Member’s Dues Are Due!
If you are a club officer – a couple of tips to help you with your renewals… Don’t let a couple of late members hold up your renewal – renew the members whose dues you have collected so you can meet the deadline! The others can be renewed as you collect their dues. Don’t wait until the last day to renew – with over 16,600 clubs around the world, the system gets incredibly busy as the September 30 deadline approaches. A club must have at least 8 members paid by October 1 to be in good standings. There is no longer a grace period. To submit dues renewals online, simply Login to www.toastmasters.org using your personal username and password. Click on Leadership Central, then Club Central Click on your club name to pay renewals. Under Conduct Club Business, click on the option Pay dues. Once on this page, simply select the option of “in the future.” This will pull up all orders with a future membership end date. Select the members you wish to pay for and follow the prompts to submit payment. Consider these important details when processing membership payments: Renewals can be submitted online, by mail or by fax. Please make sure the renewal is complete before sending. Do not submit renewals by e-mail, because financial information in an e-mail is not secure. Dues renewals can be paid online if paying by credit card. If paying by check, print the list indicating the renewing members and mail it, along with payment in US funds, to Toastmasters International. Make checks payable to Toastmasters International. To remain in good standing the minimum requirements are: at least eight members must pay dues and three must be renewing. Need help? Contact Toastmasters International Member Services at renewals@toastmasters.org or call 1 (720) 439-5050.
Placer Community Awards Toastmasters!
Media Contact: Kristi Beres (714) 809-2593 Kristi.beres@district39.org For Immediate Release: Feb. 13, 2018 Going for the gold- Placer County partnership with Placer Gold Toastmasters earns Community Leadership Award AUBURN, Calif.—Toastmasters District 39 Director Zack Souza presented Placer County Executive Officer Todd Leopold a Community Leadership Award Feb. 9 to celebrate the organization’s ongoing commitment to the community and its employees. Placer County employs more than 2,600 people and sponsors Placer’s Gold Toastmasters. This Toastmasters club was chartered 26 years ago by county employees. The county provides meeting space for the club and actively encourages their employees and the public to join Toastmasters to develop their communication and leadership skills. Placer County celebrates their employee achievements by posting their Toastmaster leadership accomplishments on their intranet. “Toastmasters provides opportunities for improving communication skills, relationship building and legacy building.” said Leopold. Placer’s Gold charter member Kimber Goodman said, “Toastmasters excavated the confidence in me like gold in a gold mine.” “Placer County supervisors encourage Toastmasters as a professional development tool to help us reach our potential,” said Veena Vijayaraj-Kadidal, who is both an information technology analyst at Placer County as well as the Toastmasters District 39 Division F Director. She said she has seen introverts develop into accomplished speakers who train others for a living. “Toastmasters helps us run better meetings, improves our listening skills and provides effective feedback,” she added. ”Toastmasters come from different backgrounds. Office staff needs to communicate with their managers and the public, lead meetings and some may present to larger audiences.” Placer’s Gold Toastmasters President Jenny Hughes, “As a Placer County business owner and resident, I am grateful for the support Placer County has given our club. I love that our county is being recognized for that support.” Toastmasters District 39 Director Zack Souza added, “The Toastmasters education and leadership program provides an experiential environment that help members grow in their careers.” To interview Zack Souza, learn more about Toastmasters membership, contact Kristi Beres, Toastmasters’ District 39 Public Relations Manager at 714-809-2593. About District 39 Toastmasters District 39 is one of 102 Toastmasters districts, which comprises more than 160 corporate and community clubs in Northern California and Northern Nevada. To learn more about District 39, please visit: www.district39.org About Toastmasters International Toastmasters International is a worldwide nonprofit educational organization that empowers individuals to become more effective communicators and leaders. Headquartered in Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., the organization’s membership exceeds 352,000 in more than 16,400 clubs in 141 countries. Since 1924, Toastmasters International has helped people from diverse backgrounds become more confident speakers, communicators and leaders. For information about local Toastmasters clubs, please visit www.toastmasters.org. Follow @Toastmasters on Twitter. Placer County Supervisor Jim Holmes, Toastmaster District 39 Director Zack Souza, Toastmaster Division F Director Veena Vijayaraj-Kadidal, Placer County CEO Todd Leopold Photo Courtesy: Placer County
Club Fitness Program
Strong clubs have many things in common. They focus on a Quality program, Member Diversity, Fun meetings, and invite others to join them on their journey. Are your members having fun? Is your club attracting new members? Do the members invite guests to meetings? Can guests see the value of Toastmasters? The Club Fitness program might be what your club needs to prosper. In a nutshell it’s a 12 project program focused on Quality & Growth related activities.
