NOVEMBER 2015

Message From the District Director

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Time for Reflection

We do not learn from experience..... we learn from reflecting on
experience." ~John Dewey

Best Practices: Loudoun

ClubGrowth in
Excellence...p4
Make it Fun.p5

District Director
Lovely Lall, DTM

Reflections on Contest and

Coaching Experiences...p6

Exercise your privilege

to vote at the District
29 Business Council
Meeting (Free) on
November 7th at the
Fall Conference
Each club is allotted two votes at
district council meetings. One
vote is reserved for the club president. The other vote is for the
vice president education. Proxy
votes may be used if a club officer is unable to attend a council
meeting. A proxy delivers the vote
for an officer unable to attend a
council meeting. The officer not
able to attend must designate in
writing any active individual member of the club to act as his or her
proxy. Proxy Form
Please note: Club proxies cannot
be assigned to Area Directors
(unless the Area Director is a
member of that club).
District Business Council
meeting is FREE to attend.
Business meeting time:
2:45pm-3:45pm
Meeting location: Capital One,
1680 Capital One Dr.,
McLean, Virginia, 22012
Credentials desk will be open
during the following times:
Whether you are planning to
come and vote in person or any
one carrying proxy for you needs
to pick the packet during these
times by going to the credentials
desk in the Atrium.
7:30am-8:45am
9:30am-12:00pm

1:00pm-2:15pm

District 29 Family,
November - the beginning of the second quarter. It is a good time to pause for a moment to reflect and
learn from our first quarter journey.
Nature has been changing things from a hot July to todays cooler weather and spectacular autumn
foliage. We have seen a transformation in Toastmasters as well. Together, we have planned and led;
listened and answered; given feedback and accepted it; formed teams and accomplish successful officer training, TLIs, contests, and much more. Our District 29 member accomplishments are reflected
on the Toastmasters International dashboard, in our newsletters, and on our web and social media
sites. Each purposeful flutter along the journey is being recognized and appreciated by our District leadership team. I am in awe of your dedication and enthusiasm just as I am in awe of the beauty of this
autumn season. THANK YOU!
How has your experience been so far? I hope you are having fun. As I reflect on our first quarter performance from my position as a District Director first-timer, something that our Founder, Dr. Ralph Smedley, said comes to my mind. Though said long ago, it remains true today - We learn best in moments of
enjoyment."
We have been effective over our first quarter. Our Fall Conference will mark a significant milestone on
our year's journey. At the District Council meeting we will report on progress, quietly reflect on the journey, and plan bold next actions that ensure success. In July, we embarked together on a journey to help
each member of District 29 become a more confident public speaker and a stronger leader by establishing supportive club climates that ensure club quality and excellence that allows for each member to
achieve his or her personal goals. Together we will continue to serve our members.
Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection
will come even more effective action. ~ Peter Drucker

Let's keep having FUN while learning to fly together in this metamorphic year!

District Direct Winter

Club Award

Kudos and congratulations

to the Humorous Speech
and Table Topics Contest
Winners

District Highlights,
Continued

Message From the Program Quality Director

Soar to New Heights!
The highlight of the fall season is our District 29 Fall Conference. This years conference has a great
agenda that will educate and entertain you. For those of you who have signed up, thank you for supporting our conference. If you havent signed up, you still have until November 6, to get in on the fun. Go
to our website TMD29.org and click on the registration link. Here is a quick summary of what is in store
for you:

Daniel Rex,
Chief Executive Officer
Toastmasters International
Soar to New Heights with
Toastmasters!

Program Quality Director

Lynn Wylde, DTM
Get Ready for Winter TLI!
Saturday, December 5, 2015
8am 12pm
Fairfax County
Government Center
12000 Government Ctr Pkwy
Fairfax, VA 22035
Saturday, January 9, 2016
8am 12pm
Fairfax County
Government Center
12000 Government Ctr Pkwy
Fairfax, VA 22035

Allison Shapira
Global Public Speaking, LLC
How to Find Your
Authentic Voice

Barbara Khozam
Accredited Toastmasters
Speaker
Zap Negavity
Ignite Your Life,
Your Results

Justin Omps
Leadership and
Management Consultant
Your Finest: Legacy and
the Power of Perception

Marian Goldberg
Alexander Technique
Center of Washington
Your LifeStress Free

Saturday, January 23, 2016

8am 12pm
Verizon Headquarters
22001 Loudoun
County Parkway
Ashburn, VA 20147
Thursday, January 28, 2016
5:30pm 8pm
Navy Federal Credit Union
820 Follin Lane
Vienna, VA 22180
Saturday, February 6, 2016
8am 12pm
McLean Bible Church
CNM Tysons
8925 Leesburg Pike
Vienna, VA 22182
Saturday, February 13, 2016
8am 12pm
McLean Bible Church
Manassas
10002 Battleview PkwyManassas, VA 20109
Saturday, February 20, 2016
8am 12pm
A.J. Ferlazzo Building
Prince William County
Government
15941 Donald Curtis Drive
Woodbridge, VA 22191

Hall
of
Fame
Join in on celebrating
the achievements of
our membership!

