arunasalam, International President Elect, Deepak Menon, International Directors, David Templeman and Joan Lewis, Regional Advisers, Coral McVean, Rosalyn Carter and Dietmar Wagenknecht, World Headquarters Staff, Jonathan Lamb, Linda Williams and Bill Nissim
We also found the session we did at mid-year training on “brain writing” to be most valuable. This is an idea we look forward to sharing with you soon, again something we believe will be beneficial at both club area, division and district level.
A reminder that we are encouraging all Toastmasters to wear a Toastmasters pin on the 22nd of February, to celebrate, our founder, Ralph Smedley’s birthday. We welcome photos of our members wearing Toastmasters pins.
Have you visited the D112 website yet? https://d112tm.org.nz WIN a sponsored prize
Take the opportunity to explore the website now and find the images of Ralph Smedley. Those who find and submit the correct number of images of Ralph Smedley displayed throughout the website will be entered in a draw to win sponsored prizes, including one night’s accommodation on Saturday the 4th of May at the Distinction Hotel in Hamilton where the District 112 Conference, New Beginnings, is being held from the 3rd – 5th of May 2019. https://newbeginnings.org.nz/.
Keep an eye out for an email providing further details of this draw, as well as the email address to which you should send your answers.
I am pleased to advise that Murray Coutts has agreed to take over from Laurel Francis as Club Coach mentor and will be running monthly club coach conference calls and a club coach workshop.
A big thank you to our club coaches for all the hard work you are putting into ensuring our clubs prosper and grow. In particular, I have heard excellent feedback about the amazing support Patrick Debney and Carol Johnson are giving Talk of the Town Toastmasters Club. Thank you!
We are in the exciting position of having a number of prospective clubs and clubs in formation. Please do not hesitate to contact us should you wish to support or assist with the formation of:
| Auckland Airport Toastmasters | Marsh Toastmasters |
| Avanti Finance Toastmasters | Police Toastmasters |
| Bank Toastmasters | Rosebank Toastmasters |
| BHiveToastmasters | Sale Street Toastmasters |
| Carey Baptist Church Toastmasters | Tokoroa Forestlands |
| Deloitte Toastmasters | TVNZ Toastmasters |
| Legendary Speakers | Westpac Toastmasters |
| Fonterra Toastmasters | Word Play on Saturday |
| KFF Toastmasters |
Please do let me know if I have left any club in formation out! A big thank you to all of you who are working tirelessly in the background to enable the dream of these clubs to become a reality.
Please contact us if you have not received your club’s allocation of D112 Visitor Brochures or if you have finished your D112 Visitor Brochures and would like more.
Keep your eyes peeled, our clubs will be appearing in the Coffee News and other local magazines – take a photo with the Coffee News or local magazine you find advertising Toastmasters, post it on Facebook and tag me, Sharon Kerr-Phillips, in your post to receive a small prize. If you are not a fan of Facebook, then please email me your photo instead.
Division Q making creative use of their billboards at the A&P Show
The poster for our billboards will be refreshed soon. Should you have any ideas for appropriate slogans or designs, please call or email me.
Our last five months are set to be amazing. We would love to hear your success stories, and we are here to support you should you have any difficulties. Please do not hesitate to contact us. Sharon
Sharon Kerr-Phillips DTM
Club Growth Director – District 112 Pathways Guide https://d112tm.org.nz Mob: 021 059 989 7
Email: D112growth@toastmasters.org.nz
PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGER
District 112 Facebook page www.facebook.com/d112toastmastersnz
Run the RED Facebook page www.facebook.com/runtheredrecord
In addition to your help in supplying club news items for the District Facebook page, we are looking for 50 second Testimonial videos to put on the D112 website and Facebook pages.
How did you hear about Toastmasters? Why did you join? How has it worked for you?
There are a number of clubs with the expertise to do this. How about doing a High Performance Leader (HPL) and video club members from you area clubs (with their permission) so we can highlight the work all clubs are doing to grow both Confidence and Club.
RUN THE RED – with RTR in mind, get your Pathways and personal Speeches, Presentations and Educationals ready for April 21-26. Only 7 plus minutes speaking, twice if possible. Advance your Pathways journey.
Notes for Speakers Below is the programme that each speaker will be asked to follow.
- NOW, As soon as possible, go online to toastmasters.org.nz/events/run_the_red There you can fill in your details including which of the 4 hour sessions you can attend.
- Each 4 hour session will consist of at least 16-20 Toastmasters, dependent on how long each speech is expected to be. Plus spectators and 2 Independent Witnesses and 2 Independent Timekeepers monitoring the whole event.
- We ask that you consider speaking at least twice, one day time and one night-time (10pm-6am) if possible to help cover the night shifts. Guinness World Records (GWR) requires a minimum of 4 hours between your speeches.
- Familiarise yourself with the rules as any breach of the rules noted by the official witnesses will fail the event. The rules are on the registration page Toastmasters.org.nz.
- The Toastmaster session team will, in addition to their speech; a) Form part of the Audience (minimum 10 at all times).
- 2 TMs will be outside the room registering Speakers as they arrive at the venue, and issuing their speaking order ticket.
- 2 TMs will be Sergeant at Arms/ Ushers escorting Speakers and Audience into the room with the minimum of fuss to avoid distracting speakers.
- 1 TM will be recording the speakers order number speech title and times
- 2 TMs will be recording times and operating the lights. In addition to the Official Timekeepers. f) 1 TM will be monitoring the video equipment.
- 2 TMs will be Team Leaders who will know what can be done and what cannot.
- As Each Speaker completes their speech they take a brief break before becoming part of the Audience again or taking over another role as directed by the Team Leader.
- There will be back up on call as needed. There will be a contact list of available speakers able to come in if needed.
- There will be a public audience to monitor.
- You can leave once you have done your bit and a Toastmaster from the next shift relieves you. The next session will be filtered in quietly after registration outside the room. This to ensure that current Speakers are disturbed as little as possible. Again, the key here is to maintain more than the minimum number in the Audience at all times.
- The speaking Area will be videoed throughout. The official witnesses and timekeepers are there to ensure that the Guinness World Record requirements are complied with.
Easy as….
Rob
Rob Wightman DTM Public Relations Manager – District 112
Text: 021 022 04856 Email: D112prm@toastmasters.org.nz
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