November 2012 - District 73 Toastmasters

DECEMBER 2012/JANUARY 2013 – EDITION 93THE LGET’SSHOESTHE GREATDEBATEMERRY CHRISTMAS AND AHAPPY NEW YEAR FROM THESOUTHERN CROSSBOX HILL’S500 THMEETING

SOUTHERN CROSSSouthern CrossNewsletter of ToastmastersInternational District 73December 2012/January2013 - Edition 93Published monthly. Editionswill be available on onlinefrom the District 73 websiteon the first day of the month.Editor:Andrew Breeden DTMEmail:newsletter@d73.toastmasters.org.auPublisher:Catherine MacGillivray DTMDGEmail:districtgovernor@d73.toastmasters.org.auThe views expressed in theSouthern Cross are notnecessarily those of theeditor, the District Executiveor ToastmastersInternational.To submit articles andphotos for the SouthernCross:Email them to the Editor atnewsletter@d73.toastmasters.org.au.Next Edition:February 2013 - Edition 94Theme: MembershipSubmissions are due by:Friday January 18 th2013Edition will be available on:Friday February 1 st2013Talk about the SouthernCross on Facebook athttp://www.facebook.com/groups/southerncrossd73/As another year comes to a close and we celebrate thefestive season we present to you the final edition of theSouthern Cross for 2012. We have a packed Holiday editionfor you to read over the Christmas/New Year‟s Holidays. Thefirst edition of the Southern Cross will start the new timetablefor the Southern Cross, with editions being released on thefirst day of the month.To make the Southern Cross easier to produce the deadlinefor articles and photos submission date will be more strictlyenforced from now on. The two week gap between thesubmission deadline and the release are used in this way;one week for me to put the newsletter together and thesecond for the District Governor to read through thenewsletter before it is released. Also the length of articlesshould be 300 to 400 words, about the amount it takes to fillthree quarters of an A4 pages.Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.Editorial .....................................................................................2Table of Contents ......................................................................2District Governor‟s Message ......................................................3A Slice of Education and Training ....................................... 4 & 5Other Side of the Murray..................................................... 6 & 7Public Relations Report ..................................................... .8 & 9Holiday Quiz ................................................................... 10 & 11Area M20 Contests and Mini Convention .................................12Erich Viedge and Ivanhoe Toastmasters Club .........................13The Great Debate ....................................................................14Mind Alive ................................................................................15Should They ............................................................................16Holiday Crossword ...................................................................17Next Year in Your Southern Cross ...........................................18500 th Meeting of Box Hill Toastmasters ....................................19Excited About Speechcraft .......................................................20Thoughts on Toastmasters helping with TV Interviews ............21Letters to the Editor .................................................................22Winner .....................................................................................22Timely Changes to the Speech Contest Rules ................ 23 & 24Stayin‟ Alive Gala Dinner .........................................................25Put it in Your Diary .................................................................. .26Page 2 Edition 93

SOUTHERN CROSSWe are on our way!There are many successes being achievedwithin clubs in our Districtincluding 570 new members beingintroduced to our District in the past sixmonths. There are many clubs who havelost members and with the new 1 + 1campaign introduced this month by ourInternational President, I am sure thatmany of our members will bring a friend,family member or colleague to their cluband receive a letter from WorldHeadquarters thanking you for bringinggrowth and diversity to our clubs. I amproud to say that we currently have 124clubs, with plans for ten new clubs inprogress. The growth of our district isimportant so that we have increasedexperiences, share ideas and hear storiesthat continue to touch our lives. Newmembers bring fresh ideas and create newpossibilities in our clubs, and it keeps thebuzz of Toastmasters fresh in our mindswhen we come home from a meeting.This month‟s editionEach month I encourage members toshare their special meetings, celebrationsand milestones and it is always great tohear about these events in our SouthernCross magazine. Thank you to everyonewho has written an article this year and forsharing a part of your personal journey oryour club‟s energy and excitement with usall. In this month‟s edition there is a quizand crossword to keep you entertainedand to test your Toastmaster knowledge –good luck with finding all the answers. I‟lloffer a prize to the first person to sends meall the answers to the quiz and anotherprize to the first person who solves thecrossword, my email address is listedbelow.Distinguished Club Program (DCP)The current clubs leading the way with 5 ormore DCP goals are:Ivanhoe Toastmasters Club with 29members and 7 goals.Footscray Skyline Toastmasters Club with22 members and 6 goals.Telstra Exhibition Toastmasters with 22members and 5 goals.National Australia Bank Toastmasters with32 members and 5 goals.Lilydale Toastmasters Club with 29members and 5 goals.Congratulations to all of the clubs inDistrict 73 who are striving to achieveDistinguished Club status in 2013, I wishyou the best success.2013 Mind Alive ConventionOur next convention will be in Adelaide on17 th – 19 th May 2013. We have secured afantastic 7-piece band for our 70‟s discothemed Gala Dinner, tickets to theconvention are on sale, come and join 200other Toastmasters for the best event weoffer all year!I hope you have a safe and pleasantfestive season and create an experienceto base your next speech topic from. Iencourage you to put aside some time inthe next month to plan your next speech.It is also a good time to set the goals thatare going to make you feel proud ofachieving in 2013. I look forward to seeingyou come back in the New Year refreshedto continue the wonderful journey weundertake when we join Toastmasters.Best wishes for a happy and healthy 2013!December 2012/January 2013 Page 3

SOUTHERN CROSSAs LGET I have been sending out letters tomembers when they achieve an educationalaward to recognise their hard work. Timcame up to me at the start of the meetingand was so thankful for the letter. Heabsolutely loved it and thought the ribbonwas a nice touch. For people who achievetheir CC, we have been attaching a CCribbon with the letter. Tim was so proud. Itmay not seem like a big deal for some, butfor people like Tim, it was something that heis very proud of.I also got to witness the excellentatmosphere and venue of Heidelberg Health,a new club that chartered just before the endof the previous Toastmasters year. District73 may not have been a distinguisheddistrict, but we have set the foundation withsome of the new clubs from last year. I seethese clubs as success stories. Sometimesit's easy to get bogged down with theattitude, well if we didn't get distinguished,we didn't achieve, but it's not true. I see thisyear as the year that we are starting tochange the culture and creating anatmosphere that is exciting.On the Thursday night I was able to attendthe E17 International and Evaluation AreaContests and see Keir Wells, Area E17Governor run a great night. Keir's testspeaker withdrew with only a few days‟notice and Keir was struggling to find a testspeaker. I was able to convince Daniel Tiongfrom Happy Hour to help out. We asked Danthe night before the contest and we told himto deliver his most recent speech he gave atthe club a few weeks earlier. Dan was verywell received by the audience. He washilarious. The audience absolutely loved it!What it all boils down to is that while takingon a senior district officer role placessignificant demands on time, it‟s more thanbalanced by sharing in the phenomenalsuccesses of the clubs and their members.That, after all, is one of the fundamentalbenefits of Toastmasters – working withlikeminded and motivated people to achievetheir personal goals and share in theirachievements.December 2012/January 2013 Page 5

