Coming soon…THE PARTY OF THE CENTURY!!!

By Michelle Cobb-King, Florida Blue Toastmasters

November 14 – 16, 2014 Jacksonville, FL will be the site of District 84’s Party of the Century. The fall conference will be held in historic Jacksonville on our picturesque Riverwalk. The conference theme is a Weekend in Black and White with Truman Capote. This theme was selected as a way of reminding and motivating our members, clubs, areas, and divisions into action. Truman Capote held his famous, or infamous, gala event as a means of thanking the many friends and associates who had supported and rallied behind him prior to his fame. He wanted to say “Thank You” and express his sincere gratitude to the special people in his life. It is our hope this theme will motivate the members of District 84 to analyze their reasons for joining Toastmasters, as well how they can take the skills they have acquired and give back to their communities and the Toastmasters organization.

A Thank You to Toastmasters.

We intend for this weekend to be a tribute to the idea of giving back to Toastmasters. Allow your creative side to takeover in your pursuit to give back to our clubs, areas, divisions, and the district. The perfect endeavor could be becoming more involved in the mentoring program. Most thriving toastmaster clubs can credit their success to a solid mentoring program. Besides, every toastmaster deserves an amazing mentor. Why not become that mentor?

Friday night comes are you are.

As with the original Party of the Century, this conference will be hottest ticket in Jacksonville come November 14th!!! The weekend will be a bow to Capote, his acceptance of others, and an embrace of ALL  things black and/or white. Friday night’s costume is a TRUE anything goes, as long as its black and/or white. Come as your favorite superhero, character, TV personality, or internet maven, in black/white of course!

        

Saturday night will be a salute to Capote’s gala event.

Dust off your evening gowns and tuxedos. Saturday will be a masked black and white ball. We want to see just how well you “clean up”. We will have a ball trying to figure who’s behind that mask. We hope every- one will understand this night will be dedicated to thanking Toastmasters for all it has done for us and play- ing it forward in our clubs, area, divisions, district, and community. How can you ensure that Toastmasters membership is one of the hottest tickets in town? How will you pay it forward?

Truman Capote Checks His Mask

Read or download all the articles in the NEW SUNTALKER 2014-2015 Volume 1

 

District 84 is Distinguished!!!

By Dee Melvin, DTM, Immediate Past District 84 Governor

The District 84 2013-2014 Leadership Team led the District to Distinguished!!! This is an enviable accomplishment, achieved only once before in the history of District 84.

The Distinguished District Program recognizes those districts that meet Toastmasters International’s goals for growth and educational achievement. The program is also a management tool to help district lead- ers to focus on increasing membership, forming new clubs, and ensuring clubs are meeting the needs of their members. Ultimately, success in the Distinguished District Program is derived from focus on the member. Every district that meets recognition program prerequisites and goals may become a Distinguished, Select Distinguished, or President’s Distinguished District. The program is designed so that earning recognition is based on performance, not district size.

I had a phone call from our International President, George Yen, to congratulate us on being Distinguished. He asked me what I thought made the difference this year. My response was “A team that refused to take no for an answer”. After thinking about it for a while, I realized this statement is not completely true. Although this year’s team worked extremely hard, we have had dedicated leaders every year who worked hard toward the District being Distinguished. This year it seems everything came together perfectly at exactly the right time.

The requirements to be Distinguished are that the District must have three-percent net membership payments growth, three percent net club growth and at least 40 percent of the clubs must be Distinguished or better.  Bringing in club number 183 was an exercise in perseverance.  There were times when I just knew it would not happen, but the team working with the club simply refused to take no for an answer and, at the end of the day, they did it!!!

I cannot tell you how proud I am of this leadership team.  They worked and played hard together.

They supported each other and gave more than I thought was possible.  I can only say “Thank You, Thank You, Thank You”.

Read or download all the articles in the NEW SUNTALKER 2014-2015 Volume 1

Thirty-something?

If talking about age, many of us would love to venture back to those days, while others are closing in on that number faster than they thought. But one thing you can’t deny, is that the number 30, historically refers to the age of maturity...of growth...of energy. And that is exactly what Lt. Governor Marketing, Nancy Hoehn had in mind when planning for an exciting new year for our District, for our clubs and especially for our members.

If you’re not already in a club with at least thirty members, you might not have experienced the beauty of having a super club, running on cruise control!  Can you imagine having a full agenda at each meeting, a full slate of club officers who are no longer over-worked, and an energized, full room every week? Well, Nancy can! This is why she has developed a number of membership-building incentives, a bevy of useful tools and a whole team of committee chairs, dedicated to serving YOU.

More on this exciting program will be communicated every month with every club’s Vice President of Membership.  Of course this does require a team effort with every member working together to make it happen. So fasten your seat belts and get ready for the most exciting year of your TM experience!

A New Year, a New MOTLEY Krew

By SunTalker Editor Donna Lazarek

This year the new Chair of the District 84 Moments of Truth (MOT) Program, Lodivic Middlebrook, is bringing some exciting changes to the MOT Program.  I recently caught up with Lodivic and some of the officers within Division B at the Division B Officer Training in West Melbourne to find out more about the MOT program.  