Meet District 39’s First Accredited Speaker Donny Crandell
Meet District 39’s First Accredited Speaker Donny Crandell By Kristi Beres On August 26, 2017, at the Toastmasters International Conference in Vancouver, Canada, Donny Crandell became the first speaker from District 39 and one of only 75 Toastmasters to achieve the Accredited Speaker award. Crandell, a 2016 World Championship of Public Speaking finalist shares his thoughts about his journey on becoming an Accredited Speaker. When did you join Toastmasters? I joined five years ago. My first Club was Placer’s Gold in Auburn, California. What is the Accredited Speakers Award? Toastmasters recognizes professional speakers with a rare, prestigious designation called, “Accredited Speaker.” Through a rigorous application process and video submission, the candidate must pass level 1. After that, it’s off to level two, speaking at the International Conference Accredited Speaker forum. What is the screening process like? It’s an arduous journey but well worth it. The level one video is judged by five judges and you must receive a 70 % scoring on average. You also have to complete 25 speaking engagements within a three year period. Fifteen of those 25 speeches must include audiences of 20 or more who paid to hear you speak. You also must have five endorsement letters from those fifteen paid engagements. A record of the location and the amount of pay received was submitted with the application. How did you find out about the Accredited Speakers program? I first heard about it through Emma Santa from our district, and later from [AS] Sheryl Roush when she presented a seminar on the subject at a district conference in Stockton. Who helped you refine your Accredited Speakers presentation? I received the best feedback from Jeffrey Purtee and other Toastmasters in the Reno area. How was preparing for the Accredited Speakers finals similar or different than preparing for the semifinals of the World Champion of Public Speaking? The biggest difference for me was that I didn’t have to memorize this presentation, but I did memorize my International speech. There is far less pressure with the Accredited Speaker’s accreditation because I was not competing against anyone but myself and the judges. And most importantly, you’re not disqualified for going over time. When did you find out you were a finalist? I found out that I passed level 1 on May 19, 2017. The night before I competed in the District 39 International contest in Anderson, California. Who are the judges who judge you and the other Accredited Speakers finalists? There are five anonymous judges at both levels; the video presentation and for the live presentation at the International Conference. What were the highlights of the Toastmasters International convention? Speaking at the Accredited Speaker program and earning the designation. I also enjoyed a bike ride around Stanley Park and having a late night visit with friends from Sacramento and Reno at the Marriot Pinnacle restaurant. Now that you are an Accredited Speaker- what do you hope to do next? I want to continue working as a professional speaker, but not yet ready to quit my day jobs. I also plan on competing to be the World Champion of Public Speaking. I will continue speaking as much as possible, in as many venues as possible, to be the best speaker I can possibly be. I still have plenty to learn to be a professional speaker. Authored by: Kristi Beres, DTM Public Relation Manager District 39, Toastmasters International kristi.beres@district39.org
Beat the Clock!!!
