Four members of Club 1600 walked away with top honors at the Annual District 47 Toastmasters conference held in The Bahamas for the first time in almost two decades.
During the Saturday, November 3, ceremony at the Rainforest Theatre, awards were presented to outstanding members of District 47, which includes over 270 clubs and 5,000 members throughout South Florida and The Bahamas.
Toastmasters International is a nonprofit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of clubs. The last District 47 conference held in Nassau was back in 1994. The conference is typically held in South Florida.
The core unit of Toastmasters is the club, comprised of 20-30 members. The organization has 13,000 of them world-wide. A group of four to six clubs form an ‘area’ supported by an area governor and council. Four to six areas form a ‘division’ supported by a division governor and council. Districts cover a geographical area established by the Board of Directors of Toastmasters International. There are 85 districts worldwide. The Bahamas falls in District 47.
During the district’s award ceremony, Club 1600 members Edward Carey, Anthony Longley and Keith Major were among those snagging top honors. Another Club 1600 member, Chervez Brown, won second place in the Humorous Speech Competition.
Mr. Carey received the Founder’s Award for dedicated service to his club. He was also presented with a special citation from the President of Toastmasters International, John Lau, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the formation and growth of the Toastmasters movement in The Bahamas from 1969 to present.
“It was unexpected, but I was happily surprised,” said Mr Carey, who celebrated the event with family and friends. “It’s a good feeling to be remembered and it is wonderful to be honored after 44 years as a Toastmaster.”
Mr Carey is a co-founder of First Bahamas Branch of Toastmasters Club 1600, which has been a cornerstone in the development of Bahamian men for decades. The club’s official charter, issued January 1, 1969, was presented to the club’s first President, Ernest T. Strachan in April of that year by Lynden O. Pindling [later Sir Lynden] who at the time was the premier of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.
In Mr Carey’s honor, District Governor Matt Kinsey, announced the initiation of an annual District 47 Edward Carey Award for dedicated service to the Toastmasters Club.
The first two recipients of this award were Bahamian Keith L. Major and Ed Lamont of South Florida.
“I was humbled by the honor from Toastmasters [and] even more honored to receive the award from the greatest of all toastmasters, Ed Carey,” said Mr. Major. “I was brought to tears at the amount of persons that indicated I had touched them.”
Mr. Longley received the Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) designation for a third time. The DTM is the greatest honor that can be given to a member. Both Messrs Carey and Major are DTMs.
“It felt good representing the Bahamas on the international stage, just being there was awesome,” said Mr. Brown, who received the second place award in the Humorous Speech Contest. “I am glad I had the opportunity to do it, and I look forward to doing it again. It has been quite some time since the international conference was here in The Bahamas. The home field advantage was excellent.”
Toastmasters Club 1600 meetings are held every Thursday at 8pm at the Sheraton.
Caption 1 District 47 Governor Matt Kinsey announced the initiation of an annual District 47 Edward Carey Award for dedicated service to the Toastmasters Club. The first two recipients of this award were Bahamian Keith L. Major and Ed Lamont of South Florida. From left to right: Messrs Kinsey, Carey, Lamont and Major. Photo by Anthony Longley, DTM Club 1600
By Precision Media
Caption 2 Club 1600 member Anthony (Tony) Longley received the Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) designation for the third time. The DTM is the greatest honor that can be given to a member.
Caption 3 Club 1600 officers and members pose with honoree, Edward Carey.
Photos 2 &3 courtesy of Club 1600
