How big should a Toasmaster award be ?

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.