FSTM Embraces Spring and Other Changes along the Way

President Judy was eloquent in presenting the concerns for a possible relocation of our meeting to Pardee Hospital and the potential to expand our membership to ensure we retain quality meetings and our distinguished club status.  Out of the quorum of 14 members, Judy counted 12 voting in favor of meeting at Pardee. The Pardee staff believe that there will be fewer chances of our meeting getting bumped to another room if we meet on Fridays.

The next meeting of FSTM will take place at Pardee Hospital on March 27 at 8:00 am.  There will be no further
meetings at Lake Pointe Landing at this time. After the March 27 meeting at Pardee, the meeting day will change
from Wednesday to Friday, beginning April 5.  The starting time of the meeting will remain the same at 8:00 am.

Toastmaster Karen Alexander cultivated the theme of spring with her unique view of the agenda. Jokemaster Susann Swan told a tall tale about Ron Climer’s healing experience at the First United Trinity Lutheran . . . St. Mary’s Seventh Day Kingdom Hall on the outskirts of town.

Sally Jones was the sole prepared speaker for the meeting.  “You Can, Too” was the title of her speech from the
Advanced "The Entertaining Speaker" manual.

This speech will be given to the youth group at her church.  Sally told an account of a farmer in Nepal who had
a dying herd of cattle.  He contemplating killing his family to keep them from starving to death, as their faith
prohibited them from eating the meat of cattle.    Farmer found a Christian tract in his pocket that someone had
given him. He asked Jesus to heal his cattle, and promised to speak of Jesus for the rest of his life if the cattle
were healed.  The next morning the cattle were thriving, and the farmer sought to learn more about Christianity
She cited that today in that Nepalese town, there is a Christian Church that was the result of this one farmer’s
experience.

From top L to R on to the bottom: Amy and Michael embrace their table topics, Sally and Karen dig in to their prepared roles, Karla holds on to her table topic a bit longer while Susann acts as General Evaluator.

Judy served as table topics master:

• Changing wardrobes – how do you do it?  Amy spoke of going to the gym before trying on the spring clothes.
• You are charged with writing an ad to encourage tourism in spring.  What would you write?  Karla talked about

the garden jubilee and pivoted to promoting the apple festival pre-fall and the sense of community it promotes.

• If you had a garden, what would you plant in the spring? Don Emon said he would plant the idea of a garden

in his wife’s mind.

• Tell us about your most memorable spring break.   Michael told us about a pile of college students driving to

Key West in 1978 with a caravan of cars and a Winnebago.

Stan evaluated Sally’s speech, citing the glows and grows that he observed.  He suggested more details and a little
repetition, and praised the passion with which she delivered her speech.

Susann introduced the eyes and ears team, and they provided their reports: Word Master Michael Thompson (word "Precious"); Grammarian: Jeanne Resen; Ah Counter:  Melinda Lowrance; Timer: Michael Thompson

Susann suggested that toastmasters contact staff earlier and that members who are assigned roles take
responsibility for contacting the toastmaster and arranging for people to take their places when they are unable
to attend.

Members present:  Michael Thompson, Stan Coss, Susann Swan, Amy Sahf, Melinda Lowrance, Judy Groff, Don Groff, Don Emon, Sally Jones, Karla Reese, Jeanne Resen, Karen Alexander, Don Emon. Betty McCallister briefly showed up by was called away on business. Guests:  Kurt Wargo, Vicky Balson

                    Lake Pointe Landing has provided a wonderful set of facilities and memories                                      over these last 13 years!  Parting is bitter-sweet. 

     The March 2019 issue of Toastmaster talks about the willingness to stretch beyond the comfort zone and take some risks.  The magazine is speaking about a less drastic move, a temporary exchange with another club to present speeches to new faces.  It says it can get very comfortable delivering speeches to the familiar faces in our own club.  An exchange lets us speak to a new "public" to get new sorts of feedback. 

   Some of the bitter-sweetness for a more drastic stretch and risk-taking with a permanent "exchange" was relayed by current Area Director and Member Stan Coss prior to the vote:

     Lake Pointe is a beautiful space, but I believe that alone can no longer sustain us.  I speak from what I know of sharing these past five years with you.  With Betty's ending of her two-year presidency, the allegiance of several founders and old-time members had played out. My year and a half and Carol's year as president saw normal attrition but falling numbers of recruits to fill the void.  We had to have one to three "ghost" members the last three years to give us the twenty minimum that we and TMI recognize as necessary to regularly fill the roles for a vibrant meeting.  Visitors to our "basement" auditorium in a retirement center, however plush, became less and less, despite having an above standard website and blog.  Membership in the Chamber has given us a great member in Michael Thompson, but it has not provided the magic to sprout other new members.  We've not utilized the Chamber consistently, but members willing to do that will ebb and flow with time.

        Second, on the old "pathway," such a setting and paper manuals may have been almost  enough.  But on our new, more complex system of digital pathways and the changing population, I think we'd only be fighting a losing battle to retain and attract members at Lake Pointe.  The New Dimensions Club, a splinter group of FSTM, had thrived for two years before fading and closing down two years ago.  That club needed more traffic, as do we. We have needed to be more in the hub with a feeder business or sponsor.  Pardee, I think, is that desired place. 

       Change is hard both on the location and maybe even the day, but I think it is necessary to give us the long term increased traffic and the overall more convenient location to keep us a vibrant club.