At the Table Topics Contest, enjoy the

quick-responding,, think-on-their-feet,
contestants who will amaze you! At the
Humorous Speech Contest, learn how
funny these Toastmasters can be!

Capital One has graciously offered to host

our conference in their headquarters
facility in McLean. I have seen the facility
and all I can say is wow! It is a first class
venue, holding our first class conference.

District Highlights,
Continued

Message From the Club Growth Director

Its hard to believe that its already November and the District Conference is upon us! Come
join us as we recognize our newest clubs as well as those clubs whose membership renewals
either meet or exceed their July 1 base numbers. See who earned sponsor, mentor, and
coach credit, and sign up if you want to learn more about becoming a sponsor, mentor, or
coach. Explore our advanced and specialty clubs as well as new clubs in formation.
As Ive visited many clubs this year, read the reports submitted after club Area Director visits,
and chatted with so many members at area and division contests, Ive learned that the district
is vibrant and flourishing. The role of the club is to serve the member, and our members are
being well served. Yes, some clubs are facing challenges, but there are many dedicated
Toastmasters willing and able to help. If your club would like assistance, please let me know
at cgd@tmd29.org. Lets work together to see what we can do to assist your club, and by
extension your members, in being successful.

Club Growth Director

Amy Brener, DTM
cgd@tmd29.org

CONGRATULATIONS
TO 2015 SMEDLEY
AWARD WINNERS!
B-2 Toasters
BAH Toastmasters Club
Lake Ridge Toastmasters
LMI Toastmasters
Loudoun Club
Toastmasters Anonymous

Core District Officers

Lovely Lall, DTM
District Director
Lynn Wylde, DTM
Program Quality Director
Amy Brener, DTM
Club Growth Director
Angela Davis, ACS, CL
Public Relations Manager
Juliette Brown, DTM
Finance Manager
Rhondra Willis, CC, ALB
Administration Manager
Victor Jimenez, TM
Logistics Manager
Joe Jarzombek, DTM, PID
Parliamentarian
Mahesh Patil, DTM
Immediate Past District
Governor

See you at the conference!

CONGRATULATIONS
TO OUR DISTRICTS
FALL EDUCATIONAL
AWARD WINNERS!

Best Practices:
Loudoun ClubGrowth in Excellence

September Educational
Award Achievers
Triple Crown Achievers
Distinguished Toastmaster
Award Achievers

BRAND TIPS
The Toastmasters brand has
a singular, solid identity that
should always reflect the
core attributes of the organizations personality.
Voice and Tone Checklist
Is your communication...?

warm
clear
friendly
member-focused
professional
succinct
respectful

Communication helps. So,

before we write or say anything, let's take a moment to
understand the context of our
communication
and
the
mindset of the audience.
From context and mindset
will come the appropriate
word choice to create relevant communications for our
various audiences.

LIGHTS, CAMERA,
ACTION!
Want to be a Star?
Come join us and have fun
developing quality programming with Toastmasters on
the
Mastering
Business
Communications (MBC) TV
show. Visit http://tmd29.org/
MBC.html. For more info
contact, Executive Producer,
Will Maples, ACB, ALB.

How does the Loudoun Club approach growth

and have one of the largest member gains
amongst District 29 clubs? We got the answer
from the source
We challenge the officers and club members
and then let them run with it. The biggest thing Ive
learned being president is that people can do great
things with a little guidance and occasional challenges. It can be a challenge for me to give up
control, but I see people enjoying taking ownership
of tasks themselves, and probably do a better job
than I would myself!
Each officer was challenged to take on at least
one new member as a mentee. In order to guide
them, I wrote two documents based on my own
mentoring experience - one for mentoring brand
new speakers, and another for those who already
feel comfortable with speaking. Each officer
stepped up to the challenge.
We encourage mentors to be proactive, from
explaining educational awards, to advice and encouragement on competing in contests, helping
mentees mold their speeches and sending detailed
evaluations after the speech. For more experienced speakers, we are experimenting with
speech coaching.
We focus on social media. We have Facebook,
Twitter, Meetup, website, and blog linked together.
In particular, we believe having our own individual
club Meetup group has brought us a lot of engagement. We respond to all queries to the website and
meetup immediately if possible. I believe this personal touch helps raise our prospective members
interest.

