Double DTM

An outline from David Nicholas DTM

The Distinguished ToastMaster Award (the DTM) is the highest award given by Toastmasters International. It requires a lot of speeches, leadership roles at Club and District level, a High Performance Leadership Project and success in either the formation of a new club or the revitalising of a failing club.

Until 2003 that was the pinnacle of member aspirations in WA, but I saw that DTM graduates had a wealth of experience, skill and energy that was being lost to Toastmasters in WA.

May, 2004 the Double DTM was launched

The District 73 Convention was held in Fremantle that year. (We were still part of District 73 then, but of course later we set up our own separate District 17.)

May 2007 the DTM Breakfast

The District 17 Convention was held in Fremantle again that year. With help from Jeanette Farrar and Mark and Robyn Richards, I organised the first DTM Breakfast, held on the Sunday morning of the Convention. Current DTMs and hopeful DTMs met for breakfast. Recent DTMs were honoured. Information was given about the requirements for the award. And the Double DTM project was promoted.

At that point I was still the only Double DTM. It took some time for the concept to take off. The next Double DTM was Glenis Nicholas in July 2007, followed by Alan Smith in July 2008. Then in July 2009 the Ross Wilkinson rocket blasted off. You only need 2 to be a Double DTM but why stop there, Ross? As of April, 2016 he has 6 DTMs. The floodgates were opened, and Mark, Pascale and Leonor have followed. In 2017 Gladys Lavell is our latest Double DTM.