D47 Sunshiner - March 2015 by District 47 Sunshiner

DISTRICT 47

THE SUNSHINER Newsletter Title Organization Name

News from Southeast Florida and The Bahamas Volume 1, Issue 1

Newsletter Date

Facing fear; It’s all in the mind!

F 2014-2015 District 47 March 2015 INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Club Anniversaries Toastmasters across District 47

District Highlights

Moments of Truth Lt. Gov. Education & Training Jeanine Kinsey updates our progress. Pages 4-6

Slate of officers The report of the nominating committee, Page 7.

Spring Training Lt. Gov. Marketing Lou Brown charts club growth. Pages 810

PRO HEADLINE Public Relations Officer Marlene Bryan offers a plethora of tips. Page 12

Division Contests Photos from some Areas on the road to the Spring Conference Contests. Pages 14-18

ear is a crippling phenomenon! Most of us have encountered fear at some point in our lives. Some of us are constantly haunted by a disabling phobia of one kind or another. Amazingly, most of our trepidations are all in the mind and can be rather daunting if we allow them to flourish. Let me share with you my recent encounter with fear. At 9:00 AM on March 23 I showed up at a local hospital to register for what is considered a routine examination but one that most people (especially men) fear – the dreaded colonoscopy. My personal physician advised me to have one done at age 50 and for nearly four years I’ve been “dodging the bullet” - claiming to be too busy. Due to a history of cancer in my family I decided it’s time to “man up” – or so I thought! During the preceding 48 hours known as the prep period, my mind began to play its usual tricks on me. That whispering voice in my head proceeded to tell me every reason why I should not go on with the procedure. It told me everything that could go wrong and practically every good reason why this was a bad idea. Upon arrival at the hospital, I was so happy that the parking lot was full to capacity. Ah, good reason to go back home! This thought was quickly interrupted by a tap on my car window. The security guard directed me to the overflow parking area. As I walked toward the building my fear mounted with each step as the whispering in my head became more intense. When I arrived on the inside I was enthusiastically greeted by a waiting medical team. As if by magic, my anxiety level immediately began to lower. Before they attempted to start any procedures they sat with me and walked me through every step of the process. They knew that if they were to stand a chance of making my fears dissipate they must first show me support and encouragement. Within minutes they had me feeling comfortable. The reassurance that I had the best doctors along with a competent and caring support team at my service reinstated my confidence. They rolled me into the “OR” and the last thing I remembered was the countdown as the anesthesiologist made me repeat after her, 10 – 9 – 8 – 7 – 6…! It’s now 12 hours post procedure and here I am writing this article. Obviously there was nothing to fear; it was just a state of mind! What fears are crippling you from progressing in Toastmasters, in your civic involvements, your relationships, your businesses and in your careers? It took me three years to complete the Competent Toastmaster (CTM) manual, now Competent Communicator (CC) - because of fear! Almost every time the VPE scheduled me to

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

It’s all in the mind! speak I caught an imaginary flu. You see, the real virus was – FEAR! What was it that helped me through those early challenges in Toastmasters? It was the same mechanisms that helped to suppress my fears in the “OR.” The support, the encouragement, the coaching and mentoring – that’s what made the difference. It’s usually all we need to boost our confidence and propel us over the speed bumps in the road to success. Fellow Toastmasters, don’t wait until fear tries to cripple you. Be proactive and reach out for help now - Seek a mentor! They will support you and help you to reaffirm your self-confidence. Your Club Officers and District Leaders are here to serve you and to help you grow in the program and in your personal life. They will help you to disable your fears and enable your talents and abilities. Meanwhile, if you have already mastered how to conquer your fears then you have an obligation to pass it on by extending a hand to someone else. Help a Toastmaster, family member, business associate or friend to fight off the grip that fear has on their life! In the words of Zig Zigler, “The best way to get what you want out of life - is to help enough other people get what they want out of life!” That’s the way it is in Toastmasters - Where Leaders Are Made. Toastfully,

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

Anthony (Tony) Longley, DTM District 47 Governor, 2014-2015

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

IN SEARCH OF ROAD WARRIORS We’re looking for Toastmasters who travel 25 miles or more to attend chapter meetings and functions. These are members who absolutely love our organization, and don’t mind driving, flying or sailing to reach their destination. This may be a member, or Area Governor or Division Governor. Please submit their names for an upcoming feature in The Sunshiner to arobinson@toastmastersd47.org.

