The WestWord Summer 2016 District 33 News & Events

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: District Director’s Message 1 District Spotlight 9, 10 PQD / CGD Messages 2 Incoming Officer List 12 Website Consultant 4 Technology/Education Corner 13 Leader Spotlight 6 Ask Dana 13 Speaker Spotlight 7 Division Directors’ Messages 3, 5, 8, 11, 12

District 33 Toastmasters,

Wow District 33, we are sprinting toward the finish line and are well on our way towards becoming a Distinguished District. I couldn’t be more proud of all of you as we are truly working together as a team to become distinguished for the third year in a row. This year, we want to celebrate together on the stage in Washington, DC at the International Convention as we receive our awards for Distinguished District and Leadership Excellence. District 33 has not accomplished this honor for many years and it will be a true celebration for all of us. As we are completing our year end goals, please keep in mind that we are not quite there yet. We have worked so hard up to this point and we want to finish strong. Many of our clubs need a few more members or perhaps one more educational goal to become distinguished. Please keep in mind that the strength of our District is found in our members who make up the 218 clubs in our District. Visitors come to our meetings because we invite them; they stay when we come along beside them. When our clubs are successful in reaching their goals, it rolls all the way up to the District.

Our Toastmasters program is sometimes a well-kept secret and it does not have to be. Continue to diligently spread the word to your friends and acquaintances. By doing so, your club will be enriched with a plethora of new stories. A new member may very well have a lifechanging experience—a win-win for everyone. My fellow Toastmasters, seize the moment and take advantage of every opportunity to tell someone about Toastmasters this month. Let’s finish the race the same way we started—as a Distinguished District. Finally, I want to thank each and every one of you who stepped into a leadership role this year. Your service is extremely valuable to the District’s success each year. Our District is home to the most wonderful members found anywhere in the world and you are all truly an inspiration to everyone around you. As we look forward to the challenges ahead, it is an exciting time to be a part of Toastmasters. District 33, together we can do this!! Best regards, Debby Baker, DTM District Director

Debby Baker, DTM District 33 Director 2015-2016

Check out the District 33 website

D33.toastmastersdist ricts.org District 33 PRM Martha Navarrete, DTM Westword Newsletter Editor Dana Wall-Oakley, DTM

Ann Hill, DTM Contributing Writers District Officers Guy Dawson, DTM Ann Hill, DTM Michon Loyd, DTM Tim Mullins, DTM Dana Wall-Oakley, DTM

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District 33 Program Quality Director Jamuna Ramnath, DTM 16 Days – Countdown to Distinguished or better District! Our vision is to achieve 85 distinguished clubs, 8161 memberships and 218 paid clubs to become distinguished. We still have more work to be done. We need the help from all of our members as we head down the final stretch. Congratulations to club leaders and members for their amazing performance in helping the clubs to achieve success by mentoring members and earning personal awards. I am thrilled with the number of educational and leadership awards you have each accomplished this year. Our District has earned 23 DTMs, 283 Leadership awards and 528 communication awards so far. Bravo to all member achievements and President’s, Select and Distinguished clubs. Compliments to clubs: Bolder Voices, Wordmasters and Rhetorical Link who won new Toastmasters branded club banners with the District 33 Membership Drive for adding five new members during May. “It ain’t June 30th yet.” We are short of 22 clubs to become distinguished. There are over 50 clubs within striking distance—each just has to meet the one or two or three member requirement. Keep up the spirit of enthusiasm and success! You still have an opportunity to earn two District Incentives: Club Open House contest and the Star Member Award. The Star Member award is for individual members who sponsor five or more members while earning three education awards before June 30. Let’s focus and work together to finish strong in growth, retention and quality to become distinguished. Follow your heart and passion! I hope that you will take the time, as we enter the new term year, to set goals, both personally and for your club. Finally, to all of our District 33 Toastmasters: Thank you for the opportunity to serve you and our District as your Program Quality Director for 2015-2016. Keep up your incredible hardwork and perseverance! “We will achieve when we believe in it”

