February 2009

CONTENTS

Page SPECIAL NOTICES

Dist. Gov. Address LGET Address LGM Address Governors of the 1/4 From The PRO Webmaster‘s Tip Treasurer‘s Corner Nominations FEATURED ARTICLES

TLI Re-cap TMs On a Water Taxi Be The Best You Can Be 9 Reasons to Attend Training ...and Two More CC‘s NEWS!

Club Challenge Results NEW Club Challenge TLI Nassau TLI Palmetto TLI Boca Raton New Club CHALLENGE Spring Conference Division Contest Dates Lee Holliday Visits

www.toastmastersd47.org

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1 17 20 15 22

4 7 10 11 13 16 8 18 19

The Sunshiner

This is what

KNOWLEDGE

looks like!

Publisher - Antionette Fox, DTM

PR Officer - Pierre Taschereau, ACS/ALB

Sunshiner Editor - Phil Stamatyades, DTM

TLI (Toastmaster Leadership Institute—training) season is in full progress! The District sponsored TLI‘s held in Palmetto, Nassau, and Boca Raton were well-attended by both officers and members. Incredible workshops and awesome keynote speakers lit up the schedules as new and seasoned Toastmasters listened, participated and learned. David Nemitz, of the Brickell Club #7619, in Miami, takes learning to a personal level with Joni Rosenthal, of Power Speakers. Make-up training is being held in all Divisions. Please stay tuned for updates from your local leaders.

MORE TLI REPORTS ON PAGE 10

Greetings Fellow District 47 Members,

As we step with great speed into the 2nd half of the Year let me first congratulate all of you who have achieved the goals that you have set for yourselves and your club. It is the goal of the District Executive Committee that the district surpasses its membership, education and training goals for the 2008/2009 TM year.

To meet this challenge, as a team we must all work together towards one common goal. It all stems from the membership, when a member is successful, the club, the area, the division and by extension the district will ultimately be successful. With this in mind I encourage you to break all barriers during this 2nd half of the toastmaster year so that we can set the stage for the years to come as the team that led the new District 47 through a successful year. We know that there will be challenges but we also know that successful leaders have a vision, set goals, share their vision, motivate others, and monitor progress. With this in mind, Toastmasters International provides the necessary tools to assist you in

ARE WE ON TRACK?

Paid New Members Clubs

CC‘s AC‘s

achieving your goals. As a district we provide you with challenges that motivate you to achieve your goals. These challenges can be found in this issue of the Sunshiner. We are committed to our members, their growth and development. We want to ensure that all Toastmaster members in District 47 are reaping all of the benefits and rewards from this awesome program. As a reminder we want to focus on the four critical success factors responsible for the success of your club and ultimately the district. These success factors focus on producing

Competent Communicators and Advanced Communicators, while procuring club membership renewal payments and Clubs payments to Toastmasters International on time. Also, keep in mind, the Competent leaders, Advanced leaders and Distinguished Toastmasters awards that earn DCP credits. Below you will find the state of the District; we are on our way to achieving our goals and ultimately becoming a distinguished district. Whatever your speaking level, we encourage you to earn your Competent Communicator,

(Continued on page 3)

...We want you to focus on the four Critical Success Factors…..

Antionette Fox, DTM, District 47 Governor

Trained Leaders Serve Better Fellow Toastmasters, I‘m writing this as I‘m about to depart the Charlotte, NC airport to fly back home to Fort Lauderdale and the warm breezes. The District Trio has just finished 2 full days of training and we are PUMPED!!

