Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
Â
Citation preview
Page 1
We’re #5 in the World
The Sunshiner
www.toastmastersd47.org September 2009
District 47 presented with the Presidents Distinguished District award for 2008-2009 at the Toastmasters International Convention held in Mashantucket Connecticut in August. The accomplishments of each mem-ber of the District helped us to achieve the ranking of #5 in the world. Accepting the award from the Im-mediate Past International President Jana Barnhill (pictured in red) are the ecstatic District 47 members l-r Margaret Wan, Joseph Miller, Kathy Dyke, Kristina Kihlberg, Antionette Fox, Rick Furbush, Tony Vivaldi,
Pamela Rolle and Laz Sanchez. Take a look at pages 9-10 for more Convention photos.
Page 2
Kristina’s Korner
What are the 4 Crits?
It’s our continuous journey as Toastmasters. Think of it as a score card, how the District is measured; just like the Clubs have their Distinguished Club Plan (DCP). The “real” name for the 4 Crits is the FOUR CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS. This is how we know that the members in District 47 are continuing their Toastmaster journey.
Toastmasters International establishes goals for our District based on the Four Critical Success Factors below. At the bottom of Kristina’s Korner every month you’ll see our progress as a District. This is what District 47 is tasked to accomplish by June 30, 2010.
Membership: Goal to reach 11,000 membership payments. Every time we pay our dues, it counts as one payment. Since we pay twice a year, it sort of counts us all twice. So, all we have to do is pay our dues on time, every time, and invite our friends and family to join.
Clubs: Goal to reach 257 paid Clubs. It shows zero now until the first pay period, but we have 221 active Clubs to date. All Clubs have to pay up and then we all have to work together to get the other 36 new Clubs to join us. Think about it, that’s only 4-5 new Clubs per Division. Piece of cake!! Imagine how many more people we can make happy that they found Toast-masters. Do you know of a corporation or organization that could benefit from confident communicators and leaders?
Competent Communicators (CC’s): Goal to reach 600 CC’s. We are off to a good start with 62, but have some ways to go. Did you know that you can go through the CC manual EVERY YEAR?
Advanced Communicators (AC’s): Goal to reach 300 AC’s. Our journey never ends. There are 15 advanced manuals to choose from. Take yourself to the next level!
We all play an important role in this progress. We all have a piece of re-sponsibility to our success as a District.
Kristina Kihlberg, DTM
District Governor
Publisher Kristina Kihlberg, DTM
District 47 Executive Officers
for 2009-2010
DG Kristina Kihlberg
LGET Rick Furbush
LGM Pamela Rolle
PRO Pierre Taschereau
Secretary Patricia Martinez
Treasurer Laz Sanchez
IPDG Antionette Fox
District 47 Leaders District Advisor Loretta Sandy
SAA Jim Ellis
Parliamentarian George Shyrock
Webmaster Jeanine Kinsey
Conference Chair David Clarke
Division A Governor Scott Vail
Division B Governor Elizabeth Taschereau
Division C Governor Melody Tapley
Division D Governor Karen Novek
Division E Governor Jason Smith
Division F Governor Mack Payne
Division G Governor Beatriz Williams
Division I Governor Anthony Longley
The Mission of the District is to enhance
the performance and extend the network
of clubs, thereby offering greater num-
bers of people the opportunity to benefit
from the Toastmasters educational pro-
gram by:
♦Focusing on the critical success factors
as specified by the district educational
and membership goals
♦Ensuring that each club effectively ful-
fills its responsibilities to its members
♦Providing effective training and leader-
ship development opportunities for club
and district officers
The Sunshiner is a publication of District
47 Toastmasters. Reproduction of arti-
cles is strictly prohibited without the
express permission of the District 47
Governor. Toastmasters International
and Toastmasters International emblems
are trademarks of Toastmasters Interna-
tional registered in the Untied States,
Canada and many other countries.
Membership Paid Clubs
CC’s AC’s
Four Critical Success Factors
Page 3
Rick’s Room
CONGRATULATIONS Club and District Officers!!
Club and District Officers are very highly commended for an outstanding job of delivering and receiving training! Over the last 2 months your Club Officers and District Officers have been attending and delivering training at the three TLI’s (Toastmasters Leadership Institute) and the many Division and Area sponsored Training held throughout the District.
