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

Meeting Minutes August 15 2023

 Public Speaking Northwest Toastmasters

Meeting Minutes

Aug 15, 2023

 

Announcements:

1. Registration for roles and speeches in September and October is open on the calendar.
   

Our Toastmaster was Nancy, with the theme of Relaxation (as it was National Relaxation Day)

 

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

 

Our President Victor opened our meeting.

 

Our Education Minute 

• Recently, Nancy and Kelly discovered Vinh Giang, an exceptional coach, insightful speaker, and magician. His content on various platforms captivated them, and they have learned much from him.
• Nancy also defined relaxation as being free from tension and anxiety. The only time a person is genuinely free from tension and anxiety is at the time of death. Tension is an intrinsic part of human existence, even in everyday activities like eating and drinking. Despite acknowledging the continuous presence of stress in life, relaxing is still possible.
• How to Make Stress Your Friend - Ted Talk
• The perception of stress can significantly impact its effects on the body. Those who view stress as entirely negative may experience more harmful effects while understanding stress as a positive response can lead to constructive physical reactions. Recognizing that stress can be beneficial prepares the body to face challenges, highlighting the intricate connection between mindset and physiological well-being.
• Nancy discovered something interesting called non-sleep deep rest (NSDR), similar to Yoga Nidra, a form of guided meditation for relaxation. NSDR takes only 10-15 minutes, and it trains your body to enter a state of relaxation. One can incorporate this practice during the day, and it helps you sleep better at night. It's like your body understands: Oh, relax, we're not stressing today". It's an excellent way to relax in your active life.
  

Our Gate Team was:

 

Grammarian – Marcus

Word of the day was Tranquil (free from disturbance and calm - An example: After the children go to bed, the house becomes tranquil, reflecting a state of calmness and peace.)

Ah Counter – Rahul

Timer - Maria

General Evaluator - Mara

 

Our 1^st Speaker was Victor with “Disciplined Dreamer” - Presentation Mastery, Vocal Variety & Body Language (5-7 min)

• Using the story of Hercules at a crossroads, Victor illustrates the daily choice between the easy, unfulfilling path and the difficult, rewarding one.
• Discipline is defined not as a struggle against temptation but as adherence to principles, systems, and routines that lead to self-control, focus, and tranquillity.
• Victor shares his transformation through discipline, achieved by reading "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" and setting clear goals, leading to educational and personal success.
• Discipline is presented as vital in the professional world, helping to stay committed and overcome obstacles. An example of navigating the challenges of being furloughed during the pandemic is given, with discipline leading to personal growth and new success.
• Strategies for cultivating discipline were discussed, including setting clear goals, creating structure, establishing daily routines, and connecting actions to personal "why" factors.
• Discipline is the key to unlocking personal growth, turning dreams into reality. The speech returns to Hercules, who chose the path of discipline, inviting the audience to choose.

Our 2^nd Speaker was Tian with “Happy Hiking: A Beginner's Guide” - Presentation Mastery Path, Speech with Purpose (5-7 min)

• Hiking provides excellent exercise, helping you stay fit and healthy.
• You can explore the incredible outdoors, taking in breathtaking views of mountains, waterfalls, beaches, lakes, and wildflowers.
• Hiking helps improve mental health, allowing you to disconnect from the hustle and bustle of daily life.
• Whether with family, friends, or alone, hiking offers a chance for quality time in the peaceful tranquillity of nature.
• Hiking helps develop determination, resilience, and perseverance, contributing to personal growth.

Victors’s Speech Evaluator was Kelly

Tian’s Speech Evaluator was Amy

Our Table Topics Master was Sonal.

 

Our Table Topic Speakers were Marcus, Jutta, Kelly, Barb, Rahul

 

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

 

Guest in Attendance None

 

Motion to Adjourn: Kelly  Second: Mara

Meeting Minutes August 8 2023

                                             Public Speaking Northwest Toastmasters

Meeting Minutes

Aug 8, 2023

 

Our Toastmaster was Kelly with the theme True Lies

 

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

 

Our President Victor opened our meeting.

 

Our Education Minute Importance of focussing and reinforcing the content of a speech: Nancy outlined a process that begins with determining the purpose of the speech, then concentrating on that purpose throughout. It was recommended to refer back to the purpose during the speech and to support the main point with stories and examples. Nancy also referred to an article (Build a Great Speech - Gain valuable construction on tips from start to finish) on building a great speech.

 

Our Gate Team was:

 

Grammarian – Deanna

Word of the day was embellish (to make a statement or story more interesting or entertaining by adding extra details including or especially ones that are not true)

Ah Counter – Deanna

Timer - Nitin

 

Our 1^st Speaker was Sharon with “Optimize Your Youtube to Save You Time and Grow Your Reach”

 

Our 2^nd Speaker was Sonal with “Unveilling My Journey: From Self-Limitation to Self-Discovery”

 

Sharon’s Speech Evaluator was Nancy

 

Sonal’s Speech Evaluator was Maria

 

Our Table Topics Master was Marcus.

