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Club Growth Director but was received
and welcomed into this elite group of
Toastmasters.
All the Toastmasters on the flight chatted about
their specific districts, some of the challenges,
some of the victories, and the goals they were
hopeful to attain throughout the Toastmasters
year. I felt such a sense of hope for the future
of Toastmasters. An indescribable joy came
flooding in as I thought about meeting and
building lifelong relationships with many of the Matt Kinsey, DTM, 2022-2023 Toastmasters
Toastmasters that I was meeting on the plane International President & Dr. Gwen Avington
and those that I would meet at training over the
next few days. My heart was full, and my mind raced with
The arrival in Nassau, Bahamas was interesting anticipation. We got our rooms keys and headed
because there was a thunderstorm, and it was for the elevator. There standing at the elevator
too dangerous to land right away. We circled the came my second of many surreal moments and
airspace for about 20 minutes before the flight experiences at the District Leader Training. A
crew got the go ahead for us to land. group of people were coming by the elevator
and as they got closer someone spoke to Jim. As
Nassau Bahamas I looked up, he called me by name and spoke to
me. It was International President Matt Kinsey.
My mind was spinning, how did Matt Kinsey
We arrived safely and began the next steps in the remember my name? I had only talked to him
journey. I had cruised to Freeport once in a chat when he spoke at a club in District
Bahamas many years ago, but nothing prepared 7 a few years before becoming International
me for the striking beauty and atmosphere President.
of Nassau Bahamas. I had arrived with my
Toastmaster Tribe and a sense of the endless Later, at the District Trainings, I met Matt
Kinsey, Daniel Rex, Louisa Davis, Richard
possibilities for learning, comradery, and fun as Peck, and of course our current Region 1
I filled out my customs paperwork. There was a Advisor Rose Kirland in person. It was a real
group of us that decided to pool our resources thrill for me because I had takeaways from each
and ride the taxi to the Baha Mar Hotel. When
we arrived at the hotel, I recognized a woman of these Toastmasters that has informed my
Toastmasters success journey.
standing at the counter. She said, “I know you,” Wow, what a feeling for me, I met George
I looked up to see a fellow Toastmaster from a
Club I belong to in District 1, the newly minted
District 1 Club Growth Director.

Shante Howard
District 1 Club
Growth Director

Richard Peck, DTM, Toastmasters International
President 2020-2021 Rose Kirland, DTM, Region 1 &
advisor, and Dr. Gwen Avington

VOICES! | WINTER 2024 3