Black Swan Newsletter January 2021
The official newsletter of Toastmasters International District 17.
Contents
District news
A message from the District Director
Happy New Year District 17 Members and Leaders!
Hope you all had a wonderful break and looking forward to 2021 like I am.
2020 could be a year best described as a year to remember or even a year to forget.
Whichever way you look at it, it is certainly an unusual year for all of us.
The District Team is now back in full force and we anticipate finishing the remaining six months with a positive outlook.
Whilst some of us are in “survival” mode others have excelled and it is pleasing to see so all our clubs following the Club’s Mission.
Club Officer Training restarts again in February so it is important as a Club Officer to attend these training to assist you better to serve your members and club.
There will be other supplementary workshops being conducted by the TLI Training Group throughout the year. Please check the Newsletter and our District Facebook page for further details.
I’m pleased to advise that our Team of Leaders and supporters are working hard to charter new clubs with demonstration meetings being arranged for this month.
Our focus has been and will continue to be the safety of our members now that most of our clubs are back to face to face meetings.
Please be vigilant in this area and ensure we follow all the necessary processes.
The next 6 months will be no different from the last 6.
There are still uncertainties but if we all remain positive and do our best I am confident we can end the year on a high.
Once again, take care of yourself and your members and I wish everyone all the best for 2021.
Kind Regards
Henry Yau DTM
District Director 2020-2021
District 17
Toastmasters International
Events
Club Officer Training in 2021
Club Officer Training is essential in the development of every members’ leadership and communication skills. The District Leadership continues to work on developing your officer role and help you get the most out of your role to benefit you and your club.
When every club officer is well-trained to perform their duties, members are better served. This makes the member experience more positive, which leads to a quality club experience and increased member retention.
The topics which will be focussed on at the workshops are as follows:
- Back to Basics – know how to navigate around Club Central and the District Website
- Back to Basics Advanced – know how to master Base Camp and additional resources that are available
- How to Achieve Club Excellence
- How to Implement and Maintain Pathways Mentoring in Your club
Event Details
Round 2: Club Officer Training Schedule:
- Sunday 7 February 9 am-12 pm Location: Bunbury to Register Click Here
- Corporate Club Training – Thursday 18 February 5:30 pm-8:30 pm Location: CBD to register Click Here
- Saturday 13 February 1-4 pm Location: Bob Daniels Community Centre CBD to register Click Here
- Saturday 20 February 1-4pm Location: Midland Junction Arts Centre CBD to register Click Here
- Sunday 28 February 9 am-12pm Location: Zoom to register Click Here
Please register for one of these sessions.
For any questions please contact: timbtoastmasters@gmail.com or ProgramQualityDirector@toastmastersd17.org
AMWA Toastmasters Club Open Day
The Management Committee of the Association of Malaysians in Western Australia (AMWA) after some consideration has decided to support a Toastmaster’s club to assist interested members and general Malaysian community members improve their speaking skills, improve their self confidence, and other skills that may assist them with job applications etc.
Open Days are being held on Thursday 14 and 28 of January at Mandala Hall, Bateman between 6:30 pm and 8:00 pm. The Open Days will demonstrate what Toastmasters is all about and provide details on fees etc. There is no charge to attend the Open Days and no obligation to become a member of AMWA Toastmasters so please RSVP and come enjoy the night with some coffee and tea.
To RSVP your attendance at the Open Day, please contact Kutty or Vijay
Event Details
Date: Thursday 14 & 28 of January 2021
Time: 6.30 – 8.00 pm
Venue: Mandala Hall, Bateman
Cost: Free
RSVP: Kutty VK to kuttyvk@hotmail.com or 0412 577 220
Vijaykumar V to kumar2vj@gmail.com or 0415 995 935
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Member Stories
Wellbeing for International Students (WIS)
I was given a task to complete a project as part of my Leadership Development pathway by my mentor, Mina. Little did I know that this project would have allowed me to pursue what I am passionate about – creating a health promotion/public health program for vulnerable/minority populations.
2020 wasn’t a good year for all of us, especially when most of us may have been affected socially, financially and mentally. International students were also not spared from this, and COVID certainly highlighted the disparity that international students faced. As a graduate of Master of Public Health from Curtin University and as a former international student myself, I experienced the challenges from lockdown and home-based learning, and it certainly placed a toll on my mental health. With not many available resources readily provided then, I had to learn how to take care of my mental health and learned what self-care was all about.
Therefore, with the collaboration of my project partner, Hiro, we are designing a program called Wellbeing for International Students (WIS) specifically for international students that focuses on their health and wellbeing. We are currently planning a pilot program that we aimed to launch in February that involves workshops on self-care and mental and emotional health. This will be an exciting journey for both me and Hiro as it is what we are passionate about. Also, I believe that without the opportunities that Toastmasters have provided, we would not have been able to embark on this exciting journey together.
Nasyita Mashuni
Vice President Membership
Curtin Toastmasters Club
Submitting Articles to Black Swan
Want to submit an article next month?If you have any news, stories and tips that would like to share with your fellow Toastmasters within District 17, write to us by the end of the month! Complete the Black Swan Submission Form and email to blackswan@toastmastersd17.org
- Articles must have a relevant news category
- Articles must be relevant or of clear interest to Toastmaster members.
- Articles must reflect the TI core values; Integrity, Respect, Service and Excellence.
- Length must not exceed 300 words
- Please supply images with the best picture quality available
- Supply names of people shown in images.
Mina Cho, DTM
Black Swan Editor
2020-2021