Public Relations

Crain's Chicago Business Article on Toastmasters

noreply@blogger.com (Lynn Thomas) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:10:00 +0000

Fall Conference Pictures

noreply@blogger.com (Lynn Thomas) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:09:00 +0000

This is Representative Lou Lang giving a short address on Friday night which include the presentation of a State Proclamation.

The MC for the evening was the 2006 World Champion of Public Speaking, Ed Hearn. The keynote speaker was Chris Bennett, BOD of Big Brothers Big Sisters, who you can see speaking to the audience above.

You can see quite a few other pictures here (click)

Skokie Mayor Van Dusen 2009 Toastmasters Award Winner

noreply@blogger.com (Lynn Thomas) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:21:00 +0000

For Immediate Release:

Mayor Van Dusen 2009 Toastmaster Award Winner

Skokie, IL – George Van Dusen, the Mayor of Skokie, will receive the Chicagoland Toastmasters 2009 Communication and Leadership award on Saturday November 14^th at their annual Fall Conference held at the North Shore Holiday Inn, in Skokie. The Mayor is expected to address the conference at approximately 12:35 PM. This event is not open to the public.

Mayor Van Dusen has spent years demonstrating effective and outstanding communication, leadership, and service to the community. His award presentation will be part of the Saturday afternoon festivities along with various educational sessions on communications and leadership. The 2006 World Champion of Public Speaking, Ed Hearn, will serve as the Master of Ceremonies throughout the conference. There will also be two public speaking contests featuring the best evaluators and the funniest speakers in the Chicagoland area.

George Van Dusen has been Mayor of Skokie for a decade and a Skokie resident for almost 35 years, where he still lives with his wife, Susan, and their two children. He earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Detroit and both a Master of Arts and a Ph.D. from Loyola University. He is still involved with education today, as an adjunct faculty member of Oakton Community College, teaching History and Government.

As Trustee with the Village of Skokie from 1984 until he was appointed Mayor in January of 1999, Van Dusen demonstrated exemplary leadership skills, pulling various members of the community together, working toward common goals. He served as a delegate to the Northwest Municipal Conference (NWMC), served as NWMC President, Chairman of the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County, Director of Suburban Operations for U.S. Congressman Sidney Yates, and is an active member of Temple Judea Mizpah.

Toastmasters International is a nonprofit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills to 250,000 members in 12,000 clubs in 106 countries. Since its founding 85 years ago in October 1924, the organization has helped more than four million men and women give presentations with poise and confidence. For information about local Toastmasters clubs, please visit www.toastmasters.org or the District 30 website, www.toastofchicago.org

Media Contact:

Lynn Thomas, District 30 Public Relations Officer, lynntms@comcast.net 630-219-0126

Lang to Toast Fall Conference

noreply@blogger.com (Lynn Thomas) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:28:00 +0000

For Immediate Release:
Contact: Jeff Stein
(847) 208-1117
Aextreme@aol.com

Lang To Toast Fall Conference
Skokie, IL – Representative Lou Lang will address 2009 Chicagoland Toastmasters Fall Conference, including a proclamation from the State of Illinois, on Friday evening at 6:30pm, November 13, at the Holiday Inn North Shore in Skokie.

Lang’s presentation will be part of the festivities including educational sessions on communications and leadership on Saturday afternoon; the 2006 World Champion of Public Speaking, Ed Hearn, as the Master of Ceremonies, and two public speaking contests; featuring six of the best evaluators and six of the funniest speakers in the Chicagoland area.

Elected to the Illinois House of Representatives in 1987, Lou Lang has established himself as one of the Legislature’s most outspoken and prolific members, and a leader on issues critical to the people of Illinois.

Lang serves the 16th House District of Illinois which includes Skokie, Lincolnwood, a part of the 49th and most of the 50th Wards in the City of Chicago. The current Democratic Assistant Majority Leader has made his mark fighting for seniors, women, working families and the educational priorities of our state. A lifelong resident of Illinois, Lang is a current Skokie resident along with his wife Teri. He obtained his B.A. in Political Science at the University of Illinois and his degree in law from DePaul University.