We have lively club meetings with members at

every stage of speaking proficiency. Visitors find
a family feeling, a club where the members care
about helping each other. We may not follow
Toastmasters traditions as much as some clubs,
but we make up for it in enthusiasm and fun! Its
very helpful that nearly all members attend each
meeting. The weaker clubs Ive seen have half or
fewer members attend typical meetings. I think that
the increased energy of 15-20 people over 5-10
people in the room makes a big difference to most
visitors.
Were building the relationship with our host,
the Mason Enterprise Center. Were very excited
about this new initiative weve undertaken. Toastmasters and this excellent organization whose
charter it is to help grow entrepreneurs is a match
made in heaven.
Ive never been as excited about this club and its
future as I am today. It is an amazing group of people to be blessed to be associated with, and I hope
I never forget that!

Gary Bisaga, ACB, CL

President
Loudoun Club
http://loudoun.toastmastersclubs.org/
Divisions D & E Meetup

Kudos to the Area Directors Who Have Also Completed 100% Club
Visits!

Shana Terry, ACB, ALB

Area 14, Division A

Matt Mertz, CC
Area 25, Division B

Gregory Josephs, ACB, CL

Area 45, Division D

Why plan fun meetings?

Well, for a start, would you rather go to a boring
meeting where everything is always predictable or
do you think you would be more inclined to go if
you knew you would have a fun filled evening?
Tough choice, isnt it?
Think of your club meeting as a gift. You are anticipating something very special but exactly what is in that colorful package is a
delicious surprise, waiting to be discovered and savored. Plan that
meeting as if it were a one of a kind gift to someone special. You
and your fellow Toastmasters are someone special.
I have a few ideas to help you get started, think of it as a
shopping list.
Plan special educational meetings. Have club
members give one of the Toastmasters educational modules available on the Toastmasters web
page. But dont stop there, look around our amazing membership and invite Toastmasters to share
some of their special skills like story telling, breathing exercises to enhance voice projection, magic, elevator speeches, acting skills, radio skills, humorous speeches. The list is endless. They can be fun and educational. If they are interactive, you
will boost the energy of the meeting dramatically.

Serena Reep, ACS, CL

Area 62, Division F

Catherine Calvin, ACB, ALB

Area 64, Division F

Learn from each other. Plan ethnic meetings.

How many members do you have who grew up in
another part of the world? How many members
grew up with different traditions, holidays and rituals? What do you know about them? Wouldnt it
be fascinating to take a virtual trip to another country for one of your meetings? How about planning a travel meeting
once a quarter? The first time I did this in one of my clubs, Toastmasters from West Virginia stepped forward to host a meeting.
Not quite what I had in mind but they set the stage for an amazing
evening and a wonderful meeting. Who knew there was so much
to learn about West Virginia? Or how about learning how light is
celebrated throughout the world?
Invite another club to have a debate with you.
Plan a Speech-a-thon with a twist. Make it a True
or False one where every speaker has to tell a
personal story either the entire speech is a personal story or a personal story is included in the
speech. Vote whether the story was true or a big fat lie and at the
end of the meeting ask the speaker about their story. Its a great
way to get to know your fellow members on a whole new level and
to have a really fun meeting.
You are only limited by your imagination. Get inspired and
borrow ideas from the world around you. Make
your themed meetings memorable events. Have
fun because if it is not fun, you wont want to
come and neither will anyone else.
Shu Bartholomew, DTM

Reflections on the Contest Experience

As a contestant.
Ava Logan-Woods, CC
This fall was my first time competing as a Table Topics Contestant, and it was a metamorphic experience. I learned my first lessons in the true art of answering Table Topics questions, how to own the stage, and to truly enjoy the experience. While preparing for the club level contest, I studied the art of making mini-speeches in a matter of seconds. There was a formality in this that I
hadnt previously considered in my club meetings. When I competed at the Area contest, I worked on owning the stage. I realized
that I deserved to be there and that I should show it through my delivery. At the Division contest, I saw how far I had come and, in
that moment, appreciated all that I had learned while being able to share my voice with people who are dedicated to the growth of
all Toastmasters.

As a contest master.
Paula Green, ACB, ALB
Area 34 Director, Division C
I enjoyed the challenge of being the Division C Contest Master very much. This role can be nerve-wracking, but it's a great opportunity to practice smooth transitions and good timekeeping. The goal is to lead the flow of the event while allowing the contestants
to take center stage. I'm very grateful to my home club, PMIWDC #01, for providing such good role models.

