March 25, 2014 Theme: Spring

Lynne was scheduled to be our Toastmaster today and she chose Spring as our theme. However due to illness she was unable to make it.  Jean graciously filled in for her.

We had three very informative speakers today.  Kathy taught us all how to give effective feedback. She used Power Point to list and explain steps to effective evaluations.   Meaningful feedback  reinforces outstanding performance and encourages others to improve.

Elaine was our second speaker. She taught us how to container garden.  She gave us a hands on demonstration aided with Power Point to show us how easy and affordable container gardening is.  Do a little work in May and by July you will have a beautiful carefree garden.

Jean was our third speaker today.  She gave a very interactive presentation on the value of our TM meetings. She had us write down and share why Toastmasters is important to us and how we could tell others about our club.

Alice and Rochelle were our guests today. Last week Roy was our guest and today he was our newest member. Whether you decide to join or not, guests are always welcome. Don't be shy, all members were guests at one point. Be sure and join us next week for our All Fools party.  We will have refreshments and a drawing for a $10 Starbucks card. We hope you will join us.

March 18, 2014 Theme: The Emerald

Elaine was our Toastmaster today.  She chose The Emerald as the theme. Elaine compared Toastmasters to emeralds. Both start out with rough edges in a rock, but with hard work become refined and turn into a jewel. Emeralds are fragile and precious. An emerald of equivalent size to a diamond is often more valuable.

Robert was our first speaker today.  He completed project five in the CC manual.  The tittle of his presentation was I Improvise and Sometimes I Do Improv.  In 1977 Robert took an improv class.  This class taught him that he could make a fool out of himself and survive. For five years he was part of a group called None of the Above.  Robert shared three techniques with us which were: Emotional Symphony, Freeze Tag and Status Games. Robert gave us humorous examples of all these techniques.

Barb was our second speaker. She completed project three in the Advanced Communication manual. The tittle of Barb's speech was Catherine. Barb gave a very humorous presentation about her beloved grandmother-in-law Catherine. Barb spoke with a little Irish brogue as she shared tales about Catherine. Amongst the jokes and stories it was evident that Catherine brought joy to her world.

Today we had three guests join us.  Bernie and Roy found us from their web search. Barb's son Patrick joined us as well.  Roy and Patrick joined the fun and participated in Table Topics. Whether you want to participate or just observe, know that you are always welcome.

March 11,2014 Theme Ides of March

We had a great meeting today.  Barb was our Toastmaster today.  She chose Ides of March as the theme.  She explained the history of the Roman calendar date.   Barb talked about the significance of the date in 44 B.C. when Julius Caesar was assassinated. 

Linda was our first speaker today.  She told us all about Chinese Ping Pong.  Ping Pong is the most popular sport to play and watch in China. It has become a part of Chinese culture.  The Chinese created a systematic way of teaching so it becomes intuitive.

Kate was our second speaker today.  She taught us how to be a DANG good advocate.  Kate used examples from her vacation to show us the skills: Document Accountability Names Gratitude.  Whether we need to help ourselves or loved ones we just need to remember to be a DANG good advocate. 

Our meeting was made extra special today because three guests joined us.  Barb’s sister Jean came from Olympia today.  Pauline and Cindy also joined us.  Each guest and their host will have their name put a drawing for a $10 Starbucks card.  Drawing will be held April 1^st.  We hope you will be joining us soon.  Guests are always welcome.

March 4,2014 Theme: The Oscars

Elaine was our Toastmaster today. She chose The Oscars as the theme.  She shared interresting trivia about the Oscars including how the trophy received its name. The creator said it looked like his uncle Oscar. Elaine also spoke of how Matthew McConaughey's speech was as example of Toastmasters. Once we reach one goal we set another. Life is a work in progress.

Our first speaker today was Lynne. She completed project 5 in the CCM series. The title of her speech was In the Beginning. Lynne used fictional friend Elroy to show us how to make a strong opening for our speeches. Criteria for a successful opening include:getting the attention and explaining why the audience should be interested. Along with establishing a rapport with the audience. Lynne gave us several techniques to use to create a successful opening. Elroy and our members learned how to improve our openings.

Kathy was our second speaker today. The tittle of her speech was The Ten Essentials of Hiking.  Kathy used humor to give us an educational presentation about how to be prepared when hiking. Kathy listed the ten essentials and explained why they were important. Kathy's use of humor kept our attention focused the valuable lesson. The ten essentials are: map and compass, water,extra food, extra clothes, first aid kit, fire starter, flashlight with spare batteries, sunscreen, extra shelter and tool kit. With these essentials we can have a laughing good time as we hike.