Frontier Division Contest

Saturday, October 30 2010

Registration 9:00 AM, Contest Briefing 9:00 AM, Contest Begins 10:30 AM

http://www.d50toastmasters.org/contests/fliers_Fall10/Frontier_ContestFall2010.pdf

This is the one that you don't want to miss!  Be there to support Todd, be there for the fun and excitement, just be there!!! :)

If you are really in the contest spirit, here are some other Division contests happening nearby that are well worth the effort of attending:

Town North Division Contest

Friday, October 29th 2010

Registration 5:45 PM, Contest Briefing 6:00 PM, Contest Begins 7:00 PM

http://www.d50toastmasters.org/contests/fliers_Fall10/TN-Division_Contest_Fall-2010.pdf

Vista Division Contest

Saturday October 30th 2010

Registration 5:30 PM, Contest Briefing 6:00 PM, Contest Begins 7:00 PM

http://www.d50toastmasters.org/contests/fliers_Fall10/Vista_Division_Fall_2010_ContestFlyer-Final.pdf

Happy Contesting!

The role of toastmaster is a very important role in the toastmaster meeting. The responsibilities of the Toastmaster are the following:

Prior to the meeting

• Planning before the meeting.

Planning prior to the meeting is the key to a successful and good flowing meeting. An accurate agenda is essential as it promotes the smooth and orderly procession of the meeting with a minimum of wasted time. The work to ensure a complete agenda starts a week ahead of time with a list of participants acquired from the clubs Vice President of Education. Email the participants to ensure that they can fulfill their roles for the meeting. Also relay the theme of the meeting to the participants in this email. Prepare and practice a short talk (2-3 minutes) based on the chosen theme to open the meeting If participants drop out of the meeting such as a speaker, or General Evaluator, or Table Topics Master you must find someone to help fill that role. Check with the participants ahead of time to find out how much time their speeches will take up what the title of their speech is what manual they will be speaking from and what project they will be using in that manual. You may need to have only three speeches to keep the meeting on time, or ask a participant to modify their speech length to be able to include them in the agenda (i.e. a 10 to 15 min. speech may be able to be cut down to a 5-7 min. speech). Finally prepare the agenda including the times each portion of the meeting will take place. Also be sure to provide the correct education level for each of the participants on the agenda. Email the participants a day before the meeting asking them to arrive early to help facilitate the smooth running of the meeting. Prepare enough copies so that all participants in the meeting have a copy. Pass out the copies of the agenda prior to the start of the meeting. A preliminary copy can be emailed to members of the club, best done the day or two prior to the meeting.

• Take care of details before the meeting starts.

Arrive 15 minutes early before the meeting starts. Check off the participants as they arrive to ensure that all are there for the meeting. Check with each participant to see if they have any issues that need to be taken care of or that their special needs are taken care of (i.e. a chair or table to set their props on). If some participants do not show up find a replacement before the meeting starts to help save time during the meeting. Talk with the Table Topics Master before the meeting starts to make ensure that they will help keep the meeting on time with the by limiting the number of table topics to a minimum of two and maximize the number to the time available on the agenda.

During the meeting

• Ensure that the meeting runs on time.

This is done by ensuring that the meeting stays on purpose and does not stray from the agenda. Additionally smooth transitions between the different portions of the meeting will help keep the meeting moving.

• Properly introduce the participants.

Every participant is introduced by their title and name and what they are presenting. This is a good practice to get into for when you may be required to do it at work or a special event. A good introduction that is short goes something like this: (Here with his speech titled “ How to Make Money in the Stock Market” Please help me welcome advanced communicator Bronze, Competent Leader John Smith)

As we take a careful look at the above list we see that the requirements are the same for the facilitator of any business meeting. Thus if you are able to perform the toastmaster role well you will be fairly well prepared to facilitate a business meeting. It is important to introduce people properly with their proper title. Missing a proper introduction or botching it at an event can be a serious mistake which can hurt your career. When you have a quarter page, or longer, introduction to perform make sure you can read it. Practice it and print it out in large font to help make sure you don’t make mistakes. The two things left out of being a toastmaster that are needed at a business meeting are providing the meeting minutes after the meeting, and taking and reviewing action items at the meeting.