What makes Toastmasters the number one organization for developing communication and Leadership skills and why it has been around for 85 years is its volunteers. Each Club is independent and self-governed by those individuals willing to step-up, take responsibility and become an Officer. Not only do your Officers vol-unteer their time to help your Club and you achieve the goals and dreams, but they are trained extensively to ensure your Toastmaster experience is all it can be.
As the Lt. Governor of Education and Training it is my responsibility to ensure everyone receives the educa-tion and training needed to fulfill your goals. That is done by the hard work of your Club Officers. Your Offi-cers have done a magnificent job! Please take time out to thank your Club Officers.
Rick Furbush, DTM
Lieutenant Governor
Education & Training
The Treasure Chest
Remember when you first joined Toastmasters? Remember the excitement coupled with fear, particularly during Table Topics? We have such a wonderful opportunity to share the benefits of our organization with our colleagues and friends. The experiences of presenting that first speech or attending that first District conference are memories that will last a lifetime. Toastmasters is a treasure chest, and once we join, we
are presented with keys that unlock endless possibilities.
I had the opportunity to attend a kick-off meeting recently at one of the local community colleges in The Ba-hamas. The meeting began at 7 p.m. and ended shortly after 8 p.m. There were about 32 prospective mem-bers in attendance. They had a dynamic and exciting time, but this was no ordinary meeting. There was one thing missing. There was no electricity! The local power company experienced periodic blackouts through-
out the day, and the electricity was off in this section of town.
Despite being in the dark, the kick-off meeting went on as scheduled. The room was dark and hot, but to my surprise, no one left! This was amazing! I quickly realized that these individuals wanted what we have. They all want to become Toastmasters. I believe we will soon welcome them into the District 47 family, and
give them the keys that will unlock their own treasure chest.
The world is our prospect list, and many individuals are eager to become a part of our organization. As Toastmaster ambassadors, it’s our responsibility to encourage everyone we meet who may be interested to become a member. Imagine what would happen if each District 47 member sponsored one new member? Many more individuals would enjoy the opportunity to unlock their own treasure chests. They would become better leaders and more effective communicators. So go ahead− open your treasure chest− and search for
that priceless item! It may be something that will make a huge difference in your Club.
Pamela D. Rolle, DTM
Lieutenant Governor Marketing
Pamela’s Place
Page 4
PRO-Public Relations Officer
Action…Networking…Exposure…Listening…Be in
the know…Grab the opportunity…
Our District 47 Governor is on FIRE! Well, when you decide to be ‘numero uno’ in the world…you outta put your dancing shoes on! Let’s all team up and
support this awesome plan.
Jeanine Kinsey, our Webmaster wasted no time in updating the District website and we encourage all of you to set your account to receive the monthly District newsletter, The Sunshiner, electronically. The Newsletter team is accepting articles and ready to post your stories, anniversaries and newsworthy
events.
The Speakers Bureau Chairman Matt Kinsey and Vice Chair Antionette Fox will unveil the full project at the next District conference in Naples, Oct 30-Nov 1. Don’t miss this special meeting as it may provide new speaking opportunities for you. We hope that this new Speaker’s Bureau will help you to kick off
your professional speaking career or enhance the one you currently have. For certain, it will be one more way
to ‘Get the Toastmaster’s EDGE!’
The latest GOLD RUSH is definitely Social Network-ing…Toastmasters and people around the world are creating their Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter ac-counts to stay in touch in this new electronic age dimension. The next PRO venture is to create a Facebook group for District 47 Toastmasters to share opinions, photos, event information, have dis-cussions, share videos and post links. By sharing a Facebook group, our members will instantly get in-formation, throughout the District, allowing for en-hanced communication and outstanding results lead-
ing to being the No.1 District in the World!
Ultimately, we are here to enhance your Toastmas-ters experience and we hope that these extended services will assist you in taking your leadership and
public speaking game to the next level.
Thank you for making our District number ONE!
Pierre Taschereau
District PRO
The Smedley Award
Do You Know… About The Smedley Award?
The Smedley Award commemorates the October 22, 1924, founding of Toastmasters International by Dr. Ralph Smedley. He initiated a program that would go on to affect millions of people. In his honor, when your Club adds FIVE new, dual, or reinstated mem-bers between August 1 and September 30, you will receive a Smedley Award ribbon to display on your Club's banner. In addition to the ribbon, now qualify-ing Clubs will also earn a special discount code for 10% off their next Club order with Toastmasters In-ternational. This new Smedley discount is effective
July 1, 2009.