Toastmasters International is a nonprofit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills to 250,000 members in 12,000 clubs in 106 countries. Since its founding in 1924, the organization has helped more than four million men and women give presentations with poise and confidence. For information about local Toastmasters clubs, please visit www.toastmasters.org. The Chicagoland website is www.toastofchicago.org.

Karen Johnson Achieves Significant Milestone As Toastmaster!

noreply@blogger.com (Lynn Thomas) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:01:00 +0000

For Immediate Release:

KAREN JOHNSON ACHIEVES SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE AS TOASTMASTER!

Chicago, Illinois-Toastmasters International announced that Karen Johnson has achieved the rank of Distinguished Toastmaster!

“Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) recognition is the greatest honor and highest achievement in public speaking that can be earned by a member of Toastmasters International,” said Michael Gougis, District Governor for Chicagoland . The DTM award is given only to those who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and communication skills to help others in their self-development efforts.

Karen joined Toastmasters in September 2009 as a member of the Woodridge Toastmasters Club in Woodridge, Illinois. She has served in club offier roles, as well as leadership roles in the District. She is currently serving as our District 30 Fall Conference Chair, one of two annual conferences, being held at the Holiday Inn Chicago North Shore in Skokie on November 13 and 14, 2009. Karen joined Toastmasters to be a more effective leader in her volunteer roles as well as to relieve her nervous stomach when speaking publicly. She feels that she has achieved both, yet continues to stretch herself in increasingly challenging roles with larger and diverse audiences.

About Toastmasters

From one club started in 1924 at the YMCA in Santa Ana, California, Toastmasters has grown to become the world’s leading organization in teaching public speaking and leadership skills and helping people conquer their pre-speech jitters. The nonprofit organization now has approximately 250,000 members in 12,500 clubs in 106 countries

For more information, please see www.toastmasters.org

Five Star Club Recognition

noreply@blogger.com (Lynn Thomas) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:14:00 +0000

District 30 Toastmasters

You are invited to become a member of the prestigious

District 30 Five-Star Club!

When your club achieves (July 1^st through December 31^st 2009)

5 of the Distinguished Club Program goals (see goals listed below).

Your club will be honored and recognized in the Winter issue of the

District Spotlight Newsletter and receive a special keepsake gift!

Just by working the Distinguished Club Program!

It’s FUN, it’s EASY and Rewarding!!

2009-2010 Distinguished Club Program (DCP)

1. Two CCs (Competent Communicator)

2. Two more CCs

3. One ACB (Advanced Communicator - Bronze), ACS (Advanced Communicator Silver), or ACG (Advanced Communicator - Gold)

4. One more ACB, ACS, or ACG

5. One CL, ALB (Advanced Leader - Bronze), ALS (Advanced Leader - Silver) or DTM

6. One more CL, ALB, ALS or DTM

7. Four new members

8. Four more new members

9. Minimum four officers trained during each of two training periods\
10. One membership dues renewal report and one officer list submitted on time

For additional information or questions, please feel free to contact me .

EVERY club Distinguished!

Pat Martin, DTM, IPDG

patdtm721@yahoo.com

Special Awards to be given at the Fall Conference

noreply@blogger.com (Lynn Thomas) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:12:00 +0000

Area Governor of the Year

DeLois Lacey

Division Governor of the Year

Karen Johnson

Outstanding Toastmaster of the Year

Olga Dempsey

Toastmaster of the Year

Ivory Gwin

The 2008-2009 recipients will be honored at the Fall Conference on Saturday, November 14^th.

*Please note there are pictures that haven't been uploaded yet**

Thanksgiving Parade details

noreply@blogger.com (Lynn Thomas) — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 23:44:00 +0000

Fellow Toastmasters if you would like to participate in this years McDonald's Thanksgiving Day Parade as an announcer, please apply below.
Although Lynn Thomas (PRO) and I are coordinating this event each volunteer must sign up with the organization. We look forward to your participation.

