Peace Speakers Louisville Toastmasters Club

Friday, August 18, 2017

A Perfectly Perfunctory Peace Speakers Meeting...NOT!!!

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.

Perry, president of Peace Speakers, opens our meeting welcoming everyone. A perfunctory greeting it was not! (Perfunctory is the Word of the Day and means routine, superficial or mechanical; lacking in interest or enthusiasm.) Perry's upbeat approach is in part due to the fact we'll be voting in 2 new members to our Toastmasters club today. Julie and Anne Marie, we are so excited to have you join us!

Perry shares a summary of the Toastmaster's Promise, which is a good reminder of what's important for both new and established members. Abiding by these promises makes a club stronger and benefits all members immensely.

A Toastmaster's Promise (summarized):

Attend club meetings regularly.
Prepare speech projects carefully.
Prepare and fulfill meeting assignments.
Provide helpful, constructive evaluations.
Promote a positive, friendly environment by arriving early to mingle and get to know members.
Serve as an officer, as club meetings require teamwork and planning.
Be respectful and courteous to everyone.
Bring guests, so more can benefit from Toastmasters.
Follow guidelines and rules to enhance everyone's experience in Toastmasters.

Our club is only as strong as its individual members. So please do your best to uphold these 9 promises. Let's not make perfunctory gestures and not follow through!


Members Eva, Julie (new), Megan and Anne Marie (new)

Megan, our treasurer and past president, reminds members to get their dues to her no later than September 20. She has a deadline to keep, so sooner is better!

Our 2 members who were voted in today are pictured to the right (Julie and Anne Marie). We are fortunate to have such dynamic members joining Peace Speakers!

After our brief business meeting, President Perry welcomes today's toastmaster, Megan. The image isn't great, but it shows that the podium is never to be left unattended during a meeting. They shake hands during this greeting and Megan takes over at this point to run the educational portion of our meeting.

Megan shares that the image on today's agenda is of her in 1st or 2nd grade on the first day of school. Choosing to do a theme that relates to education and the start of school, she shares a Martha Graham quote:

“I believe that we learn by practice. Whether it means to learn to dance by practicing dancing or to learn to live by practicing living, the principles are the same. In each, it is the performance of a dedicated precise set of acts, physical or intellectual, from which comes shape of achievement, a sense of one's being, a satisfaction of spirit.”

This is the look Catherine gets when she's seeking volunteers for Table Topics. She's created nearly a dozen prompts to get people talking...more than usual...because we have additional time today to devote to this extemporaneous experience. Not everyone loves it. However, we all agree that it gets us thinking on our feet, and we always learn a lot about our guests and members who participate. Ideally, it allows us to practice our communication skills and connects us in fun and interesting ways. This is one way we grow our communication skills. "So who wants to start?" Catherine asks.

What benefits do you see of year-round schooling with two week breaks interspersed throughout the year? If you could choose, would you opt for year-round schooling or a one with a traditional summer break?

Anne Marie shares that year-around schooling helps prevent the "summer slide" phenomenon. School and learning becomes more of a routine instead of students counting down until summer vacation. However, there seems to be benefits both ways regarding to time off when considering vacation possibilities. She admits that year-around school with its greater academic benefit would be best for her kids.

What was the most recent class you took, and what did you learn?

Katie admits that while getting a creative writing degree, the last class she took was Chicken Agriculture. It was her 3rd biology class, and she was interested in raising chickens in the city. She learned random things like chickens are very sensitive to red light, which increases their egg production. She also learned how to call a chicken. (I'm sorry she didn't give us a chicken call!) Katie adds that she has no chickens at this time and hasn't used these agricultural processes yet.

Kids come up with all sorts of creative reasons to miss a day of school. When you were in school, what was your most memorable reason for staying home?

Eva shares that this question doesn't fit her nature. As a student, she never broke the rules and did everything right. In all honesty, she never pretended to be sick. She didn't even miss many days and actually enjoyed a number years of perfect attendance. She concluded with the final comment, "Sorry! This is a rather perfunctory report!"

At this point, a vote is taken for the Table Topics speech that listeners liked the most. Our chicken girl, Katie, rises to the top! Now for a second round of questions to new participants.

Share one way in which you continue to learn as an adult. Do you take online classes, participate in classes through the library or your church, or read books or articles online?

Jewel shares that she feels strongly that it's important to learn something new every day. She accomplishes this by taking classes online, participating in seminars and training to enhance her skills for her job. She's constantly reading all kinds of materials and books and loves the library. This is how she learns something every day.

Benefiting from your current years of experience and wisdom, how would you prepare for the first day of your freshman year of high school - commonly full of anxiety and emotions?

