The mission of a Toastmasters club
is to provide a mutually supportive and positive learning environment in
which every individual member has the opportunity to develop oral
communication and leadership skills, which in turn foster
self-confidence and personal growth.
Our president of Peace Speakers, Catherine, opens our meeting welcoming a new guest, Katie, and our returning Area 66 Director, Vicki Rice. Visitors are always welcome at our Toastmasters meetings!
Catherine shares that one of our newest members, Alex, just landed a new job in Albuquerque, NM, and has already moved. He plans on finding a Toastmasters club in the area and thanks us for all of the support we gave him the past few months. Alex will be missed!
Commendations go out to Eva and Perry, who have each completed their advanced manuals. Their perseverance and dedication to Toastmasters has certainly created a considerable skill-base and higher level of confidence. We have all greatly benefited from their numerous speeches and on-going participation!
Fortuitous, meaning fortunate or lucky, is our Word for the Day, and Catherine reminds us that the upcoming District 11 Spring Conference is in nearby Bloomington, IN, April 29-30. Let others know if you plan on going and want to carpool! She adds that our Fall Conference fortuitously is in Louisville, so it's easy to attend either of these conferences to meet with and learn from other Toastmasters.
Kristi, our Invocation Leader today, shares several messages that inspire us:
"Live in such a way that those who know you but don't know God...will come to know God because they know you." ~Unknown author
One-liner to a benediction: "No one cares how much you say as long as you say it in a few words."
Kay, our Joke Master for the day, follows the St. Patrick's Day theme set for today's meeting. She shares a few jokes:
I did a little research and learned that St. Patrick was a true gentleman who through strategy and slyness drove all of the snakes out of Ireland. With that in mind, Ellen DeGeneres noted just how difficult that drive must have been...having to put on t-i-n-y seat belts on each of those snakes.
Most of you know that I’m exceedingly health conscious, so I’m excited to report this timely finding right before St. Patrick’s Day: Irish coffee provides in a single glass all 4 essential food groups: 1) Alcohol, 2) caffeine, 3) sugar, and 4) fat. Make a note of that…and enjoy an Irish coffee on St. Patrick’s Day!
And
now for an Irish anecdote: O'Malley was
driving down the street thoroughly worked up because he had an important
meeting and a parking place was no where to be found. Looking
up to heaven he exclaimed, 'Lord, take pity on me! If you find me a parking
place, I will go to Mass every Sunday for the rest of me life and give up me
Irish whiskey.' POOF! Miraculously,
a parking place appeared. O'Malley looked up again and pronounced, 'Never mind,
Lord, I found me one.'
Eva, our Toastmaster for the day, admits the closest she could get was a blue-green sweater to commemorate St. Patrick's Day. We let her have a pinch pass because she's such a darn good Peace Speaker.
Eva's Toastmaster role calls for her to introduce the educational portion of our meeting, which is where the real fun begins. Participation increases, members get a chance to fulfill their roles, usually someone gives a prepared speech, and everyone at the meeting has the option of participating in Table Topics. So let's get started with a speech from one of our members!
Catherine shares that one of our newest members, Alex, just landed a new job in Albuquerque, NM, and has already moved. He plans on finding a Toastmasters club in the area and thanks us for all of the support we gave him the past few months. Alex will be missed!
Commendations go out to Eva and Perry, who have each completed their advanced manuals. Their perseverance and dedication to Toastmasters has certainly created a considerable skill-base and higher level of confidence. We have all greatly benefited from their numerous speeches and on-going participation!
Fortuitous, meaning fortunate or lucky, is our Word for the Day, and Catherine reminds us that the upcoming District 11 Spring Conference is in nearby Bloomington, IN, April 29-30. Let others know if you plan on going and want to carpool! She adds that our Fall Conference fortuitously is in Louisville, so it's easy to attend either of these conferences to meet with and learn from other Toastmasters.
"Live in such a way that those who know you but don't know God...will come to know God because they know you." ~Unknown author
One-liner to a benediction: "No one cares how much you say as long as you say it in a few words."
Kay, our Joke Master for the day, follows the St. Patrick's Day theme set for today's meeting. She shares a few jokes:I did a little research and learned that St. Patrick was a true gentleman who through strategy and slyness drove all of the snakes out of Ireland. With that in mind, Ellen DeGeneres noted just how difficult that drive must have been...having to put on t-i-n-y seat belts on each of those snakes.