Program Dates: May 1 – June 30 Toastmasters are taught to run meetings on time, finish speeches on time and reach membership goals on time. In that spirit, “Beat the Clock” is a great motivator for finishing the year on schedule—on time and with record numbers! Make it your club’s goal to earn the “Beat the Clock” award and encourage every member to take part. Clubs adding five new, dual or reinstated members with a join date between May 1 and June 30 receive a “Beat the Clock” ribbon to display on the club’s banner. Qualifying clubs also earn a special discount code for 10-percent off their next club order. (The discount code expires six months from the date of issue and is not valid with any other offer.) Applications and payments for members with a join date between May 1 and June 30 must be received at World Headquarters or online no later than June 30. The addition of transfer and charter members does not count toward “Beat the Clock” credit. The winning clubs will be revealed online within a few weeks of the submission deadline. Winning clubs should allow up to 10 business days to receive their award if they are located in the United States, and up to 21 business days if they are outside of the United States. Sondra Nunez, DTM 2016-2017 District 39 Director District 39 Toastmasters International Sondra.Nunez@District39.org 916-599-5975 Every member deserves to belong to a distinguished club!
District Leaders – Are you up to the challenge?
Gold Medal Division ScoreBoard Download
D39 Toastmasters Toastimonial: Laurent Frazier
This interview is the 5th in a series spotlighting rising stars in Toastmasters District 39. Do you agree with Laurent’s perspective on how to recruit and retain younger members? Q: Laurent, how long you have been a member of your Toastmasters club and why did you join? A: In November of 2015, I was approached by a co-worker who thought it would enhance my communications skills and business productivity as a sales consultant. I found that first meeting to be full of intense fun, and I loved the way everyone supported each other and participated in all aspects of the meeting. I joined immediately as a charter member of Power Talkers, and have been attending ever since. Q: How do you remember your first few meeting experiences? Why did you keep coming back? A: I remember my first few meetings as being first and foremost a lot of fun! I had a great time at each meeting and started inviting friends and co-workers right away. I kept coming back because I noticed that as I was having fun, my communication skills kept improving. I was shaky during my Ice Breaker speech, but after all the wonderful feedback, I found myself speaking more clearly and concisely at meetings, home, and work. The things I learned at Toast Masters began to subtly work their way into my everyday speech patterns and improve my ability to express myself and share information. I found this to be very encouraging and it intensified my desire to keep attending. Q: What are the key lessons you have learned in Toastmasters? A: One of the key lessons I learned is the power of constructive feedback. Every speech is followed by loving and considerate evaluations. Hearing what one can improve upon can sometimes be intimidating, but the intention of Toastmasters feedback is always to help the person being evaluated, and that intention can be felt. This has also taught me to give feedback to people in other life scenarios from a place that is intended only to help them improve, rather than to be right or get them to buy into my own opinions. Q: What are your proudest achievements in the club? And what would you like to accomplish in the future? A: One of my proudest achievements in Toastmasters was my Icebreaker speech. I got amazing feedback and I learned from my evaluations where I could improve. I am proud to say that I took the suggestions presented and was able to see progress by the time I participated in my first table topics speech the following week. I used to have a tough time accepting feedback, but I am happy to report that I now look forward to it. Another one of my top successes was being voted as the inaugural club President of Power Talkers. Based upon my previous speeches and lessons learned from my Ice Breaker and Table Topics speeches, I delivered a speech from the heart when presenting myself for office. I am proud that my words were able to reach so many people’s hearts and that I have the chance to now serve our club members and aid others in the development of their leadership and communications skills. Q: What would you recommend to other clubs looking to recruit and retain more Millennial members? A: Ah Millennials… We can be a tough bunch to satisfy. I think that the reason our club appeals to Millennial participation is that we understand what they want. As millennials we grew up in a high tech society, but our technology has created a problem, an occasional low touch disconnect from the people around us and the physical world. It’s easy to write a letter when spell check corrects everything, but it’s more difficult to express those same thoughts in spoken words when our devices can’t do anything to assist us. Therefore, when recruiting Millennials I focus on speaking