Dilbert creator says "Toastmasters makes you happy !"

Well, he didn't really say that... but if you read between the lines (and, maybe if you are already a Toastmaster) you might get that message from his recent blog article about "Engineering Happiness".

Check out his article if you don't believe me !

Click here !

Do you know someone who needs a PUSH?

I saw this online movie titled "Even Eagles Need a Push" and thought of Toastmasters...
(see it at http://www.eaglesneedapush.com/)

Do you know of someone that needs a push... towards Toastmasters?

Do you need a push?

There are a nearly limitless number of challenges (or "growth opportunities") within Toastmasters and if you need a PUSH, just ask a club or district officer what might available.

Do you want to soar on the stage of the District Conference?
Now is the time to enter your club's speech contests which progress through the Area and Division contests and culminate on the District stage in front of hundreds of fellow Toastmasters ! (I can tell you ... it is an incredible experience.)

Do you want to find your wings in Toastmasters Leadership?
Visit the newly improved District 53 Website at http://www.district53toastmasters.org/ and check out the Leadership section (under the Main Menu on the left side of the page). All the current positions are listed there along with the people who are currently serving. Feel free to contact them and find out what they do in their role. Perhaps you will find something to PUSH you to new heights !

.... by Dave Wheeler, D53 LGET, 2009-10

Heath Suddleson's Presentation

Heath Suddleson, Toastmasters International Director, visited District 53 in January 2010 and gave a well received presentation at a number of the Toastmasters Leadership Exchange (TLE) events around the District. The video below was recorded by Andre White, Div.A Governor, at the Div.A TLE event on January 15th, 2010 so that it could be shared with others within our district.

Part 1 of 3



Part 2 of 3



Part 3 of 3

More "Why Toastmasters?" videos...

We had a great turnout at the Toastmasters Leadership Exchange last Saturday (12/12) in Manchester, CT and a number of people took advantage of our video setup and created videos for the D53 YouTube Challenge .

Check out the District 53 YouTube Channel and all the "Why TM?" videos (we are up to at least 20)...

http://www.youtube.com/user/D53Toastmasters#

Why Toastmasters? Sample Videos

Below are some sample YouTube videos provided by Sherri Rafftery, District 31 Governor 2009-10; Kristen Nicolson, Past Intl. Director for Toastmasters; and Heath Suddleson, Toastmasters Intl.Director from Region 7 2009-11.







If you want to add your own YouTube video for the "Why Toastmasters?" video challenge, be sure to tag the video with D53 (since District 53 is organizing this challenge) and "Why TM" so that your video can be found via a YouTube search.

If you would like your video listed as a favorite on the D53 YouTube Channel, send an email with a link to your video to Dave Wheeler. His email address is theshot92 [at] gmail.com. The email address is listed this way (without the @ symbol) to prevent automatic programs who capture addresses and send spam.

Of course, your video should be "Toastmasters-friendly". If you don't know what that means, ask another Toastmaster or a club officer.

Special Thanks to Sherri, Kristen and Heath for stepping forward and providing these excellent examples !

YTM YouTube Challenge... Why Toastmasters?

District 53's
"Why Toastmasters?" YouTube Challenge
Showcasing the Value of Toastmasters !

How to Enter:
Create a 1-2 minute YouTube.com video where you answer the question, "Why Toastmasters?". Your TableTopics-length speech should articulate what you feel is the value of Toastmasters to the viewer. Basically, it is your “elevator” speech for Toastmasters.

All entries will be in the form of videos loaded to YouTube.com. The videos must be tagged with “D53” and "Why TM" and include the contestant’s name, their club name & number. This information can also be added as text overlay or in the description of the video, but the "D53" and "Why TM" must be clear to judges and searchable in YouTube. (Otherwise, we won’t be able to find all the entries.)

Content of the video should be “Toastmasters-friendly” and in good taste such that it could be shown at a District 53 event. District Sr. Team will determine if a video is disqualified for content.

