1

District Governor Message to District 33 Members

Members of Enthusiastic District 33 Toastmasters,

The state of the District is: Membership is UP, with most of our clubs renewed to ACTIVE status. We’re working with the last few graced clubs to help them grow back up to the magic eight members. New clubs? We now have four new clubs: Sands Expo Toastmasters, Z’Toasters, Action Toastmasters and Exeter Toastmasters. Shout out to all the sponsors, mentors and members who work together to help a club go from Twinkle to Charter. Aside to our new members - you have joined an extended family. Make the most of this wonderful opportunity! Toastmasters International is continuing to enhance our member experience, this time by updating the look and feel of the Toastmasters.org website. Take a few minutes to check it out. You can touch on FAQ at the bottom of any page, and select “Website”. There are several short videos to acclimate us to the new flow. This is a good time to be sure you are getting the most out of the resources available to you. “Where Leaders are Made” begins with our club meetings. Each of us contributes to our meetings being valuable, memorable and fun! To keep raising your personal bar, let your President know if you are ready to take on more responsibility in your club, or participate in the Area and Division Contests, coming up soon. I’m happy to have the chance to revisit our District 33 Conference with you. Our Conference Chair Phil Bateman, ACS, ALB and all the members of the Conference team presented us with a terrific experience. Twice a year, we celebrate our successes, enjoy trainings and invited speakers, and break bread together while we support the speech contestants. At our Conference, we had a

physical representation of “R.I.S.E. to the Opportunity”, as members had a chance to take pictures of themselves in a hot air balloon. Thank you to Steve Goldstein, DTM for bringing an idea to life! In November, our invited speakers all brought something special. International President Mohammed Murad, DTM, was both our Keynote Speaker as well as leading us in an educational on Teamwork. He was so generous, coming to District 33 several days before the Conference to support our new club efforts. Past International President Michael Notaro, DTM was the guest speaker at our Hall of Fame on Friday, bringing both laughs and memorable inspirational stories. The most recently crowned Accredited Speaker Barbara Khozam, ACS, ALB provided marketing tips. Tim Mullins, DTM our District Club Website Consultant joined by Michael Ford, CC, ALB, Area B3 Governor, took us to the next level with our Club Websites, and with the use of Social Media to reach out to guests. Congratulations to our Humorous Speech winner, Himanshu Kathuria, ACG, ALB and our Evaluation winner, Ellie Kay, ACB, CL. All the contestants lit up the stage, and made us proud! We expect the second half of our Toastmaster year to be filled with exciting Open Houses, Kickoff Meetings, Invited Speakers and members completing CC’s and CL’s. Members keep moving forward with advanced educationals at all levels. Did you know that speech lessons can be downloaded for free? Nice! Keep inviting friends and co-workers to participate in the Toastmaster experience. In the next few months club officers are training, and all of us are preparing for the next two speech contests (International Speech Contest and Tall Tales Contest). What a fun time to be a Toastmaster! See you in Modesto on May 1st and 2nd if not before. In Service, Katy Porter, DTM, District 33 Governor

Katy Porter, DTM District 33 Governor

2014-2015

The

WestWord

Winter 2014

District 33 News & Events

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Governor’s Message 1 PR Pointers 10 Lt Governor’s Messages 2 Member Spotlight 14 Remembrances 3 2015 International Convention 15 Speaker Spotlight 4 District Message 15 Save the Date 5 District Spotlight 16,17 Leader Spotlight 6 Technology/Education Corner 18 Website Consultant 9 Ask Dana 18 Division Governor’s Messages 7, 9, 11, 13, 15

Check out the District 33 website

D33.toastmastersdistricts.org

District 33 PRO Guy Dawson, DTM

Westword Newsletter Editor

Dana Wall-Oakley, DTM

Contributing Writers District Officers Charlotte Bentley, CC,ALB Tim Chedester, ACG, CL Guy Dawson, DTM Sheryl Greenblat ACB,ALB

Tim Mullins, DTM Dana Wall-Oakley, DTM

2

District 33 Lieutenant Governor of Education & Training – Deborah Baker, DTM Happy Holidays District 33!!

With our successful Fall District Conference behind us, it is hard to believe that we are halfway through our Toastmaster year. As we approach the holidays, let’s all be mindful of the personal goals we have set for ourselves. Dr. Stephen Covey in his book, The Seven Habits of Successful People says we are much more likely to achieve our goals when commit them to writing. Have you committed to a Toastmasters educational goal this year? Let’s all RISE to the Opportunity and challenge ourselves to complete that manual project we started so long ago. Reach out to a fellow member and make yourself accountable to that person. Aim high and strive to be the best you can be. We have everything to gain by improving our skills. If you are a member of a club that selects officers on a semi-annual basis, please do not forget to update the Toastmaster website with your new officer list. This is an easy point to receive for your club’s Distinguished Plan. As of December 1st it is time for Winter club officer training. Toastmasters International has given us new training modules to use for our Toastmaster Leadership Institute sessions. Our District Governor has graciously agreed to reimburse each Division $100 if you present two of the training sessions along with the seven sessions of Officer training for each of the club officer positions. Each module has a nicely prepared power point presentation and handouts to support your sessions. Clubs are much more likely to achieve Distinguished status if the club officers are attending Division sponsored training. Keep in mind that if your club reaches Distinguished status by April 30th your club will receive a gift certificate for the Toastmaster store, a beautiful RISE to the Opportunity ribbon for your banner, and special recognition at the District Spring Conference .There is still time to aim high and earn the 1-2-3 Superstar trophy. Serve as a new club sponsor or mentor, or club coach, earn two educational awards, and sponsor three Toastmasters by June 30th. You will receive a beautiful Superstar trophy for your efforts which will be awarded at the District conference. Let’s all work together to make this the greatest Toastmaster year ever. Best Regards.

