Official Newsletter of District 56 • www.tmd56.org

FORUM 56 Serving Southeast Texas

Volume 10, Issue 9

April 2014

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

DISTRICT OFFICER MESSAGES

Lt. Governor Education and Training 2

Lt. Governor Marketing 3

Treasurer 3

Public Relations Officer 4

DISTRICT HIGHLIGHTS

Message from the Spring Conference Co-Chairs 5

DTM Awards 9

Spring Conference Flyer 10

Spring Conference Registration Form 11

Triple Crown Awards 12

To-Do List 13

FEATURES

Message from Alicia Young 3

Toastmaster Testimonials 6

Anico Articulators Banquet 8

Advertise in the Spring Conference Guide! 9

Ask a District Governor 12

MISSION OF THE DISTRICT

We build new clubs and

As we enter the month of April, Toast-masters International will FINALLY begin awarding the ‘Distinguished’ designation to those clubs that have met their educa-tional and membership requirements for the 2013-2014 Toastmasters Year. For those clubs and members who have worked really hard to achieve their goals, it will be a time to celebrate. For those clubs that are ‘overachievers’ it is a time to begin planning for next year; in fact, I believe there is a club that purchased 4 Competent Communication manuals to distribute to the first four members who raised their hand and said “Hey, pick me.” Wow…that’s the spirit.

For those clubs that have more than five DCP goals but do not have the member-ship (20 or a net growth of five over their membership base at 7/1/2013), I would like to encourage you to plan a member-ship drive during the ‘Beat The Clock’ membership drive. Did you know that acting as a chair for a membership cam-

paign or contest would enable you to complete Project 10 in the Competent Leadership Manual? By growing your membership, you not only share the Toastmasters experience with new mem-bers, but you ensure that your club stays healthy and strong.

For those clubs that are in the ‘rebuild’ mode, I want to encourage you to renew at least eight members, continue pursu-ing your communication and leadership goals and, above all, do not give up. I have been, and am a member of, two clubs that have fewer than 12 members. Speaking from experience, I know it is hard and sometimes it can appear a bit much, but that is the time when you learn the value of true leadership. Remember, quitting is easy; persevering is hard but worth the time invested, so “Keep Calm and Lead On!”

The Path to Distinguished

MESSAGE FROM THE DISTRICT GOVERNOR — DAVID REBELES, DTM

Distinguished Club Program Goals

1. Two CCs 2. Two more CCs 3. One AC Bronze, Silver or Gold 4. One more AC Bronze, Silver or

Gold 5. One CL, AL Bronze, AL Silver or

DTM 6. One more CL, AL Bronze, AL Sil-

ver or DTM 7. Four new members 8. Four more new members 9. Min. four club officers trained dur-

ing the two training periods 10. One membership renewal report

and one club officer list submitted on time

*Club must have at least 20 members or net growth of at least five members

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Can you believe...it’s that time of year again! The Spring Conference Com-mittee is busy at work seeking com-mittee chairs, recruiting educational session presenters and working hard to deliver a great Spring Conference.

Unfortunately, no matter how much effort the Chairs and committees put into the conference, it cannot be a success without the members. Mem-ber presence is a must, especially for segments such as the business meet-ing. During the business meeting, new officers are elected for the up-coming term and a quorum is re-quired to vote on many of the items

regarding District business that are on the agenda.

While some may find the business meeting to be cumbersome, the at-mosphere tends to shift with the mes-sage delivered by the keynote pre-senter. This year, members will have the privilege of hearing Australian journalist Alicia Young. The keynote will be followed by spectacular educa-tional sessions.

Can you believe it’s that time of year for District 56 to put forth our best speaker who will attend the Interna-tional Conference, which will be held in Kuala Lumpur? This will be the first International Conference not held on American soil and promises to be quite exciting.

It’s that time of year when clubs and divisions work hard to cross the chasm to become Distinguished. There’s a push for those renewals,

It’s That Time of Year!

FROM THE LT. GOVERNOR EDUCATION AND TRAINING — SHERYL SMITH, DTM

educational achievements and new members.

