by Joyce Trimble DTM Co-Chair 2021 Banquet Chair

The featured photo above shows the smiling faces of the District 25 2020-2021 Awards Banquet Committee, all dedicated D25 members.

As a Co-Chair for the August 14 celebration, looking backward has been both a rewarding and an enlightening adventure.

Rewarding as I saw happy faces coming together to share the highlights of a marathon year, the cheering and applauding. I reveled in the meetings with committed members who worked on the success of this event for months leading to the final day and minute it ended. I appreciated the dedication of members who worked feverishly to meet tight schedules, completing their portion of events in order for the next person to complete their contribution. What did that entail? TEAM members arriving as early as 2 pm on August 14 to set up the right lighting for optimum photographs and the connections for virtual attendees. Hybrid meetings are a developing art, and we have a team of dedicated members working to improve each event. Team members arrived early to greet attendees with marathon smiles as others, pressing through pain from health issues, worked to ensure attendees an evening of pleasure. A first-timer wrote an article within 24 hours following the festivities, and the web team ensured it was available for the monthly newsletter within 48 hours. All these efforts were constrained by an extremely tight budget.

It was enlightening  as I stumbled into historical data. (Have you really explored the D25 website? There is a wealth of historical data.) When Fursey Gotuaco accepted the award of Toastmaster of the Year, he was added to a Hall of Fame that includes four subsequent District Directors: Bonne Stroman, Diana Patton, Jodie Sanders, and Peggy Holloway. That is what you call a power house for the district.

Looking forward will be another rewarding and enlightening adventure.

Rewarding as it will encompass suggestions for improvement from comments and obtained from the recent survey.

It will be enlightening for this old dog to learn new tricks from some of our best. The district is committed to optimizing talents to design virtual protocols. We now have a new normal: the physical need to accommodate all our members. It will be especially enlightening if we are able to identify a professional Toastmaster and photographer to replace the very missed Steve Bomar who provided this service for the event for years. Who approved his moving out of the district?

Looking forward will be a celebration of all the Inspirational moments of 2021-22. Save the date of August 27, 2022.

 

Check out updated program with the five special recognition award winners added and few corrections made. – click here
Hall of Fame – club and member awards recorded  – click here
Photos of Awards Banquet – click here