Look!  Up on the stage!  It's a bird...it's a plane...no, it's
SUPER CASTAWAYS!

Several of our club members are actually serving as District Officers, helping to guide the nearly 200 clubs in Central and Northern Florida.  Recently they attended the annual District 84 Spring Conference held at the beautiful Lake Mary Westin Hotel.  This is the conference where the International Speech and Table Topic Contest takes place.
 

One of our most recent members, Eric Butler placed THIRD out of nine contestants in the International contest.  These are the best speakers of the nearly 4000 members in our District.  Way to go Eric!!!

In photo, from left to right are Regional Advisor Marketing, Antionette Fox, DTM, 3rd place winner and Castaway member Eric Butler and the District 84 Governor (also a Castaway member), Scott Hoehn, DTM

The District Treasurer, Jim Fyffe, ACB is also our Club's Past President shown here with his wife Sally Fyffe.

District 84 Governor Scott Hoehn, DTM, escorting his wife, the District Public Relations Officer Nancy Hoehn, ACS.

District Sgt-At-Arms John Creighton, DTM (Castaways member) escorting the District Secretary Gail Antoine, DTM

What goes on at these conferences???  It's CHAOS, I tell ya...sheer chaos!  All the Superheroes and nasty villains emerge on the Westin Hotel, especially when the theme of the conference is "Superheroes"!  Friday night is always the costumed event.  The photo on the left shows Nancy Hoehn as  "The Negotiator", covered in green dollars and armed with her poison pen.  Nancy negotiates all of the hotel contracts for the last four and the next two conferences. 

Escorting the Negotiator is our own Captain Gavel!  Armed with golden numchak gavels, our District Governor Scott Hoehn, DTM can leap a short lectern on multiple bounds!

Since the Negotiator forgot about the no-flying clause of the contract, Captain Gavel had to settle for a dramatic entrance on his super-Segway! (courtesy of fellow Toastmaster Doug Tambor).

Making the sign of the "Z" is our own John Creighton, DTM in the role of the notorious Zorro!  John always gets the first word in as the District Sgt-at-Arms since he gets to call the conferences to ORDER!

Attendees gather in the main hall carrying their club banners which they will proudly carry into the ballroom during the District 84 Parade of Banners!

Castaway member, Jim Fyffe served as District 84's Treasurer for the 2010-2011 term.  Responsibilities included handling disbursements of nearly $100,000 for District business.  Jim also presented his Treasurer reports to more than 300 attendees.  His Toastmasters skills have taken him a LONG way!  Congrats, Jim!

GETTING DOWN TO BUSINESS

The business session of the Spring Conference, is by far the most important of the year.  Incoming officers are elected while mission-critical objectives are reported to the nearly 300 members of  the District 84 Council. 

District Public Relations Officer, Nancy Hoehn, ACS, ALS presents her report of the activities of her office.  Nancy has spear-headed the District's all new Speakers Bureau, S.W.A.T. team, Reporters Chair, Photographers Chair and organized the very FIRST April Awareness City Hall event in Orlando, Florida.

"The first time I attended a Toastmaster meeting with Scott, I was so nervous that I did not even want to get out of my seat to introduce myself." Nancy says.  "The skills I've gained over the last two years have been incredible!  I'm now at home speaking comfortably to hundreds of people at a time." she continues.

Nancy has also served the District as 2008 New Clubs Chair, 2009 Fall Conference Chair and the District Conference Hotel Negotiator.  She led the Castaways as Club President 2009-2010 to earning the President's Distinguished Club status!  She now serves as our Club's VP Public Relations. 

"DEDICATED LEADERS"
The Castaways Club is VERY proud to have earned the Dedicated Leaders award from District 84.  This award recognizes clubs which have ALL SEVEN officers attend District-sponsored Club Officer Training. 
We are also very proud of our Officers!

TOASTMASTERS AWARENESS PROCLAMATIONS

During the 2009-2010 year, Public Relations Officer, Jerry Philson, DTM began a tradition of seeking proclamations from government officials, declaring "Toastmasters Awareness" month or week in their own locales. 

The 2010-2011 PRO, Nancy Hoehn, continued the tradition and is shown here with MANY other members who secured proclamations from their own local officials.  Getting the word out about this incredible organization is done with a lot of pride.

"Toastmasters... Where Leaders are Made!"