As a contestant and contest master.

Kinetta Johnson, ACB, ALB
Do you recall the unease you experienced during your first few Toastmasters meetings? Perhaps your motivation for joining was
to continue refining your communication and leadership skills. Or perhaps you are focused on completing the Competent
Communicator manual because in doing so, you will have reached the pinnacle" of your Toastmasters journey. A safe and supportive environment helps us achieve our goals and promotes progress, but can also lead to stagnation. But how can we combat
stagnation? One word: contests.
I first joined Toastmasters in 2005 and never considered entering a speech contest until 2014. I recently had the privilege of serving as the Table Topics
Contest Master at the Area and Division levels. It was a blast and the nuggets gleaned are numerous. Having been a contestant at all levels in the District I
have found out that participating in Toastmasters contests as a contestant or volunteer is an excellent way to combat stagnation by challenging us: to apply
our communication and leadership skills before a new audience, to solicit the insights of fellow Toastmasters, and to rapidly develop our speeches as we
progress through the competitive levels (Club, Area, Division, District) in a new environment (which is still safe and supportive.) Participating also helps us
reinvigorate our clubs as we share the lessons learned through our contest experiences. The one thing Id do differently is I wouldnt have waited nearly 10
years to enter or serve at my first contest. Because of the mentoring of fellow Toastmasters, I experienced rapid growth in my communication and leadership development and made great friendships along the way. If you want to combat club (or personal) stagnation, consider enriching your Toastmasters
journey by competing or serving at a future contest or even the upcoming International Conference. Its one of the best ways to get the most out of your journey.

Reflections on the Coaching Experience

I was quite nervous and a bit skeptical when Lovely asked me to co-coach the SRO Toastmasters club. I had only been a member
of Toastmasters for two years, what could I offer to a club that had just celebrated its 16th year? I attended my first meeting and it
was clear the location wasn't ideal. However, when your club is in a fairly rural area your choices are limited. The other thing I
noticed was burn out. The club officers had been keeping the club alive. It was time for new blood. Even if the new blood came
from the coaches, it was still new and we could fulfill roles that the officers had been filling meeting after meeting.
The year was not easy and I learned a lot through helping the club earn its distinguished club goal. First of all it was clear that the
members were proud of their club and had worked very hard to keep it alive. We couldn't just walk in and say we're here to save
your club. We had to become part of the club and earn the respect of the members. Secondly, it was very important to watch and
learn where we could add value. It was obvious this group had years of Toastmasters experience, way more then me, but they were in survival mode, we
were in growth. We voted to move the meeting location. We've worked together on an Open House, our President arranged a half day retreat with officers
from another club to discuss how we could support each other and is now working on a Speechcraft.
Bottom line, you don't have to have all of the answers to be a coach. Just the energy and willingness to collaborate with others to bring life back into a club.
I've never been a part of an organization with so many people willing to step up and help. Take the leap, you'll be glad you did.
Debbie Donehey, TM

Special Tribute to One of Our Own

It is with heavy heart and extreme sadness that we share this disheartening and shocking news. A very dedicated and passionate member of our District 29 family, Thomas
Richardson, ACS, CL from Reston Herndon passed away on Sunday, November 1st.
Tom will be missed sorely and remembered by his kind, gentle, happy demeanor and for
his willingness to help with huge smiles. Tom had served as a club officer, Area Governor, new club mentor and more... He was a humorous speech contestant this season
and went up to the Division level. Our sincere prayers are with his wife Mary and his
family.
His obituary proclaims that, as a young man, Tom was reserved, but over the course of
his life he worked to become gregarious, confident, and social. He joined Toastmasters
International, a public speaking club, of which he was a member for over thirty years. He
was an Area Governor, an award-winning speaker, and had his quest not been cut short,
he would have soon become a Distinguished Toastmaster. He loved bettering himself,
helping others learn, and enjoying the camaraderie of the clubs.
Locally, a memorial service will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax on Sunday, November 15th
at 3:00pm. A second service will be held on December 12th at the Methodist church in Willoughby, Ohio. His family is
asking that, in lieu of flowers, please donate to any of Tom's favorite charities, including DYNAinc.org, the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax, or the Willoughby Methodist Church.

Attention Club Presidents

and Vice Presidents Education:
Attend the District 29 Business Council Meeting on
Saturday, November 7, 2015
to cast your vote.
If you are unable to attend, please complete a proxy
form to be submitted by an attendee.

www.toastmasters.org

District #29
www.tmd29.org