SOUTHERN CROSSMEMBERSHIP RECRUITMENT -KEEPING YOUR MEMBERSINTERESTEDWe all know that over time, membership ofa club has its ups and downs. We arehappy when we see guests join andmembership grow but sad whenmembership drops away.The reality is that there comes a time inthe life of all clubs when the smooth roadof membership becomes bumpy. Membersloose interest, they may stop coming tomeetings, they may stop working onspeech manuals and leadership goals, orin some circumstances they may just dropout of the clubs altogether. I believeToastmaster clubs are prone to the sameeffects of the “real world”, economics,logistics, lifestyles, politics, and variationsin quality and performance. The negativeimpact caused by the loss of membershipto a club is like comparing it to the loss ofexisting customers to an on-goingbusiness. To survive, the business needscustomers but it is easier to retaincustomers than obtain new ones.There are usually several reasons formembership decline, family and workcommitments, unsuitable meeting times,members change jobs and some evenmove interstate, they may leave afterachieving a set goal or they may just looseinterest, in some cases there arepersonality clashes within the club. Allthese are normal for most clubs but whenyou have more apologies than attendees itis time to take note.What we need to do is focus on thepositive, all clubs are good, it‟s just thatsome may need a little more help thanothers.When membership starts to fall off, one ofthe first reactions of club leaders is topanic about the potential death of theirclub but this need not be the case, what ismost important at this time is finding waysto rebuild the club, because it is far easierand less expensive to rebuild a club than itis to start fresh.Many times when we talk aboutmembership building programs we thinkabout new member recruitment butretaining our current members is anessential component of a club‟s overallmembership growth.Unlike Membership Recruitment thatconcentrates on gaining new membersthrough such things as PR andSpeechcraft, etc. Membership Retention isa continuing process and to be fullyeffective a good Membership RetentionProgram should start from the first time aguest walks into your club and continuethroughout his or her membership life. Inother words, don‟t just get them interestedin joining but get them interested instaying.Over the last six months in my role asLGM I have heard several people describesome clubs as Bad, Poor, Weak,Disastrous, Dying and even Good asdead, these are words that can conjure upmany misconceptions.One way of looking at MembershipRetention is to think of it as a programdesigned to minimise the gap in the ratioof its membership. But MembershipRetention is more than just a set programor activity; it is part of a complexPage 6 Edition 93

SOUTHERN CROSSrelationship between the member and theclub. And it is directly linked to thefulfilment of a member‟s expectations andgoals, the higher the fulfilment, the higherthe membership retention.But as we all know, our expectations andgoals change over time, I‟ll bet your ideason public speaking are very different nowfrom when you did your Ice Breaker. Soobviously the most effective way toprevent loss of membership is to knowwhat our expectations and goals are andbe prepared for any changes. We live inan ever changing world in lifestyles andtechnology and if we don‟t change we‟ll fallbehind.When I first joined Toastmasters some 16years ago I remember writing out theagenda, sliding it into an envelope andposting it in the hope it gets to everyoneon time, recently the VPE of my home clubinitiated an on line agenda where we canadd our name to an assignment on line, itcan then be updated on the night. It is thesame material that has been used sinceour club first began; it is only the methodof delivery that has changed, and it‟s donethat according to the memberspreferences.It is important that we don‟t just meet theexpectations and goals of our membersbut we exceed them. And one way ofdoing that is to conduct a survey to find outwhat their current needs are. Unfortunatelydespite the best laid plans, members stillleave so it‟s important to find out why.When preparing your survey, considersome of the following:Agenda: Is the current program suitable?Is it too long, too short? Is there enoughvariety on the agenda? Does everybodyhave an opportunity to speak? Can theagenda be adapted to suit specialassignments?Member goals: Everybody likes to beawarded for the things they do well, arethey being recognised for theirachievements or just forgotten about?Establish what the members current goalsare, remember these can change andneed to be catered for.Club Fellowship: Always remember thatmeetings should be both educational andmost importantly enjoyable for everyone.Interest is quickly lost when learning is notalso entertaining.Location: Is it suitable for everyone?Meeting time/day: Are members leavingsimply because the meeting time or day isnot suitable, can it be changed? Sometimethe meeting venue and meeting times mayhave to be adjusted.When you have the results of your survey,you can base the education programaround the results. Remember, whenmembers are happy and know how tosucceed within their Club, membershipretention increases.One more thing, don‟t take your currentmembership renewals for granted,membership in a club can change veryquickly and it‟s important that you are ontop of it and know the member‟s needs.Your club may lose members but it‟s notthe end of the world and you are not alonein making your club succeed, help isalways available. The District is here tohelp; we have Club Coaches available toassist in saving your club and your Areaand Division Governor can also assist.Finally, I would like to take this opportunityWorkshops: Is your club running regularto wish you and your families a very happyworkshops where everyone can learn?Christmas and a safe and prosperous NewThe Moments of Truth is a great workshopYear.that every club should present at leastonce per year.December 2012/January 2013 Page 7

