B roadway. WOW! What a production! A huge THANK YOU is extended to you,

members and friends for making our Fall Conference a great success. What an

awesome event! The Evaluation and Humorous Speech Contests were the highlights of the

conference. The speeches were phenomenal and the competition fierce. We are all proud of

our contestants who proudly represented their

Divisions. Congratulations to our contest winners!

We were thrilled to have the 2005 World Champion

of Public Speaking Lance Miller, DTM as our special

guest. His three presentations were life changing!

I had the pleasure of meeting many of you as “First

Timers” and was pleased to witness your enthusiasm

and feel your excitement. We all had a great time!

We truly appreciate your support and we hope to see

you back next spring. Thank you to all functionaries

and kudos to our amazing Conference Chair, Diana

Loy, DTM and our dedicated planning teams. Tune in

to the District-47 Facebook page to view photos of all

the stars, by our award paparazzi team led by District

PRO, Marlene Bryan, DTM.

Attending District Conferences provides you with the opportunity to meet your District

leaders and fellow Toastmasters from other divisions. If you missed our Fall Conference,

make plans to attend our Spring Conference, April 24 - 26, 2015 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

under the theme ‘Diamonds Are Forever’. At this conference, we will commemorate the 60th

anniversary of District 47. Our Dynamic Spring Conference Chair Lydia Harris, DTM, and her

committee including Diamond Jubilee Chair, Hieu Huynh, DTM, are already hard at work

knitting together plans for what will be the party of a lifetime. You don’t want to miss it!

So what’s next? Beginning December 2014, the District will hold a series of Toastmasters

Leadership Institute (TLI) training events for all club officers and members in a location near

you. These sessions, which are mandatory for club officers, are designed for all members.

Here you can learn something new, share your successes and challenges, then socialize and

network with other members. Use the TLIs as opportunities to reflect on the first six months,

get ideas for a successful second half of the year, and discuss what went well and what could

be improved upon. Remember the commitment you made to your club as an officer or the

goals you established for yourself when you joined Toastmasters. Chances are you’ll find the

Continued on Page 2

November : A t ime for Thanksg iv ing

Organization Name

Newsletter Date Volume 1, Issue 1

Newsletter Title

DISTRICT 47

THE SUNSHINER News from Southeast Florida and The Bahamas

2014-2015

District 47

November 2014

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Club anniversaries

Division Contests and Fall Conference, Pages 15-18

District Highlights

TLI season is here!

Lt. Governor Education and Training Jeanine Kinsey announces the new TLI schedule and training incentives for clubs. Page 4

Lt. Governor Marketing

Meet Louis “Lou” Brown, DTM, Pages 6-7

Now you know

Meet Aimee Lucas, Area 42 Governor, and learn about her experience in Toastmasters International. Page 10

Learn about Meetup

Public Relations Officer Marlene Bryan gives tips on how social marketing can help your club. Page 12

2

answers you’ve been searching for at a TLI. We look forward to

seeing you there!

November is the month when we observe Remembrance Day in The

Bahamas and Veterans Day in The United States. Also this month,

Americans, no matter where they reside in the world, will celebrate

Thanksgiving. It’s a time to spend with family and close friends; to

enjoy great food, fellowship, parades and of course, football. As you

celebrate this season, take time to reflect on the bountiful blessings

you enjoy in your life and the people and things you value most, and

give thanks. Let’s take a moment during our festivities to remember

those who are less fortunate than ourselves and show our gratitude by

sharing some of our harvest with them. The District leadership team is

thankful for those who serve to protect our countries - The Bahamas

and The United States of America - many of whom are Toastmasters.

We give thanks especially for our Toastmaster Veterans. We love and

appreciate you! Reverently, we also honor the ones who made ‘the

ultimate sacrifice’ to ensure our safety. They are our heroes!

