by Evan Escher Area 41 Director
On Saturday, July 22nd, the District 25 leadership team gathered for the first District Executive Committee (DEC) meeting of the Toastmasters year. We set up shop at Texas Wesleyan University, and the Area and Division Directors arrived at 8 AM for a catered breakfast before diving into the day. We kicked things off on a lighthearted note by watching a short comedic sketch about the transition “back to the office” after working from home.
Next up was the business meeting, where each Division Director and member of the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) delivered their status reports. The report from Division E Director David Winkowski was voted the “best presentation”, as he introduced his Area Directors with a spin-off of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”.
Additionally, Liz Brenner, the co-editor of Hot Topics, outlined the team’s plans to incorporate videos into future editions – think a touch of TikTok flair, Instagram reels, and even a podcast. And to wrap up the morning, the officers delved into discussions on how to conduct quality Speech Contests.
After a satisfying catered lunch, it was time to tackle the common meeting pitfalls that we’ve all experienced by discussing the seven shortcomings of meetings. We explored various strategies to avoid each of these scenarios.
And just when you thought things couldn’t get any better, each officer was handed a copy of “Real Leaders Wear Boots”, a 76-page book by R.W. Ley. The deal? Read it cover to cover before the next DEC meeting in October and be prepared for a solid discussion!
As the day came to an end, the team revealed all the perks that officers can enjoy by visiting other clubs and taking on roles – think Nemilita Nine, 5-For-5 Evaluation Challenge, and From Sunshine to Sunshine. Over the next eleven months, Division and Area directors will be busy hosting TLI sessions, conducting club visits, writing Area reports, organizing Area and Division contests, and so much more.
It’s time to roll up those sleeves and get to work!
