The Answer to all our Club Membership Questions

by Gina Lockhart, DTM

Lakeview Toastmasters - Club Mentor, Sponsor and VPE

Three of us started a brand new toastmaster club a year and a half ago. We had many concerns as we contemplated chartering such as…

• How will we get a minimum of 20 members and keep them?
• How will we get the members to come to each meeting and stay excited about Toastmasters?
• How do we get them to sign up to give speeches?
• How can we have fun while learning?
• Who will want to be an officer?
• How will we become a Presidents Distinguished club every year?
• How do we get visitors to come to our meetings, become members and bring their friends and coworkers?

Naturally between the three of us, we came up with plenty of answers from having open houses, passing out fliers to having guest speakers and bringing food. Yes, food always works well we found out but we get tired of bringing it every week and it can be costly. We found the best solution was a balance between all of these. We came up with monthly themed meetings and we GO ALL OUT!

Here’s how it works: Each officer chooses a month and is in charge of the themed meeting for that month. The officer chooses a theme and they can grab a team of 1-2 more people if desired. The themes can be anything, i.e., Feb – Hearts, Red, Love or Cardio, (we are a healthcare company), you can be creative here. Then they ask for volunteers or use a signup sheet for members to bring food and decorations. This is all voluntary, not mandatory. Then they announce their theme one month in advance, so there is always a themed meeting to look forward to. The Grammarian, speakers and table topic master are then asked to choose a word of the day, speeches and topics that incorporate the theme. At the end of the meeting, we socialize over the food and snacks that were brought, like red velvet cupcakes and punch for our Feb cardio theme. Members and visitors love it, the work is not all on one officer and its easy to do! Each month is a different theme. Members can take a month too if they are motivated or they can be helpers. It even fits the criteria in their CL manual so they credit for it as well. You can have any theme like International month, Father’s Day, Thanksgiving or Cardboard Box Day. Be creative. The theme doesn’t matter, what matters is, it is a meeting that everyone looks forward to attending, its different from the usual meetings and members love bringing guests to them. Plus there is food. Having themed meetings once a month we found are not too often but just often enough. Of course, still have your guest speakers come and prepare your open houses with fliers for the meetings in between the themed meetings. Keep the variety going for your meetings and the members guessing at what will be next. You will notice a greater attendance at weekly meetings, new members joining often, membership retention, DCP points rising, a line of members ready to be an officer for next term and your signup sheets will be filled with speakers weeks in advance! We say whoever coordinates the themed meeting is Toastmaster for that day.

What did I choose for my month? I chose ‘It’s Everyone’s Birthday!’ This themed meeting was complete with party hats, balloons, noise makers, presents for table topics and birthday slides on the screen. To polish off the meeting, we concluded with a Banana Dream Cake, candles and singing for all of our birthdays (it was fun trying to fit everyone’s name in that song). We love having themed meetings and we keep a solid 24 members. What theme will you choose first?

It's Not How You Start but How You Finish

by Rikesh Amin, CC, ALB

Three years ago I competed in my first international speech contest. It was in 2012 and I had been a member of Toastmasters for two years at that time. I remember having a difficult time choosing a topic for my speech. My name was called up and I began my speech. It was going well... until I reached the half way point and my mind just went blank as I lost my place. I froze but did not panic. A good 20 seconds went by, although it felt like 20 minutes, as I stayed silent trying to think what to say next. I eventually remembered and finished my speech. After the contest, a fellow Toastmaster walked up to me and said that "It's not how you start, but it's how you finish people remember."

Fast forward to 2015 and I am competing for the second time. I learned a couple of things from three years ago which helped. The first was to focus on a story (rather than a topic) and find your message through it. The second was that no matter how you begin, you can still turn it around. With these points in mind, I began my speech. However, nerves set in and I became unsure of my introduction and fumbled a little in my opening. My heart sunk a little remembering back three years ago but my brain marched on as I told myself the reason I was doing it was to improve. I found that this time I could remember my topic a lot easier because I used a story and found a message in it. This helped me focus and finish strong. Many in attendance told me afterwards it was the most complete and best speech they had seen me give. I felt vindicated a little as the same Toastmaster walked up to me and said again "It wasn't how you started, but how you finished that was the difference."  