The District Executive Leadership team is also thankful for the

opportunity to serve you, our members. We give thanks to our club

officers, mentors and coaches, Area and Division Governors and the

scores of volunteers who assist in making District 47 a success by

serving our members. Our goal is to help you to be the best

Toastmaster you can be. We want you to achieve great success in

your clubs and we are here to help you do that. We give thanks for

our founder, Dr. Ralph C. Smedley. Let’s continue to shape his vision

as we press forward…“In Pursuit of Excellence!”

Happy Thanksgiving!

Toastfully,

Anthony “Tony” Longley, DTM

DISTRICT 47 GOVERNOR, 2014-2015

MEET #TMD47

THE SUNSHINER

Published by Toastmasters International District 47: Southeast Florida and The Islands of The Bahamas.

Submit articles, questions and comments to sunshiner@toastmastersd47.org. DISTRICT 47 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

District Governor

Anthony "Tony" Longley, DTM

Lt. Governor Education and Training

Jeanine Kinsey, DTM

Lt. Governor Marketing

Louis “Lou” Brown, DTM

District Public Relations Officer

Marlene M. Bryan, DTM

District Secretary

Ruth Field Beck, ACB/CL

District Treasurer

Laura Thezine, ACS/ALB

District Sergeant At Arms

Thomas Plant, ACB/ALB

Immediate Past District Governor

Francis Molina, DTM

Division Governors

Div. A: Heather Mahoney, ACS/ALB

Div. B: Karen Lake, ACB/ALB

Div. C: Michael Thorn, DTM

Div. D: Valerie Johnson, ACB/ALB

Div. E: Jason Stewart, ACS/CL

Div. F: Deborah Young, DTM

Div. I: Delmaro Duncombe, DTM

OTHER DISTRICT OFFICERS

TLI Training Coordinator: Antoinette Fox, DTM

Contest Coordinator: Indira Sands

Fall Conference Chair: Diana Loy, DTM

Spring Conference Chair: Lydia Harris, DTM

Club Coach & Advocate Chair: Beverly Cordner, DTM

Webmaster: Stanley Lloyd, CC

Parliamentarian: Matt Kinsey, DTM

Audit Chair: Glenn Parks, ACS/CL

Social Media Chair: Maria Alexandra Sanchez, DTM

Sunshiner Editor: Andrea Robinson, ACB/ALB

Copy Editor/Proofreader: Hieu Huynh, DTM

November: A time for Thanksgiving

3

Announcing the New District Trio

Dear Members,

On November 9, 2014 the following changes occurred within the District 47 Executive

Leadership: Damien Miller, DTM who served as Lt. Governor Education & Training since

July 1, 2014 will no longer continue in this role. We thank DTM Damien Miller for his

contributions to the District and wish him well in his future endeavors.

As a result, the District Executive Committee (DEC) has approved the appointments of

Jeanine Kinsey, DTM, formerly Lt. Governor Marketing (LGM) to the position of LGET

and Louis "Lou" Brown, DTM, Past Division C Governor to serve as LGM.

Jeanine is a Past Division B Governor and has served the District in numerous other

capacities including Conference Chair and District Treasurer.

Lou is a Past Division C Governor and most recently served as Co-Chair of the Club

Coach/Advocate Training Team and Fall Conference Credentials Chair.

I am pleased to welcome Jeanine to her new position and to welcome Lou aboard as the

newest member of the Executive Team. These are two experienced and gifted

Toastmasters and I’m looking forward to working with them.

You can reach Distinguished Toastmasters Kinsey and Brown via the following email

addresses:

Jeanine Kinsey, jkinsey@toastmastersd47.org

Louis Brown, lbrown@toastmastersd47.org

We want to hear from you. Let us know how we can best serve you as we press

onward, “In Pursuit of Excellence”.

Toastfully,

Anthony “Tony” Longley, DTM

District 47 Governor

4

TLI Season is upon us! Are you ready?

.

G reetings from your new Lt. Governor Education & Training. I am honored to serve as LGET for District 47

and look forward to working with all of you during the rest of the year.

First things first. Congratulations to Diana Loy and all of our amazing cast members on a fantastic Broadway

Production in West Palm Beach! From the costumes, to the contests; the

educational sessions to our fabulous Headliner, Lance Miller – everything was

fantastic. If you missed out, do not miss the spring conference!