District 33 Lieutenant Governor of Marketing – Jamuna Ramnath, DTM Welcome to our three new additions to District 33; Sand Expo Toastmasters, Action Toastmasters and Z’Toasters! We are excited about the three charters and are eagerly awaiting many more clubs on the verge of chartering. We are almost at mid-year and we must accelerate our efforts to see our District proudly marching on the Las Vegas stage as President Distinguished for the first time in 38 years! As of today we are at 49% with membership growth and paid clubs. We have a lot of work to do to achieve our goals. As of this writing, every Division has minimum of two viable new club leads, and some divisions have more than two. We have a huge responsibility to wake those ten ‘sleeping clubs’ and to charter 17 new clubs.

We are running many membership drive programs with District incentives to promote member retention and new membership growth. I want you to take advantage of every opportunity to help your Club, Area and Division to achieve its goals.

1. We have a Mid-Year Open House Membership Drive from November to February. The best Open House in each Division receives a $25 certificate.

2. We also have an Outstanding Club Performance Program. Every month starting in December, we will draw a winner from the clubs with highest member retention and the highest number of new members added. The winner will receive a $25 gift certificate.

3. We want to help the small clubs with 12 or fewer members. Sign up on ‘Meet Up’ and utilize social media to promote your club and attract members. Take this chance to reach out to your community with ‘Meet Up’ and receive three months reimbursement from the district.

4. Does your Area or Division have an alarming number of clubs with 12 or fewer members? We have 89 clubs that are eligible for coaches (42.4%), of which 65 have not been assigned coaches. Every experienced Toastmaster has an opportunity to adopt a club or be a club coach and help a club become Distinguished. You can also earn a credit toward the Advanced Leader Silver educational award.

Nothing should deter us from our mission to “Build new clubs and assist all clubs in achieving excellence.”! Let the Magic of Santa bring you greater energy and enthusiasm through these holidays, and as we start the New Year, let’s continue to strive toward our goal of becoming President’s Distinguished District by the end of June 2015!!! Happy Holidays! Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year!!

3

Save the Date

Spring in Modesto! May 1st & 2nd 2015

The Spring 2015 District Conference will be hosted by Division F in

Modesto, California Visit the District website for details

coming soon

District 33 Winter 2014-2015 Training Season

Are you an incoming officer? Attend your Division TLI Training Session

(Toastmasters Leadership Institute)

Ask your Area or Division Governor for details

4

District 33 wishes to extend their condolences to the friends and family of Betty Mahalik of Nevada. Elizabeth Elnora Mahalik passed away Sunday, Oct. 12, 2014, at home. Betty fought a courageous 13-month battle with breast cancer. Always staying positive through the fight, Betty journaled the events in the hope of helping others to understand the battle. Born Aug. 20, 1953 in Albuquerque, N.M. Betty was active in high school as a Clark High cheerleader and went on to earn a degree in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Utah. She later worked in radio and as a TV news anchor. You could find her for many years as a PBS host during Pledge month. She also worked in public relations and advertising, was a beauty control consultant, public speaker, trainer and a business coach. Betty founded Dynamic Solutions, coaching and training over 25 years and loved to help others transform their lives through coaching. Betty was really jazzed when she earned the Women of Distinction Award (WODA) in 2007. Always wanting to be published, she was ecstatic when her book, "Living a Five Star Life" was released in 2008. Betty lived what she preached by doing daily journaling, reading scriptures, meditation, exercising, including yoga, body flow, strength exercises and classic stretching. Still setting goals after 12 months of fighting cancer, Betty's goals were to float in the pool on a raft and ride her beach cruiser bike. (Betty taught that your goals don't have to be big goals, just set the goal.) Betty was a shining star. She was very active in the community and over the years was a member of many organizations including Toastmasters, NAWBO, Rotary International and others. She was preceded in death by her parents, Bill and Anne Van Winkle. Betty is survived by her husband, of 31 years, Andy; and son, Andrew. She was a member of the Las Vegas club, High Noon Lectern #2462. Her Toastmaster family and other friends had many good things to say about Betty. I went to her Facebook page and found beautiful posts on the notice of her passing.

By Irene Fenolio – “A beautiful woman inside and out who has a special place in so many people’s hearts. She will be remembered alsways for the beautiful loving and dynamic person she was … she will truly be missed.” Donna Ghostie had this to say – “. . . She was truly an inspiration and her passing leaves a huge void in the hearts of everyone she touched. My thoughts and prayers are with her family and many friends.“ From Judi Moreo – “. . . Betty was an exceptional person. She made the world better by being in it. The world will miss her and I will miss her. She was a positive force in my life.”

5

Speaker Spotlight: by Sheryl Greenblat ACB, ALB – Area C2 Governor

Himanshu Katuria, ACG, ALB was the first place winner of the Humorous Contest at the 2014 District 33 Fall Conference in Las Vegas. Himanshu and I spoke recently about his Toastmaster experiences, how he prepares for contests and what his goals are for the future. S.G: How long have you been in Toastmasters? H.K: I started in November 2010 after a friend of mine invited me to visit Amgen Noontalkers, a corporate club for the biotech company Amgen. I attended a few meetings and really liked the format. When I attended the Tall Tales contest... I knew I wanted to be a part of it. I now belong to Simi Valley Toastmasters and have my ACG & ALB. I'm working towards my DTM. I served as Area J1 Governor for the 2013-2014 year but have stepped back from leadership to focus on the communication track and participating in contests.

