District 106

Newsletter

March2023

From the Desk of the District Director

We finally completed our second round of officer training on Feb 28, 2023. It was very nice to receive special recognition from Past International Director Lark Doley, DTM. She

attended the whole 3 hours of training and appreciated the quality of the training. Thank you, Program Quality Director Ed Aylward and the training team led by Matt Villella, DTM.

March is the month of membership renewals and area speech contests. You may know that only paid clubs (8+ members before Apr 1 may advance their contestants to division speech contests. Therefore, if your club has a contestant, please have all eight plus members renew their memberships so your club contestant(s) may compete in the division speech contests. In addition, paid clubs are a significant indicator for the district to show our quality. Therefore, our district officers will visit your club(s) and see how they can drive up membership renewals to stay in the lead for paid clubs in Region 4.

Self-pay has been introduced for the payment of dues by all club members. So please let your club officers know about the Self-pay system and let your club members know how to pay their dues online with TI. It's straightforward to do.

1) log in to your account,

2) scroll down and click "how to renew,"

3) click renew membership.

We have introduced a new aspect of promoting new membership growth by awarding pins. Starts with:

1) "Making a difference" pin for a new member

2) "Leadership" pin for an existing member

3) "Treasurer "pin that helps the member renew membership by Mar 31.

Long-term member recognition award for members with more than ten years and still active members. We will communicate the steps and process soon.

Previous Members Reach out:

Please get in touch with previous members and invite them for events like an open house, picnic, or any special club meetings. Also, could you contact me for speakers or any special events resources?

New clubs:

We are still on track to get two new prospective corporate clubs. So let's keep our fingers crossed to make it through by adding new clubs.

Business Meeting/Spring Conference:

We have decided to split Business Meeting and Spring conference into two parts:

1) the Business Meeting on May 6, 2023, and

2) the Spring conference on May 12-13, 2023, at Duluth, MN.

Booking is open, so please reserve your seat at a discounted rate and let us have a great spring conference.

Tools for effective speech:

Yoodli is becoming more popular. It is embedded in your membership, so please log in and find Yoodli. Enjoy it! It's an Artificial Intelligence tool helping you to become a great speaker.

Last but not least, we are targeting to become a Distinguished District. Our dashboard shows that we are heading towards that, but March dues renewal is vital for us; please renew your membership, and let's make this year historic.

Yours in Service,

Gopu Shrestha, DTM,

District 106 Director

From the Desk of the Program Quality Director

What a remarkable training year we have had! Round two of club officer training closed after February 28, 2023. District 106 has 14 clubs with 7 club officers trained! There are 73 clubs with 4 or more club officers trained! So, 416 club officers were trained during round two (58.3%). Please acknowledge our club officer training team when you are with them online or in person. They did a great job, and your club members will be very proud of their club officers who completed training on behalf of club members!

Your Division Directors and Area Directors were diligent about their training as well. They were required to undergo 7 hours of training. 85% of them did so! Our district is fortunate to have such committed leadership.

Are you working on completing that Distinguished Toastmaster award? Keep working toward that goal! We plan to recognize new DTMs during our 2023 District106 Conference in Duluth on May 12 and 13. “Seas the Moment!” Book your hotel room today! Meeting registration will open momentarily, so keep watching for announcements regarding how to register and attend this exciting event!

Videos from our District 106 Toastmasters Leadership Institute (TLI) held on

February 18 is now posted on the District 106 YouTube channel. Check them out here! This was a golden event in every way! Toastmasters Past International President Lark Doley set the tone for a fantastic event, and the other speakers were up to the challenge! There is some excellent material recorded here. Check it out and bring it to the attention of your fellow club members!

So many positive things are happening in District 106, and you, the

members of District 106, are making it happen! Keep working as we strive to be recognized as a distinguished district for this 2022-23 program year.

From the Desk of the Club Growth Director

To Renew or Not?

Twice a year, Members have the opportunity to renew their membership. Most members are in one club. Other members could be in multiple clubs. Either way, it is essential that you are bringing value and getting value back by participating in a club. 

Renewing your membership to keep a club going is the wrong reason. Even when the club has been around for a century. If you are not getting value from a club, leaving it and finding another with quality meetings is okay. 

Clubs whose officers attend officer training, review Moments of Truth, and do the Club Success Plan are stronger than clubs that don’t. This year 58% of the district attended club officer training. Are you in one of these quality clubs who attended? 

Why do we offer Club officer training or workshops? So members can learn how to maintain quality clubs. Members can fall into a rut and must remember the key elements of keeping their clubs strong. Finding ways to improve is necessary for their clubs to become strong and retain members. 

Please join us as Greg Scholz DTM gives us tools to strengthen our clubs.

Listed below are two March workshops to put your club in a position for success

Session 1: Club Success Plan, Open House with Q&A - Wed March 15 at 7 pm CDT - CLICK HERE to register

Session 2: Club Fun, Low attendance Modifications, & Hybrid - Wed, March 22 at 7 pm CDT - CLICK HERE to register

You can watch Moments of Truth if you missed it earlier this year. - CLICK HERE

Also, this month TALK UP TOASTMASTERS from February to March 31. Add five new members to your club and get a 10% discount from Toastmasters International. I will also be giving out pins to club treasurers who had eight members renew in the first quarter and again before March 31. 

Katy Hursh

District 106

Club Growth Director

From the Desk of the Public Relations Manager

Fellow Toastmasters and VPPRs!

Greetings from the Office of the District PRM team [Bob, Margie, Johnny, and Ashok]. I hope you all are doing well.

