The Stag Captures 'Bo' the Traveling Gavel

From: Roger H Brown
Date: Wed, Nov 12, 2008 at 9:24 PM
Subject: The Stag Captures 'Bo' the Traveling Gavel

The Stag Toastmaster Club of Area B4 captured "Bo" the traveling gavel from the Greater Hartford Toastmasters Club #919 on November 11, '08.

The following Stag TM members visited the GHTM of Area B5:

Sue McNamara, Norm Thibodeau and Club President Christine Embser.

The Stag Toastmasters Club meets the first and third Wednesday of each month from noon until 1:00pm at The Hartford Tower Bldg, 690 Asylum Ave, in Hartford, CT.

Contact phone (860) 547 9851

From left to right is GHTM President Yvonne Duncan, Sue McNamara, Norm Thibodeau and Stag TM President Christine Embser.

Div.A Traveling Gavel has a new home !!!

The Division A Traveling Gavel was "captured" at the Division A contest last night by IBM Poughkeepsie Speechmakers Toastmasters club!


Picture at right...(l-r) club members John Thayer, Geoff Crew, Thomas Franklin, Ozgur Turkmen and Div.A Governor, Dave Wheeler.

In a very close contest, John, Geoff, Ozgur Turkman and Thomas were able to acquire "Alex", the Division A Traveling Gavel, for their club.

The "contest" for the gavel was based on the number of members in attendence from each club at the Division A Contest... and the first vote count resulted in a 3-way tie between IBM Poughkeepsie Speechmakers, Putnam Speaks and Catskill Toastmasters.

Bonus points were awarded to clubs for their selected suggestions for the "Quiet Minute" activities. Picture to the right shows Dave Wheeler reading off the selected / performed suggestions... but when all the bonus points were tallied, the score was still tied!

The tie-breaker was decided by the number of roles that were served by each club and IBM Poughkeepsie was able to edge Catskill Toastmasters in this category 4-2 to take home the gavel !

It was an exciting meeting and I'm sure the IBM Poughkeepsie club looks forward to having another club visit one of their meetings and "capture" the gavel from them !

And, as you can see in the picture here, they are a fun group of Toastmasters !

Div. A Traveling Gavel could be coming to YOUR CLUB !

The Div. A traveling gavel has been "redistributed" by CIGNA Lunchtime Toastmasters since they captured all 6 traveling gavels and won the "golden gavel" award.

That means that I have the gavel in my possession and rather than hand "Alex" over to one of the clubs where I am a member (which is a harder decision than it seems since I am a member of 3 clubs)...

I have decided, to make it fair to all clubs, to put the Div.A Traveling Gavel "up for grabs" at the Division Contest on April 22nd !

The Gavel will go to the club with the most members in attendence at the Division A Contest on Tuesday April 22nd at the Gardnertown United Methodist church in Newburgh, NY. Click here for a map. The contest starts at 7:30pm and contestants, judges and other roles should arrive at 7pm. I have copied some of the contestants whose email addresses I had but you will want to forward this email to the clubs in your area too !

I look forward to seeing you there!

Dave Wheeler

Div.A Governor, 2006-8

Candidate for Lt.Gov. - Marketing, 2008-9

P.S.

In case you are wondering ...

"What happens if there is a tie?"

In the case of a tie based on the "number of members in attendence", an extra point will be awarded for each of the club members who served as judges, timers or other roles. This "tie-breaking rule" will only be used in the event of a tie. Please send me an email if you have someone who would like to sign up for a role. We will try to be as fair as possible when handing out the roles... but, keep in mind, it will be first come, first served!

"What if there is STILL a tie after the roles have been taken into account?"

As the "double-tie breaker", clubs will be awarded an extra point for each contestant they have in the Division contest from their club.

"What if there is STILL a tie after the "regular- and double tie-breakers" have been enacted?

It will go to "triple overtime" and we will draw numbers for the winner, lowest number wins. (We probably won't get to this... but wouldn't it be exciting if we did?)

"Can clubs from outside Division A 'capture the gavel' by having their members at the Div. A contest and filling a role?"

Yes, if they sign up for a role (before all the roles are filled) and have more members than other clubs in Div. A they can get to take home the gavel to their club. This information will be posted on the Div.A blog, so it is possible that another club will hear about it and try to capture "Alex", but I would be surprised if they could pull it off.

CIGNA Toastmasters ... did you hear that ... a worthy challenge !?!?!!!

One last note... Be sure to mark your calendars for the "Battle of the Border - Return of District 46" on Thursday April 24th at the Ridgefield (CT) Library at 7pm. The top finishers from the Division contest will have the opportunity to compete against some of the best speakers from Div.G (Westchester County) over in District 46.

ALEX has left the building !!!!

Div.A's traveling gavel, named Alex, has been captured by a Toastmaster club ...

in another Division ...

Note: the pictures showing the presentation at Socially Speaking Toastmasters in Brookfield, CT started out nice and friendly...

until it was time for Alex to leave ! (see picture at the bottom)

----- forwarded e-mail ------
From: "Parla, John R"
Date: August 9, 2007

Yesterday, August 8, in a daring (the word of the day is brazen) raid, Club # 9617, CIGNA Lunchtime Toastmasters from Area B2, captured two Traveling Gavels:

(1)Alex from Area A4 at Socially Speaking Club in Brookfield, CT and

(2) Chris from Area C3 at Pfizer Pfearless Club in Groton,CT.

The CIGNA (or Lunchtime) crusaders that performed the raids were:

Steve Gondek, Wayne Botha and John Parla.