It‘s such a rewarding experience to spend time with your peers (your Toastmaster family); to share ideas, thoughts, challenges etc. We learn from

each other and from our presenters. The goal is that we all want to become better leaders; to better serve our Districts; our members. And of course, we have fun doing it. We are now entering the second round of TLI – Toastmasters Leadership Institute. Here we gather, we learn from each other, and our presenters, we network and we have fun. This is the privilege that the Club Officers have. Is it only Club Officers that can attend TLI? Of course not. Please see the articles about the TLI‘s we‘ve had in January in three locations. Next time,

in June; you can be there too! Come join the fun! We had some Club Challenges that ended on December 31: -> 4 CC‘s by Dec 31 -> 5 DCP points by Dec 31 The results are in! Read more about them in this February 2009 issue of Sunshiner. I look forward to read the weekly reports on Friday‘s and see how you all progress through your manuals and have new members join your Clubs. To me; it‘s the HEALTH REPORT; this is where I can see if YOU ARE WINNING. See you at the Spring Conference in Tampa May 1-3, 2009, if not before. Kristina Kihlberg, DTM, D47 LGET tmkristina@hotmail.com ▄

Advanced Communicator, Competent Leader and Advanced Leader award. Furthermore, invite your friends, family members and co-workers to join this amazing organization and reap the benefits we all share as

Toastmasters. Remember that your District Leaders are all here to serve you; we are only a phone call or an email away. ―United…..We

learn with Toastmasters‖. ▄

(Continued from page 2)

A CHANGE IN DIVISION GOVERNOR LEADERSHIP District 47 thanks Rick Zoehfeld, DTM for his honorable service to Division E and District 47. Rick has been a tremendous asset to the Toastmasters in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties. Over the Winter Break, Rick found that his health and other conditions were becoming more difficult for him to manage and on doctor‘s orders, regrettably announced his decision to step down as Division Governor. The position of Division Governor is very important and Rick performed admirably. He arranged several kick-off meetings for new Toastmaster clubs and successfully ran the

Division E Contest, from which this year‘s Humorous Speech District CHAMPION emerged. During his short time—half a term—his Division performed well and at one point ―led‖ the District in accomplishments. It is with the greatest of fanfare and heartfelt enthusiasm that we announce the February 1st confirmation of Jason Smith, CC/CL, as the new Division E Governor. Last year, Jason Smith achieved outstanding success earning the coveted Area Governor of the YEAR Award for all of District 47. We welcome Jason back into this leadership position and extend him our support!

WELCOME BACK, Jason! We‘re proud of you.▄

Div Area Club # Club Name CC1 CC2

B 24 2096 Gelfand Good Morning TM Club 2 * 4 *

D 42 5173 Freddy's Forum TM Club 2 * 5 *

D 44 1978 West Boca Club 2 * 4 *

F 62 7923 Sarasota Herald-Tribune Club 2 * 2 *

F 62 646899 Z-Speakeasy Club 2 * 2 *

G 70 2284 St Petersburg Toastmasters Club 2 * 2 *

G 71 1034639 VALPAK Toastmasters 2 * 2 *

G 72 603123 Ceridian St. Pete Club 2 * 3 *

I 80 6796 Cable Beach West Club 2 * 5 *

I 80 933001 Ministry of Tourism Masters of Excellence 2 * 2 *

I 81 1600 The First Bahamas Branch Club 2 * 2 *

I 82 7178 Healing Communicators Club 2 * 2 *

I 83 1425 Freeport Eagles 2 * 2 *

CLUB CHALLENGE RESULTS These clubs had at least 4 Competent Communicators by December 31, 2008.

All these clubs have earned a pack of 4 Competent Communicator manuals, or Competent Leadership manuals as a reward for their hard work in producing so many CC‘s, so early.

REMINDER: Membership dues are due, March 31st.

CLUB CHALLENGE RESULTS

These Clubs reached a minimum of 5 DCP points before Dec 31, 2008.

