Special thanks to Mike, a guest at the meeting who provided me a suggestion to improve the speech which I have incorporated, below.

Of course, the 32 figure I cite is the speech is now 30 29.

T-Minus 32

The great and all-knowing seer of human behaviour, Anonymous, asked a question long ago. It is as relevant today as it was a year ago. It will be as relevant in a year’s time. This question is very relevant for the next 32 days:

If it weren’t for the last minute, would anything get done?

The last time I announced how many days were left in the Toastmasters year, it was in January. At that time, each Club had 150 days left to reach its Distinguished Club Program – DCP – goals, and, we individual Toastmasters, had 150 days to reach our own educational goals. Today, we are 32 days away from June 30, the final day of the Toastmaster year.

I know, already, I am going to polish off some paperwork that day. I might even be caught up on all my email by that fateful Saturday, but it will be a real squeaker.

I expect a good number of VPs Education and VPs Membership will also be working in the last week to figuratively slip that last piece of paperwork in under the wire.

Xuewei, our Toastmaster today and our Club President, stated this is the ninth of 10 speeches towards my next educational achievement.

Each time I have completed a level – Competent Toastmaster, Advanced Toastmaster Bronze, and Advanced Toastmaster Silver – I have completed it in May or June.

The looming year-end deadline always motivated me help Club 13 meet its goals as I worked through each of mine. This year is no different.

I am proud of Club 13’s record over the years I have been a member. If I remember correctly, we have achieved Distinguished Club recognition for six out of the last seven years. In two of those years, Club 13 met 10 out of 10 Distinguished Club goals.

So, those of you who may be nervous about getting your last few speeches done in these last few weeks, you are in good company.

If I can do it, I am confident you can, too. I’m no special shakes.

Here are the magical steps I follow to get my speeches done: I read what the objectives of my remaining speeches are, figure out which speech is the easiest to do yet, see how much time my speech should use, choose a topic – though I often mull this one over for weeks or months – and, I pound out that much text to meet the time requirements and speech objectives.

To me, the most important part of this process is to pound out that first draft. If a job is worth doing, it is worth getting it started to get it done.

Once I have a draft done, I make time to sleep it over, allowing me to mull over and reorganize and improve what I have tapped out. I review and revise my speech through several drafts. I often ask advice of fellow Club 13 members.

It is that simple. It is how I wrote this speech.
Now, my speech today, not only brings me to being one away from reaching my goal, it brings Club 13 to being within one goal of becoming a Distinguished Club this year.

So far this year, Club 13 has already met three of 10 DCP goals:

• Four new members since July 1,
• At least four Club Officers trained last summer and at least four trained in the winter, and
• April and October dues and the Club Officer list submitted on time.

When I polish off my tenth speech, and our VP Education submits the paperwork, Club 13 will have a checkmark beside the one AC – Advanced Communicator – goal.

Club 13 is very close to completing a few more goals:

• One more Competent Communicator to meet the goal of two CCs.
• After that, another two CCs.
• As I mentioned, my AC will meet a DCP goal.
• As well as one more AC.
• Finally, we have three of the four additional new members, so one more new member will mean one more goal met.

If Club 13 meets five of these ten goals, we will achieve Distinguished status. If we meet seven, we will be Select Distinguished. And, if we meet nine of the ten goals, we will be President’s Distinguished.

The DCP is set up for Clubs to plan through the year to work towards education and leadership goals of efficiency and quality.

I know our VP Education has spoken in recent weeks with Club 13 members who are close to their next level of achievement, just as he encouraged me.

What Club 13 will complete and accomplish in the next 32 days matches very much the vision I had at the start of the year.

My vision is still that we Southern Saskatchewan Toastmasters will improve our communication skills and confidently share this with others.

I gave a speech nine months ago, some 240 days ago, in which I shared my vision, a mission statement for making this vision a reality, and the core values I see guiding the mission.

My vision distilled down to a straightforward mission statement:

• Members meet their goals to improve their public speaking skills,
• Members improve their skills beyond just the basics, and
• Members engage others in our communities to join, ensuring sustainable Toastmaster Clubs.

As Division Governor, I have attempted to serve as a conduit between the District and the Toastmaster clubs in Southern Saskatchewan

I believe the Division mission, as I see it, fits neatly to both the Club and District missions:

The mission of the Toastmasters Club is to provide a mutually supportive and positive learning environment in which every member has the opportunity to develop communication and leadership skills….

