RISE and SHINE
Times Dispatch
District 29, Region 7
Volume 2, Issue 4
March 1, 2014
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
District Highlights
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Governor’s Message
Education and Training
Spring Contest FAQs
A Supportive and Positive Experience
District 29 Spring Conference
Marketing
Why Not Us?
Dues Are Due: March 31st
Talk Up Toastmasters!
Creating the Best Club Climate
Model Club Checklist
News of Note
Announcements
Happy Anniversary!
Submit an Article or Advertisement
Tips and Tricks
The Cure for Boring Body Language
Recent Events
Bennie Bough Toastmasters
You Asked; We Answered
Youth Leadership Program
Your District 29 Team
Fun and Games
New Way To Say
Congratulations!
Trivia Time
It’s a Mad-Lib World
Social Savvy
Deadlines and Headlines
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Talk Up Toastmasters: Feb 1—Mar 31
Culpeper Tells Storytelling Festival: Mar 15
Dues are Due: Mar 31
Spring Conference: May 16—17
New Club Membership
Requirements
Effective April 1, 2014, clubs must meet the
new minimum membership requirement of eight
members (up from six). At least three of the
eight must have been members of the club
during the previous renewal period. If you
believe your club is in jeopardy, contact Lt.
Governor Marketing Lovely Lall to request a
Club Coach.
District 29, Region 7
Governor’s Message: Is It Ever Too Early to Celebrate?
The Toastmasters year runs from July 1st through June 30th. Week after
week, Toastmaster members come together within the comfort of their clubs
and pursue goals of collective and personal development. They give
speeches and provide evaluations. They lead and they mentor. They
compete and they celebrate. They grow - and as they grow they have fun and
achieve success.
Winter Toastmasters Leadership Institute (TLI) – thanks to all of you who
worked so diligently to train and be trained. I am beyond words to have
witnessed the dedication and hard work that was put behind the promotion
and coordination (not to mention the creativity) of each TLI.
New Clubs – we have officially chartered THREE new clubs! Please help us
welcome Chinmaya Somnath Toastmasters, Virginia International University
Toastmasters, and DiData Centreville Toastmasters to our District 29 family.
Contest Season – Are you in the competition? If you are not competing,
please come out to support those who are. This year’s International Speech
Contest District Champion will not only have the opportunity to compete on
the International Stage, but that stage will be in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. We
are looking forward to some fierce and powerful competition.
Club 29 – This program is just as much a thank-you to all of our high-member
clubs as it is an incentive for clubs to join their ranks. Clubs with more than 29
members have something special to offer, and that’s why people join. They
also have a lot of work to do in order to manage this size membership. This
program will recognize and reward the efforts these clubs have dedicated to
the members they serve.
In these next few months we will Let it Shine, as hailed by Past District
Governor Paul White; we will Celebrate Success as cheered by Past District
Governor Shu Bartholomew; we will continue to watch our Members R.I.S.E
as encouraged by Past District Governor Mo
Hamilton. Throughout these next few months we
will also continue to have as much Fun and be as
Successful as possible!
Newsletter Volume 2, Issue 4
March 1, 2014
1
Education and Training
Speech Contest
FAQs
Evaluation Contest
There are no minimum-speech
requirements for the Evaluation
contest.
You must be a
member in good standing of the
club in which you compete.
International Speech Contest
To participate in any level of the
International Speech Contest, a
member must have completed
at least six speeches from the
Competent Communicator (CC)
manual prior to the club contest.
A charter member of a club
chartered after the previous July
1 may compete without having
completed six speeches in the
CC manual. The club must be
officially chartered before the
Area contest.
Eligibility
All
contestants
must
be
members in good standing.
District officers, region advisors,
incumbent international officers
and directors, and announced
candidates for elected positions
may not compete in any
Toastmasters speech contest.
Judges
Insofar as practical, judges
should remain anonymous:
Judges are not known to the
contestants and judges’ names
and contact information are
excluded from any contest
materials. Judges’ decisions are
confidential.
Originality
All International speeches must
be
substantially
original.
Twenty-five percent or less of
the speech may be devoted to
quoting,
paraphrasing,
or
referencing another person’s
content. Quoted, paraphrased,
or referenced content must be
so identified during the speech
presentation.