Div Area Club # Club Name Points

A 11 5486 Venice Area Club 6

B 20 2903 Achievers Club 5

B 23 9745 Motorola Communicators Club 6

B 23 590751 Sawgrass TM Club 6

B 24 2096 Gelfand Good Morning TM Club 8

C 32 646888 County Center Toastmasters 5

C 34 1667 Suncoast Toastmasters Club 7

C 36 3937 Eckman Center 5

D 42 5173 Freddy's Forum TM Club 7

D 43 2225 Delray Newsmakers Club 7

D 43 5390 Talk Of The Town Club 6

D 43 9086 Office Depot TM Club 5

D 44 1978 West Boca Club 7

D 44 3299 Boca Raton Club 8

E 54 8370 West Kendall Toastmasters Club 6

F 62 6026 Sarasota Evening Club 6

F 62 7923 Sarasota Herald-Tribune Club 8

F 62 646899 Z-Speakeasy Club 6

G 70 2284 St Petersburg Toastmasters Club 8

G 70 4145 Toast Of The Bay Toastmasters Club 6

G 71 1034639 VALPAK Toastmasters 5

G 72 5899 Seminole-SPC Toastmasters Club 5

G 73 2652 Raymond James Toastmasters Club 5

G 75 6273 Honeywell Toastmasters Club 7

I 80 3596 New Providence Branch 7

I 80 6796 Cable Beach West Club 8

I 80 626837 Knights of the T Table Club 5

I 80 933001 Ministry of Tourism Masters of Excellence 7

I 80 969479 C.H.M.I. Toastmasters Club 6

I 81 1600 The First Bahamas Branch Club 9

I 82 7178 Healing Communicators Club 9

I 83 1425 Freeport Eagles 6

I 83 602485 Grand Bahama Hotel Union Club 5

Please remember that clubs with a net membership of less than 20, or a net gain of less than 5 members, by June 30, 2009, will not be recognized as Distinguished by TI The above clubs have been entered into a drawing to win ONE free registration to the Spring Conference in Tampa from May 1st to May 3rd, 2009. The announcement will be made on the District 47 website, in March, 2009.

ARE YOU WINNING? By DTM, Rick Furbush, LGM

Are you winning? What does that mean? Do you look forward to your club meetings? When I asked our newest member why he joined Toastmasters, he said for the fellowship and then to improve his presentation skills. So what does that tell you? People are drawn to our wonderful organization for its fellowship and because it is a ―safe‖ place to practice, a place that provides a mutually supportive and positive learning environment in which every member has the opportunity to develop communication and leadership skills, which in turn fosters self confidence and personal growth. In this tumultuous time, we have a unique opportunity to help build the skills and confidence of Toastmasters to enable them to increase sales or to nail a job interview. We have what everyone needs. That is, as long as our clubs are winning. So what does that mean? Toastmasters has built a program to insure every club is winning. That program is the Distinguished Club Program.

If you were a brand new person, what would your first impression of the club be? Were you greeted and introduced to others, did you sign a guest book and were you invited to join? Has your club delivered the Moments of Truth module recently? It is suggested that it be presented every year to keep your finger on the pulse of your club by checking: First Impressions, Fellowship, Variety and Communication, Membership Strength, New Member Orientation, Program Planning and Meeting Organization

and Recognizing Accomplishments. I guarantee, if you check the pulse of your club regularly, your club will be winning because the members will be winning! Remember…‖If it‘s not fun…it‘s NOT Toastmasters‖.

Rick Furbush, DTM , District 47 LGM Contact Rick by dialing 727-643-8664

Or email at: LGM@toastmastersd47.org ▄

. . . .TO OUR NEWEST CLUBS AND MEMBERS

since last issue!

The following club is a NEW charter for District 47!

Division F Area 61 Heartland Talk of the Town This is District 47‘s FIRST and ONLY club in Highlands County.

9 Good Reasons Why To Attend Club-Officer Training? By Shelia Spencer, DTM

I always look forward to our district‘s bi-annual club-officer training sessions, and am surprised if I see any empty chairs. There are so many good reasons to attend these events! However, when I speak to individual club officers, I sometimes hear indifference or reluctance to take advantage of this wonderful resource. Instead of, ―of course, I‘ll be there!‖ I hear, ―Oh, I used to go to those when I first joined, but I don‘t need training any more.‖ Or ―Why bother? I have the manual, isn‘t that enough?‖ For the benefit of current club officers, their area governors and anyone thinking about serving on their club‘s executive board in the future, here are some reasons to attend your next mid-year training: 1. Help your club earn a point in the Distinguished Club Program (DCP). Don‘t think of it as a duty, but as an opportunity for you and your fellow officers to have direct impact on your club‘s success for the year. Earning one DCP point – by having at least four current club officers attend both initial and mid-year training – means that you and your club‘s leaders have demonstrated a unified commitment to achieve club, district and TI goals. What a great example you are to all your members! 2. Get direct access to your district leaders and the important information they have to share. Area and division governors, as well as other district leaders,

