Contest Cooperation

by Nancy Ellenson, EH5

Autumn is upon us, and we are well into the new Toastmaster’s year. Area Visits are in full swing, clubs are back from summer break, and Division Directors are already talking about contest season. Why should we talk about it already? Because this year, Toastmasters has informed us that all contests beyond club level are to be in person only. No more Zoom links, no hybrid option, just good old-fashioned in person contests. For many of us, including myself, this is new territory; and for some of us it means more planning is necessary to be involved.

As a Division Director I am supposed to be the Chief Judge at the Area Contests and the Contest Chair for the Division Contest. The problem I have with this is that I am a 3-hour drive away from Winnipeg (one-way). This means finding housing (either hotel or bunking at a friend’s house), needing to eat, and taking time off work to make the trip. Now multiply this by five!

How can we find a happy solution to this? If we expect the clubs outside the city of Winnipeg to participate in contests, there needs to be cooperation. Make room in your homes for contestants and officials to spend the night and save them the cost of a hotel. Band together and have joint contests. Volunteer to be a contest official “stand in”.

Unfortunately for the clubs that are the farthest away from the city (Dryden, Flin Flon, etc) this will not help much. They are still very far away and have no cheap option for travel. How can we keep them involved and feel like they are a valuable part of things? If we can’t keep them involved, we will lose a fairly large number of contest officials and contestants.

So what do you do? Step up. Be involved. Offer assistance. Take the training to be a contest judge. Consider district leadership for next year. Write to TI to voice your concerns (especially with the upcoming district realignment). Show understanding when clubs do not participate in contests. And most of all, be compassionate with your district leaders when they cannot make it in person for contests. Some of us have a long drive and a short budget of time and money.

Virtual Toastmasters at Ten

By Sheryl Poirier, DTM

How things have changed! After club meetings, District events, club officer training and even International Conventions being online since March 2020, it might be difficult to believe Toastmasters International did not sanction online club meetings or online training back in 2013.

In fact, even for remote clubs such as clubs in Flin Flon, The Pas and Thompson,  Toastmasters insisted on in person training if the club wanted credit.  To do anything online, districts had to apply for permission. Imagine being a member of Flin Flon Toastmasters and feeling the obligation to travel to Winnipeg twice a year!

Past District Governor Dorian Guerard heard about a club out of Perth, Australia.  It was operating as a hybrid club. What a wonderful idea to connect with all parts of our District!  Since the technology was unfamiliar to most people, it would naturally be an advanced club. 

There were not many choices for online videoconferencing.  Many were one to one, like video phone calls more than conferencing.  GoToMeeting was our first platform.  Only six people could be on video at one time.  Sharing presentations or files was not easy. Many people were more aware of how others appeared than themselves, not liking to be on camera.  There were few protocols.  We mostly made them up as we went along.

Finding new members was challenging.  Many were horrified at the idea of looking at themselves.  Others do not like cameras.  Still others feared these videos could be used for nefarious purposes.  Many simply did not have the right kind of computer or had no internet connection.  Even internationally there was a problem. If you’ve ever been on TI’s Find a Club, you will see O’s under many club names.  It means the club accepts online member.  That indicator did not exist until recently.

The 21 members who chartered Virtual Toastmasters club all had their own reasons for joining. 

At our tenth anniversary party, we were reminded of some of those reasons: to add a second club to one’s experience from a home outside Winnipeg or Brandon, to maintain skills when away for months at a time, to join in when working on the road, to add a skill set for employment purposes, to see distant friends more often, to step outside one’s comfort zone, to be a pioneer, to help ‘move the needle’ with Toastmasters International or to simply help get the new club chartered.  Except for the last, all those reasons for joining Virtual Toastmasters remain valid today. 

Do we have all the answers for today’s hybrid clubs? We have many but no, we do not know it all. Advances in technology still provide opportunities to learn. (Should we get a new camera to follow the speaker?)  Individual opinions still create opportunities for discussion. Do we really need to see everyone in the room when they appear so tiny anyway?) Lack of Toastmasters International Policies as opposed to recommendations or best practices still leaves members confused. (We leave our video off except for the speaker, even for a humorous speech contest?)

