Page 1

In This Issue

SMART Goals for

Toastmasters 1

Club Growth Tip 2

Letters to the Editor 2

Interview with Carl

Duivenvoorden 3

Repeating Designations 4

Contest Winners 4

Evaluating for Success 5

Educational Modules and

Club Success 6

Choosing an Advanced

Manual 7

A Toast-imonial 7

Around the District 8

Spring Conference Promo 9

Awards 10

New DTM 11

Anniversaries 11

District Calendar 12

Things to Remember 12

Crossword Puzzle 13

Newsletter Contest 13

SMART GOALS FOR TOASTMASTERS

2016 – 2017 PROGRAM QUALITY DIRECTOR, MALINDA REGIMBAL, ACG, ALB

December 31, New Year’s

Eve, the end of another

year. However you

choose to ring in the New

Year, there is no denying

that January 1st

is a day

for new beginnings – the

day we make resolutions to be better, do more,

and achieve greatness in the year ahead.

The awesome thing about being a Toastmaster

on New Years Eve, besides the obvious ability to

make a great toast over champagne, is that

December 31 marks the half-way point in our

Toastmasters year. When we set out in July with

goals for ourselves, our clubs and the District, we

now have a half-way yard-stick on which to

measure our success to date!

With all the talk about goals and resolutions, it

makes me think about SMART goals. I am sure

you are familiar with this acronym, but I want to

put a special spin on it as we resolve to Reach for

the Top for the second half of our Toastmasters

year.

Share your goals. Let your VP Education know

what you want to accomplish before the end of

June. Tell your spouse, co-workers, friends and

fellow members. By sharing your goals with

others, they can help keep you accountable.

Mentor. If you aren’t already mentoring

someone, find someone in your club or

another to whom you can provide additional

support. Already mentoring someone or

don’t feel ready? Ask for a mentor to help

you grow.

Attend another club meeting. By stretching

outside the comfort zone of your own club,

you benefit from speaking in front of a new

group of people as well as have the

opportunity to learn how others may

approach a goal or task.

Run for office. If you haven’t filled a club

executive role before or haven’t tried a

different one, it is time to step up. If you

have served on your club executive and

haven’t yet served in District Leadership,

you should consider it. The growth you can

experience in these roles will increase your

potential!

Talk, Toast and Tell everyone when you

achieve your goal! Don’t forget to celebrate

the same when a fellow club member

achieves, too.

Happy New Year!

January 2017

District 45 Toastmasters Newsletter

CAN-AM LINK

Volume 61 ISSUE 7

Page 2

January 2017

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

.

I joined the Speak-Easy Toastmasters 3948 in September

of this year to improve my speaking and leadership skills. I

don’t join many organizations but the very welcoming and

encouraging environment at the bi-monthly meetings

encouraged me to jump in with both feet. In doing so I

decided to attend the District 45 Fall Conference held in

November at St Andrews, NB. What a rewarding

experience! Everyone, and I mean everyone, was so

friendly and inclusive each step of the way. I discovered

that Toastmasters members are enthusiastic clappers. My

palms grew tender while enjoying the energy it created. I

received valuable information during sessions as well as

during the many relaxed conversations I enjoyed during

mix-and-mingle times. The schedule was organized,

variety of events well rounded, timing was punctual—a

must for all Toastmasters I’ve learned, and the venue was

stellar. Would I recommend it to others? I guess the

answer is a most definite yes as I am planning to attend

the spring conference!

Debbie Brady

Speak-Easy Toastmasters 3948

Just a note to say “Thank You” for the informative articles

that are being published in the monthly CanAm Link. The

December edition was particularly of interest to me as it

focused on the Distinguished Club Program and goals,

both for individual members and for clubs. Most

especially, thank you for the article encouraging folks to

take the time, now at midyear, to re-examine our club

goals and not wait until May or June. I challenge clubs to

be Distinguished by April 30 and then use May and June to

reach for Select and President’s Distinguished!

Wendy Harding, DTM, PID

President, Fredericton Toastmasters 2204

If you have a comment or opinion that you like to send to

the editor, send it to heather@perkins.com.es with letter

to the editor in the subject line.

