Happy New ‪‎Toastmasters‬ Year! 2016/17

We hope you've said your goodbyes to the 2015/16 year, locked away the precious memories and are as excited as we are in the brand new 2016/17 year!

The first series of events we have planned is the Club Leadership Training (CLT) which is starting in mid July.

We have produced an Online Survey http://tinyurl.com/toastmasters-survey-july2016 and we'd like you to tell us some of your background and expectations for this. The survey will only take a few minutes but the feedback will be very valuable in our preparation to ensure your questions get answered.

CLT's are a brilliant chance to meet the new Division E team and network with the other Club Officers in the region. Bring along any members who are keen to learn more about the Toastmasters organisation. It's also a chance to find out more about your Officer role (assuming it's your first time doing it..  ;) ) However we have plenty of breakout groups in store so hopefully there will be something in store for everyone. The sessions we have will be near identical to Division J team. So feel free to attend any session that suits your schedule. These are all posted on the Meetup website as well. http://www.meetup.com/divisionseandj/

Finally, good luck to all the new Club President's and have an enjoyable time running your first Club Business session! Will see you and your teams in a few weeks time! :)

A year of learning

With the 2015-16 E team leaving office this week, we took time to reflect on the things we've learnt this year. Here's some of our combined wisdom.

• There are many different leadership styles and no single approach is always right.
• Different people are different: different goals, different values, different aims, different communication styles.
• Every team has its strengths and weaknesses. It's important to understand them, play to the strengths and account for the weaknesses.
• Toastmasters clubs are diverse. All of their different approaches can and do work. They all need and deserve support to be who they are.
• Planning in advance is important. No, even more important than you think!
• Communicate early, communicate often...
• ... but, people don't read emails.
• Bureaucracy is a reality of life; being able to work within and around it is a strength.

And the final tip from this year's team...

... together, we can achieve more than any of us could do individually.

Division E team 2015-16 (photo taken 26 June 2016)

(L-R) Kai Chan, E10; Rob Barton-Howes, E9; Owen Winter, E6; Gael Price, Division E; Simon Lin, E1; Sam Masters, E3; Larrie Talbot, workshops coordinator; Amanda Hillock, E2; Susan Dugdale, marketing manager

Absent: Mike Mckee, E7; Alice Chu, events manager

Happy new Toastmasters year from the outgoing E team!

Careers expo recap

On June 17 and 18, Toastmasters had a stand at the Wellington careers expo. Around 25 local members generously volunteered their time to explain the benefits of Toastmasters to high school students, their parents, teachers - and other stallholders.

Sarah Hewitt (Island Bay Toastmasters) and Margaret Austin (Capital Breakfast Toastmasters) at the Wellington careers expo.

Friday was the most intense day with busloads of students arriving constantly from local high schools. The scavenger hunt activity at our stand proved popular, especially with a candy prize on offer! During the morning we were very pleased to receive a visit from Wadestown School's youth leadership course. Guided by Rob Julian of Capital Toastmasters, the students presented some rousing Table Topics from the expo stage, attracting a lot of attention and interest in Toastmasters.

Students search through information at our stand for answers to the scavenger hunt questions.

Photo: Ed Atienza (Te Aro Toastmasters)

On Saturday things were quieter and there was a chance for our volunteers to wander around the expo and speak to other stallholders. That proved to be quite successful, with several staff members asking for information about club meetings near them. As well as Wellington clubs, we fielded queries about clubs in Dannevirke, Christchurch and Dunedin. Just as well we had lots of flyers with the national club finder address!

All in all the expo was a success and very enjoyable for everyone involved. Look out for recent high school graduates visiting your club in the near future.

Introducing the incoming team

Here they are folks! Your incoming Division E team - taking office from 1 July 2016.

Top row, L-R: Queenie Lin (Capital), Area E1 director; Alice Chu (Business Breakfast), Area E2 director; Steve Preston (Progressive), Area E3 director

Second row, L-R: Shagen Ganason (Harbourside), Area E4 director; Norbert Lee (Assurity Testmasters), Division E director; James Callinicos (Pipitea), Area E6 director

Third row, L-R: Viv Sutton (Turbine Talkers), Area E7 director; Jeffrey Ng (Victoria University), Area E9 director; Mark Thompson (Wellington Professional), Area E10 director

Division E is distinguished!

When the dashboards ticked over this morning, they showed something very exciting - 14 distinguished clubs in Division E! That's 40% of the division's club base, which makes us a distinguished division!

Image source

Division E is the third distinguished division in New Zealand for this year - after Division H (south Auckland) and Division F (Northland).

Those 14 distinguished clubs also translate into distinguished areas. Areas E3, E7 and E10 are all distinguished, and area E1 is select distinguished.

Division E Distinguished status, 14 June 2016

Congratulations to all the members, clubs and area directors whose hard work has generated this achievement! Stay tuned - there'll be more good news to come before the year is out...

The sprint to Distinguished District: Is this normal?

With just a few weeks to go in the Toastmasters year, clubs are busily signing up new members and registering their last few awards, making sure they achieve everything they set out to achieve in their club success plan. For many clubs, that means being distinguished (or select distinguished or president's distinguished). While there are many measures of success for a club, hitting the ten goals of the Distinguished Club Program is one indication that your club is healthy and serving its members well.

The administrative groups that support the clubs - Areas, Divisions and Districts - have their own Distinguished Programs to work towards. For example, an Area (a grouping of four to six clubs) is distinguished when at least half of its clubs are distinguished.