Mark your calendars now for April 24-26 in Ft. Lauderdale and join us for our 60th

Anniversary Spring Conference “Diamonds Are Forever.” Keep an eye out for

more information from our Stunning Conference Chair, Lydia Harris.

Toastmasters Leadership Institutes

Our next big project is the Winter TLIs. If you club elects officers twice a year,

you need to hold your elections now so that your officers can be entered into the

TI Website for credit and register for training as soon as possible.

Here is the final schedule. Please note there have been some changes:

· December 13, 2014 (Hosted by Division A)

· January 10, 2015 (Hosted by Division C)

· January 17, 2015 (Nassau, Bahamas Hosted by Division F & I)

· January 24, 2015 (Northern Bahamas Hosted by Division I)

· January 31, 2015 (Make-Up Hosted by Division B)

· January 31, 2015 (Hosted by Division D)

· February 7, 2015 (Hosted by Division E)

Please make sure that your club gets as many officers to training as possible. Our goal is 100% of our officers trained. Toastmasters requires at least 4, but we know from experience that clubs with 7 officers trained tend

to be more successful. There have been some changes to the program as TI works to make training constant

across the world.,

“Club leaders are better served by consistent, professional training that supports the brand, enhances

their member experience, and helps them grow as leaders. The materials provided by Toastmasters

International offer quality and consistency and are the standard that should make up the core of district-

sponsored club officer training.”

This means you will see some new required classes and some additional electives that help club officers set

goals, build teams and plan for success. These will be in addition to the standard one hour sessions for each

position.

Club Contests

Your clubs should be planning their International Speech and Table Topics Contests for January. Area

Contests will start in February.

· Eight weeks prior to the area contest, if an area has four assigned clubs or fewer in good

standing, District 47 allows (and encourages) two contestants from each club to compete in the

area contest.

· Should additional clubs charter prior to the area contest, two contestants from each club

are permitted to compete.

· In those divisions with four assigned areas or less, District 47 allows (and encourages) the

two highest-placed available contestants from each area to compete in the Division Contest.

Our District Contest Chair will be sending out additional details in the next few weeks to help you prepare.

5

TLI Season is upon us! Are you ready?

Incentives

Below are the club challenges for Educational Awards and Distinguished Club that end between now and

December 31st.

(CC = Competent Communicator; AL = Advanced Communicator; DCP = Distinguished Club Program)

I will announce the winners in the next Sunshiner.

Keep up the great work of supporting your members by getting trained and helping them meet their goals. If you

do that, all of the other success factors fall into place.

Remember, our number one focus is our members!

Have a wonderful and safe Holiday Season with family and friends. I look forward to seeing all of you in the coming

months.

Thank You,

Jeanine Kinsey

Lieutenant Governor Education & Training

District 47 Toastmasters

954-778-0599 (cell)

jkinsey@toastmastersd47.org

www.toastmastersd47.org

Challenge 2014-2015 Goal 2014-2015 Awards

Club CC

Challenge

4 CC’s by Nov. 30. 2014 25 Points

Club AC

Challenge

2 AC’s by Nov. 30, 2014 10 Points

Club DCP

Challenge

5 DCP points by Nov. 30, 2014 30 Points

Club AC

Challenge

4 AC’s by Nov. 30, 2014 20 Points

Club CL/AL

Challenge

Combination of 2 CL’s/AL’s by

Nov. 30, 2014

25 Points

Club DCP

Challenge

8 DCP points by Dec. 31, 2014 10 Points + Entered in a Drawing for a Free Spring

Conference Registration

Club CL/AL

Challenge

Combination of 4 CL’s/AL’s by

Dec. 31, 2014

40 Points

6

“Have an attitude of gratitude”

Four months after joining Toastmasters in early 2007, Lou was

asked to serve as Club Secretary for the upcoming

Toastmasters year. He did not hesitate to say “Yes!” Even

though his progress toward DTM status was in its early stages,

he was grateful for the communication and leadership skills he

had developed up to that point. He was more than ready to pay

it forward. Thus began a fulfilling journey of service leadership.

