Imagine a brand new hotel — opened less than three months ago! Gorgeous lobby, flawless meeting rooms, all the highest technology. District 30 hosted its biggest conference ever, and while I may be a bit biased, I loved it. It kicked off with a keynote from Dietmar Wagenknecht and the evaluaton contest. In District 30, there’s a neat tradition that the winner from the previous year’s contest gets to be the next contest master (introducing speakers and doing interviews).
Saturday morning had an achiever’s breakfast (anyone who had earned an educational award in the previous six months) and the opening ceremonies. That included the club banner parade, where each banner holder announced their club and made a 15-second speech about it, which was judged by the audience. We also presented awards to every club that was distinguished last year, ranging from laminated certificates (Distinguished clubs) up to engraved gavel sets for President’s Distinguished clubs that earned 10 points (some for as many as seven years in a row!). The district business meeting finished off the morning, where I was formally nominated for International Director.
After the luncheon, the LGET handed out purple “Magnificent Seven” banner ribbons to recognize clubs that had all seven officers trained this summer. Ed Hearn, the 2006 World Champion of Public Speaking (and who is from District 30!) gave an amazing keynote to a full house of 180 people, based on the conference theme of “Empower Yourself”. Afterwards, Ed was presented with a letter recognizing his accomplishments from the President of the United States, George Bush.
Saturday evening started with dinner and the C&L award to William Mueller, the president of Lombard, the city we were meeting in, which also developed and owns the conference hotel. Afterwards was the DTM ceremony for five new recipients, and the humorous speech contest, with a record audience of 285 people!
Before the winners of the contest were announced, as Immediate Past District Governor I presented awards to the five Key Area Governors and the one Area Governor of the Year from that select group, the Division Governor of the Year, and the Toastmaster of the Year. (Photo is of myself handing out an award.) The evening closed with dancing to a live three-piece band.
The district 35 conference is in Neenah, Wisconsin, this same weekend, but I won’t be able to attend both.