MAY 2021 TOASTMASTER TO TOASTMASTER - DISTRICT 55 - Toastmasters District 55
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TOASTMASTER TO TOASTMASTER
MAY 2021
Vol. I | Issue #11
DISTRICT 55 www.tmd55.org
CHIEF NEWS GUY
It’s conference time already? It seems like just two years ago we did this. Can you believe
how far wIs it conference time already? Our first virtual conference! Can you believe how far
we’ve come in creating a virtual environment that is all-inclusive and meets the needs of
the majority of our members? One year ago, we canceled the conference because meeting
in person could not happen. Couple that with our lack of knowledge and understanding of
how to properly conduct any type of mass virtual meeting, and I’m amazed at what we’ve
accomplished in 12 months. Your home for the D55 Virtual Conference, taking place May 21 -
23, can be found here.
This year’s District 55 conference is Virtual, and our theme is “A New World Requires New
Thought”. Your conference Chair, Darla Peek, will provide a friendly welcome, and this issue
is all about the conference. Sure, we’ll sprinkle in some of the usual “What’s Happening”
information, but we want all members to get a sense of excitement and anticipation as we
bring everyone together.
I remember attending my first D55 Conference, and it was terrific. However, whether your a
first-timer or this is your umpteenth conference, I bet few, if any of you, can say you attend-
ed and participated 100% virtually. The amount of effort that has gone into the planning and
execution of the conference is nothing short of amazing. We still need volunteers, and you
can find that information a few pages into the publication where Kathy Moore writes about
tips for successfully attending the conference.
You may be thinking, I spend so much time on Zoom that attending a three-day conference
(really only about two days, in total) sounds excruciating. However, I challenge you to con-
sider attending the Evaluation and International Speech Contests, the Parade of Banners,
Educational Sessions, and the DTM Ceremony (mostly because I’ll be one of several receiv-
ing recognition). There is something for everyone, so check out the home page and register
today for what will be a historic moment for the District 55 Annual Conference.
I’m so excited about this year’s conference that I’ve decided to hold my little drawing. I’m
not sure how many people read this monthly publication, so I’m offering $25 to the 25th
person who emails me with the subject line: I read the T2T May Publication. To make things
more interesting, I’ll be giving away $50 to the 50th person who emails me. I’d be thrilled to
give away this money, so help me out.
As always, drop me a line if you’re so inclined.
Harlan Blumenthal, DTM
Chief News Guy
newsletter@tmd55.org
DD UPDATE
District Director,
Melody Moore, DTM
When it was time for me to learn to ride a bike, my mom and dad put
my brand-new bike in the back of the family station wagon and drove
me to the end of our street. We lived on a steep hill, and at the top
of the hill was a flat cul-de-sac. It seemed like an easy option – only a
few minutes away from home, no traffic, and only one potential hazard: a
6-foot sloped drop-off on the north side. (Yes, that’s foreshadowing.)
Mom and Dad took turnwws running beside me, helping me balance, and though I wobbled a bit,
the training wheels did their job and kept me upright. I started to gain some confidence, feeling
the wind in my face as I picked up speed. It felt good. This was fun! Then I realized that my parents
were not next to me, and I looked back to find them. Ah yes, there they were… getting farther and
farther away… yelling at me. Not cheers of support, but desperate warnings. Mom was yelling,
“brake, brake!” and Dad was yelling, “turn, turn!” And by the time I returned my attention to look
where I was going, it was too late. Over the drop-off, I went.
The bike was mostly fine. The training wheels were bent. I have a couple of scars on my hand from
the fall. But the eye-opening feeling of freedom in those few moments of riding my bike alone was
something that a little blood couldn’t steal from me.
The first District 55 Conference I attended was in San Antonio. My mentors were going, and they
strongly encouraged me to go. I drove down from Austin in the morning and planned to only stay
for Saturday afternoon, then drive back to Austin that evening. My husband insisted that I pack an
overnight bag, just in case, so I did, but I was sure I wouldn’t need it. Of course, once I got there,
other Toastmasters kept telling me I should stay for the keynote speaker, the DTM ceremony, and
the International Speech Contest. How late could that possibly go? I could still drive home at 9 pm
and be in bed by 11. No problem. But in the famous words of Jay-Z, “after the show it’s the after-
party, then after the party, it’s the hotel lobby,” and suddenly it was after 2 am, and I needed to get a
room, and the hotel was sold out. Where did the time go? Where did my mentors go?