For the District as a whole - that's all of New Zealand - being distinguished requires a mixture of club growth, membership growth, and existing clubs being distinguished. This year, District 72 will be distinguished if we have 9 new clubs, around 170 new members, and at least 109 distinguished clubs by the 1st of July.

So how are we doing? You can see our current progress on the Toastmasters International dashboards. And what's this? We still have fewer clubs, and fewer members, than we had at the start of the year - both of those growth figures are negative at the moment.

District 72's progress as at 10 June 2016

At first glance it looks as if we have little chance of being distinguished this year, with our growth figures so low. But never fear! As it turns out, the numbers we're showing at the moment are very normal. In fact, this time last year we were in almost the same position - and yet we ended up as a distinguished district.

The chart below shows District 72's club growth figures for the final three months of 2014 and 2015, compared with this year. All three years show around 5% club loss after the April renewals, and yet in each of the previous two years, club growth reached at least 2% by mid-July. Our 1% club loss today is almost exactly the same as it was at the same time last year and the year before. In both years, club growth lifted in the last few weeks of June as new club sponsors worked to get their paperwork in before the end of the year. Keep an eye on the dashboards - chances are, the same thing will happen this year.

What about membership growth? It turns out that's looking pretty normal too. In each of the past three years we've experienced membership loss of between 8% and 10% after April renewals, but then membership has grown steadily and ended up well above our starting point. This year is no different - clubs are signing up new members at about their normal rate, and the District is likely to end the year much bigger than it started.

So will District 72 be distinguished this year? Wait and see! There are plenty of clubs in formation that have been working steadily all year with the aim of chartering in June. As they finish off their last administrative arrangements and turn in their paperwork, both club growth and membership growth will lift. And what that means is more fellow Toastmasters - more people building their skills in communication and leadership, and more friends to meet when we visit other clubs or attend conferences. Distinguished is the goal, but sharing the benefits of Toastmasters is the real reward. Good luck to everyone who is working right now to achieve it.

Toastmasters is at the Careers Expo!

Young people entering the workforce stand to gain a lot by joining Toastmasters. Practicing impromptu speaking helps a job seeker prepare for interviews, and developing confidence helps them get ready to put themselves forward for positions. As well, Toastmasters helps people learn to present information clearly and persuasively, which can help a new employee get ready for the workplace presentation that will inevitably happen one day.

To make sure that school leavers can connect with us and get all these benefits, Toastmasters has had a presence at the Careers Expo over the past month. Christchurch and Auckland expos were both in May, and this week, it's Wellington's turn.

The Auckland careers expo team

Photo: Marlene Krone

On Friday and Saturday (June 17-18), a team of enthusiastic local Toastmasters will be at TSB Arena, speaking to students and explaining how Toastmasters can help them. We'll be rubbing shoulders with education providers like Victoria University and Weltec, as well as employers such as the District Health Board and the Defence Forces.

The Toastmasters of Wellington are excited about the opportunity. When they were asked to help, responses ranged from "I'm very interested" to one keen person who said "Me! Me! Pick me!". A total of 25 volunteers will be rotating through the stand over the two days - a wonderful turnout that means we'll have enough people to run a few Table Topics sessions on the expo's central stage. Huge thanks to everyone who's offered to spend some time on the stand.

If you know a young person who'll be visiting the Careers Expo, tell them to be sure to visit the Toastmasters stand! We'll have World Champion speeches onscreen, a scavenger hunt/quiz, and lots of information to share. We're looking forward to meeting the next generation of Toastmasters!

Rotorua Convention - Filling the Kete

When the delegates at the May District 72 Convention registered at the Distinction Hotel in Rotorua we were all given a kete containing our convention programme, water, a few snacks and much more importantly the ability to fill with all of the knowledge that we would gain over the two days of the convention.


The convention Master of Ceremonies Kingi Biddle – who was District 72 International Speech Contestant in 2013 and 2014 – asked us to remember that the kete was a resource basket, and that when we left the convention it would become filled with all of the things we have learnt from each other and the warmth and memories of sharing time with our Toastmasters whanau.


Day one of the convention opened with a traditional Powhiri, which was followed by the traditional banner parade, led by the Rotorua Cadets.  The cadets remained standing on the stage throughout the Mayoral welcome provided by Steve Chadwick, who shared her experiences of public speaking as both a Member of Parliament and Mayor.  District 72 Director, Carol Mitchell, DTM officially opened the convention and welcomed all of the District 72 whanau.

A number of keynote speakers and education sessions were offered including Bill Potter who motivated attendees to think differently and live by the mantra ‘I can until I can't’. John Twaddle shared the story of his personal Toastmasters journey, reminding those in the room that as Toastmasters we are always learning.

David Clarkson ran an educational session on time management and Brent Park reminded us of the importance of listening as well as speaking in Toastmasters. Grainne Moss entertained and moved us with her stories about striving for excellence and challenges of swimming the English channel and other channels including the Cook Strait. Jonathan Pedersen talked about what you need to know about websites, and Lorraine Taylor and Elise Lonsdale updated us on online tools available to Toastmasters for holding virtual and online meetings.

The Evaluation Contest occupied the latter part of Saturday morning, where the best evaluators in the District critiqued a test speech. The winners were: 1st place – Helen Cambell from Silver Service Toastmasters Club in Division A; 2nd place – Helen Fitt from Christchurch Toastmasters Club in Division G; and 3rd place – Michelle Gerwitz from Taieri Toastmasters Club in Division C. The contest was chaired by Division H Director Graham Gunn.

