March 2026

District 27 Family,

Welcome to Spring 2026.

We have just about 3 months to the end of the Toastmaster year and to District 27 as

we know it.

District goals. At the beginning of the year, our goal was to be a Smedley Distinguished District.

This requires us to create at least 10 clubs, which would involve every member sending us leads that turn into a chartered club before the end of the Toastmaster year, June 30, 2026.

We also need to recruit new members for our clubs: invite friends, family, coworkers, and acquaintances, so that they, too, can benefit from all that Toastmasters has to offer.

Finally, we will need to get our clubs to distinguished status. To be distinguished, we need to fulfil 5-10 goals on the Distinguished Club Program, which include the 6 Education Goals (it means members must be working in the Pathways Education Program.

There are 2 Membership Goals that require us to bring in new members to our clubs. New members bring new and innovative ideas, new energies and new enthusiasm to our clubs. Embrace them and nurture them when they join our club family.

There is the 1 Training Goal where club officers are required to attend training

both in the summer and winter training periods, and the 1 Administration goal that

requires us to pay our dues to Toastmasters International on time [on or before October 1 and on or before March 1]( a minimum of 8 members must pay for the club to be considered in good standing) and to submit the club officer list to Toastmasters

International by June 30, 2026.

We can do this, District 27.

I believe in you, and I am confident that we can get 60 clubs to distinguished status on or before June 30 2026. When we do this, we can all cross the stage at the Toastmasters International Convention in Vancouver, Canada, August 19-22, 2026.

Office of Personnel Management (OPM)

For those working in Government entities, we have found online information where the

Office of Personnel Management (OPM) recommends Toastmasters International as

One of the Professional Groups and communities that employees can take advantage of

for Personal Development. Please see the link and extract below.

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/training-and-development/training-program-

management/training-options/#url=Low-No-Cost-Training

https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/training-and-development/training-program-

management/training-options/#url=Low-No-Cost-Training

Under the Tab, In-House/ On-the-job Professional groups and communities of practice.

Agencies may have various professional development /affinity groups or communities of practice that employees can take advantage of to increase their knowledge and skill sets in a specific field of study. Toastmasters International is one example of a group that can help you develop presentation skills, which are essential to any job. There is a minimal fee for this group (See your agency & Toastmaster representative.). 

Professional associations outside of your agency can be another avenue for development. Membership fees may apply for these associations.

Newest Club

Congratulations to our newest club, as of February 27, 2026, Ladies in Tech and Friends.

Thanks to the efforts of our Club Extension Chair, Naomi Carrington-Hockman, Area

Director 21 Ebony Grey, Public Relations Manager Maria Allsopp- Whittington, and

Kenyatta Powell, the President of the New Club and all of their new members.

District Leadership Committee

The District Leadership Committee has completed interviews for the proposed leaders

for the new district 220 that will come online July 1st, 2026. Be on the lookout for updates

on the DLC Page of the District Website. A huge thank you to all who took the leap of

faith and placed their names in the hat for consideration for District Leadership. We wish

you all the best!

District Council Members from Districts 27 and 36 will have an opportunity to vote in the

new District Leadership Team at the District 220 Council Meeting on April 25th , 2026 at

10:00 am.

District Council

The District Council consists of the District leadership, the Division and the Area

Directors, Club Presidents and Vice Presidents Education. Please mark your calendars

for this date. In addition, on May 1st 2026, at 7:00 pm, you will be required to attend the

District 27 final District Council Meeting to close out all District 27 business. Mark your

calendars for this date as well.

The partial government shutdown is affecting some of our members, for those of you

being affected, please do not stop meeting, if your contact email addresses for

Toastmasters is your work address; we encourage you to change it to your

personal email addresses. This way, we can keep in touch with you, and we can

continue to meet as a club utilizing free online platforms like Zoom, Teams, Google

meets etc.

Area Directors Needed

We say a heartfelt thank you to two of our area directors who, for personal reasons,

have had to vacate their posts. Thank you, AD 24 Stephen Felber and AD 22 Milly

Nguyen. We truly miss your presence.

As a result of their absences, we are looking for two members to complete the term of Area Director for Areas 22 and 24. This would be an opportunity to learn about being an Area Director; however, you will not receive credit for the 3 months. If interested, please contact me at dd27@d27-tm.org or the Division B Director at DIVB@d27-tm.org

Dues Renewal

Please pay your Toastmasters International dues by March 31, 2026. This will ensure that your dues arrive at Toastmasters international by April 1st, 2026.

If you club has self-pay enabled, please use the feature by going to Toastmasters.org My Home page and scroll down to the Pay Dues tab. Follow the instructions from there.

See you at the top! District 27 members. Let us end our final year as District 27 with distinction. Make the 2025-2026 Toastmaster year the best ever.

Remember No Member Left Behind! No Club Left Behind! Nuture, mentor, and take care of each other so that we all can succeed.

Yours in Service,

Beverly Byam-Hercules, DTM

D27 District Director 2025-2026

No Member left behind, No Club left behind!

Greetings Fellow Toastmasters,

As I write this, it is snowing outside, but hopefully by the time you read this, spring will be approaching. With spring comes Contests, Dues renewals, and the Annual District

Conference. First, let’s address what it means to belong to a Distinguished club. You hear about it, you wonder what that means, and what it has to do with you. To me, a Distinguished club follows the Toastmasters program. Members are giving speeches, learning how to give feedback through giving quality evaluations, and learning how to lead by filling club meeting and officer roles. Meetings are exciting and fun. However, it doesn’t just happen. We make it happen. If your club needs help, the Area and District team is here to help.



Contests: Areas are holding the Evaluation and International Speech contests.