Find additional resources here.
District 29, Region 7
A Supportive and Positive
Learning Experience
A few weeks back, at one of the club meetings, the
Table Topics Master asked a question: how would you
define a failure? My answer to this question would
have been different prior to joining Toastmasters. After
several years, I have learned that there is no such
thing as failure; each attempt is a success. We try our
best to perform meeting roles or give speeches. We
succeed. We make mistakes. We learn from them.
And our fellow Toastmasters encourage us to continue
on our journeys.
Our clubs and members provide supportive and positive learning experiences that
result in greater self-confidence and personal growth. One of these experiences
is the club contest. The journey outside of the club begins: Area contests; Division
contests; the District contest; and the culminating International contest.
:: drum roll please ::
Spring contest season has started!
Some clubs have already run their Evaluation and International Speech Contests;
others are in the midst of planning and will announce their winners prior to the
Area contests in March. Club contest winners will represent their clubs at the Area
level. Area winners will compete at the Division level. The six Division winners will
compete at the District 29 Spring Conference in May!
Our District champion will compete in the World Championship of Public Speaking
Semifinals, held at the Toastmasters International Convention in Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia.
We may be cheering for YOU this summer!
I encourage all of you to venture outside of your club environment: compete in and
attend contests; join us for the education sessions at the Spring Conference; and
learn from your fellow Toastmasters.
Step outside of your comfort zone: there are no failures, only future successes.
District 29 Spring Conference
Join 150 of your fellow Toastmasters at the Westfields Marriott on Friday, May 16th and
Saturday, May 17th. The District Conference Team has been hard at work preparing for
fun keynote presentations, informational break-out sessions, and the two speech contests.
During the business meeting, the District Council—District officers, club Presidents, and
club VPEs—will vote on District business and vote for next year’s District officers.
Newsletter Volume 2, Issue 4
March 1, 2014
2
Marketing
Why Not Us?
With both the Super Bowl and the Olympics in February, team spirit is in the air!
Athletes rise up to the occasion each time they take the field by doing their
personal best.
I recently watched an interview with Russell Wilson, captain of the Seattle
Seahawks. At 5’11, he considered himself too short to play high school football
until his father asked one simple question: “why not you?” It was this question
that changed Wilson’s mind and made him pursue his passion for the sport.
When he joined the Seahawks, he brought his winning attitude and asked his
team “why not us?” on his very first day. The team embraced these three little
words and made their team spirit known to the whole world. At the end of the 2013 season, Wilson led the
Seahawks to their first Super Bowl win in the team’s 38-year history.
The power of one person’s winning attitude can spread like wildfire and may make the difference to the team’s
success.
As Toastmasters, we may not wear uniforms, but the
attitudes we bring to the playing field do matter: they
contribute to the environment and culture at every level of
the Club, Area, Division, and District. Camaraderie among
members ensures fun and productive meetings, resulting
in better attendance and a higher guest-turned-member ratio.
Think back to when you became a Toastmaster: what was the
impetus that made you join? Most likely, it was the warm
and supportive environment you encountered when you
first attended a club meeting.
If your club is struggling with membership retention, ask what
you can do to re-create that initial environment:
 Make sure that members are meeting their personal
goals. A satisfied member has a direct correlation to club
success. The happier the members, the happier the club.
 A happy club delivers quality meetings.
And where
there’s quality, quantity is sure to follow in the form of
increased numbers of members.
 Hold Open Houses: more than 50 District 29 clubs have
attracted new members via their Open House
meetings. The District will reimburse your club for up to
$40 in expenses.
 If your club has fewer than eight members, request a
Club Coach.
Bring your personal best to the playing field. Pursue your
Toastmasters passions and goals. Keep the Team Spirit alive.
“Why Not Us?” indeed!
District 29, Region 7
Dues are Due: March 31st
Time certainly does fly! Officers, please collect your
members’ dues and submit to TI as they are
received. Don’t get caught with a slow website at the
end of March!
This dues period is crucial as it will be an indicator of
whether your club meets the qualifications for
Distinguished status—depending on the total
membership number and DCP goals achieved—or
how much effort needs to be put forth to achieve your
club’s goal.