I did convince the front desk to give me the one hotel room left that they said they couldn’t sell me.
I still can’t remember most of what happened at that conference. But the glimpse into a broader
Toastmasters landscape changed my goals and my perspective.
Those two stories may not seem to align, but there are a lot of parallels. People who supported
me when I was just starting out encouraged me to step outside of my prior experience and try
something new. They went with me, step-for-step, until it was time for them to step back and let
me go on my own. Nothing went exactly as planned, and nothing went perfectly. But in a single
experience, I was suddenly aware of a vast expanse of possibilities… new thoughts for a new world.
I hope you’ll spend some time at our Virtual District Conference this year. It doesn’t matter if you’re
still rocking the training wheels. There’s something at the conference that will expand your horizons.
I’m looking forward to seeing you there!
Tips to get the most out of our first District Virtual Conference
Program Quality Director,
Kathy Moore, DTM
• Get the BIG Picture by visiting the conference landing pages.
• REGISTER NOW!! The conference is FREE! To do that, click on the agenda link and the
zoom links for the events you want to attend. Most will occur in the Main Room, but there
are different links for different events. For example, register to attend the International
Speech Contest at this link.
• Education Sessions are split into three categories: Better Speaker, Better Leader, Better
Connected. Decide what you want to see of each. Then check the schedule to see what
Zoom Link you will need to visit to attend. You can read about each speaker and what they
will talk about by clicking on their picture.
• If you have never attended a District Conference, you might want to join in the First Tim-
ers activities. It will be like having your own Guided Tour of the Conference, and you will
get to meet other First-Time attendees too.
• Ensure your Club represents well by sending us a picture or a PowerPoint page for the
Virtual Parade of banners. Find out how here. All Clubs will be represented, but only
those who send in their photo or page have a chance to win.
• Volunteer- I have learned more and had more fun by offering to help these last 16 years.
This organization is successful because of our outstanding members. Find out how you
can help here.
• Be sure to come out and support your contestant, your DTM, your presenter.
• If you are not sure what to do for a particular event, ask questions. There is Contact info
on every tab. If you need further information or have an idea to make this conference even
better, email me.
• HAVE FUN!!
Welcome to the District 55 Virtual Conference “A New World Requires New Thought”
WELCOME CONFERENCE ATTENDEES
Welcome to New Thought 2021 – the District 55 first-ever virtual con-
ference – A New World Requires New Thought. We usually meet at a
nice hotel in one of the major cities in District 55 – this year you will join
us from the comfort of your own space near your computer to attend
the conference. Your commute to the conference is much shorter, and
you get to sleep in your own bed. Last year, we learned to pivot and
try new things. That same thinking has carried over to 2021.
Darla Peek, DTM
2021 Conference Chair
Your conference team put on their thinking caps while planning the conference, so you can
experience many of the same features you look for every year when we meet in person. We
will begin with the Parade of Banners virtually, where every club will be represented. You
will enjoy the Evaluation Contest and the International Speech contest in the new virtual
format. We always have keynote speakers every year – we have some wonderful speakers
planned.
One of my favorite events at the conference is the DTM ceremony, where we recognize and
honor the newest DTMs. This year we will do that virtually.
Education sessions are planned for Saturday morning – we have set them up with you in
mind: Better Speaker, Better Leader, and Better Connected.
Our conference is always an excellent place to network and meet other Toastmasters. You
have that opportunity this year, as well.
If this is your first time, please check in with the First Timers – they will guide you through
our virtual format.
We even have a Happy Hour and a Disco Night to get your body moving!
We tried to think of something for everyone as we planned A New World Requires New
Thought 2021.
We hope you enjoy it!
DISTRICT 55 VIRTUAL PRE-CONFERENCE EVENTS
CONFERENCE MASTER CHALLENGE
OPEN FROM MAY 14 - MAY 19
Join us for a pre-conference challenge.