Membership applications and payment for members who join August 1 through September 30, MUST be received at World Headquarters or online no later than September 30. Each member's "join date" as listed on their application must be no later than Sep-tember. Remember, transfer and charter members do not count for credit towards this award. Also, Clubs do not have to apply for the Smedley Award; your Club is automatically entered when the first
new member application is received in August.
What are you doing to help your Club promote the Smedley Award? Are you inviting guests? Do you have a membership drive amongst your members? Does your Club have exciting, varied meetings? Are you promoting your Club through the freetoasthost website, or your individually designed club website? Create a Club climate that members and guests can enjoy. If you’re having fun during club meetings,
your guests will be eager to join.
Get off to a great start
this year!
Add five new members, and win the Smedley
Award for your Club.
Put your Club on track to become a Distinguished
Club! Make Ralph proud.
Page 5
District Secretary
Secretaries Unite!
Ours is a very important job. If you are not certain of that, consider the following folks who have made a difference with their extraordinary service as sec-retary in their organizations: Colin Powell, Alexan-
der Hamilton, and Kofi Annan.
The continuity of our club depends on us, as we are the keepers of history. How can we make our club better? Below you will find a link to best practices and a sample minutes template, which may help you along the way. These are working documents so, please, feel free to show your exemplary leadership by forwarding any suggestions on how we can make
your job and your club work even better.
By now, you should have a firm lay of the land and clearly targeted goals for 2009 - 2010. What targets have you set for yourself and your club? Be confi-dent in knowing that you have great ideas to share! Let us know what they are. Together, we can im-
prove the efficacy of our clubs.
As for me, I started on my Toastmasters path in June 2007. About a month into my membership, I was elected treasurer for Boca Raton Toastmasters Club # 3299, and the next year I was elected president. During this same year, I was appointed District 47 Fall Conference chair. What wonderful experiences
these have been!
My Toastmasters job today is District 47 secretary and professionally I’m a financial representative for New England Securities. On both counts, I’m privi-leged to educate and help change lives. I live in Boca Raton with my husband, Al and our pet dwarf
Jackson chameleon lizard, Max.
A great quote for you: “Excellence is doing ordinary
things extraordinarily well.” John W. Gardner.
Best Practices: http://www.toastmastersd47.org/district-
resources/secretarys-corner/190-club-secretary-best-practices
Famous Secretaries And Their Careers: http://
www.oldandsold.com/articles35/secretary-training-19.shtml
Famous secretary quotes: http://thinkexist.com/quotes/top/
occupation/secretary
Top 10 Qualities of a Great Secretary: http://www.businessknowhow.com/officesupport/apweek/
greataps.htm
WOW, why didn’t I think of that? http://
www.toastmastersd47.org/component/artforms/?formid=15
� Have you logged on to the District website this week?
� In order to reach your target, you have to set your target.
� Our target is President's Distinguished District #1 in the World!
� What task can I do this week, that will help us reach our goal?
Patricia Martinez Secretary [email protected]
BEAT the Dues Renewal Deadline!
Become a DISTINGUISHED Club! Renew Dues Online TODAY!
Membership renewals are due by SEPTEMBER 30th. Here are a few tips that will help ease the dues blues when processing membership payments:
� Renewals can be submitted ONLINE, by fax or by mail.
� Pay online by credit card. It’s so easy!
� We recommend that you do not submit renewals by e-mail because it is not secure.
� At least SIX MEMBERS must pay dues; three must be renewing.
� If paying by check, you can print the list with the renewing members checked, and mail, along with payment to World Headquarters. Check must be payable to Toastmasters International.
� Visit the Club Business login at: www.toastmasters.org/clubbusiness
Page 6
Speaking in Praise
Antionette Fox, IPDG, DTM
I remember when I first met Antionette – it was the year she served as president of the Bahamas Baptist now known as Club 9477. The Club then was not one of the most vibrant in the Ba-hamas but yet its leadership was awesome and focused on overcoming challenges.