Cheers! District 33 Club Growth Director Guy Dawson, DTM The 2015/2016 Toastmaster Year Has Been an Exciting Adventure I am amazed at how quickly this year has gone by. The daily rigors and joys of District leadership have kept me so busy that, at times, I have forgotten to look at the calendar. We have been engaged in successful club building and retention activities for 11 months and we are seeing the fruits of our hard work. These are exciting times. District 33 has added a club or more in most of its Divisions this year and our growth is a testimony to the commitment of our leaders to share the Toastmasters program with new groups of people. At our officer trainings, we have stressed the importance of developing a growth culture—a belief in the value of our organization and its ability to enhance the lives of others. The members of the district’s newest clubs are now a part of our family. It is up to us to embrace and nurture their growth and goal fulfillment. It has been my pleasure to work with two outstanding committees this year: the District Club Extension Chairs and the Las Vegas Team of Champions. These groups of dedicated and experienced Toastmasters have created miracles through their collaborative efforts. As we grow, our leaders and members face new challenges. The collective success of both District 33 and the emerging Las Vegas District will continue to depend upon our focus on providing outstanding educational opportunities for every member. Our District added six (6) new clubs in April and there are at least six (6) more that are close to reaching chartered status. We were able to renew all but three of our clubs during the October renewal period. Almost all of our remaining clubs are poised to renew by June 30. We are very close to achieving Distinguished District status for the 3rd consecutive year. I challenge you all to strive for excellence by fulfilling the Distinguished Club Program (DCP) requirements. Your club members deserve to be recognized for their achievements and the DCP is the roadmap to maximizing their educational experiences. Thank you for the unbelievable support you have given me this year.

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Division A Director Vanessa Thomas, ACB/CL

Division B Director Alan Mann, DTM

Membership in Toastmasters continues to pay dividends in Division A!

The 2015-2016 Toastmasters year in Division B has been wonderful, thanks to the efforts of my Area Directors and other leaders who have made that Commitment to Excellence. Our biggest successes have come from the wealth of new and seasoned leaders. We had two great TLI’s with dynamic trainers and two fantastic rounds of contests.

“Ever since I was a child, the idea of meeting an astronaut seemed out of reach... Now the unreal happened. I met astronaut, Sandra Magnus, who later introduced ME for my speech inside the California State Capitol as I talked about myself and my company, Precision Labs; how to be involved in aerospace legislation; Coolcalifornia.org and more. Special thanks to Toastmasters and mentor, Jim Allen (fellow Shop Talk Toastmaster member), for helping lay a great foundation.” – Terry Norris

On May 25, two months after his speech in the State Capitol, Terry and his wife Silvia Garcia-Norris, received Business of the Year honors from the California State Assembly. Kudos to Terry who joins the countless Division A members who “pay forward” the numerous benefits received from their Toastmasters membership by showcasing their communication and leadership skills. Several such members were mentioned in this column during the first issue of the 2015-16 WestWord. Congratulations to the four clubs that earned District 33’s Early Bird Distinguished Awards during the Spring Conference Hall of Fame: Broads & Beaus and Shop Talk Toastmasters for President’s Distinguished; Downtown Toastmasters for Select Distinguished and Gift of Gab for Distinguished. Since the conference, Gift of Gab has moved up to Select Distinguished and expects to be President’s Distinguished by June 30. On July 1st, we welcome a new leadership team. Incoming Division A Director, Flora Turner has already planned the club officer’s training for July 23 with guest speaker, Past International Director, Mary Russell. Thank you to our remarkable Area Directors for achieving and reporting 100% of their club visits during the second round. Tremendous thanks, also, to my mentor, Dana LaMon. It has been an honor to serve our Division A members with such dedicated leaders.

We continued our community outreach with our support for the Ventura County Academic Decathlon.

Thanks to the commitment and dedication of Rebecca Shank, ACS, ALB and her team, Patagonia Toastmasters was chartered with 35 members. Lydia Cruz-Machlitt ACS, ALB and her team are diligently working on chartering Padre Sierra Church Toastmasters. Other leaders are working to rebuild Vibrant Voices. We also have great club coaches like Dean Menes, DTM working to assist clubs in need. One would only have to come to Division B for proof that Toastmasters is “A place where Leaders are made.” We are a division rich in members who have served Toastmasters in the past. We also have new leaders, like Kirkland Tibbels, ACB, CL who was the contest chair for our awesome Division contest, and Michael Ford, CC, ALB who was the Division Chief Judge and who is mentoring a new club. Our Division webmaster, who supports both Divisions B & J, has made a website whose tools are a great supplement to the District website. With the end of the Toastmasters year in sight, the challenge ahead for all of us is to commit to leading the Division B clubs to end the year as Distinguished, Select Distinguished or President’s Distinguished by June 30th.