Win a $25 Gift Certificate when club members successfully navigate the District 55 website
DATES: May 14, 2021 - May 19, 2021
RECIPIENTS: Clubs
DESCRIPTION: Club members must find information on the District 55 website, and fill in the sub-
mission form with what they found. The submission form describes the information that needs to be
submitted. After four individual club members submit their Challenge Forms, one form per member,
the club will receive a $25 Toastmasters International Gift Certificate.
IMIT: The first 30 clubs to submit valid forms will win!
L
(No early entries. Form will go live on May 14)
DISTRICT 55 VIRTUAL PRE-CONFERENCE EVENTS
DIVISION DIRECTOR ELECT SOCIAL
WEDNESDAY, MAY 19, 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Members are encouraged to meet the incoming Division Directors to have some
pre-conference fun:
Division F Cheryl Ramirez
Division G Brenda Ryan
Division H Darla Peek
Division I Harlan Blumenthal
Division J Corey Hickey
Division K Kevin Clark
Division L Nicole Johns
DESCRIPTION: Join your Division I Director elect, Harlan Blumenthal as he hosts a social for all
members. Kevin Clark will be our Everything-master as we have some fun and games, and
great conversation as we look forward to conference events. Come and go at your leisure.
We may engage in games like Kahoot (iPhone trivia)
20 questions related to the District 55 Virtual Conference
Discuss what excites you most about the conference...and more!
DISTRICT 55 VIRTUAL PRE-CONFERENCE EVENTS
FIRESIDE CHAT WITH LARK DOLEY, DTM, PIP
THURSDAY, MAY 20, 7:00 PM
Listen as Lark shares with us her incredible story of going from
Toastmaster member to International President and the lessons she learned along the way.
Here are some things you may not know about Lark.
She lives in a lighthouse.
During her tenure as the first District 55 Governor (1997-1998), Lark led her
district, under the old point system, to be number 18 in the world.
In 2000-2001, Lark stepped in to complete the last eight months of a term
for a District 55 Governor who had to step down for personal reasons.
The following year, the district earned Distinguished status for the first time. She served as an
International Director in 2003-2005.
International Directors are members of the Toastmasters International Board of Directors,
each representing one of the Toastmasters regions. International Directors support Toast-
masters both in the boardroom as organizational fiduciaries and out of the boardroom as
representatives of the Board.
Lark served as a Regional Advisor from 2010-2012. In a consultant capacity, Region Advisors
help districts expand their marketing abilities and fulfill the district mission. Their objective is
to support district leaders’ efforts to build new clubs and support all clubs in achieving excel-
lence.
She served as International President starting in August, 2018.
Want to know more? Join us as Lark shares her memories in an “up close and personal chat”
with District Director Melody Moore. Have a question? Submit it below or send email to
d55conference@tmd55.org.
DISTRICT 55 VIRTUAL CONFERENCE MAY 21 - 23
FIRST TIMERS
FRIDAY, MAY 21, 5:30 pm
Our First Timers team, led by Division L Director Kyle Mitchell, is excited to welcome you and pre-
pare you to get the most out of your conference weekend. It could literally change your life!
Here is a little of what we have planned:
FIRST TIMER ACTIVITIES & PERKS
• Meet & Greet before Opening Ceremonies
• Networking Scavenger Hunt
• Prizes for First Timers who sign up for Pathways during the conference
• Pro Tips document from longtime attendees
• First Timer virtual background
• Virtual Ambassadors you can contact any time with questions
You will learn and laugh and maybe make new lifelong friends! There is a first time for every-
thing…so put your EVERYTHING into our first ever Virtual District Conference!DISTRICT 55 VIRTUAL CONFERENCE MAY 21 - 23
PARADE OF BANNERS
FRIDAY, MAY 21, 6:30 PM
What we'd like you to do is to take a picture of your banner with as many of your Toastmasters as you
can fit into the picture. If it's just one person in a selfie, that counts. If you have Toastmasters relatives
who can be in the room together safely, and can take a picture together, that counts. If you can take a
picture of your banner in a zoom meeting, that counts. If you have amazing photoshop skills and you can
stitch together a photo with all your members, that counts.
And if you have a better idea - a more creative idea - to fit more of your members into a photo of your
banner, then we want to see it.
Those of you with PowerPoint skills can use the attached template to send us your photo and a one sen-
tence description of your club. If you don’t have PowerPoint, just send the photo and the sentence and
we’ll put the PowerPoint together for you. There's two examples below in case you need inspiration.
