Toastmasters is very fortunate to have Michele Blackwood. I’m very fortunate to have Michele as a fellow toastmaster at Dundee. Why, because Michele isn’t just someone who does the donkey work of keeping a club running; she elevates it. Michele is a steady hand behind the scenes, a competent person in times of uncertainty, and … Read more
On the evening of 15 March, our club in District 71, Area 16, Division C was due to hold its International Speech and Evaluation Contest at 7.45 pm. Shortly before the meeting began, we received news that our Vice President Education, who was also acting as Chief Judge, had been involved in a car accident … Read more
Messages from the District Director and Administration Manager, the results of District elections and speech contests, centennial resources .. and much more!
In November 2025, Dundee Toastmasters successfully delivered a Speechcraft programme for international ATM company NCR Atleos at their UK offices in Dundee. The programme was led by Michèle Blackwood (Pathways Champion Div S) alongside fellow members Caroline Cooper, Claire Downie (Club President) and Julia Martineau (Area 43 Director). Participants were provided access to Speechcraft online … Read more
Building Our New Corporate Toastmasters Club: A Journey Worth Taking Over the last 18 months, I’ve had the privilege of successfully chartering a brand new Toastmasters corporate club where I work. Toastmasters at the BBC’s first official meeting took place on 21 October 2025, but the road to that moment was anything but simple. It … Read more
The Rose Conference Continues to Bloom You will not be surprised to know that the work for the Rose Conference continues apace. First we sold over 100 tickets before our Valentines Day Golden Ticket Draw which was won by Anita Howard. This could not have gone to a more deserving winner as Anita is a … Read more
Day 1– The opening day brought together a combined Club Officer Training and round-table engagement. Participants repeatedly expressed that the sessions were unlike anything they had experienced before- dynamic, deeply engaging, and transformational in both content and delivery. The conversations surrounding club growth, member experience, leadership pipelines, and new club creation reflected a renewed enthusiasm … Read more
After a very warm round of introductions we proceeded to learn how the TM has experience has impacted people from different clubs around the country. Always positive, the conversations were most stimulating! We also learned how we can improve guest experience, service and retention within the clubs. The speakers were truly excellent. A pleasure to … Read more
The question of how we grow our clubs, and even build new Toastmasters clubs doesn’t really matter to most of us, until suddenly it does. Perhaps it’s a calling? Perhaps it’s about being “voluntold”. Or maybe setting up a new club, isn’t all that different from the weekly commitments of being a committee member of … Read more
I attended the programme with modest expectations but was pleasantly surprised by how engaging and valuable it turned out to be. The warm, well‑organised atmosphere, supported by friendly facilitators and thoughtful refreshments, set a positive tone for the day. The sessions on running a club and tracking goals were insightful, and the Q&A added meaningful … Read more