Hello and welcome to the District 62 web site!  If you are a first time visitor, please take plenty of time to look around at the web site and see what we have to offer.  Don’t forget to check out the District’s weekly newsletter called the HUB to read the latest information and happenings within the District.  Sign up to receive the HUB now!

My theme this year is “Conceive – Believe – Achieve”.  Anything we set our minds to CONCEIVE, and truly BELIEVE we can take the appropriate steps to accomplish, we will ACHIEVE in the long run.  I see more Distinguished Clubs this year!  Working together, we CAN and WILL do anything!  My goal this year is to become a Distinguished District again.  I invite YOU to become part of this goal….help your club become a Distinguished Club!

As your District Governor, I pledged to make sure that YOU, as a member, will be provided with the necessary “tools” to succeed.  With the help of your Area and Division Governors you will be made aware of all up-coming Area, Division and District events and vital information to assist YOU in reaching your Toastmaster Goals.

We were 149 members short of achieving Distinguished District for a third year in a row.   This is not a failure….this is a lesson learned!  We definitely need to encourage membership growth within the Clubs.  We need to build our membership!  There were approximately 10 more Clubs that almost made the Distinguished Club status.  The members worked hard and achieved the coveted Distinguished Club points, and they did achieve the 5 or 6 points.  But they just didn’t have the required number of members to make it to the Distinguished Club finish line. 

During the months of August and September, taking part in the Smedley Award membership building program, we should be working to encourage growth in our club membership.  Consider a “Special Event/Open House” during these months.  Hold a Club membership building contest, challenge your members to team up and see how many new members they can bring into the club.  Hold a Speechcraft Program to “grow your membership”!!  Contact former members, let them know you miss them and invite them back to your club.  The time is right….are YOU up to the challenge??  Check out the many great membership building resources available under “Resources” on the District web site!

Communication and Leadership is a life-long learning and personal empowerment process.  Seeing many Toastmasters grow and transformed through the Toastmaster program sets the pace to changing people’s lives.    The benevolent cycle of communication and leadership catalyzes self-realization throughout our lives in our careers, relationships and community.   Communication is not an option….it is a reality!

All of the District Officers are here to help YOU succeed.  Contact us! We can help brain storm on various ways to build your membership.  We will assist you by being a sounding board as you present your promotional ideas for the “Special Events/Open House” events you are planning.  We will help you build your “Freetoasthost” web site so you will be able to “showcase” your club and keep it out in front of the community or corporate environment to build your membership.

Are YOU willing to start off the year by sitting down with your Club Officers to set your goals for the year?   Will you review those goals periodically and make any necessary changes to achieve the goals?   Are you willing to take the “Moments of Truth” (see the Toastmaster web site to down load a copy) survey to your membership to see how you might be able to improve your meetings, Public Relations promotions, etc.?  Will YOU and your Club members jump on the “band wagon” that will see the members achieving their personal Toastmaster goals?    By giving manual speeches, leading by example, and taking on leadership roles, we will all see a pattern of success for everyone! 

Close your eyes…..Conceive it, Believe it, Achieve it….now open your eyes….doesn’t YOUR success look sensational!

Margaret Sieh, DTM - District Governor