As we gather at the Spring Confer-ence, it is that time of year where old friends meet and new friendships begin. We refocus on our hopes and dreams for the District and make prom-ises of a new commitment.

The Spring Conference Committee has sent out a call for clubs to donate a sponsorship to the conference. This will not only heighten club exposure with the prospect of obtaining new members, but it will also render sup-port to the production of the Spring Conference. We encourage your posi-tive response to this call, and look for-ward to reconnecting with each of you at the conference.

All these things are the making of our great District, and they happen at this time of year.

Wow!! How time flies.

The past six months has been fan-tastic for District 56!! We have seen an increase in membership, crowned new Tall Tales and Evaluation cham-pions at a wildly successful fall con-ference, and trained club officers who are poised to help us finish the year strong. District 56 is pushing full steam ahead to becoming Distin-guished. With all the excitement, sev-eral members may have forgotten to renew their membership. Many of you may have already received a message from your club President, VPM, or Treasurer reminding you to

bring your dues to the next meeting. Relax, you still have time — but you must act fast.

As a reminder, renewals are past due after March. There are several im-portant reasons why each Toastmas-ters member should renew his or her dues promptly:

• Speech contestants must be a member in good standing on the day of the contest (Club, Area, Division, or District)

• Speech contest judges must also be members in good standing to serve in that role

• Non-renewing members will be re-moved from the Toastmasters Inter-national website on May 15th

• Only members who are in good standing are eligible to serve as Club or District Officers

• Every renewed membership helps the district meet one of the criteria necessary to become a Distinguished District

Don’t get left out of the fun and ex-citement of Toastmasters! Simply contact your club Treasurer and let them know you are ready to renew your membership today.

Reasons to Renew

FROM THE DISTRICT TREASURER — CHRIS HESTER, ACB, ALB

Issue 9 FORUM 56 3

Dues are DUE!

FROM THE LT. GOVERNOR MARKETING — PATRICIA COTTON, DTM

I am thoroughly enjoying the LGM posi-tion and meeting new members, friends and positive leaders, as well as charter-ing new clubs. In an effort to continue the growth in our District we must make sure that our clubs sustain and grow their membership base.

Your club membership renewal is nec-essary for the continued success of Dis-

trict 56! If you have not done so to date, please renew your memberships as soon as possible. Your renewal is appreciated because each renewal contributes to the continued success of each club and the District at large.

Let's aim to pay 100% of outstanding renewals within the month of April. District 56 Rocks! We can do this!

Hello,

I'm Alicia Young, and I'm excited to be your keynote speaker in May!

By way of introduction, the event or-ganizers kindly offered that I share something about myself.

My family hails from India, but I grew up in Australia. After college, I was a social worker in child protection and mental health clinics. For the past fifteen years or so, I've been a jour-nalist. My husband Jon and I left Perth in 2001 and have hopscotched about ever since (we're not on the run). I feel blessed that I've been able to live in eight countries, as a foreign correspondent and a news anchor in Moscow. Journalism is not glamor-ous: I've hung from a lamppost to cover a royal wedding (good view, if a little undignified!), joined the throngs at St Peter's Square when Pope John Paul II died, and have been squashed into tin pot helicop-ters to report on Australian bush fires. That said, I'm very grateful for a job I love.

In the US, I was honored to work with

Walter Cronkite on a medical docu-mentary (I was suitably terrified, but terror propels one's efficiency to new heights ...).

On a personal note, I relished my time in India in the late 1990s, volun-teering at a leprosy hospital and a hospice. There, I was told off by Mother Teresa - for not having had children (I forgot).

I joined Toastmasters in 2012 in Cali-fornia and now belong to the Post Oak Toastmasters. It's a warm and diverse club whose members inspire us to strive. Our President and Area Governor, Kathy Kest, has achieved multiple levels just this year, and will be a DTM by June!

Recently, I completed my first book, The Savvy Girl's Guide to Grace: Small Touches with Big Im-pact - at Home, Work and in Love. Its light tone explores ways to tap our inner Audrey Hepburn. I believe we're more logged on than ever, but less connected, and the premise calls for a return to small kindnesses in our rushed world. This will be the back-

drop to my talk in May.

I look forward to meeting you next month!

