Black Swan April 2017
Editorial
Here is the Black Swan newsletter for April 2017. As Toastmasters we are united with the challenge of wanting to learn to be better speakers, and to lead others become better speakers. We want to promote our clubs, our division and our district, and to make our mark on an international level. I encourage you to listen to our International President, Mike Storkey, in the link below. Leading our clubs to distinguished status is an important role for us as leaders, and this is reflected by each and every one of the top trio here this month. When we hear the message three time we know it is important! Almarie's article about how we can use our local media in the most effective way gives good, solid, practical advice that can be used in our Toastmaster's life and elsewhere. Enjoy reading, dear readers!
We encourage articles from members, this newsletter is 'written by Toastmasters, for Toastmasters'. Guidelines for authors are at the end of this newsletter.
Lisa Martin
Black Swan Editor
District Director's Update
by Leonor Ragan
Are we there yet?
We are going fairly well thanks to all the efforts of our members and leaders. The beginning of April is when we get the big picture as to how our District is progressing in Membership, Club Growth, and how many Clubs will be achieving a Distinguished Status. One element that is of concern is membership. The required renewals for this time of the year are not there yet. Currently, as of April 1st we are short of about 700 plus members. I know that we will get the membership required to make our district distinguished because we have a team of dedicated and courageous members and leaders in our district. Congratulations to our leaders and to our Club Growth Director, Patricia D’Cruze for the achievements with membership and club growth in our district for chartering three new clubs as of March 31st and a fourth club has been lodged with Toastmasters International on April 5th.
Distinguished Clubs
| Western Founders Toastmasters Club | Distinguished |
| Sandgroper Toastmasters Club | Distinguished |
| Northern Lights, Western Australia | Distinguished |
| St George's Toastmasters Club | Distinguished |
| UWA | Distinguished |
| Murdoch Southsiders Toastmasters Club | Distinguished |
| Applecross Toastmasters | Distinguished |
| Durack Club | Select |
| Victoria Park | President |
| Canning Vale Toastmasters | President |
| Fremantle Gateway Toastmasters Club | President |
| Victoria Quay Club | President |
| Sunday Sundowners Toastmasters Club | President |
Many Congratulations to the 13 Clubs listed above. Your clubs have achieved Distinguished standing. Thanks to all the club leaders for all your dedication and to the club members. I hope that you are enjoying your journey and achieving your personal goals.
Clubs with 4+ DCP goals or those that need more members to be distinguished
| Area | Name | Goals | Paid members | Members needed |
| C2 | Central Communicators | 4 | 16 | 4 |
| C2 | City of Perth | 5 | 14 | 6 |
| C3 | Dynamic Speakers | 5 | 10 | 10 |
| C4 | Curtin GSB Club | 4 | 20 | Met requirement |
| C4 | Curtin GSB Sundowner | 6 | 9 | 11 |
| C4 | Risky Toast | 4 | 21 | Met requirement |
| C5 | Plain Speakers | 5 | 14 | 6 |
| E11 | Terrace Speakers | 5 | 8 | 5 |
| E12 | DTM Pathway | 4 | 10 | 10 |
| E13 | Ellenbrook | 7 | 16 | 4 |
| E13 | Mundaring | 7 | 9 | 8 |
| E13 | Kalamunda | 4 | 20 | Met requirement |
| E13 | Guildford Stars | 4 | 10 | 8 |
| E13 | Swan | 4 | 11 | 9 |
| E14 | Leading Lights | 4 | 12 | 7 |
| E14 | Touch of Gold | 6 | 12 | 8 |
| E14 | WA School of Mines | 5 | 12 | 7 |
| E14 | Golden Gourmet | 6 | 12 | 6 |
| N21 | Currambine | 8 | 16 | 4 |
| N21 | Butler | 4 | 19 | 1 |
| N22 | Subiaco Early Birds Club | 4 | 18 | 2 |
| N23 | Water Corporation | 4 | 17 | 3 |
| N23 | Desperados | 5 | 16 | 4 |
| N24 | Maylands | 4 | 24 | Met requirement |
| N24 | Banyandah | 4 | 9 | 4 |
| N25 | Competitive Speakers Perth | 5 | 14 | 6 |
| N25 | Banksia Speakers | 4 | 9 | 11 |
| N25 | Aspire | 9 | 17 | 3 |
| S31 | Armadale | 4 | 12 | 5 |
| S31 | Southern River | 9 | 18 | 1 |
| S32 | Fremantle Gourmet | 9 | 17 | 2 |
| S32 | City of Cockburn | 4 | 10 | 4 |
| S33 | Willetton | 6 | 15 | 5 |
| S34 | Jetty | 4 | 14 | 3 |
| S34 | Bunbury Club | 7 | 14 | 4 |
| S35 | Rockingham | 7 | 9 | 11 |
| S35 | Kwinana | 6 | 11 | 9 |
The above 36 clubs are on their way to be becoming distinguished. Well done for all your outstanding efforts to achieve distinguished status. Remain positive and inspired and continue to be support each other. Club leaders and members please take every opportunity to convert or reinstate that extra member and achieve that extra goal. I applaud your progress and we are inspired by your determination to achieve your personal goals as well as extend your contact with other clubs and district events outside your own clubs. Continue with your passion to communicate and enrich your lives so much more as well as your personal growth. Wishing you the best.
