2018 Conference Highlights

Posted on April 23, 2018 by Keith Maderer

District 65 – 2018 Spring Conference Highlights

Dear District 65 Toastmaster,

This past weekend, District 65 held the Spring Conference at the Holiday Inn, in Binghamton, New York.

I wanted to showcase some of the highlights of the Conference:

District 65 hosted Distinguished Toastmaster Radhi Spear, a Toastmaster International Director. Director Spear made herself available to conduct an interview with a local newspaper, attending a Pathways presentation of a local club in Endicott, visiting the Visions and Cooperstown Museum to explain the benefits and opportunities of building Toastmasters clubs, and presenting two corporate awards.

2018 Trio with Radhi Radhi on Radhi

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Radhi Spear Trying to Get Radhi Spear off her back.

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Corporate Awards:

Corporate awards were presented to Binghamton University and to Corning Incorporated for their investment and commitment those organizations have provided to Toastmasters International and supporting their own Toastmasters organizations. Congratulations to Binghamton University (Leaders and Learners) and to Corning Inc. (Speak Up CNY) for your well-deserved awards.

Communication and Leadership Award:

Randi Quackenbush - CL Award

The Communication and Leadership (C&L) Award was presented to Randi Quackenbush for her work with the Food Bank and efforts in creating a Speakers Bureau, creating a scenario where those effected by poverty are taking their own stories to Washington, DC. You can read more in the Binghamton newspaper:

https://www.pressconnects.com/story/news/connections/2018/04/20/food-bank-speakers-bureau-addresses-hunger/521496002/

Tall Tales Contest:

We held our Tall Tales Contest on Friday Night and it was attended by almost 100 people, “if an inch”. Our contest winners were:

D65 Tall Tales winners 2018

D65 Tall Tales winners 2018 - 2

1^st Place – Stephen Musok, of the Endicott Club
2^nd Place – Gil Stern, of Postprandial Toastmasters
3^rd Place – Sarah Ripley, of Tiger Tales Toastmasters

International Speech Contest:

The International Speech Contest was held on Saturday, with great attendance as well. Our contest winners were:

D65 International Winners 2018

1^st Place – Joseph Babcock, of Big Red Toastmasters
2^nd Place – Pritam Poddar, of Tiger Tales Toastmasters
3^rd Place – Ashley Dietrick, of Lawley Lingo

Elections were held on Saturday for our Incoming District Officers

The 2018-2019 District Officer Election Results are as follow:

District Director Elect: Lillian Knight Faison, DTM
Program Quality Director Elect: Pam Gorman, ACB, ALB
Club Growth Director Elect: Ray Mulgrew, ACB, CL
Division A Director Elect: Dennis Gauda, DTM, PDG
Division B Director Elect: Alex Turner, ACS, ALB
Division C Director Elect: Brenda Billups, ACB, CL
Division D Director Elect: Hadassah Mativetsky, CC, CL
Division E Director Elect: Mara Mowers, ACB, ALB

The District 65 Awards Banquet was hosted on Saturday Night

Here are some Keynotes from the banquet:

Conference Co-Chairs:

D65 Randi Leo Joan

Thank you to Leo O’Connor, ACB and to Joan Sprague, DTM for hosting such an amazing conference

Pat Panfile-Ben Luce Award:

Linda Lathrop, DTM, won the Pat Panfile-Ben Luce Award

New Distinguished Toastmasters (DTM) Awarded:

Our newly inducted Distinguished Toastmasters included: Distinguished Toastmasters All

Celia Beaucage
Pat Costello
Denise Hull
Edward Parmenter
Juanita Rivera-Ortiz (not yet presented)
Christine Wolbert

New Triple Crowns Awarded:

Triple Crowns were awarded to the following Toastmasters:

Celia Beaucage, DTM
Pat Costello, DTM
Wanda Edwards, ACS, ALB
Denise Hull, DTM
Keith Maderer, DTM
Mara Mowers, ACB, ALB
Emily Olsen, ACG, ALB
Kate Olsen, DTM
Christine Wolbert, DTM

Thanks to all of our members who make these events possible. Without you, these events could never happen. Congratulations to our newly elected officers for the 2018-2019 Toastmasters year, beginning on July 1, 2018.

Sincerely,

Ellen Pieklo, DTM

District 65 Director

PlaNetworker

Posted on October 31, 2017 by Keith Maderer

Become a PlaNETWORKER at the Fall Conference

by Carina Paton

Pla-Networking

Have you challenged yourself to push past your safety net and graduate from a safety networker to a cabinetworker? At my club meeting this past week, one of my fellow toastmasters beamed with pride as she told us a story of her doing just that.

Normally, when this Toastmaster attends external meetings for work, she sits with others from her organization—keeping well within her safety net. But at the most recent meeting, this Toastmaster built up the courage to sit next to people that she didn’t know, away from her colleagues. Not only that, but this Toastmaster initiated a conversation with one of them, using the tools in her cabinet: she asked this person standard questions about themselves.

To her surprise, the person sitting next to her grew up just 10 minutes away from her parents! Had this Toastmaster not worked up the courage to sit next to this person and strike up a conversation, she would have missed the opportunity to learn of her connection to this person, and they would still be strangers to one another.

My fellow Toastmaster attributed her ability to do this to Toastmasters. It would be an understatement to say that our club is proud of her courage and achievement. This is just one story of many about networking skills growing due to Toastmasters. What is your story so far? What do you want it to be?

The upcoming District 65 Final Fall Conference is an ideal place to continue to build your networking skills. If you are a notworker, aim to be a safety networker at the conference. If you are comfortable in your safety net, aim to be a cabinetworker. If you think you’ve got that down pat, it’s time to move on to the next level: be a planetworker!

Planetworkers use things in the world around them as conversation pieces. The following are just a few of the many items in the environment you can talk about.

Weather and Seasons: This is the classic planetworker go-to.

Isn’t this weather beautiful?
Do you know if it is supposed to rain all day?
Have you had a chance to look at the fall leaves yet this year? Where did you go?

Food and Drink: This is good to use when you are at a catered event.

Have you tried the salmon? It’s delicious.
What kind of beer do you drink?
That looks good. Would you recommend I try it?

Speakers and Program: Good for an event with a set agenda and speakers.

What did you think of the keynote address?
Which workshop has been your favorite?
Which session are you going to next?

Meeting Location: This can be used anywhere, but is particularly good when you’re in a special location.

Didn’t they do a wonderful job decorating this room?
I’m just amazed by the renovation. Did you see the ceiling in the main foyer?
What else should I do while I’m in town?

Note that all are in the form of a question. Questions are wonderful conversation starters – it gives the person that you’re talking to a chance to talk. And we all know that Toastmasters love talking any time they’re given a chance!

What are you waiting for? Sign up for the conference if you haven’t already, and give those networking muscles some exercise. Just like any other form of exercise, it gets easier the more you do it—I promise!

Fall Conference Agenda 2017

Posted on October 23, 2017 by Keith Maderer

District 65 – Fall Conference 2017

November 10^th – 12^th, 2017

(Subject to Change)

Click Here To Register

Friday Agenda

3.00 Registration opens – 3^rd Floor

5.30 Meet & Greet with Jim Key

6:15 Contest briefings

7:00 Contest begins – –Delaware Suites

8:45 Entertainment

Saturday Agenda

7.00 Breakfast doors open

7.30 Breakfast program begins –Grand Ballroom EFG

8.00 Keynote –Regency B&C

9.05 Workshop set – 5 presentations

9.50 Workshop set – 5 presentations

10.35 Workshop with Jim Key –Regency B&C

11.40 Lunch program begins –Grand Ballroom EFG

12.30 Panel discussion –Grand Ballroom EFG

1.45 Business meeting –Regency B&C

3.30 Contest Briefings -Niagara

3.50 Contest doors open

4.00 Contest – Humor –Regency B&C

6.30 Banquet doors open –Grand Ballroom EFG

6.45 Banquet begins

Sunday Agenda

6.30 Breakfast on your own (hotel b’fast $12.95)

8.00 – 9.30 Workshop with Jim Key “Maximize Value – Getting the Most out of Your TM Membership.” -Delaware Suites

10:00 DEC Meeting begins -Ellicott

Click Here To Register

Veteran’s Day Luncheon

Posted on October 9, 2017 by Keith Maderer

Honoring Our Veterans

A Luncheon Panel Discussion on Leadership

On November 11^th, 2017 at 11:40 am, the District 65 Toastmasters, a division of Toastmasters International, will honor Veteran’s from each of the 5 branches of the U.S. Military with a luncheon and a panel discussion on Leadership.

We will have local members of the United States Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines and Navy. They will share their experiences with the military and how it helped them with Leadership and life.

If you are a Veteran… If you have a family member that is a Veteran… If you have a friend that is a Veteran… Invite them for a great luncheon and a special Veteran’s Day tribute to Leadership.

Their Service for our Freedom is a glowing example of what servant leadership is all about. Join us to hear their stories and share their words of wisdom.

