DISTRICT 47
THE SUNSHINER Newsletter Title Organization Name
News from Southeast Florida and The Bahamas Volume 1, Issue 1
Newsletter Date
To a s t m a s t e r s s t re t c h a s a u t h o r s
2014-2015 District 47
September 2014 INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Club anniversaries Lt. Gov. Marketing District Highlights
Fall conference time District Governor Anthony (Tony) Longley is already excited about the upcoming conference in West Palm Beach. He wants us to get excited, too! Page 3.
MEETING THE AUTHOR: Marlene Bryan, DTM, signs copies of her book, Live a Diamond Life! Live a Life of Purpose, at a Toastmasters event this summer. She and other District 47 Toastmasters are teaching others how to write, publish and promote their books.
Ready to assist Lieutenant Governor of Marketing Jeanine Kinsey says Area Governors and district leaders are ready to help clubs that are off to a shaky start. Pages 6, 7, 8.
Help wanted Public Relations Officer Marlene Bryan wants photographers, videographers to help take pictures at the Fall conference. Page 9.
Around District 47 Check out the achievements and activities, as submitted by our members. Page 10.
FORT LAUDERDALE — “Conceive, connect and create” is the theme for a workshop recently hosted by Toastmasters International and more than a dozen local authors who cover a spectrum of genres and tastes. The Day with the Authors workshop was held on a Saturday morning at the AfricanAmerican Research Library and Cultural Center in Fort Lauderdale. The event, billed by as a must see, provided would-be authors with information about self-publishing, book launch strategies, targeting their readers and speaking to sell books. Attendees will hear presentations from up to 30 self-published authors including Toastmasters Antoinette Smith, Lydia Harris, Kingsley Grant, Larry Benovitz, Marlene M. Bryan and other authors across the South Florida communities. In addition, Miramar Commissioner Wayne Messam will make a presentation on the importance of the written word. Messam belongs to a Toastmasters club at the Fountain of New Life Church in Miami Gardens. "We want to help would-be authors learn about writing, publishing and marketing their books. We also want to emphasize the value of the written word in uplifting our communities," said Bryan, the District 47 public relations officer with Toastmasters International. Continued on Page 2
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
Toastmasters stretch in roles as authors Continued from Page 1 Seminole Casino Hollywood Toastmasters Club in conjunction with Friends of the African American Library and Cultural Center presented the showcase, which also focused on the importance of oral and written word, and the organization. Toastmasters International helps men, women and children develop public speaking and leadership skills. There are more than 14,600 clubs throughout the world, including 152 in the district that covers southeast Florida and the Bahamas.
Damien KT Miller, DTM Lt. Governor Marketing Jeanine Kinsey, 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
Bryan said that many Toastmasters aspire to write a book or perhaps they have written books but wondered how to get the word out about it. Such events allow would-be authors to learn about the process of writing, publishing and marketing their books. They also give exposure to the Toastmasters organization, which helps people overcome their fears of public speaking while developing their leadership skills. Bryan is a distinguished Toastmaster, inspirational speaker and life coach. Her self-help book is Live a Diamond Life! Live a Life of Purpose. She is one of a few black female sales engineer managers in a field dominated by men. She and about 15 other authors provided tips to attendees. Other speakers included: Carline Francois writes about her faith in Enough is Enough Already. Her book is a fictional account of a woman of faith who experiences tragedies that make her start to doubt her faith and leads to her fuller understanding of the meaning of faith.
Div. C: Michael Thorn, DTM Div. D: Valerie Johnson, ACB/ALB Div. E: Jason Stewart, ACS/CL Div. F: Deborah Young, DTM
Kingsley Grant has written the book Two Steps to ForGIFTness to help people get past the pain of past relationships and issues; how to learn to forgive when their heart says, no.
Div. I: Delmaro Duncombe, DTM OTHER DISTRICT OFFICERS
TLI Training Coordinator: Antoinette Fox, DTM Contest Coordinator: Indira Sands,
Dr. Welma Palmer was raised in Jamaica and is an ordained minister who has been married to a minister for 44 years and raised a family. Her book, Untold Miracles, details her life of struggles, faith and victory.