Finally, I know that my successor, Richard Young, DTM, will be an awesome leader for Division B for the 20162017 Toastmasters year. http://www.divisionbd33.org/

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IS YOUR CLUB “

?”

By Tim Mullins, DTM District Club Website Consultant [email protected]

Amazing, Astonishing and Awesome! What, you might ask, would cause such a reaction? As I sit here and write this article… and reflect on District 33’s…

Distinguished Club Website Program (DCWP) I’m impressed by the fact that District 33 has:  30 clubs that have achieved President’s Distinguished (9 or 10 Goals) (~14.4% of D33 clubs)  22 clubs that have achieved Select Distinguished (7 or 8 Goals) (~10.5% of D33 clubs)  67 clubs that have achieved Distinguished (5 or 6 Goals) (~32.1% of D33 clubs) That is an amazing 57% of our District 33 clubs that have websites that are Distinguished or better. Congratulations to all of our astonishing D33 clubs for “Rising to the Opportunity”. I am… awe-struck!!! But District 33 also has:  33 clubs that are only 1 point away (4 Goals) (~15.8% of D33 clubs) This brings the percentage of our Distinguished clubs and also-rans to 72.8% (AMAZING) If this is the first you are hearing about the (DCWP), then I obviously didn’t fulfill my responsibilities as well as I should or could have. (I’ll try harder next year.) If you want to learn more about this Club Website Excellence Program then please visit the following District 33 website webpages: ABOUT THE DCWP PROGRAM: http://d33.toastmastersdistricts.org/District_33_Distinguished_Club_Website_Program.html INDIVIDUAL CLUB WEBSITE STATUS: http://d33.toastmastersdistricts.org/D33_Distinguished_Club_Website_Program_Status.html We are rapidly approaching the end of yet another Toastmaster year. Where did the time go? But the more important question is… did you achieve your personal Toastmaster goals? Did your club achieve its DCP Goals? Did your club website achieve its DCWP Goal? If you did… then all I can say is… that’s AMAZING, ASTONISHING AND AWESOME!

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Division C Director Michele Shafe, DTM

Division D Director Lorrie Linnert-Dunford, DTM

Division C is Committed to Excellence

The Dynamos of Division D have submitted 100% of our area visits offering great feedback to strengthen our clubs, build membership and meet our members’ goals to finish the year strong. Division D currently has six clubs which are distinguished or better. Personally, I love making those phone calls to congratulate the club Presidents on their members’ hard work and club’s achievements! These include: I’ll Drink to That, Sourcer-Ers, Windjammers, Summerlin Toasters, Colorado River Toastmasters, and Jackpot Speakers. Many clubs just need a couple more members or an educational! Division D chartered 2 new clubs: Express Yourself on April 24 for United States Postal Service and Caeze the Toast for Caesars Entertainment Sales on June 6. Pro Toastmasters is a new advanced group geared toward individuals who own their own business, want to be professional speakers, or just want to take their skills to higher level. We need just 5 more members to charter our club. Meetings take place on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays at 7:00 pm, MGM Operations Center at 6770 Edmond St. Join us on June 22! The Southern Nevada Toastmasters TLI will be June 18 at Cashman Center. We have a fantastic program planned for all our incoming officers, but all club members are welcome to attend! Linda Ulrich, DTM PDG is transitioning as the 2016-2017 Division D Director. You will have the opportunity to meet her and the new Division D team at the TLI. It has been an incredible year for Division D! I want to thank the Division D Dynamos: Coey Humble, Cozy Meyer, Carolyn Pelletier, Phyllis Wall and Amanda Ayres! They have worked tirelessly to support our clubs in Division D and the results speak for themselves. I am proud and humbled to have served with this amazing group of ladies! I am also so proud of our club officers and members who have worked hard to grow membership and meet their members’ needs! You are truly living the Toastmasters Promise!