District 72 Evaluation contest. (L-R) 3rd place Michelle Gerwitz, 2nd place Helen Fitt, 1st place Helen Campbell, contest chair Graham Gunn.

The Prepared Speech Contest followed at lunchtime on Sunday.

"Better Late Than Never" was the message from Justin Thompson who won the Prepared Speech Contest. Not only did he win the contest, he also won the Most Entertaining Speech Award. Justin will now represent New Zealand at the Toastmasters International Speech Contest in Washington DC in August this year.  He will be competing against contestants from around the world for the title of 'World Champion of Public Speaking'. Justin is from Northrise Toastmasters Club in Division F (Auckland). Click here to help Justin cover the costs of competing in DC.

Other placegetters were: 2nd place – Marc Ramos from Naumai South Taranaki Toastmasters Club in Division B, and 3rd place – Ben Herring, also from Taieri Toastmasters Club in Division C. The contest was chaired by Division E Director Gael Price.

District 72 International speech contest. (L-R) 1st place Justin Thompson, 2nd place Marc Ramos, 3rd place Ben Herring

Incoming District Executive

The convention included the annual business meeting, and elections for the district executive were held.  The elected officers will take the reins from 1 July and they are: District Director – David Templeman DTM, Program Quality Director – Sarah Bate DTM, Club Growth Director – Toni Sharp QSM DTM, Administration Manager – Fiona Hodge, Finance Manager – Nicola Green, and Public Relations Manager – Rob Woolley.

One week till Rotorua convention!

The contestants are ready, the judges are ready... are you ready for Rotorua?

The District (national) convention kicks off next weekend at the Distinction Hotel in Rotorua. An awesome weekend is planned at this lovely venue.

Image source: Distinction Hotels

On Saturday, the regional evaluation champions will meet in the District Evaluation contest - a test of skill in listening, analysing and giving feedback. We'll also enjoy educational workshops and keynote presentations from a "business maverick" and a long-serving Toastmaster, and will see who's elected to office for next year in the District Annual Business meeting. Saturday will end with revelry at the dine & dance. Make sure to wear a hat representing a culture of your choice!

Image source: mgrush.com

Sunday morning brings the glamour event - the District International speech contest, which will see the winner jetting off to Washington DC to represent New Zealand on the world stage. Before the contest we'll warm up with workshops on the online world of Toastmasters, and another keynote from a well-travelled businesswoman.

If you're travelling to Rotorua for convention, remember:

• Register to vote by 18 May! Download voter registration forms from the District website. Have a look at the meeting papers on that website, too - it'll help you follow what's happening at the business meeting.
• 18 May is also the deadline for booking a shuttle from the airport to the hotel. See the latest convention newsletter for details.
• The registration desk at the Distinction Hotel opens at 3pm Friday and 7am Saturday. Get in early to beat the crowd.
• If you're looking for something to do on Friday night, come along to the mix and mingle from 5pm. There'll be a chance to see speeches from those standing for office in the Candidates' Showcase at 7.30pm.

And finally, the number one tip from a convention veteran... bring a few snacks to keep in your convention bag! You'll be pleased to have them when you get so busy talking to people that you forget to eat morning tea.

See you there!

Image source: TMC Rotorua

After the annual business meeting: what next?

So you've successfully organised the ABM - found people willing to stand for office, sent around the reports, persuaded enough club members to attend, and even got the wording right on all the motions! Well done! Now that it's all over, though, there's one more thing to do before you relax.

Encouraging someone to be President is half the work - the other half is letting the rest of the world know that you've done it. Well before the new Toastmasters year starts on July 1st, Toastmasters International (TI) need to know who the new President is - and all the other club officers - so that they can get in touch with those people. Otherwise, the new club officers won't be able to access Club Central, and that means the club will have difficulty with everything from paying dues to registering awards and new members.

TI aren't the only people who need a way to contact your club. Members of the public who find your club through the New Zealand club finder will most likely contact you by sending an email to yourclub@toastmasters.org.nz. Is that email going to your current VP Membership - or someone who was in the role two years ago and has since left the club? Updating your details on the New Zealand club finder is important to make sure you don't miss those potential guests.

Any club officer can submit these updates. Here's how.

To submit your new club officer list to Toastmasters International:

• Login to the TI website
• Go to Leadership Central on the top menu, then Club Central
• Click on the name of your club
• Click on the menu option "View/Update/Print my club officer information" (it's the fifth one from the top)
• The next screen shows you your current club officers. Click on "Future" at the top to put in new officers for next year (see the image below).
• The screen will show you a list of positions with drop-down menus next to each. For each position, select the club member on the list who's been elected to that position.
• Click "Confirm" at the bottom to save the officer list and send it to TI.

To update your information on the New Zealand club finder:

• Go to the Club Finder and find the login pane on the right-hand side.
• Login with your member number and password. If you don't know your member number, go back to the TI website and have a look at your profile - your number is shown at the top right.
• On the Members' Menu at the right (see image below), click on "Club Editor".
• Scroll down to the "Email Redirections" section and make sure the three addresses listed are correct.
• Further down the page there's a place to change your current club officers. Make sure you come back closer to the end of the year so you can put in the new officers before they take office!

Guest post: Who was Colin Perfect?

