Exuberant about our Peace Speakers Club!

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, Sam, opens our club meeting by warmly inviting our guests to introduce themselves and share a little about themselves.  Robin, Greg and Jen have all returned after being here for at least one previous visit.  We are exuberant about seeing them again!  (Note:  Our Word of the Day is exuberant, which means uninhibitedly enthusiastic; extremely joyful.)

Our Toastmaster for the day, Eva, opens the educational portion of our meeting, which is about opportunities to practice communication and leadership skills. The Toastmaster introduces a variety of activities, giving members and guests a chance to speak and lead.  

The theme for this meeting is Work and Play, and it will be reflected in the Table Topics prompts soon to come.

Our prepared speaker for the day is Destini, who is on level 2 of her Pathways educational program.  Her speech today is about the leadership skills she's developed in this program and how she's tweaked those skills to better suit others.  At the closing, she'll compare her leadership skills to someone famous.

Destini suggests we've all heard the quote, "Famous leaders are born and not made."  However, in her Community and Economic Class, they believe that leaders are not born but are made through their environment due to one's education, economic disparities or achievements, or their health, upbringing, norms and values.  In contrast, William Shakespeare, who Destini is more in line with, says, "Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them."

Destini identifies with Shakespeare's quote because she wasn't born a leader.  After all, by U.S. standards, she's African American, a female, and is short.  Usually it's white males who are leaders.  She also comes primarily from a single-family home in a small, low-class city, all of which doesn't afford her a leadership edge.

Leadership was thrust upon Destini.  In taking her Pathway training in Toastmasters, coaching was identified as a strength.  Admittedly, she wasn't exuberant about having coaching as her strong point.  She thought it'd be influencer or innovator, but coaching?  That's a sideline role!  But now she realizes that she's played an influential role through coaching, and coaches are the ones who push the teams to the next level. She recalls the highs and lows of her work on the city/county school board. Whereas she's not in the limelight as much as some, it's her influence and decision-making that help people process and move them along to achieve their greatness.

In Pathways, coaching helps people prepare for their future, excel in their full potential and motivates by challenges.  But on the downside, sometimes people who are not ready for change push back.  In Destini's new role as a Young Adult Volunteer Program Associate, she's experienced some of that push back.  Even though she keeps an open mind, some of her suggestions to do or say things differently get some push back.  

Someone who exemplified coaching in a good skill set who also had the listening component down pat is Jesus.  He taught through parables and stories and helped the disciples come to their own conclusions about how things could be uplifted.   Jesus was a good listener, and he taught by coaching, building the foundation for a great religion.

So Pathways suggested that rather than always trying to coach people, it's best to sit down and do more of the listening skill.  Coaches often want to fix the issue instead.  Destini's learning that massaging and coaching are great, but she also needs to become a better listener.

Looking back on Jesus' life and how he was such a great mentor and uplifted so many, Destini feels a little more exuberant about coaching now.  You don't have to be in the spotlight or the main person giving the speech or preparing the way.   She does get to have influences throughout her daily encounters.

Restating the Shakespeare quote from earlier, "Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them,"  Destini concluded by asking, "Which will you decide?"

Our president, Sam, conducts the Table Topics session today, using the theme of Work and Play in her questions.  Members and guests may volunteer to speak for 1-2 minutes, and the whole point is to allow everyone a chance to participate as well as learn to think on their feet.  If volunteers aren't forthcoming, the Table Topicsmaster is supposed to call on members who don't have a role during the meeting.  After all, we're here to practice, and keeping tight-lipped isn't helping anyone!  

What is your favorite form of play...when you're at work?

Onyxe does not differentiate work and play. She plays. The first thing that comes to mind is "gong bath."  The power of the vibration of that gong makes every cell in her body exuberantly vibrate, and it is not only fun but joyous and healing.  On a small cushion, she closes her eyes and centers herself.  The sound of the gong she strikes plays her, too.  And when she plays it in service to others in a group setting, it's transformative.  Everybody has a different experience of it.  It's a fast-track to meditation, resting into the sensation of it as it flows through you.  When you come out of that experience, you are transformed. 

What does this quote mean: "By working hard, you get to play guilt-free. 