Best wishes,

Alicia Young

A Message From the Spring Conference Keynote

Speaker, Alicia Young

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Reach Your Community

FROM THE DISTRICT PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER — JAVIER FLOREZ, DTM

As Toastmasters, we can make con-tributions outside of our Toastmas-ters clubs. Elizabeth Stephens Wil-son, ACB, ALB has demonstrated this to us through her contribution to an article related to the value of pub-lic speaking as a career tool in the Houston Chronicle. Her excellent display of leadership shows us how we can reach beyond our Toastmas-ters environment to impact our com-munity and promote Toastmasters in the process.

The article written by Emilia Benton on March 21, 2014 discusses how developing public speaking skills helps improve communication. It mentions how developing communi-cation skills can help employees in any field advance in their careers and develop leadership qualities in the process.

Elizabeth Wilson was interviewed for the article and discusses how Toast-

masters contributes to the develop-ment of communication and leader-ship skills as a whole and how re-cording oneself can help the develop-ment.

"With a Toastmasters group, one's speech topic can be anything he or she chooses, whether it's a work presentation or practicing a toast for a wedding," said Elizabeth Wilson, president of Houston's American General Toastmasters chapter. "We see people who want to motivate or inspire either in preparation for an actual event or just becoming more comfortable when called upon for a presentation, even if they have to think on their feet without having something prepared.

"With the help of a group like Toast-masters, a lot of people report feeling a greater level of confidence that spills over to other parts of their lives, impacting their relationships, and helping them communicate better with their families and friends.

"Companies are looking for someone with confidence and with presentation skills versus someone who is just a subject matter expert but is unable to get in front of people to talk about it.”

Wilson suggested workers practice their skills on their own by recording themselves with a phone or video

camera.

"Look back at yourself and identify what you're doing well. Maybe what you're saying is great, but you're fidgeting the whole time, for example. It also is help-ful to have someone you trust there to provide effective feedback and won't tell you everything is perfect. There's al-ways some room for improvement when it comes to being a better communica-tor," she said.

We can learn from Elizabeth Wilson’s example of how to reach beyond our club, impact our external communi-ty, and promote Toastmasters. Thanks Elizabeth!

Article: www.chron.com/default/article/Public-speaking-an-important-

career-tool-5337847.php

Elizabeth Wilson

Other ways to reach your community:

Submit your success stories to pro56toastmasters@yahoo.com!

Online marketing tools (Facebook, Meetup)

Use the Toastmasters Brand Portal to develop flyers (www.toastmasters.org/logos)

Post advertisements in local publications

Host an Open House; consider inviting a keynote guest speaker

Keep your FreeToastHost club website updated and use photos to promote activities

Issue 9 FORUM 56 5

Dear Toastmasters:

It is our great pleasure and privilege as co-chairmen to extend an invita-tion for each of you to attend the 2014 District 56 Spring Conference on Friday, May 16 and Saturday, May 17, 2014. The conference will be held at the Westin Memorial City Hotel in Houston, Texas. The theme for the conference will be ‘Find Your Greatness.’ The confer-ence is designed to maximize each Toastmaster’s experience so that each member receives the excep-tional benefits during both of the scheduled days!

The conference will bring together Toastmasters throughout District 56. Both days will provide opportunities to network with other members from around the district. The Table Topics Contest Finals will be featured on Friday evening and the International Speech Contest District 56 Finals will be held on Saturday evening. Australian journalist Alicia Young will provide a fabulous keynote speaker presentation. Additional edu-cational presentations will be held, as well as the District Business Meeting where designated and registered

members will be able to vote for the incoming year’s new district leader-ship.

Discounted registration will be $125 through Wednesday, April 30. The price will go up to $150 on May 1. Find additional conference infor-mation and register online at: www.tmd45.org/index.php/spring-conf.

It is very important that all District Of-ficers, Presidents and Vice Presi-dents Education attend the Business Meeting (Saturday, May 17) or dele-gate a proxy in their place. All mem-bers are encouraged to attend as well. There is no cost to attend the Business Meeting. Proxy information will be sent separately to the club Presidents and Vice Presidents Edu-cation.