By Ed Meissner ACS, CL

Sarah Whitfield

PPTM Vice President of Membership

Todd Richardson, CC and Lisette Cumberland, ACB, ALB, Area 24 Governor

The winners of the night will receive prizes and the opportunity to represent the club at Area level contests and beyond.

If you’re still not a member and would like to live the Toastmaster experience, this is a perfect chance to visit us and enjoy what our organization is all about: learning, fun and growth.

Martha Palacios, TM

PPTM Fall Contest Public Relations Chair

• Toastmaster of the month awarded to Jeff Whitfield for the month of July
• Two new members Ben W and Ron K voted in 

Jeff Whitfield, the man behind the Preston Persuaders website and Past VP Public Relations was recognized for his outstanding contribution to the club. The growing membership of the club is largely due to the well designed and maintained website. He has worked tirelessly on constantly improving the website and the newsletter and for all this and much more he was recognized as Toastmaster of the month for July 2010. Way to Go Jeff! :)

Our two new members Benjamin W and Ronald K were voted in yesterday and so motivated and enthusiastic were they that they have signed up right away for the Club Contest next week! WooHoo!!! :) We are proud of you Ben and Ron!

Sricharanya Thiagarajan

PPTM VP Education

This is a great opportunity to come up with some funny speeches which is a great way to work on gestures, stage movement and voice. The winners not only win prizes but also get a chance to represent our club at the Area level contests and above! Trust me, it is a very rewarding experience! :)

The winners will be decided by 5 judges and a Chief Judge from outside the club.

Eligibility for the contests is as below:

• All toastmasters who are members in good standing are eligible to participate. This means if you have paid your dues, you are good to participate which all of you are.
• The speech must be original and there must not be large parts of quoted text. Plagiarism is prohibited. The humorous speech must not be just jokes or funny quotes but rather a speech which is humorous.
• Table topics participants will answer the same topic.
• All contestants except the one answering the topic will leave the room.
• Time limit for speeches are 5-7 minutes with 30 seconds grace time on either side, so basically 4 minutes 30 seconds to 7 minutes 30 seconds is the allowed time
• Table topics should be within 1 minute to 2 minute 30 seconds.
• There will not be any evaluation. Judges are not permitted to evaluate the speech so please refrain from asking comments from the Judges after the contest.
• Contestants are required to be at the contest at 6:30 pm in order to be briefed by the Chief Judge.

That is all the information I can think of right now. I will prepare a sign up sheet and bring it on Monday so all of you can sign up for the contest. :)

Volunteering for the contest.

Members I may require some of you to help me with the contest preparations especially with the food, will also need a timer, vote counter etc. I will prepare a list and bring this along with the contest sign up sheet next monday. Some volunteers can even get credit in the CL manual for their role

Thanks and would love for all you to compete in this contest. :)

Sri Thiagarajan
VP Education
Preston Persuaders Toastmasters Club

Click here to download the special aniversary handout.

Date: Monday, 21 June 2010
Time: 7:00 PM – 9.30 PM
Venue: Indospice Restaurant (www.indospice.net)
Address: 4020 Hedgcoxe Road Plano, TX 75024-7700 (972) 398-6036
Cost: $15.00 per person (includes buffet dinner, dessert, soft drinks, coffee, tea and gratuities)

During this evening of celebration we will be:

• Educated as we learn about our club’s history, tradition and values from past members 
• Informed and inspired as our current and newer members share the impact this club has had on them 
• Entertained through our special Table Topics section 
• Satiated by the delicious food served 
• Enthralled by the lovely music from the 80’s era

Click here to download the April District 50 Newslettter!

Phuong had this to say about his win:

Fellow TMs, unfortunately my travels have made it difficult to share this with you in person, but this success is a testament to Preston Persuaders. This is a 1st place for Preston Persuaders. Whether you are exorcising your own demons (as I am trying to do) or just want to go to the next level. Preston Persuaders, Toastmasters, and the great leaders and mentors like Jyo, Ed, Doris, Diane and the host of others will make it happen for you.

Phuong will be moving up to represent Frontier Division at the District 50 International Speech contest on the BIG STAGE on Saturday, May 22nd!