Just like in speeches, sports, and life in general it is true that it is not about where you came from but where you are and where you are going that counts more. The next time something happens, remember that It's not how you start that matters, but how you finish.

Be in the Present by Kathy Emerson, DTM

When my Division Governor, Darlene Williams, asked that I give the Invocation at her upcoming contest, I gladly accepted for two reasons: as a Toastmaster we say "Yes" to opportunities, and I had never performed this role before so I could extend my comfort zone. Over the next few weeks my message took shape. Feedback at the contest was encouraging and positive, with requests to share it with a larger audience, such as in our District 84 SunTalker.   

Invocation at Division B Contest, District 84                                             April 19, 2015
by Kathy Emerson, DTM, Harbor City Toastmasters club 3042, Melbourne, Florida
Toastmaster since 7/1/99
***************************
For this moment, I want you to please set distractions aside, don’t look at your program, don’t reach for your phone, don’t think about anything else.
Just listen.

Take this moment to focus on being in the present and not think about what you should be doing, or what you will be doing next.

When you interact with others, set distractions aside and focus on taking an interest in what others are saying and doing.

Most people are so accustomed to having half of someone else's focus at any given moment that this gesture alone will make others feel important.
They will have your full attention.

We know that technology can be a distraction.
I am not asking that you get rid of technology.

I am asking that you do recognize when it is not working for you, recognize when it is not necessary, recognize when it is interrupting your present.

And when should we be in the present?
With our families, with our children, with co-workers and with everyone who needs are attention and with whom we need theirs.

Because right now, the most important thing that you are doing is what you are doing right now ………. Otherwise, you would not be doing it.

Enjoy the moment by being in the present.
Know that when you are interested, you are interesting.

A short while ago a neighbor from a few blocks away stopped by to see me to let me know that we know someone in common and it is just such a coincidence.
Joe is a lovely man, who never fully recovered from the stroke he suffered years ago. Having this conversation would take time, and that is exactly what happened. There were no distractions, just me and Joe.
Before he left, he thanked me for talking with him and gave me a hug.
When I thought about it, he did most of the talking, I was listening and engaged. He had my full attention.

I thought about how this gesture impacted both of our days.

I believe so much of what we need to accomplish begins with listening and with being in the present.
By being aware, you may discover that you are a really amazing listener.

You will be engaged, and engaging.
The more you do this, the better you will be at it. 

There are many quotes on living in the present, on being in the moment.
The one that works with my message is a very simple one by the comedian, Jerry Seinfeld,

“We have fallen into a trap of ever-widening orbits of contact,
and there is a total disregard for the present moment.”

You have my attention. Do I have yours?
Please use your opportunities, your abilities, your interactions to practice being in the present.

When you think about what else you should be doing, or what you need to do next, finish those thoughts and come back to the present.
You can manage this.

Because right now, the most important thing that we are doing is what we are doing right now.

Toastmasters District 84 Spring Conference

Plans are in the making for the District 84 Spring Conference!

Mark your calendars now and join your fellow Toastmasters at the Florida Hotel in Orlando on May 29^th and 30^th.  Join the fun at TV FLASHBACK! This is one conference you won’t want to miss! Who is your favorite television character or personality? Did you secretly wish you were The Fonz or one of Charlie’s Angels? Are you a fan of Lucille Ball or the Marx Brothers? Can you imagine being Morticia Addams or Columbo for the evening? No holds barred on Friday night… whether you prefer to dress up as someone from years ago, or from a current TV show, the choices are endless!

There will be a costume contest on Friday evening before dinner, so arrive early and join in the fun. Be entertained by our Key Note speaker, the 2001 World Champion of Public Speaking, Darren La Croix. After dinner, cheer on the contestants at the Table Topics contest and then eat, drink and dance the night away at the Hospitality Room. On Saturday, after a nourishing breakfast, educational and fun breakout sessions will keep you busy until the Awards Luncheon. After the afternoon District business meeting, dress in your “finest” and enjoy dinner and the best of the best at the District 84 International Speech Contest. Cheer on our newest DTMs and again dance and socialize with your fellow Toastmasters and guests for a 2^nd night in the Hospitality Room.

