By Phillip Plath
There are so many ways I might approach a wrap-up of the latest District 101 Toastmasters Leadership Institute (TLI). I’ll start with some of my personal history, then speak to the leadership and organizing opportunities available at every TLI.
I became a Toastmaster in late 2019 in District 4. My zeal for improving myself and contributing to my club were palpable from the start, and I took my first opportunity to attend a TLI only months into my Toastmasters tenure. I distinctly remember the cool kids at the event – those Toastmasters who had not only been around awhile, but also obviously worked together successfully enough to form a bond and kinship. It was a great day of learning for me, most impressively in the manner that opportunities are myriad in Toastmasters: if you want to improve yourself and contribute there is a constant parade of chances for both.
Fast forward to mid-2024. The 2023-24 Toastmasters year is over and my stint as Area Director has left me challenged, stimulated and wondering what’s next. My good fortune is that in the 2023-24 year I had established relationships with all three of the incoming 2024-25 District 101 triumvirate: Raji, Anna and Wendy.
Anna graciously offered me the opportunity to Chair the 1/25/2025 TLI and I accept – not knowing what’s in store, but knowing that an opportunity to learn should not be passed up. The timing of the event has not made its challenges apparent to me: fighting through the holiday season (Halloween to the New Year) means I should have started organizing, researching and coordinating in September. Alas, I did not.
That made for a mad scramble in the month of January. One of life’s great lessons is that we’re not alone. Every success is shared by those who know us, support us, and love us. But, so every misapplication of effort trickles down to those working with us, making our bad planning their undeserved penalty. So it was with the people working most closely with me: my Tech Chair and his assistant (Ken Braly and Scott Bradley), as well as Anna Garcia herself (who was liable for my performance – good or bad). In true Toastmasters fashion I looked at every set-back as a chance to overcome and learn.
Sprinkled with an abundance of apologies on my part, we were able to stage a successful TLI. I have always been impressed with the quality of presenters in D101. At this TLI the headliner was Pres Vasilev, 2013 World Champion of Public Speaking. His keynote and workshop provided valuable insights and coaching for improving your speech quality and impact. The ubiquitous Declan Shalvey was also present with a session on speech topics and speech writing. A DEC meeting was held, and a 7-in-1 training session was presented to maximize opportunities for all. D101 Toastmaster of the Year Kari Lynn Morgan was the event caterer, providing much needed sustenance (and all-day coffee!) to the attendees. And no Toastmasters event of this scale is possible without the hard work and esprit de corps of member volunteers. Thank you, all.
My takeaway from the day was a vindication of my spirit of adventure regarding being helpful. If I wait until I’m qualified, I’d never contribute. Toastmasters is unique in offering members opportunities not found elsewhere. Where else can you establish a website, lead a team, plan and execute an event and bring a meeting to order – all without any previous experience? I’ll never forget reading the Toastmasters magazine (yes, pre-pandemic) about a club member with no skills or experience asked to create the social media presence for her club. She was overjoyed, knowing that opportunity would never accrue to her outside of her Toastmasters life. May we all be so impressed at our opportunities in this wonderful organization that is Toastmasters.
