FS Toastmasters

Some Toastmasters had to go to work or other engagements, but after the regular meeting at LPL, these Toastmasters carried on the last TM fun and fellowship of 2017 at Starbucks. Jackie and Sally took charge at LPL and planned an unusual, fun meeting. We only had a timer, Don Groff, a speaker, Judy, and the rest was fun in a Group Story and in Table Topics. Judy did a poem for Project 2 in the advance manual, Interpretive Reading. She read the classic poem, "The Night Before Christmas" which set the stage for the rest of the meeting.  For the group story, Jackie just gave the first prompt, which was “Twas the night before Christmas and ….."  Ron picked up the story leaving us in a Catholic Church for a Christmas Eve service, followed by Betty, Hoyt, Don Groff, Sally, Don Gloven, Ivan, Jim, Melinda, and ended by Judy. Everyone contributed to this story which convoluted into multiple situations about a box of various sizes with lots of presents hidden inside...

(The officer meeting followed the regular meeting; the regular meeting had a Christmas theme and the board meeting had the theme of building membership.  Some ideas from the officer meeting resonated from ideas presented two weeks prior at the officer training.  VP of Membership Betty McCallister, R, and VP of Education Sally Jones, L, show eagerness to learn.) After some role clarification, we had a fun and entertaining meeting. Carol served as Toastmaster, Brad was Grammarian, Hoyt as Wordmaster, Gon Gloven as Ah Counter, Jackie as Timer (and Ron read off the good and naughty list as GE) . Don Groff told a great joke about a parrot that used lots of swear words.  Stan Coss was our only speaker, but he was enough. He captured our full attention and kept it during his Interpretive reading titled the “Drowning Man”. This was a play with three characters by Anton Chekov and adapted to by Neil Simon. Judy’s evaluation spoke highly of Stan’s technique in diffe...

Anyone who missed today’s meeting really missed a treat. President Carol Walters hosted a delicious brunch after the meeting set up in the Lake Point Landing Dining Room which was all decorated for the season.  During the meeting we had a guest speaker and a Mentoring Moment by Jackie Branscum.  Sally Jones was Toastmaster. After the opening and joke by Hoyt Griffith and introduction of the eyes and ears team of Burton Hodges as Grammarian, Judy Groff as Word Master, Ron Climer as Ah Counter and Ivan Beggs as Timer. Sally introduced our guest speaker, Meredith Summey. Meredith is a student at Western Carolina University finishing her course in public speaking. This was her third time doing her speech to a Toastmaster club.  This speech persuaded us to accept pets as friends and medical experts in relieving stress, high blood pressure and other bad things. We all enjoyed Meredith’s speech with research backi...

  Brad Dienst was the Toastmaster. He doubled as Joke Master as well. We had two speakers.  Judy Groff did her first project from the Interpretive Reading Advanced Manual. She chose a tale from the classic Don Quixote , written by Cervantes around 1605. Judy read the story of the Dreadful and Unfortunate Wind Mills which is one of the well known comic stories about the medieval knight errant’s adventures in and around La Mancha, Spain. Ron Climer was speaker #2. His speech was from the Speaking to Inform Advanced Manual. He gave us many tips about saving money. He suggested we should save ten percent of what we bring in every month. He also suggested that credit not be used to purchase ‘toys” such as motor cycles and jet skies. As usual, Ron had many applicable and humorous stories to enhance his speech.  Jackie Branscum and Carol Walters both had excellent grows and glows for Judy and Ron in their eva...

We had a busy fall and received much acclaim for our efforts. The Open House was great because Betty and her team did such a fantastic job of planning it.  (The format was revived easily with another invite on the date of our last meeting.)   We had a Humorous Speech Contest with the Evaluation Contest, chaired by Judy, with Betty as Chief Judge. This was all done in conjunction with our regular meeting. We should be proud and thankful for being involved with this great group of people.      I found a long lost link to  a video of me doing the “Everybody Has Something” speech that I did two years ago for the International Speech Contest. It was on YouTube.   I was pleased with my progress in speaking and with moving around on stage. Perhaps we should try to do more video-recording?  (Stan volunteers to do any recording and posting, too, if that is desired.  Just give ample notice of a day or two.)     ...

 The Thanksgiving rendition of our Toastmaster meeting was both uplifting and enlightening.  (And we were especially Thankful for two guests.) Betty McCallister was Toastmaster. Ivan Beggs was the speaker, and Table Topics focused on Thanksgiving traditions and favorites.          Ivan’s speech title was “Preparation and Practice”. This was a speech crafted from materials in the Better Speaker Series. Ivan had excellent tips and strategies for delivering a winning speech every time we have the opportunity. He pointed out that after selecting, researching, crafting and practicing our speech, that some of the smallest details can derail us if we have not prepared well. On the practice end of the speech, he recommends  six sessions, without notes. If the place is new or the equipment is new to you, do the due diligence necessary to feel comfortable when the time comes to give the speech. The smallest things, like lighting at the lectern or for...

Over a Friday evening and Saturday morning and afternoon, two very successful professional speakers regaled their audience with some tricks of the trade.  The speakers talked about content, technique, and marketing.  Sindy Martin, the immediate TM District 37 (North Carolina) Director attended as CEO of Smartin Center for Professional Excellence|Speaker| Trainer|Author|Innovator|Humanitarian.  She is listening to one of the top paid professional speakers in the world, Steve Gilliland.       Just like Sindy, Ron Climer's daughter Amy Climer was an attending member of the sponsoring group, called NSA, the National Speakers Association (of the Carolinas).  The group holds quarterly meetings and workshops. Those who've heard Ron would not be surprised Amy is a professional speaker and trainer.        What this experience did for me is give an extra level or tier to shoot for.  I now have some solid marketing tools th...

Toastmaster Judy Groff was making final comments in wrapping up her part of the post Halloween meeting. As for any speech, the opening and middle of the meeting needed a close. It was 8:53 and TM President Carol was about to take the stage for closing remarks. That's when a skeleton on the wall lit up, waved its arms, and emitted a cheesy little ditty of a laugh. The Toastmaster being interrupted by the unexpected laughter took everyone by surprise. Was it someone's phone going off? Was it the sergeant-at-arms given a premature signal to wrap up the meeting? No, it was a skeleton on the side wall. Members didn't know to join in the laughter or to try ignoring the distraction. Judy paused briefly as the laughter died down, from the skeleton and from the audience. She nonchalantly came to the close, with Carol giving final comments. Only after the meeting was it discovered that this skeleton was a clap on-clap off skeleton, with clapping activating the skeleton's lights, ...