Club Growth Tip – Spread the Word

WE MAKE TOASTMASTERS A SECRET

when we don't talk about our activities. You

don't need to wait for a special event. Of

course, when you have an event, be sure to

mention it. Here are a few ideas on how to

invite others to your club.

Oh, TM is great. You should come.

Come to our next TM meeting, John

is speaking about bubble gum in art.

He always gives funny and

informative speeches.

TM is holding an open house next

week, I'd like you to be my guest.

TM is having a social, I'd like you to

meet some of the people who have

been a positive influence on me.

TM is conducting leadership training,

come and learn about leading a

volunteer organization.

TM is holding the largest public

speaking contest in the world, it

starts with club contests, come to

our club and see where it all starts.

January is a great time to spread the word.

Talk up Toastmasters is an annual

membership promotion in Feb and March.

Our district awards a Spring Conference

registration to clubs that earn the Talk up

Toastmasters award. Start spreading the

word now and together our clubs will grow.

mailto:heather@perkins.com.es

Page 3

January 2017

AN INTERVIEW WITH CARL DUIVENVOORDEN, DTM, D45 PATHWAYS CHIEF AMBASSADOR

Why were you interested in becoming

Chief Ambassador?

I was interested in the changes to the

program. I saw it as a new

opportunity. I thought it would be

interesting to hear about the changes

as they happened. Since my term as

District Governor, I’ve continued to

try to serve both the District and the organization in various

ways so this was another opportunity to serve.

Why have you stayed as Chief Ambassador since it’s been a

lot longer than you first thought?

I think it’s very important for the organization. There are

good reasons for doing it right rather than doing it quickly.

It’s been a huge project that has been needed.

What would you say to members when they ask “Why

Pathways”?

It’s a tailored program that will be in line with the members’

needs. It’s a huge change from where everyone received the

same program. The change will be awesome. Also, there are

more learning opportunities and more skills that will be

learned. We’ll learn skills that don’t exist in the current

program. As well, the accessibility of the program is a big

factor. Any member can access the program from anywhere.

Everything will be available instantly.

What is your response to those who express concern about

starting all over again?

It’s important to remember that the current program is not

broken. Newer members can still aspire to achieving a

Competent Communicator designation. The CC manual is an

awesome program. There is also a two year overlap for

members to finish off designations if they so choose. You’re

still developing skills with the current program. If members

are aspiring to DTM, those who are part way there should

have enough time to achieve their DTM. It’s up to the

members during the overlap when to switch to the new

program.

Is there something in Pathways for those who are no longer

in the workforce?

Pathways will incorporate all the best of the current

program. All elements of the club meeting will stay the same.

I think it will provide something for everyone.

Do you think it’s good or bad that our District will be at the

end of the rollout?

At first I was disappointed when I realized we would be at

the end of the rollout. However, all bumps should be ironed

out so the rollout should be routine. Our Pathway Guides will

be the best equipped because they’ll the benefit of the

experience of other Guides in other Regions.

What would you say to get members excited about

Pathways?

Customization, real world application, instantly available –

these are all exciting aspects of Pathways. I think it’s a very

versatile, agile program that can be updated readily because

of the infrastructure that has been developed. There’s an

opportunity for members to upload their own videos which

can become part of the education resources for all. As a

veteran member, it will be nice to see new elements. It’s also

important to remember that all elements will be available on

paper for those who choose that option. I think it will help

engage all members and provide new challenges for the

more experienced member.

Carl Duivenvoorden, DTM is a Past Distinguished District

Governor.

“Stay afraid, but do it anyway. What’s important is the

action. You don’t have to wait to be confident. Just do it and

eventually the confidence will follow.”

Carrie Fisher

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/90150.Carrie_Fisher

Page 4

January 2017

REPEATING DESIGNATIONS

Many Toastmasters achieve multiples of the same

designations, and members often question why. There

are a number of benefits to you and your club for doing

this.