attend the training sessions, often as facilitators. They bring news from TI headquarters, announcements of coming district events and a wealth of knowledge about our program. Don‘t hesitate to approach them individually for advice. They have relevant personal experience, as well as access to resources that can help you achieve club and personal goals. Don‘t be a passive listener; bring a list of your questions and concerns so you can take advantage of this forum. (Note: Even if you‘ve filled this same officer position in the past, some of the guidelines may have changed! Attend and review the current club officer manual to ensure you have timely information.) 3. Share your own ideas and experiences with other officers at your table. Personal growth is subtle; we often aren‘t aware of how much knowledge and experience we are gaining while developing new skills and handling new responsibilities. But when we participate in our mid-year training session, we suddenly realize how much we have learned since July! Now, instead of merely receiving information from the trainer, you may find yourself sharing unique, practical insights with the other participants at your table. Appreciate this validation of the skills and wisdom you are acquiring in your role as a club officer!

4. Achieve your goals by networking with members from other clubs. A training session is the perfect place to connect with experienced, supportive individuals who can offer advice and assistance. Ask vice presidents of education who

have scheduled their spring speech contests to help find seasoned members to serve as judges or other contest officials. After one club president training session in my district, the participants decided to maintain contact via e-mails and monthly dinner meetings. They continued to advise and support each other during the rest of their term in office. Not surprisingly, their clubs each achieved at least seven DCP points for the year. 5. Build on the personal relationships you formed at the last training. You may not have the same trainer, but you will see familiar faces. Socializing and nurturing relationships outside your club is a wonderful benefit of attending these training sessions. Not only do friendships make the event more enjoyable, they also enrich your experience within our international organization. The members of your extended Toastmasters family are eager and happy to share ideas, activities and growth opportunities that will nurture your development as a Toastmaster, communicator and leader. Some will become very special long-term friends. 6. Expand your network by meeting new club officers. Every training event is attended by a different mix of district dignitaries, trainers and participants. Your table is likely to include newly elected officers who will begin serving their clubs in January. Take time to introduce yourself, help newcomers feel welcome, and find common ground that will contribute to a friendly, supportive atmosphere for everyone. Don‘t feel that you must restrict your conversation to Toastmasters issues; share your career goals and other information that will allow you to expand your personal and business network. 7. Revisit the goals you set in July, and determine the best use of your time and energy for the second half of your term. Your year is half over! Think of this meeting not only as

training but as a time for reflection, review and reassessment. Share your progress and achievements to date and consider where you need to spend more time and focus. Based on the discussion you have with your trainer and fellow club officers, what is the best way to spend the remaining six months of your year in office? 8. Introduce your mentees to leadership opportunities. In a few months you‘ll be handing over your club officer role to another member, perhaps someone you‘ve already been mentoring toward that goal. Who has impressed you with their desire and potential to take on a Toastmasters leadership position? Why not invite that person to attend a training session with you, as a guest observer? While that person‘s attendance does not count toward your club‘s DCP credit, most sessions can accommodate interested members who would like to observe. With prior approval of your local training coordinator, offer to accompany your interested club members to a session, and introduce them to your friends. 9. Explore other Toastmasters leadership roles, so you can serve in a different spot next year. Whether you ask at your training table or approach other members during the social time, feel free to request input about the duties, benefits and challenges of serving in various Toastmasters leadership positions. If you would like to run for a different club position next year, consider attending a second training session. This way, you can hear more about the role of educational vice president, club treasurer, etc. Also, don‘t hesitate to ask, ―What does an area governor do?‖ or ―How does someone become a district parliamentarian?‖ Who knows? Next year you may not only be looking forward to attending a club officer mid-year training session, you may

be leading it! ▄

DIVISION CONTESTS

It‘s CONTEST time! Your club should have had its International Speech, and Table Topics Contests already. If not, then hurry up! Area Contests should be scheduled in February, followed by Division Contests. Review the ―scheduled‖ Division Contest dates printed to the right.