Speech Time:
1-2 minutes (2:30 maximum total video time)

Who can enter:
Any active Toastmasters member in good standing of a club in good standing within District 53 may submit a video for the D53 Challenge. Members of other districts are welcome to create videos... they just won't be part of the D53 Challenge. The member who enters the video must be in the video for at least 50% of the time. Non-members may assist and even appear in the video but there is not liability assumed by Toastmasters. Entrants assume all liability.

Current and immediate past district officers may enter except for the current District Governor, Lt.Gov.-Education & Training, Lt.Gov.- Marketing and the District 53 Chief Judge. Finalists may not be finalist judges.

Judging:
Public opinion will decide the 10 finalists via YouTube.com’s ability for viewers to rank the videos. An important part of this effort will be how entrants promote their videos (to get “votes”). Finalists will be announced 1 week before the District 53 final event where the finalists will be recognized. Current plans are for the challenge to culminate at the D53 Spring 2010 conference.

Judges will be chosen by the Chief Judge & Sr. Team from all District 53 Divisions. The judges will view the finalist videos online during the week prior to the final event and deliver their ballots to the District 53 Judging Team at least 2 days prior to the final event.

Prizes & Recognition:
Finalist Videos will be shown at the Spring Conference and awards presented for:
1st, 2nd and 3rd Place Overall
Most Humorous
Most Creative

What if I don’t own a video camera or computer?
A videographer will be made available on a first-come, first-served basis at Division contests within District 53. These sessions give an opportunity to members who are not able to enter themselves due to a lack of video equipment or computer access. The number of video slots at the Division contests will be limited so contact your Division Governor to sign up. Keep in mind that these videos may not have as long to accumulate votes online.
Questions?
Contact Dave Wheeler, D53 Lt.Gov.-Education & Training, via email address theshot92 [at] gmail.com. Be sure to include "Why TM?" in the Subject line.

D53 Sr. Team goes to training...

Last weekend (12/4-12/6), District 53's Sr. Team (Marsha, Richard and Dave) went to Regional Training where they learned lots and picked up a ton of ideas that will help our district over the coming months.

In addition, there is a tradition at the regional training that each district's Sr.Team will create and perform a skit after the evening dinner. This year, D53 did a parody on the Bravo TV network's show, "Inside the Actors Studio with James Lipton". We had Richard Peck playing the part of James Lipton and Marsha Kiley as the "star" being interviewed. (Dave Wheeler created the clips and ran the audio video.)

While we did not videotape the whole skit, we can pass along the video clips that were used within the skit. The embedded video below features our Intl. Directors, Heath & Annelie...

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Here are the links to all the "film clips" we used...

Holiday Greetings from the Region 7 Intl. Directors (in case the embedded video above did not work for you).

Christmas Story featuring Kristen & Dan

Halloween (we used this as a promo on YouTube.com for our Fall 2009 Conference). This link is to the YouTube video which includes text overlaid on the video with information about the conference. Be sure you have "annotations" turned on when you watch it (so you will get the "full effect").

Its a Wonderful Life (featuring our friends from D31)

The D53 Xmas Dancers featuring Marsha, Dave and Richard.

These were all made using JibJab.com if you want to play around with it yourself.

I am also working on a "YouTube Channel" for District 53 and that is where I will be loading up the "Why Toastmasters?" videos. (They should be there soon.)

Holiday Greetings !
Dave Wheeler
D53 LGET, 2009-10
Move Forward !

Official Car for District 53?

I was coming back from a weekend in New Hampshire and the number on this car caught my eye...

I knew that I had seen it somewhere before, but I could not place it until I got home.

By then I realized that it was an imitation of "Herbie, the Love Bug" (click here for the wikipedia explanation).

Should this be the "Official Car for District 53"?

"Lost" members?

Are you focusing on the positive or the negative aspects?

I got an email today about a layoff at a company in District 53 where we have a corporate club. In the email, the writer talked about how they "lost some of their club officers" due to the layoff.

Are the people who are laid off really LOST?
Certainly they won't have their membership paid for by their old company anymore, but chances are they still have some time left on the current paid membership (or they may be able to negotiate a renewal into their exit package).