Fall Conference Chair: Diana Loy, DTM Spring Conference Chair: Lydia Harris, DTM Club Coach & Advocate Chair: Beverly Cordner, DTM Webmaster: Stanley Lloyd, CC
Georgina D.N. Robinson is a mediator and peace builder as well as an elder law attorney. She is the founder of readingpaysmore.com whose mission is for every child to read above grade level. Her book is My Bright Bright Light—a children’s story about learning to share.
Parliamentarian: Audit Chair: Glenn Parks, ACS/CL Social Media Chair: Maria Alexandra Sanchez, DTM Sunshiner Editor: Andrea Robinson, ACB/CL
Andrea Robinson, ACB/CL Sunshiner Editor
Copy Editor/Proofreader: Hieu Huynh
2
Fall conference excitement is in the air! Are you ready?
I
n a few weeks, members from all over the District (Southeast Florida & The Bahamas) will come together in West Palm Beach, Florida to attend the District 47, 2014 Fall Conference. How about you… will you be there? At this conference, we will celebrate the success of our members and show our appreciation to you for achieving success in your Clubs. We will hear the funniest speakers from seven Divisions; each being the winner of their Division’s Humorous Speech Contest. Also, some of the most constructive critics in our District will compete in the Evaluation Contest. The conference theme is “Broadway” and we look forward to sharing with you during this very special occasion. See you at the Double Tree Hotel, November 7 – 9. Are you on target to achieve at least one education award this year? There is no greater feeling than to hear the applause of fellow Toastmasters as you are recognized for achieving an education award. To top it off, you receive a beautiful certificate from Toastmasters International to display in your home office or at work. You can also request a congratulatory letter be sent to your Manager. Now that’s special! Imagine if you achieve two or three education awards this year, then it means you get three certificates and three opportunities to impress your employer. In Toastmasters, members are special because “Members Make It Happen”! Without you, there would be no Clubs. Can we count on you to invite at least one new member to join your Club this year? This is a good time to give others the opportunity to enhance their communication and leadership skills. What makes Toastmasters so special is the number of lifelong friends you meet when you become a member. We have so many resources in our District and in Toastmasters worldwide. This is certainly worth sharing with your community. So, share the stage of Broadway with everyone with whom you come in contact, so they too can experience the “lights, camera and action” that is Toastmasters! See you soon… on Broadway! Toastfully,
Anthony “Tony” Longley, DTM DISTRICT GOVERNOR, DISTRICT 47 “In Pursuit of Excellence” District 47 Region 8"In Pursuit of Excellence" District 47|Region 8 Toastmasters International "WHERE LEADERS ARE MADE" Email: tlongley@toastmastersd47.org website: www.toastmastersd47.org website: www.toastmasters.org
3
Getting to know our fellow Toastmasters Name: Michael E. Thorn District 47 Office: Division C Governor Location (i.e. city of residence): Boca Raton, FL Hobbies: Academia Number of years in Toastmasters International: Six Home Club: Sensor Toast In a sentence, describe how Toastmasters has changed your life: Greater number of personal contacts. WhoGreater life: is your mentor number in ofToastmasters? personal contacts. Why? Chim Francisco ….. Personal style and expertise Describe Who is your yourmentor most memorable in Toastmasters? speech/presentation: Why? Chim Francisco Loss of ….. comrade in SEA Advice forstyle Personal a beginning and expertise Toastmaster: Stay the course. Describe your most memorable speech/presentation: Loss of comrade in SEA Advice for a beginning Toastmaster: Stay the course.
Name: Vincent Edwards District 47 Office: Area 62 Governor, Division F Location (i.e. city of residence): Nassau, The Bahamas Hobbies: Electronics, gardening, reading Number of years in Toastmasters International: 14 years Home Club: E.T. Communicators 1050379 In a sentence, describe how Toastmasters has changed your life: I have grown from being introverted not giving up any speaking opportunity. Who is your mentor in Toastmasters? Ted Wood, DTM Why? He stands for tenacity and “just do it” which are very important life lessons. Describe your most memorable speech/presentation: Informational speech about electrical energy. My audience including the instructor enjoyed the speech and asked many questions. Advice for a beginning Toastmaster: Decide what you want from the program and let your decision determine how much you put into it.