To Register for this Luncheon, Click the Link Below and Select:

[ ] Veterans Luncheon and Panel Discussion $40 per person

Admission Includes: Full buffet luncheon, Veteran’s Celebration, VIP Seating for Veterans and their guests, admission to the Panel Discussion On Leadership, photo opportunity afterwards.

Registration Information – Click Here

More Information coming soon.

Veteran Bio’s and Photo – for our Panel Participants

Mike Slyck, U.S. Army

Warren Mussleman, U.S. Navy

Dennis Gauda, U.S. Airforce

Michael Budowski, U.S. Marine

Rolf Christensen, U.S. Coast Guard

Toastmasters… Where Leaders Are Made.

District Director’s October Letter

Posted on October 1, 2017 by Keith Maderer

By Ellen Pieklo, DTM

District Director

Dear District 65 Toastmaster,

It’s hard to believe that it’s already October and our contest season is well underway. As with everything in life, we’ve had a few glitches but Glenn Gordon, Division A Director, provided speech contest training on September 16, 2017. This webinar is available to listen to and view. Hopefully this will minimize a few of the issues that arise during contest season. Good luck to all of our contestants and I wish everyone the best of luck with your fall competitions. Contests will be held at each Area and each Division, with the 5 finalists competing on November 10-11, 2017 at the Fall District 65 Conference in Buffalo, New York.

The Fall Conference will be the last District 65 Fall Conferences. After this fall, if we should conduct fall contests, those contests would stop at the Division contest level. The division contests could compete at the next spring conference – or end at the Division Level. This will all be up to our 2018-2019 Leadership team.

Our Fall 2017 Conference Committee is working to ensure this will be a conference worth coming to and worth remembering. To register, there is a link on the District 65 Home page, located at www.tmdistrict65.org.

I see people are working toward our incentives, especially creating a Club Success Plan. Already, we have awarded several $25 gift certificates for the TI store, heard about planned open houses, and we’ve already welcomed our newest Toastmaster Club, ERG (HSBC), in Division A. We wish all of your new ERG members an amazing Toastmaster journey.

Our new District leadership is working hard to fully implement the concept of fewer emails but as matters arise, we are also trying to keep members in the loop and ensure we don’t end up with clubs losing their active club status, resulting from missed dues periods. We keep all of information posted on the official web page, www.tmdistrict65.org and the official Facebook Page, located at: https://m.facebook.com/toastmastersd65/?ref=bookmarks.

What’s up with Pathways? That’s a recurring question all of D65 Leaders are hearing. We plan to have a conference session updating members to the Pathways rollout status during the Fall Conference. If you are well into your Toastmasters learning path and concerned that you may need to convert to the Pathways program goals, think about attending our Road to Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) seminars, held on the last Sunday of the month at 7PM. These will be posted under our events page.

I would also like to announce the start of a second set of leadership opportunities, Monday Nights Toastmaster Matters. This will be an opportunity, held on the second Monday of the Month to address your concerns, ask questions, or just talk about Toastmasters and learn from your District Leadership. Call information will be sent out under our events calendar.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve you as your District 65 Leader and am wishing you a continuously successful Toastmaster Year.

Sincerely,

Ellen Pieklo DTM

District 65 Director

Workshop Presenters – Fall 2017

Posted on September 2, 2017 by Keith Maderer

Call for Education Workshop Presenters

Submission Deadline: Friday, September 15th

Submit to: Elizabeth Evanisko, Education Committee Co-Chair

Email: Elizabeth.Evanisko@gmail.com

Download the Applications Here:

MS Word Version PDF Version

Fall Conference Theme: “Telling Your story, The Pulitzer Prize Toastmaster”

Toastmasters District 65 Fall 2017 Conference Education Committee is seeking 6 – 9 workshop presenters and 2 alternates to lead workshops on communication, leadership, and personal growth. There will be 2 or 3 sessions of 3 workshops each on Saturday. The sessions will be 40 minutes long including 5 minutes for introductions and 5 minutes for the facilitators to wrap-up including evaluations. Overall event attendance is expected to be approximately 150.

The education workshops are opportunities for Toastmasters to learn specific skills in areas of their interests. Qualified presenters should be able to connect with Toastmasters audiences with appropriate topics.

Please complete the entire application fully and legibly.

