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Dear Toastmasters,
It was in 1984, that Lou Whittaker led the first all-American team of mountaineers to climb Mt. Everest. After months of grueling effort, five members of the team reached the final campsite at 27000 feet. With 2000 feet to go, Whittaker had a tough decision to make. He knew that each climber was extremely eager to stand on top of Mt. Everest. But two of them would have to go back to the previous camp, load up food, water and oxygen, and return to the camp where they now met. After completing this support assignment, these two climbers would not be in a condition to make the final attempt.
The first decision Whittaker made was to stay at the final campsite to coordinate the team’s activities. The second decision was to send the two strongest climbers down the mountain to get the supplies. The two weaker climbers would rest, renew their strength, and receive the glory of climbing the summit, which they did.
When the press reporters asked him why he did not assign himself the summit run, his answer showed the strength of his leadership – “My job is to put other people on the top.”
Friends, this is the secret behind District 82’s success. The focus of our leaders has always been to ‘put other people on the top’. I see this happening in every club, area and division:
- Mentors training their mentees to go higher than they have ever been;
- Club officers going out of their way to support new members;
- Area governors visiting those clubs which had missed attending the OTPs to impart officer training individually;
- Division governors knitting together the entire division through sheer enthusiasm and hard work;
This attitude of service is present right from the level of member toastmasters and grows in magnitude as toastmasters climb the leadership ladder. Numerous examples can be quoted from across the District as a proof of this noble value which forms the bedrock of this great movement called Toastmasters! This attitude of putting Service before Self has been demonstrated by so many toastmasters in the past and even today, who serve this movement but never make a claim to the lime light.
Friends, we are two months into the New Year now. How many people have you put on the top? How many members have become better speakers because of you? How many officers have become better leaders because of you? More importantly, have you conquered the mountains of nervousness and self-doubt inside you?
As each member of our district continues to grow and to serve, D82 continues to shine brighter. We have already chartered 17 new clubs, added 491 new members, have achieved 57 CCs 24 ACs 55 CLs 27 ALs 7 LDREXC, 3DTMS, trained 898 officers, and 29 club visits have been made by our area governors. We are firmly on our way towards becoming the Top District once again!
Let us keep working towards achieving greatness together!
Yours in the service of Toastmasters, |