S.G: Congratulations on winning the District 33 - 2014 Humorous Contest. What was your speech about? H.K: My speech was called "Missing Toastmaster Manual". A friend of mine called me struggling with relationship problems. Having been single most of my life, I didn't really know how to help him. I decided to use what I've learned in Toastmasters and apply it to his situation. I then realized that we are missing a very important Toastmasters manual... The Competent Relationship Manual. S.G: Who has helped you the most in Toastmasters? H.K: While I write all of my own speeches, I always reach out for advice. I like to brainstorm with my mentors, Vahid Mofidi, Jason Patterson, Emily Liu and Dan Murray, DTM. They've been my mentors since I first joined Toastmasters and they've become great friends. They've helped me brainstorm and mentally prepare for the contests, and helped me realize my dream of winning a District Humorous Contest. S.G: What's been your favorite part of the Toastmaster experience? H.K: There are actually two things: First, I love preparing for upcoming speeches. That's when the growth and learning happen. It has helped me figure out who I really am. Second, I love helping others to get to where I am, and mentoring others as people have mentored me. It brings me joy. S.G: What do you do for work and for play? H.K: I work as a management consultant for Ernst & Young. I travel a lot for business so I like to visit a new Toastmasters club in each city I go to. I love trying out my speeches on different audiences. I've been doing martial arts since 2006 with a brief time out to earn my MBA. I'm now back at it and pursuing my black belt in karate. I'm just two steps away. I also love sports and meeting new people. S.G: What's the next challenge you would like to take on? H.K: There are always more contests to win! So many things to do and accomplish in Toastmasters. Down the road, I would like to win the World Championship of Public Speaking. I want to learn, prepare, and then accomplish. S.G: Any advice to newer Toastmasters? H.K: If anyone is afraid or intimidated by contests, please reach out to me. I would love to help prepare you for your first contest. I want as many people as possible to realize how much they can grow just stepping on stage. It's such an amazing experience. I have about 4 mentees right now and would love to help more. This is my way of giving back to the Toastmasters community. Himanshu can be reached at himan82@gmail.com

Speaker

Spotlight

6

Charlotte’s Web By Charlotte Bentley, CC/ALB VP Ed Saturday Morning Live Toastmasters Club #2470

Leader Spotlight: Steve Goldstein Leader in the Limelight

Taken from stage lighting once used in theatres, the term "in the limelight" now refers to anyone we want to shine a spotlight on. In this issue, we are featuring Steve Goldstein, DTM, as our leader in the limelight. Steve relocated from Boston to Southern Nevada in 2003. He had attended a few clubs before moving, but was determined to find a permanent Toastmaster home upon his arrival. That journey led him to become personally involved in 6 clubs and instrumental in the growth and development of dozens more. Steve originally wanted to improve his speaking and communication skills, but found he was drawn to the leadership possibilities. Over the years, he has found a real passion in mentoring people and clubs to take over future leadership roles. I first met Steve about 3 years ago when I went with a friend to a club meeting because she didn't want to go alone. Steve drew me in right away, got me involved, and started his covert mentoring process. Steve would call and say he had a great opportunity for me, and whether it was taking on an officer role, helping him at a district conference, or judging a high school speech contest, he always made me feel like I could succeed. And I thought they just wanted me to join since I had a location we could use. What I didn't realize until much later was that Steve was doing this educational outreach at 3 or 4 other clubs. Much of Steve's passion for and dedication to Toastmasters is like that - behind the scenes so to speak. Most Toastmasters in District 33 don't realize that Steve has donated the graphic design and printing services for contests, collecting only for hard paper costs, from the club level to the area level and beyond to the division and district level for years, saving us all a lot of money. Steve has served in every officer position at the club level, multiple times, and has received the TM of the Year Award and Sparkplug of the Year Award in several of his clubs. He has been Area Governor twice, Division Governor, a district officer for 7 years, directory editor for 5 years, printer for the district newsletter, the first District 33 photographer, Conference chair twice, reception chair at the TM International Conference, and District 33 Toastmaster of the Year in 2010-2011. Beyond the club level, Steve has brought his Toastmaster skills to the community. He has judged speech contests for Rotary, Lions, DECA at UNLV, chaired Skills USA, the Nevada state high school speech contests, and started a gavel club at Foothills HS. I must admit that if we had a Steve Goldstein fan club, I would be the #1 fan. Somehow I think I may have to stand in line.

7

Division A Governor Eric Riddle, DTM

by Ann Hill, DTM With commitment and dedication, the members of Division A have accomplished much during the first six months of this Toastmasters’ year.

Club members have completed 43 educational

awards (through December 16, 2014).

We have signed up 78 new members.

Clubs have held successful Open Houses. As an

example: The members of Ridgecrest

Possibilitarians displayed great team work in

holding an open house gathering on a recent

Tuesday evening in November. There were 11

guests, eight of whom were seeking personal

development through membership with a

Toastmasters club.

Our Division brought home another District

Speech Contest victory. Last year, it was the

humorous contestant, Dave Sauer of Area A-4’s

High Desert Toastmasters. This year, we are

pleased to congratulate Division A’s Evaluation

Speech contest representative, Ellie Kay, ACB,

ALB. Ellie, also from Area A-4, is the Vice

President of Public Relations for Shop Talk

Toastmasters.

