Lessons Learned

After a year and a half absence from District 30 conferences, I did attend their Fall Conference this weekend.  Unlike previous times when I attended the entire conference, I decided this time to only take part of select festivities so I can try to be more selective as to who I want to be there for.

I initially was not planning to attend, but during the early part of this month it looked like I was trying to find a reason to go.  If you checked one of my earlier blog entries, one way to get me to attend a District 30 conference is if someone who is a close friend of mine was competing.  On a whim, I called Pam Nagel, one of my closest Southwest Division friends from my days as their Division Governor, to find out who won from their Division Contest.  Right after she said she won the Evaluation Contest, I told her “you’re giving me a reason to attend the conference”.

Initially I was just going to the Friday night portion, which includes the Evaluation contest.  Then I realized that North Suburban was to be honored on Saturday around lunchtime for earning President’s Distiniguished Club last year.  Also I found out that last year’s District Humorous Speech winner was going to compete again at this year’s contest Saturday night, and with the North Suburban Club President kept raving about him, I thought I got to see how he performs along with the other contestants.

Well I did go to all three parts I was intending on going.  And Pam won the Evaluation Contest, with another good friend, Phil Coolidge, who was part of my 2005 Summer TLI committee, also competing.  We had 4 others from North Suburban there to pick up their President’s Distinguished trophy and certificate.  And while last year’s Humorous Speech winner came in 3rd this time, all the contestants did an excellent job – I thought it was the best District Humorous Speech contest since 2001, which I explained a bit in an entry a couple of months ago.

With North Suburban members after receiving Presidents Distinguished Club trophy and certificate.

There were other things I got to see, such as the year-end award winners – the 2008 Toastmaster of the Year, Stella Lorens, kept telling me I was an inspiration to her, though I’m sure there were others that helped her far more than I did.  I got to see the Wall of Fame that Stella put up last year when she ran the 2007 Fall Conference, which still had my name as the 2005 Toastmaster of the Year – I guess many of the higher-ups in District 30 don’t read my blog since some entries have been critical of them!  Plus for the first time I got to be part of the DTM line to congratulate two recent DTMs Saturday night as they receive their DTM medallions (I got mine at the last conference I attended in Spring 2007).

The District 30 Wall of Fame - my name is still listed as the 2005 Toastmaster of the Year!

Unlike previous conferences I’ve attended in which I ended up with some role, whether its a contest judge, facilitator or some other volunteer, I stayed in the sidelines.  Oh there were times I felt like I need to do something, like when someone had their cell phone on during the Humorous Speech Contest and I felt like going to that person, take the phone and crush it!  But those days are over.

While Pam Nagel was what got me to attend the conference, what I treasured most about going this time was the plenty of people I missed seeing over the years.  Many have asked me what happened to me as it seemed to be a given that I’d be at these events.  Sometimes I’ll answer that I just needed a break.  Other times I’ll actually get to some of the things I’ve dealt with in Toastmasters that nearly led to my departure.  But I told everyone from the past I met that it was great to see them again and I was glad to be at the conference.  I also got to meet some of the current Area and Division Governors I never met in the past, as well as other Toastmasters whom I’ve noticed in other websites.

I’m glad I made the trip.  While I now tend to be more inclined to attend a District 30 event depending on who will be competing, presenting or be honored, I also now realized that I would miss a lot of people if don’t attend.  Regardless of what I think about District 30 or the powers that be who run it, it was the plenty of people at these conferences that motivated me to be heavily involved in Toastmasters through the years.  They’ve been my friends and they’ll always be my friends.