For more information about the 2010 Spring Conference, click here to download a PDF or go to the District 50 website.

Messiah Lutheran Church
1801 West Plano Parkway
Plano, TX 75075-8620
(972) 398-7500
View map

I was asked to participate in a speech contest even before I had given 6 speeches. I wasn’t ready, but once I conquered my terror with the help of several individuals, I found out it wasn’t as bad as I feared. Then I started asking a lot of questions. So what do I get out of it, and what do I have to offer that could possibly help all those experienced people that were obviously heads and tails above me in terms of talent, and experience?

I learned a lot that day. There are a number of benefits to just attending or even participating in a speech contest. Contests are a great way to challenge oneself to higher levels of achievement. Contests are educational, but also a lot of fun and are conducted in a mood of celebration.

By attending a contest:

• You will get to hear different points of view on life.
• You get to watch the more experienced toastmasters at their best. By simply noting down your thoughts in an evaluation format you can leave with a list of what they did well. You will want to incorporate these tips into your own bag of techniques, and perhaps something that you could improve on. If you know how they can improve, you may also want to include the improvement into your bag of tricks.
• You become a little more familiar with the criteria that the judges use to judge a contest. These are things which you work on improving constantly in each of your Toastmasters speeches. You will find that this list is something to keep in mind as you work on your future speeches.
• You will meet toastmasters that you did not know before, so contests can be great networking opportunities! People have found jobs through their Toastmasters contacts. Other people have met people that they end up collaborating with at contests.
• You have a great opportunity to meet very experienced toastmasters. Many of them may be Distinguished Toastmasters (DTM). If you ask, one of them could become your mentor. Toastmasters employees, and even the presidents of organizations seek people who can mentor them. Toastmasters are some of the most helpful people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Toastmasters is an organization that strives to set it’s members up for success, and does a great job of it.
• You will also get the chance to talk with the contestants. Ask them how they came up with their ideas. Ask them why they presented their ideas in the way they did, and the benefits to that method.

By Participating in a Contest

• If you are filling one of the helper roles, you get all of the above benefits. You are also getting an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to put on a quality contest.
• If you are a Judge at area or higher-level contest, you will gain experience on the judging criteria, how to properly apply them, and learn what the contest rules are. By taking a more in-depth look at these criteria, and having to apply them to other people’s speeches, you should then be able to internalize these criteria and improve your own speeches.
• As a speech contestant you will be giving your best effort. If at all possible, have your speech evaluated by your Club, and as many DTM’s several times before the contest to improve until you know it is your best. This experience will change the way you write and present your speeches. It will provide you that step up to the next level in your own development to becoming a great communicator.
• As a table topics or speech evaluation contestant, if your speaking order is early, you will have the opportunity to see how other people think on their feet and answer the same question. Hopefully this will provide you new ways to think through and answer table topics questions. This experience will be translated into an improved ability to think on your feet, answering those everyday questions that come your way. You will also become a more interesting person to those that you communicate with on an everyday basis. For speech evaluations you will began to look at others’ speeches in new ways and hone your observation skills. You will learn how to apply the speech techniques mentioned in the evaluations to your own speeches to improve your communications skills.

Contest season is just around the corner in early February. Start working on your contest speech today. The next speech contest will feature Tall Tales and the International Speech Contest.

A lot of people have gone further than they thought they could because someone else thought they could.

—Unknown

The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share your riches but to reveal to him his own.

—Benjamin Disraeli

Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction.

—John C. Crosby

Fellow Toastmasters,

Each of you decided, for your own personal and/or professional reasons, to become a member of Preston Persuaders Toastmasters Club. What were your reasons for joining?

At the very least, you are here to become a more confident communicator, to give impromptu speeches that flow easily and naturally, to be less nervous, more effective in getting your message across, to learn in this supportive and fun environment where everyone is happy when you succeed…

Perhaps your goals are to become a professional speaker…

Perhaps you need to be an effective communicator because your job, profession, or career requires great communication skills…

Perhaps you want to discover your leadership qualities and polish them with regular practice at Toastmaster meetings because, in real life, you may not get a second chance to make a good first impression. Here at Toastmasters, you have the freedom and the unequivocal support of your fellow members to work at your own pace and reach your highest level of competency.

