Fellow District 26 members,
I know members are facing difficulties with health, employment and home-schooling, to name a few. This pandemic is bigger than anyone, including Toastmasters.
Our clubs are not immune, but I’m so proud of our resilience and flexibility. I’ve witnessed many servant leaders training and supporting our clubs. Thank you ‘early responders’, you showed your true colors during these turbulent times. We’re apart together.
District 26 has responded with training, resources, and financial support. Please review these valuable
webpages to help your clubs:
- COVID-19 – a repository for key Toastmasters and District announcements
- Calendar – all our public events are listed here with Zoom links
- Contacts – lists District leaders and advisors; dedicated Toastmasters are available to help
- Online meetings – resources for your club; within days, Gretchen Vaughn pulled a team
together to produce a training video - Zoom – we upgraded our account to Business for more capacity, each Trio and Division Director
have an account to support their specific needs - Incentive – Presidents may request $100 for online software and equipment
- Contests – Jacqueline Smith, Program Quality Director, scrambled to remodel how to conduct
online contests. Area and Division contests are complete; please join us next Saturday April 25th
at 9:00am for the District International Speech contest. - Conference – although we canceled the in-person annual conference, we will hold a virtual
District Council meeting on Saturday May 2nd at 9:30am. We must conduct important business
in preparation for next fiscal year beginning July 1st . All are welcome, but Presidents and VP-
Educations are needed for quorum.
Members, you have an important role to play. Please support your clubs and each other by:
- Meeting online – use favorite video software to continue meetings, I’ve found that roles and functions translate well, guests are now able to visit distant clubs too!
- Requesting incentive – Presidents may request incentive money to begin online April 30th
- Paying dues – submit your dues to club Treasurer and Toastmasters by April 30th; as of today, only 60% of our clubs are considered ‘Active’.
Now more than ever, what we practice in club meetings directly applies to our business and personal worlds. Please engage your members so clubs remain strong when we emerge from this pandemic. I strongly believe our clubs provide tremendous value to our personal growth and well-being.
Until we meet again.
Be Well,
Mike Akins, DTM
District 26 Director 2019-20