Every speech you give should be a manual speech

because working towards specific objectives is what

helps you improve your presentation skills. If you

always have a Competent Communication (CC) manual

on the go, it is easier for you to fill in as a speaker with

little notice while still ensuring your speech is a manual

speech.

Repeating the CC manual forces you to focus on the

fundamentals of speaking. It also encourages your

evaluator to focus on those fundamentals. Far too

often, basic errors such as poor eye contact or

ineffective body language are overlooked when

someone is speaking from an advanced manual because

these fundamentals are not one of the project

objectives. There is also a tendency for an evaluator of

an experienced speaker to think “I know she knows she

should have vocal variety – I don’t really need to

mention it.”

A benefit to the club is that having experienced

members present speech from the CC manual gives

newer members the opportunity to see

different approaches to the various projects in the that

manual. As well, you act as a role model. Demonstrating

your willingness to speak and to ensure that all your

speeches are manual speeches makes it easier for you to

encourage others to complete their manuals. Another

benefit to the club is that it makes it easier to fill

speaking roles at the last minute, if needed. If you’ve

completed your CC and are working on an advanced

manual, consider working on another CC at the same

time.

Lance Miller, 2005 World Champion of Public Speaking,

strongly believes in the value of repeating designations

to strengthen your spreaking skills. Lance has completed

almost 20 CCs, 5 on an impromptu basis. You might want

to consider this challenge. Have another Toastmaster

give you the topic just before the meeting starts which

will give you some time to organize your thoughts. Or, if

you’re feeling really adventurous, have the Toastmaster

give you your topic as you’re being introduced. Treat it as

a longer table topic. It will give you additional practice in

quickly organizing your thoughts into an opening, a body

and conclusion and it will have the added benefit of

making you more proficient in regular table topics.

Take the challenge of repeating designations and you and

your club will Reach for the Top.

NEWSLETTER CONTEST WINNERS

August contest – Sherry MacDonald, Provincially Speaking Toastmasters, Halifax, NS

September Contest – Dahlia Ghosh, Saint John Toastmasters, Saint John, NB

October Contest – Heather Drope, Creatively Speaking Toastmasters and Schooner Toastmasters, Halifax, NS

November Contest – Jeanne Mance Cormier, Hub City Toastmasters, Moncton, NB and Spotlight Toastmasters, Summerside,

PEI

December Contest – Rosemary Drisdelle, Creatively Speaking, Halifax, NS and Gracefully Speaking, Bedford, NS

January Contest – will your name be next? Check on this months’ contest on the last page of the newsletter.

Page 5

January 2017

EVALUATING FOR SUCCESS

Evaluation is what makes Toastmasters unique. Not

only do we get evaluations of our speeches, we also

get the meeting as a whole evaluated. Effective

evaluations can be a determinant of club success.

How can you ensure that your club members give

effective evaluations? To help with this, periodically

present the Successful Club Series module Evaluate to

Motivate. An even better tool for improving

evaluations is the Success/Communication program

The Art of Effective Evaluation. This module will

require a full two-hour meeting or could be split into

two one hour sessions. You normally see an

immediate improvement in evaluations after a club

conducts this module. Each club should conduct this

once every two years. It is valuable information for

new members and a good refresher for experienced

members.

You can also improve your evaluations by keeping the

following suggestions in mind:

Always give a recommendation for improvement,

regardless of the experience level of the speaker.

However, you should not overwhelm a speaker with

suggestions but rather give one or two

recommendations that the speaker can incorporate

into the next speech.

Base your speech evaluation on the objectives for

the particular project. You’ve probably seen

speeches where the speaker had great presentation

skills but did not meet most, or any, of the project

objectives. The evaluation focused on the great

presentation and not on the failure to achieve the

objectives. Conversely, a speaker meets all the

objectives but the evaluation focuses on the

deficiencies in presentation skills.

Address the evaluation to the speaker. Some

evaluators never look at the speaker or mention the

speaker’s name. You can sometimes be left

wondering which speaker was being evaluated.

