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

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.

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

Division conference registration open - and online!

It's only a month until the Division Conference at Lifepoint Church - the 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!

We have opened up registration for the Conference, and for the first time in Division E you can make use of our online registration form: tinyurl.com/DivEConference

Don't miss your chance to Step Up to a new challenge and a new level of Toastmasters in April!

Also, this year a very special initiative has been undertaken - the Golden Ticket!

Each new member in Division E this year is being presented with a Golden Ticket which entitles them (on pre-registration) to a two-for-one "Bring a Friend" ticket. This is to encourage new members to experience the excitement of a Division conference along with a friend - so if you're new, you don't have to worry that you won't know anybody!

All attendees are encouraged to pre-register. The cost is $15, but contestants can attend for free.

The conference is:

1-5 pm
Saturday 9th April
Lifepoint Auditorium
61 Hopper Street
Mount Cook

See you there!

Note: Parking at the venue is limited - please plan your travel and carpool or come by public transport if possible.

Division E Conference - have you booked the date?

Open your diary - and ring 9th of April - Saturday 1-5pm for the Division E Conference. Get ready to Step Out and Step Up!

The International and Evaluation Contests have been in full swing all over the Capital. Photos of finalists have been popping up on the District 72 FaceBook page and we're getting ready to host the Division E Conference - the event that will decide who goes forward to the next level.

Who will step up in 2016?

The poster is ready - thanks to design maestro Owen Winter. The venue is booked thanks to Conference Manager Area 7 Director Mike McKee. We've been and checked it over.

As you can see Life Point Church in Hopper Street will be splendid.

9th of April. Book that date and watch out for further details coming your way very soon.

Division E Conference - contest results and photos

The Division E Conference, featuring the Humorous and Table Topics Contests, was on Saturday 10th October at St Catherine's College, Kilbirnie.

We heard some fabulous speeches from some equally fabulous people! Thank you everybody; contestants, audience, and all the various officials and helpers who came together to make the event enjoyable, and possible.

MC Owen Winter

The table topics contest

The contestants seen here, holding their participation certificates, preparing to answer interview questions from the Contest Chair.

L-R: Mitchell Bidois, Dionne Needham, Kevin Plant, Rose Austen-Falloon, Peter Scholtens, Aaron Hodder, Kate Roberts, Contest Chair Amanda Hillock

And the winners were ...

L-R: Kevin Plant (3rd), Peter Scholtens (2nd), Rose Austen-Falloon (1st), District Director Carol Mitchell, Contest Chair Amanda Hillock

Rose goes on to Blenheim to join other Division winners in the national Table Topics Contest at the TM Convention 6th-8th November.

Special Awards

There were several special awards given: best club website (won by Cook Strait), two for 25 years membership, plus these pictured below:

EJ Wilmott past Area E7 Director receives the Division Area Director Award for service from past Division Director Ian Lankow

Advanced Wellington win the Colin Perfect Award for the club with the most members at the conference.

Toastmaster of the Year Award

Rachel Barnett

This very special award went to Rachel Barnett (Progressive Toastmasters) for the above and beyond can-do, will-do assistance she gave to Area E3, including taking on Director duties while its then Director Billie Searle was overseas.

*Posted late with apologies for the omission.






Other special events

Judy Love (DTM) gives Division Director Gael Price's opening address because she was on an Outward Bound Leadership Course 

The Humorous Speech Contest

The contestants, holding their participation certificates, being interviewed by the Contest Chair.  

L-R:  E2 Alastair Finlay, E1 Kath Cherrie, E7 Ella Kahu, E3 Billie Searle, E10 Deepshikha Vyas, E6 Marie Wright, Contest Chair Rose Wyse

And the winners were ...

L-R: Alastair Finlay (3rd), Billie Searle (2nd), Ella Kahu  (1st), Carol Mitchell District Director, Rose Wyse Contest Chair

Ella goes on to Blenheim to join other Division winners in the national Humorous Speech Contest at the TM Convention 6th-8th November.

