Comments on: WA Leaders Nominate for District Roles http://toastmasterswa.net/wa_leaders_nominate/ Become the Speaker and Leader You Want To Be Fri, 01 Jul 2011 01:52:34 +0800 hourly 1 By: Alan Smith http://toastmasterswa.net/wa_leaders_nominate/#comment-289 Alan Smith Thu, 21 May 2009 01:18:39 +0000 http://toastmasterswa.net/?p=461#comment-289 The problem is the number of days that need to be put in to attend or officiate at the Area and Division contests. Yes, the Area and Division could each hold their International, Humorous, Impromptu and Evaluation contests on just one day. Five contest days per division instead of ten. Multiply this by three divisions ... . This change will also aid the inter-division planning to ensure contest dates do not clash - and help the judges with their commitments. The problem is the number of days that need to be put in to attend or officiate at the Area and Division contests. Yes, the Area and Division could each hold their International, Humorous, Impromptu and Evaluation contests on just one day. Five contest days per division instead of ten. Multiply this by three divisions … . This change will also aid the inter-division planning to ensure contest dates do not clash – and help the judges with their commitments.

]]> By: David Nicholas http://toastmasterswa.net/wa_leaders_nominate/#comment-288 David Nicholas Wed, 20 May 2009 05:31:17 +0000 http://toastmasterswa.net/?p=461#comment-288 Alan, I agree with your analysis of the Speech Contest problem. Division and Area Governors have problems with finding Judges for the numerous contests. So do Clubs - but there is a better way with Clubs - follow the suggestion from Toastmasters International that Clubs run their Contests internally, using Club members as Judges. I don't understand how to halve the number of Contests? Do you mean for each Area and Division to have one Contest for all four - the International, Humorous, Evaluation and Table Topics - rather than two Contest, with two at each, as is done currently? I think that has merit. What do other people think? David Alan, I agree with your analysis of the Speech Contest problem. Division and Area Governors have problems with finding Judges for the numerous contests. So do Clubs – but there is a better way with Clubs – follow the suggestion from Toastmasters International that Clubs run their Contests internally, using Club members as Judges.

I don’t understand how to halve the number of Contests? Do you mean for each Area and Division to have one Contest for all four – the International, Humorous, Evaluation and Table Topics – rather than two Contest, with two at each, as is done currently?

I think that has merit. What do other people think?

David

]]> By: Alan Smith http://toastmasterswa.net/wa_leaders_nominate/#comment-287 Alan Smith Wed, 20 May 2009 04:15:34 +0000 http://toastmasterswa.net/?p=461#comment-287 David, your election manifesto is practical, optimistic and uncontroversial. I hope other Division Governors include such programs for their term of leadership. I think one item needs expanding. What is your policy on Speech Contests? I think that Toastmasters in WA were drowning in speech contests this last year. There seemed to be very familiar faces of judges in the Area and Division contests. There may be too few judges for three Divisions – but I think there are too many contest sessions. Why do we split Area and Division contests over two sessions? A few years ago Western Division (for the whole state of WA) held all four contest finals on the one day, or one weekend, as a state convention. This WA Convention was usually combined with Club Officer Training and a social dinner. I think they were very successful. I seem to recall that the initial two sessions of contests arose when the Humorous was dropped one year to re-align the International contest with changed District 73 or WHQ policies. This led to the pairing of International and Evaluation, and Humorous and Impromptu. Toastmasters in WA has a growth problem. We have a high number of Toastmasters with multiple Club (Area, Division) membership. The problems of clashing contest dates, the number of qualified judges and of time spent supporting candidates at contests could be largely overcome by halving the number of speech contest sessions. This could be initiated at Division level at first, then followed by the Areas. Clubs, of course, can choose any practical way to find their candidates. The free time released by halving the number of contests could be used by Division and Area leaders very effectively. We need leaders to support struggling clubs and promote new clubs. After all, achievement of Presidents Distinguished Division (and Area) status is not measured by the number of speech contests that are held. Change can only be initiated from a committed Division Governor: perhaps for implementation with District WA? David, your election manifesto is practical, optimistic and uncontroversial. I hope other Division Governors include such programs for their term of leadership. I think one item needs expanding. What is your policy on Speech Contests?

I think that Toastmasters in WA were drowning in speech contests this last year. There seemed to be very familiar faces of judges in the Area and Division contests. There may be too few judges for three Divisions – but I think there are too many contest sessions. Why do we split Area and Division contests over two sessions? A few years ago Western Division (for the whole state of WA) held all four contest finals on the one day, or one weekend, as a state convention. This WA Convention was usually combined with Club Officer Training and a social dinner. I think they were very successful. I seem to recall that the initial two sessions of contests arose when the Humorous was dropped one year to re-align the International contest with changed District 73 or WHQ policies. This led to the pairing of International and Evaluation, and Humorous and Impromptu.

Toastmasters in WA has a growth problem. We have a high number of Toastmasters with multiple Club (Area, Division) membership. The problems of clashing contest dates, the number of qualified judges and of time spent supporting candidates at contests could be largely overcome by halving the number of speech contest sessions. This could be initiated at Division level at first, then followed by the Areas. Clubs, of course, can choose any practical way to find their candidates.

The free time released by halving the number of contests could be used by Division and Area leaders very effectively. We need leaders to support struggling clubs and promote new clubs. After all, achievement of Presidents Distinguished Division (and Area) status is not measured by the number of speech contests that are held. Change can only be initiated from a committed Division Governor: perhaps for implementation with District WA?

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