Whatever your reasons for being a member, please know that your membership brings many rewards…to you AND to every member in the club. Here are just a few:

• A Toastmaster Club thrives when members take full advantage of the supportive and positive learning environment, which is the mission of every club.
• The Toastmaster Mentoring Program exists to further the mission of a club by creating an environment in which experienced members (mentors) are available to assist the newer club members (mentees) develop their full potential.
• A well structured Mentoring Program benefits the mentor and the mentee taking each to higher levels in their development as communicators and leaders.

As a member of Preston Persuaders Toastmasters Club, you will be working closely with a mentor of your choosing or one assigned to you by the club Vice President of Education.

Please read on…

What is the Toastmaster Mentoring Program?

The aim of the Mentoring Program is to help new and established club members hone and fine tune their speaking and leadership skills. Most new members decide to join Toastmasters because they have an interest or need to improve their communication skills. Research has shown that a majority of these people equate the self-improvement they seek from Toastmasters with career advancement or professional development.

What does a Mentor do?

A mentor is a more experienced member who takes a personal interest in helping another member. Each member’s success is facilitated with the guidance of an experienced peer. Mentors serve as role models, coaches, and confidantes, offering knowledge, insight, perspective and wisdom to less experienced members.

The Mentor not only helps the mentee in the preparation of speeches, but also provides information on club customs, procedures, meeting roles and responsibilities, all of which will assist the new member become more familiar with our Toastmaster club and the opportunities available in the Toastmasters educational program, both within and outside the club.

Who can be a Mentor?

Any club member who has a desire and time to help their fellow club member develop and hone their skills. A mentor should have completed a minimum of five speeches from the C&L Manual, and served in most of the meeting roles.

How much time will Mentoring entail?

Whether you are a mentor or a mentee, the time required will vary. You can discuss your needs over the phone, by email or in person. The time you put into the program is totally up to you. Generally, 15-30 minutes each week is sufficient.

Where do Mentor/Mentee meetings occur?

That’s totally up to you. You may choose to meet before each week’s meeting, meet for a few minutes after the meeting, talk on the telephone between meetings, or email each other. Any and all combinations of the above will get the job done – make sure your communication plan is established before the mentoring begins.

Why would a Club Member want to participate in such a program? (How do I benefit from becoming a Mentor?)

When you become involved in the mentoring program you will quickly gain valuable skills that include, but are not limited to:

• Developing confidence as a coach.
• Insight into the art of speech craft.
• Building a lasting rapport (perhaps even a friendship) with a fellow club member.
• Serving as a role model for newer club members and much more.
• Applying these coaching and mentoring techniques in your career, profession, personal life or in your other activities.

Mentoring provides lessons on motivating others through our words, actions, and most importantly through our interest in the development of another human being.

As a new member, how would I go about getting a mentor at Preston Persuaders?

That is just the question we want every new member to ask! The benefits of mentoring are magnified by starting the mentoring early, and establishing a consistent routine for communication between you and your mentor.

Our club VP of Education should speak with you about mentoring within one week of becoming a member.

If you have a strong desire to work with a specific mentor, our VP of Education will try to honor that request.

If that particular mentor is mentoring several new members, the VP of Education will assign an alternate mentor within one week.

The Mentoring Program is structured to allow new members to work with their mentors until they:

• Complete at least three speech projects from the basic C&L Manual.
• Give at least one speech evaluation.
• Serve at least once in each of the “Big Three” roles of Toastmaster, Table Topics Master and General Evaluator.

The Mentor – Mentee relationship may continue even after completing these projects – it will be up to the two individuals concerned.

As a Mentor you will not only be the “brain” to pick, you will also be the ear to listen, and the push in the right direction for a fellow member.

As a Mentee you will have a coach, a buddy, a fellow member, who has your best interests at heart, and who willingly shares his/her time and experience to help you reach your goals.

A mutually supportive, positive learning environment...that’s the mission of every Toastmaster meeting!

Guests

Think back to when you first considered going to a Toastmasters meeting. What kind of questions did you have? Does the site address and answer these questions? Specifically, does the About section tell you what you need to know prior to going to a Toastmasters meeting? How about the Contact and Where pages? Were they easy to find?

