District 71 Monthly Newsletter
Hello fellow Toastmasters!
District 71 is delighted to warmly welcome Stowmarket Speakers, a new club based in Suffolk. Big congratulations to Paul Graham and his team for all their work in forming the club. It is fantastic to know that we are providing more opportunities for communities to become part of Toastmasters International and I wish the members every success in their educational journey.
Starting a new club is an exciting project and if you would like to form a club in your community or workplace, please contact our Club Growth Director, Kevin O’Reilly for more details.
Mairead Dillion
– District Director
Have you ever read a book that changed life?
A few years ago, I read “The Art of Gathering” by Priya Parker. It made me completely re-think what good meetings and events are. They don’t happen by accident. They are created with intention, purpose and care. As Toastmasters, this is a powerful challenge: not just to meet, but to create experiences that matter.
Our best club meetings are ones that create meaningful moments for our members and guests. They are events where the experience is crafted to help people fulfil their potential and where they feel empowered to become more effective communicators and leaders. Toastmasters standard agendas and materials can help, but what you do in your club is what makes it special.
Beyond our clubs, we now have plenty of events happening at Area and Division levels, where members of clubs come together to learn, compete and grow. I recently attended a Division N event in Liverpool, and what a show it was! Not only were there impressive contests, but the whole experience was elevated through theme, energy and celebration. As I write this article, I’ve just finished a meeting with our District’s conference team and feel thoroughly inspired by their plans for an event that will leave a lasting impression on all who join us in Tralee, Ireland.
For your next meeting or event, I urge you to move beyond the concept of a “regular meeting”. Instead, commit to designing a gathering that sparks belonging and transformation.
Steve Campion
Program Quality Director
As your District 71 Club Growth Director, I want to encourage every club to make member celebration a bigger part of club life.
I truly believe that one of the most powerful things we can do in Toastmasters is recognise people at every possible opportunity. Celebrate the first speech, the first role, the finished pathway level, the contest attempt, the willingness to step up, the improvement in confidence, or simply the courage it took for someone to walk through the door and give it a go.
When we celebrate our members, we remind them that they matter. We show them that their effort is seen. That recognition can lift confidence, deepen belonging, and encourage someone to keep going when they might otherwise drift away. Sometimes people do not just need training or feedback. They need to know that who they are and what they are doing is valued.
The benefits for clubs are just as important. Clubs that celebrate well create warmth, loyalty, energy, and connection. They become places where people want to stay, take part, and invite others. Recognition strengthens culture. It improves retention. It helps turn attendance into engagement and engagement into commitment.
The best part is that celebration does not need to be complicated. A sincere mention in a meeting, applause, a short message afterwards, a certificate, a social media post, or a few thoughtful words can make a lasting impact.
I want to encourage you not to wait for the “big” achievements. Celebrate the small wins too, because small wins are often what lead to big outcomes.
Let’s build clubs where people feel seen, valued, and proud to belong.
Kevin O’Reilly
Club Growth Director, District 71
March in District 71 is a month of momentum, a month where celebration meets responsibility, where inspiration meets action, and where the women of our Toastmasters family come to the forefront.
This season invites us to pause and honour the remarkable women who strengthen our district, not only on International Women’s Day and Mother’s Day, but every day. In Toastmasters, leadership does not begin with a title, it begins with intention. And across our clubs, areas, and divisions, women are consistently lighting the fire of change: mentoring new members, steadying clubs through challenging moments, taking brave first steps into leadership, and shaping conversations that move people forward.
The truth is simple: in one way or another, every woman is a mother, a creator of growth, a builder of confidence, a nurturer of possibility. District 71 thrives because countless women choose, again and again, to serve, support, uplift, and lead.
As we celebrate this spirit, we are reminded that the final stretch of the Toastmasters year is upon us. We are less than six weeks from the Rose Conference. Contest season is in full flight across all divisions. Membership renewals are closing in. And as we enter the fourth trimester of the program year, the work we do now will decide how this year is remembered. This is the season where commitment counts, consistency wins, and leadership rises.
