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