Name: ___________________________________

If a Toastmaster, please list highest designation with club name(s) and number(s):

__________________________________________

Address: __________________________________

Phone Number: ________________ E-mail: _____________________

Type of Presentation: (Communication, Leadership, Personal Growth, Skills Development)

______________________________________________________________

Program Title (max. 10 words):

___________________________________________________

Session Abstract: (Description / Summary of Content)

______________________________________________________________

Describe Interactive Techniques to Engage Audience:

______________________________________________________________

List 3 Takeaways or Learning Objectives You Intend to Deliver to the Audience:

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

Please indicate if the presentation is from a Communication Manual, including the project name and manual title (if so, a silent evaluator will be arranged provided you bring your manual with you):

______________________________________________________________

Date(s) and Topic(s), If You Have Presented at Toastmasters’ Events:

______________________________________________________________

Biographical Information:

______________________________________________________________

Technology/Logistics Needs:

Please note, that the presenter is expected to provide their own laptop, if required, or presentation on a thumb drive/memory stick. The conference committee will provide a projector if requested. Please indicate if anything is needed to support the presentation from a logistics perspective (i.e. easel, flip chart, markers, etc.)

______________________________________________________________

Workshop Alternate:

If your proposal is not chosen, would you consider serving as a back-up presenter? (Your answer here will not be considered during the selection process.)

_____________________________________________________________

Additional Information:

According to Toastmasters International, a workshop presenter CANNOT be compensated for her/his workshop and is responsible for her/his own transportation expenses to the conference.
A workshop presenter is expected to register for the full day conference, at their own expense.
The presentation must not include sales pitches, but sales afterward are allowed according to Toastmasters International guidelines. Presenter is solely responsible for all aspects of her/his sales.
Speakers are responsible for making copies of materials/hand-outs they will be using.
Workshop presenters are required to sign a standard Toastmasters International speaker’s contract.

Please Include in Your Submission:

A recent jpg headshot photo and bio must be included with your submission
Any references that you would like to provide
It is optional, but it will be very helpful in the decision process, to provide a media file attachment or link to a video which shows your presentation skills.

The final selection will be made after a thorough review of all submissions received by September 15th. Additional information may be requested.

Thank you for your interest in supporting the Toastmasters District 65 Fall 2017 Conference.

Clueless in Vancouver

Posted on September 2, 2017 by Keith Maderer

Clueless in Vancouver

by Keith Maderer, DTM, Club Growth Director

Ellen, Lillian and I spent 8 days in Vancouver representing our district in officer training, interviewing international officer candidates, working the International Speech Contests and voting during the TI annual business meeting.

Trio with Jonathan Brooks

This was my first Toastmasters International Convention… so I had no clue what to expect.

Every day was filled with training, workshops, interviews and activities from 8:00 am until 10:00 pm, but we did find time to talk, share, get to know each other and bond as a team.

We met toastmasters from all over the world, supported our District 65 International Speech contestant – Jonathan Brooks and learned some best practices from some of the most successful district officers in the world.

Jonathan Brooks did a great job presenting his speech and while he did not advance to the finals, he represented District 65 with pride and excellence. There we 100 semifinalist from every area of the world and each speech that we witnessed was as good as the next.

I personally watched 40 speeches, including the top 10 finalists. I can tell you without a doubt… this Toastmasters “Stuff”… really works.

As our week was winding down, we heard word about Hurricane Harvey heading toward the gulf coast of Texas and Louisiana. Many of the district officers at the training and convention were from those areas of the United States. We were lucky to come home tired, enlightened and ready to get back to normal life.

Many of those Texans are still struggling with the aftermath of the Hurricane and it makes you feel lucky to be in Central and Western NY… where snow comes and then it melts. Aside from hurricanes, wildfires, tornadoes and mudslides, many toastmasters from other countries have to deal with governmental oversight, censorship and even the military attending their toastmasters meetings. It put life, toastmasters and freedom of speech in proper perspective.

The entire trip was an experience that I will never forget and I hope each of you can attend a Toastmasters International Convention in the near future. It will open your eyes, teach you the value of freedom and build empathy and character beyond your expectations.

In the coming months, we will share many of the new marketing, club building and district success strategies that we learned.

We appreciate your continued support and help in making District 65….

Better Tomorrow Than It Was Yesterday. Thank you.

Push Past Your Safety Net

Posted on September 1, 2017 by Keith Maderer

Push Past Your Safety Net

by Carina Paton

Most people are afraid to initiate conversation with strangers. In fact, even those who appear to you to be comfortable are often terrified on the inside!

Many of us join Toastmasters to overcome a fear of public speaking. But rarely do we realize that Toastmasters is also an ideal place to overcome a fear of interacting one-on-one with people that we don’t (yet) know. Even more rarely do we utilize what opportunities the organization makes available to us to build these skills.