SOUTHERN CROSSChristmas Club PromotionsTreats for everyone!It is such a festive time of year forToastmasters with Clubs planning andenjoying their Christmas Meetings andCelebrations. I would love to hear aboutyour club‟s special Christmas plans. Forthose of you on Facebook we would loveto see pictures of your celebrations and acouple of lines about what you did. Forthose of you who have not yet joined theDistrict 73 Facebook page, the address isas follows.https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/d73Toastmasters/It is also great to see many clubsdistributing Convention fliers for nextyear‟s Mind Alive event in Adelaide. Wehave had a spike in ticket sales and I don‟tknow about you, but I already have mythinking cap on for my costume for the 70sThemed Gala Ball!Through the Positive Promotions ProgramI have heard about some more greatpromotions successes and would like toshare some of them with you.Many clubs are doing fantastic newslettersfor their clubs which is an excellent way togenerate club spirit, keep membersinformed of what is happening within theclub but also in the wider Toastmasterscommunity and update on new membersand member successes. I love seeingwhat you write about your clubs so keepthem coming in! Congratulations toFrankston Toastmasters VPPR, Chin Ubafor starting their first club newsletter inNovember.Congratulations to Nico Li, VPPR for TeaHouse Toastmasters for getting anexcellent article in the Information Agepublication (see picture inset). BerwickToastmasters VPPR, Annie Pateman gotanother outstanding article into the Star(also see picture inset).Page 8 Edition 93

SOUTHERN CROSSJenny Davidson, VPPR for MorningtonPeninsula Toastmasters reports that theygot a radio interview which is also fantasticand they are encouraging their guests tostart thinking about next year‟ Conventionin Adelaide by including flyers in theirguest packs.I was also really excited to see theWilliamstown Toastmasters brand newwebsite. Do yourself a favour and check itout at www.williamstowntm.org.They have done their site with a wordpresscontent management system (CMS) ratherthan with the FreeToastHost 2.0 CMS andit looks fantastic. But what I REALLY love(and you can do this on any CMS) is thegreat articles they have on their homepage, their resources section forprospective members and the way theyshowcase the TMI YouTube Videos. Welldone to Michelle Fischer, Williamstown‟sWebsite Administrator for such anamazing site! We could all learn from thisone.Wishing you all a happy and safe festiveseason and don‟t forget to set some bighairy audacious goals for Toastmasters inthe New Year.Many Clubs also had special meetingswith Manningham Toastmasters VPPR,Tim Cross promoting their special „TableTopics only‟ meeting on their Facebookpage, Mt Barker President, John Selbyadvertising their club‟s Open Housemeeting in the newspaper and AdelaideToastmasters Club‟s VPE promoting theirinnovative special evaluation meetingthrough Facebook as well.December 2012/January 2013 Page 9

SOUTHERN CROSSby David Hatchuel, DTMHere‟s something to while away a coupleof hours over the festive season.No prizes, but you will have a much fullerknowledge of our organisation once youare done. All the answers can be found atwww.toastmasters.org But beware: youmay need to do some digging! Have fun!Questions:1. When was the first Toastmastersmeeting held?2. Where was it held?3. Which district was the first districtorganized outside the United States?4. When did Ralph Smedley passaway?5. When did membership open towomen?6. Who was the first femaleToastmasters InternationalPresident?14. How many goals does a club requireto achieve President‟s Distinguishedstatus?15. Who were the two film makers of“Speak! – The Movie”?16. A contest had five contestants. Onewas disqualified for time. What placewinners should be announced?17. When and where was club #8185established?18. Who is the Public Relations Managerat World Headquarters?19. Who placed third in the ToastmastersWorld Championship of PublicSpeaking in 2010, and which Districtdid he represent?20. What is the shipping weight of theCompetent Leader manual?21. How many tasks need to becompleted to achieve the title CL?22. What other leaflets are delivered tonew members, along with the CCand CL manuals?23. I‟m visiting California. When may Ivisit World Headquarters?7. Who is the current Executive Directorof Toastmasters International?8. How many Districts are there Worldwide?9. How many clubs are there Worldwide?10. What percentage of members have amaster's degree or higher?11. What percentage of members live inAustralia/Oceania?12. What is the fax number at WorldHeadquarters?24. How many speech projects are therein all the Advanced CommunicationSeries manuals?25. Who is the Region Adviser for District73, and when did he/she joinToastmasters?13. Who is the manager of Club Servicesat World Headquarters?26. What is the stock item number of theClub Leadership Handbook?Page 10 Edition 93

SOUTHERN CROSS27. How much general liability insurancedoes Toastmasters International offerfor all qualified Toastmasters cluband district events and meeting sitesaround the world?28. When was the first issue of theToastmaster magazine published,and what was the annualsubscription at the time?29. Our club elects officers annually.Can we re-elect our club presidentfor a second term?30. Who was Toastmasters‟ InternationalPresident at the time of theorganisation‟s 50th anniversary?31. Who was the member profiled in theJanuary 2012 issue of theToastmaster magazine?32. What kit should be given to newmembers as soon as they join theclub and before they receive theirNew Member Kit from WHQ?33. Which club officer is responsible forinducting new members?34. What is goal #6 in the DistinguishedClub Program?35. How many club officers are requiredto attend District-sponsored clubleadership training, and how oftenare they required to attend?36. What is the price of the DTM Badgewith a magnetic back?37. Where and when was 18th annualToastmasters InternationalConvention?38. What was the title of speech #4 in thevery first Toastmasters BasicTraining manual?39. Which Miss America was a memberof Toastmasters?40. Toastmasters‟ annual membershipdues were last increased on whatdate, and by how much?41. Where and when is the 2014International Convention?42. Can a member compete in two areaspeech contests if the areas are indifferent divisions or districts?43. Who can lodge a protest at a speechcontest?44. Is a member allowed to act ascontest chair in one speech contestand compete in another?45. Our club elects officers annually.What is the deadline for submittingour officer list?46. How do I update my club‟s contactinformation, email address,telephone number or meeting place?47. What is meant by a “paid club”?48. Club officers can earn credit towardswhich award when they participate inthe completion of the Club SuccessPlan?49. Which program helps young peoplebuild their communication andleadership skills so they may becometomorrow's leaders in business,industry and the community?50. The first female ToastmastersInternational President had a famoussaying. What is that saying?Answers will be in the February Edition.December 2012/January 2013 Page 11