Allen Green

Parade Announcer Coordinator

****

We're less then 3 months away from the McDonald's® Thanksgiving Parade, meaning now is the time to apply to be a volunteer! Whether you're helping in staging or disband, carrying a banner, revving up the crowd in the Poo Crew or taking part in another parade role, your help is greatly needed.

What will each volunteer in the parade walk away with?

* A continental breakfast the morning of the parade
* A glorious gift bag that would make Santa Claus jealous
* An invitation to our fun-filled Volunteer Thank You Party
* The chance to win fabulous prizes in our Volunteer Raffle
* A great opportunity to meet new friends from a variety of areas throughout Chicago
* Life-long memories of helping to entertain 400,000 street side spectators and millions of people at home watching on WGN 9 Chicago and WGN America

It's easy to apply to be a volunteer. Visit www.chicagofestivals.org/volunteer.html and click on the "CLICK HERE TO APPLY NOW" link to be instantly taking to our new online volunteer system. Once there, click on "I want to volunteer for this organization" and fill out the online application to instantly apply to be a volunteer.

If you have already registered with the new system and are receiving this message, please revisit the page with your username and password and take this time to double-check your information and make sure you are registered for the correct volunteer position.

Want to fill out a paper application? Please contact Lauren Shelby at 312.239.0457 to have a printed application mailed to you.

Remember, volunteering for the parade is a fun way to spend your Thanksgiving morning. Why not volunteer with friends and family and make your morning even better? Make sure everyone fills out the same group name during the registration process, and we'll do our best to put everyone together on Thanksgiving morning!

If you have any questions, please contact Lauren Shelby at 312.239.0457 or Lauren.Shelby@chicagofestivals.org or myself at 312.235.2217 or Dan.Mulka@chicagofestivals.org.

Sincerely,

Dan Mulka
Director of Marketing and Community Relations

Our very own International Director, Mike Raffety teaches 'how to build clubs' in 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Lynn Thomas) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 18:29:00 +0000

This is our International Director, Mike Raffety, conducting New Club Building training, hosted by the Central South Division. Please take the time to watch.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

From Joan Moore through email, our Central South Division Governor.

District E-Newsletter (From Toastmasters International)

noreply@blogger.com (Lynn Thomas) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:00:00 +0000

Announcements
The Toastmasters Podcast: Listen, Laugh and Learn!
Did you know there's a new, official Toastmasters Podcast? Each week Bo Bennett and Ryan Levesque, your hosts, deliver new entertainment and education.
More...

Region Advisor Marketing Nominations Form Now Available
With the passing of Proposal A, Global Representation and Support, nomination forms for the region advisor marketing position are now available. Be a part of this exciting volunteer opportunity!
More...

Features
Effective Solutions for Team Conflict
No matter how skilled you are in getting along with people, you won't get along with everyone all the time. Learn how to work through it.
More...

The Toastmasters Learning Connection - Remember to Visit!
Toastmasters International has been working to improve both the quality and efficiency of our district officer training. The result is a new e-learning initiative, called the Toastmasters Learning Connection (TLC). It will enhance the consistency of training for each district leader, while allowing officers to access learning materials at their convenience. Have you seen it yet?
More...

A Brief History of Toastmasters
For 85 years, Toastmasters has helped people become better speakers and leaders. How much do you know about the organization's history?
More...

Action Alert
2009 Convention Speaker Handouts Available to Print
Handouts used by the education session speakers at the 2009 International Convention will remain available to print on the Toastmasters Web site until December 31, 2009.
More...

Check Your E-mail Inbox
Toastmasters World Headquarters e-mailed reminders to club officers about October dues renewals. As of September 1, officers can begin submitting the renewals through the Toastmasters Web site by using the Club Business login: www.toastmasters.org/clubbusiness.

Are You Ready for Your Speech Contests?
Check out the variety of awards for your speech contest winners and participants!
More...

See this newsletter here at Toastmasters International. And take a look at the archives!

District 30 Calendar

noreply@blogger.com (Lynn Thomas) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:49:00 +0000

I'll have to see if there is a more current copy of this available because I don't see the Fall Conference on there.

