District 3 was privileged to have Joel Weldon as the featured speaker at the Spring Conference on May 20. And what a challenge he presented to us as Toastmasters - to develop a goal directed orientation for success in our careers, in our personal lives, and in creating the very best Toastmasters meetings.

Joel himself turned to Toastmasters in 1969 when as a construction worker without a college education he decided to conquer his fear of public speaking by joining a club in the Phoenix area. And conquer it he did! For today Joel Weldon is a highly respected speaker and leader of seminars and workshops both in this country and abroad. He is a charter member of the 4,000 member National Speakers Association, a 1981 recipient of the Communication and Leadership
Award, and a 1989 recipient of The Golden Gavel, the highest honor in the speaking profession.

In his challenge to the assembly Joel emphasized the power of 30-day short-term goals. Comparing our lives to a boat wending its way down a river his "winding river story" stressed the ineffectiveness of goals based upon the length of the river. For the length of the river, like life itself, cannot easily be seen since it has so many bends in it. Successful lives, therefore, are those navigated according to goals attainable by the next bend in the river. Such "bend in the river"
goals are realistic, attainable and empowering because they are based upon that which is directly in front of us rather than upon that which is behind us or beyond our view.

In conclusion Joel urged us to make 30-day personal, family and Toastmaster goals concentrating on what we can do - being excellent in the here and now. For our Toastmaster meetings he urged that we focus on improvement, specifically with regard to evaluations; that we get everyone attending involved and speaking; and that we fill our meetings with laughter.

What a challenge to us all! It is no surprise that Joel Weldon's registered trademark is "Success Comes in Cans; Not in Cannots."

Jane Kimball is a member of Fountain Flyers and a charter member and mentor of Vistoso, both in Tucson. She has been a toastmaster for 2 1/2 years, has acheived a CL and will earn an ATM-Bronze in July. In 1998 she chaired a Friday Night Conference "Fun Event" as Captian of a cruise ship, as pictured.

---