Incentive (as announced in January at Black Swan Newsletter)
Every Club that achieved membership of 20 or more, or if the club membership was less than 16 as of 1st July 2016 and achieved an extra 5 members, and who submitted their renewal fees to Toastmasters International by 29th March 2017 went into the draw for a Full Attendance Ticket to the District Convention in May 26 to 28 May at the Trade Winds in Fremantle.
These are the clubs that are in the running for that convention ticket: CPA Toastmasters, Curtin GSB Toastmasters, Fremantle Gateway Toastmasters Club, Victoria Quay Club, Canning Vale Toastmasters. The winner will be drawn at the next District Management meeting on the 29th April. Results will be forwarded to the club on the 30th April. Good luck to all.
There still another incentive running at the moment (Announced on the 20th March)
We have a wonderful prize on offer and every new member written with a club membership starting from 1st of April 2017 until the 30th April will give you and your club an entry into the lucky draw. Winners will be announced at the convention in May.
What is the prize?
A home-study course worth $297 from Darren LaCroix,
“Create your Keynote by next week".
Picture this: You step in front of the audience with confidence, all eyes are on you. Your strong opening draws them in. Though skeptical at first, they now hang on your every word. They gain a new perspective because of your conviction and clarity. Your strong close and call to action bring them to their feet with energetic applause. You WOW them!
How can I win this prize?
To be in the running for this incentive ensure that you convert guests to your club to new members. dual members will also count, but renewals will not count. Counts of new members will be taken straight from Toastmasters International dashboard reports. This means that you will need to get that membership form signed, the money paid into your club account and then the money transferred to Toastmasters International no later than 30 April 2017.
At the end of the month a raffle ticket will be allocated for each new member’s fee received and the lucky winner will be drawn. The winning club can either keep the prize for the club or give it to the member who put most effort into their membership drive.
A very special message from our International President Toastmasters International
Click on this link below to view a message to all our Leaders: https://www.toastmasters.org/Leadership-Central/District-Leader-Message
Mike Storkey, DTM. International President.
Our Contests’ Finalists
Eastern Division
International Contest: 1st Place Cherie Wallace and 2nd Place Martin Lindsay
Evaluation Contest: 1st Place Vicky Post and 2nd Place Martin Lindsay
Northern Division
International Contest: 1st Place Lisa Evans and 2nd Place Sam Walsham
Evaluation Contest: 1st Place Martin O’Connor and 2nd Place Nathan Machholz
Central Division
International Contest: 1st Place Janette Edwards and 2nd Place Lizeth De La Hoz Ruiz
Evaluation Contest: 1st Place Jennifer van den Hoek and 2nd Place Gary Goh
South Division
International Contest: 1st Place Vanessa Chang and 2nd Place Cristina Millingale
Evaluation Contest: 1st Place Mike Palmer and 2nd Place Sue Fielding
Congratulations to every contestant, contest functionaries and members of the audience at every contest. Without all of your collective efforts the contests would not have happened, nor would they have been as successful as they all turned out to be. Our finalists for the District contests to be held in Fremantle from the 26th to the 28th May. Currently our Program Quality Director, Sue Fallon and team have been organizing one of the most inspiring contests where the best of the best will be compete for district champion status. Each contest will be memorable! I’m looking forward to seeing all you at our District convention 2017 – The passion to Communicate. There are only sixty tickets left.