The most people in a picture and the most creative idea (as judged by our District Trio) will both win a
secret prize!! Send your photo to clubbanners@tmd55.org by May 14.
ATPE Banner
Betty Puckett
Talk of the Tower Banner
Shirley Mobley Desmond Calloway
Division L Banner Austintatious Banner
Community Toastmasters BannerDISTRICT 55 VIRTUAL CONFERENCE MAY 21 - 23
INSPIRATIONAL KEYNOTE ADDRESS
FRIDAY, MAY 21 , 7:00 PM
A Toastmaster by night and award-winning
maverick by day, Margaret Page is a highly
credentialed etiquette expert and a transfor-
mative executive coach. Margaret current-
ly resides near her three grandsons that she
adores.
Friday Evening Keynote
Applying Toastmasters to Life: My Story
Our Toastmasters lives are packed full of learning and striving for achievements
in communication and leadership. Learning and achieving in the microcosm of
Toastmasters are fulfilling in themselves, but sometimes we take for granted
the way Toastmasters learning has impacted our lives in the wider world beyond
Toastmasters. Margaret Page, International President-Elect of Toastmasters In-
ternational, has certainly experienced that impact. In her conference presenta-
tion, “Applying Toastmasters to Life: My Story,” Margaret will share how she has
applied Toastmasters learning in her family, her business, and the many teams
she has built and led.DISTRICT 55 VIRTUAL CONFERENCE MAY 21 - 23
EVALUATION SPEECH CONTEST
FRIDAY, MAY 21, 7:30 PM
Tim Humphrey Doris Tuckett
Division F Contestant Division G Contestant
Christina Chemhuru Sophie Buechler Theo Bill
Division H Contestant Division I Contestant Division J Contestant
Jessica Freasier Tina Renee D’Souza
Division K Contestant Division L ContestantDISTRICT 55 VIRTUAL CONFERENCE MAY 21 - 23
EDUCATION SESSIONS
SATURDAY, MAY 22
All education sessions will be made available after the conference.DISTRICT 55 VIRTUAL CONFERENCE MAY 21 - 23
INTERNATIONAL SPEECH CONTEST
SATURDAY, MAY 22, 3:00 PM
Sandy Watson Erica Sosa
Division F Contestant Division G Contestant
Al Talamantez Thom Singer Ernestine Kubicek
Division H Contestant Division I Contestant Division J Contestant
Garima Seth Lisa Traugott
Division K Contestant Division L ContestantDISTRICT 55 VIRTUAL CONFERENCE MAY 21 - 23
DTM CEREMONY
SATURDAY, MAY 22, 6:30 PM
Congratulations to District 55’s newest Distinguished Toastmasters!
Completing the requirements for Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) involves time, service,
growth, education, and many, many speeches! And every year we have toastmasters who
complete that journey! We will recognize and honor those who have reached this achieve-
ment at the very first District 55 Conference Virtual DTM Ceremony.
Frank Jaworski
receiving DTM medal (2017),
escorted by Anna Jaworski,
DTM
Cindy Tarsi, receiving DTM District 55 DTMs gathered for
medal (2015), escorted after-conference photo
by Jim TarsiDISTRICT 55 VIRTUAL CONFERENCE MAY 21 - 23
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
SATURDAY, MAY 22, 8:45 PM
Dana Morgan-Barnes joined Toastmasters as a
chartered
member of the corporate club Stock Talk,
because she thought public speaking would be
FUN. Along with having fun speaking, she also
discovered the exciting world of Toastmasters
leadership.
Saturday Evening Keynote
Kindness…..There’s a Thought!
What a year it has been! Everyone has been affected by the global pandemic in one way
or another. Toastmasters clubs and members are no exception. Along with the scramble to
work from home, we had to move our clubs to virtual as well.
How did this impact your clubs? How did your members react to another virtual meeting??
Could there actually be benefits coming out of this past year’s lock down? Can we, you and
I, take this experience and turn it into a positive?
What are we doing to build our clubs and more importantly, our members up? Is this a time
for a new way of thinking about how we build our clubs and grow membership?
Kindness is one of our Core Values. No, it’s not on the coin, the literature or Toastmasters
website. But think about it! Integrity, Respect, Service and Excellence go hand in hand with
compassion, caring and kindness.
