District Program Quality Director Patti Walter, DTM, is pleased to announce trainings for interested persons who would like to help facilitate the Club Officer Training sessions during the June to August 2023 training season — Train the Trainers!
The Train the Trainers sessions, for people willing to be facilitators for the Club Officer Trainings in June, July and August 2023, will take place on:
May 25, 2023 at 6:30 pm (Zoom link below)
May 30, 2023 at 6:30 pm (Zoom link below)
Facilitators…
give keynote addressess
lead conversations on officer roles in the club
facilitate sharing between people new to roles and old hands
guide and direct new club officers in their duties
help draw wisdom and experience from those who’ve done this role before
The skills you learn as a facilitator include…
Giving a presentation from an outline and script you did not create;
learning to make a canned presentation your own
managing time in an hour-long presentation
managing an audience which isn’t just your club’s members
As a facilitator, or a facilitator-in-training, you also…
make contacts beyond your own club
learn to hear from a diversity of voices
learn to summarize and synthesize a range of opinions quickly
learn your own role in the club from other Toastmasters in different situations
Join an upcoming Train the Trainer session, and contribute to your club, Area, Division and District’s success!
Topic: Train the Trainer Time: This is a recurring meeting Meet anytime
District Program Quality Director Patti Walter is pleased to publish the results of the District 53 Contests for the 2022-2023 program year, held on May 6, 2023.
International
The International Speech Contest was held at 7:45 pm on 6 May 2023 at the Springfield Sheraton Monarch Place hotel during the District 53 Annual conference. Chad Babcock served as Contest Toastmaster and Mark Wing served as Chief Judge.
The placed winners were:
1. Michael Whitehouse
2. Donna Plen
3. Craig Moore
Tall Tales Contest
The Tall Tales Contest was held at 10:45 am on 6 May 2023 at the Springfield Sheraton Monarch Place hotel during the District 53 Annual Conference. Rick May served as Contest Toastmaster and Mark Wing served as Chief Judge.
The placed winners were:
1. Christine Austin
2. Poonam Hassija
3. Kevin Haven
Our thanks go out to all the contestants, timers, ballot counters, chief judges, voting judges, tie breaking judges, contest chairs, and contest Toastmasters, as well as to the audiences, at club, Area, Division and District levels, who made our hybrid program so successful this year.
Conference Chair David Freedman, DTM, walks us through the amazing offerings at this year’s District 53 Annual Conference in Springfield, Massachusetts.
District 53 Toastmasters is part of Region 9, a collection of Toastmasters Districts in the northeast US, Quebec, Ontario, and maritime Canada. Join Region 9’s Advisor Patricia O’Reilly for a great day of leadership training, inspirational messages and powerful exercises to help you become a better leader.
Past International President Ted Corcoran presents Skills of Servant Leadership — Learn how high levels of emotional intelligence and servant leadership go hand in hand. Learn how to get our team members on our bus, and going to the same destination.
Past International President Jim Kokocki presents Situational Leadership — Learn how to enable leaders to assess team member readiness and support them appropriately for their specific needs. Learn how to respond to a member’s “task maturity” to enable them to perform better.
Past International Director Monique Levesque-Pharoah presents Manage Conflict Before It Manages You — Learn how to facilitate honest and respectful discussion to resolve conflict and improve working relationships using the Interaction Model tool. Learn how to become more aware of the background biography and context of others on your team or overseeing your leadership.
Join Amazing Leaders!
Region 9 Advisor Patricia O’Reilly invites you to join her for an amazing afternoon of leadership training with prominent Toastmasters from around the world. Join her and
Past International President Ted Corcoran
Past International President Jim Kocoki
Past International Director Monique Levesque-Pharaoh
with presentations on the Skills of Servant Leadership, the values of Situational Leadership, and the importance of Managing Conflict Before It Manages You!
Presentations will run from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm ET / 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm GMT + 1 on Saturday, May 13, 2023.
The 2023 District 53 Communication and Leadership (C&L) committee is pleased to announce that Patricia Nicolari has been chosen as the recipient for this year’s District 53 Communication and Leadership award which will be to be presented at the C&L Luncheon during our annual District Conference on May 6, 2023 in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Patricia Nicolari, 2023 Communications & Leadership Award recipient
Patricia Nicolari (she/her) is the Founder/Executive Director of PROUD Academy, Inc. PROUD Academy has been Patty’s vision for LGBTQ+ youth and their allies after working with youth in education and nonprofits throughout her 40-year career. Patty has four degrees from Southern Connecticut State University – a BS in Physical Education, an MS in Community Health, a Sixth Year in Educational Foundations, and another Sixth Year in Administration/Supervision, and presently holds an 092 certificate in Educational Leadership.