Your upcoming Area and Division speech competitions are just two of these opportunities. Even if you aren’t competing in the contest or filling a contest role, attending the contests will benefit both you and your club.

Many of us are comfortable at our club meetings. We quickly get to know our fellow club members, and each greeting and speech adds to our comfort. Our club members, once a group of very welcoming strangers, fast become our safety net. Given that, it’s not surprising that when we go to Toastmasters events above our club level we tend to stick to this safety net of our fellow club members.

I’m not going to tell you to leave that safety net behind entirely; rather, I would like to see more Toastmasters in our District use that safety net as a trampoline instead. Go to Area and Division contests with your fellow club members (in fact, why not be the one to encourage them to go with you). But instead of sticking to them like a fly in a spider’s web, use them as a point to jump off from and a place that you can come back to if you need it. This way they become true safety net—and a fun bouncy one at that!

We all have our own level of comfort at social events with unfamiliar people. Some of you will be what I call a “notworker,” which is someone who avoids networking entirely. If this is you, I encourage you to go to your Area and Division contests with others from your club. Consider carpooling—not only is it great for the environment, it can also ease nerves to arrive at an event with your safety net in tow.

If you are already what I call a “safety networker,” then take that next step: try initiating a conversation with someone you don’t yet know. The “strangers” that you will meet at Area and Division contests are some of the nicest to practice with. Think of how forgiving the Toastmasters in your club are of your mistakes. Toastmasters in your Area and Division are no different! In addition, those that you approach will very likely also be feeling out of their comfort zone. By being the one to initiate conversation with them, I bet they will be thankful for your courage. Who knows, you may even make a new friend!

Getting to know other Toastmasters in your Area and Division is priceless. Want to share ideas with others in your officer role at other clubs? They’re now just a phone call or email away. Need to find a test speaker or judges for your next club contest? You’ll now have numerous people to call to ask if they, or someone in their club, would be willing to take on a role. Having trouble filling speech roles in your meetings, or have more members ready to give speeches than you have space for in your meetings? Use your new network! Giving a speech at another club (or even listening to a speaker from another club) can prevent your meetings from becoming stale by bringing new ideas to your club.

I look forward to getting to know some new people at upcoming contests. See you there!

Proxy Deadline

Posted on August 13, 2017 by Keith Maderer

The Deadline Is Rapidly Approaching. Make sure the voice of District 65 is Heard.

If you CANNOT attend the International Business Meeting in Vancouver, BC, you CAN share your vote or proxy your vote to someone that is attending or a member of our District 65 Executive committee.

Here is how: Club Secretary and Club President Only

Step 1: Go to: http://www.toastmasters.org
Step 2: log in at the top of the page
Step 3: then click Leadership Central
Step 4: then click Club Central
Step 5: then click “Club Proxy” under the club Administration section
Step 6: At bottom of page, select your club proxy from the choices below.
It will look like this:

Step 7: Do you need to vote for each item? You can, but if not, your proxy will vote on your behalf.

Step 8: Then just go to the end of the page and submit.
Your ballot will be electronically sent to the proxy of your choice.If you have any questions, please let me know or you can contact Toastmasters international directly at

+1 949-858-8255 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Pacific Time, Mon.–Fri.

Thank you for your help.

Keith Maderer

Club Growth Director

Out With A Bang

Posted on July 28, 2017 by Keith Maderer

Going Out With A Bang

The Last Fall Conference for District 65

If you have not been to a District Conference before, you are not going to want to miss this one. It is the last Fall Conference and it will be another great event. Aside from the District Humorous Speech and Evaluation Contests, educational workshops, great meals and lots of new friends from all over the district and world… You will get to meet and listen to Jim Key.

Jim Key is a humorist, a coach and a consultant. But he is also the the Toastmasters International 2003 World Champion of Public Speaking.

You will laugh… you will learn… and you will find inspiration in his words.

You don’t want to miss this one. Sign up early. We only have room for 300 toastmasters and when the seats are gone… so is your last opportunity.

If you would like to help out with this final Fall conference, you can reach out to our conference co-chairs:

Karen Aubrecht Donovan – KJanineCA@aol.com

Debbie Hunt – mikedebjr@gmail.com

The other great toastmasters on this conference committee are, Julie Ricchiazzi, Elizabeth Evanisko, Saundra Loffredo, Mike Reinbolt, Pam Gorman, Joe Loffredo, Kevin Cratsley and maybe YOU… very soon.

Click this link for more conference information:

http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07ee79llz19d9d1702&llr=thmnrzxab