Most of you know that I’m exceedingly health conscious, so I’m excited to report this timely finding right before St. Patrick’s Day: Irish coffee provides in a single glass all 4 essential food groups: 1) Alcohol, 2) caffeine, 3) sugar, and 4) fat. Make a note of that…and enjoy an Irish coffee on St. Patrick’s Day!
Eva, our Toastmaster for the day, admits the closest she could get was a blue-green sweater to commemorate St. Patrick's Day. We let her have a pinch pass because she's such a darn good Peace Speaker.
Eva's Toastmaster role calls for her to introduce the educational portion of our meeting, which is where the real fun begins. Participation increases, members get a chance to fulfill their roles, usually someone gives a prepared speech, and everyone at the meeting has the option of participating in Table Topics. So let's get started with a speech from one of our members!
PREPARED SPEAKER SHARES FOOD FAVORITES
Kerri, our prepared speaker for the day, embarks on Project #4 - How to Say It - from the Competent Communication Manual. Her speech is titled "Fantastic Foods in Louisville," which has been paraphrased below:
Kerri admits that food has been
such a big part of her life that her dad used to admonish her and say, “Stop
swinging on the refrigerator door – you’re not going to get a tan that
way!” But she loved food so much that
her passion only grew as time passed. In
her speech, she decided to share 5 local restaurants she enjoys and at least
one thing she loves at each one…all in hopes you’ll try them as well.
Restaurant #1 - Four Pegs off Goss Avenue in Germantown is a cozy little hipster
restaurant with a big, beautiful wood bar
and a chalkboard beer list. Although it looks basic with cream colored walls and
a bunch of tables and chairs, Four Pegs is anything but basic when it comes to
their food – especially their chicken and waffle sandwich. Featuring maple mayo glaze, this luscious, lip-smacking sandwich might be one of the best
sandwiches she’s ever tried as the chicken breast is tender and juicy and the wonderful waffles are super airy and fluffy.
Restaurant #2 - Dragon Kings Daughter is in southern Indiana and
on Bardstown Road.
Cool, crazy artwork hangs from the walls
and the best sushi in town is served there. Despite the fact it was decked out in scary, spider-filled seasonal decorations for
Halloween, Kerri, who’s terrified of spiders, none-the-less entered just to eat
their sushi. Her favorite is the Frosty
Sunbeam sushi roll, which features mango and cream
cheese inside and salmon & avocado outside. She admits there aren’t enough words in her
vocabulary to describe how amazing this super sushi
roll is.
Restaurant #3 – El Nopal is located in several parts of Louisville, but Kerri
heads to the one off Westport Road.
With Mexican food being her absolute favorite type of food (seriously, she eats
tasty tacos and belly-filling burritos multiple times a week), it’s hard for her
to select a favorite dish. Instead, she recommends her favorite drink - the $1.99
margarita - which is available on Mondays and Wednesdays at half the price. On
these two days, you get their magical margaritas, both frozen and regular, at half off. Both your
wallet and your belly win with El Nopal.
Restaurant #4 – Holy Grale is located on the always busy Bardstown
Road and is actually an old church that was
converted into a restaurant. The architecture inside is awesome, with huge
wooden pillars and large church windows. They also have a large beer list that
is constantly getting updated. And a fun fact – they have an upstairs called
the choir loft, which has become Kerri’s favorite spot. They only serve select beers upstairs – which
makes her feel as if she’s in some sort of exclusive, cool kids club – and they have a bunch of board games that you
can use while dining. Now when it comes to food, their beer cheese and pretzels
are a game changer. The puffy pretzel is
so soft and delicious, and the blended beer cheese offers the perfect ratio
of beer to cheese. Sometimes when she goes there, she just orders that as her
meal.
Restaurant #5 – Wild Eggs is the best
breakfast spot in all of Louisville.
Kerri personally goes to the Westport
Village location, but there
are several others around town. When you walk in, the restaurant is fresh and
bright. All of the locations feature a glass wall full of perfectly pastel-colored eggs and excellent egg-themed artwork. They have it all
at Wild Eggs – fluffy pancakes and waffles with
whipped cream to hardy sandwiches and beef
burgers. Her favorite dish is the fabulous
farmer’s market skillet, which features eggs with a variety of fresh
vegetables including onions and zucchini. It is fantastic, and the best part is
it comes with an Everything Muffin, which features a variety of seasonings and
seeds on a soft, savory muffin. Wild
Eggs is known for this muffin, and if you haven’t tried it yet, you need to!