Do not evaluate based on “assumptions” about what

makes a good presentation. Too often evaluators criticize

a speaker for using notes when using notes may have been

appropriate. Rather, it’s better to comment on how

effectively the speaker used notes. Again, too many

evaluators criticize the speaker for using the lectern. There

is nothing wrong, per se, with using the lectern. If a

speaker feels more comfortable using a lectern, comment

on how well they used the lectern – could they be seen, did

they have appropriate body language, etc.?

Remember that an evaluation is your opinion. Use

phrases such as “I feel”, “I would like to see”, etc. As a

speaker, remember that if you don’t agree with your

evaluation, ask another member to give you another

evaluation.

Encourage all members to provide an evaluation. Use the

space on the voting ballot (or on a separate piece of paper

if you don’t use the voting ballot) to provide additional

feedback to speakers or to a member fulfilling another

meeting role. The more feedback we receive, the better

our chances of improving.

Use these suggestions and your club and its members can

Reach for the Top through effective evaluations.

Build someone up.

Put their insecurities to

sleep.

Remind them they are

worthy.

Tell them they are

magical.

Be a light in a too often

dim world.

Page 6

January 2017

EDUCATIONAL MODULES AND CLUB SUCCESS

There are many ways to ensure that clubs achieve

success. Clubs that have well-organized, quality meetings

are generally successful. This means their members set

goals for themselves and they give manual speeches. The

club focuses on both member retention as well as

membership growth. Roles are generally scheduled in

advance and the club uses the additional educational

material that is available to them from Toastmasters

International.

The additional educational material available to clubs is

often a very under-utilized resource. Clubs should be

scheduling formal educational presentations on a regular

basis with a minimum of two of these presentations each

club year. Conducting these presentations provides

ongoing learning for members focused on specific aspects

of member and club success. It gives members practice in

using PowerPoint slides and practice in giving “workshop”

type presentations. You can have a member give one of

these modules with little notice in the event that you have

a speaker cancel. As well, members working toward their

Advanced Leader Bronze or various levels of the Advanced

Communicator designations need to give some of the

presentations to fulfill their requirements for the

designation.

What are these educational resources and how can they

help your club? The main educational resources are:

Success/Communication Modules – these are

generally two-hour modules and include How to

Listen Effectively, the Art of Effective Evaluation,

Building your Thinking Power (Parts 1 and 2) and

from Speaker to Trainer. These can be given at

club meetings or can be used with community

groups as a way of raising funds for the club. Also

included in this group is the Speechcraft program

which is used with outside groups.

• Success/Leadership Modules – these are also

generally two hour modules and include How to

Conduct Productive Meetings, Parliamentary

Procedure in Action, Leadership (three parts) and

Improving Your Management Skills. Again, these

can be given at club meetings or can be used with

community groups as a way of raising funds for the

club.

• Better Speaker Series – this is a series of 10 minute

modules that give practice tips that can be of

benefit to all members. Some of the 11 modules

are Beginning Your Speech, Selecting Your Topic,

Creating an Introduction and Using Body Language.

• Successful Club Series – this series of 11 modules

addresses the subject of quality club meetings and

offers tips on attracting and maintaining members.

Included among the modules are Creating the Best

Club Climate, Finding New Members for Your Club,

Mentoring and How to Be a Distinguished Club.

• Leadership Excellence Series – these modules help

members learn the skills they need to be successful

leaders inside and outside Toastmasters. There are

11 modules including Developing a Mission, Goal

Setting and Planning, Building a Team, and

Resolving Conflict.

Plan for regular educational presentations. They are

informative for members and the presentations provide

yet another learning experience for those members who

present the modules. Use these resources to help your

club and members achieve success.

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Page 7

January 2017

CHOOSING AN ADVANCED MANUAL A TOAST IMONIAL

Congratulations! You’ve just completed your Competent

Communicator designation. Now you’re facing an

important decision. Which advanced manuals are right for

you?

There are 15 advanced manuals to choose from. You can

select areas that are of greatest relevance to you in your

work or areas that are just of interest to you. One thing

you should keep in mind is the length of the projects in

any particular manual. The projects in the Special

Occasion manual are five to seven minutes or less.