Chicago's own District 30 Toastmaster, Angel Garcia, appears on televised debate

noreply@blogger.com (Lynn Thomas) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:22:00 +0000

One of our own District 30 Toastmasters participated in a televised debate (see embedded video below). Angel Garcia, esteemed President of the Chicago Speakeasy Toastmaster club, appeared on Azteca TV in a debate with Alederman George Cardenas regarding health care reform. You may recognize Angel as the 2009 Central Division Table Topics Contest Winner.

The debate was aired in Spanish on Monday, August 17th at 11:00 pm central. Azteca TV is Mexico's second-largest broadcaster with an affiliate in Chicago, which has the second largest concentration of Hispanics of Mexican origin in the United States.

No matter where you are on the issue of Health Care Reform, Toastmasters helps us communicate our ideas clearly and encourages debate in the marketplace of ideas.

See: Disarm Them With Debate Skills

Revisiting the Building Blocks
It may seem elementary, Shuster says, but it’s important to use complete arguments when we’re selling our ideas or pushing certain positions. As she teaches her debate students, full arguments include:
An assertion, which is the major point of your argument.
Reasoning, or the “because” component of your argument – where you explain why you believe your position is right.
Evidence, offered in support of reasoning.

Too often even seasoned communicators will make an assertion, but then fall short on reasoning or evidence. In that sense, Shuster believes, many of us can benefit from a return to the fundamentals.
“We tend to think the main point – the assertion – is the whole argument,” Shuster says. “But that is only one piece of it. Anyone trying to persuade needs to come to the table armed with all of the essentials of debate.”

If you see Angel Garcia, congratulate him on a job well done. The art of debate is yet another skill that Toastmasters helps its members cultivate.

Fall Conference Flyer bumped

noreply@blogger.com (Lynn Thomas) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 00:00:00 +0000

This is hosted at embeditin, you can print a copy of it if you like, view it full screen, etc. If nothing shows for you right away, wait for a little bit while it loads.

FAQs regarding the Fall Conference

noreply@blogger.com (Lynn Thomas) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 23:20:00 +0000

Brochure for Donations (Get An Ad In The Fall Conference Program)

noreply@blogger.com (Lynn Thomas) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 23:01:00 +0000

Registration for the Fall Conference

noreply@blogger.com (Lynn Thomas) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 23:00:00 +0000

ACE The Interview!

noreply@blogger.com (Lynn Thomas) — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 18:23:00 +0000

Ace the Interview
By Kai Rambow, DTM, Accredited Speaker

The author recently surveyed and interviewed over 125 active recruiters for this article.

“How did the interview go?” Evelyn Peyton, ATM-B always asks. “Oh, it was great. Everything went perfectly. I know this job is mine,” is the typical response. And then someone else gets the job.

Peyton, a dynamic, funny speaker herself (she placed second at the World Championship of Public Speaking) is a manager with a Fortune 100 company. She explains that the candidates are absolutely qualified for the job, they know it before they go in, so they’re confident and communicate well throughout the interview. “Where they make their mistake,” Peyton notes, “is assuming they are the only perfect one for the job.”

How can you stand out from the competition, especially since there are hundreds of applicants for every position in today’s job market? These six areas identified by active recruiters may surprise you.

#1 Dress to Impress
The expression that you never get a second chance at a first impression is still true today. Dressing appropriately and/or professionally was the number one thing mentioned by the recruiters.

“When people dress up,” says Don Ensch, DTM, AS, “they are showing respect for the audience.” Ensch, who is often referred to as “The Voice of Toastmasters” for his announcement work at the international conventions, admits to being very conservative. So much so, that his Toastmasters club, Sandpiper in Ventura, California has a tradition of proper dress. That means that men are expected to wear a jacket and tie.

Ensch states, “People get bent out of shape, yet they are lacking polish and panache. When people are dressed well they feel good about themselves and show greater confidence.”
While many workplaces have gone with a business casual dress code, impressions and impact, especially during interviews hasn’t changed. When John Molloy researched his classic book, Dress for Success, he started with the premise that how we dress doesn’t matter. His research showed otherwise.

