Author: Andrew Watt, DTM

Andrew Watt is a Past District Director (2020-21) of District 53.

District 53 Welcomes New Clubs

Posted on | by Andrew Watt, DTM

8 November 2022

Fellow Toastmasters,

Greetings from Baltimore where I am continuing to serve District 53 Toastmasters and our members.

Let me extend my congratulations and welcome to our newest clubs:

  • Big Y Toastmasters
    Springfield, Massachusetts
    Chartered 4 October 2022 in Division D, Area 43
    Sponsors: Patt Walter, DL5; Andrew Watt, DTM
    Sponsoring Club: Blue Chip Toastmasters
  • Voya Toastmasters
    Windsor, Connecticut
    Chartered 7 October 2022
    Division D, Area 43
    Sponsors & Mentors: Tom Farrelly, IP5; Steve Lanning, DTM
    Sponsoring Club: Hubble Toastmasters & Housatonic Toastmasters

Welcome to our new charter members from these new corporate clubs, and we look forward to seeing some of you at District events quite soon!

Sincerely,
Bettyann Peck, DTM
District 53 Club Growth Director, 2022-2023

From the PQD’s Desk

Posted on | by Andrew Watt, DTM

November 7, 2022

Fellow Toastmasters,

Can you believe that it is already November?  In less than 2 short months we will be into 2023.  Where did the time go?

I wanted to share what is happening with Program Quality.

Officer Training: (open to all) Thanks to the help of Chad Babcock. Stephanie Roy and Mohan Padamati, officer training dates will be rolled out shortly.  The winter sessions will be 2.5 hours long.  We will be offering shorter lunchtime sessions for those of us that find it easier to meet during the day and not at night or weekends. We will also be including different electives this time around for our longer termed officers.

Conference:  SAVE the Date:  May 6th.  David Freedman, Janice Dimock and their team is busy getting our conference planned out. Be on the lookout for more information regularly, including our great keynote speaker, location, pricing and list of presenters.  This promises to be a great networking and fun-filled program for all Toastmasters in the District.

Contests:  The contest season is upon us. We will be hosting the International Speech Contest as always, and the Tall Tales Contest will be our secondary contest..  Area contests will be held on line between Jan 16h and March 15th and Division Contests will be hybrid between March 16th and April 16th.  Area and Divisions Directors will be sharing dates as they are finalized.  We will also include them on the Contest Page and District Calendar.  Keep coming back to find out more. Division contests will be held during our Conference. 

Also remember we have other monthly events going on such as MMEP and Officer Forums.  Dates and details can be found in our monthly newsletter and on this website calendar. (Note: if you are not receiving our monthly newsletter, please let me know so we can add you to the list. pqd@d53tm.org.

To close all these events are here to help our members and our district.  It takes a village.  Please be a villager and help us grow our district.  There are many volunteer opportunities open and we will work around the time commitment you have to offer.

Sincerely,
Patti Walter
D53 Program Quality Director, 2022-2023

REVITALIZING DISTRICT 53 – OUR MEMBERS MATTER!!!!

Conference Committee announced

Posted on | by Andrew Watt, DTM

7 November 2022:

District 53 Toastmasters is delighted to announce the names of the members of the District Conference Committee for the Spring 2023 Conference, “SPRINGBoard to Success”, to be held in Springfield, Massachusetts during the weekend of May 5-7, 2023.

More information on the Conference Committee’s members and their responsibilities will be forthcoming on the Conference 2023 tab, shortly.

Sincerely,
John J. Hogan, DTM — District Director

Committee MemberRole & Title
David Freedman, DTMConference Co-Chair
Janice Dimock, DTMConference Co-Chair
Norm Thibodeau, DTMRegistration
OpenMarketing (contact conference chairs)
Aaron J. Anaya, LD5 MS5Communication and Leadership Award
Richard May, MS5 PM4 VC3Conference Education
Heather SkaaningDay Program
Stephanie Roy, PI4 VC4Facilities & Operations
Christina LaPerle, MS3 PM4 IP4Volunteers
Melanie Lee, PM2Sponsors & Exhibitors
Maya Bahl, DL5 IP5First Timers
openLead Zoom Master (contact conference chairs)

Spring 2023 Conference Call for Presenters

Posted on | by Andrew Watt, DTM

Call for Presenters

Thank you for your interest in presenting at the Toastmasters District 53 Conference. The application for presenters is in the District 53 Conference CFP Directions to prepare for your application and to maximize your chances for selection.  Presenters must attend in person.