Copy Editor/Proofreader: Hieu Huynh, DTM

CLUB CHARTER ANNIVERSARIES 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, Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Distinguished Year!

Club Name

City

Club #

Area

Division

Charter Date

Years

Daybreak

North Miami

5754

3/1/1985

Weston Area

Weston

5758

3/1/1985

Universal Toastmasters

Miami Gardens

7653

3/1/1990

Freddy's Forum

West Palm Beach

5173

3/1/1996

First Edition

Fort Lauderdale

639107

3/2/2004

Florida Keys

Marathon

704393

3/17/2005

RBC Legends

Nassau

1305066

3/24/2009

West Broward

Coral Springs

1575030

3/14/2011

The Trailblazers

Nassau

1577647

3/24/2011

Bacardi's

Coral Gables

3034531

3/4/2013

Latamasters

Fort Lauderdale

3043022

3/1/2013

Developing strong leadership requires thought, fresh ideas

appy Spring! Spring is a great time of year for growth and rebirth. For Toastmasters, it is a time to plant new leaders, help new and current members grow and gear up to PARTY!

Club Elections Club elections for all clubs should be held the first meeting in May. This means that now is the time to have your nominating committee working to recruit and select the officers who will take your club into the next year. Here are a few suggestions that can help make your leadership team strong: · Look for your newer members who are enthusiastic and have fresh ideas to be part of your leadership team. · Look to strong members to anchor the team as Vice President Education and President ·

Don’t burn out your members by using them over and over again.

· Be sure that you have a new president. Remember that the President is the one position that is not supposed to serve more than 12 months at a time. · Plan the transition after the election. How are you going to transition the club to the new team instead of just handing them the reins on July 1st and wishing them luck? · Remind officers that they are expected to attend training in the Summer AND Winter to support the success of the club. The first Trainings will be in June and information will be out next month.

Mentoring Mentoring is a critical part of any club Education Program. It is the responsibility of the Vice President Education to ensure that the mentoring program is happening. They can, and I would even suggest should, have other club members who help to make sure this is happening. The VPE has a big job, and it is easy to say “we’ll all just help the new members” and not assign individual mentors. But new members aren’t the only ones that need mentoring! Here are some tips for helping all members grow: ·

Existing Members o Members are renewing right now for the next 6 months. Find out what they want to accomplish in the next 6 months and pair them up with someone who is strong in the areas they are seeking help in. o Call the members who are not renewing and find out why? This is the Vice President Membership’s role, but what is being done with the information? If you assigned them a mentor, would they stay on?

New Members 4

Developing strong leadership requires thought, fresh ideas ·

New Members o Understand that when “everyone” helps, often “no one” actually does. Assign one person to be the official mentor, and then everyone can help mentor.

o New members need the individual attention. Telling them to call anyone often means they don’t call anyone at all. o In my experience, the members who join and leave shortly thereafter did so because they did not get the mentoring they needed and felt lost. Remember that you want your members working on their Competent Leader Manuals as well as their speaking manuals, and one of the requirements is to mentor a new or existing member. Everyone in the club can help someone and help themselves at the same time.

Did I say PARTY? You bet I did! April 24-26 is our Spring Conference and you don’t want to miss out! This is our Diamond Jubilee year, and we are putting together a Dazzling program for you! · President Elect Jim Kokocki will be visiting the Bahamas for 4 days before returning to Florida as our Guest of Honor at the conference. He will be our Key Note speaker on Friday night, and will do two educational sessions during the weekend. · Friday night is the Opening Ceremony and Table Topics Contest Dinner Event · Saturday morning we will be offering twelve workshops on a range of subjects from speech writing and leadership to running and judging contests. There is also a special event for all First Timers at 8 AM, so don’t miss that if this is your first conference. · Saturday lunch is a Birthday Party! We have several Past District 47 Governors who will be in attendance and we will be celebrating 60 years of success as a District. · Saturday afternoon is the Annual Business Meeting. This is your opportunity to elect the officers who will run the District for 2015-2016. Proxy information will be coming out soon so that you can ensure that your club has a vote! · Saturday night is the Governor’s Gala! This will be our International Speech Contest and DTM Walk. Dress it up and come out for an amazing night. · OK, so where’s the PARTY? Both nights, after dinner, we will have an After Party! Dancing, Story Telling and a cash bar are just some of the highlights. Stay tuned for more details as we get closer.