Not sure what to do. You can’t go wrong with classics. Ensch always wears a full suit for any speaking engagement. And Peyton cautions not to relax your dress in second or third interviews.
“You need to be consistently professional,” she advises.

#2 Mind Your Manners
This is a combination of things such as being articulate, confident, polite, respectful and professional. Cheryl Austin, a former Toastmaster and club president, shares wisdom gained from her 13 years of human resources experience and 20 years of management consulting work.
Austin observes you use good judgment when you don’t wear a brand new suit, you show respect when you arrive early, and you demonstrate being professional when you prepare anything that frees you and makes the interviewer’s job easy. “Anytime you don’t have to think about the little things,” Austin expounds, “you free yourself to forget about yourself and be really good at observing the interviewer and what he or she needs. It’s their agenda that matters.”

Ken Wright, whose work over the past 25 years has included executive search, management consulting and executive coaching asks himself these questions, “Is their game on? Are they answering more than just the question? Are they confident enough to amplify or ask their own question?”

#3 Do Your Homework
Research the company. Judy Hooper, who hired 100 people last year, says it “absolutely is an advantage to know about the company. If you check out the web site, it makes a good impression that you care about the job and the company. I really like it when they are checking us out.”
Austin suggests trying to identify how the company wants to be seen, “what words and phrases do they use.” Austin also always digs deeper by talking to people who work there or have worked there before.

“Don’t try to be an expert on their business,” Wright warns, however you can ask some great questions such as, “What do you think is the company’s edge is in the marketplace? Who do you see as your biggest competitors? Who are the ones who keep you up at night? What do you think the company needs to do differently?” Let them tell you, and then you’ll know what skills to highlight to the interviewer.

#4 Be Positive
Expressing yourself as motivated, enthusiastic with a can do attitude are definite assets during the interview process. Since most of us are too busy trying to fight our nervousness, what can you do to at least come across better than other candidates.

Austin recommends a two prong approach by working with and rehearsing with a friend. “We all have entry behaviors when we’re not quite comfortable. Have a good friend help you become self-aware. If you squirm, maybe you need to fold your hands and practice doing so. When you have lunch with a friend, you relax, drop your shoulders and it has nice ripple effect throughout your body. That’s what you want to practice.”

If this still doesn’t come easily to you, Wright has a great suggestion. He recommends verbalizing, “Don’t misinterpret my quietness as disinterest. I’m nervous, but I’m very interested in the company.”

#5 Sell Yourself
Even some of the best salespeople have difficulty selling themselves. Austin has taken advantage of something all of us as Toastmasters are used to doing. She once received a standing ovation at the end of teaching a university course. That’s basically unheard of. When someone paid her a general compliment at the end of a class, Austin would always ask them what was it that specifically triggered that comment. Then she would repeat it every week after.

Since we’re used to getting feedback in Toastmasters, be proactive. Austin encourages people to, “ask your previous managers, ‘What do I do best? What have you seen me do well? What would you say is not one of my core strengths?’”

Once you know, “instead of using I all the time, which is uncomfortable for most of us,” Austin enthuses, “you can say, ‘My previous boss . . .’ Invoking a third party is both easier and more credible.”

Wright takes it a step further. “Pick out a need in the interview, a problem you think you can solve. Talk about how you can solve it. At the end of the interview, go back and bring it up again. Assert, ‘I think I can bring that to this company. Those are reasons I want to work for you and why I think I can do the job.”

#6 Resume
You need to be invited to the interview first. That is what your resume needs to do. Surprisingly many candidates fail to do a good job here.

Wright recommends no more than two pages. “I’m not a believer in summary statements such as, ‘experienced executive who can walk on water.’ I’m interested in what your experience says you can do. Most recruiters skip to your experience. They’re looking for the scope, depth and breadth of your responsibility. Concentrate on what you’ve done.”

Judy Hooper recruits for a software company. She notices that basics are frequently missing. “I need to know exactly what skills you have learned with your degree in computer science. If you don’t tell me you know Java, I’m not going to know.” Hooper advises to be specific in your cover letter and tweak your resume accordingly.

