Dear District 27 Leaders and Members,
During the September Region 6 All Call, I had the opportunity to deliver a 3-minute presentation on ‘Planning for Success.’ I’d like to share some key points from that presentation to help guide us through the last three months of this year and beyond.
"Prior Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance.” This British military adage, known as the 7 Ps, was ingrained in me and my fellow Air Force ROTC cadets during college. These seven words carry profound wisdom and remain relevant today.
Fellow Toastmasters, as we enter the second quarter of the 2024-2025 program year, we’ve achieved much, but there’s still more to do. Remember, success is a continuous journey, a process of daily effort towards our common goals.
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Your role is crucial. Regularly review your plan, make adjustments as needed, and celebrate your wins by recognizing achievements. Together, we can make this year a remarkable success!
“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!” ― Benjamin Franklin
3 Steps to Achieving Your Goals – and Making Your Vision a Reality!
1. Dream: If you can’t picture it, you can’t achieve it.
2. Plan: With a clear vision, set your goals and outcomes.
3. Act: Take steps to turn your plan into reality.
Bottom line: If your goals don’t scare you, they’re not big enough. Adjust your personal and club goals, work hard, and collaborate to grow new clubs and support all clubs in achieving excellence. Share your Toastmasters story and invite colleagues, friends, neighbors, and family to join a meeting. Your commitment to bringing at least one new member to D27 Toastmasters is crucial and highly appreciated.
Together, we are unstoppable. As a united team, our mission is to grow new clubs and support all clubs in achieving excellence. By working together, we can achieve this. One Team, One Mission.”
We are District 27 and We Believe In Greatness (We BIG!!!).
Annette M. Sanks, DTM
District 27 Director
Contact DD27@d27-tm.org
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Division Director of the Month
Robyn Jones, DTM
Division D Director
Robyn Jones, DTM embodies Toastmasters' Core Values: Integrity, Respect, Service and Excellence. She attended the Centennial T.I. Convention in Anaheim, engaging with leaders from around the world to bring fresh ideas to the District.
Robyn leads by example and her Division is thriving as a result of her leadership, dedication and experience. She never misses an opportunity to shine the spotlight recognizing others. She holds Division Council meetings, and works with all her AD and club officers in meeting their goals.
Additionally, she attended DEC and DC meetings, submitted the Division plan and Area success plan on time. DTM Jones totally embodies the servant leader's spirit and is very generous with her time, talents and experience. The Division D Area Directors have completed more Area Visits than any other Division for the first term.
With strong leadership, vision, and teamwork Division D Director is leading the way with DTM Robyn Jones at the helm.
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Area Director of the Month
Scott Swendsen,
Division C - Area 34
Area 34 Director Scott Swendsen is the District Area Director of Month for October 2024. Scott is an exemplary leader, dedicated to serving the members in his area and beyond. He has done an Outstanding job in ensuring that all of his Area 34 Clubs are in good standing, and has worked diligently on ensuring club officers attend District 27 TLI Officers’ Training.
Area 34 Director Swendsen, continues to support District 27 by attending the recent DEC Meeting DC Meeting and Area Director training. He is engaged and communicates regularly with his clubs and is a tremendous representative for Area 34 clubs.
Area 34 Director began his Area Director’s Leadership by encouraging Area 34 Clubs to raise the Bar, and they have stepped up to the plate and working diligently on their DCP Goals, and have moved from the transitioning period of last term, to really becoming a majority of strong Clubs in Good Standing. Area 34 Director Swendsen is a tremendous advocate for District, Division C Areawide Events, such as Area Club Joint Meeting, and Recognition Programs. He is a most valued leader and team player and the District is better due to his commitment and leadership.
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From the Desk of the Club Growth Director | |
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The mission of District 27 is to build new clubs and support all clubs in achieving excellence. Let’s start with building new clubs. Currently, District 27 is collaborating with six individuals who are actively working to establish clubs within their organizations. We plan to host demonstration meetings for some of these potential clubs in October and November. We will need volunteers to fill roles at these meetings, assist with chartering the clubs, and mentor the newly chartered clubs to ensure they are on the right path. If you are interested in contributing to the growth of our District, please reach out to me or our Extension Chair, Jeanna Lee.
