Sunrise over the water greets us as we gather for breakfast. The
mountains look close enough to touch, although they are still quietly shrouded
in their morning mist. The voices and faces that surround us are varied in
accent, lilt, color, and expression. It’s Monday, and yet it’s a different
Monday. No DFW traffic. No commute. No texts, emails, or frantic phone calls.
This particular Monday, we - Greg, Robi, and Jamie - embark on a
week of exploration. This is the first day of District Officer training in
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Following two days of intensive training,
we will experience the 2017 Toastmasters International Convention with all its
pomp, circumstance, and celebration.
Unless you’ve been a member of a trio, you cannot begin to
understand the sheer volume of information that is about to pumped into our
heads. We have two days to absorb the ideas generated by not only
those who have served before us, but those who serve now, in peer roles, around
the world.
Truthfully, this is not our first day here. We spent our
Sunday evaluating seventeen people who have stepped forward with a desire to
help guide our organization for the next two years. Seventeen highly unique
individuals with a common goal; occupy one of seven seats on the Board of
Directors.
To give you an idea of how this works; we have fifteen
minutes to ask questions, hear answers, evaluate those answers, discover
something about that person, then through later discussion, decide how we wish
to vote. All in one twelve-hour period.
This Monday morning, as beautiful as our surroundings are,
there is already a feeling of being overwhelmed by the events in which we’re
involved. The day has just begun.
The very first session as a trio helps us determine our
personality styles and communication preferences. I don’t believe there were
any real surprises. We are different, and that’s a good thing. It makes us
stronger.
By the end of Monday, we have spent sessions not only as a
trio, but we have also been split out into groups with our peers. We have the
opportunity to network with people from around the world. What we discover is
that in spite of all our differences, we face many of the same issues in our
districts. In these sessions we share our ideas, listen to their ideas,
commiserate with each other, and make friends.
Last year, as CGD, I talked to other CGDs from around the
world. I made contacts and kept up with them throughout the year. In many ways,
this is a class reunion. I have moved up to PQD and so have they. We are still
peers, still friends, and we have grown another year stronger. Friendly faces
pass me in the hallways, smile, wave, and we often stop and share hugs and
handshakes. Those connections are vital, I believe, to the ongoing success of
our years of service. We depend on the support of our immediate team members,
but the support received from peers around the world is equally necessary.
My hope, as I watch Jamie interact with her peers, is that
she, too will make meaningful connections that will impact her, her role, and
our district in the present, and going forward.
My hope for Greg is that he sees his own strength as a
leader. People remember him from last year, ask him questions, look to him for
advice and information, and respect the values he brings to the organization.
As the sun sets on Tuesday evening, again a beautiful and
inspiring sight out the convention center windows, I know it will take time to
process all I’ve taken in. I will re-read notes, shuffle through the many
business cards I’ve collected, and send emails with information I’ve been asked
to share. But I was not alone in this experience. My fellow trio members; no,
that’s not right. My friends were exceptional companions on this Canadian
journey.
by Robi Ley
Program Quality Director, District 25, 2017-2018