It has truly been a privilege to serve as the first Division C “Director” this year. It took a while to get used to the name change from “Governors” to “Directors” as many of you (still) know! Speaking of Directors, I was very fortunate to work with a wonderful group of Area Directors this year: Carol Burgeson, Charmaine Keever, Michael Morrow, Leslie Taylor, Melissa Valdez and John Lorenzo. Much thanks also goes out to our outstanding Chief Judge, Carol Campbell. We all worked very well as a team, laughed much and learned a lot from each other! I am especially pleased to note that Carol Burgeson is the incoming Division C Director and Michael Morrow will be the first ever Division K Director for the 2016-17 year. They will make District 33 proud!

This year would not have been the same without the assistance of my outstanding fellow Division Directors in Las Vegas. Kudos to Lorrie LinnertDunford and Stany Larsen, for all of your encouragement, great attitudes and support! I’d also like to thank our District leaders for their Commitment to Excellence, as well as my special mentors who have helped to make many of this year’s successes possible. Two new clubs, Henderson Toasters and Morelli House Toastmasters, joined our Division C family this year. As of this writing, there are two more clubs getting close to chartering before June 30th! We currently have six clubs that are Distinguished or better and at least eight clubs within reach of becoming Distinguished before June 30th. Overall, Division C had an excellent year. Receiving the Milo Graham Award, on behalf of this Division, was an honor that I’ll never forget. Thank you for all of the great memories! Sincerely, Michele Shafe, DTM

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Leader Spotlight: Katy Porter By Guy Dawson, DTM

Leader Spotlight

Katy Porter, DTM, IPDG is almost a full year removed from her role as District 33 Governor. Guy Dawson, Club Growth Director, spoke with her recently about her experiences as the leader of the District and what she is doing with her time these days.

Guy Dawson (GD): How are things going the year after your District Governor’s experience? Katy Porter (KP): I definitely threw myself into being the District Governor. There were so many opportunities for leadership. Being in that position required me to do a lot of cross-checking, delegating and persuading. I loved being a District Governor.

KP: As Immediate Past District Governor, I don’t have the responsibility of making sure that everything gets done. Now, my energy has refocused from leadership to support. I have spent a lot of time mentoring people this year and supporting the trio. I appreciated being allowed to contribute to the District as a Nominations and Club Extension Chair this year. Debby also asked for my help with some logistical things. At this stage of the year, we have all of the oars in the water and we are rowing hard to become Distinguished again. GD: What was your biggest takeaway from last year? KP: I gained a great appreciation for our members. They are dedicated to the concepts of Toastmasters at the club, area and district level. Our members are so willing to be a part of the whole. I have made so many friends in the District. Toastmasters is an incredible way to learn about and practice service. GD: Can you share some of the leadership lessons you have learned on your journey? KP: There were so many. I learned a lot of lessons about follow through. You have to follow up to help people become successful. I also learned how to keep my eye on the prize. There are more important things than the District goals but you still have to be accountable for them. You have to stay focused on the objective and motivate the people around you. We support clubs that are challenged and start new clubs to share the experience of Toastmasters. When you are looking up at a group of 20 or 40 people at a [new club] kick off meeting, it can be very humbling. You realize that the information that you will share with them is going to have a tremendous impact on their lives. You are introducing them to Toastmasters. It feels really good. GD: Are there five tips that you could offer about leadership? KP: 1) Be clear about your goals and translate your clarity to the people you are leading. 2) Listen from the perspective of wanting to understand what the other person is feeling. 3) Celebrate your victories. 4) Be ready to put in the work to plan, prepare and strategize. 5) Have fun with Toastmasters. It’s a fun place to be. Put on contests with prizes and do fun things.

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Speaker Spotlight

Past Division Governor and District 33 Public Relations Professional, Michon Loyd, DTM, interviewed International Speech Contestant, Kyle Cavalier, who will represent District 33 in the Semi-Finals of the World Champion of Public Speaking speech contests taking place at the August Toastmasters International Convention in Washington, DC. Michon Loyd (ML): Kyle, How long have you been a member of Toastmasters?