New Members

Now think back to when you first became a member of Toastmasters. What kind of questions did you have then? They were probably questions along the lines of "What now?". Take a look at the Resources section of the site. Does the information in this section address the questions you had as a new member? What other information do you think would help in aiding new members on what to do as a new Toastmaster?

Members

I'm currently in the process of planning and building a new Member section of the site. The most obvious features will include a member roster, photo galleries, and a weekly agenda page for our meetings. However, I would love to hear from current members on what they feel is the most critical information to have on the site.

Whether you're a new member or a seasoned member, I'm sure there are things you'd like to see that will benefit everyone in the club. So, put on your thinking cap and think about some of the things that you think the club could really use in the way of tools and information on the website. After all, this is your website. As such your input is critical to the improvement and continued success of making this website a valuable tool for our club.

Send comments to Turn on JavaScript!.

Excelsior!

Jeff Whitfield
VP of Public Relations

This event happens only twice a year, so don’t miss the fun at the Crowne Plaza Hotel (Midway Road in Addison). Hotel rooms are available at the Crowne Plaza for $89 + tax a night - Call 972-980-8877 and ask for the District 50 Toastmasters rate.

A la carte opportunities

For $120, you can attend the entire conference beginning at 5PM on Friday November 13th and running through midnight Saturday November 14th. You’ll experience the Humorous and the Evaluations contests, amazing keynote speakers, and educational sessions. You’ll receive dinner on Friday and three meals throughout the day on Saturday. Friday night’s theme is “Harley Party”, where you can dress up in your favorite biker attire; jeans, t-shirts, leather jackets! Show your spirit by wearing your black Fall Conference t-shirt, available onsite. Saturday is filled with events including the formal full service dinner at the Hall of Fame Recognition Banquet. (Full schedule below.)

OR

For $97, you can attend all day Saturday 14th including the Evaluations contest AND the Saturday night full service banquet. The attire is business wear with the option for formal at the evening event.

OR

For $40, you can join us Friday night for the full service dinner, Humorous contest, professional comedic speaker, and Harley party. Friday event attire is fun biker w/conference t-shirt (optional)!

OR

For $25, you can start the day right with your fellow Toastmasters at the Saturday morning breakfast. The attire is business casual.

OR

For $30, you can enjoy lunch and experience the talent of the youth presentations. The attire is business casual. (Cost is $25 for Gavel Kids)

OR

For $42, you can join us for the Hall of Fame Recognition Banquet. The attire is business casual or formal.

OR

For $10, you can take advantage of contest gallery seating. Choose from the Humorous contest starting at 8PM Friday November 13th or the Evaluations contest at 1PM Saturday November 14th. Winners to be announced at the end of each event. The attire is business casual.

OR

For $10, you can attend an educational session of your choice on Saturday. The attire is business casual.

Fall Conference Schedule of Events*

Where:

The Crowne Plaza Hotel
North Dallas/Addison
14315 Midway Road, Addison, TX 

When:

Friday & Saturday, November 13 - 14, 2009

Registration information at www.d50toastmasters.org

Fall Conference t-shirts available at all Division Contests!

“Toastmasters’ long-term success and growth is a tribute to Dr. Smedley’s vision,” says Toastmasters International President Gary A. Schmidt. “He understood that communication isn’t optional and leadership isn’t always innate, but both can be learned through doing.” Today, Toastmasters’ 250,000-plus active members participate in over 12,500 clubs spanning 106 countries. From Dubai to New Zealand, Saskatchewan to Connecticut, each day thousands of Toastmasters participate in meetings to learn and practice valuable communication and leadership skills in a supportive environment.

Michael Avedissian of Reading, Pennsylvania, is one of the organization’s longest-term members. He moved from Germany to the United States in 1954 and joined Toastmasters the following year. He credits the Reading Toastmasters Club with saving his engineering career and his new life in America by helping him learn and practice English. “Toastmasters gave me the ability to deliver the reports and presentations that were required for my career.”

Many organizations stall or even crumble during difficult economic times. Toastmasters has withstood the test of time and has even grown 5% annually since 2005 because it offers practical skills that are critical for success in today’s competitive environment.

