2025-2026 Toastmaster of the Year!

 Recognized by my peers as the 2025-2026 Toastmaster of the Year for District 106 (now D6) and District 31. THANK YOU

Advanced Articulators Online - Club of The Year 2025-2026

 

Advanced Articulators Online - Club of The Year 2025-2026

Toastmasters 2025-2026 Club Coach of the Year

 I earned the 2025-2026 Club Coach of the Year Award in District 31.

I will post more about this soon! It was an honor to serve as the Toastmasters Club Coach!

2025-2026 Select Distinguished Division A Director - Toastmasters

 

I served as the Toastmasters 2025-2026 District 31 Division A Director and earned "SELECT DISTINUGISHED STATUS! I had 4 Area Directors who helped with achieving this recognition.! THANK YOU to them and I will add more to this post

Distinguished Toastmaster Award # 6 ! (DTM6)

 

Distinguished Toastmaster Award # 6 ! 

(DTM6)

District 31 Toastmasters -

Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) # 6 Award from Toastmasters International - Letter and Plaque from CEO Daniel Rex & International Stefano McGhee, DTM. THANK YOU, fellow Toastmasters, for all your help, support, and fellowship during my 6th DTM Journey!

It is always an honor to lead and serve with YOU!

Let me help YOU with your Roadmap to DTM!

#DistinguishedToastmasterAward #DTM6 #ToastmastersWhereLeadersAreaMade

Toastmasters International 5 Member Sponsor Pin

 

Toastmasters International 5 Member Sponsor Pin

I earned the Toastmasters International “5-Member” Sponsor pin! Last year at the 2025 International Convention CEO Dan Rex gave us a challenge and asked us to write on the wall how many new or existing members we would have join our clubs. I wrote “5” and sponsored “5” — was rewarded with this Member Sponsor Pin.

How many members will YOU Sponsor for the 2026-2027 year?

#ToastmastersInternational : www.toastmasters.org

#District31:  www.district31.org

David Allen George! "Good Night Sweet Prince"! (Sept 2026)

David Allen George -- Good Night Sweet Prince!

Dr. Sherri Raftery & David Allen George (DAG) 

September 2026

This week, one of my former Theatre professors, White (Whizz) from Salem State University (SSU), posted:

“The world just lost another Brilliant Light!”

As soon as I saw the photo, my heart skipped a beat. I gasped.

I typed: “Not Fair!”

I have known David most of my life—41 years (this month!)—since enrolling as a Theatre major at Salem State University in 1985.

I attended Salem State for two years before transferring to Emerson in 1987, but those two years were incredibly impactful.

I learned so many aspects of Theatre as a student in David’s Directing course and as his Assistant to the Director when he directed Lysistrata.

David would often say: 

“Less is More.” 

Three simple words.

Yet somehow, David could say so much with so little—and make it so impactful.

After all, as Shakespeare reminds us: “All the world’s a stage.”

And DAG, Whizz, and numerous others in the Theatre Department helped build an incredible legacy with the Theatre and Musical Theatre Program at Salem State, including the state-of-the-art Sophia Gordon Theatre.

In 2018, I was hired as a professor to teach three Public Speaking courses at SSU.

I remember walking into the faculty office, and David hugged me and simply said: 

“Welcome Home.”

Those two words said so much.

That was David. Few words. Big impact. And bright blue eyes.

Over the years, I enjoyed attending numerous SSU productions in the Main Stage and Callahan Studio, as well as SSU Theatre & Speech Alumni events, and reconnecting with DAG.

I am especially grateful that SSU hosted a gathering in May 2026 to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the SSU Theatre Department.

Seeing DAG and Whizz together, sharing stories—always a treat with these two masterpieces! ❤️

And now, looking back, I am incredibly grateful that I got to see David one more time—and he met my grandson.

Shakespeare said it best:

“Parting is such sweet sorrow.”

I imagine your late wife, Pam, with open arms saying:

“Welcome Home.”

After 41 years, I bid you farewell—as my professor, mentor, colleague, and friend.

“Good night, sweet prince.”

🎭❤️