Kyle Cavalier (KC): Three years; joined May 2013 ML: Why did you join Toastmasters? KC: I was interested in improving my public speaking skills and becoming more comfortable in front of an audience. ML: What did you expect to get from your Toastmasters experience and how was it different? How has it changed? KC: I expected to learn to become a better speaker, but I was unaware of the leadership program which I have found to be very beneficial. I also had not expected to ever compete as I was too afraid to get in front of many people. But, I have found that competing has made me a better speaker, conversationalist, leader, learner, networker, mentor, mentee, and friend. ML: How did you compose your winning District 33 International Speech 'The Lane to Perfection'? KC: 'The Lane to Perfection' was a rewrite of an earlier speech that I gave in 2014 at my club, Bolder Voices. That was my second speech from the Competent Communicator manual and my mentor, Bill, mentioned that it was International Speech worthy. Two years later, I began to rewrite it, practiced it, and continued to gain feedback along the way. The speech would not have been competition-worthy without all of the great feedback that I received and all of the modifications that I made. I received feedback from my club, other clubs, those outside of Toastmasters, and DTMs whom I met along my journey. ML: Do you have any speech writing secrets to share with other Toastmasters who would like to compete at speech contests? KC: There are no secrets in Toastmasters. Ask and you shall receive. Everyone has been very friendly and has given me advice, even those who I competed against! When writing a speech, ensure you have a theme and a message. Write in your transitions. Solicit feedback often. Go in with the mindset that you are sharing your story, your speech, your message with the audience, not [with] the mindset that you have to win or impress the judges. That will come if you are sincere and have humility. Prepare it with your audience in mind. Remember that you need to connect to your audience. The perfection will be in the connection. ML: What is your favorite past-time? KC: Bowling :) ML: Where are you originally from? How long have you lived in Las Vegas? KC: Originally Los Angeles. I’ve lived in Las Vegas for 20 years, since 1996. ML: Have you been to Washington, DC? What are you looking forward to the most in your convention experience (besides winning in the semi-finals and competing in the World Championship of Public Speaking?) KC: I have been to DC twice before for vacation. It is an amazing place! I am looking forward to networking, meeting people and learning from this amazing opportunity and experience. I am also looking forward to hearing some great speeches. ML: What advice would you give to a new TM who has never competed in a speech competition? KC: Competing will take you to a whole new level. You will improve in more ways than you ever thought possible. You will meet some of the most amazing people along the way. My advice is to compete every year. Competing will help you gain the confidence and skill in speaking in front of larger audiences. When competing, make sure to solicit feedback as much as you can. Visit other clubs. Video yourself. Never stop learning. If you dream like a world champion, you can become a world champion. Most importantly, have fun! Thank you, Kyle, for taking the time to share your story with our District 33 membership. Best wishes to you, our next World Champion of Public Speaking.

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Division E Director Julie Boyce, ACG/ALB

Division F Director Sondra Ahlen, ACB/ALB

My Service as the Last Division E Governor and the First Division E Director is coming to an end Division E’s membership has an interesting collection of vibrant and sincere Toastmasters. Stepping up to be considered for the post of Director was exciting for me—I was up for the challenge. One of the things to contemplate: how to handle whatever comes my way while guiding the clubs with the support of my Area Directors. “Listen, Advise, Respect and Be Fair” was the mission I shared with the team. They were willing to support and follow my vision. My job was to see that the clubs progressed and achieved their goals while being the best they could be. It’s amazing what can be accomplished in one year, let alone two years. One of the most important tasks was open communication between my Area Directors and me. Each month, we set aside a conference call for us to share Area happenings, along with the items we would work on and complete. I enjoyed positive interaction with the members. I am very proud of how all the contests and officer trainings were well supported by the Division E Membership. As Division E Governor and Director for two years, 2014-2015 and 2015-2016, respectively, I have honed more skills and even learned some new ones, which I am thankful for. My wish for Division E is that it holds its head proud and continues the work so that it can be THE BEST IT CAN BE. I am grateful to this year’s Area E Directors for their support: Lisa Marrone (E1), Susan Friesen (E2), David Machacek (E3), Grace Rachow (E4), Dr. Joseph Skoda (E5) and Melissa Moriarty (E6).