Antionette and I continued to cross paths but it was not until we both served on the Division I board to-gether that I saw firsthand her commitment to the Toastmasters program. Antionette served as an Area Governor and I as the asst. Division Gover-nor for Education and Training. Antionette is pas-sionate – that is certain and she has a drive to be successful. She is very competitive and cherishes wining. She puts her all into any task and deter-mines her end result from the beginning. Antio-nette determined she would be the #1 Area Gover-nor in the District and achieved this very goal. This began the journey to conquer the District. Antionette has served in every Division leadership position and then challenged herself to take on Dis-trict roles. Her motivation ties into the success she has personally gained from the Toastmasters pro-gram and her desire to see other people live suc-cessful and self-actualized lives. Antionette overcame many obstacles during the last 3 years she served at the District level, but with persis-tence and dedication she took her licking but kept right on ticking. She reminds me of the little red engine tugging up the hill saying “I know I can, I know I can”. Antionette made her mind that she would work hard and one day hold the position of District 47 Governor. She has had many successes along the way. Antionette plans her success and keeps work-
ing at it regardless of how difficult the road may be. She was sometimes challenged in the pursuit of her goals but realizing her success would come through the people and teams she worked with, Antionette made herself readily available to the people she lead and motivated everyone to be their best and to achieve their goals.
Some of her accomplishments include –
• President’s Distinguished Area and Area Governor of the Year
• President Distinguished Division Governor and Division Governor of the Year
• President’s Distinguished District (only 6 in the world get this honor out of 81)
• Excellence in Marketing
• Chartered 49 clubs as LGM
• Excellence in Education
In 2008 Antionette is installed as District 47 Governor by In-ternational President Chris Ford
Antionette with some of her winning team l-r PRO Pierre Taschereau, LGET Kristina Kihlberg, LGM Rick Furbush and Treasurer Jeanine Kinsey
Antionette with her younger daughter Ciarrah
Page 7
Speaking in Praise
Antionette Fox, IPDG, DTM (cont’d)
Madame Immediate Past District Governor, we are very proud to have served under you and be fellow member with you here in Division I, the beautiful islands of the Bahamas. Duquesa Dean, DTM Immediate Past District Secretary DTM Fox taught me that strength, determination and perseverance when mixed with a positive atti-tude, open mind and willingness to improve on weaknesses is the key to success. - Vanessa Scott,
ACG, Past Area 82 Governor
DTM Antionette Fox is certainly an ambitious Toastmaster who has achieved greatness in the program. - Sharmaine Goodman-Davis, DTM; Past
Area 85 Governor
The greatest friend and leader you will ever find. -
Jamaro Thompson, DTM; Past Division I Governor
Antionette follows the example of other leaders but develops her own image in the progress. In so doing has led by example. - Godfrey Springer, DTM;
Past District 47 Governor
Antionette is pictured here with Kristina Kihlberg and Toastmasters International Executive Director Dan Rex in Calgary
Here’s Antionette with the newly elected International President Jana Barnhill at the 2008 Annual Convention in Calgary, Canada
Fast forward to the 2009 Convention in Mashantucket Con-necticut where Antionette chats with the newly elected International leadership team (l-r) Second Vice President Michael Notaro, Senior Vice President Pat Johnson and Inter-national President Gary Schmidt
Antionette is all smiles with the newly crowned 2009 World Champion of Public Speaking Mark Hunter
Page 8
International Convention Memories
Let me tell you about my first…
Now, in case you are wondering, I am not writing about my first kiss, my first date, my first car, or my first deep fried Twinkie. I am writing about my first Toastmasters International Annual Con-
vention.
Have you ever heard the saying, “you never forget your first…?” I am getting up there in years so my memory is not what it used to be, but I think for the most part, you never forget your firsts. Here’s a first time experience I can look back on and re-
member fondly for years to come.
My first ever trip to the Toastmasters International Annual Convention in Mashantucket, Con-necticut was a truly memorable experi-ence. I can say with all honesty, if eve-rything had gone the way I planned it, it would have paled in com-parison to the wonderful experience I ended up
having at the “Big Show”.
Everything was exceptional at the Convention. The learning opportunities, the entertainment, the re-lationships, the networking, great people sharing great experiences − I had not expected anything of
this magnitude.
From the moment I arrived at the airport I was treated like a VIP. Toastmasters made sure every detail was covered. There was transportation waiting for me when I arrived. I was taken to the MGM Grand Hotel, the host venue for the Conven-tion. I walked over to the Convention registration
desk and just like that, I was ready to go.
As a First Timer at the Convention you might think I would be a little intimidated by all the activity
and people, but that was not the case at all. In fact, everyone was friendly and help-ful. I could tell they wanted my first time experience to be as
fulfilling as their first time had been. I think it helped that I had a “First Timer” ribbon on my badge. It really means a great deal to have some-one pay special attention to you as you go through
the Convention experience.