4
Name: Tarell Knowles District 47 Office: Division I, Area 94 Governor Location (i.e. city of residence): Freeport, Grand Bahama, Bahamas Hobbies: Learning new cultures, meeting people, surfing internet, hanging with family & friends, mentoring young ladies. Number of years in Toastmasters International: 4 years Home Club: Soaring Eagles of South Eleuthera In a sentence, describe how Toastmasters has changed your life: Toastmasters impacted my life by allowing me to gain more confidence in myself, which trickled down in other areas of my life. Who is your mentor in Toastmasters? Jason Springer is my mentor in Toastmasters. Not only is he a seasoned Toastmaster, he is very passionate about it, which ignites the fire in me; and whenever he sees me lagging behind, he always reminds me why I joined. Describe your most memorable speech/presentation: My most memorable speech was “Starting Over”. I was very fond of that speech because I was transitioning in so many areas of my life, and had to leave many things in my past, and for the first time I realized that walking away doesn’t always mean that you are a quitter, but that you are strong enough to know when to move on to better things. Advice for a beginning Toastmaster: My advice for new Toastmasters is that you are only going to get out what you put in. It isn’t always going to be a bed of roses, there will be some hurdles but you have to press through. It is imperative to find a mentor where there is shared interest so that they can encourage through your low points. Name: Heather Mahoney District 47 Office: Division A Governor Location (i.e. city of residence): Hollywood Hobbies: Music, my son Number of years in Toastmasters International: 3.5 Home Club: Good Morning Gelfand Toastmasters Club In a sentence, describe how Toastmasters has changed your life: It has allowed me to hone my skills Who is your mentor in Toastmasters? Why? – I do not have a mentor. I see TMs with great habits and I adopt those to my speaking and presentation style. Describe your most memorable speech/presentation: I filled in at the last moment and delivered a speech titled the Division of Dick – the Road to be a DTM
Advice for a beginning Toastmaster: Be open to the possibilities 5
Club having challenges? We’re here to help!
A
ll of our clubs have been very busy this month! Everyone should have received at least one visit from their Area Governor at this point. If you have not, they should be seeing you this month as they complete the first round of Official Club Visits. Please let them know if you need any support, or are having any specific challenges so they can let us know. Challenges and Incentives: Earlier this month, we sent out all of the Club Challenges for this year. Each month, I will recognize those clubs that have met the Marketing Challenges for that month. Congratulations to City of Miami Gardens Toastmasters Club! For chartering within 30 Days of their Kickoff, they will receive a new Club Banner. For Chartering by September 30th, they will receive a $25 Gift Certificate to the Toastmasters Store. For Chartering this year, they will receive the Club Meeting Plaque. Congratulations to the following clubs for paying their dues by September 16th. Each club will receive 4 CL Manuals at the Fall Conference.