about the accessibility Toastmasters give us, and how it turns our high tech world view into a high touch world view. I speak to potential Millennial members about how Toast Masters helps us achieve the things WE are interested in. I speak to my young co-workers about how it can help enhance their sales by making it easier to communicate products to customers. I tell my friends it can enhance our ability to speak to that guy or girl that we may be too shy to ask out on a date; how it can help us negotiate a raise at work; or negotiate a higher salary when applying for a new job. As Millennials we tend to gravitate towards things that give us a greater ability to get the things we want in life. I also highlight how FUN it is! Keeping our club consistently fun helps us maintain our Millennial membership base. And once Millennials are engaged in something we find both fun and useful, we are more than eager to share it with our friends and family. Q: What key advice do you have for other younger members to get the most out of Toastmasters? What mistakes should they avoid? A: I would advise younger members to create goals for themselves, and that they view Toast Masters as a way to bridge the gap between where they are and where they want to be. I also recommend that they attend with a friend. Having someone you know there makes things more fun, and you can witness and support each other’s progress better since you know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Regarding potential pitfalls to avoid, I think a common problem can be a fear of commitment and a tendency to stop coming to meetings. I completely understand that life gets busy, especially for younger people who are learning how to navigate adult hood. Just remember that when you feel the inclination to skip out on a meeting, you are developing skills that will open gateways to the things you want in life. Toastmasters will help you become the best version of yourself you can be,
D39 Toastmasters Toastimonial: John Heredia
This interview is the fourth in a series spotlighting rising stars in Toastmasters District 39. How is your club cultivating its next generation of speakers and leaders? Q: John, how long you have been a member of your Toastmasters club and what was the original catalyst that prompted you to join? A: I’ve been a member of Strictly Speaking since May 2014. I had just moved back to Sacramento from San Diego, and a co-worker invited me to join. I was looking to get involved in a new activity. Q: How do you remember your first few meeting experiences? Did someone step up as a mentor for you? A: My first experience was very welcoming and supportive. Dave Hamilton stepped up as a mentor for me, and helped me by conducting a new member orientation. We sat in the cafeteria and went over my goals in Toastmaster, career, and life. I asked him to provide feedback on my decisions, how I was as a leader, and most importantly how I was doing as a Toastmaster. He was very supportive and encouraging with my decisions to become President of Strictly Speaking and an Area director. Q: What are your proudest achievements in the club? And what would you like to accomplish? A: I had a few achievements in the club. Four months after becoming a member, I became the President. I grew the membership from 8 to 24 members and lead the club to achieve Presidents Distinguished. Additionally, I competed at the Area level contest and won 1st place in the International Speech contest and 2nd in the Humorous. I would like to accomplish my DTM. Q: What would you recommend to other clubs looking to attract more Millennial members? A: Make the meetings fun and exciting to come back to. Be supportive and personable. Q: What are the key lessons you have learned in Toastmasters? A: I learned that you can only get better with practice. If you are able to get up to speak, say a few words and sit down, then you have succeeded. The second thing I learned is that the skills and knowledge you gain in Toastmasters are transferrable to other areas of my life. When I apply the basic communication and leadership principles that I’ve acquire from Toastmasters, then I feel confident to succeed in anything I do. Q: How have you applied these principles in your career or other personal pursuits? A: I am currently serving on a Board for a non-profit organization that provides an educational athletic program for grades K-5 after school. I applied the same principles I learned in TM with membership and finances (collecting dues). Within 6 months the organization doubled and memberships were paid in advance. The skills I learned during my training from District 39 and experience as President in Strictly Speaking has helped in my career in prioritizing, problem-solving, and becoming more goal-oriented. Recently, I’ve changed careers to pursue my leadership and speaking skills and gone into Training and Development for the State agency I work for. Q: What key advice do you have for other younger members to get the most out of Toastmasters? A: Be open to learn and take on new opportunities. Get credit for your time and your speeches, and help others to grow with you. Contact John Heredia
D39 Toastmasters Toastimonial: Ia Her