There is a need for support from each club by sponsoring the conference through an advertisement inside the Spring Conference Program. For sponsorship and placement of adver-tisement, please contact Rick Bogue, rickb@metronational.com, (281) 414-7416 or Benjie Pardee, ben-ji.pardee@anadarko.com, (281) 773-8175. The deadline for sponsorship

submissions is Monday, April 28. We appreciate your support.

Remember, the mission of Toastmas-ters International is to ‘empower indi-viduals to become more effective communicators and leaders.’ We gratefully encourage you to strength-en your communication and leader-ship development by attending this year’s Spring Conference. We look forward to seeing each Toastmaster within District 56....see you there!

Sincerely,

Jeanette M. Williams-Wade, DTM Co-Chairman jmwilliamswade@yahoo.com (281) 451-0600

Johnathan S. Nguyen, ACB, ALB Co-Chairman

A Message from Your Spring Conference Co-Chairs

By Jeanette Williams Wade, DTM & Johnathan Nyugen, ACB, ALB

Find Your Greatness!

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Toastmaster Testimonials

Members of District 56, in their own words

Jennifer Prince, IHS Enclave Toastmasters

Our HR department pre-sented information about Toastmasters at an office communications meeting. Public speaking has al-ways been a skill that I admire, so I decided to join Toastmasters in October 2013.

Becoming a member was one of the best decisions I could’ve made, because I’ve not only improved as a communicator, I’m also a better leader. Not only have I gained confidence when speaking in front of an audience, I’ve noticed

that I’m a more polished communicator in one-on-one conversations as well.

I’ve learned to think about the point of the message I’m conveying, and I’m better at communicating fluidly and succinctly. I’ve learned that a well-communicated con-versation can do wonders when I’m trying to engage people in both personal and professional settings.

I’m eagerly working toward becoming a Competent Communicator and a Com-petent Leader while being VP of Membership for my club. I’m so excited to see what the future holds with Toastmasters, and I could not be more grateful for all that I’ve gained thus far.

Krystle Hodge, Heights Toastmasters

In the few weeks since I have first started attending Heights Toastmasters, I have already learned a lot about improving my public speaking and communica-tion skills. Public speaking has always been a fear of mine and something I have avoided for a long time.

I decided to join Toastmas-ters to help overcome this fear and so far my experi-ence in the club has been great! Toastmasters has given me tools and knowledge to successfully communicate with an audi-ence — from standing with confidence, using eye con-tact, properly beginning and ending a speech, us-ing body language to avoiding filler words. In

every meeting I learn some-thing new and I just gave my icebreaker speech this week.

Toastmasters does not just focus on a becoming a good speaker but becoming a good communicator. It also gives opportunities for feed-back and results, which is important to becoming an effective communicator and leader. So far I have en-joyed my experience in toastmasters and I am look-ing forward to my many speeches ahead!

“

“

Tammie Truong, Financially Speaking Toastmasters

I am Tammie Truong; I am 27 years old and currently working in a Purchasing Department as a Buyer. My top pri-orities in life are happi-ness and fulfillment. I

am very aware of the daily activities that I spend my time on, so all of that must support my priorities. I believe that public speaking skill development is the best time investment that I can make right now for myself, my family and others around me. One of my goals for the future is to help youth to get on track in their life as I

have been helped.

At Financially Speaking Toastmasters Club, I meet many like-minded people who believe in creating possibilities by continually learning and improving themselves. They gave me the best encouragement in the world on my first speech and inspired me to do and be my best. As I was in the right

environment with the right people, my speech went way beyond my wildest dreams.

I now feel more and more confidence and learn valuable knowledge every time I give a speech or play different roles in the group. I believe Toast-master is the best place to thrive.

Issue 9 FORUM 56 7

Congratulations to all Toastmasters who have accomplished their Ice Breaker, third speech and Competent Communication (CC) Award. Each of these

benchmarks is a step that leads to growth as a speaker and leader within Dis-trict 56. We encourage you to continue your path towards completing your Competent Leadership (CL) Award, which is a springboard towards earning

the Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) Award. Every member in District 56 adds value to our District, and we appreciate your contribution!