Under the helm of new Division A Governor, Eric Riddle, DTM, Division A is currently gearing up for its requisite 2nd training for its Club Officers. We expect that the next six months of this Toastmasters’ year will be Division A’s best New Year yet. From all of us in Division A: Happy Holidays and wishes for happiness now and whatever will bring happiness to you in the future. May you and yours also experience your best New Year yet.

Division B Governor

Martha Navarrette, ACG, ALB

Division B is strong, well and thriving! During the past months, I had the opportunity to visit and celebrate along with our Area Governors several successful club meetings and events at Division B. During my visits, I felt humbled by how members welcomed me with open arms to their clubs. It is also inspiring to see how dedicated and committed our Area Governors are to the success of their Area clubs and their members. My vision for Division B is to continue to strengthen our clubs by focusing on the Toastmasters members’ experience. By supporting our member’s leadership growth, educational dreams and communication objectives our clubs will continue to grow stronger. My goals are that with strong clubs, trained Officers, and with empowered Area Governors, Division B will be able to cement their clubs and grow to support our District’s mission. Currently we are adding to our Toastmasters Learning Institute a fun Posada theme to combine great food and fun to the best training we can offer. By adding a Panel of Experts to the new Officers Training, Division B hopes to tap into what Division B has, some of the best and experienced Toastmasters! We are also looking forward to what 2015 will bring in the way of new clubs, a great Spring Contest and the opportunity to continue to serve our members. It is only when we offer a positive learning environment, great training and coaching resources that our members find the added value that differentiates Toastmasters from other programs. During these holidays, it has also been great to witness how our organization brings a sense of community to members. Open houses, holiday parties and combined club meetings are happening throughout our Division. Receive from us, warm wishes and happy holidays among your Toastmasters friends and family! Martha A. Navarrete, ACG, ALB Division B Governor

8

Is Your Toastmaster Club “Plugged In”? by Tim Mullins, DTM D33 Website Consultant toastmaster.tim@gmail.com

“We’re NUMBER 3, We’re NUMBER 3” How many times have you watched a basketball or football game and heard the cheerleaders chant, “We’re NUMBER 3, We’re NUMBER 3”… it’s NEVER happened. EVER! Everyone, everywhere, always wants to be NUMBER 1! The BEST! The “Cream of the Crop”! Your first two questions to me might be, and probably are, “What in the world are you talking about” and “What does this have to do with me?” Both excellent questions! And the answers are… “We’re NUMBER 3, We’re NUMBER 3”…that’s right, District 33 is Number 3 in the world of Toastmasters when it comes to the Club to Club Website percentage as found on the Toastmaster International website. 177 out of 207 District 33 Clubs are linked to the TI website, and that puts us at 85.51%. “We’re NUMBER 3, We’re NUMBER 3”! But this is all just stats, numbers and percentages, unless you believe as I do, that having, using, displaying and connecting a club website to the internet is one of the best tools to attract potential members. In this cyber active, totally web connected world we live in today if your club doesn’t have a website or doesn’t connect it in every way you can to the “World Wide Web” then your Club is virtually invisible. As I sit here and write this article District 33 is Number 3. But we could easily be Number 1. How? I’m glad you asked! There are 11 Clubs in District 33 right now, at this moment, that have active, viable websites that are NOT linked to TI’s website that, if connected, would raise us to NUMBER 1! We would go from 85% to 91%. This is an easy fix. It would only take about 5 minutes for each club to connect their website to TI’s website. If your club needs them then the instructions on how to connect your club to TI are listed at the following web link. http://d33.toastmastersdistricts.org/Link_Your_Club_Website_to_TI.html But this is not just about being Number 1, this not just about stats. This is about communication! This is about leadership! This is about membership! The more connected our clubs become, directly translates to more people hearing about Toastmasters. The more who hear the more who join! The more who join the more communicators and leaders that are made. So what will it be? Are we happy with “We’re NUMBER 3, We’re NUMBER 3”… or do we want to strife for NUMBER 1? Remember!!! More connection equals more members. Let’s go for “We’re NUMBER 1!!!”

9

Division C Governor Gene Dunford, DTM

Clubs are hosting Open House meetings all around Division C. Corporate Power Talkers’ Open House was a great success, hosting 60 visitors and the club added ten new members. The Area C-5 Governor Greg Bruce reported the club is Rising to the Opportunity. Our Toastmasters Learning Institute is scheduled for January 17th. The classrooms at Cashman Center are a perfect educational setting. We are using the training modules for our club leaders. Flyers are on the way to club leaders urging them to attend the TLI. Wyndham Resorts is hosting a club for their team members. The Kickoff meeting is December 8th. Marketing At Boston Dental Group has a kickoff meeting scheduled for January 7. We are searching for sponsoring clubs. Club members can help by volunteering to be New Club Mentors helping our newest clubs learn the Toastmasters way. Our International President Distinguished Toastmaster Mohammad Murad met with the City of Henderson’s Assistant City Manager promoting Toastmasters to enhance their employee training programs. In March, we may have kickoff meetings for the City of Henderson, Williams Sonoma, The United States Post Office; and a growing list of potential new clubs in the Las Vegas vicinity continue to provide potential growth. Visiting Las Vegas? Come to one of our club meetings - we love having guests. Check our Division C club websites for schedule changes. Have a prosperous and Happy New Year in District 33! Gene Dunford DTM Division C Governor