Today we are very pleased to feature a guest post from Past Distinguished District Governor Joy Ackrill. At our request, Joy is sharing some memories of PDDG Colin Perfect. Every six months we remember Colin at the Division E conference by presenting a trophy to the club that achieves the highest attendance at conference. The Colin Perfect award was donated shortly after Colin's death by senior Toastmasters who had worked with him; today, we find out more about the man behind the name.

When I came to the end of my term as Area E1 Governor in 1998, I approached Colin Perfect as a potential replacement. At that stage he wasn’t ready to move into a District role. However, the following year he took on the Area Governor role. In 2000 he became Division E Governor where he was Division Governor of the Year.

Subsequently he took on Top 3 roles, culminating in District Governor for 2004-2005. His theme was Achieving Success Together – Haere ngätahi. He led the District to Distinguished status (14^th of 76 Districts) and also received the Excellence in Leadership Award for three consecutive years as a Distinguished District.

Colin Perfect's District Governor banner (2004-05), bearing his motto "Achieving success together".

Colin stood for election to the Toastmasters Board of Directors at the August 2006 International Convention in Washington DC. He was unsuccessful, being beaten by George Yen who went on to become International President.

Colin joined the Public Service Club in Wellington in October 1991 and kept this club as his home club through to his sudden death in September 2008. Over his Toastmasters career he belonged to many other clubs including The Gourmet, WOW, Mt Victoria and Victoria University.

Outside of Toastmasters, Colin was an architect with a special interest in heritage transport. He project managed the restoration of Grip Car number 3 which is displayed at the Wellington Cable Car Museum. After much searching, Colin found a craftsman he believed capable of conserving the Grip Car. This was the Wheelwright Shop at Gladstone in the Wairarapa. We had one of our WOW meetings at the Wheelwright Shop with speeches that day focusing on heritage restoration - Colin talking about the Grip Car, Sarah Harper talking about her Dutch street organ and me talking about my floating crane Hikitia.

Colin was interested in all forms of transport. At the time of his death he was working on restoration of a whale chaser from Peranos in the Marlborough Sounds. Earlier in 2008 he delivered a presentation about whaling and his involvement with the heritage side to the Maritime Archaeologists Association of New Zealand (MAANZ). The video of this presentation is available through the MAANZ library (if you would like to see the video, ask any District officer for Joy's contact details).

Colin was on jury service when he died. He told the Court Bailiff he had some indigestion which he attributed to a meal he had eaten the previous evening. In its early stages a heart attack is often mistaken for indigestion and this was the case with Colin. He collapsed and died aged 64 in the jury box. He had often said he didn’t think he would live to 65.

At Colin’s funeral, Warwick Lowndes (Distinguished District Governor 2002-2003) spoke on behalf of Toastmasters and John Reimers (Distinguished District Governor 2006-2007) was a pall bearer.

After Colin’s death Geoff Moss approached me saying he would like to anonymously donate a trophy to Division E in memory of Colin. And so we have the Colin Perfect trophy. When Division E split into Divisions E and J, Geoff donated a further trophy to Division J. Geoff has agreed his name can now be public.

Colin was an inspirational, supportive and encouraging leader whose favourite word seemed to be ‘tremendous’. Truly Mr Perfect.

Colin Perfect DTM, PDDG 2004-05

26 September 1945 - 30 September 2008

Can you afford $69 per member?

Well, that's dues renewals done for another six months! It can be a big job - well done! Did you know that the next renewal in October will be more expensive? Dues in October could be as high as $69 per member - not even counting club costs such as room hire. But don't worry, Eat Your Crusts is here to help.

To explain what we mean, here's a sample expenses budget for a club with 20 members that meets twice a month. It's made up mostly of the dues that clubs pay to Toastmasters International (TI), together with some small expenses specific to the club.

Item	Cost	Per	Total cost per month	Cost per member per month
TI dues	$69	Member, per six months	$230	$11.50
District service charge	$6	Member, per year	$10	$0.50
Room hire	$20	Meeting	$40	$2.00
Tea and coffee	$3	Meeting	$6	$0.30
Total	$85.80	Member, per six months		$14.30

The club in this example has per-member expenses of $14.30 per month, or $85.80 every six months. That's probably more than what you're currently paying at your club - possibly a lot more. So why the increase? And what should you do about it?

What you need to do

Your club is almost certainly going to need to increase the dues paid by members. There's more detail about that below, but first, here's how to go about it.

1. Re-do your club budget
   If you're a club treasurer or other committee member, go over the club budget again. Make sure the main points from the sample budget above are accounted for - especially that the TI component of the budget is increased to around $65-$70 per member per six months. That will tell you what your new dues amount will have to be, given your club's other costs.
2. Notify members
   Dues can be changed only by a vote of the club's members. The annual business meeting in May is a good time to do that, but it can be done at any club meeting. Before you can hold a vote, you need to notify people in writing that it's coming (email is fine). The club constitution suggests giving at least four days' notice.
3. Hold a vote
   A notified dues motion can be voted at any club meeting where there's a quorum - that is, at least half of all the club members are present. Make sure the reasons for the change are made clear at the meeting, and that people have time to ask questions and discuss.
4. Record your new dues amount in Club Central
   TI keeps a record of important details about your club - such as your meeting location, election frequency, and club dues - in the Addendum of Standard Club Options. To keep these details up to date, login to Club Central and enter the new dues amount into the Addendum. It's near the bottom of the Club Central menu, as you can see in the graphic below.
   
   
   

Now that you know what you need to do - why do you need to do it?

