D47 Sunshiner - November 2014

DISTRICT 47

THE SUNSHINER Newsletter Title Organization Name

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

Newsletter Date

N ove m b e r : A t i m e f o r T h a n k s g i v i n g

B 2014-2015

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!

District 47

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!

November 2014 INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Club anniversaries

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

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

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

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

November: A time for Thanksgiving 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!

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

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!”

Div. E: Jason Stewart, ACS/CL Div. F: Deborah Young, DTM

Happy Thanksgiving!

Div. I: Delmaro Duncombe, DTM OTHER DISTRICT OFFICERS

Toastfully,

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

Anthony “Tony” Longley, DTM DISTRICT 47 GOVERNOR, 2014-2015

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

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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

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TLI Season is upon us! Are you ready? .

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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 districtsponsored 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.

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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.

Challenge 2014-2015 Goal 2014-2015 Awards Club CC 4 CC’s by Nov. 30. 2014 25 Points Challenge Club AC 2 AC’s by Nov. 30, 2014 10 Points Challenge Club DCP 5 DCP points by Nov. 30, 2014 30 Points Challenge Club AC 4 AC’s by Nov. 30, 2014 20 Points Challenge Club CL/AL Combination of 2 CL’s/AL’s by 25 Points Challenge Nov. 30, 2014 Club DCP 8 DCP points by Dec. 31, 2014 10 Points + Entered in a Drawing for a Free Spring Challenge Conference Registration Club CL/AL Combination of 4 CL’s/AL’s by 40 Points Challenge Dec. 31, 2014 (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

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Introducing our new Lt. Governor Marketing “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.

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Giving thanks for new clubs, new members, new achievements

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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: 7

Giving thanks for new clubs, new members, new achievements 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.

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Giving thanks for new clubs, new members, new achievements

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

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Name: Aimee Lucas

THE MORE YOU KNOW

District 47 Office: Area 42 Governor

LEARN ABOUT YOUR FELLOW TOASTMASTERS

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.

#D47 Toastmasters, Let us hear from you!

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.

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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!

Charter Club Name

City

Club #

North Miami Beach

North Miami Beach

Palm Beach Noon

Lake Worth

Beckman Coulter

Area Division

Date

Years

3840

14

A

11/1/1964

50

22

30

C

11/1/1974

40

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

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Understanding the value of Meetup in boosting club enrollment

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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.

image by: http://www.ftsociety.org/wpcontent/uploads/Meetup-Logo-1med1.jpg

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.

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Understanding the value of Meetup in boosting club enrollment 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/learnmore/. 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.

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Thank YOU!!! You Are Appreciated

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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!

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DIVISION 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 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

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DIVISION 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 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

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

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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.

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

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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.

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.

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