Division D Governor Linda Bown, DTM

Greetings from Division D! We have a new D2 Area Governor and Chief Judge: Thank you to Valerie Harper, DTM, for stepping up and serving as D2 Governor for the remainder of the year, and special thanks to the ubiquitous Marjie North for helping complete Area Governor reports for clubs outside her Area. Mark Kemp, Marjie North, Karen De Shazer, Valerie Harper and Roland Thibodeau, Division D Area Governors, thank you for your dedication and hard work. Bill Parker, Division D Chief Judge, has done an outstanding job, and will be stepping down. Mark Zachman, DTM, seasoned Toastmaster, will be our Chief Judge for the remainder of the year, as well as serve as an Ambassador for Division D, as a “Club Booster.” Division D continues as Spiritual Speakers in D2 became Curtain Call, and boasts thespians ready to take the stage. Coyote Toastmasters in D3 participated in the College of Southern Nevada Speech Competition, with Marjie North representing Toastmasters as a judge and coach. She said it was amazing! Sands Expo, our newest club, continues to grow. MGM’s cluster of Toastmaster clubs for MGM Corporate Sales is planning their kickoff in January, and has already started to meet once a week at the Mandalay Bay Executive Offices in preparation for the “cluster” effect. Lion’s Roar hosted their 19th anniversary with an open house at the MGM Grand. This iconic club remains steadfast, devoted to quality meetings and nurturing new members. Area D5 Governor, Marjie North, is hosting a Vegas Toastmasters wide event at Ethel M in Henderson on December 12th for Toastmasters and their families. Las Vegas Toastmasters is hosting a Christmas Party on December 17th at the top of the Stratosphere at 5:30 p.m., a brilliant vantage point to celebrate the holidays. Two Clubs in Division D, I’ll Drink to That Toastmasters, and UNLV, have already reached Distinguished status. Congratulations to these outstanding clubs for bringing value and excellence to all their members and to our Toastmaster community. As we gather during this holiday season, please stay safe, keep those less fortunate or those experiencing challenging times in your hearts; laugh, live and love out loud! All of us in Division D wish you a Merry Holiday & Peace on Earth!

10

PR POINTERS

By Guy Dawson, DTM District 33 Public Relations Officer

Act Like a VP of Public Relations You have elected a VPPR and that person is responsible for getting the word out about how fantastic your club is. Should they have to go it alone or will you spread the word along with them? You can “Act Like a VP of Public Relations” all the time by sharing your inspiring Toastmaster experiences with your friends, family and the community. Here are some simple ways for you to help bring greater recognition to your club and our amazing organization.

Wear a Toastmaster name badge often: Name badges are outstanding conversation pieces and they will peak the curiosity of prospective members.

Announce your Toastmaster membership on social media sites: Talk about being a Toastmaster and your educational accomplishments on Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, etc… and invite your connections to attend a meeting.

Carry Toastmaster Magazines in your car and share them with people you meet: Ask for permission to leave magazines in your doctor or dentist’s office or at the local library. People rarely throw away magazines and they are outstanding tools for publicity.

Now you are ready to “Act Like a VP of Public Relations” whether you have the title or not. Take advantage of any opportunity to sing the praises of your club. We are all, in essence, Public Relations Officers for Toastmasters.

11

Division F Governor Monty Shindler, ACS, ALB

Strong Members – Strong Leadership Twenty seven attendees from Division F enjoyed the District 33 Humorous and Evaluation Conference in Las Vegas with Toastmasters International President Mohammed Murad. Many thanks to Phil and his team for making this the best conference I have personally attended. We are hosting the next District 33 International and Tall Tales Conference in May of 2015 in Modesto and we will be “glad to” see you all here! November is finally behind us after submitting 100% of our Club Visits on time. We are preparing to conduct our TLI in a few days on December 13th at the graciously offered home of John Rogers, DTM. The updated training modules from TI will be utilized for maximum benefit. Our first Speechcraft ever with Stanislaus County Community Services Agency (CSA) kicked off on December 3rd with twelve Stanislaus County employees and will run eight weeks total. It was a fun-filled and extremely successful meeting that exceeded all expectations. Everyone experienced Table Topics for their first time and next week, the Icebreakers begin! A new club is in the works to be chartered at the course conclusion and another Speechcraft will be started shortly thereafter to accommodate the long waiting list. The county has agreed to support ongoing Speechcrafts because they know that Toastmasters is the go-to place for leadership and speaking skills! Round two focuses on new membership for all clubs and increasing retention while providing better education enabling personal, club, and area goals to be met in relation to the Distinguished Club Program (DCP). All of our area contests and division contest have been scheduled, with many clubs also setting their contest dates well in advance. A few of these clubs plan to turn their contests into Open Houses to draw those with curious and competitive natures. The Smedley Award has been earned by Foster Farms Roasters and REO Speech Train while Yosemite Toastmasters clinched the Division F Fall Contest Open House Award. These clubs in addition to Sunrise Toastmasters all earned the District 33 Rise to the Opportunity Award. Finally, the Area F2 Share the Hospitality Award was earned by Yosemite Toastmasters and REO Speech Train. Round One has been a foundational success for Division F, providing a structure for us in Round Two, to continue building Strong Members and Strong Leadership.

Division E Governor Julie Boyce, ACS, CL

What an Experience You have heard the saying “If you build it

they will come?” That’s just what

happened November 14th & 15th at the

“Tuscany Hotel” in Las Vegas, District 33

Conference and they (District 33

Toastmasters members and guests) arrived in

Droves to attend this coveted event. I

thoroughly enjoyed the program.

One of the highlights of the Conference was

having my photograph taken with our

International President Mohammed Murad

DTM. I felt like a real Teeny Bopper

Fan! For those of you who have not attended

one of the conferences I suggest you

Reconsider. I will be attending the 2015 Fall

Conference in Las Vegas at Caesar’s

Palace.

