Page 9 - September 2017 Voices

JUST SAYIN’ . . .

Getting Ready

by Donna Stark, DTM—District Director

I’ve been told that time flies like an arrow. I’ve full-on experience
also been told that fruit flies like a banana. This we would have had at
time last month I was preparing for our trip to home, but it was still pretty cool.
Vancouver B.C. It was an intense week of travel, It’s hard for me to pick just a few convention
training, networking, and excitement. I laughed, highlights. There were so many! The sessions on
I cried, and I tried to soak everything in. I hope storytelling and how to improve your stories were
each of you will have an opportunity to attend a high on my list. The presentation by Golden
Toastmasters International Convention. There’s Gavel award recipient Erin Gruwell left me in
nothing quite like it! awe. And of course, I cheered when D7’s Quint
My Toastmasters week started as I boarded Crispin was presented a second place trophy in
the airplane in Eugene. Imagine my surprise to his semi-final contest!
see former International President Gary Schmidt The convention really illustrated for me
on my flight. The D7 reunion continued at PDX, that Toastmasters is an INTERNATIONAL
and I was joined on the plane to Vancouver organization. I met, and shared with, and
by Michelle Alba-Lim and Emilie Taylor. We learned from, Toastmasters from all over the
weren’t five minutes into our flight and Emilie globe. Dublin, Dubai, London, Portugal, India,
was sharing the benefits of Toastmasters with Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, Germany. . .there are
the newly-retired woman behind me. She told Toastmasters clubs in over 140 countries, with
the young couple from London how to find a so much in common.
club near them. A Club Growth Director is never I’m a better Toastmaster and I’m better
off-duty! prepared to fill my role because of the experience.
Toastmasters International provided two full It was an amazing week. And yet, there’s no place
days of training to district leaders. Well, with like home. . . with the Pathways rollout to look
the possible exception of a ten to fifteen minute forward to!
period when those of us that had eclipse viewing Yes, Pathways is here! More on that next
glasses bolted to the nearest viewing areas to month. Until then, I encourage you to Find Your
partake in the long-awaited event. It wasn’t the Path.

Distrct 7 Toastmasters gather for a group photo at
the Toastmasters International Convention with
our semi-finals, 2nd place winner Quint Crispin.
L to R: Jim Daniel, Becky Holm, Leanna
Lindquist, Emilie Taylor, Quint Crispin, Gabrielle
Proust, Phyllis Harmon, Dick Parsons, Lana
Parsons

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