What really impressed me about the Convention was the variety of the learning opportunities. I saw speakers who were hilariously humorous, speakers that grabbed a hold of my heartstrings and never let go, speakers who gave me insight I never would have dreamed of, speakers who gave me useful tips of crafting fantastic speeches. I saw speakers I can learn from, speakers who motivated me to make changes in my life, and most impor-tantly, speakers providing inspiration to me to
achieve goals I never thought possible.
On Saturday morning, I went to the World Championship of Public Speaking. I had a great seat, front and center, as I watched the best speakers in the world, eye to eye. What a great feeling to see the best of the best, at their BEST! By the way, in case no one told you, they are really good. But speakers are not all that’s available to enjoy at the Convention. As good or better are the relationships you forge, the friends you make and the interesting things you learn about your fellow Toastmasters −and your-self! Hey, I accomplished one of my life’s simple but deep desires at the Convention: I learned how
to tie my own bow tie! Thanks coach!
If you are wondering about the food, I’ve got you covered. I was not a bit disappointed when lunch and dinner were served at the Convention; in fact
the food was tasty and succulent at every meal.
Let me help you decide your summer vacation next year. Why not consider attending the Convention in Palm Desert, CA August 11-14, 2010? I bet you’ll end up having your own fine set of firsts that you will remember
for years to come– Laz Sanchez
Page 9
Photos from the International Convention
IPDG Antionette Fox is recognized for being a Presidents Distin-guished District by Jana Barnhill
Winners of the International Speech Contest, l-r: Second Place Mary Cheyne from Massachusetts, 2009 World Champion Mark Hunter from Australia, and Third Place Erick Rainey from Oregon
District 47 leaders attend the Golden Gavel luncheon District 47 is all smiles at the opening ceremonies
D47 Team dressed up in purple shirts to take their place on stage at the Hall of Fame
District 47 rocks the Convention as 5th in the world!
Page 10
Photos from the International Convention
D47 and D84 in a friendly dance off All dressed up for the President’s Dinner Dance on Saturday night
Such handsome men in our District With our Toastmasters family at dinner
And so much love was shared Lots of awards were presented to our District
Page 11
Club Anniversaries
Congratulations to these clubs celebrating anniversaries in September!
In Division D, Area 41, Goldcoast Toastmasters Club, Club# 2727, Chartered September 1, 1960
In Division B, Area 21, Early Bird Club, Club# 3659, Chartered September 1, 1963
In Division D, Area 44, Boca Raton Toastmasters, Club# 3299, Chartered September 1, 1971
In Division G, Area 72, Speakeasy Toastmasters Club, Club# 4698, Chartered September 1, 1981
In Division B, Area 24, Pembroke Pines Club, Club# 6003, Chartered September 1, 1985
In Division A, Area 10, Cape Coral Toastmasters Club, Club# 9051, Chartered September 1, 1992
In Division C, Area 31, New Life Toastmasters, Club# 968, Chartered September 4, 2001
In Division I, Area 85, THE NAVIGATORS, Club# 2437, Chartered September 30, 2001
In Division D, Area 43, Office Depot Toastmasters, Club# 9086, Chartered September 10, 2002
In Division F, Area 61, Manatee WCR Club, Club# 595823, Chartered September 23, 2003
In Division I, Area 81, Scotia Dynasty Club, Club# 829842, Chartered September 28, 2005
In Division I, Area 84, Club Destiny, Club# 839960, Chartered September 29, 2005
In Division C, Area 33, Valrico Toastmasters Club, Club# 831439, Chartered September 14, 2006
In Division C, Area 36, Woodland Corporate Center, Club# 1084115, Chartered September 10, 2007
In Division E, Area 51, State Farm Miami Speakers, Club# 1088128, Chartered September 24, 2007
In Division I, Area 83, The Soaring Orators of Johnson Park, Club# 1227605, Chartered September 3, 2008
In Division D, Area 44, NCCI Toastmasters, Club# 1216633, Chartered September 5, 2008
In Division D, Area 41, Hobe Sound Toasters, Club# 1206922, Chartered September 17, 2008
Speaker’s Bureau
The District 47 Speaker's Bureau will be launched at the Fall Conference in October. This is the culmi-nation of a vision from our District Public Relations
Officer, Pierre Taschereau.
There are 2 main missions for the Speaker's Bureau:
1. To increase awareness of Toastmasters within District 47 by providing speakers to qualified
community organizations and businesses.