Kerri concludes that life is too
short to settle for anything less than fantastic
food. She’s hopeful that at least one of the delightful dishes and remarkable
restaurants she spoke about spark intrigue in her listeners. And if you check
any of them out, please let her know.
She’d love to hear what you thought about them.
What will you do to celebrate St. Patrick's Day this year?Roy shares that if he's fortuitous enough to have a reduced work load, he'll call friends. Hopefully they'll head out with him and join him in the festivities, wearing green clothing and drinking some green beers to celebrate St. Patrick's Day.
Kristi remembers when a friend of hers listened to a radio station that offered a chance to win $100. He told her that he called the station and won the cash. Later, however, Kristi listened to the radio station and fortuitously was the 19th caller, and she won $1,000 dollars. Luck was most certainly on her side that day!
Catherine recalls parade day on Bardstown Road, where participants wore all kinds of crazy outfits. Friends of hers, who are Irish, were in the parade. One of her friends had a giant purse with dozens of green jello shots that she shared with others. By the end of the parade, that Irish family was a mess. Consequently it was very memorable for Catherine.
Kerri says that she'd turn that pot of gold into currency and take to trip to Germany. She'd use some of it to backpack through Europe. She'd also donate funds to great charities in Louisville, like the Backside Learning Center and Guilda's Club. It wouldn't be her nature to just keep it all to herself.
At the conclusion of the impromptu Table Topics speeches, listeners voted and Kerri was awarded the trophy for the best talk. It seems she's been consistently expressive today and fortuitously has been recognized for it. Toastmasters are known for this!
SPEECH EVALUATOR GIVES ACCOLADES
Megan, Kerri's speech evaluator, shares what a great job she did throughout her talk and how Kerri's smile naturally drew us in. She adds that her speech made us all hungry, which is quite a feat in itself considering we'd just come from lunch. Megan felt it was the perfect topic for using the senses to describe food and restaurants. She noted Kerri's use of vivid vocabulary and alliterations like soft savory muffins. She also mentioned that the organization was strong and her intro was engaging, pulling us in with her personal story from the very onset.
Vicki Rice, our Area 66 Director, shares a wealth of info for all Toastmasters:
Our Area 6 Director Pays Us a Fortuitous Visit
Vicki Rice, our Area 66 Director, shares a wealth of info for all Toastmasters:
- Our Spring Conference is April 29-30 in Bloomington, IN. Go to this link for more information. www.toastmastersd11.org
- The link above will also take you to audio and video recordings of membership-building resources. It's full of new ideas on other topics, so check out the District 11 Webpage once in a while!
- Members were given a copy of a form called HOW I WOULD LIKE TO BE INTRODUCED. Use it to assure the Toastmaster properly introduces you when you deliver a speech.
- Vicki gave us kudos for our Facebook Page and Peace Speakers blog and implied we might want to enter the District 11 Public Relations Contest.
- Vicki recommends getting club dues paid ASAP as there isn't any grace period anymore! Please get dues in before the end of March!!!
- Each member received an "8 is Great" magnet, which encourages Toastmasters members to set a goal of giving 8 speeches a year.
- Vicki claims the new Toastmasters Mobile App is phenomenal. To get a quick video on all the cool ways to use it during our meetings, go to this link: Mobile Toastmasters App. It's impressive how useful it'd be for any role you take during a meeting.
- Any clubs having less than 12 members may opt to get a club coach, which is a great resource.
- Our Fall Conference for Toastmasters will be held in Louisville, KY. Details TBA at a later date!
- Vicki says she's always available for support. She encourages us to visit another open club, the Brown Foreman Toastmasters Club. Vicki, however, is actually associated with the Legendary Toasters of Texas Roadhouse.
Our president, Catherine, closes our meeting with the reminder about the time change this weekend. As we spring forward, she ends with the hope that we'll get out more and enjoy the extra sunlight. St. Patrick's Day is upon us, and the celebrations will be numerous across the city. Enjoy the festivities and time with family and friends!
Speaking of enjoyment, if you're a visitor to this blog, take an hour out of your afternoon and come to a Peace Speakers meeting. You'll meet supportive and friendly people who gather to have fun and who want to expand their communication and leadership skills. It's a win/win situation!
OUR NEXT FEW 2016 MEETINGS:
Wed., Apr. 6- Conference Room B
Wed., Apr. 20 - Conference Room B
Peace Speakers Toastmasters Club
1st and 3rd Wednesdays (usually)
1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
100 Witherspoon Street
Downtown Louisville, KY
Respectfully submitted,
Kay Chambers
Blogger for Peace Speakers