Both gavels, Alex and Chris, are now in the possession of CIGNA Lunchtime Toastmasters Club # 9617.

Come and get it.

We meet on the 2nd and 4th Tuesday at noon.
John R. Parla ACB

The Div.A Traveling Gavel has moved !

Official "Gavel Capture Notification" !!

Socially Speaking Toastmasters of Area A4 have captured the "Alex" Traveling Gavel on Wednesday June 6, 2007.


The following members of Socially Speaking visited WestConn Toastmasters of Area A4:
Don Lococo, Diane Smigala, Croix Sather and Dave Wheeler.

Socially Speaking Toastmasters meets every 2nd and 4th Wednesday at Congregational Church of Brookfield, 160 Whisconier Road, Intersection of Routes 25 & 133, Brookfield, CT, 06804.
Contact phone: (203)240 0954
Email: sociallyspeakingtm@yahoo.com
website: sociallyspeaking.freetoasthost.com

Who is next?????

Come and Get it !

Dave Wheeler
For "Traveling Gavel Guidelines" see:
http://www.district53toastmasters.org/travelinggavel.html

On 6/9/07, Don Lococo wrote:

Hello all,
Thanks to Diane, Croix and Dave, we are the proud (and probably very temporary) owners of Alex, the Traveling Gavel. Since we were well represented at Westconn last Wednesday, we qualified to capture the toy car. I think we should start a bumper sticker "log" to document the date and club that carjacked (gavel jacked?) Alex.

Diane is ensuring its security at the moment, and will be bringing it to our next meeting. I thought she would get a kick out of showing it to some of her friends and fellow residents at the Lutheran Home. I will try to get a picture of it.

Hope to see you Wednesday,

Don

The story of the Traveling Gavel

In a land that is not far, far away and in a time that was alot like "right now", there sprung forth an idea to bring together neighboring Toastmaster clubs and boost the FUN and inter-club connections in District 53.

This idea came to be known as "The Traveling Gavel" !

This is how Ute Brinkman tells the story (slightly edited for dramatic effect) ....


We received an email in early February. The idea of a traveling gavel came from district 31 (Boston and surroundings) via South Africa (District 74) to Region VII. It was named "George" after it's creator George Manoogian, area F6 governor in district 31.

[see picture to right]

We asked ourselves... Shall we join in? Should we make one gavel for the whole district? Or 6 gavels, one for each division? Who will make them? When and how should we release them?

It turned into a joint project for District 53's LGM (Karin von Kaenal) and PR Officer (Ute Brinkman).

[Ute is shown in the picture putting the finishing touches on the "Gavel-mobiles".]







And on Saturday, May 19, 2007 at the Leadership Summit in East Hartford we introduced 6 Traveling Gavels ... named Alex, Bo, Chris, Drew, Ennis and Francis for Div.A,B,C,D,E and F respectively ... to be placed in the home clubs of the current division governors.


Division A, B and D governors have their Traveling Gavels, the C gavel was taken by area C6 governor, the E and F Traveling Gavel still need to be mailed or handed out at the next district meeting in mid-June.

Division A's Traveling Gavel ("Alex") will be presented to WestConn Toastmasters, Club 599, on June 6th at their regular club meeting. WestConn Toastmasters meets on the first and third Wed. of every month at the Wooster School Library in Danbury, CT.

To complete the communication process, our District 53 web master is setting up a page on the district web site for the locations of the Traveling Gavels and Ute will ask John Osborne for an entry in the Yankee Activator.

Here is the web site draft by our webmaster:

The Objective:

1. Encourage joint Toastmaster Club meetings
   
2. Share talents and knowledge of communications and leadership.
   
3. Extend the fellowship of Toastmasters.

The Plan:

1. Three (or more) Toastmaster members, from the same club, visit the target Club who currently holds that Traveling Gavel. Please call ahead and announce your intent to visit.
   
2. The visiting Toastmasters must participate in the target Club meeting in some way.
   
3. The visiting Toastmasters "Capture" or take the Traveling Gavel at the end of the meeting; returning to display the captured Traveling Gavel at their next Toastmasters Club meeting.
   
4. Once a Traveling Gavel is captured, the visiting Toastmasters must announce the new home for the Traveling Gavel. They must email the District 53 webmaster ( Email Webmaster to post. ) and declare the new location (Club Name, Area) so that other Toastmaster Clubs can plan to visit (raid) the Club and capture (take away) the coveted Traveling Gavel.
   
   Sample Email message:
   
   To: D53 Webmaster <webber53@district53toastmasters.org
   From: Member or Club Name
   
   The Gavel Banger Toastmasters of Area X1 have captured the "Gavel Name" Traveling Gavel on July 1, 2007.
   
   The following members visited the Gavel Ghost Toastmasters of Area Y1: John Q. DePrez, Clare Chatter, and Sargeant Bob Bailey.
   
   The Gavel Bangers meet every 1st and 3rd Tuesday at Oratory Library, 123 Main Street,
   
   Yourtown, State. Contact phone: 860-555-5353
   
   With pride,
   Martha D. Hostenklub, CC, CL

I sincerely hope we can encourage inter club visits by introducing Alex, Bo, Chris, Drew, Ennis and Francis, the 6 Traveling Gavels in District 53. It will be fun.

Ute
------------------------------------
Ute Brinkmann, D₂ TM
Toastmasters International District 53 PRO
"Lead With Vision" 2006 - 2007
District Communication Chair
"Dare to Believe" 2007-2008