 

Our Table Topic Speakers were Amy, Rahul, Hari, Deanna

 

Members in Attendance were Kelly, Barb, Victor, Nancy, Deanna, Nitin, Sharon, Sonal, Maria, Marcus, Amy, Rahul, Hari

 

Guest in Attendance Hari

 

Motion to Adjourn: Kelly  Second: Rahul

Meeting Minutes July 25 2023

 

Public Speaking Northwest Toastmasters

Meeting Minutes

July 25, 2023

 

Our Toastmaster was Mara with the theme Awards Celebration

Our Sergeant at Arms pro tem, Nancy, called our meeting to order.

Our President Victor opened our meeting.

Our Education Minute Build Self Awareness: Make a 5 minute video of an impromptu speech, Listen to it without the video, Watch it without the audio, and write down your filler words.

Our Gate Team was:

Grammarian – Sonal

Word of the day was extol

Ah Counter – Victor

Timer - Sharon

General Evaluator – Amy

Our 1^st Speaker was Nitin with “Tourist Places in India”

Our 2^nd Speaker was Kelly with “The Purple Imposter”

Nitin’s Speech Evaluator was Lakita

Kelly’s Speech Evaluator was Bill

Our Table Topics Master was Dan.

Our Table Topic Speakers were Maria, Nancy, Marcus, Dwayne, and Georgina

Members in Attendance were Victor, Mara, Sonal, Nancy, Sharon, Amy, Nitin, Kelly, Dan, Lakita, Bill, Maria, and Marcus

Guest in Attendance Dwayne and Georgina

Motion to Adjourn:   Marcus  Second:   Mara

Meeting Minutes 05/09/23

 

Public Speaking Northwest Toastmasters

Meeting Minutes

May 9, 2023

 Announcements:

1.    District Toastmasters Conference is May 13 – 21. You can attend the speech contest and some sessions online using this link. https://d2tm.org/conference-2023/

2.    Mara finished Presentation Mastery Path

 Our Toastmaster was Kelly with the theme 20^th Anniversary

 Our Sergeant at Arms Barb called our meeting to order.

 Our President Pro Mara opened our meeting.

 Our Education Minute Watch the district international speech contest or attend sessions at the District 2 conference.  https://d2tm.org/conference-2023/

 Our Gate Team was:

Grammarian – Lynne

Word of the day was Flourish

Ah Counter – Lynne

Timer - Rahul

General Evaluator – Mara

 Our Speaker was Barb “Looking Back and Looking Forward”

 Our Speech Evaluator was Nancy.

 Our Table Topics Master was Victor.

 Our Table Topic Speakers were guest Stacy, Deanna, Tian, Lakita

 Members in Attendance were Lynne, Nancy, Kelly, Mara, Barb, Jean, Rahul, Amy, Deanna, Tian, Robert, Lakita, Jean, and Victor.

 Guest in Attendance Caryn Axelrad, Division E Director, Linda Vorthman D2 Club Quality Director, Mary, Kim, Stacy, Kim, Lan and Dhirag

 Motion to Adjourn:  Robert Second: Lakita

 

Officer Meeting Minutes 05/09/23

 

Officer Meeting

May 9, 2023

Officer Reports:

Barb – SAA Name tags for all new members have been made. I’ve asked Kelly to spruce up our Welcome sign that directs guests to the meeting.  She has agreed. All of our other possessions are in good order.

Lynne – VPM

Renewals

We had 24 renewals and seven members leave in the last dues cycle. Members leaving are Art Krull, Jessica Smail, Jinxin Hu, Kate Morris, Leya Hsu, Marjorie Elliot and Meera Basnet.  All confirmed they left because of time and schedule conflicts.  

 New Members Our membership is now at 26 and includes:

Tian Ouyang:  joined in April

Bill Hinrichs: his membeship is being processed. 

 Potential Members

Julie Whitton:  had planned to attend on May 2nd, but was unable to come because her child was ill.  She has been invited to the May 9th meeting.

Lan Guthmann: is interested in joining and is coming to the May 9th meeting. 

 TI Inquiries

We had six inquiries thru TI in April and into May.  All were sent emails with club information and an invitation to come to our meetings.  I received responses from Julie Whitton and Lan Guthmann mentioned above.

Nguyet – Treasurer As of May 8, 2023, our current account balance is $1,492.05. Here is a summary of our spending for the month of April:

3 months of Woodcrest Club room rental: $75

TI membership payment: $157.04

Nancy – VPE/Webmaster

1. Attached and appended is our DPR. It will not be official until July 1, but we qualified for president's distinguished.

