Crazy English Summer!

Over the coming year I would like to talk to the readers of The London Speaker about what the I am doing as Div B Guv. I sense many people don’t know what we do on the Division Committee. Hopefully this will give you a better sense. Think of this as the first of our occasional fireside chats! So pour yourself a G&T and lets go!

My first month is over and what a month it has been! I didn’t realise how much is involved! Dick Dixon, the Immediate Past Division Governor, had told me that it would be a breeze. More like a storm, tornado and hurricane wrapped into one I would say!

It kicked off in early June with the new committee heading to Stansted for District Officer Training. Covering the marketing, public relations and funding of Toastmasters, the structure of Toastmasters and the Distinguished Club Plan, I think we all left suitably bamboozled! I got home and met my wife in the local bar to cure my buzzing head – what had I let myself in for??

It was was great though to meet the new District 71 (UK & Ireland) team. Our new District Governor, Gary Sanders, and his team are highly motivated to make 2008/9 a year to remember.

One thing discussed was the new slogan/mantra/theme for the UK and Ireland. It is:

the courage to make a difference…

I am not normally a fan of these things. However, I must congratulate Gary on this one. For me it strikes just the right chord for the coming year. I have already been using it liberally at club meetings. If we all have that courage then we will prosper as individuals and as an organisation.

It was also great to meet my team for the first time. For those who have not caught up with them, they are as follows:

Assistant Division Governor – Training and Education – Dave Sellman

Assistant Division Governor – Marketing – Dorothea Stuart

Area 6 Governor – Carol West

Area 29 Governor – Himanshu Vora

Area 31 Governor – Jane Campbell

Area 33 Governor – Hilary Briggs

Area 34 Governor – Liz Hobbs

Please ask them any questions you may have – they are here to help.

Later in the month, we had a handover meeting with last years committee. And then at 00.00am on July 1st, I was suddenly Division Governor – yikes! No doubt Dick Dixon was sniggering somewhere!

First up was the Hilary Briggs and Bob Ferguson Evaluation workshop on July 2nd. Hosted by Division B, the event was a great success - over 70 people attended giving such positive feedback. Just this week I received an email from Sandra Lawes, Division G Governor. She told me that a member from her Division had just done their first evaluation and it had been a brilliant success. He put it down to having attended this workshop. Thank you to Hilary and Bob for helping us all in this way.

We hope to do more of these workshops during the year - keep an eye out for them here on TLS.

On July 7th, we held our first Division Committee meeting. The focus was to organise the programme for the upcoming Club Officer Training sessions.

These were held on 14th, 22nd and 30th July respectively.

Over 150 people were trained over the three sessions. Indeed, in two venues we had so many people we really struggled to fit them all in! Each club sent, on average, over five members of the committee.

These events are always difficult to pitch. I am therefore particularly grateful to Hilary Briggs for knocking our ideas into an ultimately successful schedule.

The feedback was very encouraging.  Many officers are taking on their roles for the first time. Giving time for them to interact with others in the same role really seemed to work.

I would also like to say thank you to Dave Brooks/Credit Suisse, Liz Hobbs/Metronet Rail and Eleanor Smith/Marsh for the loan of their offices. We have no budget to hold Club Officer Training sessions so rely on the largesse of members, clubs and their employers to hold these sessions. Ultimately all this comes out of someone’s budget (Club or corporate) somewhere. Please bear this in mind if you attend future sessions. Without this help these events would need to be charged for.

Finally, I have visited a number of clubs this month. I have taken roles at club meetings at Broadgate Speakers, Corinthians, NZICA Bank Speakers and our new pre-charter club Careerbuilders. From what I have seen so far our clubs look in great shape.

I must also mention the dedication of Amy Jackson, new President at Corinthians (seemingly known to the cognoscenti as ‘Corries’). Just two weeks after giving birth, she has taken over as President. As I arrived, I was greeted by dad and baby Emily sitting outside the meeting room while mum ran the meeting inside. As soon as the break started, Amy dashed out of the door to make sure everything was ok – it was very funny to see! With this the kind of dedication there isn’t too much to worry about is there?

(PS Amy – if dad is going to sit outside the door at meetings why not give him a role to do? Perhaps a meet and greet role??! ;) Do not show him this!!)

Overall, it has been a tiring but tiptop month. There has been so much to organise that I haven’t had a chance to do a few of the things that I would like. But these will come for sure. In some ways this has been a building month, putting down foundations. I look forward to sharing with you some of the details in a months time, if not before.