Page 4 - Voices 2024-10

Falling into the Second Quarter for Voices!

Jennifer Schmidt - Senior Editor

It’s hard to believe it has been an entire year since Voices! became a quarterly publica-
tion. As Senior Editor, I’ve learned a lot and I’m glad I said yes to our Publisher Leela
Seeber last year. She envisioned a new direction for Voices! and invests several hours
throughout the year in order to make that vision a reality. This is not a small undertak-
ing, as she also serves as the Public Relations Manager for District 7. I’m truly impressed
by her commitment to Toastmasters.

This level of devotion also includes the support of a talented team, including, Phyllis
Harmon, the original Publisher of Voices! for District 7, and Leanna Lindquist who
continues her role as our Associate Editor. I also want to acknowledge all of our con-
tributors over this past year, including: Jim Robison, Harvey Schowe, David Freedman,
Robin Wheeler, Maria Grazia Repetto, Fred Bergeron, Cristina Patrick, Dr. Gwendolyn
Avington, B. Lee Coyne, Theron Hall, Nuchanath Aumpradithpun, Kristin Webb-Tomp-
son, and Albert Wright.

I think it’s important to regularly thank and acknowledge each person, because they
volunteer their time and energy to make Voices! a rich tapestry of stories. These arti-
cles entertain and inspire us to strive for excellence. Our hope is these stories will also
inspire you to become a contributor to Voices! (see page 42 for more details.)

Dr. Ralph Smedley also had a vision over a 100 years ago to start Toastmasters and help EDITORIAL
members develop public speaking skills. The first official Toastmasters club was estab-
lished in Southern California. Toastmasters from around the world gathered to mark
that milestone at the annual convention held in August. A personal account about this
milestone convention by Nuchanath Aumpradithpun’s can be found on page 40.

If you’re thinking of being the next champion, be sure to read Phyllis Harmon’s best
contest reminders on page 6. Club contest season has started.

In this issue, Penny Jahraus takes us back to school to inspire the next generation on
page 20. We also will focus on District 7 award news and highlights from Divisions E
and F.

Thank you for supporting Voices! and helping us to highlight all the achievements of
District 7. If you ever have any feedback or want to contribute your vision, please con-
tact us at voices@d7toastmasters.org

4 Voices!