Division
Area
Division
Area
A
10
Club Name Beacon Point Advanced
D
41
Hobe Sound Toasters
A
10
Weston Area Toastmasters Club
D
41
Juno How To Talk
A
11
Davie Toastmasters
D
41
Palm City Orators
A
13
Miami Lakes Club
D
42
Gold Coast Toastmasters Club
A
13
Tyco Talkers
D
42
Power-Full Voices
A
13
Universal Toastmasters Club #7653
D
42
Secure Speakers Toastmaster Club
B
20
Latamasters
D
43
Palm Beach Advanced Toastmasters
B
20
Pompano Beach Toastmasters
D
43
The Palm Beach Toastmasters Club
B
21
Early Bird Club
D
44
Freddy's Forum Toastmasters Club
B
21
Great Fort Lauderdale Toastmasters Club
E
50
Voice Of Champions Club
B
21
Toast Of The Gold Coast Club
E
51
Toastmasters At FIU Business
B
22
BPB Talking Heads
E
52
Brickell Toastmasters Club
B
23
American Express Tech Talkers
E
53
Coral Gables Club
B
23
Plantation Club
E
53
South Dade Toastmasters Club
B
23
Sawgrass Toastmasters Club
F
60
Achievers of Excellence Club #1811702
B
24
Club Awesome Toastmasters
F
60
Healing Communicators Club
B
24
West Broward Toastmasters
F
60
Pinnacle Seekers
C
30
Bill Gove Golden Gavel Club
F
61
BAF Stars Toastmasters Club
C
30
Delray Newsmakers Club
F
61
Cable Beach West Club
6
Club Name
From Our District Lt. Governor Marketing: We’re
here to help
Division
Area
Division
Area
C
30
Palm Beach Noon Toastmasters Club
F
62
Dynamic Persuaders
C
31
Boca Raton Noon Toastmasters Club
F
63
B.P.S.U. Majestic Marlins Toastmasters Club
C
31
Boca Raton Toastmasters
F
63
E.T. Communicators
C
32
NCCI Toastmasters
I
90
Action Communicators Extraordinaire
C
32
Sensor Toast Club
I
90
Fidelity Toastmasters of Distinction
C
33
1st US Portuguese Toastmasters
I
90
First Bahamas Branch of Toastmasters
C
33
Boca Raton Advanced Toastmasters
I
91
Ernest T. Strachan Club Advanced TM Club
Club Name
Club Name
C
34
Club Paradise
I
91
Scotia Dynasty Club
D
40
Fort Pierce Toastmasters
I
92
Action For Achievement Club 1095
D
40
Port St. Lucie Speakers
I
92
B.U.T. Nation Builders
D
40
Stuart Martin Chamber
I
92
Cable Revolutionaries Toastmasters 2591529
D
40
Talking Heads of Stuart
I
93
Abaco Lighthouse Beamers
D
40
Treasure Coast Toastmasters Club
I
93
Freeport Eagles
D
41
High Voltage Voices
I
94
Luminaries Toastmasters Club #1510789
Our next challenge is for those clubs who show 85% Retention on October 31st This means that you have at least 85% of your club base as of July 1, 2014 paid to Toastmasters by October 31st. These clubs will receive 10 Best Evaluator Ribbons + 10 Best Speaker Ribbons + 10 Best Table Topics Ribbons. If these do not arrive in time for the Conference, they will be delivered at the TLIs or Division Contests. Please review the Challenges for the rest of the year as well as the Prize Options. Most of the other Challenge winners will be awarded points that may be redeemed for the prizes that your club is most interested in. This is a great opportunity for you to compare the Challenges with your Club Success Plan and set goals to earn the prizes that will benefit your members the most. Does your club need hellp? Now that your members have renewed their dues, it is time to assess your club status. Do you have less than 12 members? Do you have 12 – 16 members? If you answered yes to either of these questions, we want to help! Please contact your Beverly Cordner at bcordner@toastmastersd47.org and let her know that your club would like a Club Coach or Club Advocate to help you get back to 20 members and be a Distinguished Club this year. What are Club Coaches and Advocates you ask? They are members just like you that have attended training and want to help your club. They are NOT spies or judges. They will come in and work with your club to see what you are doing well, and what you can improve to attract and retain members in your club as well as meeting the other goals in the DCP Program. The Coaching Program is an official Toastmasters Program and Coaches who help a club achieve Distinguished Status can earn credit towards their DTM. The Advocate Program is a District 47 Program which looks much like the Coaching Program, but Advocates do not receive DTM credit from TI. They may use this position to complete a High Performance Leadership Project instead. If you are interested in serving as a Coach or Advocate, we will be offering the training at the Fall Conference and the Winter TLIs. You are encouraged to attend one of these trainings to learn more about the program and to be added to our list of certified Coaches and Advocates. New Clubs: While we are supporting our current clubs, we are also working to start new clubs. If you know a company or a group that is interested in starting a new club, please contact Michael Schoen in Florida
