Salutations!

We are going to be really busy this coming toastmasters’ year!  And for us toastmasters, busy days are happy days! 

Immediate Past President Chris Ford said that “toastmasters is the world’s best kept secret”.  But with the pro-active support from our members and leaders we made it a household name. Last year we were No. 2 in the world, a force to reckon with… finishing off with 265 clubs and 14,095 members. Substantial growth! But that’s our challenge this year. We have to ensure that while we are growing substantially in quantity we don’t compromise on quality.  And what is Quality if not the capacity to satisfy wants?

This brings us to the question!  Are you satisfied with your membership?  Don’t you want more? Are you aware of what you have?  For your educational needs to be addressed, we have to create more awareness.  And this year, that is exactly what we have in mind.

As our founder Dr. Ralph C Smedley said, we learn more in moments of enjoyment.  It is this learning that translates to quality.  And Quality is directly proportional to the satisfaction of each customer.  And to our District, each and every member is a customer whose needs are to be met.

We intend to make all the resources available in TMI to the member.  We intend to ensure consistency through out the District by adopting a structured format, the Toastmasters Leadership Format (the TLI format) for training. We intend to stimulate learning through a practical understanding of Officer and member responsibilities by supplemental trainings sessions, case studies and panel discussions.

We aim to raise the bar of speakers in our District by promoting a Speakers Bureau in each Division though advanced clubs.  Advanced clubs would hone the skills of the members who want to be “top drawer” speakers and prime them to gain entry into the Speakers Bureau to offer their services to the Community.  The Speakers Bureau would in turn groom Accredited Speakers for the District.

And as Zig Zigler said, “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader”. And to motivate us leaders to try harder we also have in place an Awards and Recognition program for “Education and Training”.

Every accomplishment starts with a decision to try! I urge the members to take advantage of the opportunities presented to you.

Stay trained!

Uma Radhakrishnan, DTM
Lieutenant Governor for Education & Training (LGET)
District 79
"Toastmasters: Find the Courage to Change"