Page 32 - October 2019
P. 32
LOVE LETTERS
Be a Better YOU!
Dottie Love, DTM
I didn’t consider myself a ‘distinguished’
public speaker. Practiced. . . maybe. Better than
average—but never Distinguished. 1. Education: complete any two Pathways
Yet an old adage motivated me to try: “It’s OR Legacy Advanced Gold/Silver awards
better to be prepared for an opportunity and not have (40-50 speeches)
one. Then have an opportunity and not be prepared.” 2. Club Leadership: Be one of your Club
“How long did it take to get your DTM?” Officers
I asked that question of a 10-year veteran of 3. District Leadership: Serve as a District
Toastmasters. Officer
The Distinguished Toastmaster Award (DTM) 4. Club Extension: Sponsor a club OR help
is the highest, most prestigious award that you with a Speechcraft OR Youth program
can earn in Toastmasters. It’s an indicator of 5. Club Support: Mentor a new club or coach
completing activities in: leading others, training a small club
others, and expanding your personal and
professional growth. Having read the entire How Dottie Earned a DTM
communicator’s manual, I wanted to know how
to earn educational awards listed in the manual Year 1 to • Gave a speech every 4-6 weeks
to ‘up my game’ with public speaking. Year 4 • Served in functionary roles (like
His response surprised me: “I don’t have my Toastmaster, General Evaluator,
DTM because I’m not sure how to earn one.” Grammarian, etc.) at least one to two
The funny thing was that this member had times a month.
completed 90% of the work to earn a DTM and • Served as a club Officer (VP of Education)
didn’t even know it. At that time, I was close to Year 2 • Served as an Area Director
my one year anniversary and decided I would get • Mentored several club members including
Allison Bennett who earned her DTM in
my DTM in three years. And there are members
less than 2 years
who have earned this award in as little as one
year. Really—it’s true!! Year 3 • Conducted workshop at the Toastmasters
Earning this award is easier than most people Leadership Conference as a “High
think. And if you have one, consider mentoring Performance” project
• Mentored a small club at Intel (Speak
others on how they can experience the amazing
Easy) to win awards
growth that is possible. Below are key activities:
32 ONE COMMUNITY
