Meeting Minutes Sept 27, 2023

  

 Public Speaking Northwest Toastmasters

Meeting Minutes

Sept 27, 2023

 

Announcements:

Our Toastmaster was Dan, with the theme of Autumn.

 

Our Sergeant at Arms, Barb, called our meeting to order.

 

Our President Victor opened our meeting.

 

Our Education Minute - Nancy

• Doing after-speech assessments helps to keep track of the speeches delivered and ensures that none are missed.
• Organize all your speech introductions in a file under Toastmasters, making it easier to find the most recent speeches and determine their titles and dates.
• Giving credit to oneself and the club and district for the speeches is crucial.
• Mentors are available to guide and support members through the after-speech assessment process, especially in navigating pathways and claiming achievements.

Our Gate Team was:

 

Grammarian – Lynne

Word of the day was Profuse (to a great degree, in large amounts)

Ah Counter – Lynne

Timer - Mara

General Evaluator - Marcus

 

Our 1^st Speaker was Sonal with “Brief Excursion to Beautiful Olympic National Park” from Presentation Mastery | Level 1 | Speech 2 | Speaking with Purpose (5-7 min)

Our 2^nd Speaker was Rahul with “From Debugging Code to Debugging Life” from Presentation Mastery | Level 1 | Speech 2 | Ice Breaker (5-7 min)

Sonal's Speech Evaluator was Kelly

Rahul’s Speech Evaluator was Nancy

Our Table Topics Master was Victor.

 

Our Table Topic Speakers were Hari, Nancy, Dan, Marcus

 

Members in Attendance were Victory, Nancy, Lynne, Mara, Marcus, Sonal, Rahul, Kelly, Hari, Dan

Guest in Attendance Hari

Humorist: Victor

 

Motion to Adjourn: Marcus  Second: Mara

Officer Meeting Minutes 09/12/2023

Officer Meeting

September 12, 2023

Officer Reports:

Deanna (Treasurer's Report)

• Dues invoices were emailed on 9/11/23 to the remaining eight members who did not renew during the early bird option (Bircher, Connell, Guthmann, Jutta, Kumar, Sakaki, Tracy, and Vuu). The payment deadline for dues is 9/25/23. Allow a few business days for me to submit payment to TI by 10/1/23. Dues are $72 ($60 to TI / $12 to PSNW)
• An updated application was emailed (by Mara) to prospective member Hari Kota on 9/2/23. Still, the application needs to be returned, so I have yet to email an invoice for payment to her. 
• The PSNW bank account balance is $1569.24 as of 9/11/23.

Lynne Dauenhauer (Membership Report)

• Membership Renewals: As of September 10th, 18 members have renewed, and ten have not.  Of those ten, Warren and Nguyet have dropped out.  Deanna is sending out dues reminders to the remaining eight members, and we will follow up during the month. 
• New TI Dues: The new $60 TI dues go into effect with this new dues cycle.  The Dues Chart has been updated.  
• TI Inquiries: There have been six inquiries since early August.  Hari Kota has an application, and Emily Cressey requested more information.  I will continue to follow up.

Officer Meeting Minutes 07/11/23

Officer Meeting

July 11, 2023

Officer Reports:

Deanna, Nancy, Barb, Sharon, Mara (for Lynne D)

Nancy: 

• The Education Awards meeting is in 2 weeks. Heads up to VPPR to collate awards for a presentation at that meeting.

Membership Dues

• Toastmasters Dues are going up for Oct 1st renewal
• Deanna will email members 1x offer to pay early by the end of July.
• Officers voted to keep our club dues at $12.

Super Seven Training

• Training opportunities to be announced

Banking Update

• The transfer was made from Mara to Victor (president) and Nguyet to Deanna (treasurer) at US Bank by July 31, 2023.

LinkedIn Marketing Channel

Do we want to add LinkedIn as a marketing channel? Will review this topic in August.

Membership Report submitted by Lynne D & Mara

• New Members Our membership is now at 28 and includes Lan Guthmann, who joined in June.

Inquiries:

• We've had four inquiries since the officer's meeting in June (as of June 27). All were sent information about our club.
• They include:
• Janet Lee: Contacted Mara and Lynn C. about attending the June 13th meeting. She did not participate in it. Lynne D. sent her an invite and the agenda for the June 20 & and June 27 meetings. She has yet to respond or attend.
• Hana Vuu: Came to the June 20th meeting. She sent a follow-up email, and she responded, but she did not want to join. Sent an invite to the June 27th meeting; she did not attend.
• Marcelo Cunningham: Wants to come to the July 11th meeting. Will send an invite and agenda.
• Peter Lunstrum Came to the 6/20 meeting. I was sent more information about the membership process. Invited to the 6/27 meeting but has yet to come.
• *Per Mara, no guests attended the June 27th meeting, and no meeting was held on July 4 due to the holiday. Received inquiries from Wayne Windam & and Xueying Li and sent our standard reply. All of the above will receive email reminders with the agenda on Monday once it is available.