Ann Maxfield of Austin, Minn., recently was able to begin a new career as an e-learning coordinator at Hormel Foods. With her Toastmasters training, she aced the interviews. “People in management know about Toastmasters and look to it as valuable training for the skills and experiences they require in employees,” she says.

The Toastmasters program also helps political and business leaders prepare for the demands of their positions. Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle is one of many with political aspirations who found help in Toastmasters. “It is the best and least expensive personal improvement class you can go to,” says Lingle.

Clubs around the world will celebrate the anniversary with special meetings. The Preston Persuaders Toastmasters Club invites you to visit a meeting and learn more about what Toastmasters has to offer. Visit our Contact and Where pages for more information.

About Toastmasters

Toastmasters International is a nonprofit educational organization that teaches communication and leadership skills through a worldwide network of clubs. The organization currently has more than 250,000 members in 12,500 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.

It is intentional

Every good plan is developed with intent towards success and the achievement of specific things. This means that plans are created with deliberate thought. Time is taken to ensure that the plan is a good one that will succeed providing the desired outcome set forth in the plan.

It is specific

A complete plan starts with the general desired outcome and then breaks down the general outcome into specific desired outcomes with goals designed to achieve each level of the plan resulting in the success of the overall plan if each goal is achieved. The plan will list not only the goals to be achieved, but the desired result if the goal is achieved. There will be specific actions listed that if completed will achieve the specific goal listed.

It is attainable

Every plan should have goals that are not only challenging but achievable. To set any goal that is not achievable only sets up the plan for failure. However to set goals that are too easily achievable doesn’t achieve what the plan can do and what the benefactors of the plan deserve.

It is measurable

Every good plan lists the desired results in measureable quantities (i.e. we will complete the manufacture of 400 widgets by January 4th with a minimum yield of 87%, a cost of $20 each, and Jan and Dean are responsible for this goal). This goal has four measurable quantities and lists those responsible for championing the success of the goal. The number of widgets, the date by which they will be completed, and the manufacturing yield which is a specification of the number of bad widgets produced out of every 100 good ones produced. By providing a way to measure the results you will be able to track your progress and determine the level of your success, and plan for your future beyond this success.

It tracks results

A Good plan will also track the results to ensure that the plan is on track and doing what it is supposed to do. By tracking the results if the plan is off schedule or not providing the proper results this feedback can be used to adjust the plan by adding more goals or adjusting the goals to ensure that the plan will get back on track.

This event happens only twice a year, so don’t miss the fun at the Crowne Plaza Hotel (Midway Road in Addison). Hotel rooms are available at the Crowne Plaza for $89 + tax a night - Call 972-980-8877 and ask for the District 50 Toastmasters rate.

FANTASTIC FRIDAY

Friday Night Harley Themed Party

Dress up in your favorite biker attire; jeans, t-shirts, leather jackets, etc. Show your District 50 spirit by wearing your black Fall Conference t-shirt, available onsite and at all Division contests. Experience the splendor of the Banner Parade followed by the Mild Hogs during a delicious full service dinner at 7:00pm. Reconnect with old friends and meet new members. Conference First Timers will receive a warm welcome and top notch attention! The Hospitality suite will also be open during this timeframe.

Humorous Contest

See the best humorous speakers in the District! Beginning at 8:00pm, enjoy endless laughs as the District 50 Humorous Champion is decided. Winners will be announced following the contest.

Lee Adams - Professional Comedy Speaker

If you’ve never seen him, you’ve never seen anything like him. A “country boy” at heart, Lee Marvin Adams is funny, and much more. An award winning member of Toastmasters International and former newspaper columnist, Lee captivates audiences with his wide range of humorous observations and “somewhat informed” points of view. Lee takes the stage at 9:00pm.

SENSATIONAL SATURDAY

Saturday Morning Breakfast

Start the day right with a wonderful breakfast and hot cup of coffee. Doors open at 8:00am. Don’t miss this chance to catch up with your Toastmaster friends in a relaxed environment.