Division F keeps on “Enabling Dreams” Summer fun in Fabulous F as we aim for President’s Distinguished Division Dreams come true. Members are more confident and effective at communicating with others, working in teams and achieving goals. All Division F clubs are active and growing, including our new club, Turlock Chamber Speakers. Congratulations to Foster Farms Roasters for District 33’s Early Bird Select Distinguished award and to Central Valley Communicators and Olive Branch Orators for Early Bird Distinguished! Congrats also to Karen Mous, ACS, ALB, for the District 33 Star Member Award plus special recognition from Past International President, Michael Notaro, DTM! Monthly Club Growth Workshops have created teams of Serious-Willing-Active Toastmasters, trained and learning together to charter new clubs, build membership, and coach struggling clubs back to health. Division F clubs boost membership with ‘360-degree marketing’ strategies to reach Distinguished Club status before the end of June. Members are also using flip charts and name lists to think together enthusiastically: “How can we get to 20 or more members? Who already paid? Who agreed to join? Who could renew or come back? Who else can we invite?” We can do it! On July 1st, we welcome a new leadership team and spin off a new Area F5. Incoming Division F Director, Chris Hempleman, is already planning for club officer’s training on June 18th. He has initiated a DCP Task Force to help clubs be successful and achieve their goals. Chris’ focus will be ‘Strong Teams – Strong Results.’ With many challenges and opportunities ahead, we will continue the legacy of “Enabling Dreams with a Commitment to Excellence” in Division F. Sondra Ahlén, ACS, ALB Division F Director (2015-2016) http://d33.toastmastersdistricts.org/Division_F.html [email protected]

Sincerely, Julie Boyce, ACG, ALB Division E Director

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District Spotlight

District Spring Conference by Guy Dawson, DTM

District 33’s Spring Conference was held at the Tuscany Hotel and Casino in fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada on May 6 & 7. The event was an exciting highlight of another successful year where our members gathered to renew old friendships and create new ones. Our District’s finest speakers and leaders sparkled and the weekend was one to remember.

The festivities began with an exclusive, scrumptious dinner to honor the District’s new club sponsors and mentors and club coaches. District Director, Debby Baker, and Toastmasters International Chief Executive Officer, Daniel Rex, praised the attendees for their commitment to sharing our organization’s message to new groups of people. The keynote speaker, Michael Notaro, gave a wonderful motivational speech. Las Vegan, George Gilbert, ACG, AS kicked off the Friday night conference with his entertaining speech “How Humor Can Benefit Your Business and Your Life.” His talk was followed by the Hall of Fame Celebration and Awards presentation. Members and clubs were recognized for their excellence and the ceremony was topped off with a procession to welcome the District’s newest DTM’s. Day two of the Conference began with breakfast for both the First Timers Welcome gathering and for the District Executive Committee meeting. The banner parade and Opening Ceremony led us into a memorable keynote speech from Daniel Rex and a host of outstanding educational workshops. Ellie Kay, ACG, AS and author, Judy Carter, shared incredible information for personal growth and development. Our District’s Tall Tales contest was held after lunch. We chuckled while following the outrageous stories of each of the nine speakers. Malcolm Hamilton won the first place prize with an incredibly creative, fictitious tale. The Annual Business Meeting brought us all up to speed on the happenings within our District. We appear to be on track to achieve Distinguished status for the third consecutive year. Program Quality Director, Jamuna Ramnath, DTM, was elected District Director for 2016-2017 in a contested race as well as a slate of new officers at the district and division level. We topped off the evening with a thrilling International Speech contest. Kyle Cavalier took home the first place prize and will represent District 33 at the International Convention in Washington DC in August. District Conferences are amazing opportunities to capture the essence of the Toastmasters experience and build lifelong friendships. We hope to see you all November 4 & 5 in Fresno, California at the 2016-2017 Fall Conference.

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A FABULOUS SELECTION OF PICTURES FROM THE SPRING DISTRICT CONFERENCE Thanks to Phil Dahlheimer for his amazing pictures – visit his site for more: www.philsphotos.us

Keynote Speakers – Daniel Rex, CEO of Toastmasters Judy Carter 

Keynote Speakers George Gilbert

 Tall Tale Contestants



Tall Tale Winners

Ellie Kay

 OTHER WINNERS: District 33 Toastmaster & Sparkplug of the Year Division C – Milo Graham Award ↓ Grace Rachow ↓ ↓Martha Navarette

 International Contestants International Winners

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Division G Director Monica Story, ACB/ALB