I’m very appreciative of the all the work that you all do at all the time as a team and individually
Leonor Ragan DTM
District Director 2016-17
The Passion to: lead, communicate and achieve your goals
District 17 Education Awards March 2017
| Award | Date | Member | Name |
| ACB | 3/01/2017 | Watson, Brett Duncan George | Rockingham Toastmasters |
| CC | 4/01/2017 | Segura, Laura Elena | UWA |
| CC | 3/02/2017 | NG, Jaynelle | Risky Toast |
| CC | 3/02/2017 | Le-Ray, Antoine | Fremantle Gateway Toastmasters Club |
| ALB | 3/03/2017 | Watson, Brett Duncan George | Rockingham Toastmasters |
| CC | 3/04/2017 | Walawe, Pradeep | Victoria Park |
| CC | 3/04/2017 | Lavell, Gladys Doreen | City of Cockburn Toastmasters |
| CL | 3/09/2017 | Devenish-Meares, Caroline | Victoria Quay Club |
| CL | 3/10/2017 | Barns, Helen | Northern Lights, Western Australia |
| LDREXC | 3/10/2017 | Meyer, Almarie | Competitive Speakers Perth |
| CC | 3/12/2017 | Viglione, Sophia L | Rising Stars Club |
| DTM | 03/13/2017 | Meyer, Almarie | Butler Toastmasters Club |
| ALS | 03/13/2017 | Meyer, Almarie | Butler Toastmasters Club |
| ACS | 03/14/2017 | Chan, Stephanie | Southern River Toastmasters |
| CC | 03/15/2017 | Narayanaswamy, Anandan | Southern River Toastmasters |
| CL | 03/15/2017 | Channell, Jessie | St George's Toastmasters Club |
| CC | 03/17/2017 | Rakela, Peta | Rising Stars Club |
| ALB | 03/18/2017 | Gotsis, Sophy | Fremantle Gateway Toastmasters Club |
| CL | 03/18/2017 | Gotsis, Sophy | Fremantle Gateway Toastmasters Club |
| CL | 03/18/2017 | Jakovcevic, Lynette May | Fremantle Gateway Toastmasters Club |
| CC | 03/20/2017 | Krahling, Ursula | Dynamic Speakers |
| CC | 03/20/2017 | Meyer, Almarie | Currambine Toastmasters |
| CL | 03/20/2017 | Flack, Wendy | Currambine Toastmasters |
| CC | 03/21/2017 | Chisolm, Nathan M | Durack Club |
| CC | 03/22/2017 | Drake, John L | Leading Lights Toastmasters |
| CC | 03/23/2017 | Wilkinson, Ross Phillip | Fremantle Gourmet Toastmasters Club |
| ACS | 03/25/2017 | Lonsdale, Robin M. | Golden Gourmet Toastmasters |
| CL | 03/25/2017 | Hatzidakis, Mike | Curtin GSB Sundowner Toastmasters Club |
| ACS | 03/27/2017 | Rhodes, Denise J | Mundaring |
| CL | 03/27/2017 | Goodz, Morrie David | WA School of Mines - Kalgoorlie |
| CC | 03/28/2017 | Vankayala, Rahul | Plain Speakers |
| CC | 03/28/2017 | Agadi, Satish V. | CPA Toastmasters |
| CC | 03/28/2017 | Andrijich, Lois E | Young Guns |
| ACB | 03/29/2017 | Rakela, Peta | Ellenbrook Toastmasters Club |
| CL | 03/29/2017 | Lloyd, Robyn | Jacobs Perth Toastmasters Club |
| CC | 03/29/2017 | Van Raay, Carla | Victoria Quay Club |
| CC | 03/30/2017 | Cho, Mina | Western Founders Toastmasters Club |
| ACG | 03/30/2017 | Hemmings, Paul R. | Maylands Toastmasters Club |
| ACB | 03/31/2017 | Wilkie, Meredith Jayne | Desperados |
Superb result - 38 Educational & Leadership awards lodged in the month of March – you’re superb work continues District 17 Toastmasters!
Make sure you are achieving your gaols, and be sure to let your Vice President Education know about your personal goals. If we all work on our personal goals, all of our clubs will achieve also.
Sue Fallon
District 17 Program Quality Director 2016-2017
Distinguished Toastmaster Awards - March 2017
Congratulations to:
Almarie Meyer DTM
Congratulation this month to our latest Distinguished Toastmaster for this fantastic achievement.
Your commitment Almarie to the learning and development required to reach this standard is immense and I am extremely proud of your endeavours!
Sue Fallon
District 17 Program Quality Director 2016-2017
Triple Crown Awards March 2017
Almarie Meyer ALS, DTM, LDREXC, CC, ACG, CL
Brett Watson CL, ACB, ALB
Congratulations to District 17’s newest Triple Crown Award winners on your continued achievement.
Sue Fallon
District 17 Program Quality Director 2016-2017
Distinguished Club Program
A high quality club encourages and celebrates member achievement, provides a supportive and fun environment and offers a professional organised meeting with variety. My thanks to all of those clubs who have contributed to their Distinguished Club Program by making sure you are enhancing the needs of your members!
Have all of your members had an opportunity to finish their Competent Communicator and/or Advance Communicator speech manuals this year?