2. To provide interested and qualified Toastmasters the opportunity to improve their speaking skills by speaking to groups outside of the club envi-
ronment.
The Speaker's Bureau will provide non-paid speaking engagements for our members to community organi-zations like the Kiwanis, Rotary Clubs, other non-profit organizations, and potentially to busi-nesses. Members will speak on their area of exper-tise based upon the needs of the requesting organi-
zation.
The first chair of our District Speaker’s Bureau is Matt Kinsey, DTM. Matt is a past Area and Division Governor and served last year as the District Web-
master. The vice-chair is Antionette Fox, DTM. An-tionette is our immediate past District Governor and
led the District to President's Distinguished Status.
There are several opportunities for you to become involved with the Speaker's Bureau. We are still completing the Speaker's Bureau committee. If you are interested in helping with the formation and op-erations of the Bureau, please contact Matt at [email protected]. We have opportuni-
ties in marketing and in operations.
Beginning at the Fall Conference, you will have the opportunity to become a registered speaker with the Speaker's Bureau. The requirements are that you have completed 6 speeches at Toastmasters and have a specific area of expertise that you speak about. Full information will be available at the Fall Conference being held October 30 – November 1 in Naples. Also, we’ll provide details on the upcoming District 47 Speaker's Bureau website,
http://speakers.toastmastersd47.org.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Page 12
Happily Ever After
Frank Shea slips a ring on the finger of his new bride, Sue Boe
When Frank and I decided to get married, we knew we wanted to have a cheerful, upbeat, unfor-gettable wedding, and that we wanted our Suncoast Toastmas-ters club included. We discussed possible scenarios and decided to have a surprise wedding, one that was simply part of a regular
Toastmaster meeting.
We set the date for Tuesday, August 25, 2009. I signed up to be the Toastmaster, and chose the theme, “Dress for the Occasion”, with all members being encouraged dress appropriately as if they were scheduled speakers. My hope was to have fishermen, gardeners, beachgoers, party goers, maybe someone dressed for a job interview, someone in scrubs. Frank would be wearing a suit and tie, and I had a floor-length, cream colored dress adorned with tiny satin roses. Not wanting to give our surprise away, I would wear a brightly colored, floral print dress over my
wedding dress until the actual ceremony.
Only one dear Toastmaster friend, Jo Ranney Sun-coast VPPR, was informed of the upcoming nuptials. Jo contacted District 47 Governor Kristina Kihlberg who arranged for our Lt. Governor Education & Train-ing Rick Furbush to attend the meeting and photo-graph the ceremony. Other than Jo, no other member of Suncoast members had a clue that there was a sur-prise in store. Family and friends were “planted” in the audience, pretending that they were interested in
learning more about Toastmasters.
Frank was the third speaker for the evening. Dressed in a suit and tie, he looked prepared to deliver a pro-fessional presentation. The intro to his speech was, "It's been several years since Frank first went through his Competent Communicator manual. Some of you may remember that it took 3 tries and 19 1/2 minutes for him to complete his Ice Breaker. Recently a mem-ber of Suncoast presented Speech # 9, Persuade with Power. Frank later commented that he couldn't re-member his 9th project, or whether he was able to persuade anyone to adopt his ideas, or to take action. So tonight, Frank is going to present speech # 9, once again, and hopes that this time he won't forget it -
and no one else will, either."
Though the audience was expecting Frank to discuss an upcoming business presentation, Frank switched courses and invited me to stand with him at the lec-tern. He then began his proposal to me, asking me to
marry him. At that point, I removed the bright red dress I was wearing to reveal the wedding dress un-derneath. I accepted his proposal, saying, in part “Yes, Frank, I will marry you.” To the audience’s sur-prise and delight, Frank said, “Well, let’s get married right now, here, tonight.” A planted guest, Diane Kuenzel, authorized by the state of Florida to marry, stood up and offered to marry us. Frank’s daughter, Linda, produced a marriage license, and other friends and relatives produced wedding rings and flowers. Within the requested time of 8 to 10 minutes, Frank and I were married. After a huge round of congratula-tions and applause, the meeting commenced with Ta-
ble Topics, evaluations and awards.
At a reception afterwards, our fellow Suncoast Toast-masters commented that they had never seen any-thing like this done at Toastmasters before, that it was a great execution, and one of the best and most memorable weddings they had ever attended. And of
course, that is just what we intended.
