Officer Training in Neighboring Districts 31 & 46

Picture above is from one of the session at TLI #3 in Latham, NY on Saturday July 26th, 2008.

From: Marsha Kiley, D53 LGET
Subject: Officer Training in Neighboring Districts 31 & 46
We are now in the season of new club officer training (7/1 - 8/31)! YES!

I hope all of your new club officer lists have been submitted to Toastmasters International and you are ready (if you are an officer) to attend one of our Toastmaster Leadership Institutes (TLIs) in order to perform your role with fresh ideas and the best interests of your members in mind. It's a fact that trained officers make for healthier and happier clubs! YES!

In addition to our 3 TLIs in D53 (6/21 Manchester CT, 7/19 Marist College and 7/26 Latham NY) I also want to pass on training that is occurring in our neighboring districts 31 and 46.

District 31:
Thurs July 17 from 6:30 to 9:30 PM at Waters in Milford, MA

Tues July 22 from 6:30 to 9:30 PM at Raytheon in Woburn, MA

Tues August 5 from 6:30 to 9:30 PM at Tech Park in Billerica, MA

Sat August 23 from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM at Cumberland RI Public Library

Wed August 27 from 6:30 to 9:30 PM at Tang Center, MIT, Cambridge, MA

District 46:

Mon. July 28 from 6-8:30pm at Fair Deal Cafe, White Plains, NY

(check out their web page for other sites / dates in NYC and Long Island)

Who won the "Battle of the Border"????

Since you all know that the [infamous?] "Battle of the Border 2007" between District 53's Div.A & D and District 46's Div.G was held last night at Ridgefield Library (hosted by the new Div.A Advanced TM club), I'm sure you are wondering....

WHO WON THE BATTLE?????

Well.... before I get to that, let me show you some pictures....

The picture above includes (l-r) Anne Swartout (Area A4 Governor/D53), Croix Sather (Tall Tales winner Div.A/D53), Edwin Borelly (Intl. winner, Div.G/46), Rob Ferrucci (Intl.Runner-up Div.A/53), Koshy Chacko (Intl.2nd Runner-up, Div.G/46), Jinghua Xu (Tall Tales Runner-up Div.A/53), Richard Peck (Tall Tales Winner Div.D/D53), Mary Neff (Div.G Governor/D46) and Nana Danso (Intl.Winner Div.A/D53)

As you can see from the pictures... everyone was having alot of fun.

Of course it wasn't all about FUN... we provided feedback to each contestant ... in an "American Idol" format with Richard Hastings, Mary Neff and Anne Swartout providing their comments along with inputs from the audience.

The contestants came prepared for a "bare-knuckle speech contest" and the audience was not disappointed! (The ContestMaster, Dave Wheeler, wore boxing gloves ... at least for a little while... but eventually, "the gloves came off".)

The prizes were awarded to the following contestants (pictured here, l-r):

Edwin Borrelly D46, 3rd place

Nana Danso D53, 1st place

Rob Ferrucci D53, 2nd place.

Of course the real winners were ALL the contestants who participated and were able to take their speeches and skills to a new level. All the speeches were incredible... and some may argue that the audience was the real winners.

How are we going to tell who really won?

I guess we will have to do it again next year !

The "Battle of the Border" .... April 19th!

The Battle of the Border is ON !

The newly initiated Div.A Advanced Toastmasters club has reserved the (very large) "Dayton Room" at Ridgefield (CT) Library for a BIG EVENT on April 19th.

Click here for a copy of the event FLYER !

The Dayton Room at the Ridgefield Library has a raised platform and audio equipment that will be good practice for the winners of the Division A contests (prior to the District Contest in May). We expect to pull in the winners from Division D ( Southern CT) and even Division G of District 46 in WestChester County, NY and parts of NJ.

The agenda will be similar to a Toastmasters contest... with a few variations since it is NOT an official contest. It is simply a [tongue-in-cheek] grudge match between neighboring divisions in different districts!

In fact, it might end up being more like "American Idol" than a "normal" Toastmasters contest!!

Our "first pass" agenda looks like this....

Warm-up Section:
Toastmaster: Dave Wheeler, Division A Governor
Introduction of Timer, Ah Counter / Grammarian and Judges

Speakers:
Croix Sather, Tall Tales winner, Div.A (D53)
Tall Tales winner Div.D (D53)
Nana Danso, Intl. Winner, Div. A (D53)
Rob Ferrucci, Intl. 1st Runner-up, Div. A (D53)
Intl. Winner, Div.G (D46)
Intl. 1st Runner-up, Div. G (D46)
Intl. Winner, Div.D (D53)
Intl. 1st Runner-up, Div. D (D53)

alternate speakers (to fill any empty slots above if needed)
Jinghua Xu, Tall Tales 1st Runner-up, Div. A (D53)
[name?], Tall Tales club winner, BI Toastmasters (D53)
[send an email to Dave Wheeler at theshot92@gmail.com if you would like to be considered as an alternate speaker).

Panel of Judges:
Anne Swartout, Area A4 Governor (D53)
Mary Neff, Div.G Governor (D46)
Evaluation Contest Winner & Runner-up(D46)
Div.A Advanced Club members
Ah Counter/Grammarian
Timer

Voting for Best Overall Speech (and runner-up) will be made by audience choice and announced after the speakers have each had a brief evaluation / comments from the Judges.

TROPHIES will be awarded !!!!!!

Bring a guest and enjoy a great evening of entertainment !

BIG EVENT in Division A ... April 19th !

The Toastmasters "Battle of the Border !" has been scheduled !

Thursday, April 19th, 2007, 7:15-8:45pm
in the Dayton Room at the Ridgefield Library, 472 Main St., Ridgefield, CT,

Two divisions on the border between District 53 and District 46 will go "head to head" in an [unofficial] International Speech Contest for bragging rights on the CT/NY border.

This event will also kick off our Div. A Advanced Club by featuring contest winners from Div.A (D53) and Div.G (D46) as well as other award winning speakers. Div.D (D53) winners have also been invited to compete if they are interested since they also border District 46 (in Southern Fairfield County).

The Dayton room at the Ridgefield Libary holds 60 people, has audio/visual equipment and a raised stage so it will be excellent preparation for our Division contestants before they compete in the District contest in May.

If you will attend, please send us an email (it is a big room, but we hope fill it up !):
Div.A Governor, Dave Wheeler at theshot92@gmail.com or
Area A4 Governor, Anne Swartout at rebrokerct@aol.com.