Robin was told you should give 100% in whatever you do, but then she read this book called "100 Ways to Relax and Chill Out."  It said to give yourself permission to give around 95%.  Subconsciously, she began doing this so she wouldn't burn herself out.  Then after having her blood drawn, she noticed later that her computer was missing from the backpack she'd set beside the phlebotomist.  She immediately stereotyped him and assumed he'd taken it.  But it turns out her word computer was actually in her office!  She didn't like that she initially blamed him and decided she needed to give 100% from now on.

If given a choice between work and play, what form of work or play would you choose?

Jen believes that time is best spent helping people, whether that be in work or play.  What's important is making a difference in someone's life.  She has a community service project that serves people who are disabled, chronically ill and care-givers.  These groups are often overlooked and often have no resources to get by day-to-day.  Work hard and play hard is her motto in life.  If what you are doing makes you happy and you are adding value, there really is nothing better than that.

How do you balance work and play?  

David says that he doesn't have to think about seeking balance on Saturday because it's all play after working non-stop Monday through Friday.  One of the things he does for balance is if he's traveling, he'll try to find one or two things that are going on in the area rather than going back to his hotel.  In Maryland in the middle of nowhere, he saw an old farmhouse where Sam Mudd lived.  He tries to mix balance in every day, infusing fun and play into his work days.

Time to vote for the best Table Topics speech!

So that concludes Table Topics, where participants read a prompt and speak off the top of their heads.  You learn a lot about people this way, and it's a fun way to stretch yourself and grow your skills.  It does get easier with practice, and some are even exuberant about volunteering!  Btw, Onyxe was the voter's choice today for the best Table Topics speech.  She takes the trophy, which denotes what a star she is!

Kay asks, "How Can We Help You?" during an Education Check-in activity that gets people talking about ways they can become a better Toastmaster member. Three choices are given, and guests are encouraged to use this time in our small groups to ask questions they have about anything Toastmasters related. Later, our president, Sam, shares that she'd like to resume this activity at another meeting in the future.  More opportunities would be beneficial to share our questions, insights and answers in an effort to support and help each other.

David, who is Destini's speech evaluator, shares the opinion that he heard a great speech today.  Her exuberance and enthusiasm was contagious as she took us through her learning path.  At first, however, David disagreed with a few things he heard, but Destini took us around into new insights and assessments that he ended up agreeing with.  She did a fantastic job of drawing us in and outlining what was coming by taking us down her path.  He did note her use of a few space fillers, and from a stretch standpoint, Destini's specific gaze at individuals later in her speech along with her specific content made him feel more engaged and personally drawn in.  Overall, David concluded, it was a fantastic speech.

Perry, today's Timer, reports that most members and guests kept within their time limits, which allows our club to hold our meetings to 1 hour.  The speech was within the 5-7 minute range, and only one Table Topics talk ran over the 2-minute limit.  Furthermore, the speech evaluator was right at the 3-minute limit.  This respects the needs of those in particular who take time out of their work day to participate.  

Onyxe, our Ah Counter/Grammarian, reported that we had 55 space fillers!  WOW!  She's on it and isn't letting the ahs and ums slip by her ears.  That lets us know that more of us need to tackle this issue head-on!

The Word of the Day, exuberant, was used 6 times.  We can thank Onyxe for choosing this word and encouraging us to insert it into our talks today.

Sam, our president, closes our meeting with a quote from Dolly Parton, "Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life."  It's a good motto for keeping balance between Work and Play, today's theme for our meeting.  So go out and be exuberant about creating a life you want to live!

Many members of our Peace Speakers club pose for an impromptu picture at the end of our meeting.  Others are either out on vacations, tending to family concerns or work-related issues.  We're a gentle, thoughtful group of people all wanting to push ourselves out of our comfort zones to enhance our communication and leadership skills.  Until I posted this shot, I'd forgotten how much taller I am than most, but they make up for height in personality, purpose and zeal.  It's good to be a Peace Speaker!

On that note, any visitor to this blog is warmly invited to join us on an upcoming Wednesday.  You get to decide if we're a good fit.  Two of the people pictured above joined our club today, and we couldn't be more exuberant about Robin and Jen coming onboard!

