In anticipation of receiving our Club Charter from TI and moving forward with plans on the best practices for our club. I have been thinking about how to have the club run the most efficient way possible. We have already achieved a lot, and now that we are about to charter, it is time that we take our planning to the next level.

Regarding Executive meetings; Originally, we were thinking that due to the large number of things to deal with, we would meet weekly. The problem with that is that not everyone can make it that frequently. We tried having the executive meeting ahead of the regular meeting. That did not work well. The Toastmasters constitution requires the executive to meet once a month. I think it is also practical that we do so. Therefore, the executive committee will have a scheduled meeting at 7PM at our office on the first Thursday of every month. Starting this week. Those who can make it will attend, and the meeting will happen with whoever is there.

My thinking regarding the best and most democratic way to run our club is as follows. The executive committee exists to ensure we act in the best interests of Toastmasters International and of our own club. That means we must follow the Toastmasters Constitution and of our own club constitution. The committee is there to ensure that we observe the and that we act on behalf of the members wishes. In our club we will always remember that “it is all about the members.”

My thinking is that because we want Toastmasters Whitby Pros to be a club that represents the wishes of the members, the executive committee should not make any decisions on the committee that requires a vote that binds the members. Any decisions that affect the club or the members, will be brought up in the business section of our regular meetings and the club will vote on the issue. Issues needing to be brought up in club meetings would be brought to Chair or the President as the case may be, or in an executive meeting, to be put on the agenda as a business item to be dealt with in the next club meeting.

The member of the committee related to the issue, would bring up the topic as a motion to vote on in the business section of the weekly club meetings. Motions will always require a quorum of 51% to pass. If the matter is not completed by the allotted time; it will carry forward to the next meeting under “old business.” Any member can make a motion to extend the business session to deal with the matter. Items not requiring a vote will be introduced by way of Committee Reports. We still need to work on our club by-laws. Any suggestions for by laws would be appreciated. When drafted, the by laws will by presented to the club for a vote before they become part of our club constitution.

Dan
dan.white@taxauditsolutions.com

Bits and pieces from Terry Lynch, editor

About the Hallowe’en Meeting October 30:
Be sure to figure out what costume, be it the whole shabang costume, or a minimal image change…. be it ever so little or ever so big, lets plan to have extra fun that evening.

New Website:
Soon, thanks to Todd Morgan, our new website will be in place and will also host an online version of the newsletter.

Toastmaster Tip of the week Part 2:
Whether you’re new to giving speeches as some of us are, or are a seasoned Toastmaster, these how-to articles from Toastmasters International website, will help us hone our skills. Get quick and easy tips for how to prepare and present an award, use visual aids and props, incorporate body language into your presentations, and more. With time and practice, you’re sure to see improvement in your ability to communicate and an increase in your confidence.

Preparing for a speech is one of the best ways to ensure you give an effective presentation. This week’s tip:

Become familiar with the stage or the setting where the speech will take place. Get a sense of the size of the stage, where any steps or obstacles might be, and where to enter and exit.

Choose comfortable clothes to wear, but always maintain a professional appearance.

Visual aids should fit a speech, whether they are funny, serious or technical. The main goal of visual aids is to help the audience understand what is being said, and reinforce the points of a speech in unique and interesting ways.

Please let me have your contributions! In order to keep the newsletter relevant and be of value to our members, please let me have any feedback/input/comments that you would care to contribute. This is vital to generating the synergies that we need to continue to grow both individually and as a group.

Theme for October 2nd Meeting: “Gratitude – A Key to Happy Living”.

Note:
We are very fortunate to have Mr. Pathways himself, Tony Nelson, to give us a special one-hour training on Pathways. It is very important for our members to get an understanding of Pathways and how the program can help us all reach our goals.

We have adjusted the schedule to accommodate this. What it means is that we will have one speaker and only have a written evaluation by the evaluator.

Cheers,
Terry
terrylynch@rogers.com
(416) 315-1787