About the Conferece
Ladies and Gentlemen, Toastmasters of all ages I would like to invite you to the Fall Conference 2017 held in Tokyo. This will be the last Fall Conference held in District 76. Also since many members from Division B (other division have been helpful, too) have been so helpful, the slogan is “Bigger, Better, Bolder.” It will be the “Biggest, Best, and Boldest” conference experience you will ever have.
I could tell you we will invite Darren Tay, 2016 Toastmasters International World Champion of Public Speaking. and Mariko Kanemoto, a Caring Clown who has worked with Patch Adams as our bigger better bolder guests.
I could tell you that we have the biggest best and boldest venue yet in Nikkei Hall in Otemachi. could even tell you that the very best in District 76 will competing in the Tall Tales contest on that very stage.
But, what is really important is not the guests, nor the workshops, it is not even the contest. What is important is what you get out of the event.
Some members have wondered what is the big deal about Tall Tales? It is just an American cultural phenomenon. Some of you may even have images of cowboys sitting around a campfire telling exaggerated stories to pass the time. That is quite an accurate image. But, what is more important is the creative ability to come up with exaggerated and also unrealistic things that has pushed us all forward. Steve Jobs once mentioned, "1000 songs in your pocket”. In the beginning that was just a tall tale, but he made it reality. The same went with the iPhone, a cell phone seemed made up, but now is something you cannot live without.
Elon Musk was on a quixotic fight with the big automakers and at the same time to launch a private rocket. He is a who brought us Tesla Motors, Space X, as well as Pay Pal. No one has ever been successfully done either of these things, but two? That seems to be a tall tale.
Men like Steve Jobs, and Elon Musk wove their own Tall Tales, entertained millions with their stories, while at the same time changing the world. You see the true power of Tall Tales is not just entertainment, but gives us the ability to see things we have never seen, to think things we have never thought, and to dream like we have never dreamed before.
So please, do not waste this opportunity. Meet new people at the party and during the conference. Watch the speakers and take notes on the technique you could use. Decide how you will use all that you learned from the keynote addresses and workshops in your club and in your own life. Make the most of it. You will very glad you did.
The entire fall conference team is waiting for you. And that is no lie!
Matthew D. Ownby
D76 Fall Conference Chair