These are suggestions you can take as an individual. It doesn’t have to end with this article. Here are some activities your club can do to help members.

1. Use the theme of the job interview for Table Topics and then use challenging questions for club members.

2. Have an entire club meeting geared towards club members answering interview questions on camera. Then give each member his/her own copy so everyone can see how they present themselves in an interview format.

3. Invite a guest speaker, preferably an active recruiter with experience to present on any number of related topics: how to write a better resume, how to give better answers, and how to develop some great questions.

All of these are great ways to put your Toastmaster skills to work for you.

Kai Rambow, DTM, AS, is a past international director and a professional speaker based in Tampa, Florida. Reach him at http://www.kairambow.com/

DEC Meeting Pictures

noreply@blogger.com (Lynn Thomas) — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 23:41:00 +0000

You can see some of the fun we had today at the DEC meeting. I didn't get a copy of the agenda as there was some kind of a mixup, but great fun was had by all and Pat Marten gave a presentation on Five Star Clubs, helping the District get to Distinguished the next time around, and Mike Raffety gave a presentation for the Area Governors.

Joan Kerr Moore ACHIEVES SIGNIFICANT DISTINGUISHED TOASTMASTER AWARD!

noreply@blogger.com (Lynn Thomas) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 18:29:00 +0000

Joan K. Moore stands smiling while Michael Gougis, our District Governor congratulates her on her accomplishment.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

JOAN KERR MOORE ACHIEVES SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE AS TOASTMASTER!

Chicago, Illinois-Toastmasters International announced that Joan Kerr Moore has achieved the rank of Distinguished Toastmaster!

“Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) recognition is the greatest honor and highest achievement in public speaking that can be earned by a member of Toastmasters International,” said Michael Gougis, District Governor for Chicagoland . The DTM award is given only to those who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and communication skills to help others in their self-development efforts.

Joan joined Toastmasters in April 2007 as a member of the Two-One-Nine Toastmasters Club in Chicago, Illinois. She has served in club officer roles, as well as leadership roles in the District. She is currently the Central South Division Governor and Membership Extension Chair for District 30 and Vice-President of Membership of her club. Joan’s accomplishments have given her a greater perspective of the value of being a good communicator and an effective leader.

About Toastmasters

From one club started in 1924 at the YMCA in Santa Ana, California, Toastmasters has grown to become the world’s leading organization in teaching public speaking and leadership skills and helping people conquer their pre-speech jitters. The nonprofit organization now has approximately 250,000 members in 12,500 clubs in 106 countries

For more information, please see www.toastmasters.org

This announcement was sent to Joan K. Moore's hometown paper in Kentucky.

Ivory Gwin ACHIEVES SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE AS TOASTMASTER!

noreply@blogger.com (Lynn Thomas) — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 20:29:00 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Schaumburg, IL- Toastmasters International announced that Ivory Gwin has achieved the rank of Distinguished Toastmaster! Pictured above from left to right: Michael Gougis, District Governor of District 30 and DTM; Ivory Gwin, DTM; Pat Martin, Past District Governor and DTM.

“Becoming a Distinguished Toastmaster is the highest achievement in public speaking,” said Mike Gougis, District Governor for Chicagoland. “It requires mastery of both communication and leadership skills.” Distinguished Toastmasters present over 40 speeches evaluated by other members and perform several types of leadership positions.

Ivory Gwin’s roles included: 2006/2207 Area Governor, 2007/2008 Division Governor, 2008/2009 Asst Sergeant at Arms, 2009 Summer TLI Dean. Ivory Gwin joined Toastmasters in 2003 and belongs to AT&T Chicagoland, Broadview Toastmasters.

About Toastmasters

From one club started in 1924 at the YMCA in Santa Ana, California, Toastmasters has grown to be come the world’s leading organization teaching public speaking and leadership skills and helping people conquer their pre-speech jitters. Since that first club, more than four million men and women have enjoyed the benefits of Toastmasters membership. The nonprofit organization now has approximately 226,000 members in 11,500 clubs in 91 countries.

