Division E held its speech contests on Saturday, March 2, in Colonie, NY. I am pleased to report the results to you all here:
International
1st Place: Brandon Eastman
2nd Place: Jim Brooks
3rd Place: Barry Koblenz
Evaluation
Division E Contest 2024 dignitaries: Jeff Sobel, Past International Director; Jennifer DeMarco, Area 52 Director; Patti Walter, District Director; Bettyann Peck, Program Quality Director; Elizabeth Keeling, Division E Director; Mohan Padamati, Club Growth Director; Terry Goodemote, Contest Toastmaster
1st Place: Megan Long
2nd Place: Bill Daisak
3rd Place: Marsha Pritchard
First place winners Brandon Eastman and Megan Long will now advance to the District level speech contests on May 10 and 11 at the District 53 Annual Conference in Southbury, CT. Attend the conference to cheer on our Division winners!
Let me remind you that Spring renewals are happening this month. Membership dues for the April 2024 to September 2024 are now being accepted. Please submit all payments on or before April 1. Area Directors will also be reaching out to plan their Spring club visits, please help make arrangements for their visits!
Yours in Service, Elizabeth Keeling Division E Director 2023-2024
Four Areas of Division A held their contests at Bethel Public Library on 20 January 2024. The speech contests held were the Evaluation Speech Contest first, followed by the International Speech contest which culminates in the World Championship of Public Speaking® at the Toastmasters International Convention held each August. Area Directors and District Director Patti Walter were in attendance.
Congratulations to all these members who stepped out if their comfort zone and participated in the Rea 11 through 14 Evaluation and International Contests.
Moving on are:
Area 11
Andrew Amico – Evaluation
Sandy Weiner – International
Area 12
Jeff Bradbury – Evaluation and International
Area 13
Oscar Romero – Evaluation
Scott Mason – International
Area 14
Christina LaPerle- Evaluation
Oluwafemi Omoyeni – International
Thanks to all our functionaries, contestants and guest for making this such a great afternoon. And special thanks to our Contest Toastmaster Debbie Froehlich.
Mark your calendars for February 24 when these contests advance to the next level, at the Division A speech contests (more details here). Please volunteer for a role and contact divadir@d53tm.org to offer your assistance as a contest judge, functionary or audience member!
District 53 held its International Speech contest on the morning of May 7, 2022 from 9:30 am to 11:30 am.
Contest Winner Amrita Banerjee with the District Executive Leadership Team — Club Growth Director Patti Walter, Program Quality Director John J. Hogan, and District Director Akihiro Ishii, photographed on Zoom.
In the District International Speech contest, one contestant from each of our five Divisions in the District have a speaking period of five to seven minutes to deliver a speech on a topic of their choosing. Each contestant has advanced from a specific club in District 53, and arrives at the stage after competing at the Area level against 3-4 other clubs, and the Division level competing against contestants from four other Areas. The winner of the District International Speech contest then advances to the Region Quarterfinals, and possibly to the International Semifinals and the World Championship of Public Speaking (WCPS).
District 53 2021-22 International Speech Contest Winners: Third Place Kevin M. Finn, Second Place Brian David Crawford, and First Place Winner Amrita Bannerjee, photographed on Zoom
The winners of the contest were:
First Place: Amrita Banerjee
Second Place: Brian David Crawford
Third Place: Kevin M. Finn
In the interviews following the contest, both the winners and other contestants thanked the judges, audience members and others for the opportunities to grow and learn as speakers and presenters. They reminded the audience that new Toastmasters should take every opportunity that they can get to speak, and that, under the pressure of preparing to speak for an audience, practice brings improvement and gracefulness.
Many thanks to all the contestants, representing the five divisions of District 53:
Division B: Donna Peterson, representing New Dawn Toastmasters, with a speech titled “Lead With Your Heart.”
Division C: Kevin M. Finn, representing Cedar Hill Toastmasters, with a speech titled, “M-O-M.”
Division D:Brian David Crawford, representing Speechweavers, with a speech titled, “42.”
Division E: Amrita Banerjee, representing Bethlehem Club, with a speech titled, “The Choice.”
District 53 2021-22 International Speech Contest, Division Contest Winners: Division A Sandra Weiner, Division B Donna Peterson, Division C Kevin M. Finn, Division D Brian David Crawford, Division E Amrita Bannerjee, photographed on Zoom.
Our Thanks also go out to our senior functionaries, the Program Quality Director John J. Hogan, and the Contest Chair, Contest Master and Chief Judge, who together assembled the team of more than fourteen functionaries, judges, and back-up leaders who managed the contest behind the scenes.
Contest functionary team John J. Hogan, Jennifer Cimilluca, Dave Pelland, and Elizabeth Keeling, photographed on Zoom.
Program Quality Director John J. Hogan
Contest Chair Jennifer Cimilluca
Contest Master Dave Pelland
Chief Judge Elizabeth Keeling
and thanks again to all our contest functionaries, judges, and audience members.
District 53 held its Table Topics contest on the evening of May 5, 2022 from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm.
In the District Table Topics contest, contestants from each Division in the District are given the same question with no advance preparation, and try to respond with a 1-2 minute speech that has a beginning, middle, and end and reaches a definite conclusion. Each contestant has advanced from a specific club in District 53, and arrives at the stage after competing at the Area level against 3-4 other clubs, and the Division level competing against contestants from four other Areas. The District Table Topics Contest is the highest level of competition in this speech contest type; Toastmasters International also has the International Speech Contest, which advances through three more levels beyond the District level (Regional Quarterfinals, International Semifinals, and the World Championship of Public Speaking).
District 53’s District Table Topics Contest winner 2021-22, Cathy Kittle of NYS Forum Toastmasters
The question was:
The theme of World Earth Day 2022 is ‘Invest In our Planet Earth’. What have you done, OR what will you plan to do in the future, to “Invest In Our Planet Earth”?
