Page 13 - July 2020

Numbers Don’t Tell the Whole Story

PJ Kleffner, DTM - District Director

here to serve our members and ensure thatyou evaluations and feedback, and improve our
meet YOUR goals. If you are not growing and impromptu speaking with Table Topics. We still
getting what you want from Toastmasters, you have essentially the same Toastmasters program,
are likely to leave. but the delivery mechanism changed. Since it

One of the challenges we face this year is was introduced three years ago, Pathways has
helping our members make the transition to evolved based on member feedback, and it will
the Pathways learning experience. Some of our continue to improve.
members are not comfortable with this change, One of my favorite lines in Illusions by

and maybe even feel like Toastmasters pulled Richard Bach is “We teach best what we most need
the rug out from under them. A few days ago, I to learn.” When Pathways was first announced, I
joined another webinar to meet our International immediately volunteered to be a Pathways Guide
President-Elect, Richard Peck. He spoke directly to help roll it out to the Clubs in our District. I

to my inner math nerd as he started his talk with did that because I thought it was the best way for
a reference to the transitive property of equality me to quickly learn about Pathways, and I was
in mathematics! In case you need a refresher, right. As we face these changes, I challenge you
that’s the one that says “If a=b, and b=c, then to be proactive and look for opportunities that

a=c.” He explained that we are in a time of great will help you in your Toastmasters journey. We
“opportunities, challenges and changes.” He went are providing new resources from the District
on to say that these words are interchangeable to help you, including regular webinars, and
in his mind, because you can’t have any one of introducing the new VP of Pathways role in

them without the other two. Clubs. You will be hearing more about those
Our challenge, then, is to look for the from our PQD, Eldred Brown.
opportunities as we embrace all the changes that In closing, I ask you to think about how you
are coming our way, whether we like them or not. are going to use the next four hundred ninety-

Your life changed the first day you walked into five thousand three hundred and sixty minutes
a Toastmasters meeting—I’m guessing for the left in our Toastmasters year.
better, or you wouldn’t still be here. We continue
to have Club meetings, make speeches, provide

VOICES! | JULY 2020 13