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My Toastmasters Yearender
Several months after completing such norms as Competent Communicator and Competent Leader and achieving President's Distinguished Club and mere Distinguished Club with Emperor Mandarin Toastmasters Club and CaMaNaVa Brunch Toastmasters Club, respectively, what remains and dwells in my mind are not the awards and norms achieved this 2008 but how much better I am as speaker and presenter and as leader and manager in running a club.
In Toastmasters, one has to complete a specific number of projects to achieve a particular norm. There are those conscientiously work on those projects and there are some who just go through the motions of achieving the norm. The difference between the two is becoming so much better and standing still.
In my earlier days as member of Toastmasters, I used to be in awe of DTMs or Distinguished Toastmasters. As I get up the improvement ladder I now noticed that a few of them do not live up to their DTM norm. Mere Mortals or something else?
During the closing months of last term, I saw some clubs commoditize their achievements and pad their membership roster just to get their awards. They are kidding themselves. Toastmasters International will always gladly accept their payment anyway. No problem.
As not to be disheartened by other clubs' malpractices, I shifted my focus in running my clubs with a qualitative mindset instead of quantitative in keeping up with the DCP or Distinguished Club Program. In a meeting last July with our Area Governor, I told her such a shift would result in having visibly better speakers in my clubs two years down the road compared to other clubs. She retorted that what's important are the achievements that are put on the board (of the TI website). Sbe said it as if our qualitative approach does not lead to achievements (Of course, numbers will follow). Me and my fellow club presidents in attendance simply smiled in jest. But I think I got my message across.
In the meantime, stick to club matters lest someone enlists me for higher duties.
In Toastmasters, one has to complete a specific number of projects to achieve a particular norm. There are those conscientiously work on those projects and there are some who just go through the motions of achieving the norm. The difference between the two is becoming so much better and standing still.
In my earlier days as member of Toastmasters, I used to be in awe of DTMs or Distinguished Toastmasters. As I get up the improvement ladder I now noticed that a few of them do not live up to their DTM norm. Mere Mortals or something else?
During the closing months of last term, I saw some clubs commoditize their achievements and pad their membership roster just to get their awards. They are kidding themselves. Toastmasters International will always gladly accept their payment anyway. No problem.
As not to be disheartened by other clubs' malpractices, I shifted my focus in running my clubs with a qualitative mindset instead of quantitative in keeping up with the DCP or Distinguished Club Program. In a meeting last July with our Area Governor, I told her such a shift would result in having visibly better speakers in my clubs two years down the road compared to other clubs. She retorted that what's important are the achievements that are put on the board (of the TI website). Sbe said it as if our qualitative approach does not lead to achievements (Of course, numbers will follow). Me and my fellow club presidents in attendance simply smiled in jest. But I think I got my message across.
In the meantime, stick to club matters lest someone enlists me for higher duties.
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