OUR REMAINING 2019 MEETINGS:

Wed., Sept. 18 - Conference Room B

Wed., Oct. 2 - Conference Room 5000
Wed., Oct. 16- Conference Room B

Wed.,  Nov. 6 - Conference Room B

Wed., Nov. 20 - Conference Room 5000

Wed., Dec. 4 - Room 5000

Wed., Dec. 20 - Conference Room B

(Our holiday celebration...not a regular meeting)

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

Past President and Blogger for Peace Speakers

  

Devoid of Controversy, Peace Speakers Thoroughly Enjoy Themselves

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.  

Kay pauses before calling the meeting to order.

I have just one more meeting to preside over in June before my year as president of Peace Speakers concludes. This leadership opportunity has taught me so much! I always tried to keep abreast of what was going on and encouraged individuals to take chances and develop themselves.

I've made mistakes here and there but had a safe place to practice in this Toastmasters club.  It particularly helped that I enjoyed a talented team of officers who helped me along the way.  

As president, I got to set the tone of our club and believe I kept it moving forward and kind.  We've had a lot of fun this year and worked hard to create an atmosphere of trust, compassion and growth.  I certainly am grateful for this opportunity to express myself and be a leader of a really fine club.

Today and on some other occasions, Peace Speakers meet in this comfortable and cozy location, room 5000.  Our usual room, Conference Room B, is more spacious, but either way, working together is enjoyable.  It all depends on how well the meeting is planned and if the members show up well-prepared.  Thankfully, Peace Speakers have a tendency to do that!

Toastmaster Sam and President Kay greet each other at the lectern.

Our Toastmaster for the day is Sam, and this is her first time taking on this role.  She created a lovely agenda for our club's meeting and chose the theme of Taking Pride in Who You Are.  Sam keeps the meeting moving along and introduces the members who've taken on roles as well as the prepared speaker for the day.  Sam seems a natural!

Perry (in the tie) listens for grammar mistakes and records them.

Btw, our Word of the Day is controversy, and Perry, our Ah Counter/Grammarian, listens for its use, along with grammar missteps, sentence shifts, and space fillers like uh, um and you know!  A general report is made later in the meeting, and individuals may learn how they did individually by speaking to Perry in private.

Joan is our prepared speaker for the day, and she delivers a great Ice Breaker speech called "As Time Goes By" from the Innovative Planning Path.  Being her first time to give a speech, she has 6 minutes to share whatever she wants us to know about her life.  Most newcomers don't show up with a full display of PowerPoint images, but Joan did.  It sure brings home the content! 

Joan's goal is to share some of her accomplish-ments. She begins with a shot of her grandchild since a good image of her as a baby wasn't available.  Admittedly, she's 71 years old now, but of course, Joan adds, "That's the new 40, right?"
             

After finishing high school, Joan was trying to find herself. She knew she was headed somewhere, but it was a mystery to her where.  She was born and raised in a little place called Big Swamp, NC, right outside of the original Washington vs. the one in D.C.  

Upon finishing high school, being a person of color living where she did, there really wasn't a whole lot for her to do.  She found herself washing dishes in a hospital.  She realized, "This is not for me!"  Nor was working on a farm doing tobacco.  She had a sense of pride about herself, which to some, was controversial.  Some believed she wasn't to expect more, so determined to help herself, she joined the military.

Joan actually joined the military twice:  the first time for 7 years and then again later.  At that 2nd tour, she met Jimmy Carter and shook his hand.  Stationed in Korea two hours from Seoul, Korea, 25 miles from the demilitarized zone, she could hear shots at night, wondering what that meant. She's also served in Hawaii, Alaska and Japan. 

While on her 2nd tour, Joan met this "fine hunk of a man."  They've been married over 40 years!  Daniel and she have been through a lot together and have served in the house of God together.  They were always easily recognized because when you saw one of them, you saw the other. 

Out of this union came 3 beloved children, now grown adults. Joan notes, "They go away, but they do come back," admitting that one of their children had moved back home.  

From their 3 children they've gotten 9 beautiful grandchildren.  2 live in Arizona, 2 live in South Carolina, 3 in Virginia Beach, and 2 in Louisville. The last 2 are living with them.  These 7 and 13 year olds keep her going, and they are a riot.