Additionally, some members have proposed ideas for forming new clubs, and I am working with them to bring these ideas to fruition. If you have an idea for a new club, please collaborate with the relevant organization and inform me. Our Club Growth Team is ready to work with you and your organization to get a new club started.
We have 88 clubs that need our support. If your club is facing challenges, please inform the Club Retention Team. We are developing an excellent Club Coach program, pairing experienced Toastmasters with clubs that need assistance. Once a coach is assigned, our team will work closely with them, providing training, ideas, support, and sharing best practices. Additionally, we are offering resources to support all clubs.
If your club is thriving but you don’t have the capacity to serve as a club coach, consider participating in our new “Club Helping Hands” program. Toastmasters who attend five meetings of a coach-eligible club, filling roles such as speech evaluator and delivering educational speeches, will be recognized by District 27 and receive a special 100-year anniversary Toastmasters pin. Please visit a low-member club and lend a hand!
Lastly, we had a successful Tabling Event at the Falls Church Fall Festival. Over six hours, nearly two dozen individuals requested more information about Toastmasters. I was assisted by Area 42 Director Chris Harrop and Club Extension Chair and Immediate Past District Director Jeanna Lee. Below is a picture of our Toastmasters booth.
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From the Desk of the Program Quality Director | | |
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PQD Incentives:
Education Seekers Award: The first 5 Clubs to complete this award will earn a $10 Toastmasters Gift Certificate and all clubs earning the award by December 31 will be recognized in the District Newsletter and the District Conference.
The Triple Crown Award: Members earning this award will receive a triple crown award. We would like to give out at least 50 of these awards to at least 50 members who achieve this goal by April 15, 2025. All others will be recognized in the District newsletter. For the first 10 members who earn 6 or more education award they earn in addition a Toastmasters flip top water bottle and the first 5 to complete 9 or more educational awards they also will earn a Toastmasters Umbrella.
The Golden Toaster Award: The first 7 clubs to have all 7 club officers trained in both the summer and winter TLI training sessions will receive a trophy. All clubs achieving this award will receive recognition in the district newsletter and at the District Conference.
Distinguished Toastmaster Award: 10 members earning this award by April 15 will be recognized at the District Conference with an engraved DTM Medal.
PQD Excellence in Education Award: The first 2 clubs with the greatest number of education awards will receive a trophy.
*** The member with the most educational awards will also receive a prize.
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Congratulations to our Education Superstars.
Members receiving Educational Awards from August 1-15, 2024:
B. Schwenzer PM2, PM3, Sheldon IP1; O. Olarinde EC1; S. Gheblawi DL4; P. Davis PM1, PM2, PM3, PM4, PM5; PI 2, PI3, PI4, PI5, and Pathways Mentor; T. Olivieri PM2; J. Wang VC1, VC2, VC3; A. Rahimi PM1; Bernie Cohen EH3; Carmen Mandujano PM2, Dana Wolfolk EH5; Diane Brockington EC5; Erika Bethmann PI1, PI2, PI3, PI4, PI5, IP5, SR5, Pathways Mentor; Evan Repsholdt SR5; Haywood McCallum EH1; Jacques Larochelle PM1, PM2, PM3, PM4; Jennifer Ferguson VC1; Kathryn Blanchard LD1, LD2; LD3, LD4; LD5; Pathways Mentor; Keenan Wiley PM1; Marialuisa Berrier EC3; Nicole Batiste PM1; Reginald Morris VC5, Pathways Mentor; Sandra Rivera VC1, VC2, VC3, VC4, VC5, Pathways Mentor; Sharon Alfred MS5; Shawny Stone IP4; Trina Chambers IP1, IP2, IP3; IP4; IP5, Pathways Mentor.
Members Achieving Education Awards from August 15 to September 20, 2024
Monica Cutchember EH4; Carol Cox EC1, EC2 MS1; F. Jaramillio IP1; Julian Green PM1; Lamar Jennings MS2; Herman Raybon EC2; E. Bingham DL2; A Sanks MS3; Emmanuel Elone PI2; Kathryn Sosbe MS4; Kimberlee Berry IP2; Deborah Hones SR2; Janine Labak PM#; Veleana Hurd Whitaker DL1; Lawrence Frank SR1, SR2, SR3; Tonithia Reid IP3; Antonio Thomas VC2; Nanda Gross VC2; Michael San Antonio EH1; Josep Praydis PM14
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TLI Update
74 of our 88 clubs had 4 or more club officers trained in the summer session. Of these clubs, 26 had all 7 club officers trained. Let’s take these numbers a double notch higher for the Winter training session. We need to have all our club officers trained. I would strongly encourage you to complete your training before the holiday season. Look out for the training dates soon on the district website.