Registration will be opening soon. Plan now to join TV personalities and characters from all over TV land. From Captain Kangaroo to Captiain Kirk…. Sonny and Cher to Sonny Crocket … The Lone Ranger to The Little Rascals! See you at TV Flashback!

My Memories of Karl Righter, by Scott Hoehn, DTM

Mention the name “Karl Righter” to many Toastmasters in this state, and you’ll most likely hear the response “Oh yeah, the Bombproof Humor guy” or “He’s the main roaster every year at the conferences, right?” or “That’s the guy who’s always impeccably dressed and always has something funny to say. Sure I know him!”  Members of his clubs, the Orlando Conquerors and The Winter Park Toastmasters will tell you of Karl’s devotedness as far as attendance for the past nearly fifty years. They’ll most likely tell you how friendly he was to anyone and everyone he ever met. Mention Karl’s name to me, and I’ll give you another story.

I first saw Karl, more than 40 years ago.  My dad brought me to a conference in Daytona Beach in 1973, where Karl stood at the head table, addressing the crowd as District 47 Governor. He was impressive…as close to James Bond as I’d ever seen.  He made the crowd roar with laughter.  My dad didn’t speak of too many people as “heroes” at that time, other than Earl Nightingale, W. Clement Stone or Zig Ziglar.  When dad included Karl Righter to his list, he got my attention. This would be a man to watch!

Many years later, I moved back to Florida in 2005 and finally got to meet Karl at an Area contest. Later that day, I went to see my dad, who was in an assisted living facility, struggling with the onset of dementia.  He couldn’t remember my mom or most other things of his past, but when I mentioned I met “Karl Righter”, he said “The District Governor?” And then his face lit up!  Getting to know Karl better, I began to understand why.

Karl impressed me, not only as a humorist, but as a leader.  When I joined the Orlando Conquerors, I learned quickly that Karl was always insistent that members were dressed for business and acted professionally.  If you didn’t wear a tie…he told you.  If you said anything inappropriate, he’d surely let you know. And if you DARED to say an UM, boy did you hear the glasses in the room get dinged!  Following each meeting, he’d make sure to attend almost ALL of the sessions of “The Last Word”, because he hated to see an evening with his friends come to an end.  He’d also open his home to his friends several times a year to gather for parties, whether it was the annual beach party, a New Year’s party or a Super Bowl party.  What can I say…he LOVED to party!

Karl once told me that he never worried about using old jokes in his speeches or roasts.  He said “It’s a lot easier to find new audiences, than it is to find new jokes.” No matter what the words were, the magic was always in his delivery.

At our recent Fall Conference, it was the first time in 48 years that Karl was not present at the annual roast of our Immediate Past District Governor.  He asked me to deliver some jokes in his name.  It was easy to remember his material, but so difficult to stand in his place. It was the first time I felt lonely on the stage without his presence in the room. 

A few weeks later, after Karl’s battle with pancreatic cancer finally ended, a party was held, per Karl’s instruction, to gather once again his dear friends. I was honored to join Karl’s wife, Julie Kane, Carson Shaffer, John Nuccitelli, Nancy Hoehn, Jordan Camenker and others, to share our heartfelt thanks for the many ways Karl has enriched our lives.

I’ll bet most of you reading this, have seen the classic Christmas move, “It’s a Wonderful Life.”  There’s a line in the movie when little Zu Zu tells her dad, “Listen daddy! Teacher says that whenever a bell rings, it means an angel has been given its wings!”  On that note, I’d like to believe that whenever we hear the clink of glasses, that Karl Righter has heard an angel say “UM.”

Although the season of remembrance, of forgiveness, of love has passed, I hope we always remember the man Karl Righter was, may we forgive any trespasses he may have made and may we always love the laughter and joy he imparted on us during his life.  Here’s to you, Karl!

Karl Photo Montage

Call for Nominations for District 84 Officers

This is the time of year when Toastmasters Districts around the world are calling for District Officer Nominations for the upcoming year.  If you would like to run for one of the offices listed below, here is the information you need. 