This interview is the third in a series spotlighting rising stars in Toastmasters District 39. How is your club cultivating its next generation of speakers and leaders? Q: Before we talk about Toastmasters, help us get to know Ia. Can you share a few interesting facts about yourself? A: I am the third child of a big family of five sons and five daughters. I lived in a refugee camp in Thailand for 8 years before migrating to the U.S. in September of 1992. I actually wrote a story about my childhood experience in this refugee camp, “My Home on No Name Street.” I can speak, read and write fluently in my native language Hmong, and I have also taught others the language. I graduated from UC Berkeley in 2006 with a double major in Political Science and Legal Studies. Currently, I work as a Senior Legal Analyst at a risk management firm called Bickmore in Sacramento. I like to sing for fun and enjoy planning gatherings for my BIG family. Q: How long you have been a member of your Toastmasters club and what was the original catalyst that prompted you to join? A: I joined Pop-Up Toastmasters in July 2013. Although I consider myself a vocal and talkative person at home, other people (especially at work) always view me as a shy person. My managers have recommended that I speak up more at client meetings. Therefore, I decided to join Toastmasters to improve my confidence and speaking skills. Q: How do you remember your first meeting experience? Was there anyone in particular who had a positive impact on you? A: Everyone in the club was very nice and welcoming. After my first visit, some of the club members offered to help me with my membership application. I quickly decided to join. A mentor was assigned to me and I began my CC Manual journey. My mentor Jayne Nielsen is awesome! She offers to read my speech before I give it and she always gives me feedback after each speech. I know that sometimes we feel hesitant to ask for help because we don’t feel like bugging busy people, but it’s always better to ask then not. A small tip here and there really adds up in the end, so I take advantage of my mentor’s knowledge as well as that of the other more experienced members in my club. I could not have excelled in the speech contests without the support of this team. I’m thankful for all of their encouragement and time. Because of the difference it made for me, I’ve decided to become a mentor myself and hopefully I can make the same positive impact on newer members Q: What are your proudest achievements in the club? A: My participation in the Spring 2015 International Speech Contest. At first, I only wanted to put my skills to use by testing how good I’ve become since I joined Toastmasters, but then I placed first place at the Area Contest and went all the way to the District level. I realized that I was better and had more confidence than I thought. Additionally, I’m also proud that I held officer roles within my club. I was the VP of Education for six months and Treasurer for a year. I learned a lot from the other officers in the club through this participation. Q: What would you recommend to other clubs looking to attract more Millennial members? A: I recommend doing an Open House and having the more experienced or seasoned members give a speech. That was one thing that attracted me in the beginning… when I saw someone give a flawless and engaging speech, it made me want to be like that person. I’m sure other newcomers will feel the same way. Q: What are the top personal benefits you’ve received from Toastmasters? A: Confidence. Two years ago, I ended a long-term, but unhealthy, relationship and I wanted to look for ways to gain back my “self”…someone who’s known to be confident, independent and goal-oriented. I even made a goal to be “competitive” again in 2015. Fortunately, I gained all of that confidence back with the support of my club members as well as Toastmasters I met at conferences and contests. And good news on the relationship front… I not only achieved my personal goal of becoming competitive again, but I also attracted someone who sees this confidence in me. I’m now enjoying a new and healthier relationship with him. Q: What key advice do you have for other younger members to get the most out of Toastmasters? A: Attend the meetings regularly and learn from others in the club. Members share their stories through their speeches and everyone’s story is unique. Also be willing to share your story with them. Nobody will judge you. The more you share through your speeches, the more the members will get to know you. I think that’s what I like the most about Toastmasters. It gives me an avenue to share my story. And the best is yet to come! Connect with Ia Her on Facebook Email Ia at iabasicy@hotmail.com for her Refugee Camp story Learn more about Pop-Up Toastmasters in Division D, District 39. (Meets every Wednesday from 12:05 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.) ***
District 39 Member Spotlight: Stephanie Maynard
