Final Newsletter of District 44 Area F63 Jun 15

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LEADING WITH LOVE

Summer 2015

THE HISTORY OF TOASTING

Ancient tradition is full of colorful tidbits.

Every day around the world, cultures celebrate, honor and, signify meaningful events with toasts usually involving a

libation, heartfelt words and the clinking of glasses. Whether toasting the Almighty, the head of state, the wedding party or

an award recipient, we toast for health, wealth, happiness, safe passage, healing or any of a number of noble and

sometimes frivolous aspirations.

Yet few people know the history behind this ritual. Its a tradition that began centuries ago. The ancient Hebrews,

Persians and Egyptians were toasters, as were the Saxons, Huns and other tribes, Paul Dickson writes in his book

Toasts: Over 1,500 of the Best Toasts, Sentiments, Blessings and Graces. Article continuedclick here.

The F63 Crown Courant June 2015

F63 Area Newsletter

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

From the desk of the Area Governor A Tip for Toastmasters Shutouts Historical Presidential Distinguished Area F63 Area Club Performance

Division F Governor Hissie Johnson, ACG, ALB

F63 Area Governor

Rex Arul, ACS, ALB F63 Assistant Area Governor

Briana Baynham

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From the desk of your Area Governor

Kudos Presidents Distinguished Area Toastmasters! We did it together. We are at the summit. We are at the pinnacle with our individual contributions of giving a speech, doing a role, bringing a member, one meeting at a time. When our actions are elevated to a common, collective-purpose, we shape our destiny to be the best.

Remember, what I had promised at the beginning of this Toastmasters year in July 2014? The journey will be its own reward. And here we are, at the completion of our 1-year journey, at the very pinnacle as Presidents Distinguished Area, which is the highest recognition any Area can hope for. I hope you enjoyed this journey.

I certainly did. I was able to visit your clubs, cheer you, learn from you and above all celebrate you and your accomplishments. Both my Assistant Area Governor Briana Baynham and I were in awe of many things you have accomplished. That is why both of us have put together this final newsletter, which captures many of these achievements. Please take a look at them to appreciate how much we have accomplished together.

Till date, we continue to be the largest Area out of the 44 Areas in District 44 Georgia with 215 members. Our League of Extraordinary Speakers is the 2nd largest club within 208 clubs of D44 with 58 members. Our Room To Speak was the first club to be chartered for D44. We also had South Terraces Advocates as the second club to be chartered for Division F. We had two clubs as Presidents Distinguished: Cox Toastmasters and Wildwood Toastmasters. We had two clubs as Select Distinguished: League of Extraordinary Speakers and Room To Speak.

Our Division F was represented at the District 44 Speech Contests by a relatively new Toastmaster Ms. Catrice McWhorter of League of Extraordinary Speakers and we are immensely proud of her contributions and the club that helped her reach here amid such a tough competition. History was made when both Cox and LOES enthusiastically took my challenge to create history by achieving their highest DCP levels that their clubs have never achieved hitherto. With 215 members and 7 clubs at one time, managing this Area was very challenging. But, your zest, enthusiasm, and purposefulness gave us the energies to be there for you. In the end, we have journeyed together and are at the finish-line. While we lost one club -- Suntrust Perimeter -- which was shut down due to reasons beyond our control, we had planned for such a scenario and managed to add 55 members more than what we went into this year. In short, we have added 1/3rd more members to our Area.

Leadership depends on the ability to persuade people to follow willingly and voluntarily. I hope I was able to impart that to all of you. One of my core focus was to create an identity that We Are The F63 and I hope we were able to realize that. Our own results vindicate that. Besides, I had seen that embrace of that identity, whenever I visited your clubs.

I will be demitting office as your last Area Governor of Area F63. I am also honored to serve you in a different, strategic capacity from a level above as your incoming First Division F Director. For Area F63, your new incoming Area Director will be Marline Santiago-Cook. She is a servant-leader, an Armed Forces Veteran, who will be taking over the baton from me. I request that you continue this winning streak under her stewardship next year too. You can still reach me always as your Division Director.

I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. I want to thank all the members, who had given speeches, done roles, assisted in PR and membership campaigns, officiated and participated at the contests, assisted, opined, and critiqued Area activities, attended conferences, organized Executive Council meetings, and most importantly welcomed guests and mentored members.

As your outgoing Area Governor, I only have one request to make. Whatever you have done this year, please aim to do at least one more. Yes, at least one more. If you had obtained only 1 communication award this year, aim for 2 communication awards next year. If only 1 leadership award, aim for at least 2 leadership awards next year. If 2, then 3. If 3, then 4. So on and so forth.

Like President Lincoln, I am sure we all are inspired to be the best in whatever we choose to do. I hope to meet you all soon. Please celebrate this success. Your success Our success.

Thank you.

Rex Arul, ACS, ALB

Area Governor (F63) June 2015

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A Tip for Toastmasters:

Tips for Toastmasters: We Miss You

Just thinkhow powerful can three words be to a friend that hasnt attended a recent Toastmasters Meeting?