· Sunday morning will be the final event with DTM Jim Kokocki doing a workshop for all who wish to attend.

Now for the important details. If you want to come, you have to register online at www.toastmastersd47.org. There is NO On-site registration, and we expect to sell out, so be sure to register before midnight on April 14th!

Incentives Your clubs have all been working hard this year to meet your goals, and we want to reward you. Every club President has received an email with their club incentive points and a form to send in. Please be sure that you get that form turned in NO LATER THAN April 10th so that you can receive the prizes that benefit your club most. Any club earning points that does not submit a form by that date will receive the default prizes noted on the form.

Keep pursuing excellence, and let’s end the year where we know we belong, ON TOP!

Thank You, Jeanine Kinsey Lieutenant Governor Education & Training District 47 Toastmasters 954-778-0599 (cell) jkinsey@toastmastersd47.org www.toastmastersd47.org

March 28, 2015

SLATE OF OFFICERS Report of the Nominating Committee, Kristina Kihlberg, DTM, chairman

Listed below are candidates for District 47â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2015-2016 year as selected by the nominating Committee. Elections will take place at the upcoming conference in Fort Lauderdale.

Leadership Role

District Director (DD)

Program Quality Director (PQD).

Candidate's Name

Jeanine Kinsey

Louis Brown

Club Growth Director (CGD)

Chim Francisco

Division Director D-A.

Jose Alvarado

Division Director D-B

Mark Ayers

Division Director D-C

Paulo Schneider

Division Director D-D

E. Anita Newman

Division Director D-E

Phyllis May

Division Director D-F

Elvis Collie

Division Director D-I

Leonardo Burrows 7

Toastmasters, it’s our time for Spring Training “In this game, if you’re not getting better every day, then you’re falling behind.” Ryan Vogelsong, San Francisco Giants It’s a time for veterans to assess their past performance and realign their goals in the face of actual results. It’s a time for new members to showcase their value and talents as they vie for spots on the team or positions of greater importance. It’s a time for all to continue to hone their strengths and address their areas of improvement based on feedback. Sounds like Spring Training, right? Well, it is. Spring Training for Toastmasters! This is a great time for your club to take stock of your achievements to date, to realign your goals, if necessary, based on performance to date, and to continue, or begin, succession planning. As we head into the last quarter of the Toastmaster’s cycle, the focus is on educational and membership growth goals. To date, over 65 clubs have paid (at least) the minimum number of membership dues to maintain good standing. Congratulations! If you have not yet paid your membership dues, please do so soon to avoid jeopardizing your club’s good standing. Don’t wait until the March 31 deadline! The Membership Building campaigns are in full swing: Talk Up Toastmasters has brought in almost 150 new members in February! Thank you for spreading the word and continue to do so until the end of the campaign on March 31. The Annual Membership Program, which runs for the full year, from July 1 to June 30, has brought in hundreds of new members thus far. Way to go District 47! Many clubs have conducted Open Houses over the past few months. The District 47 Open House incentive of $25 is still available to help you offset costs. Get new members for your club and a check in the mail! Just follow these simple steps: Provide me (lbrown@toastmastersd47.org) with information about your Open House at least two weeks prior to the event (the earlier the better), including a copy of your event flyer and your plans for spending the money. Within two weeks after the event, send me a copy of your guest sign-in sheet. Complete a district expense reimbursement form (supplied upon request), attach receipts totaling up to $25, and submit these items to the district. The $25 incentive will be available for Open Houses conducted until May 31.

Toastmasters, it’s our time for Spring Training Many clubs have already taken advantage of these programs. Don’t be left out! One last campaign will be taking place soon. Don’t miss all the details in the next Sunshiner. New clubs means that additional people in our geographic region can share in the amazing benefits of the Toastmasters program. Please welcome Wynwood Inspire.Us Toastmasters to our growing District 47 family. Wynwood chartered on February 9 in Division E, Area 50. New members are an important part of a club’s success. New members bring fresh ideas for helping our clubs succeed. Congratulations to the following growing clubs who gained new members in the month of February:

1 New Member: Boca Raton Noon Toastmasters Club Broward College Toastmasters Chapter Cable Revolutionaries Toastmasters Club Paradise Club V.O.I.C.E. Crossroads Club Cutler Bay Toastmasters Davie Toastmasters Daybreak Toastmasters Club Destino Toastmasters Florida Keys Toastmasters Club The Fountain of New Life Toastmasters Club Friendly Club of Fort Lauderdale

NCCI Toastmasters The Palm Beach Toastmasters Club

Broward Bilingual Toastmasters Club

Pembroke Isles Toastmasters

DeVry University

Pembroke Pines Club

Doral Toastmasters

Pompano Beach Toastmasters

Electrifying Voices

Port St. Lucie Speakers

FAU – Toastmasters Club

Power-Full Voices

Grove-Gables Toastmasters The Luminaries At The Boca Chamber Toastmasters Club Miramar Bilingual Speakers Toastmasters Palm Beach Noon Toastmasters Club

Proud Speakers Club Sensor Toast Club Talk of the Town Club Talking Heads of Stuart Toast of the Gold Coast Club Treasure Coast Toastmasters Club WCR Palm Beaches Noon Toastmasters

Delray Newsmakers Club

Plantation Club Sawgrass Toastmasters Club Scientifically Speaking

West Broward Toastmasters

South Dade Toastmasters Club

Weston Area Toastmasters Club

Wellington Toastmasters Club

Givers Gain Toastmasters Hollywood Toastmasters

3 New Members:

2 New Members:

Homestead Toastmasters Miami Beach Toastmasters

Bill Gove Golden Gavel

Abaco Lighthouse Beamers

Miami Lakes Club

Boca Raton Toastmasters

Chickcharney Toastmasters Club

Miracle Mile Toastmasters Club

Brickell Toastmasters Club

City of Delray Beach

Club Awesome Toastmasters Coral Gables Club

6 New Members: 5 New Members:

Miami Dade Toastmasters Club 4 New Members:

Toast of Las Olas Motorola Communicators Club North Miami Beach Toastmasters 16 New Members: Club

1st US Portuguese Toastmasters

Toastmasters at FIU Business

NSU Toastmasters

Do you work for a company with 100 or more employees at a single location? Does your company have a Toastmasters club? If not, think about starting one. Whatever product or service your company delivers, effective communication and leadership skills are necessary for professional growth. Many members of District 47 are dual members of community and corporate clubs which provides them with additional opportunities to develop their skills. Starting a new club is not as hard as it sounds. Contact me directly (lbrown@toastmastersd47.org) for details or check out the self-service materials at Toastmasters International: https://www.toastmasters.org/Membership/How-to-Start-a-New-Club Best wishes as you continue with your Spring Training! Yours â&#x20AC;&#x153;In Pursuit of Excellence!â&#x20AC;? Louis Brown, DTM District 47 Lt. Governor Marketing

TOASTMASTERS ACROSS DISTRICT 47 OUR MEMBERS ARE OUT AND ABOUT Publication Date

CLUB 1600 TOASTMASTERS

Club 1600 Toastmasters greet each other during the annual Ladies night held at Super Clubs Breezes, west Bay Street. With members saying this was one of the greatest ever and ladies saying they were totally blown away, it appears the Club has set new standards and raised the bar for Club 1600 ladies night. One lady said this was one of the best nights of her life! Submitted by Toastmaster J.C. Sweeting

WEST BOCA TOASTMASTERS It may be an understatement to say that Paul Finkelstein has caught the Toastmasters bug. Perhaps the bug caught him. Whatever the case, Toastmaster Finkelstein has been busy within his club, division and district. At the fall conference he served as an official photographer. He also has lent his considerable photography skills to other contests, and on the division and district Facebook pages. Recently, he scored an achievement of which he is most proud. After a whopping six months, he earned the competent communicator designation. As of March 16, he has completed two advanced speeches. Congratulations, Paul!