In addition to Club Secretary, DTM Brown served in several

additional club leadership positions over the ensuing years

including Webmaster, Treasurer, Vice-President Education, and

President (twice!). At the District level, he served as an Area

Governor, Division Governor, Club Sponsor, Club Mentor and Credentials Chair. He has chaired several speech contests and

Toastmasters Leadership Institute events and, when not

chairing, has been a contestant and workshop presenter.

Additionally, he has assisted other district leaders with Youth

Leadership programs and the formation of new clubs.

DTM Brown is a member of three clubs – Sensor Toast, NCCI

Toastmasters and Palm Beach Advanced Toastmasters. His

leadership style combines professionalism with exuberance to create a structured, enjoyable environment for

learning and growing. His recipe for success helped his clubs, area and division achieve President’s Distinguished

status during each of his terms. He was honored in 2012 with the Division C Outstanding Toastmaster award and in

2013 with the Division Governor of the Year award.

A resident of Jupiter, FL, he is an Assistant Actuary at the Boca Raton, FL based National Council on Compensation

Insurance, Inc., the largest provider of workers compensation and employee injury data and statistics in the nation.

He is a Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society (FCAS) and a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries

(MAAA). He has over 25 years of experience in the property & casualty insurance industry.

DTM Brown is an avid champion of community involvement which in large part explains his draw to Toastmasters.

For several years he volunteered at the Children’s Place at Home Safe, caring for abandoned and neglected children,

and mentored a young boy through the Big Brothers of America program. He supports the Southern Poverty Law

Center and has chaired several committees in support of his company’s United Way annual campaign. He enjoys

watching tennis and basketball, playing cards, listening to music, eating spicy food and viewing TV legal dramas. An

avid visitor to Disney World and Universal Studios, he is a big fan of roller coasters.

Introducing our new Lt. Governor Marketing

7

G reetings Fellow Toastmasters!

How time flies! It seems like it was only yesterday that the Toastmasters

year started. We have been so busy working, meeting, learning, growing,

competing, emailing, Skyping, Facebooking, Tweeting … that it’s time to

pause and take a breath. It’s fitting we do so in this month of November

– a time to give thanks. We give thanks to our military personnel who

have served our countries, many paying the ultimate cost, on

Remembrance Day and Veterans Day. We give thanks for the blessing of

the harvest and to God’s providence on Thanksgiving Day.

Let’s also give thanks to our Toastmasters family – those who have

mentored us when we started our Toastmasters journey, and those who

continue to be supportive, encouraging, and positive influences on us each day. I can’t think of a better organization than Toastmasters to

provide us with our daily doses of positive energy. Our own District 47 is

rich with talented, skilled, and amiable people. We are very fortunate to

be part of this illustrious, successful group.

“The greatest tragedy in life is not death, but a life without a purpose.”

Dr. Myles Munroe

Our district is but one cog in the Toastmaster machine. We have a purpose. It is to build new clubs and support all

clubs in achieving excellence. We share the benefits of the Toastmasters program with others that we know would

profit from the plan. We lift them up to share in our success and do so with integrity, respect, service and

excellence – the values of Toastmasters International. We’ve chartered several new clubs since the beginning of the

year. Please congratulate them on taking that important first step in their leadership and communication

development and welcome them to our District 47 family:

City of Miami Gardens (8/26/2014) – Division A, Area 13

Commonwealth Bank Blue Diamonds TM Club (9/26/2014) – Division I, Area 90

The Luminaries at the Boca Chamber Toastmasters Club (10/2/2014) – Division C, Area 30

Village Voices (11/1/2014) – Division D, Area 44

FAU – Toastmasters Club (11/7/2014) – Division C, Area 32

Further, many existing clubs have added new members to their rosters since the beginning of the cycle. Several of

them took on the challenge of adding 5 or more new, dual, or reinstated members as part of the Smedley Award