Projects in the Discussion Leader may take 40 minutes.

Can your club accommodate a presentation that long? Do

you have time to prepare a presentation that will take

that long? Another consideration is that some projects in

the Discussion Leader, Communicating on Video and

Interpersonal Communication manuals require you to

involve one or more other members in your presentation.

You need to ensure there are members you can count on

to help you with these projects.

You may find that you are drawn to certain manuals. For

example, you may chose manuals such as Speeches by

Management, Technical Presentations and Speaking to

Inform because you are comfortable with the types of

speeches they require. You may avoid manuals such as

Storytelling and Interpretive Reading because they

require you to step outside your comfort zone. By trying a

manual that seems outside your comfort zone, you will

learn a lot from doing those speeches, you will try new

things and you will become a better speaker.

When you choose advanced manuals, consider those that

will take you outside your comfort zone. You may be

surprised how much you might enjoy the projects. Accept

the challenge of stepping outside your speaking comfort

zone and you will continue to Reach for the Top.

When I was a lot younger I took modelling and public

speaking and throughout the years I have had many

opportunities to model but always shied away from the

public speaking part. I worked as a fundraising coordinator

for 7 years and worked with many businesses to put on

successful events , but again I left the speeches for someone

else .This past year I decided to start my own company and

buy the branding fab@50 to host events for New Brunswick

that are of interest to the baby boomer demographic. As this

will require a lot of public presentations, speeches etc, I

started attending Toastmasters last spring .The difference it

has made for me is phenomenal.

I have done 7 speeches, 2 public presentations of my

company and I feel I am so much more confident in the

public now. In fact, I was asked to speak at a Celiac group

meeting and had a lady come up to me afterwards and ask if

I was a professional speaker. I told her I attend Toastmasters

and that is where I get my confidence from. I have many

goals that I will reach with Toastmasters: one is to compete

in speech contests; and to obtain my bronze and silver

certificates. I wholeheartedly recommend Toastmasters to

all my friends. I am now newly elected to the executive as VP

of Membership and will do everything I can to bring in new

members.

Juanita Wilson is the Vice President of Membership of this

new bilingual club for women in Moncton.

Page 8

January 2017

AROUND THE DISTRICT

Division C News

Golden Toastmasters Club generously hosted the Division C

Holiday Potluck Party on December 7th. Natalie Smith was

an outstanding Chair for the event. May Burrell led the carol

singing with great gusto! and Robert VanOostwaard amused

us with a seasonal theme of Interpretive reading. Division C

Members and guests enjoyed three rousing rounds of table

topics, topics were all food bank items that would be

donated after the party. The evening ended with a speak off

between top TT speakers Gary Belding and Jeremy

DeMerchant. The winner was Gary Belding selected by

thundering applause. One of the most excellent things

about Toastmasters is that we like to celebrate each other's

success; Marven Grant was presented with his CC Award by

Club President John Combaluzier.

The 45th anniversary of Fredericton Toastmasters 473 King

Street was celebrated on Monday December 5/16 during

the regular meeting. The Club's achievement was

celebrated with a full house of members, guests AND

cake! Congratulations Club 2204.

Division G News

Area 8 in Division G held a Holiday Meeting on

December 14th

. The meeting was hosted by

Toastmasters of Greater Burlington. Not only were

there a number of guests, there were members from

all 6 clubs in Area 8. The meeting was a huge success

with 5 speakers, evaluations, Table Topics and humor.

Toastmaster Kathi Tynan from Toastmasters of

Greater Burlington stepped up as the Toastmaster

(her first time in the role) and she received kudos for

her masterful facilitation of the meeting. Member

feedback from the event suggests that there is

significant value to members when they meet jointly

with other clubs.

Division G News

The Traveling Gavel has been claimed once again!

Three members of Faithfully Speaking Toastmasters

visited Gracefully Speaking Toastmasters on

Wednesday, November 23rd. Congratulations to

Faithfully Speaking for putting a team together and

helping the gavel travel!