SOUTHERN CROSSBy Jonathan McComb,Area Governor M20Wow! What a huge success. A fun andentertaining weekend of Toastmastersspeech contests, workshops, dinner andspeeches.Saturday morning eager Toastmasters andtheir families arrived in Launceston for thearea speech contests. Matt Price, MetroDivision Governor and Prashant Nair, AreaM24 Governor flew in from Melbourne,their big city ills behind them and a shinybright weekend in gorgeous Tasmaniaahead.Contestants and spectators alike swungpast the Christmas Pageant and into thevenue with a surge of nervous expectation.A babble of bravado built as the contesthour approached. Then, on the dot of ten,Matt launched us into the Table TopicsContest. Tasmania‟s glory days are justaround the corner judging by responses tothe topic, “What will make Tasmaniaprosperous?” Lorraine ten Haaf winningthe judges over. The humour was justaround the corner, with a gaggle ofgasping guffaws spreading through thethrong; Les Kieliszek dashed from dangerand smack bang into the judges‟ collectivefunny bone.A sumptuous lunch was piled on top ofmorning tea, so with a waddle, we satdown for the afternoon‟s entertainment.First, Vasaant Krishnan delivered a vibrantsample speech; Kim Heap‟s evaluationjudged best.AREA M20 CONTESTSAND MINICONVENTION –NOVEMBER 24 - 25Next up, the blue riband event, theInternational speech contest, four stirringspeeches, all worthy winners; Anne Gillmegot the nod.Chairs shuffled and congratulations wereshared around the room, but this was justthe start. We moved on (with just amoment for a little area council meeting) toready ourselves for dinner. Assembledonce more, this time around the dinnertable, Terry Travers entertained us withcrazy tales of adventure in the Antarctic ona raft. Or was it a pair of fibreglassbathtubs tied together? He called it acatamaran. We had a fun evening withgreat stories and spirited debates.We slept well and then arrived for thesecond day, beginning with our SpeechFest. Speech after speech after speech.And then another. Then workshops andanother speech. In the time before lunchwe had a month‟s worth of learning fromothers, a year‟s worth of sharing ourselves and made lifelong connections.Congratulations to our hosts, LauncestonToastmasters Club and especially theorganising team led by Lyn Maczuga forsuch a wonderful job with our convention.It was a great success and planning hasalready started for next year!Conventions are a fantastic way to escapeeveryday life, untangle your thoughts andleap forward on a new trajectory. If youhaven‟t registered yet for the 2013 DistrictConvention then do it now! When you‟reheading back home from the Adelaideconvention your heart will be singing, yourmind alive and you‟ll be glad you werethere.Page 12 Edition 93

SOUTHERN CROSSBy Anna Crabb, VP Public RelationsIvanhoe ToastmastersERICH VIEDGE ANDIVANHOETOASTMASTERS CLUBNew members Peggy and Johan sharedstories about their backgrounds and howthey had come to join our Club in their IceBreaker speeches. Both were stellarperformances and received a heartfeltstanding ovation from the audience.Experienced Toastmaster Jim took us on alovely journey through his Toastmastersexperience and demonstrated how far hehad come to achieve the CompetentCommunicator award.Our six visitors to the club for the eveningenthused about their experience of themeeting and a number signed up to jointhe Club on the spot! It‟s always apleasure to welcome new members!Erich Viedge DTM (above) was hard tomiss - with his bright yellow shirt, boomingvoice and unusual accent he was a strikingpresence at Ivanhoe Toastmasters Clubrecently.Distinguished Toastmaster Erich hadtravelled all the way from South Africa tobe the keynote speaker at the District 732012 “Out of the Box” Semi-AnnualConvention. There, he delighted theaudience with his words of wit andwisdom, and delivered invaluable insightsinto how innovative leadership strategiessaw District 74 (Southern Africa) movefrom near bottom of the world Toastmasterrankings to number eight.During his time in Melbourne, Erichsqueezed in a visit to IvanhoeToastmasters Club where the theme forthe night‟s meeting was „Expect theUnexpected‟. Our Toastmaster of the DayLee rose to the occasion, startling our VicePresident Education Keir with a lollyshower during her introduction. Quick as aflash we whipped around the membersand guests to hear snappy tales ofunexpected pleasures and comicalmishaps.Erich kindly played the role of GeneralEvaluator for the night. He commendedthe Club for its warm and welcomingatmosphere as well as its ability to pack inlots of great speaking opportunitiesthrough a well-structured agenda andvigilant time keeping. As a goodToastmaster he offered a number of pointsfor improvement for the Club to take ourmeetings to the next level. We lookforward to trying out Erich‟s ideas over thecoming months.Ivanhoe Toastmasters ClubMeetings 2 nd and 4 th Monday of eachmonth7:30pm-9:30pmEast Ivanhoe Bowling Club153 The Boulevard Ivanhoe Eastwww.ivanhoetoastmasters.orgDecember 2012/January 2013 Page 13

SOUTHERN CROSSReport by Connie Pane, VPPR MooneePonds on the Debate between Essendonand Moonee Ponds Toastmasters Clubson Monday November 19thNovember saw the revival of the debatingcompetition between proximate Essendonand Moonee Ponds Toastmasters Clubs whobattled it out for the coveted trophy that hadbeen dusted off from the last time theseclubs met in 1997. The debate was held atthe Essendon Bowls Club – home of MooneePonds Toastmasters.The speakers Troy Henderson, Deb ColeDave Quarrell, Imran Haque, David Earleyand Eric Giammario bravely took on thetask of debating the topic “that the brideshould wear black” with Moonee Pondsarguing the affirmative while Essendontackled the negative. The scene was setwith the room resembling a wedding,complete with flowers and chamber musicwhile the judges and speakers made theirentrance walking up the aisle.Pictured Above: Dave Quarrell, Tony DeGabriele, Connie Pane, Troy Henderson,Simone Condos, Deb Cole, David Earley,Eric Giammario and Imran Haque.Team Essendon, impressively invoked thelofty Universal Declaration of HumanRights to argue the simple yet highlyeffective premise of the right to chooseany coloured attire and not be restricted toblack.The audience was treated to numeroushighlights such as Deb Cole dousingherself with red wine, Dave Quarrellhilariously imploring “what sort of men aregetting married today!” and EricGiammario‟s highly skilful rebuttal,concluding in the nail-bitingly anticipatedverdict of a win by a very narrow margin toMoonee Ponds. The people‟s choiceaward for best speaker was won by DaveQuarrell (Moonee Ponds) who shared a tipfor success “if people are going to followus [our team] you have to be passionateand believe in your argument 100percent”.The close finish was indicative of the skilland preparation which was demonstratedby both teams. Sandeep Johal, Presidentof Moonee Ponds, commented that “It waswonderful to see a mixture of seasonedexperienced members as well as newermembers participating and conveyinggreat team camaraderie”, while GrantWooller President of Essendon, stated that“it was great to get two clubs that are sogeographically close in the same room inthe spirit of friendly competition”.Moonee Ponds skilfully argued thatwearing the opposite to white would implysocial change. They outlined all of theflaws that go with white bridal attire,namely the elitism that it has historicallysymbolised, the perpetuation of the mythof princess weddings, the proliferation ofbridezilla brides, the incongruence that itcreates between bride and groom as wellas the impractical nature of white attire.Dave Quarrell, Deb Cole, Troy Henderson(the Moonee Ponds team) with CatherineMacGillivray (District Governor) acceptingtheir trophy.Page 14 Edition 93