Toastmasters International dues are increasing

The dues that members pay to their clubs are made up of a portion that covers club costs, and a portion that goes directly to TI. At the moment, the TI portion is US$36 per member per six months. That number will increase to US$45 at the October 2016 dues renewal. (There's information about the reasons for the dues increase in this letter from TI.)

What does that mean for your club? Well, the increase is US$9, which at today's exchange rate is about NZ$13. So the quick answer is: just increase your dues by $13.

The exchange rate has fallen

However, there have been other changes over the past year that could also increase the costs faced by your club. The main one of these is a big fall in the New Zealand dollar exchange rate. In April last year, the dues payment of US$36 was equal to about NZ$48. Today, it's about NZ$52 - an increase of $4 just from exchange rate movements. While that may not sound like much, once you multiply it across 20 or more members, your club could be facing extra costs that you haven't budgeted for.

So the other quick answer is: just increase your dues by $17 (that's $13 for the increase in TI dues, and $4 for the exchange rate). But exchange rates are unpredictable. How can you know that a $17 dues increase will be enough if the exchange rate falls even further?

To make extra sure, it can be helpful to look at exchange rate movements over the past few years. While no one can really predict what's going to happen next year, it's reasonable to set your club's budget on the assumption that the exchange rate won't go much lower than its lowest point in the past, say, five years.

Let us explain. This chart shows the New Zealand dollar cost of TI dues since 2006. There are two lines - a blue one for the actual dues we paid in the past (US$36), and a red one for the dues we'll be paying from October 2016 (US$45). Pay most attention to the red line, since that represents the amount we have to plan for right now.

data source

You can see that the cost of that US$45 payment goes up and down a lot, but it hasn't really risen above NZ$70 much in recent times. That suggests that if you set the TI portion of your club dues at $69 per member per six months - or $11.50 a month for each member - you'll probably be able to absorb most exchange rate fluctuations. And if the exchange rate goes the other way, so that your costs decrease unexpectedly, you can return the surplus to your members by spending it on better club equipment, contributions to the costs of manuals, and other things that improve their Toastmasters experience.

Remember to budget for your other expenses

On top of that $69, you'll also need to add your club's usual running costs - whatever you pay for room hire, stationery, tea and coffee supplies, and anything else that you need to buy for meetings. While you're doing this exercise, it's also a good idea to make sure your dues can accommodate the District Service charge, a fee of $6 per member per year that the District asks clubs to pay to help cover the costs of things like inter-club speech contests.

Good luck!

If you have any questions, leave a comment below and we'll get back to you. Alternatively, your Area Director can help you with your planning.

Source: Toastmasters International

Division E Conference report - results and photos

On Saturday the 9th of April 88 Toastmasters from around the Wellington region descended upon the LifePoint auditorium from midday onward to celebrate the very best of our Division.

Arriving on buses, in taxis, and on foot (as per instructions because of the scarcity of on site carparks) they entered the auditorium to be greeted by welcoming slides and a stage ready for action:

Little did they know that the Division Conference team had been busy redecorating for hours before their arrival. It was a very different set up from the one we had walked into:

An especially big thank you has to go out to Tim Law and his partner Liz Lee who lifted the very heavy pieces of staging!

Although there was some concern about the acoustics, overall the feedback we received was very positive about the venue.

Of course, however the main reason everyone was in the room was to enjoy the speeches and celebrate the successes of our fellow Toastmasters.

Simon Lin, stepping up and taking on the role of Master of Ceremonies ably, kept the very full programme running. Gael Price, Division E District Director gave a timely reminder that the Distinguished Club Programme is an important part of the Toastmasters year, and that it does align with our personal goals. Achieving them within the programme is easily done when we take each step in our Toastmasters' journey.

The International Speech Contest

Following this presentation the conference moved into the International Speech Contest chaired by Area E6 Director, Owen Winter. The speeches ranged from the formula to always staying young to pushing our physical and personal boundaries and how we can apply Meyers Briggs personality testing to political candidates interwoven with insights drawn the speakers' lives and interests.

Although all of the speakers were fantastic, this was a contest and there had to be placings.

Third Place was awarded to Raymond Kemp, from Five Crowns for his speech “Sixty Kilometres in Sixty Hours” where he took us on a gruelling mountain bike experience filled with broken pedals and hurt knees. In second place Ella Kahu (Island Bay) shared her experience of learning Te Reo Maori for the same amount of time her grandson had been learning English - and the lessons she could learn from his attitude to life. In first place, going on to represent Division E at the District 72 Conference in Rotorua (www.tmcrotorua.co.nz) was Andrew Stott, of Taxing Toastmaters who shared his struggle of being a ‘Tax Therapist’ from the IRD and pleaded with us all to understand his plight.

L-R: Contest Chair Owen Winter, Andrew Stott (1st), Ella Kahu (2nd), Raymond Kemp (3rd), Sarah Bate District 72 Club Growth Director

After the initial contest, everyone adjourned to the community room to catch up with old friends and make new friends while enjoying some much needed and appreciated refreshments.
(Many thanks to Kai Chan and his team; John Lulich and Kent Stevens from Te Aro, and Ros Coote from Pipitea, who made that possible.)

District address & awards

Following afternoon tea the District Address was presented by District 72 Club Growth Director, Sarah Bate who shared her journey of creating a District wide marketing campaign, using the skills and passion of Toastmasters around the country to promote and connect with our communities. As a member of Division E there was a huge sense of pride in our one of our own demonstrating such initiative.

Sarah concluded her presentation with ‘one of her favourite parts of the role’ when she presented Tricia Walbridge of High Noon Bankers with a long service certificate, celebrating 25 years in Toastmasters.

L-R: Sarah Bate, Tricia Walbridge

The evaluation contest

Next up, the contests were in full steam with Mary Clarke chairing the Division E Evaluation contest. The seven contestants were given the challenge of evaluating test speaker Debby Emeny’s excellent speech reflecting on how a childhood trauma was blocking her in later life. Debby, from Porirua Central Toastmasters, is a newer Toastmaster. Her presence and participation really fitted the Step Up in 2016 theme of the conference!

The contest results were in third place Rebecca Barrow from High Noon Bankers , second place Peter Scholtens from Statistically Speaking and in first place, going on to represent Division E at the District 72 Convention in Rotorua next month, was Raymond Kemp, from Five Crowns.

L-R: Contest Chair Mary Clarke, Rebecca Barrow (3rd), Peter Scholtens (2nd), Raymond Kemp (1st), Sarah Bate

Celebrating new Distinguished Toastmasters

There were other successes celebrated throughout the afternoon with Pamela Snow from Public Service and Lillian Morris from Statistically Speaking receiving their Distinguished Toastmasters plaques. Mark Casson from Five Crowns and Carol Mitchell, District 72 Director, also honoured for their Distinguished Toastmaster awards, were unable to be present.

L-R: Gael Price Division E Director, Pamela Snow, Sarah Bate

L-R: Gael Price, Lilian Morrison, Sarah Bate

And the announcement you've all been waiting for! The Colin Perfect Award, presented by Joy Ackrill, went to Advanced Wellington.

Advanced Wellington Toastmasters club receives the Colin Perfect award from Past Distinguished District Governor Joy Ackrill (left) and Division Director Gael Price (right).

The afternoon conference was a great success and we want to thank all of those who made it happen - whether they had a role within the conference or those who came to support the division.  It was amazing to discover that nearly 50% of those who had preregistered were first time conference attendees. Great to see you along!

Last but not least

And as we all know the best round ups always end with … BUT wait there's more!

Have you booked your place for the Rotorua Convention yet?

Check the website for programme details, accommodation offers ...

Can you spare us a piece of your mind?

If you haven't already given it, we want your feedback on Saturday's Conference. It helps us do better in the future.

Click the link to enter your evaluation online. Thank you!

(With thanks to Owen Winter & Gael Price for text & edits.)

Please tell us how you experienced the Division E Conference

Online Evaluation Division E Conference

For the first time we are collecting feedback online. This has a number of benefits.

1. It gives you time to consider your responses. 
2. It makes it easier for us to collate them.
3. We save paper!

Here's the link to fill out the Evaluation Form.

On behalf of us all thank you for "stepping up" and coming along.  Thank you too, for taking the time to let us know what you thought about the event. Your insights will be used to help us serve you better.

Area contest reports - E1 and E9

In our final Area contest update, we bring you the results from the E1 and E9 International speech and Evaluation contests. The set of contestants is now complete! On 9 April, all these people will compete for Wellington's spot at the national-level contest in May. Don't miss this chance to see Wellington's best speakers all on the same stage!

Contest night in Area E1 was on 30 March and hosted by Capital Toastmasters (who, to accommodate the crowd that arrives for an Area contest, had temporarily moved their venue to the new MBIE office on Stout Street). The International speech contest was a smorgasbord of stories as six speakers shared experiences with sugar, grooming, grandparents, and even game theory. Contest chair Sue Hamlett ran the show, and at the end of the night, Khorshed Irani (Cupcake Communicators) was named contest winner. Second place went to Quang Nguyen (Assurity Testmasters), and third place to Jack Snow (Public Service Toastmasters).

E1 International speech contest. (L-R) 3rd place Jack Snow, 1st place Khorshed Irani, 2nd place Quang Nguyen.

Later in the night, E1's Evaluation contest was chaired by Jacqui Smith. The audience enjoyed an enlightening speech from Sampath DeCosta (Pipitea Toastmasters) on the benefits of failure. Six evaluators gave their views on Sampath's speech. First place went to Margaret Nixon (Capital Toastmasters), second place to Bryan Ventura (Wellington Toastmasters), and Glenda Bullock (The Gourmet Toastmasters) placed third.

E1 Evaluation contest. (L-R) 1st place Margaret Nixon, 3rd place Glenda Bullock. Second placegetter Bryan Ventura is absent from this photo.

The International speech contest in E9 was on 14 March and chaired by Peter Scholtens (Terrace@12). Intriguing speeches from four contestants had the audience thinking as we learned about mountain biking, the good side of redundancy, how to start a charity, and several different ways to look at apples. The contest was won by Raymond Kemp (Five Crowns), with Rose Austen-Falloon (Terrace@12) in second place.

E9 International speech contest. (L-R) Area Director Rob Barton-Howes, 2nd place Rose Austen-Falloon, 1st place Raymond Kemp, contest chair Peter Scholtens.

E9's Evaluation contest was chaired by Andrew Neal (Terrace@12) on 31 March. Four evaluators gave their thoughts on Mike Wareham's (Victoria University Toastmasters) inspiring speech on the theme of 'Girls can do anything'. First place went to Raymond Kemp (Five Crowns), and second place was Rose Austen-Falloon (Terrace@12).

E9 Evaluation contest. (L-R) Contest chair Andrew Neal, 1st place Raymond Kemp, 2nd place Rose Austen-Falloon.

Congratulations to everyone who got involved in contests this season! That wraps up our Area contest reporting. All these wonderful winners will go head-to-head on Saturday. Who will win?

