Sunday, January 10, 2010

Tune in to Toastmasters: District 15 Winter Leadership Institute in Boise





















This is my 200th post on this blog!

Yesterday morning I attended the semi-annual Toastmasters Leadership Institute (TLI) here in Boise. It was held at the SuperValu corporate offices (formerly the Albertsons headquarters). The primary purpose for a TLI is simply to provide training for club officers filling the following seven roles: President, Vice President- Education, Vice President – Public Relations, Vice President – Membership, Secretary, Treasurer, Sergeant at Arms. A basic TLI is about as exciting as a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

This was not just a basic TLI though. It had three general sessions separated by two breakout sessions. The first general session had a wonderful keynote speech on “Communicating in the Social Space” given by Justin Foster from Tricycle (a branding firm in Boise). In the second general session he continued with “Social Media 101: Practical Tips for Implementing Social Media Right Now.” The first breakout session had the usual club officer training, and also a session for prospective or new members on: “So you want to be a Toastmaster.” The second breakout session offered a series of bonus topics:

Social Media: Building Your Club Brand (taught by Justin Foster)

Mentoring for Success (taught by Dave Manning, our current District Governor)

Flawless Planning with Easy-Speak

Advanced Manuals: What’s Right for You?

Moving Up: Taking the Next Leadership Step (taught by Michael Rusnack, a past District Governor)

The final general session had closing ceremonies with door prizes and recognition of the speakers and planning committee (organized by Ruth Romero, from Capitol Club). .

It was an exciting morning - more like a full meal than just a sandwich.

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