Some years a ago I organized a Toastmasters Division Level International Speech Contest in KLuang. The participation was good and I decided to give every participant something to take home to remember the occasion by.
A few days later, I received an email. One of the participants wrote and I quote " How can you give a pencil box as a prize to a winner of a Toastmasters Speech competition ? You are being disrespectful to an international organization." Incidentally this participant was not placed in the top three positions. Each of the top three positions receive a trophy and a certificate . All other participants , including Timers ,Tally counters etc received a pencil box each from me that day.
So what is enough as a token of appreciation ? How big should a Toastmasters award be ?
I have been instrumental in forming a few clubs throughout the 28 years as a Toastmasters member. When a new club is being formed , the treasurer usually do not have money to buy expensive trophies . I have seen a club in Johor Bahru that gave ,winners and participants a like , "just" a certificates all these years. Yet I have seen many of these "past" winners carefully framed up their certificates and hung them proudly in the most conspicuous place in their offices.
So, how big or expensive a Toastmasters award should be, before the recipient feel proud to receive it ?
In the last Toastmasters convention in Medan, the organisers felt a need to reward past leaders with big plagues, the kind that you have to hold with two hands to keep it steady. I met one such recipient in the airport on the way home. I expected him to hand carry his award because it was fragile. I asked " hey, you checked in your award ? you do not worry that it get damaged in the luggage compartment?
He relplied " I left it in the hotel. It was too difficult to carry."
The District must have spent a lot of money to get such an pague to his hands. What would have made him treasure this plague and at least take it home ?
I have no answer, If you have , please record your comments here.
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1 comment:
ET, You should reveal the name of this ungrateful officer. We wasted our funds buying him the plaque and he flippantly left it in the hotel room because it was too heavy to carry home. I'm ashamed to have leaders like this. Malulah
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