“

“

Kevin Smith, IHS Enclave Toastmasters

In October 2013, I was approached by a Team Member who was inter-ested in joining Toast-masters, but we didn’t really know what it was. However, our employ-

er, IHS, supports a chapter and so we planned to visit togeth-er.

While formulating that plan, others in the of-fice decided to join accompany us. It was obvious that we had the beginnings of a new chapter – IHS Enclave Toastmasters – but how to begin this new journey?

Having joined, I have learned that Toastmas-ters is not just about improving communica-tion skills, but using those skills to build the chapter and to effec-tively lead it. We were graciously given sup-port from other chap-ters, so it has provided me with the opportunity to interact with people outside my normal sphere of influence and

has given me a higher profile within the IHS office.

As President of IHS Enclave Toastmasters, my goal is to complete the Competent Commu-nicator and a Compe-tent Leader for myself, and then to lead others in that direction, too. I’m excited to see where being a Toast-master can take me.

Trish Mai, CITGO Voice Toastmasters I recently joined Toast-

masters this year and it has been the best jump start I have made for 2014 yet. Writing and speaking have never been my strong points. In fact, I constantly struggle with day to day grammatical usage in both speech and writing context.

I have been to three meetings to date. The benefits from being a part of toastmaster have started from day one. I

realized I have espe-cially paid more atten-tion to my pauses when relaying infor-mation. This has been important in getting my message across during meetings.

Another benefit would be my listening skills. When I was placed in a role as Grammarian at a previous meeting, I really had to hone in

on details.

Although I only have a few meetings under my belt, the best benefit so far has been meeting so many people. Being a part of Toastmasters has opened the doors to networking with my fellow Toastmasters that I might not have ever grown to know.

Toastmasters has made me climb out of

my shell and given me the opportunity to work on many things that I struggle with today. I am excited to be a member of CITGO Voice Toast-masters.

“Toastmasters is the best place to thrive”

“I’m so excited to see what the future holds”

“It has given me a higher profile”

FORUM 56 Volume 10 8

Anico Articulator’s Toastmasters Club has been in existence for over 30 years! The club consistently accom-plishes President’s Distinguished and has met ten of ten goals for the last six years! The success of this club is due to the members who constantly strive to plan fun, themed meetings. Here are some examples:

The Great Spud Debate: A debate with two men and two women on whether potatoes are good or bad for you.

A Mystery Meeting: No one knew their roles until they walked in the door.

A Bake Off Competition: Members demonstrated their speaking and cooking skills in a fierce competition.

A Taste of Toastmasters Competi-tion: Members competed with appe-tizers related to toast/bread.

The Man Show: All the roles were filled by men.

Beauty and the Beast theme: All the roles were filled by women, but they brought women’s accessories for the men to wear and portray that role throughout the meeting.

The Chaotic Meeting: Members were constantly surprised by noise, flying objects, interruptions, etc., in an attempt to make them realize what could really occur during speeches and be prepared.

Holiday Meeting: Members compet-ed in decorating a ‘toast’ ornament for the Christmas tree and exchanged gifts.

Other themed meetings include holi-days, charities, happiness, pets, old-ies but goodies and many more.

Anico Articulators also has interesting membership drives. The most recent one had members divided into dis-

tricts and had a Hunger Games theme, competing for the most guests brought, culminating with a victor. The President of their compa-ny, who happens to be a former Toastmaster, was invited to speak at one of their membership drives and brought in the most guests ev-er! One drive ended up with the member who brought the most guests being ‘kinged’ and a feast was held in his honor. Another drive was ‘Beat the Heat’ and included an ice cream social. These interesting drives have brought in guests and, ultimately, members.

Anico Articulators likes to inspire attendance. This year, they institut-ed a ‘Get out of Table Topics’ card that members could use. One lucky member at each meeting could earn one of these to be used throughout the year. They also hold a Toast-master Trivia contest with the monthly Toastmaster magazines. If you can answer the question, you are entered into a drawing for a prize. They made a monthly goal of 65% attendance at their meetings and have been able to maintain that since inception with the help of these features.

