Mar. 17th, 2015 Theme: All Things Irish

No man is an Ireland. ~~ Chicago Mayor Richard Daley

Welcome to the St. Patrick’s Day meeting blog. On this day, we had 2 guests come to visit.  

Barb was our toastmaster and conducted a timely and educational meeting.  Notable were the Irish phrases like: Any Crack? (What’s the news?), and response: Divil a bit (Not much.) and the Irish blessing: May cat eat you and devil eat the cat.

The GATE  team was: Jung as Grammarian (Brilliant and beautifully handwritten pages!), Amritha as the Ah Counter, Kathy as the Timer, and Jim as the General Evaluator. 

Two of our members were recognized for their achievements of goals. Naser completed the requirements of his Competent Communicator Manual and received a 10th Speech award. Lynne completed the requirements of her Competent Leadership Manual and received her recognition certificate.

Jean was our first speaker of the afternoon. She completed the 6th project (Vocal Variety) of the Competent Communicator Manual just above 12 minutes. Her speech title was "The DCP – The Bigger Picture".

Jean provided a clear description of the Distinguished Club Program (DCP) and all of the point components needed by a club to get that award. She noted that our club has received the DCP in 3 consecutive years, a tribute to our club members and officers who progress in their individual toastmaster goals. She offered the Member Goal Tracking poster and two pre-placed handouts. One was a visual description of two tracks a member could take to achieve a Distinguished Toastmaster award.

The other was a snapshot of our clubs progress this year towards a DCP award. We have until June 30, 2015 to get the needed, remaining goals. Currently, we have achieved Select Distinguished (7 Goals met) and need 2 more goals for getting President’s Distinguished. Also, on May 19, 2015 our club will be 12 years old.

Jean was voted best Speaker.

Linda was her evaluator. Linda liked that Jean offered lots of interaction and eye contact. She was grateful for the Tracking Poster and the handouts, which kept the speech on track with the audience. She wondered about what led up to the creation of this club in 2003. The energy level with which Jean spoke was very attention getting.

Our second speaker, Jessica, completed her second speech, from the Competent Communicators Manual (Organize your speech) within 6 minutes. The name of her speech was "Walkers and Optimists". Jessica noted that her New Year’s Resolutions were to think positive thoughts and to become more optimistic. This was also a way to strengthen her long-term health.

She is looking forward to attending College in the Fall to take Calculus and Computer Science classes.  As a teenager, she had been prone to be easily discouraged and pessimistic about completing school. She looks up to TV heroes, like those Zombies that populate “The Walking Dead”. Those characters show optimism, persistence and a deep down conviction that there has got to be a way to resolve any difficult situation.

Naser was her evaluator. He liked her opening up about her New Years Resolutions and suggested a more interesting beginning might be to say: Did you know that a New Year’s Resolution can extend your life?  He liked her references to the inspiring characters in “The Walking Dead” TV Show. He thought of a different way of organizing the speech would give it more interest. He thought to let the Structure of the speech be in the telling of a story: First, you went to a party; Second, you got up the next morning; The audience is now hooked into wondering what happened in between those two events.

Naser won the best Evaluator award today.

Jim was our General Evaluator. He thought that the GATE team was effective in the conduct of their roles and the speakers and evaluators were enthusiastic and precise in their words and interactions with the audience.

Our humorist was Robert, who told two very different stories involving deaths. One was about a man’s prediction to his wife in his afterlife and how she responds. The other was a longer story about a man named Artie and his success in making headlines but in a pun-ish-ing way.

