"Helping YOU Take Center Stage"!

Marketing Quote of the Month"If the circus is coming to town and you paint a sign saying "Circus Coming to the Fairground Saturday," that's advertising. If you put the sign on the back of an elephant and walk it into town, that's promotion. If the elephant walks through the mayor's flower bed, that's publicity. And if you get the mayor to laugh about it, that's public relations. If the town's citizens go the circus, you show them the many entertainment booths, explain how much fun they'll have spending money at the booths, answer their questions and ultimately, they spend a lot at the circus, that's sales." - Unknown Friends today is June 30, 2008 and it is my last day to serve District 31 as the 2007-2008 Lt. Governor of Marketing (LGM) and my friend Bil Lewis will begin the new Toastmasters year tomorrow as the incoming 2008-2009 LGM and I will begin as the Lt. Governor of Education & Training. http://www.district31.org/ It has ...

“You can speak well if your tongue can deliver the message of your heart” John Ford Last night was the Toastmasters Region Vii Internationals Speech Contest. AMAZINGLY Katherine Morrison from District 31 (my district http://www.district31.org/ ) came in First place!! In Second place was Nana Danso from District 53 http://www.district53toastmasters.org/ and in Third Place was David Flowers from District 18 http://www.toastmasters-d18.org/ My New York friend Dennis Fokas dennisfokas@cs.com was able to video the speech contest with his assistant. In addition – Toastmasters International was also there creating a documentary film on how a CHAMPION is made. Toastmasters has been actively traveling around and following speech contestants from around the world as he/she competes at the club, area, division, district and now region level. This August in Calgary, Alberta, Canada Toastmasters will also film the Districts Not Assigned to Regions (DNAR) or the Inter-Districts Contest on Tues...

This is a quick post from the Hilton Hotel in Rockville, Maryland. I am attending the Toastmasters Region Vii Conference. I just completed the District Officer Training. Last night my "best mate" Mary Cheyne ROCKED at the Region Vii Humor Show! The audience LOVED Mary and you could tell she was enjoyed the audience. I thought to myself - WOW Mary is up and coming and I would not be surprised if she made it to the Toastmasters International Speech Contest! I can;t guarantee which year - but it is VERY evident that MARY is a speaking CHAMPION and I can;t wait to see that day arrive! Tonight is the International Speech Contest - Katherine Morrison will represent District 31. GOOD LUCK and of course I will post the results. I better go change into my gown!

“ It is always the simple things that change our lives. And these things never happen when you are looking for them to happen. Life will reveal answers at the pace life wishes to do so. You feel like running, but life is on a stroll. This is how God does things. ” Donald Miller Today Sabrina started back at Camp Christopher an incredible day camp in Danvers, Massachusetts on the St. Johns Prep High School Campus. She has been attending since she was five-years-old and is now 10-years-old. She stands about four feet and 11 inches. I am five feet two inches. When I dropped her off she was nervous, afraid she wouldn’t “know anyone” but the same counselors and some of the same campers are there each year. That is an important factor that she has consistency like she does at St. Pius V. School where she has been attending since Kindergarten and will be entering the fifth grade in the fall. That fact that she was a little nervous before I left her made it a little tough to leave her but what...

“ Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but we rather have those because we have acted rightly. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit. ” Aristotle ( Ancient Greek Philosopher , Scientist and Physician , 384 BC-322 BC) Today Saturday June 21, 2008 was our first of seven of our District 31 Toastmaster Leadership Institutes - TLI’s when we train the seven club officers – President, Vice President of Education, Secretary, Treasurer, Vice President of Membership, Vice President of Public Relations, Sgt. At Arms. The tradition in District 31 is to have the current Lt. Governor of Education & Training Plan the first TLI – and on July 1, 2008 I will be the incoming Lt. Governor of Education & Training!! We had a great day of training at the great location and beautiful Babson College Campus. The incoming Governor gave a speech and shared her theme – “Speak Up and Change The...

Hail & Farewell “ Those to whom we say farewell, are welcomed by others. ” Anonymous Last night –Thursday June 19, 2008 was our Toastmasters District 31 Hail and Farewell Dinner. We said thank you and good bye to our 2007-2008 outgoing District Officers and we welcomed our 2008-2009 incoming District Officers. As the 2007-2008 Lt. Governor of Marketing, I wanted to give 10 of my top team members a special gift. The District Governor ordered 10 copies signed copies of the book Win Place and Show - by Rich Hopkins. Although I haven;t physicall met Rich yet - I have become E- familiar with him on both the Public Speaking Igroops and the Champion's Edge. Rich came in 3rd at the 2006 World Champion of Public Speaking at the Toastmasters International Convention (TIC)! I am very eager to meet Rich in Calgary at the 2008 TIC this August! Check out his website! http://www.richhopkinsspeaks.com/ Past District Governor, Victor Carbone, DTM performed the installation of the Top T...

“ All we need is the truth in our hand. Someone to call a friend. Never fear the darkness. All we need is just the sun in the sky. And the hope of a summer to come with the meaning of love. ” Anonymous On Friday June 13, 2008 at about 10:30 AM Sabrina had her “Moving Up Ceremony” at St. Pius V. School from forth (4th) grade to fifth (5th) grade. Of course I teared up but what mother wouldn’t and I even witnessed a few dads getting emotional. http://www.stpiusvschool.org/ To celebrate I took Sabrina to lunch at our favorite Thai Food Restaurant in Lynn to split our favorite dish – wide noodles mixed with beef, chicken and veggies with side of white rice and of course our refreshing Thai ice teas!! By next Monday June 23rd Sabrina will be back at Camp Christopher summer camp where she has been attending since she was five-years- old. Camp Christopher is located in Danvers, MA at St. John’s Prep Danvers http://www.stjohnsprep.org/ and during the school months is an all male Catholic high...

On Wednesday evening May 28, 2008 at the Seaport World Trade Center in Boston Massachusetts in front of a room filled with nine hundred (900) people including Boston Mayor Thomas Manino and Professional Baseball Player Dennis Eckersly and his wife I was honored along with two other alumns by The Home for Little Wanderers http://www.thehome.org/ Liz Brunner, Co-anchor of NewsCenter 5 WCVB-TV5 of Boston was the "Mistress of Ceremonies" http://www.thebostonchannel.com/newscenter5/282753/detail.html I invited my two long time friends and mentors - Ellen Witt Clark and Tom Clark whom I met in 1989 when I was a student at Emerson College working for them as an intern at their Public Relations Firm T-Catalyst, Inc. in Boston. I thought I would share my speech on my "Helping YOU Take Center Stage" BLOG {formerly - FIND YOUR PLATFORM BLOG} ------------------ Voices and Visions May 28, 2008 – Home - Honoree Acceptance Speech by Sherri Raftery, M.Ed. Greeti...