The gavel is now approaching the time period where

it is eligible to travel again. I encourage you to talk up

your club members and build up a group ready to hit

the road and claim the gavel. Please keep in mind that

the host club should be given at least a week's notice

to allow for assigning roles and logistics. Let me know

if you have a group and I'd be happy to connect you

with Faithfully Speaking.

Below is the information on Faithfully Speaking's

meetings:

Location: St. Vincent de Paul Parish, 320 Flying Cloud

Dr., Dartmouth

Meeting Time: Mondays, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

First potential date for claiming: December 12, 2016

Page 9

January 2017

The Grand Summit Hotel combines the best of both worlds,

offering all the amenities you would expect from a full-service

hotel with all the convenience of a true conference facility.

Located at the entrance to the resort, the Grand Summit Hotel is a

landmark at Sunday River and provides easy access to the resort's

core winter and summer activities. The hotel's 20,000 square feet

of function space including the 6,000-square-foot Grand Ballroom

make it popular for conferences, weddings and events of all types.

Accommodations include 230 well-appointed guest rooms ranging

from standard hotel rooms to suites with kitchens. Check out this

link for views of the different types of rooms available:

http://www.sundayriver.com/lodging/grand-summit

Our next communication will include the opportunity to benefit from pricing discounts for your hotel stay. Free

internet access is available from every room on every floor of this beautiful hotel.

Conference co-chairs, Melinda McCormack and Marion Taylor, are working hard to form a committee of chairs to

make this the best conference ever. At this time, they are actively looking for volunteers to chair the following

exciting positions:

Publicity - Make sure every Club member is aware of

the conference, knows how to register, and is

motivated to attend.

Bookstore - Provide and sell Toastmaster materials

relevant to Club and District goals.

Signage - Create and display signs for attendees to

understand and locate Conference events, a few signs

are already created and available from the district.

Entertainment - Provide evening amusement for

attendees.

Printing / Program - Design and produce Conference

program that clearly identifies, explains, and shows

Conference events and principal personnel.

Opening Ceremonies/Banner Parade - Provide an

opportunity to recognize attending Clubs by displaying

their banner and ribbons to the general assembly.

Donations/Sponsorship - Acquire door prizes for both

attendee and donor benefit.

Hospitality Room - To provide a comfortable place for

attendees to gather in between or in lieu of Conference

activities.

Details / Protocol - Assist Conference Chairs with

protocol, details, and unexpected situations. May be

responsible for visiting dignitaries.

Media - Support individuals to record conference

events and attendees for website display, individual

recognition, and eventual distribution.

Sergeant at Arms - Keep conference on time, keep

individual sessions organized, and keep crowd under

control.

Stage Manager - Make sure general sessions run

smoothly

Silent Auction - Acquire items from clubs for auction,

manage auction, collect funds.

** Please note any chair responsibilities not list above have been filled but please inquire about a role not listed,

please feel free to reach out to Melinda and/or Marion.

D45 SPRING CONFERENCE, MAY 19 – 21, 2017

http://www.sundayriver.com/lodging/grand-summitmailto:Melinda.mccormack@xerox.commailto:mptaylor709@gmail.com