As per the following paragraph found in Article VII, paragraph (b) of the District 84 District Administrative Bylaws, this shall serve as a call for all qualified individuals interested in serving as a District 84 elected officer to submit their names for consideration to the District 84 Nominating Committee for any of the following positions within District 84:

District Director (formerly known as District Governor)

Program Quality Director (formerly known as Lt. Governor Education & Training)

Club Growth Director (formerly known as Lt. Governor Marketing)

Division Director (Divisions A, B, C, D, E, F, G, & H) (formerly known as Division Governor)

Nominating Committee Chair, Dee Melvin, DTM IPDG deemelvin1@gmail.com

Individual candidate interviews will begin at 10:00 am on March 21, 2015 at:

NOVA Southeastern University

4850 Millennia Blvd

Orlando, FL 32839

Deadline for submitting nomination packages to Dee Melvin:  March 10, 2015

Any qualified individual should indicate their interest directly to Dee Melvin, DTM, IPDG at deemelvin1@gmail.com for consideration. Nominations may come from the candidate or any interested member.

Just visit the District 84 website at www.toastmastersd84.org/nominations.html to download all the required forms for submission.  You will also find the qualification and responsibilities for each position and the Policies and Protocol governing District elections. 

Member Mentoring: What’s In It For You?

By Mary Carol Holbert, DTM, District 84 Governor

If you or your Club Officers have been to one of District 84’s “Rock Your Clubs Boot Camps”, you’ve heard that District 84 is focusing on Membership and Mentoring this year. We all know how our clubs are positively impacted by having strong member-ship, but why the focus on member mentoring? What’s in Member Mentoring for our clubs and our members? Great question! Let’s look at Member Mentoring and see how it benefits our new members, our experienced members, the men-tors themselves, and our clubs.

New Member Mentoring:

Thinking first of our new members, do you remember when you first joined Toastmasters? Can you recall hearing people in your club talking about something called a “CC” or a “CL”, and mentioning they were going to “TLI” or “K of K”? Did you feel almost like they were speaking a foreign language? Then, you were asked to take on a meeting role, and you weren’t sure exactly what you were supposed to do? Was your head swimming those first few weeks or months?

If you were in a club with a strong mentoring program, you had a club member who acted as your guide, shepherding you through those moments when you could have gotten lost. Ideally, that guide – your ‘mentor’ – was knowledgeable, patient, available when you needed him/her, interested in your goals and aspirations, and able to teach you about being a Toastmaster in your club.

Clubs with strong mentoring programs generally assign a mentor to every new member, usually shortly after the new member joins the club. Coming into any organization as a new member can be a little daunting, but clubs can make that transition a quality experience for the new member.

Make your New Member Feel Special: There are things a club can do to make the new member feel like he or she has made a great decision in joining a Toastmasters club. When we make our new members feel special, we affirm their choice to join our clubs.  

The question thus becomes: What can we do to make new members feel special? What if we hold an induction ceremony that includes a pledge from our existing members to support the new members? Wouldn’t that be a great way to start a Toastmaster journey?

We can have a qualified mentor assigned right away, and have the mentor stand with the new member at the induction ceremony. We can give the new member a pin or a name badge if we have sufficient revenues in our treasury to do so. Alternatively, we can provide a tent card or a plastic badge holder with printed name tag to our new members.  

We can give each new member a new member kit, with information they would benefit from having included, such as a list of commonly used acronyms, meeting role descriptions, educational track explanations, club history, club officer roles, etc. Whatever we can do to help the new member feel they have made a great decision to join our club, and to make our new members feel special, will help to create a positive club experience from the beginning.

What should our Mentors Teach our New Members? Once the new member is in the club, and a mentor is assigned to that member, there are certain bits of information we want that mentor to discuss with our new members right away. Some of the very first items we probably want our new members to understand include: 

•  How our particular club operates – how are meetings are organized and run, and how we communicate with our members about upcoming meetings, roles, and events
•  What is involved in performing each meeting role (may want to provide ‘go-by’ scripts for roles such as Toastmaster, General Evaluator, Table Topics Master, Ah Counter, Grammarian, & Timer)
•  A list of commonly used acronyms
•  Explanations of the Communication & Leadership Educational Tracks, and how the CC and CL manuals work. (I know I was in my club at least 4 months before I understood that I was sup-posed to be working through the CL manual, and that the roles I was performing at club meetings should be evaluated and counted toward completion of the various CL projects.)
• Discussion of the Ice Breaker speech (and copy of the ice breaker project)