SOUTHERN CROSSby Jill Cheetham ACB ALBConvention ChairThe synchronicity of two events broughtme to Toastmasters. Firstly a colleaguesaid to me „Jill, you need to do somethingabout your public speaking.‟ Recently Ithanked him and he said „Did I? I don‟tremember it‟. Small events do people‟slives change.Secondly, around that time a notice aboutQuintessence Toastmasters appeared ona noticeboard in the Hospital where I work.I went along, didn‟t participate in TableTopics at my first three meetings, but stilljoined.As I‟ve benefited enormously as I‟veprogressed through my Communicationand Leadership awards. Experiencing, ashave so many others, the great power ofthe Toastmasters program to changepeople's lives. Gaining skills andconfidence in speaking has spilled overinto other areas of my life. My evaluationskills have enabled me to learn from manyspeakers and leaders outside ofToastmasters even as I wished I might,take my evaluators hat off.More recently I have gained greatsatisfaction encouraging and mentoringnew Toastmasters, and seeing them growand flourish. Many of my relatives aregardeners, they speak of their pleasure inseeing plants grow which I never haveunderstood. Seeing people grow in skillsand confidence is as near as I get tounderstanding their delight and satisfactionin their garden. As well I will always begrateful to my fellow Toastmasters whohave mentored me and enabled me toflourish.I can't remember any goals beyondimproving my speaking when I walked intoQuintessence that first evening. I don'tthink I saw beyond that. With taking eachstep through the programs withinToastmasters my horizons have widened.First to VPM at the suggestion of fellowClub members, then Club President, andon to Area Governor and sponsoring anew club at Mawson Lakes. Taking thatnext step has meant that I am now farbeyond where I ever might have imaginedmyself to be, doing things I would neverhave thought possible and using skills Inever would have expected I would have.All from just taking that next step when theopportunity or invitation came.Having taken those next steps I find myselfnow being Convention Chair for the DistrictConvention in Adelaide in May. I amhonored to take on the role and lead thegreat team we have in place. Our aim is amemorable enjoyable convention for allwho participate.The theme is 'Mind alive' so there will beplenty of stimulation to our minds and skillsin the keynote speeches and workshops.We will have social activities available onthe Friday afternoon to keep our sensesalive: the Central Market and China Townwithin a five minute walk of the Hilton, andthe Art gallery and cultural precinct a shorttram ride away. There will be a feast forthe senses available. The Gala dinner willbe a highlight. The theme is the 70s and„Staying Alive.‟ Here is the chance to dressup and come alive and dance to great 70smusic. They just don't make music like thatany more! There will be the opportunity asalways at the Convention to meet oldfriends and make new ones among theToastmasters community.Adelaide in autumn is exquisite, withautumn lasting the whole day. On behalf ofthe Convention Committee I invite you tocome to Adelaide in May to enjoy 'MindAlive', your senses alive and 'StayingAlive.' We look forward to welcoming youDecember 2012/January 2013 Page 15

SOUTHERN CROSSWe are already six months into theToastmasters year, and what have I learntso far?Very much like in a speech, it‟s good topause in life sometimes – it helps to take abreath and consolidate what we‟vediscovered, it helps to have a think onwhat‟s actually important for each one ofus and refocus on that, and it helps to takea moment out of the rat race where timeseems to inexorably fritter away faster andfaster.They use language like: "they should setup this room differently", "they should havetheir meetings at 8pm", “they shouldprovide better entertainment”, etc.So what I did was to put the expression'they should' in the Bad Attitude Bucket.I did so, because I feel it's a phrase thatreally asks for a situation to be differentthan what it is. But in truth, it is what it is,and wishing it to be different is as best justa source of frustration.Now you could argue with me that wishingthings to be different can instead be animpetus for progress.The key to progress, though, comes downto who you think should change – is itthem, or could it be me?One thing I have learnt is that thedifference between a good day and a badone really all comes down to attitude.One useful substitution is to swap "theyshould" with "I will" - "I will change the wayI think about this situation", "I will comeearlier next time, suggest an alternative toset up the room, and help do so", “if this isthis important to me, I will make the timefor it”, etc.Have you ever come across peoplewishing things were different, becausethey were not quite how they'd like them tobe, and they talk about how different theywant them, but without trying to changethem?So over the Christmas break, I will plan mynext six months with TM, and I will makemy resolutions to achieve my goals, and Iwill take ownership of my future.And I will I leave you with the immortalwords of Jim Rohn: when you change,everything changes for you.Page 16 Edition 93

SOUTHERN CROSSby David Hughes DTMA B C D E F G H I J K L M N1234567891011121314Clues across by Row1A is this a river or our LGM?1H Is this a Club or a Freeway?1M Use this to Access TMI Websites2A Another word for „We‟2E Act2H Nicely ends many beliefs2L Head Office3C Looks nice with a shirt4A Ian M. Likes this4E These are made at Toastmasters5C Mike Raffety has one5G A Big Celebration on this day5L You‟ll need this to listen6E Eastern Club8A Early Birds saved on this8L Adam needs this to be insistent10A They left ours to form their own10F Number of Projects in the C&LManual11F Printers‟ measure11I Labels for WCPS 201212A Dave met her in a club down in oldSoho12K Scotsman‟s yes13G CC was this in the 80‟s13K To lead you must do this14C A way to get to Convention14I Ex Lord Mayor of MelbourneClues down by ColumnA1 Sounds like an Irish ToastmasterA10 Water or Oil? You chooseA1 Take a Bee off the BusB7 She has a Cake RecipeC11 We all belong to at least oneE1 This Queen is in a bottleF1 Pirate‟s ChristmasF8 Speakers currency?G3 A Photographic memory?G10 Sound out 14 th letterG13 Manual we often forget to bringH1 California GreetingH4 The Lions sleep hereI1 TMI Office is hereI11 Goals or targetsJ1 Lolly or sound of satisfactionJ4 Great place for a ConventionK10 President‟s TermL2 This contest ends at District levelL8 Anti MeridianL11 Next to RosebudM1 Quicker than emailM10 OwnM13 A short Donkey?N1 73 is our numberDecember 2012/January 2013 Page 17