As time passed, Joan wrote a Christian book that was published and is carried by Barnes and Noble Bookstores.  It talks about how she learned to forgive, which wasn't what she wanted to do. "And I still struggle sometimes," she adds.

In 2016, Joan earned her Masters Degree in Biblical Studies.  She helped start an accredited Bible college and was the assistant dean.  She was also one of the instructors.

As a result of all her life, Joan says that this is the result as time goes by:

Thank you, Joan, for the great visual images and the story behind them.  You've achieved notable milestones and obviously raised a family you're very proud of that is well-connected with you today.  I also love that you didn't settle for the menial work that some suggested so many years ago.  You had the wherewithal to know you were headed for something far greater!

Our toastmaster, Sam, returns to the podium noting that she grew up in South Carolina as well.  Her mother grew up on a tobacco farm and also chose not to do that work.  Joan laughs and replies, "We'll have to get together and talk!"  Just another reason why I love this club.  The speeches create interest and conversations.

Beatrice, today's Table Topicsmaster, created prompts that'll get everyone talking.  She utilized the theme of Taking Pride in Who You Are and starts looking for volunteers to answer one of her questions.  This gives anyone attending our meeting a chance to practice their speaking skills and thinking on their feet.  Participants only get 1-2 minutes to reply.  Sometimes it's a little nerve-racking, but for the most part, it's really fun, informative and helps people grow their skills.

How do you take pride in yourself?

Joan takes pride in the way she carries herself and the way she's helped raised her children and the work she does.  Her desire is to let what she's done speak for her.  She tries to work in the place and spirit of excellence, taking pride in herself and those that are in her sphere of influence.  She tries to express a pride, but not a haughty pride, but a pride that would honor those around her as well.

What are some of the ways pride can impact your relationship with others?

Catherine admits to echoing some of Joan's points, as she feels it's important to take pride in ourselves because that influences the relationships we have with other people and the respect we hold for them.  (Catherine pauses to look at the prompt again saying, "This is a testament as to why it's important to be at Toastmasters meetings and practicing.  It's been a while since I've been here!")  Becoming vulnerable, she adds that she struggles with taking pride in things and with self-confidence, which goes hand-in-hand with pride.  That in turn influences the quality of one's relationships.  

How does taking pride affect those around you?

Betsy says it affects those around her just like negativity and positivity.  Your attitude can really affect those around you.  She takes a lot of pride in a lot of things, admitting that at her age, you learn to do that.  She's not quite 70 yet but now takes more pride in her age, in her family, her possessions...if you even want to have those possessions!  She might want to downsize!  It does make a better person of you.  You'll learn this as you get older.  "Gettin' old isn't that bad!" she claims.

What is something you're proud of about yourself?

Destini is very prideful person and tries to carry and conduct herself in a well-mannered spirit and passion, even if others don't think so.  But she wasn't always this way.  Being very short in stature, that made a lot of controversy growing up.  Trying to fit in this big, big world, when she was little, she was often bullied in kindergarten because she was so tiny.  Strong parents instilled confidence in her, putting her into the kungfu to whoop her bullies' butts, making them appreciate her being so short.  Yesterday she helped out with the Pride Month display at the center, and her shortness came into great use when she got down into the display case.  As she's gotten older, she realizes that her shortness is a blessing!

Is having too much pride a bad thing?

Effie says it could be yes or no.  It depends on the person and what their motive is.  For her personally, it wouldn't be bad because she always wants what's best for everyone.  She's going to be positive about everything, and she's not going to create any controversy.  So it definitely depends on the individual and what their motive is for the outcome.

Are you aware of the pride in your life and how it is manifested?

Onyxe says the first thing that pops into her head is the pride she has in her attention to detail.  She's in the process of overseeing the renovation of a house, and she has a very tight eye for detail.  When she goes in the job site, she can see where the windowsill is off by 1/8th of an inch.  Her contractors use the laser level then wonder how she can see that!  She realizes they appreciate her because after being gone for 10 days, their faces lit up when she returned. They missed her!  The pride she has in this attention to detail is going to pay off when they move into this very happy home.