We need you to come and support your club’s contestants, serve as judges,

timekeepers, and ballot counters. If you have never attended an area contest, come to

one. You will have a pleasant surprise seeing people in person and listening to some

very accomplished speakers and evaluators.

Annual District Conference: Honour the Past and Embrace the Future. The last District27 conference (before Districts 27 and 36 combined to form District 220 on July 1) will be held on May 2nd at the George Mason University Mason Square campus in Arlington. We will host the President-Elect of Toastmasters International (who will be the Toastmasters International President on July 1), Stefano McGhee.

All living past District Governors and Directors will be invited to attend and featured in an homage to our 36 years as a District. And of course, we’ll have the Division Level winners of the Evaluation and International Speech contests competing.

District Conference Registration: Registration is open, with a price of $100 until April 16, when the last registration cost goes up. The link to register is

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/district-27-annual-conference.

Pathways: Toastmasters International provides a transformative program of projects, meeting roles, and leadership opportunities. However, to reap the full benefit of Toastmasters, you need to be on Pathways. Over 10 percent of District 27 Toastmasters are not in Pathways. If that is you, and you want to enjoy the full value of your membership, please talk to your club Vice President Education, your Area Director, or contact me at pqd@d27-tm.org.

I am organizing interactive, hands-on virtual workshops where you can enroll in Pathways, understand how to navigate the interface, and finally move ahead with achieving the goals you want to meet in Toastmasters.

I hope that you continue to grow in communication, leadership, and confidence.

Pathways Office Hours, Dates & Links

April 14 -- https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/ytYTD9SZQkKVsH2uNaJ8xQ

May 12 -- https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/3oGYJSKBS4eHolvLrVm1Kg

June 9 -- https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/0j9kOLXmSm2lnQwVgKNq8g

Yours in Service,

Jenny Genser White, DTM

Program Quality Director, 2025-2026

No Member left behind, No Club left behind!

🌻 From the Public Relations Manager 🌻

Membership Renewal

District Speech Contest 2026

Upcoming Open Houses

Zoom Link

https://us05web.zoom.us/j/87235903166?pwd=iMbefjwaj2A9bBkRxdIJ4JihpbUHhb.

Sam Fox Open house link https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4784528772?pwd=QVlTOTAzRjJQMjh6eVZnajEzeTFUUT09

District 27 Conference

District 27 Toastmasters,

As many of you know, District 27 will soon unite with District 36 to form our new home, District 220. While we look forward to the opportunities, new connections, and continued growth that lie ahead, this is also a deeply meaningful moment to pause and reflect on the remarkable journey we have shared as District 27.

District 27 has been far more than a geographical boundary it has been a place where voices were discovered, confidence was built one speech at a time, and leaders were shaped through service. It is where nervous Ice Breakers became powerful keynotes, where evaluations lifted us to new heights, and where every meeting provided a safe, supportive environment to learn, grow, and succeed.

Together, we have celebrated educational awards, club milestones, Area and Division contests, District conferences, and the quiet personal victories that often meant the most. Through Pathways, through mentorship, through every role taken and every agenda delivered, we have lived the Toastmasters promise.

Most importantly, we have built friendships that go beyond the mic, connections that will continue long after the banners change.

Those moments, those achievements, and those memories are our legacy.

We invite you to👆 click on the image above and visit the Shout-Out Board to share your favourite memories your speeches, your awards, your team photos, your laughter, and the milestones that made your journey in District 27 so special.

Let’s honour our past as we step confidently into the future together.

Warm regards,

Maria Allsopp-Whittington,

District 27 Public Relations Manager,   

District 27 Conference Marketing and Media Chair                                                                                  

New Clubs in the Making

🌻 Joke Corner🌻

The Toastmaster Parrot 🦜

A Toastmaster had a parrot that absolutely loved chatting on the phone, especially with his owner’s beautiful girlfriend for hours

One day, his owner comes home, and the parrot says,

“David… I’ve got some bad news, and some terrible news.”

David goes, “Oh no… what’s the bad news?”

The parrot says, “Well… your Doctor called and said you only have three days to live.”

David swallows hard. “You’re joking! How could it possibly get any worse?”

The parrot calmly replied,

“Well… I’ve been trying to reach you for the past two days, but you never answered the phone!”

Fellow Toastmasters,

Transitions of Life

March is typically the month when many places “turn the corner” weather wise. Am I still

talking about the weather two months in a row? Not really. We have had quite a winter in many places. This March starts the beginning of a season of change unlike any other we have had to prepare for. District 27 is going away! As you may have heard, D27 is being combined with others to form District 220. Breathe, it will be okay! We will get through this. While life as we now know it as District 27 will change, we can help things to be better going forward.

Just as we must begin to cultivate the land in preparation for planting, we must continue to

cultivate District 27 in preparation for a successful transition. Without proper cultivation, there is not the most fruitful harvest return that we desire. This applies not only to land preparation, but life preparation as well. To ensure the best chance of immediate success, we need to present the very best District 27 to the transition process possible! Likewise, in every area of our lives, we need to present the very best of ourselves to each transition process we face to ensure the best chance of immediate success. We need your help to finish this phase successfully.

As we go into the “home stretch” of the current Toastmasters year, center yourself on the

undeniable fact that God has kept us thus far. In the words of a great Rev. James Cleveland song, “I don’t believe He brought me this far, to leave me.” God has not brought us this far in life to leave us. Whatever challenges, storms or transitions you’re going through are all a part of the journey. Hold on and trust Him. Although what we see may not look promising, trust God through the process that He is “working it for our good.” God is not finish with us yet D27!

Sincerely,

Rev. Don Hutchins

District 27 Chaplain

No member left behind, No club left behind