SOUTHERN CROSSThe following is the plan for the Southern October 2013Cross through next year. Included foreach edition is the Edition No., Theme ofthe Edition, the Deadline for submissionsand the Release Date.February 2013Edition No. 94Theme: MembershipDeadline for articles: Fri January 18 thRelease Date: Fri February 1 stMarch 2013Edition No. 95Theme: ClubsDeadline for articles: Fri February 15 thRelease Date: Fri March 1 stApril 2013Edition 96Theme: Distinguished Club ProgramDeadline for articles: Mon March 18 thRelease Date: Mon April 1 stMay 2013Edition 97Theme: Convention PreviewDeadline for articles: Wed April 17 thRelease Date: Wed May 1 stJune 2013Edition 98Theme: Convention ReviewDeadline for articles: Sat May 25 thRelease Date: Sat June 8 thExtra week due to the convention.July 2013Edition 99Theme: New YearDeadline for articles: Mon June 17 thRelease Date: Mon July 1 stAugust 2013Edition 100Theme: 100 th EditionDeadline for articles: Thu July 18 thRelease Date: Thu August 1 stSeptember 2013Edition 101Theme: ContestsDeadline for articles: Sun August 18 thRelease Date: Sun September 1 stEdition 102Theme: Competent CommunicatorDeadline for articles: Tue September17 thRelease Date: Tue October 1 stNovember 2013Edition 103Theme: Competent LeaderDeadline for articles: Fri October 18 thRelease Date: Fri November 1 stDecember 2013/January 2014Edition 104Theme: Toastmasters and the HolidaysDeadline for articles: Sun Nov 17 thRelease Date: Sun December 1 stWhat help is needed?In the lead-up to the 100 th edition of theSouthern Cross in August I would like toobtain past editions of the SouthernCross. I am not talking about the past 92editions that have been release on theInternet; I want editions from when theSouthern Cross was printed. I wouldespecially like editions from before 1995as I have most of them from that time on.If you want to keep them, could you sendme photocopies or scans.Please send them to:Andrew Breeden DTMSouthern Cross Newsletterc/o Box Hill ToastmastersPO Box 7045 WPWATTLE PARK VIC 3128Page 18 Edition 93

SOUTHERN CROSSBox Hill Toastmasters started out as acorporate club called St. James AMPToastmasters Club because it held itsmeetings at the Melbourne Headquartersof AMP, the St. James Building on thecorner of Bourke and Williams StreetThis wasn‟t the first time that this club wascharted. The first time it did was back inFebruary 1971 under the name St. JamesToastmasters Club.Howard and Noel were Club Presidentsover the next two years, followed byBruce Dite. During Bruce‟s year the clubwas ranked No. 3 out of 120 in District 73.The biggest highlight of the club‟s historyoccurred this year when then clubmember John Spinella won the DistrictInternational Speech Contest, and went torepresent the District in the WorldChampionships of Public Speaking.Unfortunately, John only reached theRegional Finals.Above: Former Club Presidents; NoelEdyvane, Adrian Lim, Roger Thompson,Penelope Hajos, Howard Wills, Bruce Diteand Robert DavisEarly in 1992, Division Governor Les Agerasked Area Governor Robert Davis ifthere was anyway that he could rebuildSt. James AMP Toastmasters Club, whichnow met at Box Hill. The club had onlythree active members and was on theverge of being disbanding. Robertaccepted the challenge, and with the helpof fellow Toastmasters Howard Wills andNoel Edyvane, started the renewalprocess. The club was reform ascommunity club to be known as Box HillToastmasters.When Robert became Club President for1992-93 he set some goals for the club toachieve. These were to achieving charterstrength and to be a Distinguished Club.Charter strength was achieved that yearand the club was a Select DistinguishedClub.Above: John SpinellaThe club has been lead by various peopleover the years. Names that would berecognisable to the whole District include;Sylvia Chuah, Andrew Breeden, PeterRorke, David Tasker, Rona and YuriPtschelinzew.The club has meet in a few differentlocations over the years. After the AMPoffices in Box Hill the club moved to theBox Hill Library, a couple of FamilyCentres in Box Hill North, but has been atits current venue, the Box Hill SouthFamily Centre for over fifteen years.Box Hill Toastmasters 500 th meeting willbe held on Tuesday January 29 th 2013 atthe Box Hill South Family Centre from7:30 pm. It will be a night of fun, laughs,memories and friends old and new. TheBox Hill South Family Centre is at 1228ARiversdale Road Box Hill South (corner ofStation Street). For further informationcontact the club via email:boxhilltoastmasters@hotmail.com.December 2012/January 2013 Page 19

