A Message from Your Lieutenant Governor Education
The Conference, the TLIs, the Contest, and the Triple Crown
Fellow Toastmasters,
Half-way through the year, and what a year it's been!
So many things are working so well in District 31. From Mary Cheyne (pronounced "Sheen") taking Second in the World, to that wonderful fall conference, to the new clubs Ben has been building, to the best TLIs ever, this is a banner year in the making.
Some of our success comes from careful planning and attention to detail that Sherri, Ben, and I give our jobs, but most of it comes from the dedication and determination of the members--you. So many people working so hard to do something so well that it looks easy. And indeed, the second time around, it IS easy.
This reminds me of a story...
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When my brother Sandy lived in Utah, I would visit from San Francisco regularly. A few years back, Sandy refurbished an old one-horse sleigh he had found. He took out his copy of "Horses and Harnesses" and made himself a harness. It didn't work very well and Molly (a lovely chestnut Morgan mare) didn't enjoy pulling it. By the time I arrived, he had reworked the harness numerous times and taken Molly out equally many.
Sandy drove her out into an open field by the Rodeo grounds and eased her into a trot. He handed me the reins.
What I remember most is the utter silence of the crisp morning, broken only by the swish of Molly's hooves slipping through the light snow. The world floated by in a magical smoothness, as if we were standing still and it was moving. Molly seemed to glide across the snow, flicking her ears back to listen to every little whisper I made.
I held the reins with a firm, light, motionless hand. I focused on being "one with the horse." At one point I thought about starting a turn.
I swear to this day that I did not change my hand position one inch. I only thought about a left-hand circle and Molly began an imperceptible turn to the left, carving out a big "O" in the snow. I thought about turning right and she did, completing a flawless 1/4 mile figure eight.
All those hours of hard work Sandy put in turned into a seamless union of man and horse, so that by the time I arrived, it all seemed easy.
And much of Toastmasters is like that. You work and sweat and suffer and suddenly it's easy.
Click here for TLI details.
We have a Spring Conference coming up on May 15 at the Dedham Hilton and we need folks to help in numerous roles. Call me.
We also have a Triple Crown award that some people have already qualified for. You earn a CC, an AC, and an AL/DTM, and we'll give you a trophy and our admiration.
Click here for details about the Triple Crown.
The International Speech Contest is coming soon. Clubs should begin their contests around March 20. The last date for Club contests is Saturday, April 3rd. Last Area Contest is April 17th and last Division on May 1st.
Click here for Speech Contest details.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It's winter. It's cold.
What better time to go to a warm and lively Toastmasters meeting and work on your personal goals! Now get out there and...
Take Center Stage!
Bil Lewis, DTM
Lt. Governor of Education and Training