A Message from Your District Governor

This year my Theme for the District is Take Center Stage - because I believe that the more we "Take Center Stage" the better our Public Speaking and Leadership skills will become.

As Toastmasters, we had an amazing 2008-2009 year! Let me take this opportunity to thank all of you, beginning with all of the outgoing Club Officers, Area Governors, Division Governors and District Officer Team, for helping to make it such a success. A very special thank you goes out to our immediate past District 31 Governor, Bash Turay, DTM, who is also a past Region VII International Director, for all of his hard work and commitment to keeping us focused on our critical success factors and the distinguished club program goals. We eagerly await our standings, and the results should be in soon!

Let me welcome 2009-2010 incoming Club Officers, Area Governors, seven Division Governors, and our District Team:

• Lt. Governor of Education and Training, Bil Lewis
• Lt. Governor of Marketing, Ben Lappen
• Public Relations Officer, Dan Barrett
• District Treasurer, Julia Grant
• Secretary, Tien Truong

• Webmaster, M. J. Kahn
• Newsletter Editor, Kimee Doherty

Join me as we work together as a team to focus on the critical success factors and our Distinguishable Club Program as we Take Center Stage!

- Sherri Raftery, DTM
  District 31 Governor
  Take Center Stage

District 31 to be Represented
at the International Speech Contest!

We're thrilled to announce that District 31 is continuing our proud three-consecutive-year history of providing International Speech Contest contestants by sending our own Mary Cheyne to the International Speech Contest in August! So far this year, Mary has won:

1. Her club (The Last Word) contest
2. Her area (B5) contest
3. Her division (B) contest
4. The District 31 contest
5. The Region VII contest

Mary will seek to continue this winning trend by competing for the World Championship of Public Speaking at the International Convention in Connecticut on August 15, 2009. Please join us in congratulating Mary for her accomplishments and in wishing her all the best at the upcoming International Contest!

For information on attending the International Convention, including the International Contest, see: