District Seven: Trouble Shooting Pathways

A Member of Yaquina Toastmasters Receives the Leadership Excellence Award

Lauralee Norris, a member of Yaquina Toastmasters, has been awarded the Leadership Excellence Award for the completion of her High Performance Leadership Project. This is one of the highest leadership awards recognized in Toastmasters, and the first time a member of Yaquina Toastmasters has achieved this award.
The High Performance Leadership (HPL) program puts into practice the critical skills needed to be a successful leader. This project is a minimum of six months long, and follows every step needed to carry out a major project, from goal setting and creating a feasible timetable, to pitching a project and presenting results at the end. As Vice President of Public Relations for Yaquina Toastmasters, Lauralee had already been awarded Advanced Leadership Bronze and Advanced Communicator Silver. Taking on a year long project, Lauralee chose to complete a Public Relations Campaign to work on for her High Performance Leadership Project.
Lauralee's campaign consisted of working with several forms of media, from a social media revival, to publicizing Yaquina Toastmasters through newspaper articles and a radio show. In addition to gaining publicity for her club through media outlets, Lauralee also organized an open house featuring the Loyalty Day's Princesses, drawing in 10 guests to a 7 AM meeting.
Lauralee became a member of Yaquina Toastmasters in 2016 to help with her communications class at Oregon Coast Community College. She has since graduated with two Associates degrees, and is currently attending Eastern Oregon University online as a Business Marketing student. Using the skills she learned at Toastmasters and her High Performance Leadership project, Lauralee created an awareness and prevention campaign, The Blue Butterfly Campaign, against human trafficking in Lincoln County, which she is currently carrying out.

How does Pathways Affect becoming a DTM?

Pathways requirements for becoming a DTM:

"Completing two paths

Serving as a club officer for 12 months

Serving as a club mentor or coach

Serving as a club sponsor or conducting Speechcraft or a Youth Leadership Program
Serving as a district officer for one year
Completing DTM project"


Currently to become a DTM, you need to have received your Advanced Communicator Gold, and Advanced Leadership Silver. This means you would need to complete the competent manual, as well as six advanced manuals for speaking. Instead of those extra manuals, you complete two paths through Pathways. For the Advanced Leadership Bronze, you are required to serve as an officer for six months, which has now been increased to a year. In the Advanced Leadership Silver, you need to serve as a district officer for a year, which is the same as the new DTM requirements. Serving as a club mentor or coach is also a current requirement for the Advanced Leadership Silver.

Our Contest Winners

Larry took first place (R), Dave placed second (M), and Lee placed third (L)