Club Contest, which ran from August 1 to September 30. Please congratulate them on this wonderful

accomplishment:

Giving thanks for new clubs, new members, new achievements

8

Weston Area Toastmasters Club – Division A, Area 10

Miramar Bilingual Speakers Toastmasters – Division A, Area 12

Miami Lakes Club – Division A, Area 13

North Miami Beach Toastmasters Club – Division A, Area 14

Friendly Club of Fort Lauderdale – Division B, Area 22

American Express Tech Talkers – Division B, Area 23

Treasure Coast Toastmasters – Division D, Area 40

Juno How to Talk – Division D, Area 41

Voice of Champions Club – Division E, Area 50

Brickell Toastmasters Club – Division E, Area 52

Miami Beach Toastmasters – Division E, Area 52

Coral Gables Club – Division E, Area 53

Florida Keys Toastmasters Club – Division E, Area 55

Pinnacle Seekers – Division F, Area 60

Abaco Lighthouse Beamers – Division I, Area 93

If you missed out on the Smedley Award, no need to worry. Another club membership building contest is right

around the corner. The Talk up Toastmasters contest will run from February 1 to March 31. Like the Smedley

Award, simply add 5 new, dual, or reinstated members to your club’s roster and you will receive a ribbon to

proudly display on your club’s banner (AND, qualifying clubs earn a special discount code for 10% off their next

club order!). Good luck!

Don’t forget, individual members can also win awards for sponsoring new members. PLUS, you have the whole year

to do it – from July 1 to June 30! With the Annual Membership Program, sponsor 5-9 or 10+ members and win a

special unique pin:

Sponsor 15+ members and win 25% off your next product purchase from Toastmasters International. Our district

could double, or even triple, in a matter of months. Think about it – you sponsor 5 people to join, who each

encourage 5 people to join, who each in turn encourage 5 to join. The power of numbers! Make sure your name

and home club number appear on their membership application. Please see www.toastmasters.org/

membershipcontests for more details on all of our membership building opportunities.

Giving thanks for new clubs, new members, new achievements

9

The next few months is training season! We will be conducting several Toastmasters Leadership Institute (TLI)

events to help new and current club officers and members further develop their leadership skills. In order to truly

experience all that is Toastmasters, please plan to attend these (and other) valuable events held outside of club

meetings. You won’t regret it!

It’s easy to see how motivated and accomplished our members are. I am thankful to each and every one of you. To

Diana Loy, DTM, District 47 Fall Conference Chair and her extended team, Thank You, for providing an incredible

“Broadway” experience that I will never forget. I can’t wait to see what Lydia Harris, DTM and her team have in

store for the “Diamonds are Forever” Spring Conference. To the District Leadership team (including the Area

Governors, Division Governors, and the extended District Leadership team), Thank You, for helping all of our

great clubs achieve excellence. To the Club Presidents and Vice Presidents Education, Thank You, for ensuring we

had a quorum at the recent business meeting held during the conference, where I served as Credentials Chair. To

all of my club members and friends who have mentored, supported and encouraged me over the years to push

myself, Thank You.

Most importantly, to ALL members of District 47, Thank You, for placing your confidence in me as I assume

this new and challenging role. I promise to serve you well!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Yours “In Pursuit of Excellence!”

Louis Brown, DTM

District 47 Lt. Governor Marketing

Giving thanks for new clubs, new members, new achievements

10

Name: Aimee Lucas

District 47 Office: Area 42 Governor

Location (i.e. city of residence): Palm Beach Gardens

Hobbies: running/walking, watching sports, reading

Number of years in Toastmasters International: 4

Home Club: Gold Coast Toastmasters

In a sentence, describe how Toastmasters has changed

your life: Toastmasters has helped me polish my

speaking and facilitation skills in an environment that offered helpful feedback and positive support.