The newlyweds are pictured here with LGET Rick Fur-bush and his wife Kathy. Thanks to Sue Boe for shar-
ing this wonderful story with us.
Page 13
In the beginning…
It is possible for colossal experiences to have un-believably modest beginnings. One perfect exam-ple is our Toastmasters International. Looking back to October, 1924, we find a man named Ralph C. Smedley, a recent college graduate em-ployed as Director of Education for the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) in Santa Ana, California. Smedley was quick to recognize many of the youthful YMCA patrons could definitely use some improvement in their public speaking and meeting chairmanship skills. In the true spirit of our program, he simply wanted to help them im-prove their communication and leadership skills and so formed what he called The Toastmasters
Club.
Smedley created a friendly, sup-portive atmos-phere in which young men were trained to speak effectively in public and to preside effi-ciently over im-portant meet-ings. All this initial effort took place in the basement of the
Santa Ana YMCA, in a pleasant, social environment that strongly appealed to these young men. Ralph Smedley’s Toastmasters Club was very successful, and soon there was growing interest in other com-
munities.
In January of 1926, a little over a year after the initial club began, the second Toastmasters Club was formed in nearby Anaheim, California. What had begun as one man’s sincere effort to help oth-ers improve their communication and leadership skills started a phenomenal growth path! In late 1928, Smedley copyrighted the very first Toast-masters Club manual. Two years later, in 1930,
the name was changed to Toastmasters Interna-tional when clubs were chartered in Canada. The first Toastmasters newsletter, The Gavel, forerun-ner of today’s Toastmaster magazine, was pub-
lished in December of 1930.
From its modest beginnings in the basement of the Santa Ana YMCA, Toastmasters has grown steadily since 1924, and today, in the 21st Century, our terrific organization literally spreads across the globe. There are more than a quarter million members in 12,500 clubs located in 106 countries! This expansion continues a pace where men and women throughout the world are now benefiting
from the Toastmasters program.
Our mission statement says it best: Toastmasters International is the leading movement devoted to making effective oral communication a worldwide reality. Through its member clubs, Toastmasters International helps men and women learn the arts of speaking, listening, and thinking – vital skills that promote self-actualization, enhance leader-ship potential, foster human understanding, and
contribute to the betterment of mankind.
Thank you, Ralph Smedley, for your simple spirit of helpfulness which has resulted in a colossal
worldwide success!
by George Shyrock, DTM
Looking at the Past
Page 14
DDDDistrictistrictistrictistrict 47 47 47 47 FFFFall CCCConference Online RRRRegistration
NOW OPENNOW OPENNOW OPENNOW OPEN Get Your Early Bird Price Today!
Full Conference Package just $115
Until October 6 Go to Go to Go to Go to www.toastmastersd47.org www.toastmastersd47.org www.toastmastersd47.org www.toastmastersd47.org
for convenient credit card signup
Ala Carte Rates available
Contact Fall Conference Chair
Dave Clarke for full details [email protected]
Nightly Room Rates
at the Naples Hilton just $109/standard
$169/bedroom suite
for reservations call
1-800-HILTONS
or www.hiltonnaples.com ask for District 47 Fall Conference rate
Page 15
Educational Awards
Congratulations to these Toastmasters who have received Educational Awards
in the month of August!