The mission of the District is to enhance the performance of Clubs and to extend the network of Clubs, offering more people the opportunity to benefit from the Toastmasters educational program.

I still see three core values guiding Toastmasters in Division B:

• Each club works to meet Members’ needs.
• Area Governors and Division Governor serve Club Executive to help meet Member needs.
• Each club will, intently, bring in new blood.

I feel communicating positive expectations to members of a team is a much overlooked key to a team’s success. I have tried this year, and I still do, to communicate my positive expectations.

This is why I made Division B’s Theme this year “Believe and Achieve”.

If one thinks of a year as a relay marathon, we see the finish line ahead of us, and the baton is in our hands as we sprint forward. So, I look forward as we, together, make this last month of the Toastmaster year, the most productive month for Club 13.

I started this speech with a question from the wise seer Anonymous:

If it weren’t for the last minute, would anything get done?

That same seer provided an optimistic answer to the question:

“Nothing makes a person more productive than the last minute.”

Please register with Donna Skene by May 23.
Division Governor David Bartolf has sent registration information to current Area Governors and current Club Officers.

All Toastmasters are welcome, with Incoming Club Officers especially welcome.

This training contributes to the Distinguished Club Program. Having at least four Incoming Club Officers attend counts as the first half DCP goal #9: Four Officers trained in summer period and four in winter.

If a Club has seven out of seven Club Officers trained two periods in a row, the Club earns a snazzy ribbon to add to their banner.

Toastmasters Leadership Institute (TLI) is open to ALL MEMBERS.

Club Executives who understand their duties and trade ideas with other members have more FUN and have an easier path to having a successful Club.

This training is a requirement for Advanced Competent Leader Bronze award.

This training offers a great opportunity for networking. Meet fellow Toastmasters from around Southern Saskatchewan.

AGENDA

12:30 – 1:00 REGISTRATION
Enjoy coffee, juice snacks and the company of other Toastmasters

1:00 Opening remarks

1:10 – 2:00 Session ONE

When you are VP Education – required for all club VP Education
When you are Sergeant at Arms – required for all club Sergeants at Arms
When your are Treasurer – required for all club Treasurers
Club Protocol – questions on “what to do?” or how to handle a sticky situation? Come out and hear David Bartolf
Are your Table Topics in a rut? Attend this breakout session for new ideas

2:05 – 2:55 Session TWO

When you are President – required for all club Presidents
When you are Secretary – required for all club Secretaries
Add FUN and EXCITEMENT to your membership building contests. Learn how to “hang on” to those valuable current members
What color is right for you? Come out and learn how to “Color your Words”

3:00 – 3:50 Session THREE

When you are VP Membership – required for all club VP Membership
When you are VP Public Relations – required for all club VP Public Relations
Confused about those forms? Attend Etiquette of registration and evaluation forms to get rid of that confusion
Ever find yourself stumped on drafting that speech? We have a “Magic Show” just for you. Attend “Speech Drafting Magic”

3:55 – 4:10 Closing Remarks

Door Prizes (sorry, must be in attendance to win)
Next TLI
Certificates of Appreciation

Do you need to deliver a speech but you keep staring at a blank page? If you are lost on the speech-writing road and need a map to get you home, spend a lunch hour learning some simple writing techniques.

You will learn how to meet your audience needs, learn the basics for a well-organized speech and practice preparing a speech using a mind mapping technique.

Be a Master of Ceremonies:
This Recipe is All you Need

Being an MC is much more than saying hello and introducing the next speaker. The MC is like a chef who plans ahead and knows how and when to mix ingredients. You will learn a proven recipe to take an agenda, mix in introductions for people you may not know, and handle the expected and unexpected.

Location: Regina Public Library, Central Branch, Film Room on the lower level.
12:10 p.m. to 12:50 p.m., April 17 and April 24.
For more information, contact Toastmasters at (306) 949-4849.

The Open House is at the Parkland Regional College, 200 Catherine Street, Room 121
Yorkton, Sask.

Toastmasters can help you improve your communication skills, leadership skills, listening skills, and impromptu speaking ability.

Learn about Toastmasters and enjoy some Coffee, Juice & Lunch.

For more information, please contact:
Area Governor Amanda Littman 744-2400
Sylvia Henheffer 782-2040
Sharlene Novak 783-2126

NOMINATION DEADLINE FOR THE HELGI GOODMAN COMMUNICATION AND LEADERSHIP AWARD IS NOON THURSDAY, APRIL 6, 2007

Each year Division B Toastmasters recognizes a non-Toastmaster who demonstrates, by example, the most essential quality of leadership: effective communication skills.