Let's finish our Toastmasters 2022-23 year strong by achieving distinguished status in our clubs, areas, divisions, and District 106. To help us reach this goal, the District 106 PRM team, in partnership with District 99, hosted a Practical PR Workshop on February 22, 2023. A lot of practical things that help clubs in public relations were discussed in the workshop. For those members who missed the workshop due to scheduling conflicts, Click here to link to the page with the recorded video session and links to the training resources!

District 106 PRM has hosted the PR Club contest for the last few years. We want to continue this tradition of recognizing the clubs that excel in promoting their clubs, growing their membership, and sharing their success with other clubs in the district. Our Public Relations Club Contest includes the following recognitions:

• Best Website
• Best Press Release/ News Article
• Best Social media
• Best Club Event Promotion
• Best Corporate Club Promotion
• Best Video of sharing the success story of the Club

Submit your entries here by April 25, 2023. You can use Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, or any of your favorite video recording tools to record your content. Don't hesitate to contact the PRM team if you need help or have any questions. Please have a look at page 28 of the Toastmasters Brand manual for detailed instructions and guidelines on video content.

District 106 Social channel presence by the numbers:

Facebook: 407 Twitter: 172 LinkedIn: 186 Instagram: 268 YouTube: 137 TikTok: 13

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok for exciting updates, inspiration, and more.

If you have any questions, comments, feedback, or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out! 

Together we keep the Toastmasters brand strong!

PRM Team [Johnny, Bob, Margie, Ashok]

Ashok Sunkavalli

2022-2023 District 106 Public Relations Manager

ashoksunkavalli@gmail.com

Cell: (319) 431-2415

Applying for a Free Canva Pro Account

(U.S. clubs only)

Toastmasters International and Canva have joined to offer members of Toastmasters (U.S. clubs only)to share a Canva Pro account. Canva Pro allows you to produce great slide presentations, flyers, newsletters, and much more with an extensive library of templates, designs, images, and the capability to upload logos, fonts, and color palettes. In addition, Canva features a social media tool that gets your club seen. Post and engage on Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Twitter.

You will need to download a 501c3 document to get started. You can click here to learn how to download this document and follow the guidelines to get your free Canva Pro account.

Regards,

PRM team

Toastmaster of the Year 2022-23 Program

Last month’s newsletter presented information for the Toastmaster of the Year (TMOY) timeline and expectations. You can read the February newsletter on the D106 website for the timeline and expectations. The D106 website provides the program information so that it’s kept in one place and will be easy to find as needed.

Here’s a link to the TMOY form for useful guidance in selecting your club’s TMOY before June 1, 2023.

Jackie Flaherty,

District 106

TMOY Chair.

Leadership Development

When I first became an area director in 2014, I was advised: "Join a leadership club." The district has several clubs that focus on leadership. Division D has Spirit of Leadership, The Leaders, and Leadership Summit.

While an area director, I became a club mentor. As a result, my leadership development was in overdrive. I was over-committed and didn't initially renew at Spirit of Leadership. However, in 2016 when I became a division director, I felt I needed a support network. I have been a member of the Leadership Summit since.

Leadership clubs have much to offer, including exceptional members who exemplify "leadership." Colleen Hamilton, a member of two leadership clubs, likes the "higher standards" that specialty clubs provide.

"The Leadership Summit Toastmasters Club is a Leadership Development club. Our meetings feature advanced training seminars and panel discussions. If you are a Toastmaster who aspires to become a better leader, club officer, or district leader, Leadership Summit Toastmasters will challenge you to find creative solutions to all problems." That is their mission statement.

Many Toastmasters are working on innovative planning, proactive communication, or persuasive influence. We are all working on leadership skills and development. Are you contemplating further developing your leadership through a district role such as area director? If so, please visit one of the leadership clubs. 

David Rasmussen

Division D Director

https://ddd2023.blogspot.com/

Are you working on your DTM?

If you are working towards your DTM, you can get credit for coaching a club!

We need club coaches to assist with club rescue and strengthening. Successful club coaches receive credit towards their DTM for this effort. Let us know that you would like to help by emailing Greg Scholz at toastmastergreg@me.com, and we will pair you with a club that needs help.

With your help, we will have a very successful year!

Greg Scholz

District 106 Club Retention Chair

Rally Around a Youth Leadership Program

Looking for something to bring your club together to rally around? How about a YLP?

YLP is a club-sponsored program that any club and any member can run. There is no need to wait to be assigned by a District Officer or Toastmasters International. You can get your YLP packet, get your participants, and start. The packet is available by clicking here.

One person is the coordinator, another is the co-coordinator, and the club members participate in educational speeches, instructions on organizing their speeches, responding to Table Topics, using Vocal Variety, Gestures, etc. When the six or eight-week course is all done, there can be a "Special Event" or a joint meeting with the sponsoring club and the YLP participants.  

A bonus is that the coordinator gets credit toward their DTM. Check out the DTM application at Toastmasters International -distinguished-toastmaster-award application.

Members who have been around for years sometimes need something new and exciting to keep them engaged and coming back. Doing a social good may be what your club needs. There is something for everyone, and it may be just what your club needs to spark members' enthusiasm for an active and vibrant club.  

Please write to me to ask how a YLP can unite your club and breathe some new purpose, social good, and member bonding within your club.  

Next month's newsletter will be a testimonial to YLP by a past District 106 TMOY. In the meantime, I look forward to hearing from you.

Daniel Grundtner

YLP Chair '22-'23

dan.grundtner@gmail.com

651 487-3068  #1