Pathways Basecamp Outage -October
Basecamp will be offline from October 9-25 for a major upgrade. Please complete all projects and levels you are working on before that date. Base camp managers please approve level completions in basecamp and submit all level completions via club central for Distinguished Club Program Credit. If you plan on working on projects during the shutdown period, please download them so that you can work on them manually. To download, open your project and navigate to your evaluation page and click on the print my project icon. When basecamp is available at the end of October you can then enter the completed project.
Progress on Clubs on the way to 4 Educational Goals by December 31, 2024
HUD -6, National Landing – 4
One goal each
Tongue Tied Trainers -1, Crystal City -2, Ballston-1, FAA -1, USDA -1, School Street -1, Tamara Smiley -2, Braddock St - 1, City of Alexandria -1, St. Margaret’s Achievers -1, Patuxent River -1, Sam Fox -1, Bolling -1.
✨ Upcoming Events ✨
* Thursday, October 3, 2024 7pm – Free Toast Host: Website Management
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0kdu2tqz4uEtaAOUmlEbEpdncgVPMI4_U4
* Sunday, October 6, 2024 2pm-4pm – Train the Trainer
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0tdeqoqT8jGd2WLh4FiKba_mwprpUHJVoJ
* Tuesday, October 8, 2024 7:00pm – Moving Forward: Empowering Confident
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcof--oqz0oEtESUOVCFLqITFksww6GJl8h#/registration
* Tuesday, October 15, 2024 7:00pm – Moving Forward: Empowering
with the PQD and Team Education and Tracking Progress.
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYvf-iprj0jEtXyAK_H6YIJzTnR5PKcqpRz
* Saturday, October 26, 2024 10:30am – 2:30pm – District 27 Education Event &
100 year Celebration!
In person event: Arlington Mills Community Center,
909 Dinwiddie St, Arlington VA 22204
Members please submit to the PQD in 100 words how
Toastmasters Changed your life. Some responses will be read at the celebration to be held at the Arlington Mills Community Center.
*** Soon to Come Events ***
* Speech Contest Training
* Pathways Training to begin after the ToaI. upgrade in October.
* Cultural Event January 2025. Please let us know of the talents, skills
and customs you will be willing to showcase at this event in January. Email the PQD@D27-TM.ORG
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THESE CLUBS WELCOME ALL VISITORS | |
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Join the BURGAY Club
Do you have a presentation to give at work and you want feedback beforehand? Do you have one of the longer speeches to give as a Pathways project that may not fit within your club's agenda?
If you are a Toastmaster, or a non-Toastmaster, present at Burgay Speech Tank and get effective feedback with tips to enhance your speech or presentation.
Burgay meets the 2nd Wednesday [Oct 11] of the month, so reach out to Lillian no later than Friday by [Oct 4] to be added to the agenda.
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Inspirational Message: Unexpected Detours
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Do you remember when you were younger and planned your whole life? You probably planned to be rich, married with children, and settled by the age of 28. How’d that work out? As humans, we believe we can control everything around us. We set these goals for ourselves, believing we will know everything that will be thrown our way. Our mind has been accustomed to thinking that if we plan out our every move, it will happen exactly that way. When in fact, that rarely happens.
While I am not discouraging one from planning or setting goals, I am encouraging each of you to give yourself grace. Life is the biggest teacher. Give yourself some time to perfect your craft, don’t be afraid of reinventing a new craft, and allow yourself to embrace the unexpected. As humans, our circumstances constantly force us to change and adapt, which is OKAY. Maybe that business venture didn’t go as planned or you didn’t get accepted into that school of choice. That's okay. Allow yourself to expect unexpected detours and face them head-on.
Change is inevitable. We can’t prevent it from happening. But what we can do is shift our perspective and not be afraid of new changes. Do not stress the things out of our control. Whether the change is health problems, family dysfunction, loss of a job, or whatever obstacle life throws at you, we at Toastmasters want to encourage you to not allow that to stop you. Keep going, even when the direction you intend to go changes. No one has the exact road map to life. But that is what makes life worth living.
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