Let’s build a better club, a better District and maybe a better world using the concept of
kindness. Just think about it. We can do it.DISTRICT 55 VIRTUAL CONFERENCE MAY 21 - 23
LEADERSHIP KEYNOTE ADDRESS
SUNDAY, MAY 23 , 10:00 AM
A Toastmaster by night and award-winning
maverick by day, Margaret Page is a highly
credentialed etiquette expert and a transfor-
mative executive coach. Margaret current-
ly resides near her three grandsons that she
adores.
Sunday Morning Keynote
Honoring the Past, Treasuring the Present, and Shaping the Future
How does an organization rise from shaky beginnings to become a worldwide
educational powerhouse that has been transforming lives and careers for nearly
a century? Join Toastmasters International President-Elect Margaret Page, DTM,
on a journey through the first 100 years of Toastmasters history. Find out what
makes Toastmasters International an enduring and successful organization and
discover what we can anticipate for the organization’s Pathways-powered future
as we prepare to celebrate our first century. You may be surprised to learn that,
despite almost a century of change and innovation, Toastmasters remains true to
Dr. Ralph Smedley’s belief that “we learn best in moments of enjoyment.”DISTRICT 55 VIRTUAL CONFERENCE MAY 21 - 23
AND SO MUCH MORE
FRIDAY, MAY 21
10:00 PM - 11:00 PM - Virtual Happy Hour with your hosts:
Ryan O’Connor, District Volunteer Engagement
Committee Chair, and Harlan Blumenthal, Chief
News Guy - Toastmaster to Toastmaster D55
Monthly Publication
SATURDAY, MAY 22
1:00 PM - 1:45 PM - Networking Opportunities
2:00 PM - 2:45 PM - Awards/Recognition
8:05 PM - 8:35 PM - Incoming District Officers Installation
9:15 PM - 10:35 PM - D55 Disco Party
SUNDAY, MAY 23
9:15 AM - 10:00 AM - Celebrating the New District Champion with your host: Mike Carr, 2020
Toastmasters International Speech Contest Winner
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM - Outgoing Trio AppreciationDISTRICT 55 VIRTUAL CONFERENCE MAY 21 - 23
VOLUNTEERDISTINGUISHED CLUB RECOGNITION Congratulations to our first batch of Distinguished Clubs for this year. We have six who have earned President’s, 10 earning Select and eight who earned Distinguished Club. To qualify Clubs must meet their minimum membership (either 20 members or base plus 5) and earn at least 5 Distinguished Club Points.
CLUB VIDEO CONTEST
Your club is invited to participate in a video contest. The purpose of this contest is to recognize your
club’s success by activities or processes that increased club membership and/or club member
interest/retention. The goal is to present ideas in a fun and creative way that other clubs may find
valuable.
Rules:
Videos must be submitted to d55prm@tmd55.org by Midnight on May 23, 2021.
The video must be a minimum of 3 minutes and a maximum of 4 minutes.
You are encouraged to have as many of your club members in the video as possible. Your video
must clearly represent at least one club activity or process. You must have the approval of every
individual appearing in the video.
Late entries will not be accepted. Videos will also be posted by the District 55 Public Relations
Manager on the District 55 Members Private Facebook Group page.
These videos will only be available for members on the District 55 Facebook page. They will not be
available to the general public.
There will be five to seven judges. A judge cannot be a member of a club that has submitted
a video. The District Director, Director of Program Quality Development, Club Growth Director,
Division Directors, and Area Directors will not be eligible to serve as a judge.
Once judging is complete, the winners will be announced on the District 55 Members Private
Facebook Group page.
The first-place winner will receive $150 District bucks.
The second-place winner will receive $100 District bucks.
The third-place winner will receive $75 District bucks.