Describe your most memorable speech/presentation:

My Icebreaker. It's memorable because I've never been

one to shy away from presentations - going all the way

back to my grade school years. I've taught classes for

work, given speeches in front of crowds of more than

1,500 people. Yet my Icebreaker was the very first time

my knees literally shook as I stepped to the front of the

room. :)

Advice for a beginning Toastmaster: Review your

manuals to get a sense of all that's part of the TM

experience. Reach out to you other club members for answers to your questions or mentoring. Get active even

before you totally feel "ready" to take on a role or deliver your Icebreaker.

THE MORE YOU KNOW

LEARN ABOUT YOUR FELLOW TOASTMASTERS

We’re expanding this feature to our members, so we can become better acquainted with the people in District 47. Here’s

your opportunity. Briefly tell us about your background, location, memorable speech, mentor and advice for a beginning

Toastmaster. You could be featured in an upcoming issue! Please send an email with the information to

sunshiner@toastmastersd47.org. Please include the name and number of your home club, and, if possible, a candid snapshop

of you doing a fun activity.

#D47 Toastmasters, Let us hear from you!

11

CLUB CHARTER ANNIVERSARIES

FOR NOVEMBER 2014

Congratulations and Happy Anniversary greetings are extended to the

following clubs. Thank you for your contribution to the growth and

success of District 47. On behalf of District Governor Tony Longley,

the District Executive Committee, and all members across South

Florida and Islands of The Bahamas, we wish you a successful,

President’s Distinguished Year!

Club Name City Club # Area Division

Charter

Date Years

North Miami Beach North Miami Beach 3840 14 A 11/1/1964 50

Palm Beach Noon Lake Worth 22 30 C 11/1/1974 40

Beckman Coulter Miami 2588 54 E 11/1/1995 19

Crossroads Plantation 5931 23 B 11/1/1998 16

Proud Speakers Wilton Manors 2266 21 B 11/19/2002 12

Chickcharney Nicoll's Town 971904 60 F 11/2/2006 8

Homestead Homestead 1249370 55 E 11/14/2008 6

Hollywood Hollywood 1261950 12 A 11/18/2008 6

CITRIX Fort Lauderdale 1383942 20 B 11/9/2009 5

American Express

Communication Fort Lauderdale 1415772 23 B 11/17/2009 5

Fort Pierce Fort Pierce 1417483 40 D 11/20/2009 5

12

M any Toastmasters clubs throughout District 47 have

discovered the wonder of setting up meetup.com

accounts. These clubs are attracting visitors and signing up new

members generated from their meetup accounts.

On its About Page, Meetup states:

“Meetup is the world's largest

network of local groups. Meetup

makes it easy for anyone to

organize a local group or find one

of the thousands already meeting

up face-to-face. More than 9,000 groups get together in local

communities each day, each one

with the goal of improving

themselves or their communities.”

This social media tool seems to be worth the cost for

establishing an account on the site for those Toastmasters

clubs that utilize it correctly.

Here are some great pointers for establishing a successful

Meetup Account:

Start with the right title and category

Just like creating a Toastmasters speech, you must have the right title and headliner…Just putting Sunny Isles

Toastmasters won’t do it. There are many people that have no clue what Toastmasters is and has to offer as an

organization. Try adding something along with the name of your club…for example North Miami Beach has “North

Miami Beach Toastmasters International Speaking Club.” The categories are Toastmasters and Public Speakers.

2. Content is Queen!

Ensure that you include great information about your club in order to attract the right visitors to your club. Here is

a sample of what the Toast of Las Olas club included in the content about what the visitor should encounter:

“Toast of Las Olas is a friendly group of people with mixed professions, genders, nationalities and ages. Some

members have been in Toastmasters for several years, while others are newer to the organization. What our members

have in common is our passion for developing speaking and leadership skills! Together we have a lot of fun as we

continue on our journey to become better communicators and leaders.”

They utilized inviting words such as: friendly, common passion, and fun! This makes me want to be a part of such a group.

Understanding the value of Meetup in boosting club enrollment

image by: http://www.ftsociety.org/wp-

content/uploads/Meetup-Logo-1-

med1.jpg

13

3. Updated Contact Information

The only thing that is constant in life is change. The person that first created the Meetup account may no longer be a

part of the club. Ensure the person, usually the Vice President of Public Relations, that is responsible for the account

keeps the contact information current. You may have a few contact persons listed. It is frustrating to find an event

one wants to attend, only to find out that the contact information is incorrect.

