Pathways Progression

  Most of our members currently have been involved with Pathways long enough to be familiar with the different levels that it offers.   I will attach and link the following explanation of the levels from another web page that I found, I think it offers a good overview. 

  As one progresses and gets to higher levels the the complexity and challenge in these projects will increase. As you approach levels 4 and 5 it will take longer to prepare and complete these projects. 

 Two things I would suggest as options regarding this:

1.  Look over your pathways through all the levels and familiarize your self with what is generally going to be required for the future projects and speeches you will be required to accomplish. I have found that many times without even realizing it,  you may already be doing things that you can apply to these projects!  There are many ways you can get credit even outside of the typical weekly toastmasters meeting. Talk with your VP of Education (ME) and lets see what we can work out! 

  When I was working on finishing up my DTM (Distinguished Toastmaster) award a few years ago I needed to do what is called an HPL (High Performance Leadership) project  For a long time I jokingly referred to this as High Pressure Leadership project. :)   As I was reviewing the requirements and looking to define what I was going to do I very quickly realized when I was functioning as an Area Director I had accomplished several HPL's and never received credit for it, because I did not plan and submit these as my project.  

2.  When you are reaching these higher levels, you will, as I mentioned in the beginning of this post notice it taking more time and being more complex to get these accomplished.  So this will limit your ability to fulfill speaking roles for example, because you are preparing for a longer speech and so forth. I would encourage you to consider starting an additional pathway even though you have not completed the current one.  You can begin it while working on the later projects of the current one.  This will give you options when you are scheduled to speak for example and you are not quite ready with your 21 minute keynote speech project,  you can do the 5 to 7 minute ice breaker from your second pathway.  I know for me and probably many of you this is counter intuitive. I like to finish what I start and in this case finish it before starting an additional path!  However,  I have three pathways going currently! I am working to wrap up two of them this year and I am also filling those gaps with the third one. 

   Remember Fellow Toastmasters:  "Friends don't let friends do non manual speeches."

  You deserve to get credit and recognition for the things you are doing!  As a reminder,  when you do this you accomplish your goals in your pathway and you contribute to the goals of your Club, Area, and District.  

  

https://karenstorey.com/PATHWAYS/03-LEVELS.htm

  

 

You make a difference!

  

As VP of Education it is one of my responsibilities to present an educational moment each week.  I have thus far tried to mix it up with different topics. From how to's on club roles, club goals in the Distinguished club Program,  Toastmasters History or  even how to be better conversationalists. The sources of my educational moments are many,  from the TM international website to google searches and even from real life.  In this position I have felt energized and have tried to motivate and inspire that same energy into the membership of our club.  I think for the most part that's been well received.    

   I read many things on toastmasters subjects to inform myself and to find Educational Moment ideas. A recent example, is an article and it  talked about how club officers can experience burnout. The article went on to talk about what is called  "brown out". To be honest this was a new term to me.  Brownout is a relative to burn out.  Brownout is a gradual loss of motivation, purpose or engagement with ones work.  It can be driven by many things: Doubts about the usefulness of your work.  Lack of  recognition for the contributions you make and the perceived lack of appreciation. 

 Dear Toastmasters I say this genuinely and from the bottom of my heart. Please know how much I appreciate everything you all do!  From the newest member to the most seasoned one. To the club officers volunteering their own time to lead our club and complete its tasks. To the member who shows up and does their meeting roles to the best of their ability.  The beauty of being in a club like this is teamwork and the camaraderie that comes with that. We are working towards a common goal.of becoming better speakers and leaders. Which translates in my mind to we are working on becoming better people.  I cherish that more than anything we do in toastmasters. This is a worthy endeavor!   Once again I say to all of you in Pioneer Toastmasters! Thank you for everything you do!  I look forward to the rest of our year! 

This educational Moment was inspired by this article: https://www.toastmasters.org/magazine/articles/how-to-beat-club-officer-burnout

100 Years of Toastmasters

  The year 2024 Marks the 100 year anniversary of Toastmasters.  I have been reading some of the great information about this history on Toastmasters International Webpage.  Much has changed in those years and yet much has remained from those original humble meetings. 

 The club remains today the core and center of all of the Toastmasters International organization. Ralph Smedley the founder of  Toastmasters wanted the club  be a community that was supportive as one progressed. 

  Much of the toastmasters experience looks very familiar today as it did one hundred years ago.  Here is an evaluation form from 1936. Look familiar?  What we know today as the evaluator was known as the critics. An overall meeting critic we now call general evaluator. There was prepared speakers and impromptu speaking now known as table topics. 

 We now know our education material as Pathways. In the beginning they did not have any materials as they did not create the first manual until 1942.  Prior to this, speeches would often be created based on the theme of the meeting.  We still assign a theme to our meetings here in Pioneer Toastmasters. 

 Smedley himself referred to the first speech members would give as "Ice Breakers" and was intended for members to introduce themselves to the club. 

  Much like people, clubs have different personalities. Some or more formal some are not. Some are   corporate clubs which meet during work hours of a business, others are community clubs. Some are even formed in prisons.  I have enjoyed the community and sense of camaraderie that Pioneer Toastmasters has and continues to offer.  In that same way there were even in the tough times of war,  clubs formed in prisoner of war camps during WW2 and Vietnam. 

  Many of us that were in TM at the time of the pandemic found ourselves in a  virtual environment having toastmasters meetings on the computer. That has, in a large way,  transformed toastmasters meetings to this day. Who would have never even been considered just a few years ago are reality today. Having international members attending via computer screens?  This would definitely would be an eye opener for those early members 100 years ago! 

  I have said for many years when asked what is my favorite thing about Toastmasters.  The diversity that it exposes me to.  Long time friends and fellow toastmasters members share a very differing view about many things. We come from very different backgrounds and faiths, We still can come together and work on becoming better speakers and leaders. Bottom line we work on becoming better people!  

 Pioneer toastmasters shares very much in this rich history of Toastmasters as the club was originally founded in1959.  Even as I advance in age and often joke how old I am getting that was before I was born. 

 With all of this history in mind and how far Toastmasters has come, the challenge as I see it is where do we go from here? What will the next one hundred years look like? Where will you go from here?  Let's move forward together. The future is now. 

   The source of inspiration for much of what I have written here is this article: https://www.toastmasters.org/magazine/magazine-issues/2024/oct/enduring-structure 

Speech Contest Season is upon us!

   Speech contest season is upon us in District 26. 

 There are three speech contests that you can participate in this year.  

• The Online speech contest which will end on the District Virtual Stage April 25th
• Humorous Speech Contest Ending on the District Stage on May 3rd
• International Speech contest ending at the World Championship of Public Speaking at the International Convention in August

  For the Online Contest Area level Contest is on November 9th 12:30 to 5:30 pm

  Not only is this a great opportunity for all of us to compete in Speech contests it is also a time to volunteer to help in the contest with roles like Toastmaster, Timer, Judges, vote counters and so forth. A lot of great opportunities to get credit in your pathways as well!   They will need help at all levels going forward, so don't miss out on a great experience in helping with these contests.   

  There are some requirements that have to be meet for the International Contest. We can talk further to those specifics individually.  

 I will include a link below to a very well put together webpage form District 26 the explains a lot about these opportunities and how they can fit into your pathways journey.   An example is here:

 The link for the webpage is here:   https://www.d26toastmasters.org/2024-2025-speech-contest-season/

 Please contemplate where you fit into these opportunities and I will see you at the contest!