Page 10

January 2017

Competent Communicator Awards – December 2016

Name Club Date Rec’d

Cornelia Buhrmann Manulife High Tide Talkers December 8, 2016

Thomas Dowd Kennebec Valley Toastmasters December 7, 2016

Grant Drmaj Manulife High Tide Talkers December 9, 2016

Joseph Grondin Bagtown Babblers December 15, 2016

Rhea Katherine Hamlin Wolfville Toastmasters December 5, 2016

Sharon Joseph Rise and Shine Advanced Toastmasters December 10, 2016

Ashlee Laroche Granite Place Club December 1, 2016

Cynthia Ravinski TD Legendary Leaders Toastmasters December 8, 2016

Leadership Awards– December 2016

Designation Name Club Date Rec’d

CL Kerra Aucoin Successfully Speaking Women December 18, 2016

CL Andy Buyting Fredericton Toastmasters December 10, 2016

CL Owen David Karner Blue Toastmasters December 5, 2016

CL Sharon Forbrigger Faithfully Speaking Toastmasters December 5, 2016

CL Wendy Harding Rise and Shine Advanced December 6, 2016

CL Mason Landry Dal Toastmasters December 11, 2016

CL Polly-Anne Rhuland Successfully Speaking Women December 18, 2016

ALB Chang Lin Portland Harborside Toastmasters December 18, 2016

ALB Marian Zaichkowski Riverview Canusa Toastmasters December 6, 2016

Advanced Communicator Awards– December 2016

Designation Name Club Date Rec’d

ACB Norma Pasatieri Speak-Easy Toastmasters December 13, 2016

ACS Dawna-Jean Turchon Kennebec Valley Toastmasters December 7, 2016

ACG Angela Dunn Schooner Toastmasters December 6, 2016

Triple Crown Awards – December 2016

Name Club Date Rec’d

Dawna-Jean Turchon Kennebec Valley Toastmasters December 7, 2016

Angela Dunn Schooner Toastmasters December 6, 2016

Page 11

January 2017

DISTINGUISHED TOASTMASTERS FOR DECEMBER 2016

The Distinguished Toastmaster award is the highest our organization bestows. The DTM

recognizes a superior level of achievement in both communication and leadership.

Distinguished Toastmasters are a rare breed. Less than one percent of all Toastmasters ever

achieve that designation.

Angela Dunn joined Schooner Toastmasters in November 1, 2005. Angela helped start Xstatically

Speaking and was a member of that club for several years. Angela served as Area 1 Governor

and Division D Governor. Angela says she did 1.5 HPL’s. The initial HPL was around organizing

the Division D TLI. She did everything except the final speech! To finish the requirement she

started over and organized a very successful Spring Contest for the Schooner club. Angela says

that one thing she learned on her journey to her DTM was that finishing what you start is so

important. She was very close to finishing her DTM and then took a break from Toastmasters

but not finishing her DTM haunted her! She renewed her membership with Schooner and

pursued her DTM.

Of almost 2,000 members in our District, only 29% have been a member for at least 5 years, 14%

have been a member for at least 10 years and only 7% have been a member for 15 years or

more. Each month we will celebrate those members who celebrating an anniversary in that

month. 5th

, 10th

, 15th

etc anniversaries will be recognized.

Name Clubs(s) # of Years

Donald Winn Nashua-Hudson Club 35

Scott McDonald Millyard Toastmasters 15

Robert Adsett Club AcadiUM 10

Amy Donald Savvy Speakers 10

Jennifer McClare Speakeasy Toastmasters 10

Jill Ripley Portsmouth Toastmasters 10

Jack Wimme Nashua-Hudson Club 10

Murielle Gaudet Civil Speakers Club, Rise and Shine Advanced,

Electrically Speaking Toastmasters

5

Eric Higley Toastmasters of Greater Burlington 5

Sharon LeBlanc Yarmouth Toastmasters 5

Ravikant Patil Bangor Toastmasters 5

Patrick Peick Karner Blue Toastmasters 5

Every 5th anniversary of a club is recognized. Once a club has reached the half-century mark,

every anniversary is included and celebrated. The following clubs are celebrating significant

anniversaries in the month of September:

Lewiston-Auburn #1741 chartered 60 years ago on January 1st, 1957.

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January 2017

Dis

tric

t C

ale

nd

ar

JANUARY EVENTS

7th

– Division E – Makeup TLI in Summerside PEI at

Community Connections on Water Street.

11th

– Division A, TLI 5 p.m. at Dept. of Environmental

Services, Hazen Drive, Concord

14th

– Division "C" Winter TLI at Holy Family Parish

Church Hall 1500 Hanwell Road Fredericton NB

21st

– Divisions D and F TLI, St. Vincent de Paul Church

Hall, Cole Harbour, NS

28th

– Divisions D and F Greenwood TLI, Burchell

Training Centre, Greenwood, NS

Area Director visits begin.

