April 29, 2014 Theme: Bite of China

Yanhong was our Toastmaster again this week.  She chose Bite of China as the theme. Bite of China is a TV documentary series.  It is in its second season and very popular in China. It covers the history, culture and story of food in China. It is a very beautiful documentary and can be viewed in the US via You Tube.

Kate was our first speaker.  Her presentation was from the Successful Club Series. The title of her speech was Meeting Roles and Responsibilities. Kate gave out a handout and explained the meeting roles and their importance.  She also explained how to sign up for meeting roles.

Barb was our second speaker.  Her presentation was also from the Successful Club Series.  The title of her talk was Creating the Best Club Climate. Research has shown that successful clubs have a positive learning environment and strong member interaction.  To create a positive learning experience it is important to arrive prepared, sign up for roles and support other members. To encourage ember interaction be a mentor, show interest in others, be considerate, evaluate effectively, recognize achievements, and foster comeradity.

Today Linda brought a guest. Yensone joined us for the first time. Welcome Yensone.  We hope you will join us again.  Guests are always welcome.

April 22, 2014 Theme: QingMing ( Tomb Sweeping Festival )

We had a wonderful meeting today.  Yanhong was our Toastmaster today.  The theme was QingMing (Tomb Sweeping Festival).  QingMing is a Chinese National holiday that takes place 15 days after the Spring Equinox. It is a time to honor those who have died through tragic events such as Tanimin Square.  Special cakes and bright green dumplings are served at this festival.

Linda was our first speaker today.  She completed project # 6 from the CC manual.  The title of her presentation was A Kite Out of Site.  Linda shared a touching story of how a gentleman she knew compared kite flying to child rearing.  At first with a kite and child you are trying to stabilize it and guide it.  Then with guidance, they start to soar. After a while they soar so high you can’t see them. However the string is always attached to you. This becomes an everlasting bond whether they are out of site or not.

Robert was our second speaker. He also completed project #6 from the CC manual. The title of his presentation was From Test Patterns to Screensavers to Slow TV.   Robert talked about how with the invention of electricity (170 years ago) technology has evolved.  Test patterns on TV are just screen savers. Television itself is just animated screen savers.  Now with computers (streaming) one can watch an entire season in one sitting this is called binge viewing.  If we are not careful, a child can change from an irresistible force to an immovable object.

Jean was our third speaker today.  She completed project #5 from the CC manual.  The title of her speech was How Mentors Can Help.  Jean took us back to 1995 when she attended her first Toastmasters meeting.  She told us how she was hesitant at first to get help from her mentor. Jean then led a discussion on what mentors can do for mentees. She also inquired what mentees would like from their mentors. Jean mentored all of us on the mentoring process.

Today’s meeting was extra special because we had two guests join us. Welcome Rie and Pauline.  We are glad you joined us and we hope to see you again soon.

April 8, 2014 Theme: Sister Cities

 Lynne was our Toastmaster today.  She chose sister cities as the theme.  President Eisenhower started the program in 1956.  All US presidents since then have served as honorary chairs for the program.  The purpose is to promote peace and prosperity.  Currently there are 600 sister cities around the world.

Kathy was our first speaker today. Her project was from the Technical Presentation Manual.  The title of her talk was Movies…Coming Soon?  Kathy proposed that the Eastside could benefit from having a small luxury theatre that would show limited run and foreign films. She discussed the pros and cons and answered questions from members.

Roy was our second speaker.  He completed his Icebreaker.  He shared his family genealogy dating back to 450b.c.  Roy impressed all of us with his natural poise and being able to give his Icebreaker without using notes.

Our Area 54 Governor Pat Sultan joined us.  Pat promoted the upcoming Speech and Evaluation contest.  We always welcome guests.  Whether you want to participate or just observe, please join us.  We are running another membership drive with all new guests being entered into a drawing for a Starbucks card. Drawing will be held May 13^th.

 

 

 

April 1, 2014 Theme: Foolishness

Robert was our Toastmaster today.  In honor of April Fool’s Day the theme was foolishness. Robert shared some history on how the day got started as well some classics pranks that have been done.

Kate was our first speaker. The tittle of her presentation was Take Out Night. She shared some humorous stories of her children when they were infants and toddlers.

Barb was our second speaker. The tittle of her presentation was Newton's Cradle. Barb explained Newton's law of motion. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Barb used examples from politics and the actual toy called Newton's Cradle to demonstrate the principal.

We also had a little party at our meeting. Alice and Linda won the drawings for the Starbucks cards for bringing guests and having guests return. Lynne also made sure we all had a chance to win something by raffling little stuffed bunnies. There was delicious food and a bit of tomfoolery.

The best part of meeting was the guests. Rochelle and Alice came back and became our newest members. Frank also joined us. Frank had been involved in TM many years ago and is looking forward to becoming active again. We may not have a party each week, but guests are always welcome. They are the heart and soul of our club. Please join us.