04/07/2022
SULTAN TOASTMASTERS CLUB
DISTINGUISHED PRESIDENT'S CLUB AWARDEE for Program Year 2021-2022
Sharing with everyone my Farewell Speech as President of the Club for this program year:
About a year ago, I was elected to lead our club’s journey through the Program Year 2021-2022. Since I was then a very new member of Sultan Toastmasters Club, I silently hesitated to accept the challenge. But since I was assured that I could count on everyone’s support during the journey, I eventually rose to the challenge.
The management guru, John C. Maxwell, once said that “a leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.” From the moment I said yes to the challenge, therefore, I set out to do the first task of a leader, which is to KNOW the way. For, indeed, one cannot GO the way -- much less SHOW others the way -- if one does not KNOW the way in the first place.
For this purpose, I spent several days reading the Toastmasters International’s website, specifically, its sections on the so-called “Pathways.” I familiarized myself with how the Toastmasters “basecamp” operates, I studied the goals and objectives of each Pathway, and tried my best to understand what Toastmasters International advises us to do in order to reach those goals and objectives. Once I knew where each of us as individual members, and where all of us as a club, were supposed to go, I then proceeded to the second task of leadership, which is to GO the way.
I chose my own Pathways, Motivational and Engaging Humor, and resolved to follow the guidelines and directions set by TM International for my chosen Pathways. By doing so, I became confident enough to move on to the third task of leadership, which is to SHOW the way for the other members of the team.
The question that I have been asking myself as I draw nearer to the end of my term as Club President is: Have I done justice to the challenge that I accepted a year ago? Did I somehow succeed in leading the club in its journey through the Program Year 2021-2022?
As I look back on our yearlong journey, I feel happy to realize that we were able to achieve our goals which we can all rightly be proud of.
Let us all together take a look at the attached report dated June 25, 2022 given by Toastmasters International. The figures will still be adjusted to reflect accomplishments from June 26 -30.
1st, we were able to attain our education goals. In fact, we were able to achieve more than what was required and more than what is in the report. We were required to achieve a few targets, but we succeeded in achieving much more.
2nd, we achieved our targets long before the deadline. It was because we started working towards our goals early. Hence, we were able to reach our targets early as well. We did not have to rush at the last minute in order to reach our targets.
3rd, we were able to achieve those preceding accomplishments because we all felt motivated, excited and inspired. We felt happy taking on different roles during our weekly meetings, delivering our speeches, listening to others’ speeches and giving them our constructive comments, feedback and evaluation.
The German intellectual Albert Schweitzer once said that success is NOT the key to happiness. Rather, it’s the other way around: happiness IS the key to success. If you love what you’re doing, you will be successful. I believe that is exactly what happened to us during our journey this past year: for some reason, we felt happy doing what we were doing. As a result, we succeeded quite well in what we were doing.
4th, one concrete indication that we enjoyed what we were doing was that we always began our meetings on time. It wasn’t that way at first. But eventually, we became very punctual. It’s both an indication of how disciplined we have become in terms of observing the time, as well as of how we enjoyed what we were doing. We did not come to our meetings with dragging feet, so to speak.
Finally, because we started on time, we also finished on time while achieving everything we set out to do for each meeting.
All these quote-unquote “accomplishments” would not have been possible without everyone’s support and encouragement, and most importantly, without the confidence and trust you placed in me as your Club President.
I shall therefore take my leave as outgoing Club President with an immense sense of gratitude to all of you for helping me lead the way for our club this past year.
Having said that, I hope you will indulge me with the opportunity to thank some people in particular for their support. First of all I wish to once again thank PP Mike Alunan for nominating me to be the President of Sultan, IPP Jesse Eduria for his assistance, our Club Secretary TM Thess Bravo Chua who was always ready to help and my partner in thinking of activities that will be good for the club, our VP-Ed Maxine Leanna Dy Santos, our Club Treasurer PP Linda, DTM Sonia Roco and PP Cesar Jacinto for extending to me the help I needed to ensure that our journey together as a club will remain as exciting, as challenging and as fulfilling as it possibly can.
Last, but not least, allow me to thank all of you, my dear fellow Sultanites, for the support you extended to fulfill my mission and plans for our beloved Sultan Toastmasters Club.
For our incoming President, TM Elma Regino, and her team of new officers, I wish them well in pursuing their new plans for each of the members and for the club itself as they take on the challenge of leading our club for the Program Year 2022-2023.
I would like to wish everyone, as well, the best of luck for the new Program Year!
To all us: CONGRATULATIONS! And, to all of you, MARAMING MARAMING SALAMAT SA INYONG LAHAT for all your support and love for our club. Let us give ourselves a warm round of applause for a job well done.
As I always say: In Sultan TMC, “TOGETHER WE CAN, WALANG MAIIWAN!"
