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"The destination determines the direction." - Dr. Ralph C. Smedley, Founder, Toastmasters International

Recommitting to Toastmasters: Embracing the Journey Ahead

It's time to rekindle our commitment to the very goals that inspired us to join Toastmasters in the first place. You might begin by reflecting on your initial aspirations and considering how to enrich your Toastmasters journey. Consider prioritizing club meetings and events in your schedule. Take on meeting roles. Challenge yourself to sign up for your next speech and set a timeline for the next one after that. Ask for a mentor if you don't have one. Become a mentor. Plan to compete in a speech contest.

Next, consider your Pathways progress. When do you want to finish your current level? Your current path? Keeping your destination in mind will naturally guide you on the path to success. Share your goals with your club's VP Education, so that they can help you along the way. Your success will naturally help the club achieve distinction.

Finally, embrace the spirit of volunteerism within Toastmasters. Engaging in district roles or committees not only serves the organization but also fosters valuable leadership experiences that complement your professional and personal development, and presents opportunities to make new connections.

By recommitting to Toastmasters and embracing the journey ahead, we unlock the potential for the self-discovery, growth, and lasting friendships that this incredible organization offers.

Empowerment is not a destination, it's a life-long journey. Make that journey meaningful by surrounding yourself with a supportive network of individuals who uplift and inspire you. Seek out mentors who can guide you on your path and provide valuable insight. Trust in your abilities and don't settle for anything less than you deserve. Together, we can create a ripple effect of empowerment that reaches far beyond our own dreams!

Clubs of Distinction

Congratulations to the 40 clubs in our district who achieved distinction (President's Distinguished, Select Distinguished, or Distinguished) in the Distinguished Club Program (DCP) for 2022/2023. Your commitment to the Toastmasters ideals is inspiring and merits celebration!

To quote our International President (IP), Matt Kinsey, "The Distinguished Club Program is the best measure we have of how effective a club is at meeting its mission. It tells us that members are achieving goals. It tells us that new members are joining, bringing a greater diversity of feedback. It tells us that members are dedicated to improving themselves and that officers are committed to getting the training they need so the members of their club can get the most out of their Toastmasters experience." (See more of what IP Matt Kinsey has to say about the DCP in this Toastmaster magazine article.)

Areas of Distinction

Congratulations to the Area Directors and member clubs of the 9 areas in our district that achieved distinction during 2022/2023!

Quarterfinal Results are in for the International Speech Contest!

Seminfinalists have been selected for the International Speech Contest, which culminates in the World Championship of Public Speaking during the hybrid International Convention this month. Semifinalists were selected based on videos of their performances at the district level. There are two semifinalists from each of the 14 regions. The semifinalists from our region (Region 7) represent District 38 and our neighbor District 36. We wish them both luck!

More details about the semifinals can be found online.

Five Positions Filled, Several Still Open! (This is YOUR chance!)

Thank you to the five Toastmasters who volunteered for District 18 positions in the past month: Stephanie Steckel (Area 11 Director), Mary Ann McCloskey (Area 54 Director), Nikhil Sharma (Area 56 Director), Link Lin (Area 62 Director) and Beatrice Vilmé (Club New Source Research Chair).

There are still several district positions available. This is your chance to join a fantastic team, help shape District 18's future, and accelerate your professional and personal growth as you recommit to Toastmasters. Available positions are:



• Area Directors for D 41, 42, and 43, and E52; POC: Annmarie Givans
• Logistics Manager; POC: Annmarie Givans
• District Blogger, Social Media Manager, Reporter, and Podcast Host; POC: Rosann Hamilton
• Committee members for the Club Extension and Club Sponsor Committees; POC: Catherine Damavandi (find info on these committees here)
• Organizers for District Conference (Ocean City, MD); POC: Michele Canopii

Did You

Know...?

In the first half of 2024, Toastmasters International plans to migrate Pathways Base Camp to a new learning management system (LMS) provider. They are doing this to address member concerns and feedback regarding the many challenges and frustrations with the current LMS (the online platform where Pathways content is currently accessed). They are also eliminating five of the eleven current paths.

This change was announced in the article “2024 - New Base Camp User Experience” on TI's Pathways Updates webpage. Find more detailed information on a webpage dedicated to this topic on Frank and Karen Storey's Pathways website: click here.