New TI Dues 

• Starting with the next dues cycle in September, TI dues will be $60. Now may be a good time to review our club dues. Currently, full dues are $12 and are prorated down $2 per month during the six-month dues cycle.

July and August

• Mara will stand in as VPM for Lynne while she is gone in July and August. Thank you, Mara!! The VPM is in great hands!!

Webmaster: All is well

VPE Report submitted by Nancy

1. Attached is our final DPR. We met all of the goals and exceeded many of them. We are a President's Distinguished club, though we have not been officially named thus far.
2. Attached is our club calendar.
3. We are still waiting for the District 2 officer training schedule. We all need to go through training by mid-August to receive the Super Seven expense reimbursement reward.
4. Sonal and Lan are taking their time choosing a mentor. Everyone else is matched and inducted.
5. Please add to the agenda.

• TI is increasing dues from $45 per 6 months to $60 per 6 months. The new member joining fee remains at $20 plus tax. This increase begins with the October 2023 renewal period. To complicate this, you can pay your Oct 2023 dues by July 31 and pay the $45. Our current Dues Chart for incoming members is attached for the recent breakdown. It will need to be modified to reflect the TI increase. We charge $12/6 months for club dues, collect and submit them to TI. The chart demonstrates prorated dues for TI and us, depending on when the member joins. Toastmasters International -Dues Increase

1. We want to offer the discounted rate ($15) with payments made 2 months ahead or introduce the new rate in September.
2. Should we consider raising/lowering our club dues simultaneously?

VPPR recorded from the meeting

• Sharon received a document from Kelly outlining all PR passwords, templates and procedures.
• She will get logged into Zoom today so she can access the videos.
• Do we want a LinkedIn page? Officers discussed & tabled for the next meeting.

Treasurer's Report

• Public Speaking Northwest #9406– Treasurer's Report
• Submitted By: Deanna Schroeder
• Date: 7-11-23

1. Treasurer access to Pay Pal and PSNW Bank Account at US Bank was transferred from Nguyet Ly to Deanna Schroeder in June 2023.
2. Nguyet had all financial activity spreadsheets/records updated at the transfer time.
3. The most recently completed new member payment was made via PayPal in mid-June 2023 (Lan Truong). On 7/11/23, Deanna initiated the payment transfer from PayPal to PSNW's bank US Bank account & and will subsequently submit the payment to TI.
4. Below is the invoice that is currently in the PSNW Treasurer function. I will update the invoice to reflect the early payment option discussed in the Officer's Meeting 7/11/23.
5. For those who pay early, I will submit payments to TI as they come in early for those choosing to wait to spend. I will resend the notice in August with changes reflecting the increased TI dues.

Meeting Minutes August 22, 2023

 

 Public Speaking Northwest Toastmasters

Meeting Minutes

Aug 22, 2023

 

Announcements:

Our Toastmaster was Amy, with the theme of Peaches.

 

Our Sergeant at Arms, Barb, called our meeting to order.

 

Our President Victor opened our meeting.

 

Our Education Minute 

• Nancy found an article from Toastmasters magazine that emphasizes the importance of using pauses effectively in public speaking. The article outlines nine key benefits of incorporating pauses:
• Mind Over Mouth: Pauses allow your mind to control your words, aiding in clearer communication.
• Audience Processing Time: Pauses give the audience time to absorb and process the information you've shared.
• Attention Retention: Strategic pauses can capture and hold the audience's attention.
• Perceived Thoughtfulness: When you pause and look at your audience, it gives the impression that you are thinking on the spot, which can be engaging.
• Emphasis on Key Ideas: Pauses can add weight and importance to your key points.
• Pacing: Pauses help control the speed of your speech, making it easier for the audience to follow.
• Breathing: Pauses allow you to catch your breath, aiding in better delivery and reducing anxiety.
• Eliminating Crutch Words: Pauses can help you avoid filler words, making your speech more polished.
• The article suggests that mastering the art of the pause can significantly enhance your public speaking skills

Our Gate Team was:

 

Grammarian – Sonal

Word of the day was Exude (a person displaying any emotions or qualities strongly and openly - An example: Everyone in the Toastmasters exudes confidence, goodwill and friendship)

Ah Counter – Jutta

Timer - Dan

General Evaluator - Marcus

 