See you there if you can join us - if not, keep an eye on this blog for results next week.

Area contest reports - E3 and E10

This week we had more competition and excitement, as two more Areas finished their contests. The Evaluation and International speech contestants from Areas E3 and E10 are now decided. Will you be there on 9 April to see them compete against the best of Wellington?

The E3 Evaluation contest was hosted by BNZ Harbour Quays club on 23 March. Test speaker Rana Ghosh (Mid City Toastmasters) unveiled the secrets of dentistry with diamonds (yes, really) in a speech that was then evaluated by two contestants. Rebecca Barrow (High Noon Bankers) won first place.

E3 Evaluation contest. (L-R) Test speaker Rana Ghosh, contest participant Nina Gallavan, 1st place Becca Barrow, contest chair Steve Preston.

The International speech contest for E3 on 30 March was hosted by Rebecca's own club, High Noon Bankers. Three speakers took the stage, entertaining the audience with stories that ranged from managing disability to imprisonment in a foreign land. First place went to Andrew Stott (Taxing Toastmasters), with Ewan Crafts (BNZ Harbour Quays) in second place, and Billie Searle (High Noon Bankers) in third place.

E3 International speech contest. (L-R) Contest chair Becca Barrow, 1st place Andrew Stott, 2nd place Ewan Crafts, 3rd place Billie Searle.

Te Aro Toastmasters hosted E10's contest night on 23 March. First up was the International speech contest, chaired by Philip Roderick. Six contestants spoke on a very wide range of subjects, from feminism and ageism right through to football - and cutting onions. Jo Moar (Te Aro Toastmasters) placed first, Jacinta Zogg (Mount Victoria Toastmasters) second, and Kerry Hilligan (Wellington Professional Toastmasters) third.

E10 International speech contest. (L-R) 3rd place Kerry Hilligan, 2nd place Jacinta Zogg, 1st place Jo Moar.

The E10 Evaluation contest followed, where Roberta Eykholt (Police Toastmasters) delivered an insightful speech to be evaluated by the six contestants. First place went to Mike Norden (Wellington Professional), second Jacinta Zogg (Mount Victoria), and third was Nicola Maycroft (Te Aro Toastmasters).

E10 Evaluation contest. (L-R) 3rd place Nicola Maycroft, 2nd place Jacinta Zogg, 1st place Mike Norden, contest chair John Lulich.

Congratulations to everyone involved in these contests! Stay tuned for more contest results next week.

Why it's a good idea to Step Up in 2016

Are you dithering on the sidelines? Shall I? Shan't I? Maybe I will. May be I won't go to the Division E Conference. Then again ...

Here's 9 extremely good answers to common "will I/won't I/why should I?" questions. ( And yes, if we're honest, we've all asked them!)

FAQs for fence sitters

1. I’ve been to my club contest, my area contest and now you want to me to go to another contest?

While the Division E International Speech and Evaluation Contests will be a major part of the event the conference isn’t just speech contests. There will also be speeches filled with updates and inspiration from the District 72 (New Zealand) Club Growth Director Sarah Bate and our Division Director Gael Price. It’s also a fantastic way to meet new friends from around the region.

2. Why is it four hours long?

Four hours can seem like a long time, but this includes two contests, speeches, division awards, some quick fire games and a networking afternoon tea. The time will fly!

3. I don’t want to go by myself - what if I don’t know anyone there?

As you will know Toastmasters are supportive people - if you want to go to the conference but are worried that you won’t know anyone why not ask another member of your club if they would like to attend with you? Most clubs will have at least one member there - and many of your Area Directors will be present as well.

4. I would like to come, but what if I can’t make it to the venue?

As mentioned above Toastmasters are supportive people - if you are worried about getting to the venue ask another member if they can give you a ride, or even meet at a cafe before the conference and walk there together?

5. What if I turn up and I get asked to do something like timer or ballot counting?

Don’t worry about that! The conference organising team are working very hard to organise all aspects of the contest and they will make sure all of those roles are filled well in advance, you just need to come and enjoy the experience!

6. I haven’t got my Competent Communicator yet, am I too new a Toastmaster?

Of course not! Conferences are open to everyone, even if you aren’t a Toastmaster. No-one will know what manual you are working from.

7. Will I have to do a Table Topic?

That’s a tricky question. Although we don’t have a planned Table Topics session we can’t guarantee there won’t be the chance - but if you don’t want to take part just say so! No-one will be upset if you don’t want to do one.

8.What if people ignore me/don’t talk to me?

The easiest way to make sure people talk to you is to start a conversation with someone! Everyone has been to their first conference before so understands how daunting these can be. It does pay to remember that a lot of people have jobs on the day, and these conferences can sometimes be the only time people see each other, so don’t take it personally if it seems like you are in a sea of people who know each other - just start a conversation and make a new friend.

9. My question wasn’t answered here - who should I talk to?

If you have any further questions you can email the Conference Chair Mike McKee: area_e7@toastmasters.org.nz  Or Division Director Gael Price: division_e@toastmasters.org.nz

See you at the conference!

Many thanks to Owen Winter Area 6 Director for the post.

The great gold give away for new members

Are you a new Toastmaster member?

Have you got your Golden Ticket  for the Division E Conference yet?

The Golden Ticket is a special gift just for you. It's a "two-for-the-price-of-one" deal entitling you to bring a non-Toastmaster friend along to experience and witness the best of public speaking in Wellington.

