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.

Some other info about the District: (Special thanks to DTM Karl Righter for this extensive history)

PAST DISTRICT 47 GOVERNORS (includes city of residence during term)

1955-56 Ira Callman, DTM, Miami (Provisional District) (deceased)
1956 B.M. Wherette, Orlando (Provisional District) (deceased)
1956-57 Owen Parrish, Miami
1957-58 Donald M. Larson, Miami
1958-59 Norman S. Pallot, Miami
1959-60 Donald F. Muller, Jacksonville
1960-61 Charles M. Swann, DTM, Sarasota, Int’l Director (deceased)
1961-62 Dean Risher, Cocoa Beach
1963-64 Larry Q. Webb, Jacksonville
1964-65 Viggo C. Christiansen, Jacksonville (deceased)
1965-66 John Diaz, DTM, Cocoa Beach, Int’l Director, Int’l President (‘74 - ‘75)
1966-67 Win Chesley, DTM,*** Plantation, Int’l Director
1967-68 Charles Avery,* Cocoa Beach
1968-69 Fred G. Thompson,* Miami
1969-70 Hugh T. Burgay, DTM,*** Orlando, Int’l Director (deceased)
1970-71 John Bowman, DTM,* Miami (DTM Badge #1)
1971-72 Michael G. Shane, DTM,*** Ft. Lauderdale (DTM Badge #14) (deceased)
1972-73 Charles L. Jones, DTM, Winter Haven
1973-74 Karl E. Righter, DTM, Orlando (DTM Badge #51)
1974-75 Carleton Smith, DTM, St. Petersburg (deceased)
1975-76 S. R. Dunn, DTM,*** Jacksonville (DTM Badge #99) (deceased)
1976-77 David Meeks, DTM,* Tampa, Int’l Director
1977-78 R. Floyd Sewell, DTM,* Jacksonville
1978-79 Robert Gelfand, DTM, Plantation (deceased)
1979-80 Val Croskey, DTM,* Melbourne
1980-81 Virginia Heddinger, DTM,* Ft. Lauderdale (deceased)
1981-82 Frank Tillman, DTM,** Gainesville (deceased)
1982-83 Jim Stanley, DTM,* Tampa (deceased)
1983-84 Ray Floyd, DTM,* Ft. Lauderdale, Int’l Director
1984-85 Dr. Ann Tillman, DTM,* Gainesville
1985-86 Clara Gelfand, DTM, Plantation (deceased)
1986-87 James E. Martin, DTM,** Clearwater
1987-88 Lou Funk, DTM,*** Brandon
1988-89 Fred Miller, DTM, St. Petersburg
1989-90 Rosella Bonham, DTM,* Lake Mary
1990-91 Sara Meeks, DTM,* Tampa (deceased)
1991-92 Ed Waters, DTM,* Jacksonville (deceased)
1992-93 Steven A. Bard, DTM, Lauderhill, Int’l Director
1993-94 Louise Y. Boyd, DTM, Sanford
1994-95 Rusty Best, DTM,*** Titusville
1995-96 Samuel P. Bain, DTM, Nassau, Bahamas
1996-97 Rex P. Lehman, DTM, Miami
1997-98 Laura Reed, DTM, Tampa
1998-99 Timothy Pesut, DTM,* Sarasota
1999-00 Jack Jamba, DTM, Cocoa Beach
2000-01 Paul Meunier, DTM,*** Orlando, Int’l Director
2001-02 Cathy Epler, DTM,* New Port Richey
2002-03 Eileen Sarris, DTM, Sarasota
2003-04 Margaret Wan, DTM,*** St. Petersburg, Int’l Director
2004-05 Jim Ocque, DTM, Longwood
2005-06 Godfrey Springer, DTM, Nassau, Bahamas
2006-07 Loretta Sandy, DTM,*** Palm Bay
2007-08 Wanda Brown, DTM, St. Johns
2008-09 Antionette Fox, DTM, Nassau, Bahamas

* Achieved Distinguished District
** Achieved Select Distinguished District
***Achieved President’s Distinguished District

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Presidential Visits to District 47

• 1971 Arthur Diamond
• 1983 Bill Miller
• 1988 Tommy Richardson
• 1994 (Fall) Pauline Shirley, DTM
• 2001 (Spring) JoAnna McWilliams, DTM
• 2008 (Spring) Chris Ford, DTM

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Presidential Citations to members of District 47

• 1986 Frank Tillman, DTM
• 1988 Dr. Ann Tillman, DTM
• 1989 David Meeks, DTM
• 2001 Karl Righter, DTM
• 2002 Mark Majcher, CTM/CL

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Early Recipients of DTM Designation

• John Bowman, DTM, Miami, District 47 Governor, ‘70 - ‘71, DTM # 1
• Mike Shane, DTM, Ft. Lauderdale, District 47 Governor, ‘71 - ‘72, DTM # 14
• Karl Righter, DTM, Orlando, District 47 Governor, ‘73 - ‘74, DTM # 51
• S. R. Dunn, DTM, Jacksonville, District 47 Governor, ‘75 - ‘76, DTM # 99

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International Directors from District 47

• ‘63 - ‘64 - Charles Swan, DTM, PDG
• ‘68 - ‘70 - John Diaz, DTM, PDG, PIP
• ‘71 - ‘73 - Win Chesley, DTM, PDG
• ‘79 - ‘81 - Hugh Burgay, DTM, PDG
• ‘83 - ‘85 - Dave Meeks, DTM, PDG
• ‘87 - ‘89 - Ray Floyd, DTM, PDG
• ‘91 - ‘93 - Evelyn-Jane Burgay, PDG, DTM
• ‘95 - ‘97 - Steve Bard, DTM, PDG
• ‘02 - ‘04 - Paul Meunier, DTM, PDG
• ‘06 - ‘08 - Margaret Wan, DTM, PDG

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International President from District 47

• 1974-1975 John Diaz, DTM

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Past International President now residing in District 47

• 1976 - 1977 Bob Blakeley, DTM

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International Conferences Held in District 47 with Presidents

• 1968 - Miami Beach
  • Outgoing President - Lothar Salin, DTM
  • Incoming President - Earl M. Potter, DTM

• 1984 - Orlando
  • Outgoing President - Eddie V. Dunn, DTM
  • Incoming President - John S. Latin, DTM

• 2000 - Miami Beach
  • Outgoing President - Tim Keck, DTM
  • Incoming President - JoAnna McWilliams, DTM