Lodivic is continuing to lead the program initiated last year by Jack Hoyt.  Club members throughout the District are encouraged to become members of the MOTLEY Krew by presenting the Moments of Truth Program at their own clubs and at other clubs throughout the district.  Each club is encouraged to present the MOT twice per year.

You may ask “Why should my club do the Moments of Truth?”  So I asked some of the club members who had the MOT presented at their clubs last year what they thought. 

Debra Snyder of South Beach Toastmasters said “It made members more aware of what we can do to improve morale and build membership.  It is a wonderful tool for everyone!  It encourages everyone to get involved.”

Mary Arnold of Collins Club said it’s “good to help make members aware of what to work on and not to work on and lets new members know about the program”.

Pim Love, a member of several clubs including Sebastian Fellsmere Toastmasters, South Beach Toastmasters and Collins Club said that the Moments of Truth helps encourage “member participation and ideas.  It is a good idea to do it twice a year at the beginning and end because you don’t always get the same people.” 

In addition to the benefits to the club, because this pro-gram is believed to be of such value, the District will recognize those individuals who present the MOT program.  New this year, anyone who presents the MOT at three different clubs in the district and reports back to the MOT chair will be recognized and presented with a MOT pin at the spring conference.  Similar to the League of Volun-teers (LOV) pin last year, there will be a contest for the design of the MOT pin.  Also, leading a MOT session is one of the activities that can earn

If you want to present the MOT at your club or serve as a member of the MOTLEY Krew, you can find out more about the MOT program from Toastmasters International www.toastmasters.org/momentsoftruth, and the District 84 website under tools and tips www.toastmastersd84.org/clubs.html or email the 2014-2015 MOTLEY Krew Chair, Lodivic Middlebrook

Let’s Do This! by Monty Ray Davidson

Since coming back from the World Conference of Public Speaking last summer, I’ve had many requests to share what it was like to compete in the WCPS.  What was going through my mind during the competition?

That-I remember vividly. 

“What if my shoe comes off during my speech and goes flying across the stage!!??  I’m sure the Judges will pick up on that!”  This is what’s going through my mind waiting to go on stage at the 2013 World Championship of Public Speaking.  This is it! The Finals! The Big Show!   Here I am obsessing about loose footwear.  That’s typical for me.  Stooping quickly in the semidarkness back stage, I re-tie the laces.  There!  It’s fine, now focus up.  “Let’s do this!” I say with the conviction of an action hero in a summer blockbuster movie.

Let’s do this!  It’s been my mantra since starting on this incredible journey that started at the Club level back in January 2013 (light years ago it seems).  A journey that’s led all the way to Cincinnati , Ohio, and the World Stage.  I’m honored to share this moment with eight other talented speakers.  Together, we represent Bulgaria, Dubai, The U.S., South Africa, and New Zealand.  48 hours ago, I didn’t know any of them.  Now, I count them among the bravest people on earth.

All of the Finalists opted to be backstage, to utilize every possible moment to warm up - vocally, mentally, and physically.  All of us want to be at the absolute best we can be when we step out there live.  Yes, LIVE!  Around the planet on this early August morning, Toastmasters from thousands of locations are tuning in to catch this broadcast.  Who wouldn’t want to be at their best?

As I pace the hallways, running my speech, I quickly check the pockets.  Cell phone turned off?  Check! As an added precaution it’s also powered off, wrapped in a wash cloth, and locked in my hotel room safe.  All pockets are empty, and so is my stomach.  A reverberating growl through my lower intestinal tract reminds me that the half an energy bar at 4 am that morning is long gone.  So what?  I’ll eat later, sleep later, do everything later!  Right now, it’s all about this speech, this moment, this shoe that won’t stay tied!!!

In the labyrinth of backstage hallways and storage rooms I pass my fellow Finalists. Some are mobile like me, constantly on the move.  Some have “staked out” little areas to practice their presentations.  In the midst of the focus and preparation we acknowledge each other with a nod, fist bump, hand shake, hug, and a word of encouragement.  Then back to the focus.  Right now it’s about getting the message right, the story, and the connection with the audience; fine tuning each sentence, gesture, and beat.

I pass one of the backstage monitors.  I hear generous laughter and clapping. Everyone’s doing so great.  A Tech signals me by holding up 4 fingers.  Number 4, that’s me.  I go and get fitted with a mic.  I make sure it’s anchored, as I’ve got some big physical movements coming up.  I pass behind the big screen, following the white tape arrows to the ramp leading up to the entrance on Stage Right.  I take a last sip of room temperature water.  I check my shoes one last time.  Top of the ramp, we’re in the one minute of silence zone (The longest minute ever!).  I hear flashes of inspirational quotes from Joan of Arc, Sir Winston Churchill, my daughter.  “I love you most, like jelly on toast Dad!”  I hear my heart pounding in my chest, and hope the mic isn’t picking that up!  I hear my name, the curtains part, there’s thunderous applause.    I see the lights, the International flags, the Contest Chair, the audience.  I step through the parted curtain onto the World Stage, and I think, “Let’s do this! And my shoe had better not come off!”

Monty Ray Davidson, ALB/ACG, belongs to the World Toasters at Walt Disney World Fl. and the Orlando Advanced Toasters in Orlando Fl.  He is currently working on his first book, King of the Monkey Bars.