History of District 37
Thanks to Past District Governor Larry Brown, DTM! Larry worked with Toastmasters throughout the District to compile this information. If you see anything incorrect or missing please let the webmaste know - just click on "webmaster" at the bottom of each page.
Toastmasters International has had a strong presence in District 37 for over fifty years. District 37 is comprised of the entire state of North Carolina. The Asheville Toastmasters Club (#436) and Greensboro Toastmasters Club (#439) were both chartered on January 1, 1947 and High Point Toastmasters Club (#582) followed on May 1,1948. These three clubs created an alliance of leaders and speakers who began building Toastmasters to its current level of over two thousand members in over one hundred thirty clubs across the State. Currently active clubs that were chartered in the 1950's are Burlington, Cape Fear, Durham, Forsyth, Goldmine, Goldsboro, Kinston, Mercury, Northwestern, Queen City, Raleigh, Saturday Morning, and Tarheel.
In the mid-1950's, District 37 hosted a visit by Toastmasters International Founder, Dr. Ralph Smedley. Dr. Smedley attended the District 37 Conference at the Battery Park Hotel in Asheville. Asheville Club Member, G. Edison Hill, hosted the visit. (Hill was honored by District 37 in 2007 for his fifty-plus years of Toastmasters leadership.)
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Shown at left is picture of Asheville Club Member Edison Hill chatting with Toastmasters
International Founder, Dr. Ralph Smedley, on the rooftop observatory of historic Battery
Park Hotel in Asheville, NC in the mid-1950's.
(Click on the picture to see a larger view in a new window.) |
For many years, Toastmasters International was a men-only organization. The Chapel Hill Club opened its doors to women in 1973. Today, women comprise over 50% of membership in District 37, many serving in senior district leadership positions.
District 37 claims five International Directors in Region VIII and nine Presidential Citation Award recipients. Additionally, among the District 37 members who have competed in the "World Championship of Public Speaking" are Downtown (Greensboro) Club's Leonard Butler in 1959, Hornet's Nest Club's Larry Tucker in 2000, and Goldmine Club's Brian Woolf in 2003. (Brian represented District 58 when he competed.)
| Presidential Visits: | |
| 1994 | Ted Wood, DTM |
| 1995 | Pauline Shirley, DTM |
| 1999 | Terry Daily, DTM |
| 2005 | Dilip Abayasekara, DTM |
| Presidential Citations: | |
| 1979 | Marcia Barney, DTM |
| 1979 | Jack Bohland, DTM |
| 1981 | Hubert (Butch) Barney, DTM |
| 1985 | Lee Beattie, DTM |
| 1990 | Mary Cele Bain, DTM |
| 1995 | Jay R. Nodine, DTM |
| 1999 | Hari Rao, DTM |
| 2002 | W.L. (Bill) Mintz, DTM |
| 2004 | Larry D. Brown, DTM |
| International Directors: | |
| 1973-1975 | R. (Bob) Herndon, DTM |
| 1977-1979 | H. (Butch) Barney, DTM |
| 1981-1983 | M. (Bucky) Sutton, DTM |
| 1988-1990 | Jay R. Nodine, DTM |
| 1992-1994 | Lee Beattie, DTM |
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Pictured above is a 2004 photo taken of PDGs at the Spring Conference in Winston-Salem, NC.
From Left to Right,
Bob Mick (2003 & 2006);
Bill Mintz (1984-1985);
Murray Senkus (1954-1955);
Tom Dunn (District __);
Jay Nodine (1978-1979);
Anand Ramaswami (2001-2002);
Patricia Tierney (1989-1990);
Larry Brown (2000-2001 & 2004);
Mary Cele Bain (1985-1986);
Richard Reece (1996-1997);
Barney Barnum (1992-1993);
Marcia Barney (District 63, 1978-1979);
Butch Barney (1975-1976);
Peter Knudsen (1999-2000);
Dennis Vickland (1991-1992);
Sam Tukes (1993-1994)
[Picture courtesy of Mike Kesselring, District Governor (2006-2007)]
(Click on the picture to see a larger view in a new window.) |
| Past District Governors: | |
| 1952-1953 | Arch Schock |
| 1953-1954 | Robert N. Wood |
| 1954-1955 | Murray Senkus |
| 1955-1956 | W.A. Stringfellow |
| 1956-1957 | Ted Davis |
| 1957-1958 | Bill Hylton |
| 1958-1959 | Marvin R. Jones |
| 1959-1960 | F.L. Smith |
| 1960-1961 | Bo Galloway |
| 1961-1962 | Perry M. Weaver |
| 1962-1963 | Max Samfield |
| 1963-1964 | C. Ben Coble, DTM |
| 1964-1965 | Peter Gerns, DTM |
| 1965-1966 | Francis S. Keys |
| 1966-1967 | Larry Beitel |
