Thursday, March 15, 2018

What Makes BeGes So Special? Presidential Brief March 2018

BeGes President’s Newsletter March 2018

 

WHAT MAKES BEGES SO SPECIAL?



Beges,

When we became a member of Toastmasters, out of all the possible clubs in the area, we may or may not have put a huge amount of thought into why we chose to join BeGes.

Maybe it was the downtown location (with free parking)! Maybe it was the time and day (Friday afternoons work better for many folks). Maybe it was the camaraderie shown amongst members - we laugh a lot and genuinely like each other.

For me, the appeal was also that we were such an eclectic group.  I'd "auditioned" five other clubs, four were associated with a workplace (where the employer had required employees to join), and one seemed to be a very small group of retired people. BeGes had entrepreneurs like myself as well as business professionals, but more importantly it embraced a wide range of individual personalities. I felt like my quirky character would fit in.

Toastmasters provides an organizational template for groups, along with supportive materials for our education and growth. But it's the individuals in the club that create its environment.

Each one of us contributes to the atmosphere that's present at the meetings. We contribute in an overt way by simply showing up, giving speeches, participating in the different roles. This is a win-win for us because we can make progress through our manuals and get to put letters at the end of our names when we're done. (No, really, progressing through manuals also means we've gained skills in speaking and leadership as well).

But we also contribute in a less obvious way, in *how* we show up. Do we attend with a sincere desire to participate? Do we treat others with respect? Are we supportive in our feedback? Are we kind and understanding?

It's something to think about. Besides the laughter as BeGes, we were attracted to our club's culture. When we come to meetings and are consciously present and supportive, we make it a safe place for all of us to learn and grow.

Joan Newcomb
BeGes Club President
2017-2018

Upcoming Events

Friday, March 16 we have our monthly Officer's Meeting - everyone's invited! Come see behind the scenes what we do to make our club as exceptional as it is.

February-March, we're having a Membership Drive, this is an excellent time to bring a friend to BeGes!

OFFICER ELECTIONS
Our club's elections will be May with terms beginning in July.
Now's the time to consider if you want to step up.

Here are descriptions for each:
President presides at meetings of the Club, has general supervision of the operations of the Club
Vice President of Education Plans & directs club programs meeting Club members' educational needs. Plans & publishes regular schedules of meeting assignments. Keeps track of member's progress towards goals.
Vice President of Membership Plans and directs programs to retain and increase club membership.
Vice President of Public Relations Develops & directs programs informing members and the public about Toastmasters International and Club activities.
Treasurer Responsible for Club financial policies, procedures and controls. Collects dues and pays dues to Toastmasters International, and maintains records. Makes financial reports to the Club at least quarterly. Receives and disburses, with approval of the Club, all Club funds.
Secretary Responsible for Club records and correspondence. Maintains club roster. Has custody of the Club’s charter, Constitution, Bylaws, and all other records and documents of the club. Keeps an accurate record of the meetings and activities of the Club.
Sergeant at Arms Prepares meeting room for meeting. Maintains Club property, including banner, nametags, and supplies. Greets visitors. Chairs Social and Reception Committees.
Have any questions? Talk to any one of our current officers:
President - Joan Newcomb
VPE - Mary Morrison
VPM - Rebecca Parson
VPPR - Jennifer Fischer
Treasurer - Steve Garvin
Secretary - Kristi Langdon
SAA - Eric Heller





Thursday, February 8, 2018

Presidential Brief for February 2018

BeGes President’s Newsletter February 2018

 

F.E.A.R.




Beges,

We all know what FEAR is. It's something we had to overcome just to walk in the door of our first Toastmaster's Meeting. And it's also what can keep us from taking the steps to achieve our goals.

A common response to fear  is to "F*%k Everything And Run".

I know this to be true for myself. I checked out 6 different Toastmasters groups before deciding on BeGes. And when I went back to join, I freaked out and ran instead. It took me an entire year before returning to become a member.