Talk Up Toastmasters!
Membership Campaign
February 1st—March 31st
Add New Members
Add five new, dual, or reinstated members (transfer
and charter members do not count) to receive a
special "Talk up Toastmasters!" ribbon to display on
your club’s banner AND earn a special discount code
for 10% off of your next order from the TI store.
Toastmasters Love to Talk
Ask members to invite guests to your meetings. Find
and provide opportunities to speak about the benefits
of Toastmasters.
Duration: February and March
The campaign runs from February 1 March 31. Each
member’s join date—as listed on the application—
must be one of these two months. Membership
applications and payments must be received by
World Headquarters no later than March 31.
Newsletter Volume 2, Issue 4
March 1, 2014
3
Creating the Best Club Climate
Model Club Checklist
Are club meetings
 well organized?
 productive?
 run on time?
 focused on members’ educational goals?
 planned to include exciting theme programs and thought-provoking Table Topics™ sessions?
Do members receive
 effective, supportive evaluations based on project objectives and the individual learning needs of the
member?
 reminders of upcoming meeting assignments at least a week in advance?
 up-to-date club newsletter?
Are guests
 welcomed?
 informed about the meeting/club/ Toastmasters?
 asked to return or join?
 asked for comments?
Does the club
 use the Distinguished Club Program for planning/recognition?
 present its Distinguished Club Program plan to members?
 immediately submit educational award applications to WHQ?
 quickly recognize member achievement?
 display Member Achievement Charts at every meeting?
 provide printed meeting agendas?
 explain meeting participants’ responsibilities to the assembly?
 orient new members focusing on what the new member wants to achieve within two weeks of joining?
 immediately assign mentors to new members?
 vote in and formally induct new members (including presenting member pin/New Member Kit)?
 conduct ongoing membership-building programs?
 keep the officer list up-to-date with World Headquarters?
 have a well-prepared meeting place that conveys a feeling of order and organization?
 have seats arranged, club banner displayed, lectern set up, and name cards or nametags prepared for
each club member and guest at the beginning of every meeting?
 display the guestbook prominently, ready to sign at the beginning of every meeting?
 follow club protocol and take the time to teach these protocols to new members?
Do club officers
 attend district-sponsored training twice per year?
 understand and fulfill roles/responsibilities?
 submit membership applications promptly?
 submit dues renewals to World Headquarters by the deadlines?
Creating the Best Club Climate, a module within The Successful Club series,
may be downloaded from the TI website or purchased from the TI store
District 29, Region 7
Newsletter Volume 2, Issue 4
March 1, 2014
4
News of Note
Announcements
Receiving Extra Magazines?
Members of more than one club sometimes receive multiple copies of the Toastmaster each month. Use the extra magazines
to attract new members by following these suggestions. To opt out of duplicate subscriptions, notify
[email protected]. To learn how to download the Toastmasters International app, visit www.toastmasters.org/
magazine.
Show Off Your Club Video
Each month, clubs from around the globe enter the Toastmasters brand video contest. Share your
club's enthusiasm for the brand and your club could win branded materials. Winning videos will appear on the Toastmasters
International website and social media websites. See contest details.
Is Your Club Easy to Find?
Help prospective members find your meeting location: Update your club information online and include a current phone
number and email address.
Happy Anniversary!
Ashburn Toastmasters
B-2 Toastmasters 20 years!
Bechtel Speech Builders
Belvoir
Brambleton Toastmasters
Culpepper
The following clubs chartered in March, April, and May
Neustar Tech Toastmasters
Pauline Shirley
R.E.C. Toastmasters
Reston-Herndon Toastmasters
Ridge Star Toastmasters 5 years!
Sallie Mae - Reston
Eastern Federal Lands 5 years!
Signature Speakers of VeriSign 5 years!
ExxonMobil
Franconia Orators
GCE
Get the Edge Toastmasters
Leesburg Speakeasies
Liberty Crosstalkers
Mae I Speak Too
Speak Up Manassas 5 years!
McNamara HQC Toastmasters 50 years!
Westfield Toastmasters 10 years!
Mount Vernon Toastmasters 35 years!
