by Najaf Dostaliyev DTM Division D Director
Picture this: spacious, elegant and glamorous halls and conference rooms. People traveling in from all over the world, smiling and happy. Guests welcome each other like old friends. This was my first impression of the Toastmasters International Convention. And that was just the beginning
During the week, I had the chance to get to know people, make friends from all over the world, observe the speech contests, and, as the event came to a close, to find myself waiting in anticipation for the next convention, so that I could go back again to experience the amazing camaraderie and friendship. That was my experience with the Toastmasters International Convention this Summer in Anaheim, CA, where we all celebrated our Centennial Birthday!
Over the years, I have been watching international speech contests online, and had a wild dream to see the contestants live, in person, on that amazing stage where each speaker enters from the right side of the stage, walks to the center and looks out at you like you are the only person in the room. I wanted to see them; to learn from their style, to see how they perform, so that I could apply those techniques to my own speeches. The speakers’ performances at the semi-finals and finals were so spectacular, that I wanted to go back and re-watch and analyze their speeches long after their delivery.
Of course, my most cherished moments were learning from the District 25 Leadership, which had a very strong presence at the conference. Many of our past and present leaders were there, including our Immediate Past district Director Emily Murray, and current District Director Jesse Ford. They \were recognized and awarded for their service for the 2023/24 year by Toastmasters International.
Showing unity as one team, Chris Raneri, Jamie Pickering, Phylliss Christian-Daniels, Jesse Ford, Denise McConnell, and Bob Biedeck, were all supportive of the first timers, and guided us through with care and support, and navigated us through the unknowns at the conference.
Celebrating the Centennial was a great organizational achievement, but interacting with friends and learning from D25 leadership was another success that I am looking forward to repeating next year.