Have all of your members been rostered to undertake roles from the Competent Leader Manual, in order to advance their own personal goals?
Have your advanced members & leaders been encouraged to deliver educationals from the Successful Club Series and/or the Leadership Excellence Series in order to achieve their Advanced Leader Bronze award?
There is still time to ensure your member’s needs are met at their home club.
There are also a number of other clubs who would appreciate some support at their meetings whilst they build their clubs back to a successful environment. I know they would welcome a member from another club as a speaker, or evaluator or just to offer some support whilst challenging themselves. Please contact me if you would like to be directed to a Club that would appreciate your support.
Sue Fallon
District 17 Program Quality Director 2016-2017
Winners are Grinners
by Patricia D'Cruze
Congratulations to the winners of the 2017 Talk up Toastmasters membership building contest. The following clubs added add five new, dual or reinstated members with a join date between February 1 and March 31.
- 235 Toastmasters
- Kalamunda Toastmasters Club
- Murdoch Southsiders Toastmasters Club
- Southern River Toastmasters
Patricia D'Cruze DTM
District 17 Club Growth Director 2016-2017
Beat the Clock! Membership building contest
by Patricia D'Cruze
Help your club to grow and win Toastmasters International’s final ‘Beat the Clock!’ membership building contest for the year.
If your club adds 5 new, reinstated, or dual members between May 1st – June 30th, it will win the ‘Beat the Clock!’ award and also receive an incentive of a $50 gift certificate from the District. You will also receive a ‘Beat the Clock!’ ribbon to proudly display on your club’s banner. Qualifying clubs also earn a special discount code for 10 % off their next club order. (The discount code expires six months from the date of issue and is not valid with any other offer.)
Don’t forget you may also have members who need to complete the following projects in their Competent Leadership Manual
- Project 6: Organization and Delegation – Help Organize a Club Membership Campaign or Contest
- Project 8: Motivation – Membership Campaign
- Project 10: Team Building – Membership Campaign Chair
to receive their Competent Leader award. So here is a perfect opportunity for your club to promote itself, gain members, and increase participation while also winning prizes and helping your members achieve their educational goals. Make membership-building fun! Encourage everyone to participate in the contest. If you haven’t already, please plan your club’s showcase or demo meeting and other membership-building activities now to ‘Beat the Clock!’.
You don’t have to do anything to enter into this contest as your club is automatically enrolled. Applications and payments for members with a join date between May 1st and June 30th must be received at World Headquarters or online no later than June 30th. Transfer and charter members do not count towards Beat the Clock! credit.
Winning clubs will be revealed online at Toastmasters International in July.
So, what are you waiting for? Get started in growing your club.
Patricia D'Cruze DTM
District 17 Club Growth Director 2016-2017
How to get your article published in the media
by Almarie Meyer
How do you get the attention of a journalist? Standard media releases just don't seem to work anymore and taking time to build a relationship with a journalist isn't always possible when our roles in Toastmasters are short-lived. Here are some ways to get media attention and free publicity as taught by Dr Neryl East in her book The Headline Edge.
Journalists want interesting stories. They are not there to provide a free commercial for your club or Toastmasters. When you have written you article look at it critically and try to see it through the eyes of the journalist.
What is your angle? Is there anything you are doing for the first time? Is there anything mildly controversial you can connect to your story? Does your story have a human interest message? Is there something especially relevant to a specific demographic? Can you link your story to something already in the news.
Remember that it is all about them and not about you. Journalists want stories their audiences will love. If you have the right story the free promotion will follow. Research previous stories the journalist has published.
Once you have your story and angle, think about which journalists will be most interested. Do not send your story out to everyone you can think of. Pick one journalist and tell them that you are offering the story to them exclusively. If a club member, officer, contestant lives or works in the distribution area of the local newspaper make sure you mention it.
Make sure you have a high quality, professional looking photograph to accompany the story. Blurry out of focus photos with a cluttered background won't work. Again, look at your photograph and imagine it on a page in the newspaper or magazine you are targeting. Will it fit the look and feel of the publication?
Make sure you write the story in such a way that they don't have to rewrite it. Start with a bold statement. Don't even mention the event and definitely not in the first paragraph. Lead with the angle. The most important parts come first so that if the journalist has a word limit they can easily chop off the later words, don't build up to a climax. In the closing paragraph remember to name your club and or Toastmasters and tell people where to find more details.
We have also started a Facebook page to discuss Public Relations in the District. Find the group at Toastmasters District 17 VPPR Discussion Group if you are interested in joining.
Let me know how you go with promoting your club.
Almarie Meyer
District 17 Public Relations Manager 2016-2017
Black Swan Newsletter Guidelines for Authors
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