I would like to mention the creativity of the

wonderful army of volunteers who

participate in this past November conference.

It added more enjoyment for all of us. What

a Great team.

Division E is focused on building its

membership and working toward our goals.

My six (6) Area Governors are Rising to the

Opportunity to achieve these goals.

Julie Boyce ACS, CL.

Division E Governor

12

13

Division G Governor Jose Salazar, ACS, CL

“Half-Way-There”

Well, this year is flying by, and we’re “Half-Way-There.” This meaning has a two-purpose connotation. We’re “Half-Way-There” in achieving our goals as a Division, and “halfway” through the year. However, this is a time for me to reflect on what we’ve accomplished so far, as a Division. We’ve grown as a Division by introducing “new” Toastmaster Clubs, which has been a challenge. The assistance of my Division Council members, and District 33, Lt. Governor of Marketing, Jamuna Ramnath, have all “pitched-in” in making strides to get these new Clubs Chartered. These new Clubs will be: Exeter Toastmasters, an IRS Breakfast Club Toastmasters, BREAKAWAY Toastmasters, and a “Closed Club” with the Department of Fish and Game. There are rumors of two other Clubs, but we will see how those rumors turnout. Our Division has been busy this year. The concepts of all the changes we’ve made as a Division has definitely made some progress. There are senior Toastmasters that have said to me, “Your changes were long overdue.” These senior Toastmasters have awaken to a breath of fresh air and want to be involved. We have a great Division TEAM that understands the concepts of Toastmasters. Through their skill and understanding and using the new technology aspects, they get the job done. From these efforts, the Clubs have appreciated the following:

(1) Advance notifications we send out to the Area Governors and Club Presidents to schedule any training or Division events.

(2) Using technology such as “Google Accounts” and “teleconferences” to share information or conduct Division Quarterly meetings saves time, expense and encourages personal safety by staying home.

I’m grateful I selected the option of creating the Division Council, and I have considered this concept to be an acceptable High Performance Leadership Project. I have lead and guided our Division Council through training, and technical projects that were reviewed and approved by District 33, Lt. Governor of Education & Training, Debby Baker, and District 33, Governor, Katy Porter, which were successful. It is through their efforts as members of our Division Council and our Area Governors for our current success in 2014-2015. Life has many challenges and Toastmasters is a part of it. It is through these challenges that we grow and learn from them. What an exciting year, and we’re only “Half-Way-There”...

Division H Governor Ken Richardson, ACG, ALB

Two steps forward and one step back. That seems to be the theme for the current fiscal year in Division H. The Division took two giant steps forward with the creation of two powerhouse clubs: Safety First and Z’Toasters. The twinkle for a new club at Caesars Entertainment remains bright. I expect a kickoff meeting early next year. In addition, the revival of To-Your-Health (TYH) is underway and shows great promise. TYH lost all but four of its long-term members and they have been struggling to keep the club going. Five new potential members stepped up to bring them back from the brink. There’s nowhere to go now but up. Downtown Talkers, another club facing extinction has also begun a modest revival. On the other hand, there are at least two clubs struggling to remain viable. One will probably need to re-invent itself as a totally new club. The other is in need of a dedicated club coach. That’s a goal I hope to realize in the next few weeks.

Working with the outstanding Governors from Divisions C and D, we are ready to implement the new TI officer training curriculum. Our TLI training date is set for January 17 with a makeup meeting scheduled for January 29. We have recruited an amazing group of experienced Toastmasters to serve as facilitators. In an effort to reduce the traditional chaos at the registration desk, we are asking all clubs to pay and register their officers in advance. For more information contact me or Division C Governor, Gene Dunford, DTM.

The Division H Area Governors continue to shine. All club visit reports were completed on time and the Area spring contest dates have been selected. Areas H1 and H2 will hold their contests on April 11, 2015 at the Southwest Gas corporate office on Spring Mountain Road in Las Vegas. Area H3 is scheduled for April 4th and Area H4 is scheduled for March 14. Venues have not yet been finalized. The Division H contest will be held in conjunction with Division C on April 25 at the Wildhorse Golf Club in Henderson.

Going forward the goals for Division H are: 1. Continue to nurture and support existing clubs; 2. Seek out opportunities for the development of 18 new, sustainable clubs, and 3. Take two steps forward every day without looking back. In other words, to boldly go where no Division has gone before.

14

Be a Club Coach? You Betcha!! by Tim Chedester, ACG / CL

I can recall telling anyone that asked that becoming a Club Coach was maybe one of the most challenging leadership endeavors I took on, and absolutely the most rewarding! Recollecting

my time as a 1st time Area Governor, I began experiencing some clubs that were having trouble keeping members. Many of you know what I’m talking about. Members

taking on two or three roles per meeting. Some officers with multiple roles. Without question, the dedication and loyalty of each member was what

was keeping the club afloat. At some point; the weight became too much and the club was unable to make it.

Having someone from the outside looking in may have been just the infusion a struggling club needs with some fresh

perspective. Ever heard the phrase “a fish doesn’t know what water is until it’s not in it anymore”? Being immersed in the culture or situation doesn’t really allow a clear

perspective because there is no objectivity or clear perspective of the real issues that face clubs who are working there rear ends off but never seeming to quite get things back on track.

They are essentially never able to see the club from an “out of water” experience. The Club Coach is the leader that can step in and support the club in looking objectively at the real issues it is facing. Together,

they can make some adjustments and implement some solutions to create a new vision and culture that will support the club in not only reviving, but thriving.

