Toastmasters:  Achieving Greatness Together
Step Out…and Step Up!

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Training Events/TLIs

Harlingen: August 28
San Antonio: August 30

Visit the Training Page for details.

Welcome to the
District 55 Toastmasters Website!

District 55 includes over 150 Toastmaster Clubs that meet in the Central, South, and Coastal areas of Texas. District Leaders are committed to providing communications and leadership growth opportunities for its members as well as recognizing accomplishments.

David Henderson wins the
2010 World Championship of Public Speaking!!


David Henderson from San Antonio Sociable Toastmasters came out on top at the 2010 World Championship of Public Speaking held Saturday, August 14, 2010 at the Toastmasters International Conference in Palm Desert, California. David becomes the first International Champion from District 55 to win the coveted title. Speaking in the fifth out of nine positions, he was the clear winner with a speech titled "The Aviators."

David won the semifinal competition against eight other contestants on Thursday, August 12, 2010 with his District contest winning speech "The Best Medicine."

David is the 71st World Champion. The International Speech Contest was first held in 1939. He joins an elite group of speakers that includes David Brooks (1990) who resides in Disrict 55 (Austin), as well as relatively recent wiinners Jim Key (2003), Vikas Jhingran (2007), and LaShunda Rundles (2008) who all hail from other parts of Texas. Members of District 55 are very proud of you David - congratulations on your excellent achievement!

View the Press Release.

A special dinner in David's honor is planned for Saturday, September 11, 2010. Tentatively, this event will be at 4:30pm in San Antonio. All District 55 Toastmasters will be invited as soon as the details are worked out. Save the date on your calendar for this exciting event!

For those of you who are not Toastmasters

Message from District Governor Grace Jennings

July 6, 2010

I am humbled and honored to be entrusted with the responsibility of serving as your District 55 Governor.

The Toastmasters International theme for the upcoming year is TOASTMASTERS: Achieving Greatness Together. I believe that we will achieve greatness together. Our greatness is assured if each of us commits to STEPPING OUT and STEPPING UP. What are your Toastmasters goals? What is the next step on your path to success? There are so many ways you can STEP OUT of your comfort zone within your own club. You can fill support roles, give speeches, participate in or help with contests. You can then STEP UP to a Club leadership position … become an Officer or take on the challenge of serving as Contest Chair or Chief Judge for your Club Contest. You can also STEP OUT to help other clubs … become a Club Mentor or Club Coach; or simply commit to visiting a couple of other clubs in your Area. Though we all follow the same Toastmasters pattern, you would be surprised to see how different the Clubs can be. You can learn something new from each of them. You can also STEP UP to help your Area or Division Governors with their contests. You can volunteer to help with Officer Training, a Toastmasters Learning Institute, or even a District Conference. Think of what we could accomplish if we continually challenged ourselves by Stepping Out and Stepping Up.

Toastmasters: STEPPING OUT and STEPPING UP to ACHIEVE GREATNESS TOGETHER. For the upcoming year, this is my dream for District 55 Toastmasters. Take that step … For some, it might be a mere baby step. For others, it may be a giant leap. Step by step and leap by leap, I am confident that we WILL achieve greatness together.

Grace Jennings, DTM
District Governor

Messages

from Immediate Past District Governor Margaret Cathey

For the fourth year in a row, District 55 is a Distinguished District. Congratulations to ALL OF YOU... for helping to bring District 55 to Distinguished status. We ended the year sitting #15 in the world!

See the entire message.

from Lieutenant Governor Education & Training Linda Williams

Happy New Year!

We have gotten a running start on training club officers for the 2010-2011 Toastmasters Year. With three fabulous TLIs on June 26, 280 officers have been trained. District 55 is certainly getting a Jack Rabbit start on the new year!

See the entire message.

from Lieutenant Governor Marketing Sharon Brown

I am so excited to be serving as your Lieutenant Governor Marketing for the 2010 – 2011 Toastmasters year. Please visit the website frequently throughout the year for updates on membership contest results, new club announcements, key dates to mark on your calendar, and to find out how we’re doing as a District toward meeting our marketing goals for the year.

See the entire message.

Tips for Members

Want to find your club number? Want to know who your club's Area Governor is and how to contact her or him? Go to the Org Structure Page, and do a search on your club's name. Both club number as well as Area Governor information are right there! Click on your club's name and see what Toastmasters International's information is about your club. If any of the information is incorrect, notify a club officer.

Events

Keeping Clubs Strong

Membership

Current Incentive Programs

Click on the Program Name for more detailed information

Programs for Members

Program Description Start Date End Date
Club Ambassador Program (CAP) Visit clubs you don't belong to and earn points, recognition, and possibly a gift certificate July 1, 2010 April 15, 2011
Destination DTM - Go for the Gold! Complete your DTM and receive a personalized, Texas-shaped DTM badge July 1, 2010 April 15, 2011
CC and CL Incentive Complete your first ever CC and your first ever CL manuals and receive a gift July 1, 2010 June 15, 2011
Individual Member Sponsors Sponsor five or more new members and receive an award(s). Three award levels July 1, 2010 June 30, 2011

Programs for Clubs

Program Description Start Date End Date
Seven Officers Trained Award Have all seven officers trained and win either seven officer pins or a set of Advanced Communication Manuals June 1, 2010 August 31, 2010
Jack Rabbit Dash Program Get your club off to a fast start. Earn at least nine points to receive a banner ribbon July 1, 2010 September 30, 2010
Smedley Award Add five new, dual, or reinstated members and receive a Smedley Award Ribbon to display on your club’s banner. Aug. 1, 2010 September 30, 2010
Distinguished Club Program Accomplish at least five goals and receive a banner ribbon and recognition at Conferences June 1, 2010 June 30, 2011

Contacts

The Mission of the District

The mission of the district is to enhance the performance and extend the network of clubs, thereby offering greater numbers of people the opportunity to benefit from the Toastmasters educational program by:

Posted 8/30/2010