FS Toastmasters

  The Fall 2020 Speech Contest was special.  Our two FSTM contestants, Jeanne Resen in Humor and Karen Alexander in Evaluation, represented us very well. Jeanne is a humorist extraordinaire.  She'd set the bar high back in the late summer with her stage shenanigans in a Pathways speech.  She'd incorporated feedback and came back with an even more entertaining speech.  Jeanne continued to refine and never gave a revision by rote; it always seemed fresh and aglow with new ways to engage laughter.  Her main two stories were wonderfully told.  Her opening, too, was inviting and funny.  Her ending was easily the most dramatic and laugh-inducing of any I've ever seen (and I've seen lots of humorous contest speeches over the past seven years).  One difficulty with Zoom is that there is no laugh meter for the audience.  A judge cannot truly measure the speech's fullest rating in two important areas:  audience response and effectiveness....

    A hearty seven had plenty of room to socially distance on September 19th.  The party started at 2:00 and flowed so well that even the one short-sleeved guest didn't think of leaving until 4:15. Sally and Jim were gracious hosts and even relayed how they first met when inquiring minds like Jeanne wanted to know.   2019: Last year's September Hosting at the Joneses was a splendid outing.   Directions to the Toastmasters Social Outing,  929 E. Tracy Grove Rd, Flat Rock 28731  Be careful as some GPS's will take you astray. From 4 Seasons Blvd. Take Dana Road Make right onto Tracy Grove Rd take to the end. At stop sign go straight across Take first right on to East Tracy Grove Rd to stop sign go straight across We are the 4th house on the left.  Horse in front pasture. House is tan with green trim. From I 26 Take Upward Road toward Dana From Upward Road make left onto East Tracy Grove Road (3 miles from I26) We are the 3rd house on right....

  In Attendance:  Jeanne Resen, Karen Alexander, Brad Deinst, Judy Groff, Don Groff, Dick Miley, Susann Swan, Sally Jones, Ron Climer, Hoyt Griffith, Betty McAllister, Melinda Lowrance, James Bender, Stan Coss, and guest Mitchell Robinson. Our Toastmaster, Don Groff, began with a timely theme, “Who is That Masked Man?”   He intertwined stories of Pandemic masks with the infamous Lone Ranger, the ultimate Masked Man. Our newest Toastmaster, Dick Miley, shared his passion with a delightful tale on a few of his bicycling experiences.  My favorite was the Rocky Mountain adventure with the wild goats demanding a toll of stacks, apples and oranges. As Dick progressed through stopped traffic, the goats followed him, releasing the cars to proceed.  I evaluated Dick’s WHY speech and thoroughly enjoyed learning more about his bicycling adventures.  We now know WHY. Jeanne Resen, our resident thespian,  charmingly share several stage experiences, one of whic...

Toastmaster Brad Dienst gave interesting insights and interludes into longevity, and Word Master Susann Swan supported the theme with "venerable."  Joke Master Betty McCallister incited laughter with a teenage son whose father with the wisdom of Solomon withheld driving privileges:  if Jesus and others of his time had long hair, that did not mean the teen could forego cutting his hair and still get a car to drive.  Jesus and others also did not have motorized vehicles. Speaker Stan Coss converted his back pocket speech before another club two weeks ago into a Pathways project that emphasized body movement.  His title was "These Black Lives, especially, Mattered."  He explained how three people gave lessons in a life that mattered.       Truth be told, the slide used above, along with the mule, was much smaller than Stan recalls.  The mule at times had to pull a rubber-tired wagon loaded with green tobacco leaves, not just thr...

Ray Daley premiered as Toastmaster on July 10, 2020.  On his theme of baseball, he mentioned a story of Jackie Robinson who felt all alone before a riotous, insulting crowd.  One teammate crossed over part of the field to help him and silence the crowd.    This has some real relevance to our Toastmaster club. How you ask?  Well, we have one lone speaker, one speaker only to face a wide audience.  That speaker is the only one that has signed up for the next four months of speaking! ! !  One lone speaker  for four months. Do we have such a riotous, insulting audience that speakers are afraid to speak.  Of course not!  So, why not offer to help that speaker and help that audience and  sign up right now online.  Just cross on over to the online schedule and support our club with this gesture.  Our club cannot exist without speakers, and that is the one role that you will never  be "voluntold" t...

Toastmaster Hoyt Griffith chose "Transitions" with the new officers pledging to fulfill their new roles.  Don #1 Groff whittled down his gavel to a sharp point to better track the finances as treasurer. Don #2 Glovan, the man with the thousand backgrounds, is new to being Sergeant-at-Arms, but he'll be a cinch to keep things under control.  He served as joke master for today and even sang his punchline.  Carole Kitchen can be counted on to safely welcome new members as the VP Membership. President Susann Swan passes on her leadership to President-Elect Karen Alexander, who's been second in command all year.  (Better photos of the officers should be forthcoming once in person.) Jeanne Resen gave her ice-breaker as she is ready to start her second Pathway in "Engaging with Humor."  She dealt with the theme of  "Who is the Real Jeanne?"  Early on in her marriage she said she'd discovered that the root of all religion is the ...