Your nominee can be a dynamic speaker, an inspirational speaker, a doer, a well-known person, an unknown but committed and dedicated person, a volunteer worker, an on-going contributor, a person in the news, or a long-term contributor to the life of Southern Saskatchewan.

The Award will be presented at noon on Division B Day, April 14, 2007. The Award ceremony, along with other Division B Day events, will be at the Room 218 at the Saskatchewan Legislature, in Regina.

There is NO official nomination form. All you need to do is write a biography (NO more than three pages, ONE page would be ideal) which provides the supporting information on why your club feels the nominee deserves recognition.

Please submit your nomination to the Division B Governor by noon Thursday, April 6, 2007.

If you have any questions, please contact me.

AWARD CRITERIA FOR NOMINEES:

Must be a resident of Southern Saskatchewan,
Must NOT be a CURRENT member of a Toastmaster Club,
Should be an achiever and motivator primarily through his/her capability in communicating, and
Should have demonstrated, by example that the single most essential quality of leadership is effective communication.

INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS:
• Area Governors will distribute the background, award criteria, and presentation info to all clubs.
• This information will be placed on the Division B webpage.
• Clubs are to share this info to all members.
• Clubs will submit all nominations to the Division Governor by noon, Thursday, April 6, 2007.
• The actual nomination will be in the form of a biography of NO more than three pages. The biography will provide supporting information about why the club feels the nominee deserves recognition. A cover letter stating the name of the nominee and providing contact information must accompany the nominating biography. THERE IS NO NOMINATION FORM.
•Information in the biography may include:

Memberships and service to organizations,
Elected, appointed and voluntary positions held, education, employment, etc., and
Who are they, and why do they deserve the award.

• The Division B Governor will invite the winner and a guest of the winner (at no charge) to the presentation ceremony at noon on April 14, 2007.
• The Division B Governor will deliver the presentation speech.

Area Governor Doris invites you to see the best speakers and evaluators from:

B. L. T. Toastmasters Club
Big Country Toastmasters Club
Speedy Creek Club
Tap Club

The Division B Day activities will be in Room 218 at the Saskatchewan Legislature, in Regina.
While at the Legislature, we are guests of former Toastmaster, the Honourable Glenn Hagel, Minister of Culture, Youth and Recreation.

Schedule:
10:30 to 11:00 a.m. Registration
11:00 a.m. to noon Division B Council Meeting
Noon to 1:00 p.m. Helgi Goodman Award Ceremony
1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. International Speech Contest and Evaluation Contest

Directions:
Toastmasters may park north of the Legislature in the public parking area and, if there is space, in the MLA parking area, as the Legislature does not sit on Saturdays.
Please enter through the main front doors, up the big steps, and check in with the front desk security, informing them you are attending the Toastmasters events in Room 218.
Security will provide Toastmasters with an ID tag to wear in the Legislature.
Please arrive early.

Ushers from Lunch à la Toast will guide everyone to Room 218.

People with mobility challenges may enter through the accessible ground level entrance, just west of the main front steps.

Cost:
$15 for the Helgi Goodman Awards Luncheon
$3 for the Contests
$0 for the Division B Council meeting.
Contestants and volunteers will also have to pay at the door.
If a club is covering the costs of its members, please make these arrangements ahead of time.

Lunch Menu:

Buffet with tossed salad,
Buns and butter,
Citrus chicken breast,
Rice,
Vegetables,
Chef’s dessert, and
Coffee, tea, or ice water.

Proxies:
Presidents and Vice Presidents Education are to attend the Division Council meeting.
Each club carries two votes: one by the President and one by the VP Education.
If one or both are unable to attend, please complete a proxy form and send it with a member who will represent the Club at Division Council.
Registration for the Division Council meeting begins at 10:30 a.m..

Division B Council Meeting 11:00 a.m.
Agenda
10:30 to 11:00 Registration

1. Chair (David Bartolf): Call to Order
2. Parliamentarian: Establishment of Quorum
3. Approval of Agenda
4. Approval of Previous Minutes
5. Reports: Area Governors, Division Officers, Division Governor
6. Old Business
7. New Business
8. Adjournment

Helgi Goodman Awards Luncheon 12:00 Noon

Toastmaster (David Bartolf)
Invocation and Toast
Remarks by the Honourable Glenn Hagel, Minister of Culture, Youth and Recreation
Presentation of Awards:

President of the Year
Helgi Goodman Award

Good luck to all Contestants, and much thanks to all officials working in the Contests.