For more information, please visit http://tmofalgonquin.brinkster.net/ or call Olga Dempski, VP-Public Relations, at (815) 382-2487.

The Public Relations Officer Role

noreply@blogger.com (Lynn Thomas) — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 23:38:00 +0000

This was one of the first documents I read about the Public Relations Officer Role. I thought some folks would find it interesting.

I'm still experimenting with the best way to put up some of these documents; embeditin takes a while to load. I really appreciate the functionality once you can see it, though. - View it full screen, print it, etc.

Saturday's DEC Meeting

noreply@blogger.com (Lynn Thomas) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 17:50:00 +0000

For those who aren't aware of what happens at a DEC meeting, here's some of what happened this past Saturday at District 30's first DEC meeting under our new District Governor, Michael Gougis, DTM.

First, there is the agenda:

District Executive Committee (DEC) Meeting
District 30 Chicagoland Toastmasters
Bensenville Community Library ~ July 18, 2009 at 1:00 PM

1. Call to Order/Pledge of Alliance - Sgt. At Arms
2. Inspirational Thought - Cynthia Eloby, ACG, CL
3. Reading of District Mission - Doug Duda, CC
4. Welcome - Michael Gougis
5. Roll Call - Sabrina Winston-Gougis, ACB, Secretary
6. Acceptance of May & June Minutes
7. Treasurer's Report - Matt Chavers, ACS/CL
8. Reports by District Officers

Public Relations Officer - Lynn Thomas, ATMB/CL
Lt. Gov. Marketing - Srinivas Saineni, ACS/ALB
Lt. Gov. Education & Training - Kyle Roti, ACS/ALS
District Governor - Michael Gougis, DTM
Immediate Past District Governor - Patricia Martin, DTM

BREAK (20 Minutes for Division and Area Governors meeting)

9. Division Governors Reports (2-3 minutes)

Central North - Elta Marquez, ACS/CL
Central South - Joan K. Moore, DTM
Northwest - Greg Vogt, ACB/ALB
Southwest - DeLois Lacey, ACS/CL (Ivory Gwin, DTM)
North - Steven Bartman, ACS/ALS
South - Bee Bee Maloney, DTM

10. Committee Reports
11. Unifinished Business - Elizabeth Purnell ACS/ALB, Spring Conf. Chair
12. New Business
13. Educational Sessions:
Using Your CL Manual -Angela Moustsis, ACB/CL
First Class Club Coach - Srinivas Saineni, ACS/ALB
14. Announcements
15. Next DEC Meeting, August 22, 2009
16. Adjourn

---------
Of course, there was so much more that happens around the meeting. They had food for attendees, and opportunities to network and introduce ourselves. The DEC meeting is a big deal because there are representatives for the entire District 30 which covers Cook, DuPage, Kane and McHenry Counties; over 150 clubs in the Chicagoland Area.

If I'm not mistaken, this is Elta Marquez, ACS/CL, giving the Division Governor Report for the Central North Division. Each Division Governor has several area governors underneath them; and each Division Governor introduced their teams in creative ways.

We have a lot of high achievers in District 30, which is one of the reasons why we became a Distinguished District for the 2nd year in a row as of June 30 - which is the end of our calendar year.
Stella Lorens whispered to me amidst all the activity that she was running out to get Pat Martin some flowers. She said she was going to leave a little bit early, so after a while I looked around and managed to capture a shot of the flowers. How they managed to keep this secret from Pat - I'll never know, but there is a lot of activity going on during a meeting-and Pat was seated way over to Ivory's left in this picture.

Pat had a great announcement to make, at the end of the meeting, and that is a followup to the Triple Crown. A triple crown is when you earn three Toastmasters Awards in a year - you will then become a "Triple Crown" winner and be recognized for it.

We are now starting our Five Star Club - Beginning July 1st through December 31st when your club achieves 5 of the Distinguished Club Program (DCP) goals, your club will be recognized in the Winter Issue of the District Spotlight Newsletter.