Attendees were:  Linda, Lynne, Jean, Jim, Robert, Barb, Pauline, Jung, Grace, Dave A., Preston, Diana, Alice, Jessica, Naser, Kathy and Amritha, along with guests: Diane W. and Sue F. Sue F. is expecting to rejoin us on April 1.  Our membership total is currently at 26.

~~~~~ Respectfully Submitted by Robert, the Secretary [Say the word(s) or comment] ~~~~~

Mar. 10th, 2015 Theme: Food For Thought: A Few Tidbits

Time flies like an arrow; Fruit Flies like a banana. ~~ Groucho Marx

Welcome to our "just before pi(e) day" and "just before the ides of March" meeting blog. On this day, we had 3 guests come to visit us.  

Lynne was our toastmaster who conducted a delightful and entertaining meeting. She offered such stimulations as the origins of a Baker’s Dozen, Cottage Cheese and Ice Cream. The source of these were from a book called: Why does popcorn pop? By Don Voorhies  

The GAT(e)  team was: Jessica as Grammarian (Essential), Kimberley as the Ah Counter, Jim as the Timer.

Barb was our first speaker of the afternoon. She completed the 5th project (The Oratorical Speech) of the Advanced Interpretive Reading Manual within 8 minutes. Her speech title was "Dawn And Mary".

In her speech, written by Brian Doyle in Sun Magazine, Barb told of the commemorative events that occurred on December 14, 2012 in Newton, Connecticut Sandy Hook Grade School, where the Principal named Dawn and the School Psychologist named Mary ran toward the sound of gun shots to defend the children of the school.

Jean was her evaluator. Jean observed that Barb dressed professionally as a speaker and thought the words "Jumped or Leapt or Lunged" were repeatedly voiced very effectively. She wanted the spoken "pop, pop, pop" to be extremely loud.  Her other recommendation was for Barb to speak more confidently during the beginning of her speech.

Jean was voted best Evaluator.

Our second speaker, David P. completed his 1st project (The Ice Breaker), from the Competent Communicators Manual within 8 minutes. The name of his speech was "That’s Me". David, as a 2 year old, was introduced to an African American named Marvin. He generalized this by assuming all African Americans were named Marvin and called them that until age 5.

His older sister Sarah, who normally met him after school to walk home with him, didn’t one day. He was scared and walked home alone. When he saw her again, he said to her: "You made an earthquake in my heart!" 

He recovered from a brain injury due to an auto accident as a 14 year old and relearned how to finish verbalizing thoughts. A two year mission to Mexico allowed him to learn Spanish and relearn English. He now is in a people oriented job as an insurance broker and has his wife Natasha and 9 month old Gretchen to offer positive heart murmurs.

David A. was his evaluator. He shook hands with the speaker. He liked the show and tell of the head scar and the "earthquake" quote. He noted that David unnecessarily used the word "and…" as a place holder (and sign to others not to interrupt him because he isn’t finished talking). He suggested breathing deeper and more often and not to fuss with his wedding ring; to look around the room rather than up and down; to use natural hand gestures and move back to be seen by the entire audience.

 Naser, our contestant for the Area Level International speech contest on March 25, gave his speech again as our 3^rd speaker. (See the March 3 Blog, below this one, for the initial description of "What Does Great Mean?"). In this version, he made it clear that his son did not accept that greatness is equated with eating broccoli. His own heroes are not famous people, but they are meaningful people to Naser and he offered a call to action that you can achieve greatness through your own heroes, as they inspire you.

Naser won the best speaker award today.

Linda, our contestant for the Area Level Evaluation contest on March 25, was his evaluator. She liked the opening dialog between Naser and his son because the theme and title of the speech was voiced by the son. She admired his ability to maintain good eye contact, actively use the stage area and stay moving. She was pleased with the development of the theme: the son’s question, Naser's question, Naser's dream, Naser's heroes, Naser and your potential greatness. She recommended that he maintain the energy of the latter part of the speech shown in the first part; make the best friend’s impact on Naser be a story to remember; and to make the son more real by using a cuddling gesture.

 Our humorist was Pam, who told a very funny story about a man’s considerate concern for his wife and her perceived auditory infirmity.

Attendees were:  Linda, Lynne, Jean, Jim, Robert, Barb, Pauline, Jung, Grace, Dave A., Dave P., Diana, Kimberley, Jessica, Naser, Pamela, along with guests: Satish A., Preston K. and Sue F. One of our guests, Preston K. joined our club today (instead of last week, as erroneously reported).  Our membership total is now at 26.