Competent Communicator
Amengor, Culham B. Club# 8370
Andrews, Valerie Evett Club# 946127
Balfour, Denison Jenene Club# 969479
Bauman, Carmen Josefina Club# 1261950
Behling, Don E. Club# 8437
Card, Karen Club# 7306
Carlin, Kriss Club# 5486
Carlson, Linda Club# 1034639
Collis, Fred H. Club# 7306
Delossantos, James Anthony Club# 2284
Fischer, John Jay Club# 2652
Grimes, Stephen T. Club# 2652
Helmintoller, James Zachary Club# 771864
Hopping, Dan Club# 2284
Hutcheson, Judith M. Club# 612315
Huynh, Hieu H. Club# 5173
James, Nerissa Club# 760344
Johnson, Thomas William Club# 6273
Karpe, Craig Club# 2582
Kumar, Amit Club# 1187415
Leadbetter, Graham Club# 969012
Owen, Michael W. Club# 1216688
Padro, Hector Club# 771864
Peters, Lesley Club# 1126118
Reese, Kelley J. Club# 3937
Rodriguez, Andrea Club# 2463
Salvary, Susan Club# 1216633
Schreima, Cathy Jo Club# 1269043
Spanks, William Club# 5222
Usher, Lawrence M Club# 2463
Wright, Mary L. Club# 1084115
Advanced Communicator Bronze Bald, Walter Club# 3299 Hopping, Dan Club# 2284 Raasch, Sandi Club# 5486
Advanced Communicator Silver Boerner, Donna J. Club# 7943 Dalie, Joan V. Club# 5390 Hamel, Dennis M. Club# 5899 Simms-Symonette, Nakera S. Club# 7108 Tollen, Kayla R. Club# 6298
Advanced Communicator Gold Goodman-Davis, Sharmaine Club# 658738 Lynch, Jack Club# 8248 Riccio, Rebecca Club# 1958
Competent Leader Balfour, Denison Jenene Club# 969479 Co, Dianne Club# 9086 Leider, Denise S. Club# 1307407 Lian, Ming-Ren Club# 3518 Peduzzi, Peter Club# 479 Raasch, Sandi Club# 5486 Rubin, Roberto David Club# 9086 Sankah, Isaac Kwamena Club# 479 Somerville, York T. Club# 2284
Advanced Leader Bronze Malette, Michael J. Club# 589263 Rice, Ronald Club# 2652 Sims, Marsha J. Club# 6003
Advanced Leader Silver Gibbs, Kalesa D. Club# 1314025 Taschereau, Pierre Club# 2096
Leader Excellence Goodman-Davis, Sharmaine Club# 658738 Horowitz, Nate Club# 590751 Riccio, Rebecca Club# 9352
Davis, Dwayne Allen Club# 1600
Congratulations Distinguished Toastmaster
Page 16
Club Opportunities
MORE MEMBER PROGRAMMORE MEMBER PROGRAM
Recruit 6 NEW6 NEW members from July 20 July 20 July 20 July 20 –––– September 20 September 20 September 20 September 20 and win the 4 PACK CC MANUALS4 PACK CC MANUALS and a NEW MEMBER ORIENTATION KITNEW MEMBER ORIENTATION KIT!
The TOP 10TOP 10TOP 10TOP 10TOP 10TOP 10TOP 10TOP 10 Clubs with the most NEWNEWNEWNEWNEWNEWNEWNEW members between July 20 July 20 July 20 July 20 –––– September 20 September 20 September 20 September 20 will be entered in a drawing to WINWINWINWINWINWINWINWIN a free Fall Conference Registration!Fall Conference Registration!
DISTINGUISHED CLUB PROGRAM
Clubs that recruit 8 or more NEW members8 or more NEW members by
September 20September 20September 20September 20 will receive:
�� 4 PACK CL MANUALS4 PACK CL MANUALS
�� CLUB MENTOR PROGRAM KITCLUB MENTOR PROGRAM KIT
�� 2 MANUALS from the SUCCESSFUL CLUB SERIES 2 MANUALS from the SUCCESSFUL CLUB SERIES
�� 5 PACK TOASTMASTERS & YOU KIT 5 PACK TOASTMASTERS & YOU KIT
START NEW CLUBSSTART NEW CLUBSSTART NEW CLUBSSTART NEW CLUBS
Clubs chartered this year will receive a free CUSTOMIZED CUSTOMIZED CLUB BANNERCLUB BANNER and BANNER BAG!
Additionally, new clubs that charter ON OR BEFOREON OR BEFORE September 30September 30September 30September 30, also receive a Toastmasters International
$25 Gift Certificate$25 Gift Certificate$25 Gift Certificate$25 Gift Certificate$25 Gift Certificate$25 Gift Certificate$25 Gift Certificate$25 Gift Certificate
Achieve
GOALSGOALS
Win
AWARDSAWARDS
Page 17
Club Opportunities
CCOMPETENTOMPETENT
CCOMMUNICATORSOMMUNICATORS
Achieve & Receive Rewards!
Clubs with 4 CCs4 CCs by December 31
will receive FOURFOUR Advanced Communicator Manuals
AADVANCEDDVANCED
CCOMMUNICATORSOMMUNICATORS
Here’s Your Reward!
Clubs with 2 ACs2 ACs by December 31
will receive TWO ManualsTWO Manuals from the Leadership Excellence Series
9 DCP
Points
by December 31 & Clubs receive
a set of
ALL 15
Advanced Manuals
by December 31 and Clubs will be entered into a drawing to
win a
FREE Spring
Conference Registration
9 DCP
Points