When they are the right three words, like We miss you, they can make all the difference in the world. There

are three critical times that these heartfelt words can help define the success of your club and its members:

Toastmaster of the week When you are filling those roles the week before your meeting, you will normally

find yourself talking to someone who may have missed a meeting or two. Taking that opportunity to say We

miss youI hope you can attend and serve as General Evaluator (for example) can help to remind them that

they are valued members of the club, and that you noticed their absence.

Vice President of Membership Any member that misses three or four meetings in a row should get a call

(not e-mail) from their VP of Membership. By saying We miss you combined with a reminder that we look

forward to helping them achieve their goals can help remind them of why they joined in the first place and

hopefully get them coming again.

Club President Members have a plethora of reasons for why they leave the club. But remember, those

reasons can (and do) change after they leave the club. That kids soccer practice that conflicted with the meeting

could have changed days, people with college class conflicts graduate and other life events change.

Every club president should look at the non-renewals from the last dues period (i.e October non-renewals in

May) and send a note to each member that didnt renew. Find out if their reason for leaving still outweighs the

reasons to come back. Saying We miss you could be the catalyst to get a friend back on track. And if the

conflict is still there, dont be afraid to offer alternatives. There could be an open club that meets a block away

the next night.

If you ask, youll hear that many people join Toastmasters strictly for self-improvement reasons. Dont

underestimate the personal connection you have made to your fellow members, and the connection they have

made to you and your club. Remind them that you are glad to see them, and when you dont see them remember

to say We miss you

P.S. This post is also on my District 22 Marketing Blog, along with other tips for Toastmasters Leaders. Leadership/Supervision Tips Leadership, linkedin, Marketing, Talk to the Human, Toastmasters

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The F63 Family Photos

Division F Leadership Reception, Assistant F63 Area

Governor, Briana Baynham, F63 Area Governor

and Division F Director Elect, Rex Arul, Wildwood

Toastmasters outgoing President and incoming

Area F63 Director Marline Santiago-Cook.

Division F Leadership Reception, F63 Area

Governor and Division F Director Elect, Rex Arul,

, Assistant F63 Area Governor, Briana Baynham,

Outgoing Division F Governor, Hissie Johnson,

Wildwood Toastmasters outgoing President and

incoming Area F63 Director Marline Santiago-

Cook.

Area Governor, Rex Arul, Wildwood

Toastmasters VPE, Scott Madden, Wildwood

members Kevin Hsu and Hongfei Li.

Area F63 Governor, Rex Arul, Cox

Toastmasters Mirlene Jean-Simone at Area

F63 and F65 Area Contests.

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2014-2015 Division F Governor, Hissie

Johnson.

xt box.]

RTS Charter Ceremony Cox Toastmasters Members

Cox Toastmasters outgoing

President, Charlene Sanders. Thank

you for your commitment to

leadership.

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SHOUTOUTS HISTORICAL PRESIDENTIAL DISTINGUISHED AREA F63

TRIPLE CROWNS: This is no ordinary feat. There are 4,900 members approximately in District 44. There are 215 members in Area F63. Out of the 4,900 D44 members, we have only 92 Triple Crowns. And out of the 215 F63 members, we have 2 Triple Crowns. Will you avow to earning a Triple Crown next year? Your time starts from July 1st. Before April 15th, 2016, you need to earn 3 or more awards. Here are the Triple Crown recipients of District 44. Do you know that 1 Area Governor (Dishelesh Jones) and 1 Division Governor (Lina Surianto) had earned 10 awards in a single year? As Area Governor Rex Arul would say, think, and you are half-way already there.

1. Bala Alagarsamy of Wildwood Toastmasters earned 3 educational awards this year. (CC, CL, ALB) 2. Rex Arul of Wildwood Toastmasters earned 3 educational awards this year. (CC, CL, ACS) (Rex is earning a 2nd

Triple Crown in 2 years to motivate his clubs and Area.)

Educational Awards:

Area F63 has earned 33 educational awards in total, this year (out of which 3 will not be counted due to Suntrust Perimeter being closed). This is a big deal.

1. Cox Toastmasters leads the pack with 11 educational awards. 2. Wildwood Toastmasters is the first runner with 9 educational awards. 3. League of Extraordinary Speakers is the second runner with 5 educational awards.

We are Area F63 want to applaud all the educational award winners for giving speeches and taking on roles, serving and assisting in campaigns, contests, etc.