DELRAY NEWSMAKERS

On Monday, Feb. 23, Delray Newsmakers celebrated the club's 20th anniversary! Dignitaries and past club members stopped by to say hello and to celebrate with us. Dignitaries included Mike Thorn, DTM & Division C Governor; Lou Brown,,DTM & Lt Gov Marketing, District 47; Hieu Huynh, DTM; and Chim Francisco DTM & past Division C Governor. Club alumni members in attendance were Jerry Fernandez ,DTM, and Terri Karst. We were quite honored to have FIVE DTM’s with us for the evening. During brief, Table Topics-style presentations, the dignitaries each congratulated us, shared memories, and encouraged us to look towards the future (and of course, to continue learning). Martha Drescher, Area Governor, led the entre meeting in a wonderful one word Table Topics session. Thanks to the planning team led by Caroni O’Kelly, for organizing this event. During the regular meeting, we were both entertained and educated on topics ranging from Black History Month, to Immigration to Negotiations and a very challenging one word Table Topics session. Our experienced club members performed very well – even with all of the very accomplished guests in the audience. Overall, it was a memorable, fun and inspiring meeting. The club truly is blessed and appreciates all the support that we receive from the Division and District. The club members are energized by this milestone achievement and are working hard towards their next individual achievement. The club will achieve President’s Distinguished again this year – 8th year in a row and is looking forward to another 20 years of Toastmasters fun and learning! Submitted by Toastmaster Barry Doctor

TOASTMASTERS ACROSS DISTRICT 47 OUR MEMBERS ARE OUT AND ABOUT

COMMONWEALTH BANK BLUE DIAMONDS TOASTMASTERS

Commonwealth Bank Blue Diamonds Toastmasters Club #4209559 was officially welcomed into the District 47 family on February 17 during a Charter Ceremony conducted by District 47 Governor Anthony (Tony) Longley, DTM. The Installation of officers was performed by Division I Governor Delmaro Duncombe, DTM, and assisted by Area 90 Governor TM Franklyn Winder. Below are photos from this special event. At left, Tony Longley conducts charter ceremony. Right, Ozvon Pratt is installed as president of the new club. Below are the charter members, along with Longley, Duncombe and Winder, who joined in the celebration.

Marketing team needs you!

he Marketing Department of Toastmasters District 47 is responsible for all aspects of marketing, clubbuilding, and member- and club-retention efforts within the district. This includes defining an overall marketing strategy for the district, developing outreach and retention efforts with existing community and corporate clubs, and penetrating new markets. Additionally, the marketing area supports challenged clubs and helps them to become Distinguished. The marketing strategy guides the district in meeting membership and club-growth objectives. The team is led by the Lt. Governor Marketing who, with the approval of the District Governor, appoints members to chair marketing committees. The Committee Chairs help the Lt. Governor Marketing design, develop, and implement district marketing projects. Together, the marketing team creates a strong club-building program by appointing club sponsors and mentors for new clubs and club coaches and advocates for existing clubs that are struggling. Our mission is to build new clubs and support all clubs in achieving excellence in the Distinguished Club Program. Introducing Your Marketing Team: Louis Brown, DTM – Lt. Governor Marketing Beverly Cordner, DTM – Club Rescue Chair (Coaches and Advocates) Alejandro Crespo – Division A Coaching Chair Matt Eggersston – Division B Coaching Chair Rhonda Garcia – Division C Coaching Chair Barbara Strasdas, DTM – Division D Coaching Chair LaKeesha Morris – Division E Coaching Chair Elvis Collie – Division F Coaching Chair Leonardo Burrows, DTM – Division I Coaching Chair Michael Schoen – Club Extension Co-Chair (Sponsors and Mentors – South Florida) Vanessa Scott, DTM – Club Extension Co-Chair (Sponsors and Mentors – Bahamas) Rich Otten, DTM – Gavel Club Chair Helping Others Helps Ourselves The marketing team needs you! Several clubs in District 47 are struggling with low membership and need the help of experienced, knowledgeable Toastmasters to survive. Several prospective clubs are in the midst of being formed and need the help of enthusiastic, well-informed Toastmasters to succeed. If you are not yet a DTM, you will need to serve as a club sponsor, mentor or coach in order to satisfy the DTM requirements. If you are a DTM, you will receive enormous satisfaction helping fledgling or struggling clubs succeed in their quest to become Distinguished. Training is required to serve in these roles and will be offered at all upcoming Toastmasters Leadership Institute (TLI) events. Please see the district website – d47.toastmastersdistricts.org – for more information on TLIs, including dates and schedules. Please contact the Lt. Governor Marketing at lbrown@toastmastersd47.org if you have any other questions or need more information. Consider being a club sponsor, mentor, coach or advocate – you won’t regret it. Your help today will positively impact generations of Toastmasters to come! 14