Saturday, April 7th from 1:30-3:00 p.m. at 610 Portage Avenue, Second Floor Auditorium. Open to the public. Light Refreshments. Admission by donation.
The Area 52 and 54 Table Topics and International Speech Contests follow at 3:30 p.m. All welcome to stay.
In 1978 Eaton Toastmaster club formed at the Eaton’s store, and succeeded in providing many management trainees the skills needed to succeed. In 1983 Eaton Toastmaster Club moved to Eaton’s in Polo Park and the club was then opened to the general public.
The club moved several times, and in 2009 settled at Lions Place, home of long time member Theresa Murie.
We welcome the general public to our 40th celebration and hope to see many former Eaton Toastmaster club members and employees. Lions Place Toastmasters Club’s second book ‘From Far and Wide: Canadian Stories’ published 2017 will be available.
They say that “the only constant is change” and this is certainly true in Toastmasters. Clubs gain members, clubs lose members, only to grow again as new members are enrolled. Clubs disappear, but every year, new clubs are chartered.
What works this magic of regeneration? It’s the work from dedicated Toastmasters of District 64 who are constantly on the watch for new club opportunities and for interested, prospective members.
To meet the challenge set out by Toastmasters International for constant growth in clubs and the total membership in each District, “The Trio” needs the ongoing aid and support provided by these outstanding individuals.
Help celebrate the members of District 64 whose efforts have contributed significantly to the meeting of this daunting goal of constant growth by nominating them for a District Award.
Download and complete the official nomination form. Remember that two nominators are required. Note that the more complete and detailed is the information you give, the better the chance that your nominee will be selected as recipient.
Time is running out! Please submit your fully completed nominations, by February 28, 2018 to DistrictAwards@District64.ca
Have a look at the list of winners of the Eric Stuhlmueller Memorial Award! You’ll recognize the names of Toastmasters who began, not as “great leaders” but as new club members. They worked their way through the basic manuals, developing the skills that allowed them to take on leadership roles in their clubs, in District 64 and in their communities.
Who are the leaders in District 64 whose names are not yet on that list?
Who do you know that has stepped up to the opportunity to serve as a member of a District committee or the coordinator of a special event? Who has become an inspiring role model for others to do the same?
Who are the Toastmasters whose communication skills have led them to enter contests, lead training sessions and give educational presentations? Who has been invited to make a keynote address outside Toastmasters? Whose job offer came as the result of their dedication to building excellent communication skills?
Don’t forget that great leaders are great communicators! Set your plans to develop the skills and take the actions that will let you earn a nomination too!!
In the fall of 2013, as Mayor of Grenfell, Saskatchewan, I was instrumental in putting in place one of the first community Anti-Bullying Bylaws in Saskatchewan. This was a very progressive step and at the time, even the Government of Saskatchewan had not fully addressed this issue thru the application of laws or regulations. They have advanced on the issue, but to use their words “More work needs to be done.” Not to make light, but this is sadly very evident when you listen to the current issues of the day in Saskatchewan.
Why did I feel it was important for our community to have written laws and regulations?
Our focus was mainly on the younger generation, even though the bylaw could be applied to adult harassment and bullying as well. Prior to the bylaw our local schools had limited ability to deal with what I would call “advanced bullying.” It was a two-step process. Step 1 was to apply warnings, eventually involve parents and give out verbal and/or written notice. Step 2 was to involve the RCMP in criminal charges.
It seldom (probably never) made it to step 2 as the task to document, involve the police, bring charges, obtain lawyers, attend court, etc. was too onerous. Many times bullying continued, step 1, after step 1, after step 1. The school, community and RCMP needed another tool.
After consultation with the schools, local RCMP and Town Council, the bylaw was put in place to give a mid-level deterrent with stepped financial fines that could be applied. This gave the school and the RCMP an extra tool in their tool box to deal with repeat, advanced bullying, or better still act as a deterrent in the first place.
How do I relate this to Toastmasters? At Toastmasters we also have written rules and regulations within the Toastmasters International Governing Documents. They are easy enough to find by Googling “Toastmasters Governing Documents.” On joining the organization we pledge to abide by the rules, regulations and policies within these Governing Documents.
How is this pertinent to us? Have you ever attended a club meeting where someone gave a rather lewd joke? More then once? Made rude remarks? Was insensitive on social media? Yes, bullying, racism and harassment can, and does, happen in the Toastmaster world. For most individuals on the receiving end it is unwelcome, unwanted, disrespectful and hurtful. Left unchecked it can cause members to leave the organization or clubs to fold. It has happened.
Do we need to put up with it? Should we put up with it? The simple answer is NO. The preamble to the Club Mission states:
“The mission of a Toastmasters Club is to provide a mutually supportive and positive learning environment..”
This implies an environment free from bullying, racism and harassment. Furthermore, in recent years Toastmasters International’s Board of Directors has done extensive work updating the Policy and Protocol Documents with more current code of Ethics, Protocol and Conduct in this regard. In the very simplest form they state:
“Toastmasters International prohibits all types of harassment and bullying. This includes, but is not limited to, sexual, verbal, physical, and visual harassment and bullying (including electronically).”
In Policy 3.0: Ethics and Conduct they define the type of behaviour that is not acceptable with very specific examples in an attempt to take away any subjectivity so there is no misunderstanding. Furthermore, they explain how matters can be handled, which levels are responsible, actions that can be taken, and ultimately member discipline procedures which could end up in dismissal from the organization.
Got a problem? You now have the “formal” tools to handle it. At the club I have seen it handled well by experienced General Evaluators, or Meeting Chair/Toastmasters of the Day, by stating to a particular member that a joke might not be acceptable, a comment might be off or a certain practice might not fit this club, this age, this community, etc. All done in a respectful way. It works.
On Social Media? Wow, that is a different world. Indeed look at almost any online political forum or news article site. It is deplorable! I think our organization is stronger than that. I did a presentation at PBS Toastmasters on our club’s expanded launch into Social Media and I offered three simple tips on conduct:
Respectful conversation.
Positive and constructive.
Air laundry elsewhere.
In item 3, I believe heated differences of opinion are best handled in person outside the medium of Social Media. Simple debates are acceptable (even healthy), but once things get heated, it does a disservice to the Toastmasters organization.
Remember the Toastmasters International Values: Integrity, Respect, Service and Excellence. Together we can keep our organization respectful, inclusive and proud.