These members are definitely not lost... they are simply in the process of transitioning to another Toastmasters club where they can expand their personal network of connections and possibly find an even better job!

It does no good to dwell on things in the past... and by leveraging their Toastmasters experience these "lost members" will be miles ahead of others in the job market !

... there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it
so. ...
- Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act 2, scene 2

You control what you choose to focus on.

Make it something that moves you in a positive direction !

Congratulations: A New Club in Division E

Welcome and Congratulations to the Club sponsors, charter members and all who made this new Toastmasters Club possible.

ESPI Toastmasters Club (O) Open to all interested parties

Meeting Place:

Energy Services Providers, Inc. (ESPI)

877 South St, Pittsfield, MA 01201

District: 53

Area: E1 (Thanks to Ann Bloch!)

Club Number: 1223576

Charter Date: 08/20/2008

Meeting Time: 12:30 pm, Wednesday

Phone: 866 937 3774

Energy Services Providers, Inc. (ESPI) supplies electricity and natural gas, and a variety of other energy cost savings services (energy-efficient lighting, HVAC, compressors, controls, etc.) in several states. ESPI is currently the fastest growing electricity supplier in the State of New York.

District 53 recognized at International Convention

Congratulations to our '07-08 District Leadership Team!

At the Hall of Fame ceremonies at the 77th Annual Toastmasters International Convention held in Calgary, Alberta, Canada our District 53 was recognized as a Distinguished District.

In the picture, we see our top 3 leaders for 2007-08 holding recognition awards: Marsha Kiley "Excellence in Marketing;"Karin Von Kaenel "Excellence in Education and Training;" andWill Ryan "Distinguished District."

The Distinguished District Program recognizes those districts that meet Toastmasters International’s growth and educational goals. The program, which begins July 1st and ends June 30th, sets goals in the areas most critical to a district’s success. Every district that meets all its goals and the program prerequisites is awarded the designation Distinguished District.

Photo caption: From left to right,Ute Brinkmann (Presidential Citation recipient), R7 International Director Val Albert, Deb Grehn, Don Logie, LGET Marsha Kiley,DG Karin Von Kaenel, Immediate Past TI President Chris Ford,IPDG Will Ryan, and Rich Couture.

NOTE: Thanks to Roger Brown for passing along this post.

Looking for Division webmasters and a new head webmaster

From:
Karin von Kaenel, LGET 07-08
& incoming District Governor, '08-09

Subject:
Looking for Division webmasters and a new head webmaster

Our current webmaster has expressed his interest to pass on the torch and so we're looking for

- a head webmaster

- 6 Division webmasters

The job of the webmaster has been too time consuming for most people. This is an opportunity to split up the responsibilities in a way that benefits all.

If each Division takes care of their own Division pages, we get the following advantages:

- more people get to be webmasters

- the Divisions get faster turn around time on updates and they have more freedom in designing their web pages

- the head webmaster's job is made easier

- the turn around time for changes to the overall website are faster

Are you interested in either one of these jobs?

If yes, please let me know.

If not, please find somebody else in your Division who'd be interested and let me know.

Thanks a bunch for your help!

Have a great week!

Karin von Kaenel

The Dare Guy... and Dare Kids too !

Many of you will recognize the person in silouette on the District 53 "Dare To Believe" logo ... affectionately known as "The Dare Guy".

He appeared on the backdrop for the stage at the Fall Conference back in November and is has been around all year ... helping inspire us to reach new levels in Toastmasters!

Now there is a new addition
to the "Dare" family...

"Dare to Believe" Youth !


(photo courtesy of another blog, lifehack.org)





Why do we say that????


District 53 has a new Youth Leadership Coordinator ...

Doug Cloutier.

Doug was the education chair for the 2007 Spring conference and he is now tasked with reaching out to youths throughout our communities and spreading the lessons of Toastmasters!

You can contact Doug via email at youth53@district53toastmasters.org.

Please welcome Doug to his new role and let him know if you see any opportunities where Toastmasters could help young people "Dare To Believe"!

Happy Holidays from Div. A (and the D53 team) !