Division Contest Dates

Div A March 28 PM Div B March 19 PM Div C March 28 AM Div D March 21 PM Div E March 21 PM Div F March 28 AM Div G March 14 PM Div I March 26 PM

Toastmasters Take A Ride On The Water Taxi And Practice Their Skills By Toastmaster and Captain Mark Tracy, CC At Sawgrass Toastmasters we just celebrated our five year anniversary. We have become known as the ―party club‖ in Division B. We enjoy many extra curricular activities together including bowling, picnics, laser tag, wine & cheese parties and game nights. This builds camaraderie amongst our members and it‘s just plain fun.

In addition to being the Club VPE, and a realtor, I‘m also a boat captain with Water Taxi in Fort Lauderdale. It‘s a great way to see this beautiful city and as I drive between the 11 stops along the route; I‘m also a tour guide. Having done speeches about Water Taxi, it has created an interest among our members. So much so, that we organized a charter trip in early December. I wanted to give our members a chance to see first hand what I had

been talking about. The best part was that I had planned a surprise, floating, Table Topics contest where we were all going to get a chance to practice speaking into a microphone . We promoted the event amongst our neighboring clubs and pretty soon we had a full boat! Area 23 Governor

Tony Vivaldi pitched in by providing the pizza and David Esposito brought the beverages. These were great ingredients for a nice event. We all had lots of fun and networked with people we ordinarily would not meet. Thanks to this event, I met several members from other clubs. In these uncertain financial times it is important to take full advantage of all your opportunities. And that includes the networking that your Toastmaster clubs and inter-club activities provide. Imagine if someone in your club could connect you with a new job - or in my case connect me with a home buyer or seller? What special skills do you have in the membership of your club? How can you put that to work to build a more cohesive organization and build your leadership skills at the same time? Find out and put them to good use! Learn more about the Water Taxi at www.watertaxi.com

Photos by Andres Gunther and Sheila Vitiello ▄

Sheila Vitiello takes her turn answering a Table Topics question on the water.

Captain Mark Tracy pilots the helm with the same control and confidence of an accomplished speaker .

Want to continue winning? It‘s that time again. The time when we get to pay that very small amount that allows us to continue to learn, grow, develop useful skills, network,

have fun and strengthen our confidence.

What better time than NOW to make sure that your skills are as sharp as ever? Get the Toastmasters Edge! Pay your dues on time and continue to learn skills in today‘s tough environment that you can use to your benefit.

DUES ARE DUE – March 31st

Congratulations to the Governors of the 2nd Quarter

Out of 40 Area Governors in District 47, the following rankings show the top ten, beginning with the Area Governor whose Clubs & Members have earned the most educational awards. Out of 8 Division Governors, the following are the top four beginning with the Division Governor whose Areas, clubs and members earned the most awards.

Thank you to all!

