The district visit schedule has been approved. I’ll be going to:
- D11, Merrillville, IN, Oct. 10-11
- D30, Elk Grove, IL, Oct. 24-25 (home district)
- D8, St. Louis, MO, Nov. 14-15
- D54, Champaign, IL, Nov. 21-22
I’m excited about D11 being my first official visit, as it was also my first-ever Toastmasters district conference outside my home district, and the first visit during my campaign year. They’re all in driving distance too, so no airport hassles this time.
As part of each conference, I will present a keynote based on International President Jana Barnhill’s theme for the year, “Toastmasters: The Courage to Conquer”. Every ID makes up their own speech; I’m going to structure mine around conquering each of the four critical success factors. And I’ll make it a manual speech too!
At most conferences, I’ll also lead an educational session, something appropriate for each district, like staying distinguished, the DCP, club coaching, etc.
Perhaps the most important part of each trip is the marketing visits. This typically involves meeting with executives from companies thinking about sponsoring a local Toastmasters club. It can also include media visits, like television or radio or print. And it can also include presenting an award to companies that have s history of strong Toastmasters support.
The goal is FIVE marketing visits for each district. I’d love to see every district achieve and even exceed this goal! Getting new clubs started early in the year makes the whole year go much more smoothly!