FIRST, REFLECT BACK for a moment: 

Why did YOU join TOASTMASTERS?  What did you hope to accomplish ?

• MASTER your NERVOUSNESS in front of a crowd?
• INCREASE your EFFECTIVENESS in selling a product or idea ? 
• PERSUADE people to act to accomplish something worthwhile? 
• Harness PASSION to WIN the HEARTS and SOULS of your audience? 
• GROW as a LEADER, practicing your ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS ? 
• Make new FRIENDS? 
• IMPROVE your LANGUAGE abilities? 
• CHALLENGE yourself to WIN in SPEECH CONTESTS from Club to International level? 
• Or simply to HAVE FUN in a POSITIVE, SELF-MOTIVATED, VERY DIVERSE group of people with COMMON GOALS?

     Whatever your goals, your District 59 leader TEAM (FAMILY, in my eyes) during this 2008-9 Toastmasters term– from District Executive Committee to Club Officers, is FULLY COMMITTED to UNDERSTAND and KNOW your communications and Leadership GOALS (we will ask you!), and harness EVERY RESOURCE we can to HELP YOU ACCOMPLISH THEM!

     We will do this by TRAINING your club, Area, Division and District leaders to SERVE YOU.  Area and Division leaders will visit your clubs, sharing best practices from other clubs, offering recommendations on how to IMPROVE the QUALITY of your CLUB MEETINGS.  They will also LEAD the effort to partner with motivated Club prospective members to create and build NEW CLUBS where there are none.  During my ten years as a TM, we have grown from 30 clubs to over 140.  This term, we expect to charter 25-30 more new clubs.  We WELCOME six NEW highly motivated Clubs in POLAND into our D59 FAMILY of European Clubs.

     NOW, LOOK FORWARD.  KNOW your GOALS.  COMMUNICATE them to your club LEADERS.  LEVERAGE all of the tools and OPPORTUNITIES that Toastmasters has to offer.  Go visit neighboring clubs regularly.  Experiment, step (RUN!) beyond your comfort zone, expect to make mistakes, discover your weaknesses, confirm your strengths, then listen carefully to the CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK we offer you, and LEARN, GROW, SHINE as a communicator and leader !  

 Have the COURAGE TO CONQUER.  Discover THE POWER OF FAMILY!

                    TOGETHER, we can accomplish ANYTHING!