~~~~~ Respectfully Submitted by Robert, the Secretary [Discuss or comment] ~~~~~

Mar. 3rd, 2015 Theme: Thank G-d For Toastmasters

As more of us turn life into story, we build a shared language that breaks through all sorts of silences and helps us increase our mutual compassion and understanding.
 ~~ Jerry Waxler, memoirist

Welcome to our special membership drive meeting blog. On this day, we had the pleasure of becoming acquainted with 3 guests.  

Barbara was our toastmaster who conducted a varied and full meeting. She explained the meaning of the Theme phrase and invited each of us to express why we are grateful for our respective decisions to be a member of Toastmasters. This was a most cleverly disguised table topic.

The GATE  team was: Kimberley as Grammarian (Master, initially defined as a verb), Dave A. as the Ah Counter, Grace as the Timer and Jean as the General Evaluator.  

Pauline and Lynne were the driving force behind the membership campaign for the last two months. For the presentations of two $25 Starbuck Gift Cards, we had two selection categories:  

Naser won as the lucky guest (and now member) and Linda won as a current member who brought at least one guest. Each winner was chosen by today’s guest, Preston K. 

Although there was food at the meeting to celebrate, contributed by the members, I won’t tease you with pictures of it (Pizza was involved).

Jim was our first speaker of the afternoon. He completed the 8th project (Get Comfortable With Visual Aids) of the Competent Communicator Manual within 7 minutes. His speech title was "Overlooked Side of Stress" His visual aid was a white board showing how stressors could be either positive (eustress) or negative (distress).

In his speech, Jim first told about Hans Selye, who wrote the book: Stress Without Distress. He was an Endocrinologist and studied the Hypothalamus as the gland in the base of the brain that determines the body’s response to stress (fight or flight or freeze). In response to questioning the audience about positive and negative stress memories, there were reports of increased heartbeat, increased breathing, stomach feelings (sinking) and other body reactions.

For reducing distress, Jim recommended taking a warm bath or shower that offers total focus on the body.

Lynne was his evaluator. Lynne liked the Question and Answer with the audience, especially the audience’s guess about the Hypothalamus’ location. She also liked the focus about different stressors brought about by the tree diagram on the white board. She recommended that the Hans Selye reference also be written on the white board, since it was an uncommon name and title. 

Both Jim and Lynne were voted best in their respective categories.

Our second speaker, Jessica, completed her 1st project (The Ice Breaker), from the Competent Communicators Manual within 6 minutes. The name of her speech was "My Life So Far". Jessica began her talk by describing the places she lived in during her life: San Francisco, CA, then Southeastern Idaho, and currently the Seattle Metropolitan Area. She also is in the habit of traveling to the Philippines one month a year to see her mother’s large extended family there. Her two major interests are Hot Yoga (26 postures at 104 degrees Fahrenheit) and Reading. She became a first time Aunt last September.

She joined Toastmasters to help herself to overcome shyness. She recalled her first ever speech in college where she held a poster up and hid her face and slowly over the course of her speech, lowered it in relaxation (and as her arms tired).

Naser was her evaluator. He noticed that she was not nervous and spoke clearly. He suggested that she remember to breathe (even when outside of Hot Yoga classes). He reminded her that she is in a supportive environment here. He liked her re-enactment of her first speech miming the poster's slow downward movement. 

Attendees were:  Linda, Lynne, Jean, Jim, Robert, Barb, Pauline, Jung, Grace, Dave A., Dave P., Amritha, Kimberley, Jessica, Naser, Pamela, along with guests: Myrna R., Preston K. and Yash I. (Amritha’s son). One of our guests, Preston K. joined our club today.  Our membership total is now at 26.

~~~~~ Respectfully Submitted by Robert, the Secretary [Say a few words or comment] ~~~~~