I heard a new analogy for fear: "Face Everything And Rise"!

Toastmasters has wonderful ways to help you overcome your trepidation with public speaking. You just need to show up, try different roles, work your way through the manuals, one speech at a time (roughly every 6-8 weeks) one project at a time. 

One of our newer members, who'd taken a couple years to decide to join, has found themselves being assigned to give presentations in their workplace. Before BeGes, this would have been debilitating! Instead they are rising above, thanks to Toastmasters!

Joan Newcomb
BeGes President 2017-2018


ICYMI Last month we had a meeting devoted to learning about Pathways, the new Toastmaster's educational system. It's set to roll out in March and TM members can choose to stay with the manuals (the existing system), switch right away, or have up to two years to transition to the new way of learning. In case you missed it, there's more information here

We have an active few months ahead! 

Tomorrow, Friday, February 9th, we will have our monthly Officer's Meeting. All members are invited to attend. See 'behind the scenes' on what it takes to make a successful club!

Thursday, February 15th, Sound Advice Toastmasters is presenting Building Excitement in Toastmasters, Club by Club.  Two experienced Toastmasters will speak, on nurturing existing members so that they stay in the club and on recruiting new members. There will be a discussion on best practices for retaining members, getting guests in the door and turning guests into members. At least a couple of us BeGes will attend in person at 6:30pm at the Tacoma Municipal Building, room 248, or you may join remotely via (Zoom? Skype?) - contact Judy Young for more information.

On February 23rd, we have a Speech contest, and on March 2nd, we have an Evaluation Contest. There are numerous ways to participate. Sign up online or email our VP of Education, Mary Morrison, for more information.

February-March, we're having a Membership Drive and an Open House (TBD), this is an excellent time to bring a friend to BeGes. If you'd like to help out, email our VP of Membership, Rebecca Parson!





Monday, January 15, 2018

Presidential Brief for January 2018

BeGes President’s Newsletter January 2018
“Helping Others, Helps Yourself” 
 




Beges,

We come to Toastmasters because we have trouble with public speaking. It’s usually terrifying to give our first icebreaker. Looking back, my the first few months were a blur of trying different roles and having absolutely no idea what I was doing.

Eventually I was able to contribute to the group, becoming an officer and helping 'behind the scenes', and mentoring others.

One of the things I’ve learned is that in helping others, you help yourself. It’s pretty clear when we mentor a new member how they’re benefitting. Yet, the other day I was at a meeting with a newcomer and in assisting them with their questions, it reminded me of things I’d forgotten, which helped my own progress.

But what if I’m still a newbie, how can I help? 

Showing up for meetings and taking on a role helps that meeting happen. Even coming and observing and participating in Table Topics, enhances the meeting. When you think beyond what you want to get out of Toastmasters for yourself, and focus on what you can give to the group, you gain so much more!

Joan Newcomb
BeGes President 2017-2018


NEW OFFICERS

Jennifer Fisher is our new V.P. Of Public Relations - Jennifer has already been contributing as a PR Committee member for Social Media (if you've noticed more about us on Facebook, it's thanks to her). We're excited to see what she creates in this expanded role!
Steve Garvin has stepped up to be Treasurer. Steve has served, in the past, as Secretary and VP of PR, he's bringing his professional experience in accounting to this new role. Thanks for stepping up!
(Mel West, has a new job in Seattle, so can no longer make the meetings. He's been our Treasurer for the last 1.5 years, and an invaluable asset to our club. Congratulations on the new position - we miss you!)

UPCOMING EVENTS

Officer’s Meeting - This coming Friday, January 19th 1:10pm - all members are invited; come learn about the behind-the-scenes working of our club!