Ten years later, Virtual Toastmasters member list includes six charter members, three Past District Directors and one member who has always been on the club executive (Connie Lo Vasco Burch). 

If you were “there” in our early days, come see who we are today! We always welcome guests and new or returning members. What hasn’t changed?  Our hospitality!

Two Words

An obvious sentence to say would be that: Words are powerful.  Words can make or break nearly anything.  Think of Martin Luther King Jr.  and his speech on August 28, 1963, during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.  He spoke for 17 minutes, and his speech became regarded as one of the finest speeches in the history of America. You don’t need to have 17 minutes of writing to make an impact.  An impact can be felt by simply using two words.  There is a plethora of two-word sentences that are powerful.  “I do.”  “Try again.” “Be kind.” “Have faith.” “Carpe Diem.” “Love you.”  The list can go on.

I was reading an article on a website called “Bored Panda” that I frequent.  The authors of one article went to Reddit’s subreddit called “r/AskReddit” and asked, ‘What is a scary, unsettling fact about you?’  Right now, there are over 24,000 comments on that thread.  The authors then took a handful of them and posted it to Bored Panda, titling the article “45 Of the Most Unsettling Secrets People Have Revealed About Themselves in This Online Thread”.  One that they selected was from Reddit User “SensualEnema” who spoke of their failing mental health.  They have PTSD, have no motivations to do basic functions like cleaning or cook, have emotional attacks even when looking into their husband’s eyes.  She ended the post with the statement “Sorry for the wall of text. I’m just very tired and wanted to holler my problems into the Internet void.”

In the modern age of anonymity online, it’s impossible to tell what is fake and what is real. I don’t believe that this person is posting to get sympathy and is trying to generally express herself. The post was heartbreaking to say the least. I feel for everyone out there who has been in their own situations. It is my experience that when you hit your lowest, you will know it and hopefully find the motivation to start working your way out.  What got me writing about this section of the article over the other facts posted is not SensualEnema’s position, but it was a comment left by a Bored Panda community member by the name of “jonnamomma85” when he simply wrote: “I’m Listening.”

I’m listening.  Two words that can mean the difference.  When a Toastmasters club meets, one thing that can be always counted on is they are there to listen. I believe it’s the greatest skill each Toastmaster walks away with. When you give a speech, when you answer a table topics question, when you are evaluating, or when you are giving an invocation, everyone listens.  Toastmasters evaluates, helps correct the filler words like ‘um’ and ‘ah’, and encourages adding the word of the day to expand your vocabulary.  If you have any problems, they will be there to hear you out.  If you celebrate a milestone, Toastmasters are there to applause.  If you cry, Toastmasters is there with the tissue and a warm hug to comfort you.

While I dare not compare my past to SensualEnema’s or any other person’s situation, I’ve experienced my own low points and I’m lucky to have a great network of friends and family who have helped pull me up. This included when I joined Toastmasters in 2021. I go into each meeting knowing if I have a problem, I can speak my mind because my fellow Toastmasters who are there with me or on Zoom say with their eyes and their hearts: “I’m Listening.”

-Adam Belaire, DL5

Happy New Year

I would like to wish a Happy New Year to everyone at District 64. Last year has been challenging, but as a district we have come together and became stronger. This year will be no different as we continue District Director Michael’s goal of improving 1%.

World Champion of Public Speaking

Each year, thousands of Toastmasters, representing over 100 countries, battle for the title of World Champion of Public Speaking. This year’s months-long competition culminated at the 2022 International Convention on August 20th as the 28 semifinalists competed for a title that transforms lives.

Cyril Junior Dim is the new World Champion of Public Speaking! Dim, from District 108 won with a speech titled, “Ndini.” You can view the video of his speech at this link.

Congratulations to Alexandre Matte from District 123 for finishing in 2nd place with his speech, “Missing Ingredient,” and Mas Mahathir Bin Mohamad from District 51 for finishing in 3rd place with his speech, “Two Gifts.”