4. Updated Calendar

The same rule about keeping the contact information updated goes for your calendar. Keep the calendar updated.

Include any special event on the calendar and talk it up! Use the right descriptive words to entice visitors not to

want to miss it. Include a call to action. Brickell Toastmaster has “RSVP Now” on their calendar events.

5. Greet Visitors Warmly and Conduct a Well Organized Meeting

This nothing new of us. Toastmasters International includes how to conduct ourselves as Toastmasters within our

meeting. It is a part of the club’s mission statement. It is key that the members show up on-time, greet visitors

warmly and participate in an organized meeting. People don’t want to feel that they wasted their precious time

attending an event that was not pleasant or disorganized. Impress them with your warmth, leadership and

organizational skills.

Hollywood Toastmasters Club has been so successful at this that the club membership has grown to the point that

they temporarily suspended the club’s Meetup account! What a great problem to have!!!

Want to know more about starting a Meetup group by visit these website: https://secure.meetup.com/create/learn-

more/. The cost is minimal for the club; the cost can be spread across members.

I wish you much success in utilizing one of the great social media tools that can help you get the word out about

your club and grow membership. Feel free to share these tips from the PRO Corner.

Understanding the value of Meetup in boosting club enrollment

14

Thank YOU!!! You Are Appreciated

T he District 47 Fall Conference is now behind us, but it will not be soon forgotten. Thanks to the

many folks that took many pictures and recorded videos, we are able to recapture this event

and relive the excitement.

The Public Relations team sends out its appreciation to John Schneyer and his photography team

members that recorded the event. Davario Rahming, D47 2014 International Speech Contest Winner,

and Paul Finkelstein, our in house professional photographer, were everywhere taking photos of our

conference attendees. Our many thanks out to you both for your hard work.

Our webmaster, Stanley Lloyd, is creating a photo gallery site for you all to view the photos and videos

that were taken at the conference.

Do you aspire to be a photographer or videographer? You will have another chance to do so at our

upcoming Toastmasters Leadership Institutes (TLIs) from Dec. 2014 through Feb. 2015. We also have

our Division Contests that will be conducted through March 2015. Finally, we will need your assistance at

the upcoming D47 2015 Spring Conference Friday - Sunday, April 24 - 26, 2015. Send John Schneyer,

jschneyer@toastmastersd47.org, or Marlene Bryan, mbryan@toastmastersd47.org, an email that you are

interested in assisting us in this area. Please include your contact info and the event you which to provide

your assistance.

District 47 Public Relations Team

In Pursuit of Excellence!

15

DIVISION ADIVISION ADIVISION A

September 20

Fred Lippman Multipurpose Center

Division Governor, Heather Mahoney

Toastmaster of the Year: Jose Alvarado

Evaluation Contest:

First Place: Kingsley Grant

Second Place: Renee Gordon

Third Place: Monique Gibson

Humorous Contest:

First Place:

Second Place: Jan Rutter

Third Place: Paul Spiewak

DIVISION CDIVISION CDIVISION C

October 11

Division Governor: Michael Thorn

Toastmaster of the Year: Sheree Thomas

Evaluation Contest

First Place: Judy Joffe

Humorous Contest

First Place: Gary Sharp

16

DIVISION BDIVISION BDIVISION B

October 11

Florida Department of

Transportation Auditorium

Division Governor: Karen Lake

Toastmaster of the Year: Frank

Kudrna

Evaulation Contest

First Place: Keith Herring

Second Place: Jerry Newcombe

Third Place: David Jess

Humorous Contest

First Place: Elena Leichardt

Second Place: Pamela Schrimsher

Third Place: Bruce Goldfarb

DIVISION EDIVISION EDIVISION E

September 20

Carnival Cruise Lines

Division Governor: Jason Stewart

Toastmaster of the Year:

Evaluation Contest:

First Place: Willasue Susskind

Second Place: Tony Noisom

Third Place: Jacqueline Hunt

Humorous Contest:

First Place: Eddy Martinez

Second Place: Phyllis May

Third Place: Adam Albrecht

17

Editor’s note: This wonderful recap is written by Diana Loy, the most awesome chairman of the Fall Conference. Photos are by

Paul Finklestein and John Schneyer.