Since we have all been working like busy little elves getting things done for Toastmasters, it only makes sense that we "Elf yourself" (via a website sponsored by OfficeMax).


The link below will bring you to a short video with a holiday greeting featuring Dave Wheeler, Div.A Governor, as well as the whole D53 senior leadership team !






http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1222763953

You will want to have the volume turned on for the audio portion of this video too !

Happy Holidays and ....

Best Wishes for even more Toastmasters FUN in 2008!






Dave Wheeler

Our International Director Candidate

From: Will Ryan
Date: Aug 20, 2007 3:24 PM
Subject: Our International Director Candidate

Dear District 53 members and leaders,

I am thrilled to say that Rich Couture is now a candidate for International Director for Region VII. I had the distinct privilege of announcing his candidacy last week at the Region VII breakfast meeting at the Toastmasters Convention in Phoenix.

Rich is extremely well qualified for this position and although there are other candidates, I'm confident that Rich will be elected at the Convention in Calgary, Alberta, Canada next August.

Please join me in congratulating Rich and offering to help him with his campaign over the next year.

Will Ryan DTM
District 53 Toastmasters
District Governor
2007 - 2008 "Dare to Believe"

The D53 Toastmaster Calendar... 2007-2008

Ever feel like you don't have the "Big Picture" for the whole Toastmaster year? Does it feel like there are lots and lots of details that you should be on top of as a club officer, area governor or district officer?



Well, here is a solution ...
The District 53 Graphic Calendar for 2007-2008.

(click here for a pdf version of the pages shown below).

Your first impression might be that it looks pretty cluttered (colorful, but cluttered)... but if you focus on a particular month (July for example) it is really pretty simple. The key activities are listed right there!

The year is also divided up (and color coded) into about 4-5 phases depending on what is going on and each is labeled across the bottom. The Red months are not labeled but I think we all know what RED means.

Over the past few years these months have been known as "Crunch Time" ! (Ask Past District Governors Paul Young and John Lynch about "Captain Crunch" the next time you see them!)

From the month you started with, you can look ahead a little bit or all the way to the end of the year. When is the deadline for dues? Look it up quickly and easily!

What do you think? Let us know in the comments.


Please note... if you print out the calendar, it was designed for Legal-size paper (8.5x14) so you will need to plan accordingly.

Newly elected and appointed District Officers

Newly elected and appointed District 53 Officers:
The District 53 Council elected District officers at the Spring
Conference and Leadership Summit on Saturday, May 19th. The following
elected officers will serve from July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2008.

Top Three District Officers for 2007 - 2008
* District Governor: Will Ryan, DTM
* Lt Gov Education/Training: Karin Von Känel, ACB, ALS
* Lt Gov Marketing: Marsha Kiley, CTM

Division Governors for 2007 - 2008
* Division A Governor: David Wheeler, ATMS
* Division B Governor: Michael Aron, ACB, CL
* Division C Governor: Sharon Mercado, CTM, CL
* Division D Governor: Thomas Fitch, CTM, CL
* Division E Governor: Michael Finn, ATMS
* Division F Governor: Jim Parsons, ACS

District Governor-elect, Will Ryan, DTM announced the following
Officer Appointments. The following appointed officers will serve
from July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2008.

Appointed District Officers for 2007 - 2008
* Public Relations Officer: Deidre Boone, CC
* District Secretary: Norm Thibodeau, DTM
* District Treasurer: Sam Young, DTM

URL: http://www.district53toastmasters.org/0708Officers.html
Revised: Monday, May 21, 2007

IMPORTANT NOTE:
Division A still has openings for Area A2 and A4 Governors. This is an opportunity to learn more about Toastmasters and expand your leadership skills. Area Governor has been called "The Best Job in Toastmasters" by nearly every District officer who has held the title. Contact Dave Wheeler (theshot92@gmail.com) or Will Ryan (will53@shawenon.com) if you are interested.
[Serving as Area Governor also fulfills one of the requirements for the Advanced Leader award!)

Fwd: New Web Sites

Forwarded From: Roger Brown, District 53 Webmaster
Date: May 14, 2007 12:19 PM
Subject: New TM Web Sites

Who won the "Battle of the Border"????

