Report Out on the 2023 Toastmasters International Convention
By Sally Philbin, DTM, 2023-2024 District 57 Program Quality Director
THE BAHAMAS!!!! Oh excuse me…I meant THE INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION!!!
What can I say… the location AND the content we well worth the time and money to get there.
First the weather was so hot and muggy that when you walked outside, your glasses, (if you were wearing glasses) literally fogged up. I had to wipe mine off so that I could see. The sunrises were gorgeous! Yes, I, the regular night owl, was up early enough to catch a glimpse of a fabulous sunrise from my hotel room view. The evenings were just as hot and muggy as the days, but I will say that the view from the restaurant terrace of the ocean and impending sunset was another high point.
Now, on to the important stuff. The first two days consisted of Trio training. Part of the learning was the networking, meeting others from around the world who were also embarking on their year as District Director, Program Quality Director, and Club Growth Director in their respective Districts around the world. Part of that networking was exchanging business cards and bling. I’ve included a picture of the bling that D57 handed out. I learned a lot about the challenges that we all face and was able to share possible solutions and receive possible solutions. One was the idea of providing monthly Leadership Training to help boost the number of people that felt prepared and intrigued about taking on a District role for the coming year. Look for that beginning in September.
The next four days were filled with speech contests, educational sessions, more networking, awards, meals, and entertainment. The keynote speaker was, Lisa Nichols, a renowned speaker, media personality, and corporate CEO, with a global platform reaching over 170 countries and serving over 80 million people. She has a social media reach of over 1.9 million followers.
The 2023 World Champion of Public Speaking: With a motivational speech titled, “Have You Been There?” Jocelyn Tyson, a 42-year-old pharmacist from Mount Laurel, New Jersey, won the Toastmasters World Championship of Public Speaking® on Saturday, August 19th at the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar Resort and Convention Center in Nassau, Bahamas.
A good time was had by all…except, of course, for those that tested positive for COVID at the end of the week. Thankfully Ed and I escaped. We had a great time.
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| Jocelyn Tyson, 2023 Toastmasters World Championship of Public Speaking® | Flags representing Toastmasters around the world: |
