What $1.90 a Day for 180 Days Can Buy You
by Setma Maddox, DTM
It
is often a struggle to pay and make time for the D25 Toastmaster Conferences
held in May (spring) and November (fall) each year. Admittedly, for several years, my business has taken me out
of town the weekend of the Spring Conference, but I have made it a point to
regularly attend the Fall Conference.
Why do I set aside $1.90 a day for 180 days in order to attend one
conference?
Well let’s start with
how I got started going to the conferences.
When
I first joined Afterburners, the club leadership was very active at the
district level and strong advocates for getting as much out of toastmasters as
possible. So when I joined in March of 1999,
I was “voluntold” that I was helping with the registration at the Spring
Conference. Not knowing what to
expect but knowing that I had been given a position to uphold, I showed up at
the appointed time. I thought what
can happen to me by handing out name badges and whatever else I was told to
give out. Was I surprised!
Immediately
I was recognized as a first timer.
Trust me, the district leadership takes great care to insure that those
attending a conference for the first time get to the current and past leaders
as well as learn lots about toastmasters that you may never get to know with
club only exposure. There is so
much more in the world of toastmasters --- no spoiler alerts here because you
need to experience it for yourself!
Then
Brenda Daniels, who for years was in charge of decorations at the conferences, asked
me to help her with at a Fall conference.
I followed her around years after that doing as I was told but also taking
time to meet new people. So far, I
can say I have enjoyed in depth conversations with three World Companions of
Public Speaking, six district governors, three international presidents, and
numerous individuals making differences in people’s lives. I can count several of these
individuals among my list of friends.
I would never have met them if it wasn’t for toastmasters and attending
conferences.
Another
reason for attending conferences is that I get to hear and observe a minimum of
four keynote speakers, plus enjoy the district speaking contests. This Fall Conference we watch six
extraordinary speakers give their humorous speeches and all were excellent. I am glad I was a judge this time because
it was a very close contest! It
isn’t often that I get to laugh until my sides hurt, but this contest was
definitely side-splitting!
Attending
educational sessions is amongst the top reasons I like to attend the
conferences. I get new
perspectives on topics that sometimes I have been struggling with as a
toastmaster. It is also a place
that lets you ask questions of presenters and follow up with them if their
topic is something you really want to know more about. This Fall, I talked to three authors I
have been following for awhile on Face book and on their blogs.
In particular, I was gifted with the opportunity to sit for three hours
in the Hospitality Lounge (yes there is a place to unwind), and talk with my
friend Maurice Taitt, past district governor and class act gentleman. He gave me many pointers for pursuing a
future in writing; something he has been encouraging me to do for years. Nowhere
else could I have these opportunities in as safe an environment as a
toastmasters conference.
The
cost of the conference has been $125 for a full registration plus room costs
which the district negotiates with the hotel for block pricing to reduce the
cost to attendees. You can choose
not to attend the Friday night dinner or even the Saturday morning breakfast,
but then you lose some of the opportunities to network with new people and
catch up with old friends. The
$1.90 is less than a Starbucks coffee and the benefits I reap from attending a
conference are far more satisfying.
The
next conference is May 1-2, 2015.
Check
www.d25toastmasters.org
website around January for details.
Start
saving today and I’ll see you there!