SOUTHERN CROSSMembership and club financebuilding opportunity for yourclubThere is a wonderful opportunity for threeMelbourne CBD based clubs, and a numberof suburban community clubs, to runSpeechcraft Courses in the New Year.Experienced Toastmasters from these clubswho have completed their CompetentCommunicator (CC) award are needed torun these courses. I currently have 23people on the waiting list to participate in aSpeechcraft course in the Melbourne CBDplus several other enquirers on the fringe ofthe CBD. They are eagerly waiting for yourclub to announce the course details (venue,dates, times and cost) so that they canregister for your 6 week Speechcraft course!Membership - One technique that wouldalso contribute to your club achieving itsDCP membership goals is to include 6months payment of membership to your clubin the fee being charged, and whilst youmight end up making less money, you wouldstill make a profit and have all participantsregistered as members of your club. 8participants = 8 new members = 2 DCPgoals achieved! Participants then get toexperience your club as a member for awhile which means that you have a greaterchance of retaining these participants asclub members.What is in it for the experiencedToastmasters from the clubs that runthese courses?The person who co-ordinates your coursefrom the club receives recognition towardstheir ACG, and members who assist duringthe course by presenting educationals fromthe Better Speaker Series receive credittowards their Advanced Leadership awards.More DCP points for your club when thesemembers register their awards!How can the District Speechcraft Coordinatorhelp?What is in it for your club?Speechcraft is a great membership buildingtool and can also help the club to boost itsfinances and the money can then be usedfor the benefit of your club members.Money - If you have 8 participants @ $300per person, your club will receive $2,400.The costs for running Speechcraft areapproximately $60 for co-ordinators manual,participant manuals and participationcertificates plus the cost of hiring yourvenue, though for most corporate clubs,they don't even have to pay for the hire ofthe venue! What a boost for your club'sfinances! Think of how his could benefityour club members!As District Speechcraft Co-ordinator, onceyou advise me of the details of your course,I will send out a flyer to those on my waitinglist and your course registrations will beginto flow (the last course advertised was filledwithin 24 hours!) I would be happy toprovide more information to your club aboutSpeechcraft including draft Agendas anddraft helper rosters as well as answeringany questions that you or your clubmembers may have.Page 20 Edition 93

SOUTHERN CROSSReasons why each of us joins Toastmastersvaries quite significantly. In my case, I feelthat I‟m in the minority who were alreadyconfident about standing in front ofaudiences both large and small. I had beena member of services clubs from the bestpart of 30 years and had developed a goodunderstanding of speech making andparliamentary procedure, amongst otherthings. With some major changes in my lifein the last 10 or 12 years, some obvioussome not, I felt a need to be involved in agroup which met a lot of criteria regardingpersonal development. A little over 4 yearsago, reading the local newspaper, I saw anadvertisement for Whitehorse Toastmasters,and, I thought, “bingo”.I‟m the president of a social support groupand was asked last year if I and anothermember would like to be the subject of aninterview about the group and ourselves.This, even though I‟m fairly open aboutmyself, was giving greater exposure to anaudience that I couldn‟t see or hear thus alittle more daunting. The programme, BentTV (items of interest regarding the LGBITQ– sometimes referred to the rainbow oralphabet community) was broadcast on thecommunity TV channel, C31 (digital 44) atthe end of April this year.So how has Toastmasters helped me with aTV interview.It did this:The acceptance of me as a person – thusself-confidenceThe refreshing of my speaking skills -minimising ums and ahs- structuring my thoughts- being confident in my contentI had known about Toastmasters for manyyears but it had slipped from my mind. Herewas a group which, in essence, is aboutpersonal development; not lobbying for thisor that; not fundraising for a cause; notabout ego (well! Hopefully not). However,the main thing which attracted me toToastmasters is tolerance. The member mixof age, gender, ethnic background andsocial background is wonderful. Here is agroup which valued your participation forwhat you contribute not what you look orsound like!Improving my listening skills- tabletopics/evaluations/watchdog roles- understanding the question- keeping answers appropriate- knowing when and how to interruptinto someone else‟s answers/questionsToastmasters offers me a friendly socialenvironment allowing me to participate inand contribute to the personal developmentof members, as well as my own.December 2012/January 2013 Page 21

SOUTHERN CROSSDear Editor,Toastmasters truly offers you theopportunity to unlock your communicationand leadership potential. However thereis a small caveat; this transformation doesnot occur by passively attendingToastmaster meetings such as bowingyour head down during Table Topics,desperately hoping you will not beselected. On the contrary, it is by activelyparticipating, seizing every availablespeaking and leadership opportunity thatwill bring about this transformation.I joined the Happy Hour Toastmastersclub just over a year ago with the goal offurthering my communication andleadership abilities. My first milestonewas presenting the Ice breaker where Ireceived a lot of support andencouragement from my fellowToastmasters. After completing a fewmore projects, I felt really confidentspeaking in front of my club members.However, Toastmasters continuouslychallenges your ability. My VPE signedme up as a test speaker for another clubto once again take me outside my comfortzone. Although I was able to bring alongall that I have learnt at Happy Hour,speaking at a different club and seeingnew faces proved to be anotherchallenge. This was a great learningexperience and reinforced my selfesteem.Just last week, I competed atour Area Toastmasters InternationalContest. This was once again anexcellent learning opportunity as Iwitnessed the calibre of the othercontestants and indeed, I took away manyof their techniques which I can apply infuture presentations.have made to date. I have learnt that it isby continuously throwing yourselves inthe deep end that you get the most out ofit.Timothy Lee (CC)District 73The Happy Hour Toastmasters Club.NEW CLUB SURVEYWINNERThank you to the many members whotook the time to complete the recentsurvey asking if you had an idea for a newToastmasters club.A random draw was conducted and thelucky winner of the $100 ToastmastersInternational gift voucher is goes toDarrell Klar from Adelaide.Please contact the District Governor toreceive your prize. Well done to everyonewho participated, the New Clubs team willbe in contact with you soon.At Toastmasters, the learning neverstops. Just when I thought I havemastered something, Toastmasterpresents another opportunity to take mefurther. I am very proud of the progress IPage 22 Edition 93