Wizards of Ahs Toastmasters
Springfield Toastmasters
Stafford County Toastmasters
Talking Titans
TFHRC Toastmasters
Towerview Toastmasters
U Converse Masterfully
Submit an Article
Advertise your event to the entire District. E-mail information and/or a flyer to [email protected] for publishing via our social media
Public Relations channels.
We are also looking for Newsletter, blog, and magazine submissions. Share a success, an inspirational story, or other interesting tidbit.
Email your submissions for the next issue by May 15, 2014.
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Club articles and photos
Speaking hints and tips
Educational articles and “How To”s
Event photos and reports
Interesting photos with captions
Contest results
Membership-building ideas
What works at your meetings
Your Ad Here
Promote your business! Reach new customers! Show your support of District 29 Toastmasters by sponsoring an event, a
publication, or the District in general. Contact [email protected] to learn more about sponsorship opportunities.
District 29, Region 7
Newsletter Volume 2, Issue 4
March 1, 2014
5
Tips and Tricks
The Five-Step Cure for Boring Body Language
Dorothy Halligan, DTM
Could your body language be more expressive? Do you inhibit your natural body language when you’re speaking in public
because of your self-consciousness?
Or maybe you’ve been told (by a well-meaning but misguided person) that you wave your arms around too much? As a result,
you’ve shut down your natural gestures and become stiff and boring.
The secret to curing boring body language in public speaking is to replicate the state you’re in when you’re in an animated oneon-one conversation. When you’re in that state, your gestures unconsciously complement what you’re saying and give your
message energy and persuasive power. You’ll look and feel more confident. There’s evidence that natural gesturing makes the
speaker more fluent.
Here’s what to do to develop natural, expressive body language when you’re speaking:
1. Empty your hands
Put down anything you’re holding, whether it be a pen, the remote, or your notes (once you’re gesturing naturally you can hold
your notes or the remote, but for the moment they just make the task of freeing up your gestures more difficult).
2. Keep your hands free
Holding your hands together, putting them in your pockets, or hanging onto the lectern will stop you gesturing.
So where should you put your hands? For the moment, just let them hang loosely at your sides (this is a default position – this
is not where your hands will stay). I know that this feels awkward; you probably feel a bit like a gorilla! Think about this: do
global leaders look like gorillas? No. They don’t look awkward because they are used to having their arms hanging loosely at
their sides!
Your hands will probably creep together without you noticing. When that happens, immediately separate them again.
3. Talk to one person at a time
When you’re in a one-on-one animated conversation, your hands naturally gesture. So kick-start your hands into gesturing by
replicating that animated state. Do this by looking at one person and feeling in that moment that you’re just talking to him; no
one else. At the end of a phrase or short sentence, talk to someone else in the audience, but always be talking to someone.
People in your audience will feel that you have genuinely connected with them and that you care about their reactions.
Because you’re talking to people as if you were in a one-on-one conversation, you’ll come across as conversational. That
makes you engaging and easy to listen to.
4. Move your feet
To enlarge your body language, move your feet. You could for example, move towards the person to whom you are talking.
The larger body movement will free up your body and will encourage you to make larger gestures. There are many benefits to
movement in a presentation:
 It adds energy and variety to your presentation.
 It makes you look more confident – because people who are nervous are generally frozen in one spot.
And as an added bonus, if you move, you may start to feel more confident. That’s partly because movement will help dissipate
the extra adrenalin in your system
5. Vary your gestures
Once you’ve opened up your body language, check that you’re not making repetitive gestures. Ask someone to give you
feedback on your speech movements. After many people provide feedback, your most common gesture will become evident.
For example, moving your right arm from the elbow outward, as if opening and closing a door, serves no purpose. Remove
distracting and repetitive gestures, but don’t try to choreograph what you’re saying with specific gestures: it will look forced and
unnatural.
Follow these five steps and you’ll develop natural body language that will add energy, engagement, and persuasive power to
your speeches.
District 29, Region 7
Newsletter Volume 2, Issue 4
March 1, 2014
6
Recent Events
Bennie Bough Toastmasters
Martin Horn, DTM
Approximately 30 Toastmasters gathered in at the Bennie Bough Club Springfield on January 15th to attend a
workshop on “Evaluating the Champions,” led by Bill Malthouse—who developed this workshop several years ago.