Place Div Area Area Governor

1 D 44 Karen Novek

2 I 80 Deanna Morrison

3 F 62 Steve Choby

4 D 43 Diana Loy

5 G 70 John Hamerlinck

6 D 42 Myrna Brooks

7 B 24 Elizabeth Taschereau

8 G 74 Joseph Miller

8 G 75 Shawn Purvis

10 E 54 Kathy Dyke

Place Div Division Governor

1 D Dave Clarke

2 F Gary Roberts

3 G Tony Santasieri

4 B David Jess

KAREN NOVEK—AREA 44 GOVERNOR

DAVID CLARKE—DIVISION D GOVERNOR

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Being The Best You Can Be As A Toastmaster By ACB, Bonni Smith I joined Toastmaster‘s Gelfand Good Morning Club in June of 2004. All I remember is the sound of the bell - it was too confronting. I didn‘t want to be under that much pressure or embarrassment. I am so glad I stepped over all my fears and consideration of public speaking. Upon joining, I received a mentor and that made all the difference. I started participating right away with minor roles. This built up my speaking confidence even before I got to my Ice Breaker. I became Sergeant-at-Arms, not really having any speaking goals. Then a fellow member received his competent communicator award. I saw an okay average speaker become a masterful speaker overnight. I wanted what I saw up at the lectern. I finally completed my competent communicator in March of 2006. It was amazing. My whole world opened up for me at that point. It was like the ―announcements‖ were out and the whole community became aware of my ―new credentials‖. I did a lot of internal speaking at work, but all of a sudden the Chamber of Commerce and membership associations asked me to speak at their meetings, and luncheons. It took me another two years to complete my Advanced Bronze, and a similar thing started to happen. When I received my Advanced Bronze Communicator award, all of a sudden, I started to be invited to introduce speakers at symposiums and associations lunch meetings. Most recently I was a panelist at a membership association where I got listed on their website with my bio. I couldn‘t believe it, that a piece of

paper boosted my confidence, but it did. I had an opportunity to attend my first district conference and I got bitten by the competition bug. I loved seeing the Best of the Best compete. I saw these people were no different than me, except they were up there challenging themselves as I was in my seat eating my chicken dinner.

I started entering the local contest and won at different levels. I went from club level

to division level for the various local contests. The competitions allowed me to be more expressive, elevate my communication skills and challenge myself to be the best I can be. I saw Toastmasters wasn‘t just about attending your local meetings; there was a whole leadership building and support structure available. Today I still envision myself winning at District. It is so exciting to have a voice in this world. My goals are to continue mastering my public speaking skills and develop workshops in weight management as Coachbslim. I feel very blessed that I

found Toastmasters when I did. ▄

As a child of a Holocaust Survivor, Bonni learned at an early age how important it is to share your life stories. Originally born in Brooklyn, NY, she now resides in Hollywood, Florida for the past 15 years. Bonni is a Landmark Education graduate and a former Self Expression and Leadership program leader for the same organization. Bonni is a big fan of Spinning (fast indoor cycling) and enjoys working out in the gym to relieve some of the job stresses of today’s economy. She works as a Broward County Rapid Re-sponse Coordinator at WorkForce One.

Don‘t Be District 47‘s Best Kept Secret!

Fellow Toastmasters, What‘s the most powerful word in the world? Let me give you a hint, it has five letters and it‘s not MONEY! A while ago during a workshop, someone answered JESUS! I responded, ok then, what‘s the second most powerful word in the world? The most powerful word in the world is HELLO! Hello is the genesis of networking as one can say hello anywhere and start a

conversation, establish a new relationship or maintain a current one. Have you ever noticed how five year olds talk to everybody? Do you remember being five years old and

talking all the time? As a matter of fact, when you‘re five years of age, you even talk if no one is around! You have your own set of imaginary people and animals to talk to. It is a stage in life when you‘re full of energy, excitement and there‘s no limit to what you can dream or achieve! The only thing a five year old cannot understand is when Mom, Dad or the care giver says: ‗OK, it‘s time for bed‘! ‗Whhhat? But I‘m ready to play some more…‘ thinks the child. Children are full of energy and one reason is that they are inclusive of everyone and communicating quite a bit. Have you ever noticed that being in ACTION is energizing. It is an irony of life that when we have nothing to do, we feel exhausted. I always think, if I had two weeks of nothing to do it would be so great, but in reality, I would probably not last more than one hour doing nothing. Many sales‘ people motto is

‗action breeds action‘ i.e. through action, we generate more contacts, conversations, opportunities; hence the perpetual energy wheel gets to turn faster and faster. Therefore, by being in action we generate more energy for ourselves and that transmits to others. As a Toastmaster we communicate often and share our energy with many people. Toastmasters is a perfect platform to practice saying HELLO to as many people as possible. Serving as a club or district officer provides for a priceless opportunity to extend our network of people thereby multiplying our exposure and speaking opportunities. By the way, for those of you who are looking for a better job or not currently working, did you know that 80% of all the jobs that pay more than $35,000 a year –people get them through networking! Toastmasters is the perfect setting to practice networking and serving as an officer is the perfect vehicle to expand our network. So take a

chance and volunteer at the next TLI training or be part of the team that will produce the next Spring Conference in Tampa. Contact the current district officers and let them know you want to be on their team next year. Wayne

