The T.L.I is L.I.T.
Toastmasters Learning Institute
Saturday, June 6, 2020, 10 am - 2 pm
Zoom To be Announced
A few years ago, I went to a birthday party for a co-worker at a fancy steak restaurant. I sat across from one of her friends, who turned out to also be in Toastmasters.
I said, "How long have you been a Toastmaster?"
She said, "Oh, about ten years."
I said, "Have you become a Distinguished Toastmaster yet?"
She said, "No, I haven't done all the requirements."
As a Toastmaster, once you've completed your first ten speeches, you become a "Competent Communicator". The more speeches and officer roles you complete, you move up the ranks until you achieve the Distinguished Toastmaster award.
I thought to myself, "Gee, if I were in Toastmasters for ten years, I sure would want to at least get to the Distinguished Toastmaster level".
Well, now I've been in Toastmasters for twelve years and I haven't finished up with all my D.T.M. requirements.
Until now there hadn't been a deadline.
However, Toastmasters is now promoting the Pathways education program, and we have to finish our old program requirements. Rather than start all over again, I'm doing the last requirement before the June 30, 2021 deadline.
I fully realize that, like the T.V. show Whose Line Is It Anyway, "Everything's made up and the points don't matter". But I figure, I've done almost all the work and why not tie it up in a bow, jump through the last hoop, and get that ultimate recognition.
As it turned out, the June Toastmaster Learning Institute Chair position was open, and I could use that as my High Performance Leadership Project, which was the last thing I had to complete.
A High Performance Project is similar to an Eagle Scout project -- a capstone task you use to demonstrate your leadership prowess.
What is a Toastmaster Leadership or Learning Institute?
Two or three times a year, the local district puts on a training program for new club officers to learn what the role entails. In Albuquerque, it's usually held on a weekend morning. If you've been to any conference or workshop, the format is similar. There's a keynote speaker, sometimes a national officer or champion speaker, some breakout sessions, and the chance to interact with Toastmaster members from around the area.
As a T.L.I. chair, my job is to assign people to head the subcommittees to handle publicity, scheduling, and registration. Each of the subcommittee heads can also complete their High Performance Leadership projects in this way.
If you are a Toastmaster in District 23, and you want to participate or help organize the Saturday, June 6, 2020 Toastmasters Learning Institute online with Zoom, contact me. You can register in advance; it only takes a minute or so. The event starts at 11 am with a keynote speaker from Ireland, followed by club officer training sessions and other personal enrichment workshops until we wrap up at 3 pm.
Let me tell you why you want to do this.
First, you get to meet people at the T.L.I. Not just any people -- there are some real characters in the Toastmasters world. You think you know some weirdos in your local Toastmasters club? Mulitply it by thirty, because that is the number of clubs in the district. Toastmasters are some of the nerdiest, outgoing, peculiar folks out there, present company included. You have to be driven, or needy, or off-beat, to think that pursuing public speaking is a thing you want to do.
But like with any sub-group, there's a certain amount of "These people like the same thing I like. These people GET me. This my tribe." That's how I feel about Toastmasters.
Second, the flip side of networking is that in addition to you meeting other club members, they get to meet you. If you're like me, you have a set list of cute stories you like to tell, ideas you like to pontificate about, and pet theories that everyone who spends any time with you has already heard, probably multiple times.
The great thing about the T.L.I. is that you'll have a fresh new audience. That's worth venturing out on a Saturday for!
Finally, the third reason to attend a Toastmasters Learning Institute is that it's absolutely free.
You expect to pay for training.
Some conference registrations cost hundreds of dollars.
You know the TED conferences? $10,000.
Plus the amount of time and money it takes to fly out to another state or even country.
By contrast, the T.L.I. is happening on Zoom, for free. My personal motto is, "If it's free, it's for me". I'm already paying with my time and attention. A T.L.I. is priced right.
To sum up, come to the first Toastmasters Learning Institute for the Toastmasters year on Saturday, June 6 from 11 am to 3 pm.
If you have been elected a club officer, or if you just want to enjoy meeting other Toastmasters and hearing some good speeches, please mark your calendars for what could be the best thing you do all summer... because the T.L.I. is gonna be L.I.T.!