If you have not yet booked your ticket and accommodation for the Rose Conference, consider this your friendly nudge, do it today. You deserve to be in the room where we celebrate excellence, connection, and the collective heartbeat of District 71.
This month, we also shine a Club Spotlight on a newly chartered club making waves with fresh energy and bold ambition. Stowmarket Speakers Club in West Suffolk has stepped into the district with purpose, vision, and a powerful desire to grow leaders. Their story is a reminder that District 71 is alive with possibility — new voices, new communities, new leadership journeys.
This newsletter exists for one reason: District 71 has a story worth telling, and the world needs to hear it, as the Public Relations Team is committed to this task.
It is a story of courage, community, reinvention, and aspiration. A story powered by volunteers, lit by leaders, and strengthened by every member who dares to grow.
To the women of District 71: thank you for lighting the fire.
To every member: thank you for keeping it burning.
Let us step boldly into the weeks ahead , intentional, united, and committed to finishing this year with excellence.
Stallone-Obaraemi Samuel
-Public Relations Manager
Sustainability is often discussed in terms of the environment, but within organisations it has another equally important meaning: ensuring that
I left a Toastmaster’s club because I felt unfulfilled. However, I did not want to leave Toastmasters. I mentioned to
The old man with no name
is arm deep in a Dublin City bin.
Scavenging
for cast-off Coke cans
and bendy bottles
for a paltry return.
Oblivious
to the street’s soundtrack
of shrieking seagulls
and ear-piercing pedestrians,
he marshals his shopping trolley
and the vestiges of his dignity,
towards bountiful bin bags
hopefully.
Christina Hession
On the evening of 15 March, our club in District 71, Area 16, Division C was due to hold its
Toastmasters is very fortunate to have Michele Blackwood. I’m very fortunate to have Michele as a fellow toastmaster at Dundee.
I am alive today because of the friendship I received during my illness from clubs around the world.Three years ago,
Half a year after my first wife died tragically, I was invited to share in starting a new Toastmasters club
Throughout District 71, women continue to shape the future of Toastmasters through leadership, mentorship, and a commitment to personal growth.
To mark International Women’s Day 2026, I was delighted to participate in The Doyle Collection Headshot Initiative. Raising funds for
Because of a shortage of Committee members, I have seen how hard Tina has worked, keeping the Committee together and
Since joining Toastmasters International in 2017, Gerda Parkja has exemplified steady, values-driven leadership. As Vice President Education at Manchester Orators,
08/04/2026 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm – The purpose of the Club Officer Connect sesssions is help club officers
24/04/2026 @ 8:00 pm – 9:00 pm – Join our team of Pathways Champions to find out how to get
26/03/2026 @ 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm – Inclusion isn’t a buzzword – it’s a practice. It’s about who feels
What struck me most putting this edition together was the recognition stories. A member who felt saved by friendships formed through Toastmasters. Someone who found purpose after devastating loss. Clubs that rallied together when things didn’t go to plan (don’t we all know that feeling). These aren’t just nice-to-read pieces, they’re the reason this organisation matters.
Steve Campion’s article this month talks about gathering with intention, and Kevin O’Reilly reminds us to celebrate more. I’d say this edition proves the point: when we show up for each other, remarkable things happen.
Speaking of showing up, the Rose Conference in Tralee is just weeks away. If you haven’t booked your ticket yet, now’s the time.
Keep the stories coming. They matter more than you think. Your contributions ensure that this truly becomes your newsletter. With so many great things happening across our clubs, we want to keep sharing and celebrating them and please include some pictures.
Here’s the link to submit content again, in case you need it:
https://forms.d71toastmasters.org/share-news
A special call‑out to all Area Directors encourage your clubs to submit. I’d love to see every Area submit at least one article, recognition piece, or highlight for the April edition. And remember a picture tells a thousand words, so the more images and photos you can provide, the better.
If you’re interested in getting involved, please reach out to the District PR Team we’re looking to expand the team.
Thank you, and I hope you enjoy this month’s newsletter.
John Leech
D71 Newsletter Editor