The benefits for the club are clear, a fresh start and new direction for growth; however the benefits for the Club Coach may not be as obvious. Many Toastmasters who have coached will tell you they gained great knowledge and learned much about communication and leadership from their experience. I personally wanted to become a life coach at the time; so a big benefit for me was learning how to use my listening skills, and intuition to identify issues with process, structure, and club culture. All of these are useful tools that can be used in organizational development, training and development, and even instruction development.

Leadership and Communication are front and center as the Club Coach forges a relationship with club members by leading them to a new way of thinking about how a club operates. The Club Coach must “Persuade with Power” and practice vital leadership skills that will help the Club Coach long after the club succeeds by becoming Distinguished . Will you make some mistakes? Of course you will. I made many of them. However, I also learned about humility and asking for help from other leaders; both traits that great leaders possess. I learned much along my journey, and I am still not the leader that I wish to be. Love to teach, or want to train… or become a trainer? Want to be supportive in changing lives of other Toastmasters? Club Coach may be for you!! Your new leadership adventure awaits you!

This was truly one of the most beneficial experiences for me I could have ever imagined; I have become a Life Coach, created training material and presented workshops, spoken at local events, expanded my confidence level to be

able to walk into most any situation, and embrace my place in the front of the room, and for a time I was honored to be the District 33 Club Coach Trainer, something I am still proud of to this day.

If you are ready for a leadership and communication experience at light speed, reach out to your Area Governor and let them know you’re interested in helping a club to succeed. Or you can reach out to the District 33 Club Coach Coordinator Maria Azevedo at 209-613-9706 or email her at margaze@sbcglobal.net.

Member

Spotlight

15

2015 International Convention

by International Convention District Host Chairs – Jesse Oakley III, DTM,PDG & Dana Wall-Oakley, DTM

District 33 to host next International Convention in Fabulous Las Vegas On behalf of Toastmasters international President, Mohammed Murad, DTM, we cordially invite you to the 2015 Toastmasters International Convention. It will take place August 12-15, 2015 at Caesars Palace in the heart of the Las Vegas strip. As the Host District, it is up to all the members of District 33 to make this convention one of the best International Conventions ever! We are currently recruiting volunteers. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer for one or more of the events, please contact us at oakleyj3@juno.com or penguinady1@cox.net. Feel free to visit the District 33 Convention website at http://d33.toastmastersdistricts.org/2015_Toastmasters_International_Convention.html If you have never been to a Toastmasters International Convention, this is your golden opportunity to be a part of something big. We are looking forward to working with you and seeing you at Caesars Palace in August 2015. Not only will you hobnob with Toastmasters from around the world, you will have a fantastic and rewarding experience. Please volunteer, it’s worth it!

Division J Governor Daniel Waldman, ACS, ALB Division J was blessed to be able to claim as one of its members the Fall Humor Speech contest winner. With his first place Humorist Speech Contest win at the District Fall Conference we congratulate Himanshu Kathuria. Having said that my term as Division J Governor started last July 1st. It’s amazing how much time has gone by so quickly. The term is almost half over and I for one am just getting started. With the Division J TLI on January 17, I will be past the half way mark but do not fear; my successor is even of a higher caliber and equal or stronger work ethic. Of course nothing is ever set in stone so I do have a backup successor. TLI is not simply officer training but rather Toastmasters Leadership Institute. It is open to all members, not just the officers. Some people have asked if they need to attend if they are continuing in the same officer position. The short answer is yes. Not only does every officer needs to be trained every six months, but there is also a wealth of information for the non-officer member. So come, chat and participate. Plus, we have an exciting program designed for optimal club experience throughout the year. My goal is to get most of the club level officers trained at TLI verses makeup trainings or the labor intensive one club at a time training. So please attend the TLI. Visit us at http://www.divisionjd33.org

Members of District 33 - Would you like to grow leaps and bounds as a leader in ways you never dreamed possible? Serve in District leadership as an Area or Division Governor, right on up to District Governor. It will open doors of personal growth in ways you never knew existed. Now is the time to declare your candidacy. Please contact me for the forms to fill in and return: District Leaders Qualifications and Responsibilities; District Leader Nominating Form; and the Officer Agreement and Release Form. For more information and details on this wonderful growth opportunity, contact: Kathy Choate, DTM, IPDG, Nominating Committee Chair. Nolimit_one@msn.com 805-907-5636. Thanks all. Kathy Choate, DTM, IPDG Mobile : 805/907-5636 email: nolimit_one@msn.com http://d33.toastmastersdistricts.org

16

Fall Conference 2014 Showcased Speakers & Elite Dignitaries by Guy Dawson, DTM District 33 Toastmasters gathered at the Tuscany Suites in fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada November 14th and 15th for our Fall Conference. This year’s conference also featured a special attendee. Toastmasters International President Mohammed Murad, DTM traveled from Dubai to be a part of the festivities and delivered a keynote speech. The event also featured outstanding educational workshops, a night of star-studded leadership recognition, a gala banner parade and splendid Humorous and Evaluation Speech Contests.

On Friday evening, Immediate Past District Governor Kathy Choate, DTM and her team were recognized for being Select Distinguished in 2013/2014 and a host of other Toastmasters received awards for their accomplishments. Later on, Past International President Michael Notaro, DTM inspired us with a speech about the peaks and valleys of his Toastmaster journey. Before the evening ended, the new Distinguished Toastmasters were introduced and welcomed into the “family.”

