 This
is a history of District 47 of which the new District 84 was the
central and northern part from inception. The official start date
for District 84 was July 1, 2008. District 84 extends appreciation
to District 84 Historian, Distinguished Toastmaster and Senior
Past District Governor Karl Righter for
assembling this history.
 Article written by
Ira Callman, Provisional Governor #1, 1955
The Sunshine State Toastmasters District 47 was born
as a result of curiosity. Curiosity may kill the cat, but in this
case it catapulted members of a few Toastmasters Clubs in Florida
to Action!
Being assigned to the Marine Corps Air Station, Miami,
in 1952, MSgt Ira Callman was responsible for forming the Staff
NCO Toastmasters Club #1423. In August, 1954, Sgt. William Kuck
and Callman decided to attend the International Convention in Washington,
D.C. Not being wealthy Toastmasters, they decided to hop a Marine
Corp plane to Quantico, Virginia, only 30 miles from Washington.
At the last moment, the flight was cancelled and the two Sergeants
were able to find an Air Force flight from Miami to Washington.
In Washington, their luxury hotel was the local YMCA.
At the convention, the two met B. M. Wherrette from club #28 in
Orlando. Incidentally, that club was the first Toastmasters club
East of the Mississippi, and it was a very active club.
The three chatted for awhile about Toastmasters.
That is where curiosity took over. They learned about District
organizations and asked themselves why Florida didn't have a district.
They spoke with Ted Blanding, Executive Secretary of International,
who was President of Toastmasters in 1942-43. When the question "Why
doesn't Florida have a district" was posed to him, he replied with
the question "Why don't you do something about it?" Ted explained
that ten clubs had to petition Toastmasters for District status.
The District then must be in a provisional status for one year,
with no funding from International. Talk about operating on a shoestring...without
the shoestring!
After the convention, Sgts Callman and Kuck returned
to their positions as NCO in charge of the Public Information Office
and Motor Transport specialist respectively. Sgt Callman ended
up handling all correspondence and contact about forming the district.
With fourteen clubs in the state, it was a job getting the ten
petitions. Support was always there from Secretary Blanding.
The decision was reached to have a western boundary
at the Apalachicola River (as the rest of the Panhandle of Florida
was already assigned to District 29.) The Tallahassee club wrote
that they thought that they should be in District 29. The response
acknowledged that point but stressed that it seemed logical that
a club in the state capital should be included in the Florida district.
They returned the petition immediately. The Board of Directors
met in February, 1955. The tenth petition arrived during the second
week and the Board voted on February 15, 1955 approving provisional
status for District 47. The District organizational meeting was
in Orlando in March, 1955 with Ira Callman becoming District Governor
and B. M. Wherrette, Lieutenant Governor. The District was started
and new clubs started to spring up. The first new club of the District
was the Coral Gables Club, chartering in July, 1955.
Other info about the District:
Presidential Visits to District 47:
1971 Arther Diamond
1983 Bill Miller
1988 Tommy Richardson
1994(Fall) Pauline Shirley, DTM
2001 (Spring) JoAnna McWilliams, DTM
2008 (Spring) Chris K. Ford, DTM
International Conventions
District 47 has hosted three International Conventions,
meaning the outgoing and incoming International Presidents technically
visited District 47 and were beneficiaries of our hospitality:
1968
(Miami Beach) - Outgoing: Lothar Salin Incoming: Earl
M. Potter
1984 (Orlando) Outgoing:
Eddie V. Dunn Incoming: John S. Latin
2000 (Miami Beach) Outgoing:
Tim Keck Incoming: Jo Anna McWilliams
Presidential Citations to members of District 47:
2002 Mark Majcher, CTM/CL
2001 Karl Righter, DTM
1989 David Meeks, DTM
1988 Ann Tillman, DTM
1986 Frank Tillman, DTM
International Directors from District 47:
2006 - 2008 Margaret Wan, DTM. PDG
2002 - 2004 Paul Meunier, DTM, PDG
1995 - 1997 Steven A. Bard, DTM, PDG, PID
1991-1993 Evelyn-Jane Burgay, DTM
1987-1989 Ray Floyd, DTM
1983-1985 David Meeks, DTM
1979-1981 Hugh Burgay, DTM
1971-1973 Win Chesley, DTM
1968-1970 John Diaz, DTM
International President from District 47:
1974-1975 John Diaz, DTM
Past International President residing in District 47 and now
District 84:
Bob Blakely, DTM
Past International President that resided in District 47
Ted Wood, DTM (Deceased)
List of Past District 47 Governors
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