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Welcome to Summertime!

Jennifer Schmidt - Senior Editor

When summer is in full swing, everyone seems happier to embrace the nice
weather which is a special treat in the Pacific Northwest. We eagerly trade in our
rain boots for summer sandals, and look forward to picnics in the park with our
friends.

Friendship is an integral part of Toastmasters, and the way we interact with each
other has shifted through the years. Due to the pandemic, Toastmasters changed
its format from mostly in-person meetings to being primarily online. This created
an opportunity to eventually transition into hybrid meetings, giving everyone the
chance to attend, no matter where they were physically located.

District 7 leadership decided our 2024 annual conference would also be a hybrid.
This allowed Dr. Randy Harvey, DTM, the World Champion of Public Speaking in
2004, a larger audience who could benefit from his keynote speech and contest
experience.

For those Toastmasters who weren’t able to attend, we have highlights from the EDITORIAL
conference, including speaking tips from Dr. Harvey. Many photos also fill these
pages, including the District 7 winners of our Table Topics and International Speech
contests!

In this issue, we will also feature the newly elected Leadership Trio along with a
focus on news from Divisions C and D. Other stories that are included in this edition
will be the benefits of mentorship, finding your inspiration, and results of the Com-
munity Safety Conference.

Finally, we will be announcing the winner of the Conference Photo Contest. Hope-
fully you picked your favorite photo last month in order to be part of our drawing
for a special Toastmasters momento.

Voices! is definitely a great addition to your summer reading list! Perhaps you’ll
take the time to enjoy browsing this edition while sipping a refreshing iced tea. A
perfect combination for you to savor, that hopefully, will be a sweet and satisfying
experience.

District Director
Volume 10 Issue 4 July 2024
Publisher Dr. Gwendolyn Avington Voices! is published Quarterly by District 7
Leela Seeber DTM Toastmasters.
Program Quality Director
Senior Editor Phyllis Harmon, DTM First issue published August 2014.
Jennifer Schmidt
Club Growth Director Submit articles or contact us at
Associate Editor Fred Bergeron, DTM voices@d7toastmasters.org
Leanna Lindquist, DTM
4 Voices!