Gretsky once said: ‗You miss 100% of the shots YOU never take‘ hence take a shot at it and get involved in your club, area, division and district events. Better, be the source person to create events, become a Toastmaster ‗go to person‘ and provide mentoring/coaching to your peers. Give back to the community that‘s given you so much. That‘s right…

Get The Toastmaster’s EDGE! ▄

FROM THE PRO DESK By Pierre Taschereau, ACS/ALB

…..And Two More CCs! By Lou Polour, CC/CL Congratulations to Ceridian in St. Petersburg! It's not often that the Area Governor gets treated to two great speakers achieving their Competent Communicator milestone tenth speech. It happened to me on December 31. What a great way to end the year! Congratulations to Michele M Dube and Stefan Monev, as well as club president Fred Stalbaum. The other CC achievers at the corporate club include Hollie Bradford, Mary Jo Davis, Carol Potter, Taira Heath. Well done...Very well done! Mark Vrahotes gave some "hot" speeches himself on his way to earning his CC at Seminole SPC. Hat's off, Mark! (The inside joke is about spicy sauces, for dipping, which he talked about and catered during one of my club visits.)

Over at ―Bay Pines‖, David Parrott has also shown us his skills and speaking excellence with his CC this year. Now, stand back for more over there!

Colleen Carroll at ―Speakeasy‖ has also represented her club with glory and achievement earning her CC. In Area 72, the list of achievements is longer than this, with ACs, CLs, and more. You are not being overlooked but the first mountain to climb on the way to Toastmasters Glory is the hardest for most and I want to encourage all who start the journey to know we support you

all, all along the way. ▄

Lou Polur is the Division G Area 72 Governor, which is in the Tampa area. He is close to finishing his ACB advancement requirements. Lou sells building signage throughout Florida, for a company called Sign X-:Press. He credits his business success to practice, honed in Toastmasters, including evaluations. He is married with three beautiful daughters.

(left) Michelle M. Dube and (center) Stefan Monev receive the CC ribbons they earned for completing their Basic Manual. (right) Club President of the Ceridian Club is Fred Stalbaum officiating this presentation.

District 47 Executive Officers

Dist. Governor - Antionette Fox, DTM

Lt. Gov. Ed. - Kristina Kihlberg, DTM

Lt. Gov. Marketing - Rick Furbush, DTM

Parliamentarian - Jim Spieth, DTM

PRO - Pierre Taschereau, ACS, ALB

Secretary - Duquesa Dean, DTM

Sgt. At Arms - Gary Moss, CC

Sunshiner Editor - Phil Stamatyades, DTM

Treasurer - Jeanine Kinsey, CC, ALB

Web Master - Matt Kinsey, DTM

I P Dist. Gov. - Wanda Brown, DTM

Dist. Gov. Advisor - Steve Bard, DTM

Treasurers Corner By Treasurer, Jeanine Kinsey, CC/CL Happy New Year fellow Toastmasters! Last issue I wrote about budgeting for contests, and I encourage everyone who is running an Area or Division contest to refer back to that issue for helpful hints and tips. I cannot stress the importance of budgeting in running a successful event, and this isn't just for contests, but also for club events and planning. Does your club have a budget? How do you spend your money, and how much money do you keep in your account for the next year? As we head into the second half of the year for most clubs, now is the time to start looking at your numbers, especially if you haven't done so before. Toastmasters clubs are not in the business of making money, but we do need to collect money in order to pay our expenses. If your club pays rent, or serves a meal as part of your meetings, then you probably have higher annual dues and possibly even weekly dues. What do you spend your money on? Each club is different, but some things are fairly standard: Ribbons Ballots Education Materials New Member Kits Name Tags Contest Supplies Rent Food Awards It is important to look at your expenses on a yearly basis and assess whether you are collecting enough money, too much money, or too little money. A Club should not keep large amounts of money in the bank just for the sake of having money, so if your club has a large bank balance, here are some things you should consider: Is there any equipment that the club could use, such as a projector, new banner, timer light, etc. Do any members need new name badges? A great idea is to offer to buy all members who pay their dues on time a new name badge if they need one to reflect new Awards levels they have achieved,