On behalf of the Spring Conference team, I am thrilled to announce that the 2024 Spring Conference will be held at the Carousel Oceanfront Hotel & Condos from April 19th through April 20th. As announced in the July issue of this newsletter, the three contests we plan to host during the conference are: International, Table Topics, and Humorous.

I want to give a special thanks to our Spring Conference Chair Michele Canopii, DTM and Division G Director Michael Hoy, DTM for their due diligence in securing an amazing location very early in the current program year. If you want to help plan the conference, please contact Michele Canopii.

Editor's note: Additional details are provided below, under the heading "District 18 Spring Conference."

The Toastmasters International Board of Directors has informed everyone that an exception to the Contest Rulebook is being made so that all contests at the club, area, division, and district levels can be held completely in-person, completely online, or using a hybrid model (simultaneously in-person and online). This exception will continue to provide flexibility for contestants, volunteers, and district leaders to participate in fun and engaging speech contests. Over the next few months, I will work closely with our District Chief Judge Naomi Carrington-Hockman, DTM to develop a district strategy that ensures that all of our contests adhere to Toastmasters International policies and procedures.

Saturday, August 5, 10am - 12:30pm

Zoom registration link

Wednesday, August 23, 6pm - 8:30pm

Zoom registration link

Be sure to register in advance so that your club(s) get DCP credit!

All clubs should strive to have all 7 officers trained. For the DCP, your club needs to have at least 4 officers attend one summer TLI session by August 31^st.

Non-officers are welcome to attend!

Can your club add five new, dual, or reinstated members between August 1st and September 30th? Accomplish this goal and you will be helping your club and District 18 to remain strong and vital, and your club will receive a Smedley Award ribbon to display on your club banner. (You'll also meet the first DCP membership goal.) Qualifying clubs will earn a special discount code for 10% off their next club order at the Toastmasters store (must be used within six months).

Note: the addition of transfer and charter members does not count toward Smedley Award credit.

Welcome to the Nemours Toastmasters Club!

Please give a warm welcome to Nemours Toastmasters, a corporate club chartered with 26 members on June 21, 2023, in Division A, Area 11. They meet on 1st and 3rd Fridays at Noon.

Previously known as the A.I. duPont Hospital for Children, Nemours is one of the largest children’s health systems in the United States. With sites of care in Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Florida, Nemours’ model encompasses pediatric medical care, research, education, and prevention and advocacy.

In late 2022, members of employee affinity groups and graduates of an in-house leadership program approached Nemours leadership about additional training for leaders, especially those for whom English is not their native language. Out of these discussions grew the idea to charter a Toastmasters club. Wesley Gibbs, District 18's Club Growth Director at the time, worked with Nemours associates Karina Chara and Mario Carranza to make this vision a reality, with support from club mentors Dr. Deidre Avant, DTM, and Janet Leary-Prowse, PM5, LD5. Fun fact: Janet is a former long-time employee of Nemours!

Club members hail from many backgrounds and include pharmacists, nurses, managers, interpreters, and other staff from several departments including community and government relations, diversity and inclusion, payroll, continuous improvement, outpatient therapy, and clinical operations. They’re hoping to learn how to speak off the cuff, become comfortable presenting to larger groups, enhance their executive presence, and improve English speaking skills.

After much preparation, the club held its first meeting on Friday, July 7th. The agenda for that meeting included mentors Deidre and Janet as speakers. Just two weeks later, at the club's July 21st meeting, two members gave their Ice Breaker speeches! The Table Topics Master challenged club members with questions about time travel and put them on the spot to discuss their “book” based on a fake book title. Table Topics ended with a lightning round, with participants revealing what was on their minds in just 2 sentences.

Officers and members will be inducted in a formal ceremony this month.

Note: All times are Eastern Time (ET)

Summer TLI Training

Details are above, in the PQD Corner

Pathways "Office Hours"

Thu, Aug 3, 3pm – 4pm

Zoom Meeting ID 878 3511 9231

No registration required (just show up)

See more details above, in the PQD Corner

Empowered Leadership Series, Session #1, Connecting with Impact

Sat, Aug 5, 9am – 1pm

Catonsville United Methodist Church,

6 Melvin Ave., Catonsville (map)

Registration required

See more details in the July Newsletter.