7
Club having challenges? We’re here to help! (mschoen@toastmastersd47.org) or Vanessa Scott in the Bahamas (vscott@toastmastersd47.org) and give them the details. This team is looking for Sponsors and Mentors who are willing to help our new clubs start off on the right foot. Both of these positions offer DTM Credit for the Member who successfully Sponsors a new club through the charter process or Mentors a club through the first 6 months after Chartering. If you are interested in being a Sponsor or Mentor, we will be offering the training at the Fall Conference and the Winter TLIs. You are encouraged to attend one of these trainings to learn more about the program and to be added to our list of certified Sponsors and Mentors. I look forward to seeing everyone at the Fall Conference in West Palm Beach. Jeanine Kinsey Lieutenant Governor Marketing District 47 Toastmasters 954-778-0599 (cell) jkinsey@toastmastersd47.org www.toastmastersd47.org CLUB CHARTER ANNIVERSARIES FOR SEPTEMBER 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! Date
Years
Club Name
City
Club
Area
Division
9/1/1960
54 Gold Coast
Palm Beach Gardens
2727
42
D
9/1/1963
51 Early Bird
Fort Lauderdale
3659
21
B
9/1/1971
43 Boca Raton
Boca Raton
3299
31
C
9/1/1985
29 Pembroke Pines
Pembroke Pines
6003
11
A
12 Office Depot Toastmasters Club
Boca Raton
9086
32
C
9/10/2002 9/28/2005
9 Scotia Dynasty
Nassau
829842
91
I
9/29/2005
9 Club Destiny
Freeport
839960
93
I
9/17/2008
6 Hobe Sound Toasters
Hobe Sound
1206922
41
D
9/5/2008
6 NCCI
Boca Raton
1216633
32
C
9/3/2008
6 The Soaring Orators of Johnson Park Nassau
1227605
62
F
9/29/2009
5 FCC
Pembroke Pines
1390883
20
B
9/29/2011
3 Scientifically Speaking
Jupiter
1778344
42
D
9/10/2012
2 LexisNexis Risk Boca Raton
Boca Raton
2709556
33
C
8
9
Public Relations Corner:
C
A call for shutterbugs and videographers!
alling All Photographers and Videographers
Do you love to take pictures and/or videos? Do you have a camera or a videocamera? Are you attending the District 47 Fall Conference? What is a great show without paparazzi? We need paparazzi to take photos and videos of our Broadway stars at the District 47 Fall Conference Friday through Sunday, Nov. 7 - 9, 2014. You will be assigned to cover a specific slot for: the opening ceremony, contests, workshops, media wall, luncheon award session, D47 business meeting and other activities throughout the weekend. If you are still in the Competent Leadership manual, this may be a great way to fulfill one of the leadership requirements. Help to make this a memorable event by helping us to capture lasting images and video. Please contact our Lead Photographer, John Schneyer by sending an email to jschneyer@toastmastersd47.org and Marlene M. Bryan at mbryan@toastmastersd47.org. See you there when we say: “Lights, camera, action!�
10
11
12
Greeting the Governor General GOVERNMENT HOUSE--NASSAU, BAHAMAS: Toastmaster JC Sweeting, the Chaplain of the Gideons International (Nassau) greets Dame Marguerite Pindling Governor General for the Commonwealth of the Bahamas during a presentation of a Dignitary Bible.
Toastmaster Sweeting is a member of three Toastmasters Club in Nassau, Bahamas.
He’s “On the Grow” “Homestead
Toastmaster Club member Mike Williams (above), is really on-the-grow,” says Richard Erschik, the Club’s president. Since joining the five months ago, Mike has not only completed his CC, but he has also volunteered to be Area Governor and has been selected. And if that’s not enough of an accomplishment, Mike has also volunteered to help Richard with his quest to introduce the Toastmaster’s program to their area’s Job Corps students, in a dedicated 4-week program. “I’m considerably older than Mike,” Erschik said, “and I can tell how valuable this is all going to be for him as he gets to flex his Toastmasters muscle in the real-world.”
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. A schedule of upcoming issues and cutoff dates will appear in an upcoming issue of The Sunshiner.
13