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District PR Awards

In recognition of outstanding PR efforts by clubs.

Every year, District 101 sponsors a number of contests to recognize clubs within the district for their outstanding PR efforts. These contests provide an opportunity for clubs to showcase their creativity — and earn some well-deserved prizes.

We are thrilled to announce that the Golden Quill Award is back and better than ever! It’s time to dust off those pens and put your creativity to the test. We want to see the best, the most outrageous, the funniest, and the most creative newsletters in D101. We want to see the type of newsletter that makes people look forward to your meetings.
 
 If your club produces a regular newsletter, we invite you to submit it for consideration. This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase your club’s creativity, communication skills, and teamwork. . Don’t miss out on this chance to be recognized for your hard work and dedication.So, gather your team, put on your thinking caps, and give us your best shot. Don’t be afraid to show off your crazy side – we love to laugh!

PR Awards Program Highlights

  • Purpose
    • The chief purpose of any PR asset (whether website, newsletter, or video) should be to attract and inform guests, prospective members, and members.
  • Judging criteria
    • Generally speaking, all District 101 PR awards place a high priority on the timeliness and relevance of content and on layout and design (including ease of navigation for online assets).
    • Be sure to review both the overall judging guidelines and the contest-specific judging criteria below for further details.
  • Schedule
    • The deadline for entry submissions is May 5. Submit your entries to pr@d101tm.org.
    • All awards will be presented at the District 101 conference in May.
  • Prizes
    • 1st place earns $100 in district credit
    • 2nd place earns $50 in district credit
    • 3rd place earns $25 in district credit
    • All winners will be posted on the PR Awards page.

Best Newsletter — The Golden Quill Award

  • To be eligible for this award, your club must have published at least three issues of your newsletter between July 1 and April 30.
  • Submit your entry to pr@d101tm.org. This submission email must include one of the following:
    • If the newsletter is available online (and has been posted on your club’s website), include a link to the newsletter (showing at least two issues).
    • If the newsletter is not available online, attach a digital copy of at least two issues of the newsletter (in either PDF or JPG format).
  • The deadline for submission is May 5.
  • If there are additional items that you would like to highlight for consideration, please include them in the submission email. You may attach a PPT or PDF with that additional information.
  • Remember to consider the security and privacy issues notes below.

Here is a breakdown of the judging criteria for the Best Newsletter award, including a few examples for each criteria grouping.

Important: In addition to the criteria listed here, don’t forget to review the overall judging guidelines applying to all PR award programs (listed below).

Newsletter Content (50%)

  • Club events (upcoming events and recaps of past events)
  • Recognition of member achievements
  • Officer communications
  • Educational tips & tricks

Layout and Presentation (30%)

  • Visual design, creativity, graphics, photos, typography, color, and whitespace

Club Information (10%)

  • Meeting time and location
  • Information about how to attend a meeting (e.g. email or link to event RSVP)
  • Officer contact information
  • Website address (URL)

Toastmasters Information (10%)

  • District 101 promotions, Toastmasters program information, branding, etc.

2018-2019 PR Awards for Best Newsletter

First Place: First Street Speakers

Second Place: Adlibmasters Club

Third Place: Macintalkers Club

Overall Judging Guidelines

Your Club is encouraged to show its personality: What makes your particular club different or unique? Use your imagination and show off your creativity.

For all three PR awards, the submission (website, newsletter, or video) must mention and/or include the following:

  • Club contact information: This can include one or more of the following: website address (URL), social media links, contact email, meeting location, etc.
  • Updated content: All information must be kept current, including but not limited to the club’s meeting schedule, meeting information, news, upcoming events, and club contact information. If the content changes regularly, this can be documented over time, such as in a slideshow that accompanies the submission.
  • Branding: If Toastmasters branding is used, the submission must meet the standard criteria from Toastmasters International, including but not limited to maintaining the integrity of the Toastmasters International logo and other assets. (See Toastmasters International’s Branding Portal for specific details). Despite the requirement to follow these branding guidelines, it is perfectly acceptable to create a differentiated look and feel that expresses the personality of your club.
  • Layout and navigation: The navigation on your website should be clear and intuitive, and the information should be easy to find. 
  • Contest-specific criteria: Each contest has its own additional criteria, which can be found in the individual descriptions for each award.

Content Ideas

When considering what to add to your website, newsletter, or video, there are many types of content to keep in mind. Here are a fews ideas:

  • Club information: website address, contact email, meeting location, meeting schedule (day, time, and frequency)
  • Events: regular meetings, special events (such as open houses, speech contests, workshops), event recaps
  • Club membership criteria: community or corporate, open or closed, speciality, advanced
  • Member recognition: educational awards and recognitions from Toastmasters International, speech contest winners
  • Testimonials: members’ comments about how Toastmasters has helped them inside and outside the club
  • Education: tips and tricks of speaking, of Zoom, of navigating Pathways
  • Toastmasters information: What is Toastmasters? What are the goals and benefits for members?