The workshop was counted as winter Toastmasters Leadership Institute (TLI) credit for those club officers who had
attended TLI the preceding summer.
Bill started with a presentation in which he compared and contrasted the process of “Evaluating”—as is performed
in any normal Toastmasters meeting—with that of “Judging” as performed in a Toastmasters speech contest. The
standard judging form for an International Speech Contest was handed out, and the speech qualities—content,
organization, and delivery—that are graded using this form were individually discussed. The primary point was that
these same qualities used in judging can be used to perform an effective speech evaluation: the evaluator should
not directly use the form, but rather “internalize” the qualities that are called for.
Videos of complete speeches—by three contestants from the final round of the 2010 World Championship of Public
Speaking—were shown. All attendees were invited to judge these speeches using the judging form. Three
longtime Bennie Bough Club members—Shu Bartholomew, Martin Horn and Walt Okon—provided evaluations, one
for each speech. They showed that any speech—even that of a contest finalist—has room to improve.
Vellie Dietrich Hall, founder of the Bennie Bough Toastmasters Club, returned to the Club for a rare visit on
Wednesday, January 29th.
With Vellie was her daughter Ayn, whom many will remember as
International Speech Contest champion in the old District 27 for two
consecutive years, 2008 and 2009. Vellie, her husband Harry, and Ayn
were active members of the Bennie Bough Club from its founding in 2002
until they left the DC area—Vellie and Harry retiring to live on a farm and
run a bed-and-breakfast and boutique in rural Virginia near Farmville, and
Ayn for her current job in Seattle, Washington. Ayn is currently the official
spokesperson of the FBI, Seattle Headquarters. Her training as a
Toastmaster contributed greatly to where she is now in her career.
Harry did not come on the recent visit—he stayed behind to care for the
farm. They do remain active in Toastmasters clubs at their new homes:
Harry and Vellie are mentoring a newclub: Charlotte Toastmasters in
Charlotte County, VA; Ayn has joined a corporate club in Seattle.
Vellie was President of Springfield Toastmasters in 2002 when she saw the need to start a new club, as the
Springfield Club was getting so large that members had too few opportunities to speak. She named the new club
for Bennie Bough, a former International President of Toastmasters (and a member of both this new club and the
Springfield Club). The Bennie Bough Club prides itself on achieving “10 for 10”—every goal of the Distinguished
Club Program—in every year since its founding.
District 29, Region 7
Newsletter Volume 2, Issue 4
March 1, 2014
7
You Asked; We Answered
What is the Youth Leadership Program?
Arthuretta Martin, DTM
We are our children’s keepers.
The Toastmasters program helps adults to improve as speakers and to overcome our fear of public speaking.
That’s not a secret.
But young people? Developing leadership skills in teenagers? The Youth Leadership Program (YLP) is a hidden gem.
Toastmasters International developed YLP to encourage public speaking in the next generation: young people between the ages
of 13 and 17. It provides the same value to teenagers as to adults: communication and leadership skills.
Almost two years ago, I learned of the program when Rae Roach spoke at a District Council Meeting; she spoke with such
passion that I was immediately sold. Since then, I’ve delved into the waters of mentoring, teaching, and cultivating young m inds.
And I haven’t looked back!
Since taking on the role as Youth Leadership Coordinator for District 29, I’ve had the opportunity to speak with four groups of
participants and hear about their successes. I’ve spoken with many parents who want their children to experience the program
and can’t wait to sign them up!
What’s stopping them?
Our Youth Leadership Program—a rising star in District 29’s offerings with nine programs currently in the works—is in need of
additional members and clubs interested in sponsoring programs. We are looking for Toastmasters who are willing to dedicate
one or two hours a week for eight weeks.
The time commitment is small, but the rewards are huge: once you see a young person grow into his abilities and become more
confident, you too may very well delve into the experience and never look back.
Interested in learning more? Contact me anytime!
Arthuretta Martin is a professional storyteller, keynote speaker, trainer,
author, vocalist, and facilitator. She is a
Distinguished Toastmaster, the highest
achievement in Toastmasters International.