SOUTHERN CROSSWe‟re a learning organisation, and thatapplies from the newest Toastmaster allthe way up to the most experienced. Withthat learning comes change – and changefor the better in the majority of cases.Such is the case with the recentlyreleased 2013 Toastmasters InternationalSpeech Contest Rule Book, which takeseffect on 1 January, 2013.The first of the changes is in the area ofeligibility and relates specifically tomembers serving as a judge. Therulebook now states that ineligibilityoccurs when: “A member serving as ajudge at any level for a contest in whichthe member is still competing or intendsto compete.” It‟s the last four words thatmark the difference: “…or intends tocompete.”Previously, even though it was hotlydebated, members were often called on tojudge in a club contest of the same typethey intended to compete in at anotherclub. This is no longer allowed! Anyonewho has judged in a speech contest willno longer be eligible to compete in aspeech contest of the same type for therest of the year‟s contest season.The is also the following inclusion of thoseineligible to compete: “Contestfunctionaries may not compete in thecontest at which they are serving as afunctionary.” This one is fairlystraightforward and is taken to mean thatif you‟re a contestant and take on the roleof a timer, usher, ballot counter or anyother such functionary, you will not beeligible to compete in the contest.OriginalityIt used to be the case that “Any quotedmaterial must be so identified during thespeech presentation” which essentiallyprovided a very wide loophole for anyamount of paraphrasing and referencinganother person‟s content. This loopholehas been significantly narrowed with thefollowing change: “Twenty-five per cent orless of the speech may be devoted toquoting, paraphrasing, or referencinganother person’s content. Any quoted,paraphrased or referenced content mustbe so identified during the speechpresentation.”An interesting change in the same sectionrelates to speaking from the designatedspeaking area, with the rule book nowomitting the following: “The contestantsmay only speak from within thedesignated area.”General ProcedureWhen it comes to assigning judges,timers and other functionaries at club andarea contests, the old rule book used tostate the basic requirements with thecaveat “…as far as practical.”Interestingly, this has now been changedto “…unless impractical.” I‟d greatlyappreciate any feedback on this onebecause it seems to me that the doublenegative in “unless impractical” prettymuch reverts it back to the original formand still leaves open the same degree offlexibility.Here‟s an important one for DivisionGovernors. The rule book now clearlystates that at division level “…there shallbe at least seven judges equallyrepresenting the areas composing thedivision, unless impractical.”December 2012/January 2013 Page 23

SOUTHERN CROSSThis gave me a bit of concern, as itimplied that all judges had to be drawnfrom the division with no allowancesmade for including judges from outsidethe Division.However, I called World Headquartersand was assured that in our case doingso would be quite impractical. This meanswe can draw on judges from outside thedivision but, if you have one judge froman area in your division, then you‟ll needto ensure you have an equal number fromall other areas – and there‟s no exceptionto that rule.Judge EligibilityThere are several changes to judgeeligibility that must be taken intoconsideration. Most notable is that atarea, club and district level, all judgesmust have been a Toastmasters in goodstanding for a minimum of six months, asopposed to the old ruling which stated…since the previous July 1.On the issue of judge anonymity, the rulebook now states: “Judges at all levelsshall remain anonymous when practical.”Of course, it‟s a bit difficult to achieve thiswhen the contest chair instructs thejudges to identify themselves (to the ballotcounters, of course) by holding up theirballots upon completion of judging.In keeping with the slightly revised judge‟seligibility, the rule book now states that“All judges receive the Judge’sCertification of Eligibility and Code ofEthics (Item 117). The form must besigned and returned to the chief judge.”For those contest organisers and chiefjudges who have counted the chiefjudge‟s ballot, I‟m afraid that‟s no longeracceptable, with the rule book nowincluding the following rule: “…All judgeswill judge all contestants, except the chiefjudge, who does not judge contestants.”For those club organisers hoping to slipthrough with a minimum of judges, you‟llnow need to discount the chief judge as avalid judge.Table Topics Speech ContestsThere‟s not much of a change in TableTopics contests, with the only modificationbeing that those contestants waiting fortheir turn to speak will remain under thesupervision of the contest sergeant atarms. One can only assume there‟s beensome skulduggery in other districts.There are several other changes withinthe rulebook, but the majority have beencovered in this article. Fortunately, eachchange has been marked with a trianglein the new rulebook, which is availablefrom the Toastmasters International onlinestore in digital format and at no cost.In addition, our District LieutenantGovernor Education and Training, DavidMurphy, has obtained a succinctdocument that provides clear details onchanges. I have been assured by Davidthat this will be made available from theDistrict 73 website.Page 24 Edition 93

SOUTHERN CROSS2013 DISTRICT CONVENTIONDust off those flare’s, find your favourite disco outfit & join us forour STAYIN’ ALIVE GALA DINNERIt will be a night to remember with one of Adelaide’s hottest 70’sbands playing!District 73 2013 Annual ConventionHilton Hotel, Adelaide South AustraliaFriday 17 th to Sunday 19 th May 2013Register on-line:http://fs25.formsite.com/2013d73convention/form1/index.htmlDownload a registration form:http://2013d73convention.com/flyers/Registration_flyer.pdfDecember 2012/January 2013 Page 25

SOUTHERN CROSSFri 18JANUARY 2013Deadline for articles for theFebruary edition of theSouthern Cross are duePlease send you articles tonewsletter@d73.toastmasters.org.auSat16Central Division Club OfficerTraining1:00 – 5:00 pmEducation and DevelopmentCentre, Milner Street HindmarshFor further details contact:Clayton Pearson: dgcentral@d73.toastmasters.org.auTue29Box Hill Toastmasters 500 thMeetingBox Hill South Family Centre,1228A Riversdale Road, BoxHill South (corner Station St)Email:boxhilltoastmasters@hotmail.comSun17Eastern Division Club OfficerTraining1:00 - 5:00 pmAustin Hospital, Level 4,Education CentreStudley Road, HeidelbergContact: Emmi Godau on: dgeastern@d73.toastmasters.org.auFri 1Tue12FEBRUARY 2013Release of the Februaryedition of the SouthernCrossFind your copy athttp://d73.toastmasters.org.au/southerncross/Metropolitan Division ClubOfficer Training6:00 – 9:00 pmMelbourne Multicultural Hub506 Elizabeth Street(opposite Queen VictoriaMarket) MelbourneContact Matthew Price forfurther details at dgmetro@d73.toastmasters.org.auSun17Sun23Southern Division ClubOfficer Training1:00 - 5:00 pmSouth Melbourne CommunityCentre, Cnr Parks St andFerrars Place, South MelbourneContact: dgsouthern@d73.toastmasters.org.auRanges Division Contest10:00 am – 4:00 pmVenue: to be confirmedContact Ranges DivisionGovernor: Kay McCartney: dgranges@d73.toastmasters.org.au for more informationSat 16Northern Division ClubOfficer Training12:00 to 5:00 pmScientology Centre231 Mt Alexander RdAscot ValeContact Jason Pak: dgnorthern@toastmasters.org.auLegend of EventsDistrict EventCentral Division EventEastern Division EventMetropolitan Division EventNorthern Division EventRanges Division EventSouthern Division EventPage 26 Edition 93