Year 2009-2010
I just received the District 51 Directory. Compared with last term, the cover is more attractive showing a people orientated organization. Kudos to the District Directory Team led by District 51 Secretary Wendy Wong. Many photos are still distorted vertically or horizontally. Perhaps we can improve next term with color photos and color pages. I am impressed that the Mandarin Toastmasters Clubs have Chinese script and names.
Year: 2008-09
Over the years, the concept and design of the District 51 directory has changed little. Often it is distributed during the November Semi-Annual Convention which means nearly half the term is over.
Some NGO organizations can print their directory with all the photos on the first day of their term, perhaps we can learn from them.
In 1996. I remember District Secretary TC Lim (Kota Kinabalu) had a vision of a pocket size district directory like that of some districts.
Also he had the concept of loose leftets to be updated every now and then and every year.
The list of District Council including Steering Committee, Division Governors, Area Governors, Club Presidents and Club VP Educations are added. Very few members have email or mobile phones and fax numbers were important then.
During my term as DG in 1997, we first distributed an electronic and temporary paper directory as of July 1, 1997. I guess I could not wait to get started.
Then followed by above hard copy of above "Green" Directory.
Thanks to Rizal Fauzi (PDC) who designed the cover and District Secretary Margaret Chan (PDC) who helped me to compile the information of District Officers and Clubs.
We abandoned the leaflet concept for a permanent booklet but kept the same pocket size.
We introduced photographs. Some officers were prompt and a few were always late. Usually during any compilation of Directory, you will know who will be performers and who will be too busy for that term.
For the next three years, the District Directory continued with the pocket size concept. In 2000, list of Past District Governors were added to the Directory.
In 2001, the directory had bilingual names for Mandarin speaking clubs. The list of Club Officers was expanded from just President and VPE to all officers including IPP.
In 2002, the District Directory morphed into a larger rectangular notebook
From 2002 until now, the size of the District Directory remained the notebook size. Note: In 2005, there was no hard copy published but an electronic version was distributed online.
Here is a look at other District Directories.
District 80 (Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, Thailand) directory has the names of Club Officers and Mandarin Clubs in both Chinese and English. This is obviously important for Mandarin speaking members.
Hint hint for next year District 51 Directory.
District 72 Directory (New Zealand). I received this Directory from the DG Joan Hook. It was really thin pocket size and easy and light for me to carry around as I visited Clubs all over New Zealand.
May be, we can have a second printout of a more basic "travel version" for next year's Districtory.
As due to printing and mailing cost, District Directory are printed in limited quantity and limited in distribution.
Perhaps, next year, may be the District can print some additional copies for sale to make everyone happy who wants to have a copy but are not District or Club Officers and to recoup some cost too.
Anyway, I hope to continue to collect District 51 Directories. They are informative, commemorative and a labor of love for Toastmasters.