Proverbs 16: 5 - "Anyone who is proud and arrogant in heart is disgusting and exceedingly offensive to the Lord.  Be assured he will not go unpunished."  Why do you think pride is such an offense to the Lord?

Kay says that she thinks the Lord is a lot cooler than we've been led to believe.  She thinks the Lord distinguishes between pride that is arrogant, ego-maniacal with "Look at me, look at me at what I can do!" and pride in one's good works. God is loving and generous and even in times when people are arrogant because of insecurity, maybe God will give them a pass or a little bit of a nudge to wake them up and realize that's not the path they need to follow.  Pride is earned for good works and not for things like false pride like, "I'm the president and everything goes well because of me!" He'll get a butt kicking someday.  There is a difference between arrogance and pride for good works.   (Yes, Table Topics is a time when things fly out of your mouth totally unplanned!)

Table Topicsmaster Beatrice asks for members and our guest, to vote for the talk that inspired them the most.  Votes are passed to her, and later in the meeting it's announced that Destini garnered the greatest votes.  She has bragging rights and a trophy to set on her work desk until our next meeting on July 3rd. 

For the Education Check-in, which we conduct briefly if there is no second prepared speech, Sam asks people to form small groups and brainstorm ideas for upcoming themes for our meetings. She provides a handout with examples. Ideas discussed for each month are recorded for future reference.  Here are some of the ideas people shared:

State Fairs & Festivals                                 Chaos 

Musicals                                                       Black Friday

Fall & its double meanings                          Christmas & New Year

Food & Nutrition                                          National Disability Day

Healthy & Unhealthy Eating                        Still Need to Do Day

Gratitude/Thanksgiving                               Universal Human Rights

Destini (on the left) evaluates the speech Joan (on the right) gave

Destini, today's speech evaluator, tells Joan that she did a marvelous job on her speech. She had a great pace, tone, and felt very comfortable at the lectern. She threw in jokes, used transitions, and invited us into her life story with authentic pictures. What she could work on is print off the power points so she won't have to keep looking back for the points and make the words on the slides a bit larger.  Some transitions in the beginning were a little choppy but got better throughout the speech and were more natural. Overall, she really like her prepared speech. The theme tied in well and was woven into the story of her life as time goes by.

Betsy, our Timer, shares that our prepared speaker went over her time a little bit but the 7 Table Topics speakers were under their time limits.  We try to adhere to stated time limits because we only have an hour to practice and want to respect the time constraints of those who work and those who have other places to go.  Overall, Peace Speakers are consistent about starting on time and ending on time!

Before our Toastmaster Sam hands over the lectern spot, she verbally greets Kay and shakes her hand.  This is customary practice each time a new speaker comes to the lectern.

Kay (moi), concludes the meeting expressing gratitude for everyone's participation. Thank you to Perry, Betsy and Eva who slipped seamlessly into unexpected roles. Kudos to Catherine for taking pics of me when I spoke! These 4 are long-standing members who just do what it takes!  

As usual, we had so much fun and laughter today, and everyone got at least one chance to speak. The theme gave us an opportunity to share our one-of-a-kind selves.  Kay shared that like Destini, she was teased at an early age about her height (in the opposite direction), and how that took a toll on her for too many years.  But she loves it now!  We do get over it, don't we!

Kay adds that she hopes everyone always feels they can express their unique selves at our Peace Speakers meetings.  It's a safe place to practice one's distinct leadership style and communication style, even if it's a little controversial!  So take pride in who you are.  Your individual expression is a teaching took for us all.

Speaking of taking pride in who you are, it's easier when you have the communication and leadership skills to master your life, professionally and personally.  Toastmasters can help you achieve that!  Come visit us and see if we're a good fit.  We're an open and friendly club that meets every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month.

OUR UPCOMING 2019 MEETINGS:

Wed., June 19 - Conference Room B

Wed., July 3 - Conference Room B

Wed., July 17- Conference Room B

Wed., Aug. 7 - Conference Room B

No Wed., Aug. 21 meeting!

CANCELLED due to the president's visit.  Center nearly impossible to access.  

Plans are being made to reschedule next week, August 28 in 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

President and Blogger for Peace Speakers