For more information about the Ani-co Articulators visit:

anico.toastmastersclubs.org

Anico Articulators Banquet

By Rachael Fuentes & Javier Florez, DTM

Every club has an opportunity to demonstrate appreciation to their club members by developing their own cul-ture and ways of recognizing dedica-tion and achievement.

I had the pleasure of attending and speaking at the Anico Articulators Toastmasters Club’s Toastmaster of the Year Award celebration in Galves-ton on March 12, 2014. Anico Articula-tors is a great example of how mem-bers can work together and make the most out of the Toastmaster club expe-rience. Their enthusiasm, attention to detail, respect for each other, and dedi-cation to the club is a great example for all clubs to follow. It was a great honor to participate in Anico Articula-tor’s celebration.

The Toastmaster of the Year award is an internally created club award to honor the member that has been the most influential to the club and all of its members. They also have an award for Most Improved New Member and a Leadership Initiative Award. This year's award recipients include:

Deborah Ford: Toastmaster of the Year

Heather Simpson: Leadership Initia-tive Award

Meagan Stansberry: Most Improved New Member Award

Deborah Ford, Javier Florez, Rachael Fuentes

Issue 9 FORUM 56 9

Want to tell some 200 leaders about your business? With “Find Your Greatness!” as the theme, the Toast-masters District 56 Spring Confer-ence Program Guide is a great place to showcase your organization.

Rates start as low as $100 for a color advertisement. This includes free layout services, so you just have to decide what you want to say and the Conference Advertising Committee will take care of the rest — with your approval, of course.

Conference goers will refer to the Program Guide throughout the event on Friday, May 16 and Saturday,

May 17. On Friday, a Candidates Showcase will give participants a chance to get to know those who are running for District offices for the 2014-2015 term. After dinner, the Ta-ble Topics Contest final competition is sure to entertain.

The Program Guide will also serve as a reference on Saturday, May 17, when Conference participants will vote for new officers, select which educational talks they want to attend and hear the keynote address by au-thor, humanitarian and international TV journalist Alicia Young. District Awards, the DTM ceremony and din-ner follow. The Conference culmi-nates with the International Speech

Contest Finals in the evening.

The Program Guide not only includes the schedule for all of these activities, it also lists the names of everyone who is scheduled to earn their DTM as well as those who make the Con-ference possible.

Conference co-chairs Jeanette WIl-liams-Wade and Jonathan Nguyen note that you can leave a lasting im-pression by promoting your business or organization in the District 56 Spring Conference Program Guide.

For more information, contact Rick Bogue at rickb@metronational.com.

Advertise in the Spring Conference Program Guide!

By Sue Powell

Congratulations, DTMs!

Laurie A. Jimenez Houston Galleria Project Management

Deborah C. Jones Speaking Of Shell Toastmasters Club

Linda Carol Goldberg Katy Toastmasters Club

Nurit Mittlefehldt Clear Lake Area Chamber Club

Ignatius O. Okeze Firm Speakers Toastmasters Club

Gwen M. Sullivan North Houston Project Management

Ruth Underwood Vaczi North Houston Project Management

Javier Florez Firm Speakers Toastmasters Club

Robert W. Sullivan Gulf Pipeline Speakers

Roderic Trent Martin The Hub Whisperers Toastmasters

Steven E. Parks FW Toastmasters

Kandas Marie Nesbitt-Rodarte Real Talk

Nagaraja Basappa GE Westway Toastmasters

Bruce H. Hewitt Firm Speakers Toastmasters Club

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Issue 9 FORUM 56 11

Register by mail or at www.tmd56.org!

FORUM 56 Volume 10 12

This month’s questions have been answered by Allen Pres-cott, 2005-2006 District Gover-nor, District 56

this meeting. You find out how the district spends its money when the Treasurer presents his report. Did you know that a portion of that $6/month you pay to Toastmasters In-ternational comes back to your dis-trict? I’d want to know how that money is spent. You get to see your District Governor, LGET and LGM in action when they present their ‘State of the District’ reports. Also, since this is the spring business meeting, we will discuss how the clubs in the district will be realigned in to different areas and divisions. Finally, we will elect the District Governor, LGET, LGM and Division Governors for the 2014-2015 Toast-masters year. Best of all, this is part of the conference that’s free!