She is a professional member of the National
Speakers Association, National Association
of Black Storytellers, and the Virginia
Storytellers Alliance. She serves as the
Youth Leadership Program coordinator for
Toastmasters International District 29 and
President of the Virginia Advance Speakers
Toastmasters Club.
As a business owner of her company, Words and Melodies, L.L.C.,
Arthuretta speaks on subjects that range from public policy, effective
public speaking and success strategies for life, to folk tales, singing a
repertoire of jazz and classical music, oral history and folklore. Send an
e-mail to [email protected] for a chance to win a
Toastmasters-branded prize. She credits Toastmasters with showing
her how to weave “vocal animation and arousing color” into
presentations that captivate. She sprinkles her stories with her vocal
talents, providing a special experience for the listeners.
Your District 29 Leadership Team
District 29 Governor:
Lt. Gov Ed & Training:
Lt. Governor Marketing:
Public Relations Officer:
Treasurer:
Secretary:
Sergeant-At-Arms:
Your District 29 Newsletter Team
Editor-in-Chief:
Associate Editor:
Reporter & Grammarian:
Cartoonist:
Photographers:
Arthuretta earned an undergraduate degree in public administration
from James Madison University, a master’s degree in Management
from the Florida Institute of Technology, and post-graduate work in
communication and public policy from George Mason University.
District 29, Region 7
Juliette Brown, ATM-S
Mahesh Patil, DTM
Lovely Lall, DTM
Christine Hobbs, DTM
Chris Peden, ACB, CL
Michelle St. Pierre, DTM
Dave Matthews, DTM
Newsletter Volume 2, Issue 4
Pamela Auble, CC, ALB
Mike Schultz, DTM
Martin Horn, DTM
John Lesko, DTM
Edmond Joe, DTM
Nerine Clemenzi, ACB, CL
Mary Jane Fish, ACB, CL
Michael Floersch, DTM
Katherine Ransom, ACB, ALB
March 1, 2014
8
Fun and Games!
Trivia Time
New Way to Say: Ran
Sped
Galloped
Hurried
Hustled
Fled
Rushed
Jogged
Skipped
Bolted
Raced
Sprinted
Dashed
Congratulations to Deborah Campbell of PW County
Employees Club! Deborah’s name was randomly selected
from the pool of individuals who found the Easter Egg in
last month’s newsletter. She is the winner of an Advanced
Communicator Manual!
Let’s try this again. Submit your answers to the following
questions to receive a shout-out in the next District 29
Newsletter. Fame and glory will be yours!
Q
Q
Who is the founder of Bennie Bough Toastmasters Club?
How many speeches must a contestant give prior to
competing in the Evaluation contest? How many for the
International Speech contest?
Q
Which District 29 Toastmasters club—celebrating its
anniversary during this newsletter timeframe—chartered in
1979?
Q
Which Successful Club Series module is highlighted in this
edition of the newsletter?
Will you be next month’s winner?
It’s a Mad-Lib World
1. Noun
7. Verb
2. Noun
8. Term of Endearment
3. Verb
9. Verb
4. Adjective
10. Verb
5. Noun - Plural
11. Noun
6. Color
You are my _________________. My only __________________________. You __________________________ me __________________
(1. Noun)
(2. Noun)
(3. Verb)
(4. Adjective)
when _________________ are ______________________. You’ll never ______________________ , ______________________ how
(5. Noun - Plural)
(6. Color)
(7. Verb)
(8. Term of Endearment)
much I _______________ you. Please don’t ________________ my ________________ away.
(9. Verb)
(10. Verb)
(11. Noun)
Social Savvy
I Want my M(BC)TV!
Get your Club on Mastering Business Communications (MBC) TV! Find MBC on Channel 28 in Fairfax County and Comcast
Public Access Channel 2 in Prince William County. Fairfax County events are broadcast Saturday evenings at 7:30pm. Prince
William County broadcasts the same events on Tuesdays at 9:00pm. All shows are archived at www.rctv28.com/
Toastmasters.html. Schedule your show now!
Find us in your favorite Social Media Spot
District 29, Region 7
Newsletter Volume 2, Issue 4
March 1, 2014
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