Keynote Speaker - Craig Valentine

An award-winning speaker and trainer, has traveled the world helping thousands of speakers build powerful presentations that bring profitable results. He is the 1999 World Champion of Public Speaking for Toastmasters International, winning out of more than 25,000 contestants in 14 countries. Craig will begin at 9:00am.

Morning Educational Sessions

Sharpen your skills, learn something new! The first of two morning education session begins at 10:00am, the second to follow at 11:00am.

Youth Presentations and Lunch

Beginning at noon, lunch will be served as you hear local youth presentations. You’ll be impressed with their talent and entertainment.

Evaluations Contest

Be inspired by the District’s top evaluators! Out of 3,000 members, only 7 have made it to this, the final contest. Beginning at 1:00pm, watch as the Featured Speaker receives valuable feedback from the competitors. Winners to be announced following the contest.

Afternoon Education Session

Our final educational session of the day begins at 2:00pm. Don’t miss this opportunity to add to your communication and leadership skills.

Keynote Speaker - Pamela McCown, DTM

International Director, Region III begins her presentation at 3:00pm. As a director on the Toastmasters International Board of Directors, Pamela McCown is a “working ambassador” for the organization and represents it in a variety of capacities. She works with the Board to develop, support and modify the policies and procedures that guide the organization toward fulfilling its mission.

Business Meeting

Your attendance is encouraged at 4:15pm for the 45 minute Business Meeting. Hospitality Suite to open following the meeting and will remain open until 6:30pm.

Saturday Evening Begins

This formal evening begins at 6:30pm with the Dignitary Parade leading into the fantastic full service dinner. C&L Presentations begin at 7:30pm. Formal or business attire requested.

Hall of Fame Recognition Banquet

You’ll think you’re at the Oscars during the Fall Conference Hall of Fame Recognition Banquet! Join us as we recognize the achievements of our members. Celebrate and honor TEN new Distinguished Toastmasters! This is an evening dedicated to the recognition of all District 50 members! Hospitality Suite to open following the conclusion of the banquet and will close at midnight.

Where:

The Crowne Plaza Hotel
North Dallas/Addison
14315 Midway Road, Addison, TX 

When:

Friday & Saturday, November 13 - 14, 2009

Registration information at www.d50toastmasters.org

Fall Conference t-shirts available at all Division Contests!

Jay Herring from Speak-Up Frisco won first place in both the evaluation and humorous speech contest. Go root for Jay at the Frontier Division speech contests coming up on October 16th!

Nigel did a fantastic job (as usual) in the evaluation contest. You can learn a lot from Nigel on how to give a good evaluation. He has a very structured style and does well to emphasize on what the speaker did very well at and what improvements the speaker can make. But what makes Nigel’s evaluations good is that he makes them personal and it’s clear that he enjoys giving good evaluations.

Sri presented an absolutely hilarious speech at the humorous speech contest. It was so funny that I bet she made it really difficult for the judges to decide who was more funny. What is incredibly impressive is that this is only Sri’s third or fourth speech! While she has a natural talent for speaking, it’s clear that she worked hard and practiced her speech. Her delivery was near flawless and she appeared to be quite relaxed.

As mentioned earlier, mark your calendars and be sure and attend the Frontier Division speech contests on October 16th. This is a great opportunity to see other members from different clubs and see other styles of speeches. Contact Jeff or Doris for more information.

Fenia is a concert pianist by trade and, let me tell you, she is a fantastic pianist. I play piano myself but I’m not nearly as good as she is. She plays with such intensity and virtuosity that I doubt there is any classical piano piece she couldn’t play.

After the concert, I tried to convince her to play one of my favorite Beethoven piano sonatas (piano sonata #21 [Waldstein] for those who want to know). I’m not sure if I was convincing enough but maybe one of these days I’ll get her to play it for me.

As good as Fenia is, she is surprisingly humble. I told her that I wished I could play as well as she could for which she replied, “Well, I wish I could speak as well as you.”

Whether you’re playing piano or speaking in front of a crowd, one thing is for sure: practice makes perfect. Granted, perfection is almost impossible to achieve but with practice you can certainly improve your abilities at whatever task you’re working on. For Fenia, she has had years of practice and hard work to achieve the level of skill she has at the piano. The same applies to speaking; you have to practice to improve.