| 1967-1968 | R.B. Owens |
| 1968-1969 | John Edwards |
| 1969-1970 | Leonard Butler, DTM |
| 1970-1971 | Bill Robinson |
| 1971-1972 | Bob Herndon, DTM (3) |
| 1972-1973 | Oscar Olive, DTM |
| 1973-1974 | Joe Ellisor, DTM |
| 1974-1975 | Jim McCauley |
| 1975-1976 | Hubert (Butch) Barney, DTM |
| 1976-1977 | M.B. (Bucky) Sutton, DTM (3) |
| 1977-1978 | Lee Beattie, DTM |
| 1978-1979 | Jay R. Nodine, DTM (2) |
| 1979-1980 | Sara G. Smith, DTM (1) |
| 1980-1981 | Mickey W. Marshall, DTM (2) |
| 1981-1982 | David A. Roberts (3) |
| 1982-1983 | Don Von Cannon, DTM |
| 1983-1984 | Gene A. West, DTM (3) |
| 1984-1985 | W.L. (Bill) Mintz, DTM |
| 1985-1986 | Mary Cele Bain, DTM |
| 1986-1987 | Jack Bohland, DTM (2) |
| 1987-1988 | Sheila Miller, DTM (3) |
| 1988-1989 | Robert Johnston, DTM (3) |
| 1989-1990 | Patricia Tierney, ATM (3) |
| 1990-1991 | M. (Hari) Rao, DTM (3) |
| 1991-1992 | Dennis Vickland, DTM |
| 1992-1993 | Barney Barnum, DTM |
| 1993-1994 | Sam Tukes, DTM |
| 1994-1995 | Tom Johnson, DTM |
| 1995-1996 | Peggy Beach, DTM |
| 1996-1997 | Richard Reece, DTM |
| 1997-1998 | Van Sherrill, ATM (3) |
| 1998-1999 | Carl C. Campbell, Jr., DTM (2) |
| 1999-2000 | Peter A. Knudsen, DTM |
| 2000-2001 | Larry D. Brown, DTM (3) |
| 2001-2002 | Anand Ramaswami, DTM (3) |
| 2002-2003 | SaraRuth Barger, DTM (3) |
| 2003-2004 | *Bob Mick/Larry Brown, DTM |
| 2004-2005 | Ron Bower, DTM |
| 2005-2006 | Rhonda Vrell/Bob Mick, DTM |
| 2006-2007 | Michael Kesselring, DTM |
| Distinguished District Program Results: | |
| (1) - - Presidents Distinguished District | |
| (2) - - Select Distinguished District | |
| (3) - - Distinguished District | |
*In 2003-2004, LGET Harold Barger served as District Governor-Elect and resigned prior to July 1, 2003 due to Health Reasons. During that same year, LGET Sindy Martin served as Acting District Governor from 12-13-03 through 1-10-04 following Bob Mick's resignation due to Career Change and prior to DEC's approval of Larry Brown being appointed to complete the term as District Governor.
| Leadership Award Recipients: | |
| 1989 | Mary Reynolds, DTM |
| 1992 | Mary Cele Bain, DTM |
| 1993 | Jay R. Nodine, DTM |
| 1994 | Patricia Tierney, ATM |
| District 37 Toastmaster of the Year Recipients: | |
| 1978-1979 | John Vrabel, DTM |
| 1997-1998 | Tommy Watts, DTM |
| 1998-1999 | Harold Barger, DTM |
| 1999-2000 | Keith Ostergard, DTM |
| 2000-2001 | Forrest Greenslade, DTM |
| 2001-2002 | Rhonda Vrell, ATM |
| 2002-2003 | Ron Bower, DTM |
| 2003-2004 | Pam Christopher, DTM |
| 2004-2005 | Yolanda Potter, ATM-G |
| 2005-2006 | Sindy Martin, DTM |
| 2006-2007 | Pete Breidenbach, DTM |
| Helen Yandle Award Recipients: (District 37 Club President of the Year Award) | ||
| 1984-1985 | Mary Brown | Greensboro TM #439 |
| 1989-1990 | Mary Cele Bain, DTM | |
| 1990-1991 | Mary P. Brady - ATM | Guilford Center TM # 3023 |
| 1991-1992 | Carl Campbell, DTM | Cape Fear TM #2879 |
| 1996-1997 | Fran Breece, ATM | Burlington TM #1835 |
| 1997-1998 | Kinsey Oglesby, ATM | Cape Fear TM #2879 |
| 1999-2000 | Peter A. Knudsen, DTM | Chapel Hill TM #2294 |
| 2000-2001 | Marilyn Sprague-Smith, DTM | Gem City Forum TM #296 |
| 2001-2002 | Lisa-Ann Andrews | Speechcrafters TM Club #918 |
| 2002-2003 | ||
| 2003-2004 | Andy Kaplan | Lake Norman TM #3832 |
| 2004-2005 | Deborah Joyner | Bank of America TM # 3971 |
| 2005-2006 | Deb Lee, DTM | Steele Creek TM #3961 |
| 2006-2007 | Connie Marthinsen, CC/ALS | Techtalk TM #870220 |
| District 37 C&L Award Recipients: | |
| 1992-1993 | Dr. Lloyd "Vic" Hackley - Chancellor, Fayetteville State University |
| 1997-1998 | William Friday - Chancellor, UNC-CH |
| 1998-1999 | Greg Fishel - WRAL-TV, Raleigh |
| 1999-2000 | James A. Graham - NC Commissioner of Agriculture |
| 2000-2001 | Lee Kinard - WFMY-TV, Greensboro |
| 2001-2002 | Will Sutton - News & Observer, Raleigh |
| 2002-2003 | Ty Boyd - Professional Speaker/Trainer, Charlotte |
| 2003-2004 | William Mangum - Artist, Greensboro |
| 2004-2005 | Bob Caldwell - WLOS-TV, Asheville |
| 2005-2006 | Renee McCoy - WRAL-TV/RMac, Inc. |
| 2006-2007 | Jay Nodine - Toastmasters, Kannapolis (Special Lifetime Recognition) |
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