Come and you'll see and hear where Toastmasters could take you.

The Golden Ticket story

Area E7  Director Mike McKee

Golden tickets are the inspiration of Conference organiser Area E7 Director Mike McKee.

He's keen for all new members to know what they could aspire to and seeing and hearing competent speakers, he says, is by far the best way of showing people what is within their reach, if they follow the Toastmaster programme.  Sharing that experience with a friend, he says, is very powerful as it helps confirm and reinforce both the original decision to join Toastmasters, and the commitment to continue on the journey. And on top of that, he says, the speakers newcomers will see and hear are often relatively new members themselves.

The conference is an opportunity to mix, to mingle,  to set future goals  and a golden ticket, he says, is our way of encouraging new members to come along.

Getting your Golden Ticket

Golden tickets have been distributed to all Wellington clubs to hand on to each of their new members. If you are a new member and have NOT yet been given a ticket please ask to your club president for one.

Using your Golden Ticket

The Golden Ticket "two-for-the-price-of-one" offer is ONLY available if you pre-register online. 

The offer is NOT available for "on-the-day" registrations.

About the conference

This is a chance for you to connect with your fellow Toastmasters, watch the International and Evaluation Speech Contests and learn from special guest presenters who are sure to inspire, enthrall and entertain! See you there.

Date: Saturday 9th April
Time: 1-5pm

Cost: $15 per person - except if you have a Golden Ticket and have pre-registered.

Place: Lifepoint Auditorium
Where: 61 Hopper Street, Mount Cook

Area contest reports - E2, E6 and E7

Area contests are an exciting time when members from different clubs get to meet, greet - and of course, compete. This month we have Area contests in the arts of prepared speaking (the International speech contest) and evaluation (the Evaluation contest). Three Areas have already finished their contests. See below for the results!

The winners from these contests will go on to compete in the Division E conference on 9 April. Will you be there to find out who is the best in Wellington? Registration details are here.

Capital Breakfast club hosted the Area E2 International speech contest on 17 March, a bright-and-early event which saw three speakers from the breakfast clubs compete for the E2 title. The audience enjoyed stories of gliding, entrepreneurship, unlikely friendships, introversion, technology, and self-acceptance. The morning ran smoothly thanks to contest chair Max Fuhrer. After a short break to enjoy the club's customary hospitality with excellent coffee and baking, the winner was announced - Anna Cramp of Capital Breakfast.

Area E2 International speech contest. (L-R) 2nd place Tony Henderson-Newport, 1st place Anna Cramp, 3rd place David Coxon, contest chair Max Fuhrer.

For the Evaluation contest, E2 headed off to Business Breakfast Club on 22 March. The club did a great job of hosting the contest, and again coffee was plentiful, as were the very welcome danishes and muffins. Contest chair Paul Mulrooney ensured everything ran to time, as speakers were challenged by Mary Clarke's emotional test speech. Steve Preston of Business Breakfast took the Evaluation trophy for E2.

Area E2 Evaluation contest. (L-R) Contest chair Paul Mulrooney, 2nd place Tony Henderson-Newport, 1st place Steve Preston, 3rd place David Coxon, Area Director Amanda Hillock.

In E6, contest season kicked off with the International speech contest, hosted by Statistically Speaking on 16 March. The audience learned why cellphones are gossips, why procrastination is inevitable, and why personality types are important in political candidates. Ably chaired by Michael Challands, the contest ended with Roberta Eykholt of Police Toastmasters awarded the trophy.

Area E6 International speech contest. (L-R) 3rd place Urwashi Singh, 2nd place Tracy Wilkinson, 1st place Roberta Eykholt.

The E6 Evaluation contest on 21 March headed back to Roberta's home club, Police - Division E's newest club. Hosting an Area contest is a huge achievement for such a new club, and all the club members did superbly well in their various contest roles, to their credit and that of their mentors. Contest chair Stu Taylforth did everything by the book as he led a contest that included a thought-provoking test speech from Kinnie Vermeulen, followed by three evaluations. After a round of insightful interviews, the first place trophy was awarded to Peter Scholtens of Statistically Speaking.

Area E6 Evaluation contest. (L-R) 3rd place Kathy Murphy, 2nd place Brittany Chellew, 1st place Peter Scholtens, Area Director Owen Winter, contest chair Stu Taylforth.

Area E7's contests were both hosted by Turbine Talkers on 17 March, in the club's large and convenient venue at St Matthew's church in Brooklyn. Contest chair Rose Wyse skilfully handled all the ins and outs of two contests. The International speech contest was a treat, with five speakers variously uplifting the audience and tugging at their heartstrings. After hearing about the joys and terrors of grandparenthood, bike riding, jury service, special friendships, and the haka, it was time for a tea break before the Evaluation contest.

Well fed, the E7 audience returned to enjoy Rana Ghosh's informative speech about gliding spiders, followed by analysis from six evaluators. Contest results were the final order of business: the Evaluation contest was won by Deborah Lambie of Turbine Talkers, and first place in International went to Ella Kahu of Island Bay.

Area E7 Evaluation contest. (L-R) 3rd place Mark MacCallum, 2nd place Antony Zogg, 1st place Deborah Lambie.

Area E7 International speech contest. (L-R) 2nd place Deborah Lambie, 1st place Ella Kahu, 3rd place Steve Preston.

Congratulations to all the winners, and well done to everyone who took part! Tune in next week for the next set of contest results. If you're wondering when your contest is, have a look at the Area contest calendar.