Toastmasters Leadership Training. You don't have to be an officer to attend this training, (although all officers really *should*). Last Summer's training had a presentation on Marketing. This weekend will have a presentation on Membership Building. Please preregister so they know how much refreshments to provide!
Saturday, January 20th in Tacoma
Where: Center for Urban Waters, 326 E D St, Tacoma, WA
Sign-in: 8am - 8:30am Training: 8:30am - Noon
Pre-register here
Contact: Lori Zboralski LZBORALS@ci.tacoma.wa.us 253-468-4093
The training is also being held on other dates in Silverdale and in Pacific. For more information, go here.

Upcoming Contests
February 23  is Bege's International Speech Contest
March 2 is our Evaluation Contest.
Stay tuned for more info!

Monday, December 4, 2017

BeGes Presidential Brief, December 2017

BeGes President’s Newsletter December 2017

Compare and Despair!


BeGes,

When we first come to Toastmasters, it's usually because we're not comfortable with speaking in public. We listen to other club members stand up and talk, and can never imagine that we'll ever be as good as they are.

This extends when we step into roles. How can I ever be as good a - grammarian, evaluator, toastmaster, (fill in the blank). 

It's not useful to compare ourselves to others. It's like mentally tying our shoelaces together. It will only trip us up in our own progress.

Stepping into leadership positions, even if you're capable of fulfilling the requirements, the titles of president and vice president are daunting ones. It can take some time to get into the swing of things.

It's comforting to realize that in learning organizations like Toastmasters, we aren't expected to be automatic experts. We're in positions to learn and grow. 

Toastmasters has a couple of mottos, one is "Practice makes Perfect", and the other is "Where Leaders Are Made".  I'd like to offer another one - Progress Not Perfection. Because even though we're aiming at Perfection, any experienced Toastmaster knows you don't ever reach it.

We come to Toastmasters from different backgrounds, and each have different goals. The best comparison, I've found, is my current Toastmaster self with who I was when I first came to BeGes. I am so much better at pretty much everything now. And still have lots of room to grow.


Joan Newcomb
BeGes President 2017-2018

Next Officer's Meeting
Friday, October 8th 1pm. All members are welcome, come check out what happens behind the scenes and beyond the meetings that help to create our group!



Come See our Past President and Current VPE and new Region 1 International Director Mary Morrison! The Sound Advice Advanced Leadership Club is hosting a meet and greet on Thursday, December 21, 2017 at 6pm in Tacoma.
Mary will be leading an interactive workshop entitled “Leading with Heart and Hunger”. Mary’s career with the city of Tacoma and her Toastmasters journey have brought her to this pinnacle of leadership. Come hone your leadership skills with advice from District 32’s finest! http://d32toastmasters.org/mary-morrison-leading-heart-hunger/

Wednesday, November 15, 2017

BeGes Presidential Brief, November 2017

BeGes President’s Newsletter November 2017

Giving And Receiving



BeGes!

It's that time of year where we express gratitude for what we are given (or for what we are about to receive). We rarely think about what we're actually giving. 

Giving doesn't have to take a lot of energy. Sometimes our mere presence is a gift. For instance, we wouldn't have Toastmaster meeting if people didn't come to meetings. Signing up for a role definitely contributes to the event, but showing up without a role gives the Table Topics master someone to call on!

That being said, I do want to acknowledge one of our newest members, Jen Fischer, for stepping into the role of Social Media coordinator. She's helping our VP of Public Relations by getting the word out on Facebook and Twitter and LinkedIn. I've noticed more BeGes on Facebook than ever before, thanks to her!

Please join us on Social Media, if you haven't already done so. The more Facebook "likes", Twitter followers, or Meetup members we have, the more we get noticed by new people. We've already had folks come in from our Meetup page. 

There's an article in this months Toastmaster's Magazine on why and how to use Social Media with your Toastmasters Club.

When you go to a meeting, you can "check in" on Facebook, or RSVP on Meetup. Be sure to leave a review or response as well!

Joan Newcomb, CC, CL
President, BeGes Toastmasters 2017-2018

Upcoming Events

This Friday, Nov. 17th  we are having our monthly Officers Meeting. All members are welcome to sit in and see the 'behind the scenes' work it takes to create a great club!