Division H Director Stany Larsen, ACB/CL

AS WE ALL KNOW, CREAM RISES TO THE TOP!! Monica Story, ACB, ALB 2015-2016 Division G Director It has been my honor and complete pleasure to watch Division G and all of its talented and gifted members, clubs and areas rise to the top, like sweet cream, over this past year. At the beginning of the year there was great momentum that carried over from last year's leaders. It has been our goal in Division G to keep it going well into 2015-2016 as we grow and glow with each exciting event that takes place on the Toastmasters calendar. From the Installation of Officers to Club Officer Training; from Speech Contests to Conferences; from struggling clubs to thriving clubs, we have grown—become more knowledgeable and continued to rise with each challenge. We are so proud to have successfully maintained our 20 clubs through dedication, encouragement and positive action. We will know in the next few weeks if we have added a new Spicey Club (Olam Spice Club) to our creamy mix and we know that we are on track to reach Distinguished Division – June 30 is not here yet!!! It has been an outstanding year with an awesome team at my side. Thank you to Area G1 Director, Susan Smilanich; Area G2 Director, Sam Wong; Area G3 Director, Rose Scott; and Area G4 Director, Paul Laufer for your dedicated and passionate perseverance. You have been the cream in my cup of tea – always there in the trenches, making it happen. Thank you to Debby Baker, Jamuna Ramnath and Guy Dawson for being our trusted leaders and model mentors; your guidance and encouragement has steered us and kept us on a steady course. It has been a true privilege to serve with all of you, the cream of the crop!! As this year draws to a successful close, we give thanks for this amazing journey and glorious Toastmasters organization that allows each one of us to be lifted like cream to the top!! Cheers to and for Division G!!

Oh my, we are winding down. How this year has flown. Well, only one more thing to do as outgoing Division H Director. Pull the club reports and notify clubs of their DCP standing. Want to make sure all the Division Clubs have an opportunity to achieve Distinguished and be the best they can be! Oh wait, one other thing to do: finish planning Toastmasters Training Institute (TLI) and getting the word out to the incoming Officers. Want to give all the clubs a chance to start off the new Toastmasters year with all the opportunities for success. Oh, one more thing…write this article for the WestWord to tell everyone I appreciated all their help and support this past year! Oh, and one last thing to do: finish my DTM before June 30th… Wait; can I have just 30 more days to finish everything…just until August 1st? Guess NOT! My wish and advice to all incoming Directors: Stay flexible, open-minded, open-hearted and supportive. Use your ears more than your mouth. Find a mentor, someone who successfully walked the path before you. Be prepared for a wild, roller-coaster type ride that is over way too quick. Be prepared for growth you never would have thought possible. Thank you for a wonderful year and best wishes to all incoming Directors. Sincerely, Stany Larsen, ACS, ALS Division H Director, 2015-2016

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Division J Director Anthony Aleta, ACB/ALB As I step away from the Division Director's chair in Division J, there will be more than a few memories that remain with me: all of them about our accomplishments together, especially all of the 'first-time' milestones for many Division J Toastmasters. For example, I reveled in several members attending their first District event. For some, it was an area or division level contest. For others, it was an officer’s training/Toastmasters Leadership Institute. There were even those who stretched out to attend our District Conferences for the first time (highly recommended, at least once). Special recognition is also in order for our fine speech contest representatives throughout the year. I would be remiss if I did not recognize our most recent speech contest representatives: Pawan Gupta (Simi Valley Toastmasters) who represented us in a competitive District 33 Tall Tales Contest, as well as Cassandra Seibel (CLU Expressionists), who brought home Second Place in the District 33 International Speech contest. We still have a few weeks before the end of the Toastmasters year and the 'changing of the guard' occurs. Congratulations to Simi Valley Toastmasters, T.O.T.A.L, Rhetorical Link and the Amgen Noon Talkers for attaining Distinguished or better Club Status. I know many of you are working on those final achievements as we approach June 30th. Let's finish off this Toastmasters year with an effort we can take pride in! I would finally like to extend special thanks to ALL of the leaders in Division J: from the unsung heroes of every club who lead with and without titles (many of whom have been of great help to me), to the club officers, to my area directors... I thank you all once again. I have little doubt that the foundation has been laid for a bright future in Division J!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! To the Incoming 2016-2017 District 33 Chief Officers: The “Top 7”

The Other District Roles

District Director - Jamuna Ramnath Program Quality Director - Guy Dawson Club Growth Director - Tim Mullins Public Relations Manager – Roberta Nadler Administration Manager – Anthony Aleta Finance Manager – Phil Bateman Logistics Manager – Eric Riddle

