Summary by Karl Righter, DTM
The Orlando Conquerors Toastmasters Club 1066 was founded in April,
1953 at our present meeting location, then called the Cherry Plaza Hotel.
1066 was a spin-off of Orlando Club 28, the oldest Toastmasters club east
of the Rocky Mountains! Our competitive spirit is characterized by
our name, Conquerors, which was inspired by William the Conqueror’s famous
Battle of Hastings in 1066.
For over four decades, we’ve been one of District 47’s most decorated clubs, finishing as the top club in the district four times! In 1998, 1066 was the 12th ranked club internationally out of 8,600 clubs, and moved up the following year to the 3rd ranked club in the world after briefly being ranked #1! Our biweekly newsletter, The Conqueror, has been published continuously for 47 years, and has been a frequent Top Ten Bulletin internationally.
The club¹s strength lies in its membership! Our most senior members are Orange County Tax Collector, Earl K. Wood, DTM, a member since 1956, and Past District 47 Governor Karl Righter, DTM, who joined The Conquerors in 1966. Joe Blum and Burt Woodruff, who were members in the 60s, have recently rejoined 1066 after being away from the club. In 1973 Susan Torrico, a pharmacist, became our first female member, and ultimately, our first woman president. In 1989, Hugh T. Burgay, DTM, who is retired and lives in Sarasota, reached the highest level ever for a Conqueror, International Director, and is the club’s only honorary life member. In 1999, Barbara Bergstrom, DTM became the first 1066 woman to be awarded a DTM designation.
Over the years, 1066 has produced many District and Regional speech contest winners. During a five-year span from 1975 – 1980, three Conquerors (Wycoff, Righter, & Burgay) won the Region VIII Humorous Speech Contest four times, an unprecedented feat. 1066 has also produced thirteen DTMs, three District Governors, three Senior Lt.Governors, many Division and Area Governors, and an International Director. Eleven past presidents of 1066 remain active.