Thanks also to Lunch à la Toast, the hosting Club for this Division B Day’s events.

Tours:
Please feel free to take advantage of your visit to the Legislature:
Visitor Services conducts tours of the Legislature on weekends.
Tours start from the main front desk on the hour and on the half hour.
If Toastmasters are interested in booking a tour for themselves and their guests, they can participate in walk-up tours by checking in at the front desk.
Please do call Visitor Services (787-5358) ahead of time: let them know when you want to tour and how many are in your group.
Tours end at 5 p.m.

And, be sure to visit the Cumberland Gallery and Gift Shop, on the ground level of the Legislature, to view and buy a great selection of Saskatchewan- and Canadian-made arts, jewellery, toys and food items.

The Regional College is in the former School Board offices, a red brick building one and a half blocks east of Grand Ave., the main street in Indian Head.

Area Governor Amanda invites you to see the best speakers and evaluators from:

Indian Head Club
Pipestone Creek Toastmasters Club
Speaker’s Nook Toastmasters Club
Treasure Chest Club

The Area 24 and Area 33 International Speech Contests and Evaluation Contests start at 1:30 p.m., at the South Leisure Centre, 170 Sunset Dr., in Regina.

The South Leisure Centre is two blocks North of Gordon Road, at the corner of Sunset Drive and Argyle St. The South Leisure Centre is part of Realtor’s Park, midway between Lewvan Dr. and Albert St., in Regina’s South end.

Area 24 Governor Larry Gall invites you to see the best speakers and evaluators from:

Daybreakers Toastmasters Club
Lunch ala Toast Club
Not-Just-Us Club
Speaker’s Corner Toastmasters Club
UR Toastmasters
Park Place

Area 33 Governor Dale Keating invites you to see the best speakers and evaluators from:

Club 13 Toastmasters Club
FCC Stubble Jumpers Club
Pile O Bones Club
Royal Speakers Club
Taxmasters Toastmasters Club
Wild Oats Club

The Cathedral Neighbourhood Centre is three blocks west of Albert Street and on the north side of the street, opposite of the Safeway store.

Area Governor Donna Skene invites you to see the best speakers and evaluators from:

Communicator Club
Estevan Club
Moose Mountain Club
Plains Toastmasters Club
Professionally Speaking Toastmasters Club
Wascana Club

With nearly all Club Contests running in March and the Area Contests coming up in March, I encourage anyone who will be a judge to attend and be confident in your role for the contests.
I encourage all Contest Chairpersons and Chief Judges to attend.

I especially encourage all contestants to attend this training, too.
You will see what judges look for in your speeches.

Joan McAulay, District 42′s Lt. Governor Marketing, will lead the training.
Joan is making a special trip down from Saskatoon to lead this event.
If you have seen the latest issue of D42′s newsletter, Prairie Horizons, you will recognize Joan from her article on the front page.

The seminar will be at the Knox Metropolitan Church, 2340 Victoria Avenue, Regina, SK.
Knox Metropolitan is on the corner of Victoria Ave. and Lorne St., the same block as the Central branch of the Regina Public Library.

Cost is $5.00.
Please register by emailing me by Thursday, March 1.
You need to register to ensure we have enough training manuals for those attending.

Division Governor David give a status report on Division B activities so far and upcoming events.
(Photo by Victor)

Mary receives Peter Francis Award plaque.
(Photo by Maryann.)

Bev receives Division B Table Topics Award plaque.
(Photo by Maryann.)

Faye leads VP Membership training
(Photo by Maryann.)

Reta (l) and Denise staff the registration desk
(Photo by Maryann.)

Here is a useful techsoup.org article on how to cut down on some of that deluge of spam: “Top 20 Ways to Prevent Spam“

It will be at the Knox Metropolitan Church, 2340 Victoria Avenue, Regina, SK.
Knox Metropolitan is on the corner of Victoria Ave. and Lorne St., the same block as the Central branch of the Regina Public Library.

The training will run very quick and cover the basics.

Registration will run 6:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m., and the training will run 6:45 to 8:00 p.m.

This TLI is for Division B Club Officers who were NOT able to attend the January 20 or February 5 TLI.
However, all Toastmasters are welcome.

This training will cost $2.00 to cover room rental.

