At our 54TH Annual Awards and Installation Ceremony, Michelle Gilstrap,DTM and club co-founder and past District 52 Governor was roasted and given overwhelming gratitude with appreciation for her contributions to the District during our 2008 – 2009 Toastmaster year.
The event was held on July 18, 2009 at The Castaway Restaurant, Burbank, California and was a great success. The theme was "The Wizard of Oz" "Ah's to Oz 2009" was printed on yellow bricks for everyone to take home. Tony Duran gave the following Inspiration:
I was asked to give the inspiration at the Awards and
Installation Banquet recently.My
speech follows:
The Wizard of “Ahs”
When I learned that the theme of the A&I was to be the
“Wizard of Oz”, I realized that some members of the audience may not be familiar
with the story; Toastmasters is, after all, an International organization.Please bear with me…
The story is about a young orphaned girl living on a farm in
Kansas with
her aunt and uncle and three farm hands.It is a difficult life and Dorothy often dreams of a better one “Somewhere
over the Rainbow”.During a tornado,
which occurs often in Kansas,
Dorothy is knocked unconscious and awakens minutes later in a glorious and
magical land but quickly becomes homesick.So the “good witch” Glenda tells her to “follow the yellow brick road”
and seek out the wizard who will help her find her path back home.
Along the journey, she meets three new friends, a scarecrow
– missing a brain, a tin man – lacking a heart, and a lion without the courage of a lion.They join Dorothy in her quest, hoping the wizard may be able to grant
them the qualities they feel are missing.When they find the wizard, they realize he is an ordinary man, but a
wise one because he convinces each of them that they already possess the
qualities they feel are lacking.
During the perilous journey, the scarecrow came up with many
good ideas, the tin man often demonstrated kindness and compassion and the lion
was ready to face any danger even though he was terrified!Even Dorothy learned she always had the
ability to go back home whenever she so chose (this was said as I clicked my heels).
Just like Dorothy and her three friends, we often seek
abilities we feel are missing.And just
as the wizard showed them they already had those abilities, the TI program
helps us develop those skills already contained within us.
Just like the scarecrow, we are smart enough to think of
topics to share with others.We have the
compassion of the tin man to mentor others who need assistance.And we have the courage of the lion to take
on leadership roles in various levels of TI just as the officers we are about
to install and those whom we will soon bid adieu.
So remember Dorothy’s last line in the film, “When I go
searching for my heart’s desire, I won’t look any further than my own back
yard. If it’s not there then I never really lost it to begin with.”My fellow toastmasters, the abilities we seek
are within us and through Toastmasters
International, and our leadership, we will help you discover them!
Tony Duran ACB, ALS District 52
Treasurer
9009-2910 District 53 Officer List Installed
Scott Crandall Miller, DTM 2009-2010 District 52
Governor
Diana Offen, ACS, ALS Lt Governor of Education and Training
Mary Lowe, ACS, ALS Lt Governor of Marketing
Wendi Sue Svoboda CC, CL District 52 Secretary
Tony Duran District, ACB, ALS 52 Treasurer
Steven Cavallero, CC, CL Public Relations Officer
Cynthia Gilstrap, District Bookstore Chair
COME TO IMPROVE YOUR SPEAKING & LEADERSHIP SKILLS!
Our next meeting; July 25Th. 2009 we are back on our regular schedule until September. We will have to vote on changing September, 12TH to accommodate for Write Bros.; where we meet are having to use our meeting room. I see it best to move to the Sept. 19TH; we will have to then have our second meeting one week later on Sept. 26TH; you will be informed. Our August meetings are Aug. 8, and Aug. 22, 2009
Toastmasters 4 Writers Club Signposts
Celebrated its 4TH Anniversary on June 28, 2009.
Toastmasters International Award for Distinguished Club was received at the Awards & Installation Banquet July 18, 2009
Member Milestones (2009 - 2010 business year to date)
You won’t regret it. Toastmasters currently has more than 200,000 members in 92 Countries. Our club is just one of the more than 11,400 clubs located around the world. For membership meeting information, please see our membership information page.
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