or other important distinctions like titles. Can we put on a Toastmasters Program for outsiders, such as a Speech Craft Workshop, Youth Program or Membership Drive? Do we want to make donations to

the Ralph C. Smedley Memorial Fund, administered by Toastmasters International? (This is the only charitable contribution that a club may make) How about buying manuals for all members to encourage them to move towards additional awards? Have a club Competent Leader Challenge and purchase manuals for all members who don't have one, or expand the club library? Should we lower the annual/weekly dues? Maybe your club has grown and the amount that you used to collect is more than you really need now. Pass the savings on to the club members. Especially in today's economy, I don't think they are going to complain! Toastmasters specifically states that club money should not be used to pay for parties, scholarships for dues for members, or for donations to causes or individuals other than the Smedley fund or other Toastmasters groups. The last thing I want to leave you with is that each club will be receiving instructions from Toastmasters International regarding the IRS form 990-N form. Please be sure that you follow the directions and get the form submitted on time. They are due by May 15th, but it only takes a few minutes, so when the information arrives, please be sure it gets done. Jeanine Kinsey Treasurer, District 47 Toastmasters www.toastmastersd47.org treasurer@toastmastersd47.org

954-778-0599 (cell) ▄

Best Web Options By Webmaster, Mark Kinsey, DTM, This month, we'll continue reviewing website options for Toastmasters clubs. As was mentioned last week, clubs have 3 options for having a website.

A member of the club volunteers his/her time to create and maintain a website

The club decides to use a free service such as FreeToastHost.org

The club pays a company or individual to build and maintain a website. This month, we're looking at the advantages and disadvantages of each of these options. A member of the club volunteers his/her time to create and maintain a website Advantages – no cost to the club, the member has a sense of pride and accomplishment, you can get whatever the club member knows how to do Disadvantages – the biggest disadvantage to this method is what can happen if the member leaves the club. The club may lose their website, or may have trouble gaining control over the site again. If the member had custom programming, then it may be difficult to make further changes. The club decides to use a free service such as FreeToastHost.org Advantages – no cost to the club, can customize the site (within limits). Many of these free services also offer enhanced functionality such as signing up for roles on the site, email newslists and more. Disadvantages – Limited customization, no video hosting capability, search engine friendliness

(Google doesn't score these types of sites well) The club pays a company or individual to build and maintain a website. Advantages – get the experience and knowledge of an expert in web site development, can create any functionality you desire, search engine friendly Disadvantages – cost. You also need to check into the stability of the web designer you select. How long have they been in business, how many other sites do they manage, etc. So, what should your club do? The most important thing is to do something. Get a website up for your site, no matter which method you use. As a web expert, I strongly recommend that you hire a professional web development company for your hosting and development needs, if your club has the means. They have the expertise to give you advice on how to get the most out of your site, protect you from hacking and email issues, and provide the ongoing service you need. The other options are fine and can serve your club well, but remember that you do get what you pay for. matt@mktechgroup.com www.mktechgroup.com (954) 603-7698 Office (954) 778-0598 Cell Skype matt.kinsey

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DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO TELL THE EDITOR? All correspondence to the editor can be sent to: sunshiner@toastmastersd47.org. Please limit letters to 100 words & articles to 500 words. Deadline is March15, 2009 for the APRIL 1st issue.

Matt Kinsey, DTM, is the District 47 webmaster. He has been developing and maintaining websites for the past 13 years. He is President of MK Tech Group, Inc., an IT consulting firm specializing in IT infrastructure optimization and web development. He can be reached by email at web@toastmastersd47.org.