The Fall District 6 Toastmasters Conference, titled “Seeds of Change,” was a fun and educational event. There were perhaps about 150 attendees present at the Sugar Lake Lodge in Cohasset MN, near Grand Rapids.
Friday night included the parade of banners and a dinner buffet. Kelly Nielsen, Region 4 Advisor, gave a keynote presentation on how everyone needs to embrace change. Immediate Past District Governor, Clinton Hunt, was good-naturedly roasted by several fellow Toastmasters, and then the group had a chance to roast marshmallows over an open bonfire behind the lodge and enjoy s’mores while listening to some singing and tales from a local storyteller.
Saturday morning began with a breakfast buffet, followed by a keynote presentation by long-time Toastmaster Duane Rivard entitled “Try, Try Again.” This was followed by the Humorous Speech Contest. Unfortunately the Division A (former International Division) contestant Dave Goldsworthy had laryngitis and was unable to compete. The remaining nine contestants, however, really had everyone laughing. Third place was awarded to Deanna Reiter (Div J – formerly Central), Second place went to Amit Ghosh (Div F – formerly Southern) and First place was awarded to Tonya Butler (Div D – formerly Prairie.). Tonya is a relatively new Toastmaster, but she definitely had an engaging way of talking about the “Technical Difficulties” she experienced on a particular airline flight.
District Humorous Speech Contest Winners:
First place: Tonya Butler
Second place: Amit Ghosh
Third place: Deanna Reiter
The Business meeting was next, but there was not a quorum present, so no business was transacted. General reports were presented about the state of the District, and Dru Jorgenson spoke briefly about the Reformation Update in our District. As the more seasoned Toastmasters know, at the beginning of this year District 6 renamed the Divisions, moved some of the cubs and areas, and renumbered our areas. The next part of the reformation is a proposal to split the district into two districts, each having five divisions. Tentative plans call for Divisions D, E, F, H and J to be together (southern part of the state) and the other five (northern part of the state) to be in the other district. There is still much to be done before this can occur, including verifying geography, looking at finances, etc. Changes would likely not occur until 2018.
Diane Windingland declared her candidacy for District Director for next year, and Harold Osmundson declared for the position of Program Quality Director. Nick Nelson (Current Division A Director) and Patrice Pariseau declared their candidacies for Club Growth Director. No one declared candidacy for the Division Director positions.
A hot sandwich lunch buffet was next, followed by educational sessions. Kent Hawks led a session on “Storytelling and Table Topics on Steroids,”, and Faye Heffele facilitated a discussion on “Sharing Your Best Ideas.” Then Dru Jorgenson led an interactive session titled “Blooming’ Awesome” to talk about good things that are occurring in our clubs.
Next the attendees had a little break, to finish bidding on Silent Auction Items, check out the District Store, rest, and enjoy the lovely grounds surrounding the lodge. At 5:30 pm, many attendees gathered for a wine tasting and chocolate event, arguably one of the better social events ever at a Toastmaster conference! There were about 40 different wines that individuals had brought to sample, along with delicious assorted chocolates. No one can say that they were not well fed at THIS conference!
The sit-down dinner was not formal attire, as in past years, but with a plaid theme. District Director Larry Marik appeared in a Saturday Night Fever-esque green plaid jumpsuit and afro wig, with a Gabe Kaplan mustache! After dinner, Luke Green delivered an excellent keynote presentation, sharing how a hockey accident at age 17 changed his direction in life. The final event of the evening was a brownie and ice cream sundae bar with games, including “Guess who I am”, Best Mummy, and plaid costume contest. Overall, it was a very enjoyable event. Pictures on D6Flickr.
Thank you to Faye Heffele for submitting the above conference recap!
Bonfire photo credit: Don Gallagher