A word from President Dan

We had another great meeting Wednesday. Mitchell and Jesse did an awesome job as Chair and Toastmaster. This was Jesse’s first time as Toastmaster and he did very well. Everyone had fun in their roles and the meeting was another wonderful meeting. We had two guests and I think they may become members.

We had our first Robert’s Rules of Order educational session, led by Toastmaster Egon Pederson ATM. We are going to have a series of these short educational sessions. Each one will be from a different perspective, so that the sessions don’t feel like the same old same old.

You might ask why are we putting our energy into the subject of parliamentary procedure, and that is a good question. Firstly, we as a club are committed to high standards and it is part of the Toastmaster Constitution that we signed up for as a club. I would ask how would we fulfill our commitment if we don’t know what the rules are and how to follow them?

Having a club business session allows for the club to be a democratic organization rather than a dictatorship. Business meetings are an integral part of a Toastmaster Club. Your executive is committed to continue to building a solid club that will endure and thrive for many years to come.

It is also important to see that for all of our members one way or another, at some time or other, get involved in committees, groups, clubs and even political positions. Robert’s Rules are an international standard for the conduct of meetings. Learning how to conduct a meeting was one of the most important things I have personally learned as a result of joining a toastmaster club back in the 80’s. Running a meeting requires structure and a method to stay on track without getting derailed. In order for a Toastmaster to chair a meeting or to do the Toastmaster role, they need to understand the rules of order.

We are fully aware that Robert’s Rules can be intimidating. For that reason, we are going to keep the educational sessions short so as not to overwhelm members with information overload. We are going to conduct the business portion of our weekly meetings strictly by the rules, so that there is no confusion as to what is happening.

What we are not going to do is to make a game of it, as it intimidates some members and serves to get no serious business accomplished. So therefore, we will discourage any frivolous behavior in our business sessions as that would only interfere with club business.

Your executive committee is doing a separate training evening on Robert’s Rules of Order this coming Tuesday evening. We believe that as your executive we need to be up to speed on this area of operating a Toastmaster Club. We will consider repeating this for any members who express an interest in honing up on their meeting skills.

Dan
dan.white@taxauditsolutions.com

Update from Education Director, Julie

The club is making great progress in Pathways. Congratulations to all members who have successfully registered an online path. When you joined toastmasters your first path was included in your registration fees. I will be reaching out directly to members that need assistance to transition from the previous legacy program. If you became reinstated when you joined our club you need to actually purchase an online path for $20 USD. Whether your pathway was included or if you need to purchase one – it’s easy to do. Just login to Toastmasters International and go to the Pathways tab and select Start Page.

How do I get credit for my Speeches

Pathways online requires each member to progress through their path using a computer. This can seem frustrating at times. Do not despair. It is actually easier than it looks. It’s very convenient and saves all your results so you don’t have to. Below are the instructions to advance through the initial Icebreaker phase . All members who have given their icebreaker must login and complete the following:

1. Login to Toastmasters International
2. Choose Pathways Tab and Select Start Page
3. Choose Go to Base Camp
4. Select Education Transcript Access My Path

You will see your Pathway Displayed on the screen with its name on the left and a burgundy button on the right hand side of the screen that says Open Curriculum. When you open your curriculum you will see the Level 1 Projects displayed.

You must now Activate & Launch the Ice Breaker Project. This is a two step action by clicking the burgundy button on the right when it says activate and again when it says launch. Be patient as the program loads. Make sure your pop up blocker is turned off.

The online learning project is now launched and ready for you to click your way through. There are a series of assessments, instructional slides, a video and evaluation that must be completed. In order to do this you need to be comfortable with the buttons that will navigate you through the content.

Navigation Tools

• The large blue arrows on the middle left and right hand side of each slide are
  the main navigation buttons.
• There is a blue directions button that you can expand and collapse
• There are burgundy Next , Back & Submit buttons

Video Navigation Tools

• All video navigation buttons are located on the lower left of the video screen.
• Use the solid triangle to start the video and the double line to stop.
• You can expand your video to take over your whole screen by using the
  square button.
• If you do this you will note that the navigation buttons are still located on the
  lower left of the large screen.

In order to complete your Icebreaker you must take a before and after assessment, watch a short video and read through 8 instructional slides. There are downloadable materials embedded in the slides which are helpful and can be saved or accessed later. Continue to move forward through the slides until you have reviewed all the content. You will be asked to complete the assessments and
submit an evaluation. Once you complete the evaluations and hit the submit button – your Icebreaker project will show completed. You are ready to move onto the next project which is Evaluation & Feedback.

Quick Tip

Quick Tip. If you make a mistake or otherwise get lost, just close your window and log in again. Follow the easy steps and launch your path over again – It will remember where you stopped and you can carry on.

Cheers,
Julie