How much influence does

the District Governor have

over the selection of the

next District Officers?

None. A committee is formed that

reviews the qualifications of candi-dates for the top three and the divi-sion governors. The committee nominates one or two candidates for each position, but no more. Any-body who was not nominated can run from the floor but they cannot state that “they were nominated” and the district cannot promote them. At that’s the way I remember how it works. Bottom line, the cur-rent District Governor is concentrat-ing on helping the district become Distinguished and is not involved in the selection of those who follow him or her.

How does it feel to be elect-

ed District Governor?

It’s exciting and scary all at the same time. However, it’s a terrific leadership opportunity and I’m proud I was elected. I could not have been District Governor without the knowledge I obtained as being LGM and LGET.

Do you have a burning question about Toastmasters? Let a Past District Governor from District 56 answer it. Send your question to askapdg@tmd56.org for inclusion

in a future newsletter!

Should I attend the Spring

Conference business meet-

ing even if I am not a Presi-

dent, VPE or District Of-

ficer?

Sure, you should attend; especially if you are carrying the proxy for your club’s President, VPE or both. However, even if you’re not there to get a ballot I think it’s a very in-teresting and informative meeting and fun to see parliamentary pro-cedure in action. A lot goes on at

Ask a District Governor

Great Job, Triple Crown Winners!

James Deitiker, Firm Speakers Toastmasters Club

Linda Carol Goldberg, Katy Toastmasters Club

Laurie A. Jimenez, Houston Galleria Project Management

Deborah C. Jones, Speaking Of Shell Toastmasters Club

Ignatius O. Okeze, Firm Speakers Toastmasters Club

Javier Florez, Firm Speakers Toastmasters Club

Gwen M. Sullivan, North Houston Project Management

Robert W. Sullivan, Gulf Pipeline Speakers

Ruth Underwood Vaczi, North Houston Project Mgmt

Doris V. Brooks, The Fountain of Praise Speakers

Roderic Trent Martin, The Hub Whisperers Toastmasters

Stephanie A. Weiss, Outspoken Club

Diane Niño, All Star Club

Adam Hudd, Talk of Downtown Club

Christopher Lawrence Schmutz-Parente, FMC Well Spo-ken Toastmasters

Kim Marie Walker, West Pearland Toastmasters

Kandas Marie Nesbitt-Rodarte Real Talk

Sandeep K. Rout, Southwestern Energy

Steven M. Towne, Talk of the Town Toastmasters

FORUM 56 Chief Editor ....... Amber Fessler, ACB, ALB

Articles of 200-300 words may be submitted via email to forum56@tmd56.org, or call 832-247-3940 for more information.

Deadline for submissions is the 1st of each month for publishing by the 15th of each month.

2013-2014 DISTRICT OFFICERS

District Governor ........................................... David Rebeles, DTM Lt. Governor Education and Training ............... Sheryl Smith, DTM Lt. Governor Marketing .................................Patricia Cotton, DTM Public Relations Officer ....................................Javier Florez, DTM Secretary ........................................ Belinda Brockman, ACS, ALB Treasurer .................................................. Chris Hester, ACB, ALB

www.tmd56.org District 56 Toastmasters

www.toastmasters.org

The names “Toastmasters International,” “Toastmasters,” and the Toastmasters International emblem are trademarks protected in the United States, Canada, and other countries where Toastmasters clubs exist. Unauthorized use is prohibited.

Evaluate Your District!

Use your Smartphone App to scan the QR Code and be taken directly to the survey

TOASTMASTERS

TO-DO LIST

April:

►Division speech contests: watch tmd56.org for all the latest date/location details ►Special pricing ends for Spring Conference registra-tion (4/30)

May:

►Beat the Clock contest opens (5/1-6/30) ►Spring Conference (5/16-5/17) ►Clubs elect new officers

The information in this newsletter is for the sole use of Toastmasters members for Toastmasters business only. It is not to be used for solicitation or distribution

of non-Toastmasters materials and information.

Issue 9 FORUM 56 13

Have you heard? The Revitalized Education Program is coming in the second half of 2014! Read more about it on page 6 of the December 2013 issue of Forum 56.