Patty has always been actively/progressively involved in her community and that passion escalated after coming out publicly as a teacher in 1997, alongside the brave move of Ellen DeGeneres. She was featured in the New Haven Register article, “Ellen is Out and so is Ms. Nic.” Patty even received a call from Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts, then a host of 20/20, for consideration to be featured on the TV show as an “out” teacher. The freedom to be authentic became the catalyst for Patty to create change in the educational environment for LGBTQ+ students, teachers, and staff. The most powerful part of coming out as a teacher was the outpouring of students who now felt safe enough to disclose their own sexual orientation/gender identity (SOGI) or that of a relative.
As a result of coming out, Patty started her high school’s first Genders and Sexualities Alliances and organized the first Day of Silence. She joined the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network Board of Directors, became a Stonewall Speaker, facilitated support groups for youth and closeted teachers at the New Haven Pride Center, presented workshops across the country in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington, and CT, on the topic of “How to Create a Safe School for all Students Regardless of SOGI”. Additionally, Patty presented a workshop for actor Hill Harper’s nonprofit, “Manifest Your Destiny”, for 8th graders in LA on the topic, “Academic Success Strategies”.
Patty was interviewed by Faith Middleton on NPR, was a recipient of a Dorothy Award for her LGBTQ+ community involvement, and had her story published with other LGBTQ educators in Kevin Jennings’ book, “One Teacher in 10.”
Patty’s experience as an educator ranges from working with marginalized youth as a teacher in an Alternative to Incarceration program in Bridgeport, an administrator of an alternative school for grades 7-12, to higher education as an adjunct professor at Western Connecticut State University. In 2004, Patty was named Teacher of the Year in Ansonia.
Patty’s nonprofit work includes being the director of a mentoring program for youth involved with juvenile probation and State of Connecticut Department of Children and Families foster care. Patty was also a foster parent. She has volunteered on the Governor’s Prevention Partnership LGBTQ+ Advisory Board and presently serves on the New Haven/Hamden Juvenile Review Board.
Patty’s lived experience, “in and out” of the LGBTQ+ family, coupled with her careers in education and nonprofits, have led her to this moment in time.
Join us at the Toastmasters District 53 2023 Conference on May 6, 2023, at the Sheraton Springfield Monarch Place in Springfield, MA and hear Patty’s lunchtime remarks.
Spring dues are coming up fast and we all know how critical this renewal period is.
If your club has its eyes set on DCP awards, this spring cycle is your key success.
Here are some quick tips to help your club achieve its membership goals this Toastmasters year:
#1 Track Attendance
Don’t wait until April to start chasing your members! Anytime someone misses more than two meetings in a row without communication, check in. Use their preferred method of communication to follow up and give a friendly “how’s it going? we miss you!”
#2 Plan Ahead
Start NOW. Have your executive committee / officer team review your clubs roster. Who is likely to renew? Who is at risk of dropping out? Talk with club members before things get down to the wire and spend a little extra time with the at-risk members. Better yet, do a mini-Moments-of-Truth-type check in with each individual, build rapport, and start gathering information and ideas to improve the club and keep your members excited to continue.
#3 Use All Communication Channels
Don’t rely on email alone to remind the club about dues. Give a ring on the phone, send a friendly text, and make announcements at club meetings. You can start with group emails/texts, but plan to follow up with individuals sooner rather than later.
#4 Involve All Officers
The Treasurer takes the lead on dues, but they shouldn’t have to go it alone. All officers can split the task of contacting members individually. Your club VPM should be in charge of keeping attendance and following up with MIA members and your President should be talking up the club and making announcements about dues in meetings.
#5 Get Members Excited!
This is the time of year to pull out all the stops to excite members and remind them of the value of their accomplishments. Strategically place beneficial, educational, and fun events right before renewals. Some examples could include:
Social events
Special guest speakers
Open Houses
Themed meetings
Awards presentations (take is serious and celebrate club achievements, or make it fun and create your own Dundie awards!)
Remember, the District is here to help you and your club succeed. Do not hesitate to reach out to your Area Director or other District leaders with any questions or concerns you may have!
The Division E Public Relations Team is excited to announce that we are hosting a seminar on how to use AmericanTowns.com and NextDoor.com to publicize your Toastmasters Club and help gain new members. Lisa Morahan, of the Saratoga Turf Talkers Toastmasters Club will demonstrate how to use AmericanTowns.com to share press releases with local media outlets (such as the Times Union, Saratogian, etc) and how to get the word out about your club on NextDoor.com! Expected duration of the seminar is approximately 45 minutes. Zoom meeting information is below.
The District Conference “Springboard into Action” has announced the line-up of presenters and workshop sessions for the District 53 Annual Conference on May 6, 2023. The full line-up and schedule can be viewed here.