District 18 Toastmasters Volunteering at Queen Anne's County Fair

Aug 8-12, 9am-9pm

Queen Anne's County 4-H Park, 100 Dulin Clark Rd., Centreville, MD

Note: Volunteer registration is now closed.

Prep for Voting at Toastmasters International Annual Business Meeting

• Proxy Deadline: Friday, August 11 at 11:59 pm EDT
• Credentials Process for Voting Delegates: August 12-15
• Training for Voting Delegates (online and onsite): August 16 and 17

See more details below, in Make Your Votes Count!

Toastmasters International Convention

Wed, Aug 16 - Sat Aug 19

HYBRID (Online and Onsite at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar Resort in Nassau, Bahamas)

Registration required

Toastmasters International Annual Business Meeting (online and onsite)

Friday, Aug 18, 7am EDT (during the Toastmasters International Convention)

See more details below, in Make Your Votes Count!

Membership Dues Increase

On August 1, Toastmasters International semiannual membership dues increased to $60. This breaks down to $10 per month (an increase of $2.50 per month).

Even with the increase, Toastmasters continues to be a great value!

Calendar icons: https://www.flaticon.com/free-icons/free by Robert Angle - Flaticon

Plan Now to Head to Ocean City in April!

Experience inspiring Toastmasters sessions and oceanfront bliss at the District 18 Spring Conference, hosted by Division G!

Mark your calendar now so that you can join us on Friday, April 19th, and Saturday, April 20th, at the beautiful Carousel Oceanfront Resort in Ocean City, Maryland. In addition to being on the beach, this resort has fantastic amenities.

It's not too early to reserve your room! Simply call Carousel at 800-641-0011 and request the group rate for the Toastmasters room block.

Come for the conference, stay for the beach, and bring your family along!

Club Presidents and Secretaries: Help Select International Officers and Directors

The 2023 Annual Business Meeting occurs during the International Convention and is scheduled for August 18th at 7am EDT. It will be hybrid (online and in person). Elections will be held for several positions on the Board of Directors: International President Elect, First Vice President, Second Vice President, and International Directors for seven of the 14 regions, including ours. (Note: International Directors are elected for 2-year terms and all clubs participate in selecting them, regardless of region.)

If you are a Club President or Club Secretary and cannot attend (either online or in person), please:

1. Assign your proxy to the District 18 Director (dd@toastmasters-d18.org) by August 11th.
2. Send any voting preferences via email.

Here is more Information!

• Board of Directors Overview
• International Candidates page
• Prepare to Cast Your Vote (from the July Leader Letter)
• Proxy FAQ

Note: There are no proposals on the ballot for this year's Annual Business Meeting.

All Officers

• Attend Summer TLI Club Officer Training if you did not attend in June or July. (See PQD Corner, above, for details.)
• Conduct executive committee meeting with each officer reporting on activities and plans.
• Finish your Club Success Plan to address Distinguished Club Program goals.
• Use Toastmasters Club Officer Tools as needed.

President

• Cast vote at Annual Business Meeting on August 18th or designate a proxy-holder by August 11th. (See details above in Make Your Votes Count!)
• Preside over executive committee meeting.

VP Education

• Begin planning club contests (Table Topics, Humorous, and International).
• Ensure agendas are complete and participants understand their meeting roles,

VP Public Relations

• Use your club's social networking sites and outreach opportunities to publicize club activities and achievements.
• Promote the Smedley Award membership building program (Aug 1 – Sept 30) during meetings and in club newsletter/website.

VP Membership

• Greet club meeting visitors and distribute guest packets ("blue folders").
• Follow up with prospective members (club meeting visitors and others).

Treasurer

• Begin collecting member dues to meet the October 1st deadline for submission.

Secretary

• Cast vote at Annual Business Meeting on August 18th or designate a proxy-holder by August 11th. (See details above in Make Your Votes Count!)
• Ensure that the club’s meeting location and time are listed correctly with TI World Headquarters.
• Document meeting minutes at executive committee meeting.

Sergeant-at-Arms

• Manage and maintain club equipment and materials.
• Set up and break down required materials for each meeting.

Your feedback on this newsletter is welcome.

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