December 1st we are having a Mock Contest! It's to give members an experience of a contest without the pressure of real competition ;) If you'd like to give a speech, email Eric. 



Thursday, October 12, 2017

Presidential Brief for October, 2017

BeGes President’s Newsletter October 2017

Progress Not Perfection

Hello, BeGes!

My topic this month "Progress Not Perfection" in no way contradicts the wonderful advanced club "Pursuing Perfection". If anything, it may actually be in agreement!

When we first join Toastmasters, it's not uncommon to feel a bit overwhelmed. Speaking in public might be terrifying. Tackling any role, whether Ah Crutch, Grammarian, or Timer, might feel daunting. Everyone else in the club seems so much more competent than we feel we are.

It's helpful to realize that, even though we have contests, we're not really in competition with anyone else. We are each individual, and our growth path with Toastmasters is unique, even if we're following along the structures laid our in our Competent Communicator and our Competent Leader manuals. It may be suggested to give your Icebreaker Speech within the first month that you've joined, and to try to do a speech every 6 to 8 weeks, but everyone has their own pace, and their own style of learning.

Toastmasters provides a lot of support, from speech evaluation to mentorship, but you're ultimately in charge of measuring your progress. There's no assumptions that you'll be performing in an International Speech Contest in a year or raking in six figures as a professional speaker... unless *you* want to do those things!

We can easily get paralyzed by our own expectations. If you remember "progress not perfection", you can focus on the next speech, the next project, and not be frozen with fear of failing.

People join an advanced club (which may only meet monthly, in addition to their regular weekly club meeting) when they have completed the Competent Communicator manual and want to take their skills to the next level. But *pursuing* perfection does not imply that you're *attaining* it. No one, not even a winner of an International Speech Contest, hits an end point with working on their abilities. 

However, it is noticeable how quickly people improve when they join Toastmasters. They may stutter and even burst into tears during their first Icebreaker speech. That initial nervousness does wear off, and within a short time they're effortlessly leaping up to respond to Table Topic questions.

~Joan Newcomb, BeGes President 2017-2018

Welcome to our new Vice President of Education: Mary Morrison!
Mary is our immediate past president and has graciously stepped into the vacant VP of E position. Go to her for any questions you may have with working your way through your manuals. VPE Committee member Raylene Ewing is working on the Mentorship program, go to her if you haven't been assigned a mentor yet, or if you have questions about working with your mentor (or mentee).

Want to help get the word out about BeGes on Social Media? Our VP of Public Relations, Steve Garvin, could use a Committee Member to post to our several Social Media accounts! This task takes probably less than an hour a week and can be prescheduled on our Hootsuite or Buffer accounts.

Our Next Officers Meeting: Friday, October 20th 1pm (after our regular meeting)
All members are invited to our Officers Meeting, you can learn about what happens 'behind the scenes' to make our club run smoothly and successfully!


Sunday, September 24, 2017

Presidential Brief for September



BeGes President’s Newsletter September 2017

The summer is over, it's time to get back to world. We've been on vacation and other aspects of life may have come up that's kept us from coming to our BeGes meetings.  

It's common, at this time, to question whether to keep going to Toastmasters. Maybe we're forgotten how much fun they are. Maybe we have gained skill from answering enough Table Topics questions to think we don't need to do any more speeches.

We've attained our initial goal of overcoming of discomfort with speaking in public, so why renew our dues?  Here's the thing -

There's levels of mastery and leadership to strive for, that we didn't even know when starting at BeGes. Toastmasters is so much more than just speeches.  There are great things to learn going through the Competent Leadership Manual - you get credit for every role you sign up for from Timer to Toastmaster. 

There's a great article on Leadership in the September TM magazine, "Leadership, It's Not About You" which clearly illustrates what you learn at Toastmasters beyond just speaking contributes to your success in all aspects of your life!