A link to the online submission form is provided at the bottom as well as at the end of the document.  Good luck! 

Submission information:

Deadline to submit: January 31, 2023
Notification Date:  by March 1, 2023


Submissions must be via our online Presenter Proposal Form below.

Submissions must include a headshot and video.

ABOUT OUR CONFERENCE & EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS

Our theme is “SPRINGBoard to Success”.  While you are not required to incorporate the theme into your presentation, we encourage it.  We are soliciting proposals and looking for topics such as:

  • Insightful Ways to Achieve Educational Goals
  • Embracing Change with a Positive Attitude
  • Creating a Positive Club Environment
  • Engaging Experienced Members
  • Being a Toastmaster in the age of social media, influencing and technology
  • Mentors Matter: The Role of a Mentoring Program
  • Cross Cultural Communications
  • Cross Generational Communications
  • Club Community Outreach
  • Strategies on Rebuilding clubs
  • Hybrid meetings – Technical Challenges & How to Overcome
  • Being A Published Author
  • Podcasting
  • Membership Challenges
  • Pathways.  Topics including:
    • For Officers and Advanced Learning
    • Benefits of Pathways – A Roadmap, Tutorial, etc.
    • Overcoming Challenges of Pathways

Please refer to the Toastmasters District 53 2023 Conference CFP Directions before submitting. The application is in the directions!

Contact Richard May, MS5, VC3, Education Chair at ConfEduChair@d53tm.org if you have questions.

District Director’s Letter, 11/1/2022

Posted on | by Andrew Watt, DTM

Dear District 53 Toastmasters:

First and foremost, I am grateful to the members of the District Council: District Executive Committee and club Presidents and Vice-presidents: for their participation in the Fall Business Meeting of October 27. Participation was so robust that we easily met quorum. Well done! All business items, including annual budget, District Success Plan, 2021-2022 audit report, and the roster of appointed officers, were adopted with comfortable margins.

The District 53 Trio recognizes and thanks the functionaries who made the meeting run so smoothly and on time. These functionaries include Timekeepers Selina Tourjee and Silva Abadjian, as well as Zoom Masters Steve Lanning and Rick May. District Administrative Manager Norm Thibodeau kept us all on track with displays, meeting scripts, and ballots. Without these engaged Toastmasters, the meeting would not have been possible.

I am instituting a monthly “Coffee Hour with the District Director.” This will be every second Saturday, November, 2022 through June, 2023, from 8:30 to 9:30. Here is the link to copy and paste in your browser: 

https://tinyurl.com/DD-Coffee-Hour

Finally, this is a great time of the year to revisit, review, and revise your Club Success Plans (CSPs). Are your goals for your club realistic? Do they reflect your members’ interests? Do they support your club’s growth and vitality? Club officers can work with their Area Directors in creating or modifying a CSP that will result in a vibrant program for your members. Be sure to reach out to your Area Director for their support. They are anxious to assist you in succeeding.

Thank you for your kind attention, Toastmasters!

John J. Hogan, DTM
District Director, 2022-23

District 53 announces Contests for 2022-23

Posted on | by Andrew Watt, DTM

District Director John J. Hogan and Program Quality Director Patti Walter have announced the following contest program for the 2022-2023 year:

  • The International Contest, leading to the World Championship of Public Speaking
  • The Tall Tales Contest, ending at the District 53 Conference in May

The contests for each level of competition must occur by the following dates:

  • Club Contests must take place by January 15, 2023
  • Area Contests will take place between January 16, 2023 and March 15, 2023
  • Division Contests will take place between March 16, 2023 and April 16, 2023
  • The District Contests will occur as part of the District Conference in May 2023

All contests at all levels must conform to the Toastmasters Contest Rulebook for the 2022-2023 program year. Questions should be directed to Patti Walter as the Program Quality Director.

New Parliamentarian Appointed

Posted on | by Andrew Watt, DTM

13 September 2022

The District 53 senior team, saddened by the passing of Distinguished Toastmaster Sam Young, also realizes the degree of his participation has left a large gap in district operations.

In true Toastmasters fashion, Tom Farrelly, PM-5, IP-5, has accepted an appointment to the role of District Parliamentarian. Tom will step into the role immediately, providing procedural guidance at the Fall Business Meeting later this fall in accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised. It is during this business meeting that his appointment will be ratified.