B roadway welcomed us Friday, with actors (a nun, and Tarzan &

Jane) from local theaters. Our gorgeous conference booklet,

designed and set up by Damien Miller and Kay-Andra Gardiner, got

raves before and after the conference. Our TM costumes were fun - the

winner was the Ringmaster from Barnum, complete with red coat and

top hat.

The Palm Beach Gardens Police Honor Guard told their leader “this

was the coolest gig we’ve had!” Rick Klingler, a new Toastmaster, got

attention at dinner - juggling a chain saw. Arleen Roberts was an

excellent Contest Master for the Evaluation contest; and dedicated DTM, Hieu Huynh, was

Chief Judge when the original

person was delayed. The

results are Keith Herring,

first place; Anastarcia

Palacious, second place; and

Judy Joffe, third place.

The Contests were all

arranged by Indira Sands.

The programs for all the

special events were designed

and done by Heather

Mahoney. Valerie Johnson

headed the team which

handled the decorations for

each meal. Keynoter Lance

Miller connected with his

“Losing My Way to the

World Championship” speech. Hearing how he failed and learned made

us want to try again.

The Show you Missed: Fall Conference, November 7-9

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At the Talent Show in the Courtyard, Sherry Meltzer emceed the nine acts and George Carbonell won. It was such

fun, we were invited inside on Saturday evening.

Saturday, First Timers met with Jason Stewart, who made them think it would all be fun and games. Toastmasters

praised excellent workshops & presenters. Delmaro Duncombe and Shanika Pinder had set this up. The helpful,

pleasant hotel staff and the separate Executive Suite made it seem “all ours.”

The luncheon celebrated last year’s high achievers and roasted the Immediate Past District Governor, Francis Molina

- a lot of fun. Some Raffle prizes were given out then, others at dinner. Thanks, Kay-Andra Gardiner! After that -

another super presentation by Lance Miller, Building a Championship Club. You could vote in the business meeting,

if you picked up your credentials from Lou Brown. After stuffing lanyards for Registration till 2:30 AM with Madhu

Akella. I skipped it. (Thanks, Madhu!)

Saturday night was the big processional and the Humorous Speech contest. Julieth McCafferty kept that on track,

with Anthony Richiez as Chief Judge. The speeches were some of the funniest I’ve heard. Laurie Fondiler won, Gary

Sharp came in 2nd, and Giovanni Williams, 3rd. If you were absent, you missed this AND the famed DTM walk –

tears, hugs, hoorahs and all!

We had an awesome After-Party, with DJ, dance floor and all the hooplah we wanted, over in the Executive suite,

keeping no one awake. Great fun, Karen Lake!

Sunday morning a DEC meeting was followed by Lance Miller’s final presentation: Find Your Voice. We took full

advantage of this World Champion, who gave so much of himself. Sound great? Told you it would be!! Sign up for

the Spring!!

The Show you Missed: Fall Conference, November 7-9

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Got News? Please share with The Sunshiner!

We want to hear from you!

Consider The Sunshiner your source for news and information about the happenings in your club,

area, division and across the district. For this to be a successful endeavor, we need your input.

We’re interested in the events, successes, triumphs and fun in the clubs and in personal feats. This is

the place to celebrate club achievements, milestones, and individual accomplishments.

Please email your information or ideas to sunshiner@toastmastersd47.org.

Universal Toastmasters recently hosted its club

meeting with an eerily spooky flair to celebrate

the Halloween season. Toastmaster of the day

was Maurice Fuller, DTM, who got into his role

and the theme. He did consult with club

President Jerrod Clairsaint.