Many thanks to Russell Turney (Island Bay) for the photographs.
* To view ALL the photos Russell took (and there are many of them - too numerous to share here) please click here. This will open a shared google drive page displaying two zipped folders of photos. To open either of the folders click on them. Next click the white download arrow (top centre of your screen). This will download the images to your own computer. Now you can view them, one by one. Happy browsing!

Blenheim awaits!

The Division conference is over and our champions are making their preparations to travel to Blenheim, to compete at the next level. Will you be joining them?

What is District convention?

Convention is when all the Toastmasters from one District come together to learn and celebrate each other's achievements. All of New Zealand is one District - District 72. District 72 holds two conventions each year, one in November and one in May.

This November, convention is in Blenheim; in May we go to Rotorua, and the following November it's Invercargill. Convention is a great excuse to see the country!

What happens at November convention?

Each November we hold our national Humorous Speech and Table Topics contests. The nine Division-level winners in each contest will compete to determine the ultimate District champion.

But that's not all - convention is a full weekend of events, featuring educational workshops, social functions, and the semi-annual business meeting.

Who should attend?

All Toastmasters are welcome at convention! Everyone, from new members to club presidents and beyond, will find plenty to learn and lots of great networking opportunities. A convention as handy as Blenheim is a great opportunity to attend easily - it hasn't been this close to Wellington since 2013.

Check out the convention website for registration information (but book your accommodation first - accommodation in Blenheim is very tight already).

I'm already registered! What do I need to do before I go?

Talk to your club President about your club's votes for the business meeting. Every club has two votes, which can be carried by the President and Vice President Education, or assigned to another club member who is attending the business meeting. If you're the only person attending from your club, it's important that you get those votes assigned to you before you go - if there aren't enough club votes present, the meeting can't go ahead.

You can download voting documents from the meeting website. These need to be signed by your President and VPE and returned by email before 3 November.

If you're attending the business meeting, have a quick look at the meeting documents beforehand. You don't need to print out copies of everything, but try to familiarise yourself with the agenda and papers that will be discussed. There won't be any copies distributed at the meeting.

What should I expect when I get there?

Say hello to everyone you meet, ask them about their home club and how far they've travelled. Everyone is friendly and looking to meet new people. My favourite conversation starter is to ask people what they've learned at convention so far - chances are they've attended a session you missed, and by chatting to them you can learn all about it too.

Remember that convention is very full on! Make sure you have a few snacks in your bag for those long sessions between breakfast and morning tea, and don't expect to be able to escape from the convention centre, even for a short walk - you'll most likely be busy talking to people from start to finish each day.

I can't attend! What do I do?

Keep your eye on Facebook and Eat Your Crusts for updates! If no one is attending from your club, make sure you return a voter registration form with the club's apology before 3 November. Every club is invited to the business meeting, and it's polite to send an apology if your club can't make it.

See you there (whether in real life or here on the blog)!

Division E Conference

Book your place. Mark your calendars. And spread the news.

It's time to get ready to come together to share the final event in the series that's kept us giggling and talking up a storm through winter.

Who will come out on top in the Humorous Contest?

Who will demonstrate their superior prowess in Table Topics?

Conference planning is well underway.

Download a conference flyer

Click this link to download a conference flyer. 

To Register now

Register now to save. ($12 now. $15 cash on the day.)

Two step Early Bird payment details:

1. Deposit $12 to BNZ 02-0100-0666790-002 using your name and "Div E Conf" as the reference before Friday 2nd October.
2. Email area_e2@toastmasters.org.nz with subject line "October Conference Registration". In the body of your email please include your name, phone number and club(s).

Key conference details

• Date: 10th October, Saturday
• Time: 1pm start - 4.25 wrap up
• Location: Saint Catherine's College, 14 Upper Bourke Street, Kilbirnie, Wellington
• To Register: Please see above.

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Keep up with the play

The battle for a place in either of the Division Contests is far from over.

Check this handy calendar of Area Contest events. As of today there are 8 still to run!

Results so far

E6 and E1 have had their contests. Click to see who you'll be seeing at the Conference.