Our 1^st Speaker was Maria with “Don't Panic” (5-7 min)

• Introduction: Coat of Arms
• Maria used the concept of a "coat of arms," a medieval symbol of identity, as a framework to reintroduce herself to the club.
• Personal Background
• Grew up in Southern California and moved to the Pacific Northwest seven years ago.
• Has a twin brother and sisters who are twins.
• The family resides in Southern California and Arizona.
• Educational Background
• Obtained a bachelor's degree in biochemistry from Santa Barbara.
• Initially, she chose biochemistry as a blend of biology and chemistry. 
• Professional Life
• Has a background in the biopharmaceutical industry, specifically in Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).
• Worked in companies that focused on cell therapy for curing cancer, motivated by her family's history with the disease.
• Interests and Hobbies
• Enjoys gardening, reading, and Sudoku.
• Often finds inspiration for her speeches from books she reads.
• Life Aspirations
• If money were no object, she would like to go on a round-the-world cruise.
• Favourite Quote and Mantra
• Lives by the quote, "Don't Panic," which she uses as a mantra to build courage and manage stress, especially in public speaking.
• Goals in Toastmasters
• Aims to enhance her communication and leadership skills.
• Values the learning she gains from other club members.
• Closing Remarks:
• Ended her speech with a quote from Jim Tracy: "Take what you like and leave what you don't."

Our 2^nd Speaker was Nitin with “Artificial Intelligence” (5-7 min)

• Objectives
• To educate the audience about the advantages and disadvantages of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
• To engage the audience with real-world examples and hypothetical scenarios.
• Introduction: What is AI?
• AI mimics human intelligence and is being developed to react like a human mind.
• Examples include smart home devices like Alexa.
• Anecdote: AI Challenges
• Shared a humorous advertisement about a man who uses AI for various tasks but faces a challenge when his voice changes after dental work, rendering voice commands useless.
• Advantages of AI in Human Life
• AI can assist people with physical limitations or disabilities.
• Examples include brain chips that convert thoughts into audio streams and robotic arms for those with limited hand movement.
• Mentioned personal experience with ChatGPT for generating a professional cover letter.
• Discussed AI tools like Photoshop and DALL-E that can generate realistic images.
• Disadvantages and Threats
• AI can replace jobs such as content writers.
• Referenced the movie "iRobot" to discuss the potential risks of AI becoming a threat to humanity.
• Closing Remarks:
• AI has numerous advantages but should be used with caution.
• Ended with the statement, "AI is good, but with limited use."

Maria’s Speech Evaluator was Kelly

• Introduction and Compliments
• Kelly has evaluated Maria multiple times and is always surprised by her content.
• Complimented Maria's smile and the calming presence she brought to the stage.
• Content and Structure
• Appreciated Maria's willingness to share personal family photos and stories.
• Praised using the phrase "Don't Panic" as a central theme.
• Delivery and Engagement
• Maria excelled in engaging the audience and pacing her speech.
• Suggested incorporating more pauses to let the audience absorb the content.
• Visual Aids
• Found the first slide busy with multiple elements.
• Recommend breaking it down into separate slides for better focus.
• Active Listening and References
• Commended Maria for tying back to previous meetings and speakers, showing she is an active listener.
• Closing Remarks
• Maria brought her speech full circle by revisiting the "Don't Panic" theme.
• Appreciated Maria's contribution to Toastmasters and felt that the audience learned new things about her.

Nitin’s Speech Evaluator was Sharon

• Introduction and ComplimentsThe: 
• Complimented the quality and professionalism of the slides.
• Content and Structure
• Appreciated the pacing and the objective of the speech.
• Enjoyed the humour, particularly the joke about the dentist and voice recognition.
• Delivery and Engagement
• Found the speaker to be calm and composed, even if they might have been nervous.
• Suggested playing with cadence to add more dynamism to the speech.
• Use of Humor
• Praised the use of humour as an effective tool for audience engagement.
• Suggestions for Improvement
• Recommended starting the speech with a joke or story for immediate engagement.
• Advised incorporating more stories to make the speech more memorable.
• Challenges for the Next Speech
• Challenge 1: Start with a story rather than an explanation.
• Challenge 2: Work on a strong, impactful ending that leaves the audience with something to ponder.

Our Table Topics Master was Mara.

 

Our Table Topic Speakers were Bill, Tian, Deanna, Rahul, Nancy

 

Members in Attendance were Barb, Victor, Nancy, Marcus, Rahul, Mara, Tian, Kelly, Amy, Sonal, Jutta, Bill

 

Guest in Attendance None

Humorist: Rahul

 

Motion to Adjourn: Nancy  Second: Mara