Sally Jones, as Toastmaster, decided to extend her own family vacation by making that the theme.  There were scores of images of family vacations at the beach, but that would not have worked with the virtual background that the major speaker used.  So, bikes will do here and also call up Dick Miley's favorite topic of cycling.   While much of the Apple Festival will be modified or shut down for Labor Day, the Tour d’Apple will continue as one of the events.  More is given at the end. Melinda Lowrance was the joke master, and Karen Alexander presented a well-used word of the day, "summer." Stan Coss gave his final speech for the Gold on the old legacy system by focusing on the new delivery system of Pathways.  Joining him in the role play of a cold sale scenario, Betty McCallister took the part of an investor on the Shark Tank.  Stan pitched the product all members have bought but only a few have bought in to: Pathways.    ...

Toastmaster Karen Alexander chose cookies as the theme, in part, she said, because it was National Peanut Butter Cookie Day.   It probably was also a relief and comfort from all the recent news.  Joke master Stan Coss gave a journal of some jokes on the pandemic, he said, to try to get back the power. Don Groff had previously spoken in tribute to a role model in George Wingfield, and today Don spoke of the personal influence of another Reidsville legend, Leo Rentz.  Don said he'd proudly worn his little league jersey with  Rentz Oil and Mickey Mantle's number seven on the back.  Mr. Rentz    had become a wealthy man with his resourcefulness in putting out wildcat fires with dynamite.   Don had first met him at a Rotary Club luncheon when  Rentz had presented Don with an award for being an outstanding student athlete and citizen.  In 1970 Don had accepted a job to learn the oil business for a year before he decided to...

Toastmaster Stan Coss led off with the media theme, because he demonstrated that media is such a big part of our keeping up with current events, be it in print, broadcasts, or the internet. President Susann Swan presented the slate of officers that will be voted on next week for the new year:  Karen Alexander, president; VP Education, Stan; VP PR, Judy Groff; VP of Membership, Carole Kitchen (if Carole's membership is renewed); Treasurer, Don Groff; Sergeant at Arms, Don Glovan.  Nominations may be made by email to Jeanne Resen or at the start of the June 12th meeting. Don Groff was joke master.  TM Stan recalled the important alliance between Toastmasters and Rotary. Rotarian and frequent Toastmaster Guest Dick Miley presented an ice-breaker.  He wove* smoothly his bicycling for treats, his education, his military experience that included a Vietnamese pig on a bike, his lawyering, and his cycling to raise money for Rotary.  He ended with a challenge to...

Dull as dishwater, humdrum, run-of-the-mill, mundane, commonplace, routine,  dry as dust, lackluster, lifeless, drab, colorless, dullsville:   all of these describe Hoyt Griffith's word of the day, "jejune."  None of them describe today's meeting.  Blanca Sanchez and Susann Swan shared the Toastmastering role.  Don Glovan was joke master. "Women in Power" was the title of Jeanne Resen's speech which completed her level four in Pathways, the Presentation Mastery.  Jeanne recounted the timeline of some significant achievements of women.One little known fact was that in Wyoming in 1869, women were given the right to vote.  In 1890, when Wyoming was admitted into the Union, that continued suffrage was demanded, which was 30 years before women in the rest of the states won that right.  Jeanne mentioned various female heads of state from the past to the present, including an expected female running mate to Biden, concluding, "You've come ...

Karen Alexander was Toastmaster with the theme of Memorial Day.  Karen also filled in as TTM on that theme when an assigned member did not confirm and was not present.  The other theme even more prevalent was Pathways, as both speakers addressed it as the focus of their speeches. Jeanne Resen made a big hit with her joke on an especially old church member who could truthfully say to the pastor and the whole church that she had no enemies; she had outlived them all.  Special Guest Jairo Rodriguez, zooming from Virginia, said he especially liked the joke.  He'd been invited by President Susann Swan.   Susann said Jairo had persisted in asking and finally having her rejoin a Toastmasters club when she lived in Virginia. Hoyt Griffith gave a speech that was the last one required to earn the Bronze Communication Award in the legacy system.  Congratulations!  Hoyt's speech was titled "The Case Against Pathways."  His goals were to dispel hos...

Toastmaster Jeanne Resen, with her theme of North Carolina, touched on a number of the state's highlights.  Yes, waterfalls like at Dupont was one of them, and that was dealt with in more detail in one of the main speeches.  Sally Jones was the Joke Master. A new-member induction was run by VPE Karen Alexander to make Ray Daley and Blanca Sanchez officially accepted into the fold. Judy Groff spoke on "Unforgettable Mr. Colbertson" in her speech of effective coaching as a process of mentoring.  She said this dignified Southern gentleman set a high standard for mentoring.  He began in helping her find  a place to live 48 years ago in neighboring Polk County.  Her job was to be with Cooperative Extension as a 4-H agent.  Judy discovered the need for a 4-H club in Tryon, and Mr. Colbertson listened to her plan and advised her to seek out Della Jackson, a leader in the black community.  Judy's evaluator was Melinda Lowrance. Karen ...

Toastmaster Melinda Lowrance chose the befitting theme of a tribute to Don Emon, a beloved member who'd passed away on April 25th.  She introduced Don to newer members with an acronym and the word "exuberant," a word many members used to echo their memory of him. President Susann Swan had faith the meeting would take on a decidedly international flavor, as she announced the hope that a prepared speaker from India would join us (Raj popped in at 8:03) and maybe a visitor from Jamaica (not until 9:08 came Jallee).  As joke master Susann spoke of that foreign entity we've become so familiar with, Zoom, and how a club in Texas was conducting meetings in a non-intentionally humorous way. Speaker Sally spoke on "Good Deeds."  Instead of an after-dinner speech, she offered that her speech would be after-breakfast.  She shared four stories of good deeds, expanding on the last one  that involved "Love Packages," the spiritual literature she collects to...