Joan Newcomb
BeGes President 2017-2018

Next Officer's Meeting
Friday, September 29th 1pm. All members are welcome, come check out what happens behind the scenes and beyond the meetings that help to create our group!


Friday, September 8, 2017

What Storms Are You Facing


Toastmaster: Mario Lorenz
Mario Lorenz led this week's theme "What storms are you facing?" He had in mind all the many storms the country has been encountering recently.

We all face storms in life. The theme was somber. The mood was light, though. Many laughs throughout the meeting.

View from the Skybox

Joan Newcomb with Eric Heller
Joan Marjorie Newcomb was our first speaker. She led Eric Heller through a practice discovery session. (Joan is a transformational coach.)

During the abbreviated session, Joan helped us all look on the playing field of life from the deluxe seats in the skybox.

Navigationally Challenged

Mary Morrison
Mary Morrison was our second speaker. She confessed to be navigationally challenged. While recounting her experiences of being lost, she helped us see to take courage and press forward.

Another great meeting where we found direction through life and through the streets.


 Select Distinguished Club 


On another note, we received our ribbon recognizing BeGe's as a Select Distinguished Club.








Join our Toastmaster's club 

Every Friday at noon. 1101 S Fawcett, Tacoma. You'll be sure to have a great time.

Tuesday, August 8, 2017

Presidential Brief For August

BeGes President’s Newsletter August 2017


Hello, BeGes!

I came across the following quote on Richard Branson's Twitter feed:
It made me think of our brave band of Toastmasters. Every Friday a handful of us fill the required roles, Toastmaster, Grammarian, Ah Crutch Counter, Timer, Table Topics Masters, Speakers, Evaluators, General Evaluators, but the meeting wouldn't be complete without guests and members who don't have roles (but can be called upon for Table Topics). The more people there are, the more fun and laughter there is!

But our meeting wouldn't happen without our Officers, who contribute behind the scenes - our Sergeant At Arms, who ensures the room is set up for us, our Treasurer who manages receiving dues and our expenditures, our Secretary who maintains our records and roster, our Vice President of Public Relations, who gets the word out into the community that we're here, our Vice President of Membership, who helps transform our guests into members, our Vice President of Education, who oversees the schedule, contests, and members progress, and the President who gets to open the meeting and bang the gavel!!

BeGes wouldn't exist without members, and our meetings wouldn't happen without people showing up. Every one of you contributes to our wonderful group simply by your unique presence.


Speech Contest

This Friday, August 11th, is our Humorous Speech Contest! Let our Contest Chair, Raylene, know if you'd like to compete, or help in any way.


OFFICERS MEETING
Friday 8/19, 1pm (after our regular Toastmasters meeting)
Come to our Officers Meeting! All club members are invited.
We’ll be hearing from each Officer their successes and challenges, (those who can’t attend please email a brief report), and looking at our Club Success Plan checklist!

Officers Training
If you missed the scheduled trainings, there will be a makeup one on Monday, August 21st from 5:30-9pm at the Auburn KCLS Library, 1102 Auburn Way S., Auburn, WA 98002. It's strongly recommended for officers (and our club gets points on our success plan if you go)! They provide invaluable info for club officers, and all members are welcome to attend. Register here: http://d32tli-auburn2.eventbrite.com

VP of PR needs a Social Media coordinator
Our VP of PR, Steve Garvin, could use someone enthusiastic about Social Media to tweet, post, share, and organize! Let him know if you're the one to do it!

VP of Membership needs a backup!
Our VP of Membership, Jing, could use a backup to support members on the Fridays she can't be there! Let her know if you're the one to do it!

VP of Education needs support!Our VP of Education stepped down due to work commitments, and her team members are shouldering all the tasks. It's a big job! If you'd like to lighten their load, let us know!

Have any questions, concerns? Let me know ~ my inbox is always open!