This will be the very last winter period TLI Division B will run.
If you are a Club Executive and you had not been to the January 20 or February 5 TLI and you cannot attend this training, please make arrangements with your Area Governor to meet with your Club Executive before February 15.

The Cathedral Neighbourhood Centre is three blocks west of Albert Street and on the north side of the street, opposite of the Safeway store.

The training will run very quick and cover the basics.

Registration will run 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., and the training will run 6:45 to 8:00 p.m.

This TLI is for Division B Club Officers who were NOT able to attend the January 20 TLI.
However, all Toastmasters are welcome.

This training will cost $2.00 to cover room rental.

It will be at the Knox Metropolitan Church, 2340 Victoria Avenue, Regina, SK.
Knox Metropolitan is on the corner of Victoria Ave. and Lorne St., the same block as the Central branch of the Regina Public Library.

Having four Club Officers trained in the May – September period and four trained in the winter achieves one of the 10 Distinguished Club Program goals.

All Toastmasters are welcome since all of us have the potential to be Club Officers.

If you are already registered, you do NOT need to register again. If you had not yet registered, but would like to attend this training, please email me.

Toastmaster Leadership Institute Agenda
Second round of Club Officer training & member education
As we “Believe and Achieve” in Division B

Cost $5.00

12:30 – 1:00 Registration
1:00 Call to Order
1:05 – 1:40 – seven Club Officer roles & member breakout*

President
Education
Membership
Public Relations
Secretary
Treasurer
Sergeant at Arms
*For all members – ABC’s of Toastmasters

1:55 – 2:15 The new CL program expanded
2:20 – 2:28 – Spring Convention promo
2:30 – 2:45 – Division B Status Report
2:45 – 3:15 – Break out sessions:

(A) “What To Do When the Guest Speaker Doesn’t Show Up”
(B) “What Do You Say After You Say Hello?”
(C) “Thinking of Competing… Here Are Some Things You Should Know”

3:20 Closing Remarks
3:30 – Clean up

The President and/or VP Education of each club needs to attend the District Council Meeting held during the Conference.
If only the President attends, he or she may vote on the VP Education’s behalf.
If only the VP Education attends, he or she may vote on the President’s behalf.
If both President and VP Education cannot attend, they need to send a signed proxy form with a member in good standing from their club.

The Division B Day activities will be at the Multipurpose Room at the University of Regina campus, in Regina.
(The Multipurpose room is next to the Lazy Owl bar.)

Schedule:
10:30 to 11:00 a.m. Registration
11:00 a.m. to noon Division B Council Meeting
Noon to 1:00 p.m. Peter Francis Award Ceremony
1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Table Topics and Humorous Speech Contests
After 3:30 p.m. BLT Club meeting: Please join us as our guest

Directions
Park in Lot 8 (nearest lot to the corner of Wascana Parkway and Kramer Boulevard) and enter in the Dr.William Ridell Centre, using the entrance to the north, not the east.
The Multipurpose Room is right beside the Lazy Owl Bar.

Here is a map of Lot 8 and the Ridell Centre:

Cost
$12 for all day (Division Council Meeting, Lunch, and Contest), or
$3 for just the Contest or just the Division Council meeting.
Contestants and volunteers will also have to pay at the door.
If a club is covering the costs if its members, please make these arrangements ahead of time.

Menu
10:45 AM – Coffee, Tea, Juice
12:00 PM – Lunch: soup, sandwiches, salad and punch
2:00 PM – Coffee and Tea

Proxies
Presidents and Vice Presidents Education are to attend the Division Council meeting.
Each club carries two votes: one by the President and one VP Education.
If one or both are unable to attend, please complete a proxy form and send it with a member who will represent the club at Division Council.
Registration for the business meeting begins at 10:30 a.m..

Division B Council Meeting 11:00 a.m.
Agenda
10:30 to 11:00 Registration

1. Chair (David Bartolf): Call to Order
2. Parliamentarian: Establishment of Quorum
3. Approval of Agenda
4. Approval of Previous Minutes
5. Reports: Area Governors, Division Officers, Division Governor
6. Old Business
7. New Business
8. Adjournment

Peter Francis Awards Luncheon 12:00 Noon

Toastmaster (David Bartolf)
Invocation and Toast
Presentation of Awards:
Newsletter of the Year
Rookie of the Year
Toastmaster of the Year
Area Governor of the Year
Peter Francis Award

Good luck to all contestants, and much thanks to all officials working in the contests.