As our new members gain Toastmasters experience, their mentors’ next steps might include:

•  Explaining how Toastmasters International is organized, including where the member’s club is located in terms of Area, Division, & District
•  Encouraging participation in contests at the club, area, division, and/or District level (as functionary or contestant)
•  Promoting participation in the Club Ambassador Program, to help our newer Toastmasters understand how much more than is to Toastmasters International than just the four walls of their own club, and also to see what other clubs are doing well so they can bring fresh ideas back to their clubs
•  Encouraging attendance at Conference – a fabulous venue to learn how much Toastmasters has to offer, to network and make friends with other Toastmasters, & to learn from some of the most talented speakers in Northern and Central Florida
• Recommending members take on Officer roles within their clubs to advance their Leadership skills
•  Explaining the path to becoming a Distinguished Toastmaster - many newer members want to understand this path once they have witnessed the ‘DTM Walk’ at conference! I know I did!
•  Introducing the new members to all the information, videos, documents, and tools available on the District 84 (toastmastersd84.org)  and Toastmasters International (toastmasters.org) websites

Wow! That’s a lot of information! Your particular club could have some other items that your mentor will want to discuss with your new members. So, who is in charge of making sure that all hap-pens, and how can we be certain that our mentors are performing those tasks?  

Technically, the Vice President Education is responsible for as-signing mentors, but the VPE is already so busy with organizing and assigning meeting roles, as well as handling contests, that he or she has little extra time to monitor or track the mentors/mentees.  

Overworked VPEs are why a number of clubs have decided to name a Mentor Chair, or even create a Vice President Mentorship position for their clubs. I would highly encourage every club to take that step, because having a quality mentoring program can mean the difference between having a member who is smoothly transitioned into our Toastmasters organization, or losing a new member who soon tires of struggling to understand either what is expected, or how to reach her/his goals.

Your club may want to use a checklist for member mentoring, to keep track of how the information transfer is progressing. For mentor and mentee checklists see the District 84 Website, Club Toolbox, Boot Camp, http://www.toastmastersd84.org/clubs.html

Experienced Member Mentoring:

Do Toastmaster’s goals change as time goes by? If you have been in Toastmasters for a year or longer, do you have the same goals you had when you first came into Toastmasters? For most of us, the answer is a resounding ‘no’. Our goals change constantly.  

However, it could turn out that there is no one in my home club who has those skills, or who has the time to mentor me. The good news is we have an entire District to draw from!  

Look to your Area, your Division, or your District for help for members who are looking for a specific skill you don’t have in your club. Maybe someone wants to put more humor into his or her speeches. Maybe someone wants to gain District Leadership experience. Maybe someone wants to be the next World Champion of Public Speaking. Let’s be sure we look not only inside our clubs, but also across club lines to find mentors for our experienced members who are seeking mentoring in specific skills.

What Is In It For The Mentor?

I don’t know about you, but I’ve always learned more from teaching others than I’ve learned as a student. Being a Mentor for someone else provides not only a great personal learning opportunity, but also a chance to establish a close connection with another Toastmaster. Mentoring often satisfies one of our most basic human needs: to feel needed and appreciated. Additionally, in District 84, being a mentor will earn points toward admission into our District 84 League of Volunteers.

What Is In It For The Club?

Every year, across the country, volunteer organizations lose an average of 40-45% of their membership. Of that 40-45%, approximately 68% leave because the people they deal with are indifferent to their needs. We clearly don’t want our members to feel we are indifferent to their needs!

In clubs with strong mentoring programs, it is reasonable to believe that members would not experience that disconnect. Members would be far more likely to remain interested, active, and engaged, as either mentors or mentees, or both! They would recognize and understand the amazing depth of what their club and the greater Toastmasters International organization had to offer.

If a club can increase its retention rate, it can grow healthier and stronger, creating a higher quality membership experience for its members. A quality membership experience is what we want for all our District 84 Toastmasters.  

A strong Member Mentoring Program is one way our clubs can ensure our members get that quality experience, by ensuring their questions are answered, their connections to other Toastmasters are strengthened, and their individual needs are met.