It's the March 2025 Dispatch!

District 42 Toastmasters

Monthly Dispatch

March 2025

Dear District 42 Toastmasters,

As the days get longer and spring approaches, it's the perfect time to refresh, renew, and refocus on our Toastmasters journey!

Here's what's coming up in March:

Speech Contests Are in Full Swing!

Division contests are heating up! Support your fellow Toastmasters as they showcase their speaking and impromptu skills. Witness inspiring performances and find out who will advance to the next level!

PR Mastermind

Are you struggling with club promotion? Vesna Ivkovic will help you navigate ChatGPT to create engaging social media posts, newsletters, and promotional materials with ease. If you’re a VP PR or interested in club marketing, this session is for you!

Circle of Gold

Are you competing in the International Speech Contest or know someone who is? Circle of Gold offers high-level feedback from experienced Toastmasters to help contestants refine their speeches and take their delivery to the next level. Keep an eye out for upcoming sessions!

Club Officer Elections Are Coming!

Thinking about taking on a leadership role? Serving as a club officer is a fantastic opportunity to develop skills, grow your confidence, and make a lasting impact. Start the conversation in your club now and consider stepping up!

Let’s make March a month of momentum, growth, and success in District 42!

Please look at the D42 Events Calendar for all the details on upcoming sessions and workshops.

Got any news to share? Send your club updates and success stories to us for a chance to be featured in the next Dispatch!

Warm regards,

The District 42 Toastmasters Dispatch Team

Upcoming Events

See what's happening in March 2025

In this issue:

District Director's Message
Reports
District Events
District 42 Conference
Blog
Around The District
Did You Know
Educational Awards
Club Anniversaries

DISTRICT DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE

Resolving Conflict in Toastmasters

Daisy Wei, DTM

District 42 Director

Toastmasters is a unique educational institution where individuals come together to grow, learn, and develop essential communication and leadership skills. However, like any community, conflicts can arise. When they do, it's important to remember the core values of Toastmasters-integrity, respect, excellence, and service-and use them as guiding principles to resolve disagreements constructively.

Toastmasters Mid-Year Update: Exciting Times Ahead!

Debbie Stearns, DTM

D42 Program Quality Director

We are more than halfway through the Toastmasters year, and what a journey it has been so far! A heartfelt thank you to all the club officers who attended the club officer training sessions. Your dedication and commitment are truly appreciated.

As we move into the last half of the year, we have a busy schedule ahead. All clubs, areas, and divisions are now gearing up for contests. These contests will lead up to our district contests, with the online contest scheduled for April 26 and the in-person contests set to take place at the conference on May 3.

In addition to the contests, we are also focusing on achieving distinguished club status. To be recognized as a distinguished club, remember that you need to earn 5 DCP points and meet the required membership criteria (base plus 3 or 20 members). Let's aim to have 43 clubs distinguished this year – we can do it!

If you need any assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out to your Area Director, Division Director, or myself (Program Quality Director). Together, we can make this a successful and memorable year for all our clubs.

Let's keep the momentum going and finish the year strong!

Club Growth Report

Lynnette Zotzman, DTM

Club Growth Director

Club Growth Report shows continued growth The state of our district is encouraging and continues to improve. Our club base remains at 106, with 94 clubs in good standing-a growth of two clubs in good standing since last month!

Step Up and Lead:

District 42 Extends Leadership Nominations Deadline

Eugene Sicat, DTM, PMP, MBA

Immediate Past District Director (2024-2025) | District 42

DLC and Realignment Chair (2024-2025) | District 42

We understand that the nomination process for district leadership can be demanding, and to support everyone in putting forth their best candidates, we are extending the deadline by an additional two weeks to March 7, 2025. We hope this extra time will help encourage more nominations, allowing us to better assess our proposal to DEC on April 13.

Updates from the District Administration Team!

Arobo Ako

D42 Administrative Officer

Happy TM Contest Season! With spring just around the corner (yaaay!), it comes with a promise of growth and transformation. So too does this season offer all of us a chance to refine our skills and embrace challenges. Whether you’re a contestant or a volunteer, I hope you seize this opportunity to learn and grow on these toasty streets.

As always, attached below is your 30-60-90 Day Snapshot, featuring important events & deadlines. Please note:

Red indicates important deadlines that require your attention.
Green marks the start of a program

Don’t forget to visit the District Calendar regularly for the Area contest dates and other updates or changes. Staying informed is essential to ensuring smooth operations at the club, area, division, and district levels.

Your 30-60-90-Day Plan Snapshot

March 2025:

March 01 - Making the World a Better Place hosted by Green Horizons Toastmasters
March 01 - Peer Support for low membership Clubs by Club Coach Committee
March 05 - PR Mastermind
March 13 - Pathways Orientation Session #3
March 17 - Division Directors Leadership Meetings
March 19 - Division C Circle of Gold (Online)
March 20 - Division F Circle of Gold
March 22 - Club Contest Deadline
March 26 - Division A Circle Of Gold (online)
March 27 - Core Leadership Team Meeting
March 28 - Division E In-Person Circle of Gold
March 31 - Talk Up Toastmasters Program Deadline

April 2025:

April 02 - Division E online Circle of Gold
April 05 - Area Contest Deadline
April 05 - Division A - International Speech & Table Topics Contests (In-Person)
April 05 - Division C - International Speech & Table Topics Contests (In-Person)
April 06 - Division D - Online Contests
April 08 - Division E - International Speech & Table Topics Contests (In-Person)
April 09 - Division A - Online Contests
April 09 - Division C - Online Contests
April 12 - Division B - Online Contests
April 12 - Division B - International Speech & Table Topics Contests (In-Person)
April 12 - Division D - International Speech & Table Topics Contests (In-Person)
April 13 - DEC Meeting
April 16 - Division E - Online Contests
April 17 - District 42 Circle Of Gold (Online Contest)
April 19 - Division F- International Speech & Table Topics Contests (In-Person)
April 19 - Division Contest Deadline
April 21 - All Leader Call District Leadership Meetings
April 24 - Pathways Orientation – For New & Existing Users Pathways Session 4
April 24 - Core Leadership Team Meeting
April 26 - District Online Contest
April 26 - District Council Meeting
April 30 - Club Fitness Award Reports Due
April 30 - AD Reports Due

May 2025:

May 01 - Beat the Clock Program Begins
May 02 - District 42 Conference (Lethbridge)
May 03 - District 42 Conference (Lethbridge)
May 03 - District 42 International & Table Topics Contests (Lethbridge)
May 15 - Pathways Orientation – For New & Existing Users Pathways Session 4
May 22 - Core Leadership Team Meeting

Did you know that only special events at the club level are posted on the District calendar? Keep sharing your club celebrations and events by filling out the Submit New Event Form.

For questions any questions regarding your club, area or division events, or the D42 calendar, please email me at aroboako.tm@gmail.com. Wishing you all the best with your contests.

DISTRICT 42 CONFERENCE

District 42 Conference 2025 – Registration Now Open!

Richard Lee-Thai

D42 Conference Chair

Get ready for an unforgettable weekend of inspiration, learning, and connection at the District 42 Conference in Lethbridge!

Engaging Workshops to sharpen your communication and leadership skills
Thrilling Speech Contests featuring the best speakers in the district
Dynamic Keynote Speakers to motivate and inspire
Networking & Fun with fellow Toastmasters from across D42

Mark your calendar and stay tuned for more details! Don't miss this chance to grow, connect, and celebrate!

Where: Lethbridge, AB

When: Friday, May 2 – Saturday, May 3, 2025

Secure your spot today at https://d42tm.org/d42-conference-2025/.

Got questions? Reach out to DCconferencechair@d42tm.org.

Don’t wait—register today and be part of the excitement!

Click the images below to register for these events!

Calling All Clubs! Submit Your Photos for the Club Banner Parade!

Be part of the Club Banner Parade and showcase your club spirit!

What We Need:

A photo of your club members (not a photo of the banner)
Smiling faces and club pride are encouraged!

Deadline to Submit: April 25, 2025

Send your photos to Vesna Ivkovic at ivkovic@shaw.ca

Let’s celebrate the incredible clubs of District 42 - submit your photo today!

BLOG

Building Leaders

Vesna Ivkovic, DTM

D42 Webmaster/Dispatch Designer

Taking on the role of both a sponsor and mentor for the Schneider Calgary Toastmasters Club has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my Toastmasters journey.

A Dream YLP Project

Ann Nakaska, DTM

A LinkedIn Connection Sparks an Idea It started with a LinkedIn request. Who was attending the NCDA conference in San Diego this year? Did anybody want to connect? Count me in! DR. Sonia Robinson and I connected virtually on Zoom and the rest as they say is history.

What Are The Judges Thinking?

Christina Kruis, DTM

District Contest Chair (In-Person)

Speech Contestants ever wonder In Toastmasters speech contests, judges compare contestants to their ideal speaker based on specific criteria to ensure a fair and consistent contest. What are the judges thinking? Check out these tips to help you align your speech with what judges are looking for: Understand the Judging Criteria: 50% is your message!!

Pathways Orientation - For New and Existing Users

Chuck LeBlanc, DTM

District Education Committee Chair

Pathways orientation session dates:

March 13, 2025
April 24, 2025
May 15, 2025
June 12, 2025

Each Pathways orientation session is divided into 2 segments.

Segment Number 1: (5:30-7:00 PM MT)

This portion of the training is geared toward the new members not already using Base Camp. It takes the learner through the process of creating and signing up for their first path.

Segment Number 2: (7:00-8:30 PM MT)

This portion of the training is for existing users of Base Camp who want to learn how to learn to use the features of the system. Here we will take a more comprehensive look at what Base Camp has to offer.

Registration is required. Register HERE. We look forward to seeing you there!

Boost Your Club’s PR with ChatGPT!

Vesna Ivkovic, DTM

D42 Webmaster/Dispatch Designer

Calling all VP PRs and Toastmasters leaders! Want to save time, boost creativity, and enhance your club’s promotions? Join us for a special session on “Boosting Your Toastmasters Club Promotion with ChatGPT” led by Vesna Ivkovic, Past District 42 PRM!

Date: March 5th

Time: 7:00 PM (MT)

Where: Zoom

In this interactive session, Vesna will guide you through using ChatGPT for social media posts, newsletters, event promotions, and more! Plus, get hands-on experience with AI-powered content creation.

DID YOU KNOW

DID YOU KNOW - Contest Edition Spring 2025

Twila Tayfel

D42 Dispatch CoEditor

By the time you read this fellow Toastmasters, District 42’s spring contest season will be in full swing. You can find the dates and details for area, division and district contests on the District 42 events calendar.

AND THE AWARD GOES TO...

EDUCATIONAL AWARD RECIPIENTS

Congratulations to all of our Educational Award recipients! Many awards were submitted for the last month. Click below to see the full list of awards.

EDUCATIONAL AWARDS