Joan

BeGes Prez 7/2017-6/2018

Friday, July 14, 2017

Presidential Brief for July

BeGes President’s Newsletter July 2017



Hello, BeGes!


I wanted to share my vision of the club, and hope that you will join me in creating your own.
Goals and actions are very cut and dried without a vision to lead towards.


VISION
My vision of the club is for us to keep growing in membership as well as supporting our current members with their personal goals for Toastmasters. I'd like to see all our members feel more involved in creating this club - which you can do by volunteering on a committee or helping out in some way.

Also, most importantly, to continue maintaining and developing our unique BeGes 'personality', which is why I think we all joined this club in the first place. There is space here for each of us to be our own unique self, whether that’s someone who just wants to feel comfortable talking in public or to go further including developing leadership skills and participating in Toastmasters beyond our club. We have room for quirky renegades, shy but feisty wallflowers, science nerds, grammar geeks, modern mystics, and ______________ [fill in the blank with your own description]!


OFFICERS MEETING
Next Friday 7/21st, 1pm (after our regular Toastmasters meeting)
Come to the first Officers Meeting! All club members are invited.
This will be our first meeting of all newly installed officers.
The agenda’s still being finalized, in general we’ll be discussing how to best implement our club’s vision (also known as a Club Success Plan) preparations needed for our upcoming Speech Contests, hearing reports from each Officer (those who can’t attend please email a brief report), a new way of tracking our goals, and assigning proxy for our vote at the International Conference (see below).

Speech Contest
A head's up that our new VP of Education, Chrissy Cooley, is organizing a Speech Contest and an Evaluators Contest on August 4th (and maybe August 11th if there's enough interested contestants). Let her know if you'd like to compete, or help in any way!

Officers Training
If you missed the scheduled trainings, there will be a makeup one in August! It's strongly recommended for officers (and our club gets points on our success plan if you go)! They provide invaluable info for club officers, and all members are welcome to attend.


Voting at the Toastmasters International Conference in Vancouver, August 26th

We as a club have an important vote to cast during the Annual Business Meeting at the Toastmasters International Convention. Clubs will vote to elect international officers and directors to the 2017–2018 Board of Directors as well as vote on Proposals A through G: Amendments to the Bylaws of Toastmasters International and the Club Constitution for Clubs of Toastmasters International (review the candidates and proposed amendments). We can assign our Mike Marion, our District Director, to vote for us as proxy (but we need to let him know ASAP).


VP of PR needs a Social Media coordinator
Our VP of PR, Steve Garvin, could use someone enthusiastic about Social Media to tweet, post, share, and organize! Let him know if you're the one to do it!

Sgt At Arms needs a backup, and festivities scheduler
Our trusty Sergeant At Arms, Eric Heller, could use a backup to set up the room on days he can't be there. Let him know if you'd like to do this!

Have any questions, concerns? Let me know ~ my inbox is always open!

Joan
BeGes Prez 7/2017-6/2018

Wednesday, March 1, 2017

March 2017 Newsletter

5 nonverbal communication cues all
great speakers have mastered

By, Steven Benna

While there is no question that what you say matters, studies suggest the words you use make up just 7% of the impact you have.The remaining 93% is split between your body language and tone.
That's why it's imperative to master the nonverbal cues you send. And since a presenter has only about 60 seconds to hook the audience, it's important to get them right from the start.
We spoke with Darlene Price, president of Well Said, Inc., and author of "Well Said!," about mastering the art of nonverbal communication. Scroll down to see her tips.

Control your facial expressions.
Oftentimes, we have no idea what our faces are communicating. "Because our facial expressions are closely tied to emotion, they are often involuntary and unconscious," Price says.
Letting our emotions get the best of us can negatively affect the impression we give, whether it's a presentation or a one-on-one conversation. To avoid a misunderstanding, hold a slight smile, nod occasionally, and make sure you show interest, she advises.

Concentrate on the tone of your voice.