Immediate Past District Director – Debby Baker

Division Directors A (Lancaster-Palmdale-Bakersfield) - Flora Turner B (West Ventura Co) - Chris Young C (Las Vegas) - Carol Burgeson D (Las Vegas) - Linda Ulrich E (Santa Barbara-Santa Maria-San Luis Obispo) - Christine Campos F (Modesto-Merced) - Chris Hempleman G (Fresno-Visalia-Tulare) - Darnell Evans H (Las Vegas) - Barbara Westhoff K (Las Vegas) - Michael Morrow

District 33 Parliamentarian – Herb Nowlin District 33 Chief Judge - Grace Rachow District Webmaster - Dana Wall-Oakley District Club Website Consultant – Tim Mullins WestWord Editor – Dana Wall-Oakley Region 2 Advisor – Jesse Oakley III Club Retention Chair – Kay Collis Club Quality Chair - Lorrie Linnert-Dunford Club New Source Research Chair–Gene Dunford

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Education Corner

Technology Corner

Resources from Toastmasters International

The District 33 Website By Dana Wall-Oakley How often do you visit our District 33 website? Every day? A few times a month? Never? Are you asking yourself right now District 33 has a website?? Yes, we do! The District 33 website is a great site to find out what’s happening in our District. The home page is a pathway to the individual Division pages, the District Calendar, resources at Toastmasters International and much more. When’s the next conference? Not sure, check the calendar. Who won Sparkplug and Toastmaster of the Year for the District at the Spring Conference? Check the Award Winners page. Look up any of the New or Archived Westword Newsletters on The Westword & Archives link. As the incoming District Webmaster, I hope that all of you take some time to visit the District Website this coming year. It is my goal to keep the pages updated, as well as looking fantastic! If you have a flyer or pictures from an Open House event you would like to share with the District, please send them to me with a request to post them. You will find your pictures on the D33 Club Open House Events page. Other flyers such as for contests, TLI’s and various events should be sent to me for posting, as well. Let’s make our District 33 Website ROCK even more!!! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at [email protected] or on my cell phone at (702) 769-0351.

Ask Dana

There is a plethora of free resources available at Toastmasters.org. Visit this website and click Resources. The links listed will help you find anything you might be looking for from Toastmasters International. Many of these resources are downloadable. Toastmasters International also has a podcast. http://www.toastmasterspodcast.com/ If you are interested in starting a new club, this link will help. It’s the New Club E-toolkit: http://www.toastmasters.org/Members/OfficerResource s/ClubOfficerResources/NewClubEtoolkit.aspx This link will help your club with Membership Building, scroll down the page to Resources: https://www.toastmasters.org/Leadership-Central/ClubOfficer-Tools/Membership-Building If you prefer to watch videos, this link will give you video resources – http://www.toastmasters.org/MainMenuCategories/Fre eResources/ToastmastersTimeTestedCommunicationTips onVideo.aspx Many of the educational materials available in the shop are downloadable, search for manuals, flyers, and other pamphlets at this link – http://www.toastmasters.org/MainMenuCategories/Sho p/ManualsBooksVideosCDs_1.aspx Visit Toastmasters.org for resources - Educational Materials, District & Division reports, Membership Materials, etc. to help build membership and educate your club members.

By Dana Wall-Oakley, DTM / CGW (Computer Guru/Webmaster)

Where can I find the DCP points for my club? It ain’t June 30th yet, but it’s pretty darn close. Are you keeping track of your club’s DCP points? Do you know your current status? Or, are you thoroughly confused about where to even begin looking for it? It’s actually not as complicated as it seems. You don’t even have to log in at Toastmasters.org. Here are the simple steps to follow to see your club’s current DCP points:

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Go to toastmasters.org Look along the top bar for Leadership Central Click on it Click on the link “Distinguished Performance Reports” in the right hand column On the next, you have several choices: a. In the upper left hand corner, in the search box, type in your club number and hit enter OR b. Click on the “Select a District” drop box and Scroll down to District 33 Scroll down to find your club in the correct Division and Area for District 33 Click on your club number

This will bring up your club’s official Distinguished Club Program Report with the points you have achieved to date according to Toastmasters International. It also shows you how many more points you need and which points are needed. Remember that your club must have a minimum of 20 members or a net gain of 5 from your base membership at the last renewal cycle. If you have any questions about finding this information, please feel free to contact me at [email protected] or on my cell phone at (702) 769-0351.

District #33 in Region 2 Central California Southern Nevada

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