Please join me in congratulating Tom Farrelly, District 53 Parliamentarian.

In Toastmasters service,

John J. Hogan, DTM
District Director, 2022-23

Sam Young’s Memorial Service Details

Posted on | by Andrew Watt, DTM

The memorial service to celebrate the life of Sam Young, DTM, will take place next week on Monday, 12 September 2022, at Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church.

Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church
346 Butternut Steet
Middletown, CT 06457

The church website is here.

Wake Calling Hours: 9:00 am to 11:00 am, Monday 12 September 2022
Funeral Service 11:00 am to 1:00 pm, Monday 12 September 2022

We Mourn a Giant (9/1/2022)

Posted on | by Andrew Watt, DTM

1 September 2022

Dear Fellow District 53 Toastmasters,

I interrupt my usual bi-monthly schedule to report some sad news.

Portrait of Sam Young, DTM, member of District 53's 2022-23 Officers team as District 43 Director
Sam Young, DTM

Sam Young, DTM, and distinguished member of the District 53 community — a frequent flier among District officers including serving in the present term as Area 43 Director in Division D, the long-serving District Parliamentarian, a Club Mentor and Sponsor or Coach for several clubs, a regular voice and face at District conferences and officer training events — has died unexpectedly at home after a brief illness.

Sam was a great soul and mentor to many of us, and it’s a great loss to this organization and to our community. Sam was an anchor and a rock of support to so many District leaders in the last few years, and he will be deeply missed.

At this time we have only partial news about his passing, but additional information shall be posted on the District website as a separate news item as we learn more. The Memorial Service will be in Middletown, CT at Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church at 346 Butternut Street. Please keep him and his family in your prayers and good wishes in the present hour, and let us prepare to mourn his passing as we learn more in the days and weeks to come.

In Toastmasters service,
John J. Hogan, DTM
D53 District Director 2022-2023

Kristi Yablonski interviews John J. Hogan, D53 Distict Director, in Nashville during the International Convention, 19 August 2022

District Director’s Letter- (8/31/22)

Posted on | by Andrew Watt, DTM

 Dear Fellow District 53 Toastmasters:

There are three things that I wish to communicate with you. Interestingly, they are interrelated.

Of immediate urgency is a phishing scheme that is currently being perpetrated on some other districts across the globe. I have posted a screenshot of the phishing letter at right. This communication purports to be sent by District Directors to the Toastmasters of their districts, soliciting funds through the purchase of gift cards. To be absolutely clear, if you receive one of these solicitations, do not respond to it. Do not forward it. Delete it. Do not purchase gift cards in response to it. Additionally, know that Districts are not permitted to spend your funds on gift cards other than to the Toastmasters store.

We do have other resources to access, though, and you as members have a say in how they get used! At the District 53 Fall Council Business Meeting, we’ll be examining the budget of District 53 for the 2022-23 program year. The Business Meeting will be conducted on Thursday, September 22, 6:30-9:30pm. Due to technical difficulties with the budget software and the District Success Plan, the Fall District Council Business meeting has been rescheduled to October 27, 2022, from 6:30 – 8:30 pm. All Club Presidents and VPEs, and all DEC members (Division and Area Directors, and senior team) are expected to attend as voting representatives. The meeting is open to interested Toastmasters. On the agenda are the following items.

  • Approval of the May 2022 District Council meeting minutes.
  • Approval of the final 2021-2022 Financial Audit.
  • Approval of the 2022-2023 District Budget.
  • Approval of the 2022-2023 District Success Plan (DSP).
  • Confirmation of appointed 2022-2023 District Officers.

How do we get money for the District Budget? A portion of your bi-annual dues come back to the District to pay for the programs, services, and incentives that we offer to each member and all clubs in our District. When you pay your dues on time, it helps us maintain the services your club’s officers draw on to fulfill your club mission, and the mission ff the whole organization! The October 1 Membership Renewal Campaign helps make sure Dues arrive at World Headquarters (WHQ) by this date. Club Growth Director Bettyann Peck has put together an exciting incentive package to reward those clubs who attain certain paid membership levels by the Earlybird date of September 15. Check the District Newsletter that was sent out on August 29. If you are a gmail user, and cannot locate the newsletter in the Inbox, check the Promotions folder.

In Toastmasters service,
John J. Hogan, DTM
D53 District Director 2022-2023