FEBRUARY EVENTS

4th

– Division C make-up TLI in Saint John, 1 – 5 pm at

the Saint John Free Public Library (Room 3), 1 Market

Square, Saint John, NB E2L 4Z6.

MARCH EVENTS

31st

Club contests should be completed.

APRIL EVENTS

29TH

– Division A, Speech Contests, 8:30 a.m. at Dept.

of Environmental Services, Hazen Drive; the doors

open and contests begin at 9:30 a.m.

22nd

- Division C Contests, at the Dr. Everett Chalmers

Hospital Conference Rooms A and B with briefing

at 12:30 pm. Contests will begin at 1:00pm.

MAY EVENTS

6th

– Divisions D and F Spring Contests

19th

– 21st

District 45 Spring Conference, Sunday River,

Newry, ME

31st

– Area Director visits MUST be completed.

JUNE EVENTS

3rd

– Divisions D and F Greenwood TLI, Burchell

Training Centre, Greenwood, NS

17th

– Divisions D and F TLI, St. Vincent de Paul Church

Hall, Cole Harbour, NS

17th

– Division C Summer TLI at the Northside Senior

Center 112 Johnson Avenue, Fredericton NB

Things to Remember

How quickly does a new member give their

IceBreaker speech in your club? You should

encourage a new member to give the speech

as soon as possible. The earlier they give the

speech, the more likely they are to continue

speaking and assume other roles in the

meeting. As a club officer, are you ensuring

that all members are participating in all roles

in the meeting? If you use a sign-up sheet,

members may not sign up for roles with which

they don’t feel comfortable. However, if they

don’t do the role, they will never get

comfortable doing the role. Evaluation is one

in particular that members often feel

uncomfortable with. Members should not be

earning a Competent Communicator

designation without ever having given a

speech evaluation. Some clubs have a rule

that a member must give five speeches

before giving an evaluation. Why? That only

reinforces to the member that evaluation is

difficult and makes them less likely to

attempt it. Many of our members give

evaluations in their workplace. They can use

the skills from that in giving a speech

evaluation. The more that you encourage

members to participate in all roles, the more

the member will gain from their membership

and the more likely they are to stay with the

club because they can see the benefits to

them. Monitor what roles members are

assuming and encourage everyone to be an

active participant in every meeting.

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January 2017

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This little guy is still searching for your articles. He knows they must be out there somewhere

but for some reason, they’re not being sent to the newsletter article. This is YOUR newsletter

and it needs YOUR content. Turn one of your speeches into an article. It doesn’t have to be

long – even half a page would be great. We all have great ideas on how to be successful

ourselves and how to make our clubs successful. Share those ideas with others! Tell us about

your first experience with Toastmasters. What have you learned? Tell about your conference

experience. What about tips on speech ideas? The possibilities are limitless. Send your articles to the newsletter

editor along with a photo of yourself. Let’s fill the newsletter with articles by, and about, our District 45 members.

Conference Crossword

Newsletter Contest

Prizes are a choice of a large portfolio and pen or a tablet cover. Your entry should be sent to the

newsletter editor, Heather Perkins.

This month’s question, based on the December newsletter is:

What is Joe Grondin’s favourite food?

To qualify for the draw, you must give the answer and the page number where it appeared. Entries

must be received by January10th, 12:00 pm EDT.

Across

1. resort for spring conference

4. what you attend if you're a President or

VPE or carrying a proxy

8. there will be two of these

10. you can help by serving on one of

these

11. what you'll experience from the time

you arrive at the conference

12. the educational portion of the

conference

13. what your club needs to achieve by

April 30th to be recognized

Down

1. you can help by finding one of these

2. the conference theme

3. you might serve as one of these

5. location of resort

6. the name of the trophy given to the

club whose members travel the longest

distance to the conference

7. when accomplishments are recognized

9. the month of the conference

Newsletter Editor – Heather Perkins, DTM

heather@perkins.com.es

902-860-0523

mailto:heather@perkins.com.esmailto:heather@perkins.com.esmailto:heather@perkins.com.esmailto:heather@perkins.com.es