Number Award Date Earned Name Club

1 CC 12/2/2014 Ketchum, Karen J. Cox Toastmasters

2 CC 4/9/2015 Mbena, Fred Cox Toastmasters

3 CC 4/14/2015 Ramsey, Rachel R. Cox Toastmasters

4 CC 4/14/2015 Tolbert, Tasha Marie Cox Toastmasters

5 CC 4/17/2015 Ramsey, Rachel R. Cox Toastmasters

6 ACG 4/14/2015 Sanders, Charlene L. Cox Toastmasters

7 ALB 7/16/2014 Holloran, Janice Cox Toastmasters

8 CL 12/2/2014 Jean-Simon, Mirlene Cox Toastmasters

9 CL 12/2/2014 Ketchum, Karen J. Cox Toastmasters

10 CL 2/4/2015 Sanders, Charlene L. Cox Toastmasters

11 ALB 4/14/2015 Jean-Simon, Mirlene Cox Toastmasters

12 CC 1/23/2015 Arul, Rex S. Wildwood Toastmasters

13 CC 3/6/2015 Alagarsamy, Bala Wildwood Toastmasters

14 ACB 8/14/2014 Santiago-Cook, Marline Wildwood Toastmasters

15 ACS 10/2/2014 Arul, Rex S. Wildwood Toastmasters

16 ALB 8/22/2014 Mugo, Juanita Wildwood Toastmasters

17 CL 9/11/2014 Santiago-Cook, Marline Wildwood Toastmasters

18 CL 9/18/2014 Alagarsamy, Bala Wildwood Toastmasters

19 ALB 3/10/2015 Alagarsamy, Bala Wildwood Toastmasters

20 CL 3/29/2015 Arul, Rex S. Wildwood Toastmasters

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21 CC 4/17/2015 Sutton, Velma R. League of Extraordinary Speakers

22 CC 4/24/2015 Taylor, Lemarr Jameel League of Extraordinary Speakers

23 CC 6/12/2015 McWhorter, Catrice M. League of Extraordinary Speakers

24 CL 4/14/2015 Sutton, Velma R. League of Extraordinary Speakers

25 ALB 6/25/2015 Sutton, Velma R. League of Extraordinary Speakers

26 CC 6/18/2015 Johnson, Lillian Giselle Room To Speak Toastmasters

27 CC 6/25/2015 Crosby, Sarah Baugher Room To Speak Toastmasters

28 ACS 6/18/2015 Johnson, Yolonda M. Room To Speak Toastmasters

29 CL 6/29/2015 Johnson, Lillian Giselle Room To Speak Toastmasters

30 CL 6/29/2015 Blackman, Jeanelle Room To Speak Toastmasters

31 CC 9/12/2014 Landau, Robert Suntrust Perimeter

32 CL 7/11/2014 McIntosh, Imani R. Suntrust Perimeter

33 ALS 7/21/2014 McIntosh, Imani R. Suntrust Perimeter

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1. In July 2014, we had 160 members in 5 clubs. At the end of the year (as on June 28th, 2015), we had 215 members in 6 clubs. That is a 34.38% growth in membership numbers. This is a very big accomplishment.

2. We added 2 clubs and lost 1 club (for reasons beyond our control).

3. 2 of our clubs became the largest in our entire Division F and were within the top 8 clubs in the entire District for its membership numbers, at certain points in time, this year. Those two clubs with huge membership numbers that rose to this fame are Room to Speak and League of Extraordinary Speakers.

4. As of June 28th, 2015, League of Extraordinary Speakers is the 2nd largest club in the entire District 44 Georgia. With 58 members, it is only next in rank to Goodwill Speaks and 360Speaks, each of which has 59 members.

5. Cox Toastmasters created history by becoming "President's Distinguished" for the first time in its 11th year of existence.

6. League of Extraordinary Speakers created history by becoming "Select Distinguished" for the first time in its 2nd year of existence.

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7. Room to Speak created history by becoming "Select Distinguished" on its opening year of chartering.

8. Room to Speak created history by becoming the first club to be chartered for District 44 for the year 2014-2015.

9. League of Extraordinary Speakers created history by being the home-club of the District 44's International Speech Contestant from Division F. Ms. Catrice McWhorter from Area F63 represented Division F at the District 44 Contests. This is historical for our entire Area F63.

10. League of Extraordinary Speakers and Room To Speak created history by raking the first educational awards in their entire club-history.

11. Area F63 is the largest area in District 44 with an enviable membership record for many months throughout 2014-2015. We currently have 215 members and there is no Area with 200 or more members except F63.

12. Awards: Both Cox Toastmasters Newsletter and Area F63 Newsletter won awards for the best Newsletters at the Spring 2015 conference.

Kudos Catrice! Catrice McWhorter

Division Fs International Speech Contestant at District 44 Fall Conference First time Area F63 Contestant has reached to this level.

Catrice belongs to League of Extraordinary Speakers Club.

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Area Club Performance Speakers Extraordinaire

Moved to 3 DCP goals in June

Needs progress on educational goals.

Club officers need to training

South Terraces Advocates


Needs progress on educational goals. SunTrust Perimeter

Suspended Congratulations to all the clubs who are following their goals and staying on target. Please continue to be vibrant in the new Toastmasters year 2015-2016 that starts on July 1st, 2015. Each club has access to reports for tracking performance and obtaining reports by accessing the Toastmasters International Dashboard. Please utilize these reports along with your club success plan accessible at: http://dashboards.toastmasters.org/Division.aspx?id=44

Managing Editor : Briana Baynham

Co-Editor & Reviewer: Rex Arul

Cox Toastmasters Club


Presidents Distinguished Status

League of Extraordinary Speakers


Select Distinguished Status Room to Speak Toastmasters Club


Select Distinguished Status

Club officers need training Wildwood Toastmasters


Presidents Distinguished Status

President, Wildwood Toastmasters

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Final Newsletter of District 44 Area F63 Jun 15