This interview series will reveal insights about what motivates members to join and succeed in Toastmasters. Q: Stephanie, what was the original catalyst that prompted you to visit Toastmasters? A: I was unemployed in a bad post-college market, looking for anything to give me a leg up. While job shadowing a reporter (my degree is in Journalism,) he mentioned Toastmasters could be beneficial for me as a way to not only improve my public speaking (because no matter how good you are there’s always room for improvement) and network with business professionals. So I looked online, found Lodi Toastmasters was the closest with the best time and everything is history from there. Q: How long you have been a member? A: I first joined 2-3 years ago. There was a time when I had to stop being a paying member due to financial reasons, but I kept coming when I could and this last quarter was able to reinstate myself as a Toastmasters member. Q: What was it about the first meeting experience that made you want to come back? A: To be honest, I don’t remember a lot of specifics about the first meeting. I remember winning Table Topics my very first time. I’ve noticed with open-ended Table Topics and new people there’s a lot of real raw honesty that can go into a first-time guest’s table topic, which is what happened with me. I also remember how nice and open everyone was to talking and I probably stayed around chatting for at least 20 minutes after the meeting had adjourned. I came back because the people were friendly, because I wanted to see if I could get something out of it and because at the time I really didn’t have much to do with having no job. Having a weekly meeting helped give me a sense of focus and purpose, even if it was just one day out of the week. Q: What are your 3 proudest achievements in the club? A: My greatest achievement is undoubtedly when I competed in the 2014 Table Topics Contest. I made it all the way up to the District level and took 2nd place. I had done Speech and Debate in high school but I had never competed on a level like that. I haven’t been able to compete since then, but I’m hoping to soon. I’m proud of finishing my competent communicator manual (and in a fun twist of fate, that achievement was the last needed qualification to make our club eligible for a Distinguished Club that period). The last thing I’m proud of isn’t necessarily an achievement, but I’m listing it anyway. I feel like I’ve become kind of a go-to person in my club for speech evaluations and there are a lot of newer members who ask me for advice on prepared speeches and table topics. I’m proud of that not only because it shows how far I’ve come within Toastmasters but it also makes me feel that I can really give back to a group that gave me so much. Q: What would you recommend to other clubs looking to attract and retain more members like yourself? A: It’s difficult to say, but I think the best practice is to take the basic benefits and word them to a newer generation of needs. Millenials might not hear ‘public speaking group’ and think they need it. I didn’t at first. I had done 4 years of speech and debate and was completely comfortable speaking in front of a group… so why did I need something like Toastmasters? It was the possibility of professional networking that really caught my ear, but I ended up staying because I could feel my self-confidence improving and not just when I was speaking. Toastmasters is so much more than just speech practice and it’s that valuable ‘everything else’ that I think would catch Millennial attention. Toastmasters is interviewing with authority; it’s leading a team with confidence; it’s daily social interaction skills; it’s professional networking; and it’s preparation for everything from a classroom presentation to a report to your boss to a YouTube channel and everything in between. Q: Anything else you want to add about Toastmasters’ benefits for you? A: There’s a sense of self confidence and speaking with authority that I cannot stress enough. There’s been so many times members of my family have commented about how good they think Toastmasters has been for me and how they have noticed changes because of it. Keep in mind, none of these family members have gone to a meeting or seen me compete (though hopefully one day!) What you learn from Toastmasters doesn’t stay at the meetings or only spring up in the workplace. It sticks with you. I have noticed a change in even my casual conversations with people. I’m more confident, I listen better and I speak better. Q: So how is your job search going? Just recently after a long bumpy road, I finally started my career job and I’m having to do some kind of report or presentation, formal and informal, at least once a week. Toastmasters has been extremely helpful, but I also think that without Toastmasters I may not have gotten this job at all. Over 200 people applied for this position. Of those 200, only 20 were invited to take a test. The top 4 scores of the test were then interviewed. Just this week, my manager told me that the first time she met me in the initial testing phase, she didn’t know who I was or remember what we spoke about, but she remembered how I spoke and acted and her initial impression of the smallest of verbal and nonverbal interactions was that I could be someone she could work with. In the actual interview panel, my manager told me that I had been everyone’s first choice. I don’t know if any of that would have happened without Toastmasters, but I can say with