Mentoring a New Member

For a traditional DTM, Toastmasters need to mentor a new member with their first three speeches as one of the components of the Advanced Communicator Gold (ACG) award.

If you are planning to complete this before June 2020, planning ahead is very important. You can guide and encourage the new member, but please remember, even though you are eager to complete your ACG, It’s not about you, it’s their schedule. Be patient.

While working one of my ACG awards a few years ago, I had everything completed EXCEPT for this requirement. I began working with one of the new members who had to leave to the club.

Her husband landed a graduate teaching assignment that conflicted with the meeting night of the club and the couple had one car. That meant I had to start over with another new member.

I started again with another new member and was seeking to complete the requirement before the end of the Toastmasters year on June 30. However, my plans were delayed again. My friend had job responsibilities that took priority over Toastmasters.

Eventually, my friend presented her third speech and I completed my ACG. However, the entire process took much longer than I anticipated.

This advice also applies if you are completing a traditional program Competent Leadership (CL) manual requirement and/or if you have decided to enroll in the Pathways Mentoring Program, which you will be eligible to begin after completing Level 2 in Pathways.

Blog contributed by Su Brooks, DTM 2                                                                          District 83 Training Coordinator and Social Media Strategist

Su has been a Toastmaster since July 2000 and has earned two DTM awards in the Traditional program. In Pathways, she is working on three paths: Leadership Development, Presentation Mastery, and Engaging Humor. In addition, she recently began the Pathways Mentoring Program.

For 2018-2019, she serves as the Sergeant at Arms for Talk of Monmouth, an advanced club in Tinton Falls, New Jersey, and as the District Training Coordinator and a Social Media Strategist.

She is a member of No Limits Toastmasters in Staten Island, New York, where she serves as the audio technician on the production crew for Toastmasters in the Community, a cable TV show.

For 2019-2020, Su will take on the role of Destination DTM Chair for District 83.

The Value of a DTM Mentor

Your (Distinguished Toastmaster) DTM mentor will support you with your goals whether you have decided to pursue a traditional or a Pathways DTM.

Your DTM mentor can be a member of your club or a member of another club. You and your mentor can discuss how often to meet to talk about your progress and next steps.

A mentor will help you define the timetable for your goal. Requirements for a traditional DTM must be completed by June 2020. A Pathways DTM does not have a deadline specified by Toastmasters International. You and your mentor should discuss the overall timing, then break your goal into manageable segments with short, medium and long-term goals for success.Perhaps you are looking for additional speaking opportunities. I mentored a few Toastmasters who were able to serve as a model speaker for evaluation contests at other clubs, areas, and divisions outside their own.

Your DTM mentor can also let you know about clubs who might have fewer members than your club and frequently look for Toastmasters outside of their club to fill a speaking role on their agenda. It’s a good idea to have your next speech ready to go in case a prepared speaker has to cancel at the last minute and you can readily fill in.

You and your DTM mentor can meet Toastmasters outside of your club(s) at training sessions, contests and conferences. Meeting new people helps generate different ideas to help you reach your goals.

At a conference planning meeting, my DTM mentor informed me about two people seeking their DTM. I learned that they scheduled two educational workshops at a library on a weekend and invited everyone in the district to attend. This way they were able to reach a large audience and could present their training sessions without having to take time away from their regularly scheduled club meeting time.

You might be seeking a leadership role and need advice and connections for serving as a district officer or a sponsor, mentor, or coach. Your DTM mentor can help you with that information to get an appointment. Contact the District Director for more information.

For more information about DTM mentors, please contact the District 83 Destination DTM Chair.

Blog contributed by Su Brooks, DTM 2                                                                          District 83 Training Coordinator and Social Media Strategist

Su has been a Toastmaster since July 2000 and has earned two DTM awards in the Traditional program. In Pathways, she is working on three paths: Leadership Development, Presentation Mastery, and Engaging Humor. In addition, she recently began the Pathways Mentoring Program.

For 2018-2019, she serves as the Sergeant at Arms for Talk of Monmouth, an advanced club in Tinton Falls, New Jersey, and as the District Training Coordinator and a Social Media Strategist.

She is a member of No Limits Toastmasters in Staten Island, New York, where she serves as the audio technician on the production crew for Toastmasters in the Community, a cable TV show.

For 2019-2020, Su will take on the role of Destination DTM Chair for District 83.

Mentoring Matters: An Interview with DTM Mark Grebenau

One of my mentors, DTM Mark Grebenau shared his story of continuous self-improvement, hope it serves as an inspiration for us all. Mentoring plays a significant role in Toastmasters as they help create the social glue that ensures we stick together. We set our educational and leadership goals and our mentors keep us accountable.

DTM Mark Grebenau is a Toastmaster with over 30 years’ experience. In the past, he has held several leadership positions including that of Area Governor and Division Governor. He has completed his 14th CC and will complete his 17th CC within this Toastmasters fiscal year (2017-2018). DTM Mark is a formidable orator whose creativity seems ceaseless. His speeches are meticulous, carefully sprinkled with humor and impactful. His evaluations are geared to help us grow in our speech craft.

TM Alton James, ACB, ALB award DTM Mark Grebenau his 14th CC pin.

Mark prepared me for my speech contests. The results were, my winning at the Club Level and at the Area (2015-2016). He has also helped me temper my goal driven nature with a deep sense of humility, as we are all volunteers try to become better. In our 2016-2017 term, for my HPL, he was willing to take on 6 new mentees from the Toastmasters at NJIT club. Even during a time of personal pain over losing his mom. Mark loves to give back. He loves to teach. This is what drives him and in turn motivates us.

Continue reading “Mentoring Matters: An Interview with DTM Mark Grebenau”

Mentoring Matters

One of the characteristics of a successful club is that the club retains many of the members who join. A dynamic mentoring program for club members is one of the keys to success.

The Vice President Education (VPE) is responsible for ensuring that club members make progress toward their speaking and leadership goals. A club mentor coordinator can partner with the VPE by serving on the education committee and match up mentors with mentees.

When a new member joins the club, a mentor should be assigned right away. Regular communication between the parties helps get everyone off to a good start and continues the momentum. The mentor will find out the particular goals of the mentee and discuss strategies to achieve them.

Continue reading “Mentoring Matters”

Register for Upcoming Training Session: Mentors Mentor about Mentoring

Toastmasters is based upon the tenet of learning by doing and improvement via practice and evaluation. Throughout the Toastmasters journey we learn as we help others to learn. Nowhere is this more evident than in club sponsoring, mentoring, and coaching.

Please join District 83 on Saturday, September 23, 2017 at 1-2:30PM at the Clark Library, 303 Westfield Avenue, Clark NJ, for a session on:

  • How to Sponsor a Club and Help it Charter – Anne Gilson, Club Quality Chair
  • How to Mentor and Advise a New Club on Procedures— Manny Reyes, Program Quality Director
  • How to Coach a Club to Transform it From Struggling to Distinguished — Lynda Starr, Club Growth Director

    Please register on TM83.org before September 18.
    If you have any questions, please reach out to Lynda Starr by email at lbstarr@optonline.net or phone at 201-320-1752.