2. Attached and appended is our club calendar.

3. Attached and appended is our 20th anniversary certificate.

4. Kelly and Mara each completed their Presentation Mastery Paths.

5. Newer members need more guidance on speech structure and writing an introduction instruction. Perhaps I should be directing this to mentors and keep hitting it as VPE in Ed Minutes and emails.

·         Anniversary Parties. The in-person party was a success! We raffled off a microphone and LED USB light. The highlight photos are posted on the website. Thank you to everyone who participated in making the event magical

• May 9^th Party. I am the Toastmaster, and we will be raffling off the same prizes. Barb will be doing a ‘history’ speech on our club. Jean will attend if she feels well. We should also have two guests from District 2, Linda Vorthman, Program Quality director and Caryn Axelrad, Division E Director.
• VPPR Next Term. I met with Sharon Gottula in person and she agreed to take my role if voted in.
• Barb asked for a new welcome sign to replace the old one she uses at the entrance of the in person meetings. Barb, I sent you two versions via email. Let me know which one you like and I will print it.

 

New Business:

Caryn Axelrad, D2: Had questions for the area director form. Kelly is considering becoming an area director. She is very happy with our club’s growth and health.

Officer Elections: Continuing will be Lynne as VPM, Nancy as VPE, Barb as SAA. Sharon will replace Kelly as VP PR. We need to find someone for the roles of President, Secretary, and Treasurer. Treasurer will need to transition fully no later than end of June. The officer elections must be concluded and reported to TI by end of June. Mara will reach out to Victor, Maria, Amy, Warren, Deanna, and Lakita.

July 4^th is Tuesday. Mara proposed that we cancel the in-person that month. The officers concurred.

August in-person meeting may be very sparse, as August is our slow attendance month. In-person has lower attendance, about 10 people. 

Hybridizing our In-person meeting: Barb would like us to try to be a hybrid for in-person meetings. However, we don’t have the equipment or the staff. It’s complicated. Live stream takes more bandwidth. Barb is going to explore this.

TI dues going up to $60/6 months starting the September dues collection. If you pay in August, rather than September, you can pay at the old price. Offering this to members makes things complicated. It was decided not to offer the earlier payment option.

New Zoom Link: May 16^th New Zoom Link. Link is hot on the 23^rd. Nancy will announce it at next week’s meeting. Nancy will update the link in agenda templates and send out with reminder with new link.

Move to Adjourn: Nancy   Second: Kelly

 

Meeting Minutes - February 28, 2023

Public Speaking Northwest Toastmasters

Meeting Minutes

2/28/2023

Announcement: 

Congratulation to Mara for completing her Level 4 of the Presentation Mastery!

WELCOME Rahul to the club!

Next week we meet at Woodcrest Estates Clubhouse, 11808 NE 172nd St, Bothell, WA 98011.  Doors open at 11:45 am, and the meeting is from 12 noon to 1 pm. Everyone is encouraged to come early and enjoy spending in-person time with fellow members!

Our Sergent at Arms and zoom host Barb, promptly opened the meeting on time with our mission statement, flag salute, and reminded members and guests that the speech and evaluation part of our meeting was recorded. 

 

Our President Mara opened the meeting. Our VPE Nancy reviewed roles for the next meeting and introduced the Toastmaster.

Our Toastmaster was Mara. Our theme was "Leap Into A Common Year". 

Our GATE Team was:

Grammarian - Rahul

Word of the day - Euphoria

Lynne, Mara, Nancy, Leya, and Maria used the Word of The Day

Ah Counter - Lynne

Timer - Warren

General Evaluator - Leya

 

Our 1st Speaker today was Nancy. Her speech is entitled “Add Power to Your Point”. Educational Speech, Vice President of Education (5-7 mins)

Our 2nd Speaker today was Victor. His speech is entitled “The Most Important Habit”. Presentation Mastery Pathway, Project #2, Level 1 (5-7 mins)

 Our Evaluators were Maria (evaluating Nancy) and Robert (evaluating Victor).

Our Table Topic Master was Mara

 

Our Table Topic Speakers were:

Anna, Sharon, and Lynn C. all shared stories relating to our theme of the day.

 

Members in Attendance were Rahul, Barb, Lynn, Lynne, Nancy, Warren, Victor, Mara, Maria, Anna, Robert, Amy, and Leya

 

Guest(s) in Attendance were Elizabeth (new) and Sharon (returning guest who recently submitted her application). YAY!!

Motion to Adjourn: Robert  Second: Warren

 

Created by Lynn Connell on behalf of Secretary Marcus Bircher