Judge’s Criteria
(25) Video Development – Structure, Organization, Support Material
(25) Effectiveness and Value – Achievement of Purpose, Supports club membership and interest
(25) Creativity – Original Ideas, Use of the medium, involvement of multiple club members
(10) Overall physical appearance and body language of the speaker(s)
(10) Overall voice flexibility and volume of speaker(s)
(5) Correctness – Grammar, Pronunciation, Word Selection
Judges will score each video independently, but the final video rankings will be reached by
consensus of the judges.WHAT’S HAPPENING IN OUR DISTRICT
MILESTONES
Charter Years Area Club Name
1 05/09/19 2 K 73 Planview, Austin
05/30/19 2 F 26 Brownsville, Brownsville
05/08/17 4 J 63 TOAST NOW, Austin
05/08/09 12 G 31 Fredricksburg Family, Fredricksburg
05/31/01 20 F 23 Zachry, San Antonio
05/01/00 21 F 25 Metro, McAllen
8 05/01/00 21 G 35 Audie’s Orators, San Antonio
05/01/97 24 F 21 Downtown Professionals, San Antonio
05/01/95 26 L 83 Trellis Speaks, Round Rock
05/01/92 29 G 34 Texas Tongue Twisters, San Antonio
05/01/90 31 G 33 North San Antonio, San Antonio
05/01/75 46 H 42 New Braunfels, New Braunfels
05/01/63 58 K 76 Get Up and Go Toastmasters Club, Austin
59 05/01/60 61 J 66 Capital City, AustinWHAT’S HAPPENING IN OUR DISTRICT
CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR NEW DTMS
Division Area Date Member Club Name
None this past April 2021
WELCOME NEW DISTRICT 55 CLUBS
Speakers Bureau TM is a new club focused on practicing and pre-
paring for professional speaking. Their official charter date is March
31, 2021.
Improv Your Life is a new specialty club focused on wellness and im-
provisational skills. Their offical charter date is March 31, 2021.
WELCOME NEW DISTRICT 55 CLUBS
Zoom Updates
Those who are members of the District 55 Facebook Group often see posts related
to the most current version of Zoom for both Windows and Mac. Please take time to
ensure you are running the latest version of the client software. Some Toastmasters
use their company Zoom account and may be limited to a specific version, but most all
corporations and individuals need to be on version 5.x or later. As of 30-Apr, v5.6.4 for
Mac and v5.6.4 for Windows are the most current versions. If you have questions about
upgrading please feel free to contact me at newsletter@tmd55.orgWHAT’S HAPPENING IN OUR DISTRICT
FIND A DYNAMIC SPEAKER FOR YOUR EVENT
Whether it is a lecture, keynote address, facilitated business meeting, or a presen-
tation, the District 55 Toastmasters Speakers Bureau can help you find a dynamic
speaker for your upcoming event.
We have speakers who can present on the benefits of
• Toastmasters
• Provide a Keynote presentation on a specific topic
• Session leaders
• Masters of Ceremony
• Breakout session facilitators
• Motivational or inspirational presentationsCALENDAR SNAPSHOT
MAY 2021 JUNE 2021
Saturday, May 1 Tuesday, June 1
• D55 Monthly Publication Distribution • D55 Monthly Publication Distribution
• 9:30 am DC Meeting Tuesday, June 8
Tuesday, May 11 • 7:00 pm Table Topics 101
• 7:00 pm Speech Writing Made Easy • 8:30 pm Table Topics - Coaching and
• 8:30 pm Speech Writing Coaching Practice
Class with Bart Loeser Saturday, June 12
Friday, May 21 - Sunday May 23 • 9:00 am DEC Meeting
• DISTRICT 55 CONFERENCE Wednesday, June 30
• End of Program Year 2020-2021TOASTMASTER TO TOASTMASTER
DISTRICT 55 MONTHLY PUBLICATION
Public Relations Manager, Rick Collins, DTM
Social Media Strategist, Lilly Smith
Social Media Coordinator, Christine Moore, CC
Webmaster, Vishal Aslot, DTM
Publishing Team:
Harlan Blumenthal, DTM
Nicole Akers, PM2
Contact: newsletter@tmd55.org
2020-2021 TRIO
District Director, Melody Moore, DTM
Program Quality Director, Kathy Moore, DTM
Club Growth Director, Livya Mitchell, DTM
Contact: d55dd@tmd55.org
WHERE LEADERS ARE MADE
Toastmaster to Toastmaster, official publication of District 55
Toastmasters in Austin Texas, USA, is published monthly since July 2020, to promote goals and ideas of District 55
Toastmasters. Responsibility of Toastmaster to Toastmaster is not assumed for the opinions expressed by any of its
authors.You can also read