Since you all know that the [infamous?] "Battle of the Border 2007" between District 53's Div.A & D and District 46's Div.G was held last night at Ridgefield Library (hosted by the new Div.A Advanced TM club), I'm sure you are wondering....

WHO WON THE BATTLE?????

Well.... before I get to that, let me show you some pictures....

The picture above includes (l-r) Anne Swartout (Area A4 Governor/D53), Croix Sather (Tall Tales winner Div.A/D53), Edwin Borelly (Intl. winner, Div.G/46), Rob Ferrucci (Intl.Runner-up Div.A/53), Koshy Chacko (Intl.2nd Runner-up, Div.G/46), Jinghua Xu (Tall Tales Runner-up Div.A/53), Richard Peck (Tall Tales Winner Div.D/D53), Mary Neff (Div.G Governor/D46) and Nana Danso (Intl.Winner Div.A/D53)

As you can see from the pictures... everyone was having alot of fun.

Of course it wasn't all about FUN... we provided feedback to each contestant ... in an "American Idol" format with Richard Hastings, Mary Neff and Anne Swartout providing their comments along with inputs from the audience.

The contestants came prepared for a "bare-knuckle speech contest" and the audience was not disappointed! (The ContestMaster, Dave Wheeler, wore boxing gloves ... at least for a little while... but eventually, "the gloves came off".)

The prizes were awarded to the following contestants (pictured here, l-r):

Edwin Borrelly D46, 3rd place

Nana Danso D53, 1st place

Rob Ferrucci D53, 2nd place.

Of course the real winners were ALL the contestants who participated and were able to take their speeches and skills to a new level. All the speeches were incredible... and some may argue that the audience was the real winners.

How are we going to tell who really won?

I guess we will have to do it again next year !

The "Battle of the Border" .... April 19th!

The Battle of the Border is ON !

The newly initiated Div.A Advanced Toastmasters club has reserved the (very large) "Dayton Room" at Ridgefield (CT) Library for a BIG EVENT on April 19th.

Click here for a copy of the event FLYER !

The Dayton Room at the Ridgefield Library has a raised platform and audio equipment that will be good practice for the winners of the Division A contests (prior to the District Contest in May). We expect to pull in the winners from Division D ( Southern CT) and even Division G of District 46 in WestChester County, NY and parts of NJ.

The agenda will be similar to a Toastmasters contest... with a few variations since it is NOT an official contest. It is simply a [tongue-in-cheek] grudge match between neighboring divisions in different districts!

In fact, it might end up being more like "American Idol" than a "normal" Toastmasters contest!!

Our "first pass" agenda looks like this....

Warm-up Section:
Toastmaster: Dave Wheeler, Division A Governor
Introduction of Timer, Ah Counter / Grammarian and Judges

Speakers:
Croix Sather, Tall Tales winner, Div.A (D53)
Tall Tales winner Div.D (D53)
Nana Danso, Intl. Winner, Div. A (D53)
Rob Ferrucci, Intl. 1st Runner-up, Div. A (D53)
Intl. Winner, Div.G (D46)
Intl. 1st Runner-up, Div. G (D46)
Intl. Winner, Div.D (D53)
Intl. 1st Runner-up, Div. D (D53)

alternate speakers (to fill any empty slots above if needed)
Jinghua Xu, Tall Tales 1st Runner-up, Div. A (D53)
[name?], Tall Tales club winner, BI Toastmasters (D53)
[send an email to Dave Wheeler at theshot92@gmail.com if you would like to be considered as an alternate speaker).

Panel of Judges:
Anne Swartout, Area A4 Governor (D53)
Mary Neff, Div.G Governor (D46)
Evaluation Contest Winner & Runner-up(D46)
Div.A Advanced Club members
Ah Counter/Grammarian
Timer

Voting for Best Overall Speech (and runner-up) will be made by audience choice and announced after the speakers have each had a brief evaluation / comments from the Judges.

TROPHIES will be awarded !!!!!!

Bring a guest and enjoy a great evening of entertainment !