Price cites the common phrase: "It's not what you said; it's how you said it." If someone has ever said this to you, they are referring to your paralanguage, or tone, she says.
"Separate from the actual words used, these nonverbal elements of your voice include voice tone, pacing, pausing, volume, inflection, pitch, and articulation," Price says. Recording a few of your conversations can be a good way to identify the emotions your tone communicates, she says.

Maintain strong eye contact for more than a brief second.

The importance of maintaining eye contact can't be overstated.
Simply glancing at members of the audience is known as the "eye-dart," Price says, and it "conveys insecurity, anxiety, or evasion." The key is to maintain direct eye contact for at least two seconds before moving to the next person, she says.
To read the whole article checkout BusinessInsider.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Contest Winners
~*Congratulations Amy and Joan*~
Amy won the BeGe's Evaluation Speech Contest  & Joan won the BeGe's International Speech Contest.

February 17th Joan Chaired the Evaluation Contest when  Jing and Amy Evaluated a Speech given by Imani.

February 24th Janae Chaired the International Contest where Joan and Mario each gave a 5-7 minute speech on  topic of their choosing.

Amy and Joan will advance to compete in the Division A Speech Contest at the end of March!
Go and show your support!! 
Tuesday, March 28 at 6:00pm
University Place Library, 3609 Market Pl W #100, University Place, WA 98466, USA (map)


Amy Musgrove (R), BeGe's Evaluations Speech Contest Winner and Joan Newcomb (L), Evaulation  Speech Contest Chair

Joan Newcomb, BeGe's International Speech Contest Winner


Thank you to all of our Contest contributors for  helping our contests run smoothly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Treasurer's Tidbits

In order for our club to achieve the goal of submitting dues on  time, we ask all members to make sure payments are received on or before March 24, 2017

Dues for returning member -$60.00.

There are two options to pay your dues
1) You can pay via PayPal at http://beges.toastmastersclubs.org/dues.html
2)You can hand deliver your check to Mel West at our club meetings -- the last meeting to hand in the check would be March 24, 2016.

If you do not plan on renewing your membership, or if you know that your payment will
be late, please contact Mel.

Mel West,  BeGe's Treasurer
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Talk Up Toastmasters
Program Dates: NOW – March 31
Deadline is at the end of the month- Have you brought a guest?? 
Toastmasters love to connect, so take advantage of it. The "Talk Up Toastmasters" membership program is the chance to encourage members to invite guests to a meeting where they can learn about Toastmasters' many benefits.

If we add five new, dual or reinstated members with a join date between February 1 and March 31, we'll receive a special "Talk up Toastmasters" ribbon.

Click here for fliers you can hang around your office!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BeGe's Club Updates

Eric received Competent Communicator and Advanced Communicator Bronze awards

Joan received a Competent Communicator award

Mary  received an Advanced Leader Bronze.


CONGRATS 
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Newsletter Submissions

Contribute to our Blog and Newsletter.  Submit stories, ideas,  articles, and experiences.
Send content to begestm@gmail.com
Content is needed for next's months newsletter.

Please Submit Content by April 2nd 
April Focus-  Connecting with the Audience  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
OFFICER ROLES
Ever wonder what goes into making a Toastmasters Club run smoothly? The following
are descriptions of the officer roles.
President "C.E.O." of this club, responsible for fulfilling the club's mission.
VP -Education Second ranking club officer, responsible for planning, organizing and directing a club program meeting members' educational needs.
VP – Membership Official Third ranking club officer, responsible for planning, organizing and directing a program ensuring member retention and growth.
VP – Public Relations Fourth ranking club officer, responsible for developing and directing publicity informing members and the public about Toastmasters International.
Secretary Official Fifth ranking club officer, is responsible for club records and correspondence.
Treasurer Official Officer Sixth ranking club officer, responsible for club financial policies, procedures and controls.
Sergeant at Arms Seventh ranking club officer, responsible for club property management, meeting room preparation and hospitality. The sergeant at arms chairs the social and reception committee.