Greetings District 26 Toastmasters,

We can still finish strong!!! Now is the time to invite friends to your club and hopefully turn those guests into members before June 30. To the clubs that are already Distinguished or better, CONGRATULATIONS. Club VPEs, if your club is Distinguished or Select Distinguished, please take a look at your DCP goals and assess if one or two or just few more goals are able to be accomplished by June 30 to move up a level. If your club is not yet Distinguished, please assess what or how many educational goals are needed to get you across the finish line. We are almost there…FINISH STRONG.

Now it is time that I must bid you “ADIEU”. I have been a member of Toastmasters International, particularly the Aurorators Toastmasters club for 19 years. When I started my Toastmasters journey, I was only seeking to improve my confidence with public speaking as a fairly new graduate school graduate who needed a better a job. Toastmasters has indeed opened a world of opportunities for me. I have served in many leadership roles at the club and District level. Some leadership roles I liked more than others. It has been my humblest and greatest honor serving as your District Director. This year has seen more challenges than normal, having to contend with the normal balancing of life, work and Toastmasters, amid a seemingly unrelenting global pandemic at times. Through it all, we’ve made, we survived, we are here. I wish you all continued success in your Toastmasters journey and in life.

Jacqueline L. Smith, DTM
District Director 2020-2021