Saturday started off with an early District Executive Committee meeting and a special breakfast for “First Timers.” The rest of the day was filled with exciting activities that brought us all together in fellowship. After the banner parade, International President Murad asked us to take advantage of opportunities in his electrifying speech and Toastmasters’ newest Accredited Speaker Barbara Khozam, DTM hosted an informative workshop about how to become better at marketing a little later. District 33 Website Consultant Tim Mullins, DTM also gave us a serious education on the value of being web savvy in promoting our clubs.

The Humorous and Evaluation contests displayed some of our District’s finest speakers. They all gave it their best and showed class and good sportsmanship regardless of the results. When it was all over, Division A’s Ellie Kay, ACB, ALB was the Evaluation Contest winner and Himanshui Kathuria, ACG, ALB took home first place in the Humorous Contest.

Division E Governor Julie Boyce, ACS, CL raved about the great time she had at Fall Conference 2014. “I thoroughly enjoyed the program,” she said. “For those of you who haven’t attended a District Conference, I would suggest you reconsider.”

Division C Governor Gene Dunford, DTM said that working with International President Murad on prospective clubs was a “galvanizing experience.” “The motivational speeches that were given by our International President and Michael Notaro, PIP were the capstone of the Fall Conference,” he said.

First timer Amanda Marie Ayers said the Conference " Was an entertaining and enlightening experience filled with learning and great opportunities to meet other Toastmasters."

We appreciate the efforts of Conference Chair Phil Bateman, ACS,ALB, and his committee in putting on a fabulous event.

See you all in Modesto, CA for the District 33 Spring Conference May 1&2, 2015!

District

Spotlight

Left to Right: Humorous Contestants and Toastmaster; Evaluation Contestants and Toastmaster; Phil & Kim Bateman, Conference Chair Next Page: A random selection of photos from the Conference

Past International President Michael Nataro, LGET Debbie Baker & District Governor, Katy Porter with Current International President Muhamad Murad

17

District 33 Corporate Sponsors: District 33 is grateful and appreciative for the monetary contributions we have received from our Corporate Sponsors recently. Bank of America gifted us $500 and NV Energy sent us an endowment to $250. Their generous donations will help us to fulfill the District mission and carry the Message of Toastmasters to our communities. Both of these companies will also be acknowledged as Corporate Sponsors at the Spring 2015 Conference.

18

Ask Dana By Dana Wall-Oakley, DTM / CGW (Computer Guru/Webmaster)

FreeToast Host updates Club Website format again

The coordinators of our FreeToastHost websites made some changes. Pursuant to my usual feelings about “changes”, I was hesitant to be optimistic about them. However, I have recently reviewed these new changes and have to say, they are AWESOME! The changes are mostly for the admins of the websites. They include a new way of entering information for new members, a more user friendly option for editing web pages, a brand new access settings feature, and the ability to choose your own colors for backgrounds, etc. The new access feature is excellent. A club admin/webmaster can choose to give officers of the club access to make changes to particular modules. For example, the member that is listed as the VP of Membership for the club can be given access to update the Membership Management module. The Treasurer can be given access to the Dues Tool. I’m personally excited that it will be much easier to create custom web pages for our club website and to update current pages. These new features enable each club to plug in to their creativity and stand out from the others. 9 times out of 10, a visitor to our club says they found us by our website. If your club website stands out, a visitor is more likely to visit you. If they like your vibe, they will stay. There is a saying – “You have 2 chances to make a first impression and the 2nd one doesn’t count”. Your website is many people’s first impression of your club. Make it count!! Have fun with the ease of the new features.

Technology Corner Education Corner

Resources from Toastmasters International

There are a plethora of free resources available at Toastmasters.org. Visit this website and click on Menu in the top left corner, then on Resources. The links listed will help you find anything you might be looking for from Toastmasters International. Many of these resources are downloadable. Toastmasters International also has a podcast.

If you are interested in starting a new club, this link will help. It’s the New Club E-toolkit: http://www.toastmasters.org/Members/OfficerResources/ClubOfficerResources/NewClubEtoolkit.aspx

This link will help your club with Membership Building: http://www.toastmasters.org/Members/MembershipBuilding.aspx

If you prefer to watch videos, this link will give you video resources – http://www.toastmasters.org/MainMenuCategories/FreeResources/ToastmastersTimeTestedCommunicationTipsonVideo.aspx

Many of the educational materials available in the shop are downloadable, search for manuals, flyers, and other pamphlets at this link – http://www.toastmasters.org/MainMenuCategories/Shop/ManualsBooksVideosCDs_1.aspx

Visit Toastmasters.org for resources - Educational Materials, District & Division reports, Membership Materials, etc. to help build membership and educate your club members.

Toastmasters International Website has a new look by Dana Wall-Oakley, DTM Change can be difficult. We resist, fight, kick, scratch and finally, we realize the inevitable. The change is not going away, so we have to adjust. T.I. is making many changes in the coming months and it looks like they have begun with the website. The new face of Toastmasters is video. Toastmasters is staying current and relevant by entering the 21st Century feet first. They have updated the website to utilize the new colors more effectively. Videos are more prominent for those who like to learn by watching a video. The login and profile information for members is more user friendly and the links are easier to follow. I found what I was looking for much more quickly than before. As Toastmasters International strives to attract new members from the younger generation while retaining the members that have been around for a while, they have to appeal to both in completely different ways. The younger generation are more technologically inclined and appreciate the videos and downloadable content. At the same time, those who have been in Toastmasters for a long while are used to paper and phone calls. T.I. is walking the fine line between both and I believe the changes made to the website have meshed the two different styles together perfectly. Say Hooray for Change and embrace the future of Toastmasters.

District #33 in Region 2 Central California Southern Nevada