2009-10 Distinguished Club Program (DCP)

1. Two CC's (Competent Communicator)
2. Two More CC's
3. One ACB (Advanced Communicator - Bronze), ACS (Advanced Communicator - Silver), or ACG (Advanced Communicator - Gold)
4. One more ACB, ACS, or ACG
5. One CL, ALB, (Advanced Leader - Bronze), ALS (Advanced Leader - Silver) or DTM
6. One more CL, ALB, ALS or DTM
7. Four new members
8. Four more new members
9. Minimum four officers trained each training period (twice a year during the TLI's)
10. One semi and one officer list submitted on time

Pat was given her flowers as she started to step down from her presentation about the 5 Star Club campaign. I managed to get a picture of Kyle Roti on the right, Pat in the middle right after she was given her flowers, and Michael Gougis on the left.

All in all, we had a great time, exchanged a lot of information and quite a few business cards, and I already have some more volunteers for what I'm planning in the future.

I will be putting up my report in another post so you can see what it is I'm thinking about for District 30 for the year. I met with one of Srinivas's Marketing Committee people to brainstorm some ideas for how we can "Let Chicagoland Know" that we exist...and we'll have more on that later on, too.

It was a very busy day, but very productive and I managed to take more pictures. Any day I can take pictures is a GREAT day; any day I can meet more Toastmasters is a GREAT day; and any day I can make a presentation and brainstorm is an OUTSTANDING day!

My internet is down until Sunday

noreply@blogger.com (Lynn Thomas) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 22:37:00 +0000

The DEC Meeting is Saturday and I'll probably have some updates...but there won't be much happening here for a few days.

ELIZABETH McGEE ACHIEVES SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE AS TOASTMASTER!

noreply@blogger.com (Lynn Thomas) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 22:32:00 +0000

(Carol Stream, IL) - Toastmasters International announced that Elizabeth McGee has achieved the rank of Distinguished Toastmaster!

“Becoming a Distinguished Toastmaster is the highest achievement in public speaking,” said Mike Gougis, District Governor for Chicagoland (McHenry, Lake, DuPage and Cook counties). “It requires mastery of both communication and leadership skills.” Distinguished Toastmasters present over 40 speeches evaluated by other members and serve in several types of leadership positions.

McGee’s roles included: VP-Education 2007-2008, Asst. TLI Dean 2008, Division Governor 2008-2009, District Conference Emcee 2009, and many other roles on committees throughout her time as a Toastmaster. Her next undertaking will be that of webmaster for the district website.

McGee joined Toastmasters in December 2006 and belongs to two clubs: Toast of Algonquin #1251013 in Algonquin and AT&T Chicagoland #1526 in Hoffman Estates. Toast of Algonquin, which McGee sponsored, is open to all interested parties. The club meets at the Eastgate Branch of the Algonquin Library at 6pm on the 2nd Wednesday and last Tuesday of each month (see website below for details). The AT&T Chicagoland Club is open only to employees of AT&T and meets once per week at lunchtime at the Hoffman Estates campus.

About Toastmasters

From one club started in 1924 at the YMCA in Santa Ana, California, Toastmasters has grown to be come the world’s leading organization teaching public speaking and leadership skills and helping people conquer their pre-speech jitters. Since that first club, more than four million men and women have enjoyed the benefits of Toastmasters membership. The nonprofit organization now has approximately 226,000 members in 11,500 clubs in 91 countries.

For more information, please visit http://tmofalgonquin.brinkster.net/ or call Olga Dempski, VP-Public Relations, at (815) 382-2487.

Rory Vaden, "Take the Stairs"

noreply@blogger.com (Lynn Thomas) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 01:33:00 +0000

I saw Rory at the Region 5 Conference in Nashville. This youtube video is similar to what he was saying in Nashville.

Two time World Champion of Public Speaking Finalist, Rory Vaden MBA, presents his powerful keynote speech in this video (Take The Stairs -- Success Means Doing What Others Won't) in front of 700 people.

Take The Stairs is a global movement of people committing to lead more self-disciplined lives. To join the tour visit: www.takethestairsspeaker.com.