Kay shares just what she actually did as a freshman, admitting that she relied on her older sister who was popular, bosomy, and a cheerleader (all the things she wasn't) to help her pick a matching plaid skirt, knee-highs and mohair sweater to wear on the first day. Kay wanted to look good to avoid the nickname of Jolly Green Giant thrown at her in middle school. (And now utilizing my experience and wisdom, I would prepare with reminders to love who you are, be yourself, reach out in friendship to others, and don't take anything personally.)

School uniforms are required at some schools, but not others. Are you in favor of or resistant to school uniforms, and why?

Malinda shares that she was hired to prepare supper daily for a father and his daughter, who was very rebellious. She would change out of her school uniform before leaving school to go to her dental appointments. Malinda also taught at a Catholic school, and the kids hated their uniforms. She knows the uniforms were put in place to reduce bullying and level the economic playing field, but wearing uniforms squelches individuality. So, she's not in favor of them.

After these last 3 Table Topics speeches, a vote is taken for the most favored among listeners. Malinda rises to the top. Now for a 3rd round of questions between Katie and Malinda. They enjoy the highest level of practice today to hone their extemporaneous communication skills.

If you were a 2^nd grade teacher, what initial rules or guidelines would you want to setup for your class?

Katie shares that she's never been a teacher. However, she bases her answer on her 2-year-old child, who gives her context for this task. She would insist that the children be kind, listen, and be excited about learning. She'd teach them that they have two ears and only one mouth, so they should listen twice as much as they speak. That's how she'd start the year with her new 2nd graders.

If you became a principal and could choose either an elementary, middle, or high school to supervise, which would you opt for and why?

Malinda shares that she taught K-12 music in a rural school and later subbed in a school district where those school levels were in separate buildings. She discovered that the H.S. kids made up their minds about her before she opened her mouth, and she worried that she'd send the little kindergarten kids home with the wrong parents. But the M.S. kids were different. It's as if space aliens inhabited the bodies of middle schoolers. When they streamed out of their classrooms, she was reminded of a verse in Genesis about the water teeming with living creatures. Malinda also liked that detention was a leverage she could use with them, so she'd choose to be middle school principal.

Today's extended rounds of Table Topics were educational and fun. It always is! Malinda garners the most votes and takes home a dark chocolate candy bar...a lovely substitute until our trophy gets returned. Thank you, Catherine, for preparing the thoughtfully crafted questions.

Peace Speakers also conducted a short Check-in Activity during our meeting to build our skills. Megan asked us to gather in small groups and discuss:

How do you prepare and practice for a role or a speech?
What strategies or tools have you found to be the most or least helpful?

Members shared that some find it helpful to just prepare speech notes in outline form or with bullets. They enjoy the flexibility of not having it all carved out on the front end. (Perhaps they have better memories and confidence.) Others admitted that they like typing out every word of their speech, particularly those who like to carefully weigh their choice of vocabulary. Even the selection of transition words can greatly enhance or detract from a speech, so having the speech printed verbatim works better for some. Both perspectives agreed that increasing the print so that you can glance at your notes once in a while is better, since reading a speech is not acceptable. That's why developing a speech well in advance and having time for adequate practice is so critical. That's how it gets finely tuned!

Anne Marie, Eva and Kay study the sign-up sheet

New member, Anne Marie, looks at the sign-up sheet with Eva and Kay. They sign up for roles for our next Peace Speakers meeting September 6. It's Kay's job as VP of Education to assure all roles are filled in advance so the meeting will progress smoothly. There is the Toastmaster, Ah Counter/Grammarian, Table Topics/Vote Counter, Timer, and Speech Evaluator. Accepting one of these roles gives members a built-in opportunity to organize their thoughts and speak at every meeting.

If you're a visitor to this blog and have never considered dropping in on a Toastmasters meeting, we promise we aren't scary and will welcome you warmly. Until you confront your fears, they're yours to keep. That's not fun!!!!! We're here to support each other, and as a result, our communication and leadership skills plus confidence keep growing! Join us to see if we're a good fit for you.

OUR NEXT 2017 MEETINGS:

Wed., Sept. 6 - Conference Room B

Wed., Sept. 20 - Conference Room B

Wed., Oct. 4 - 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

and VP of Education

Friday, July 14, 2017

Tenacious Peace Speakers Enjoy Guest Speaker

Megan, our president at Peace Speakers, warmly opens our meeting in anticipation. She knows how tenacious members are about participating during meetings. (By the way, tenacious is our Word of the Day, meaning persistent in maintaining or adhering to something valued or habitual.) Members are asked to try and insert that word into verbal expressions throughout the meeting.

We're pleased to note that we have a visitor today, Sigga, originally from West Africa. She's looking for a Toastmasters club that will help her develop her confidence and speaking skills. We're hoping Peace Speakers is a good fit for her! Sigga is pictured looking at the items found in the gift bag that each visitor to our club is given.

Katie, volunteering to be our Toastmaster today for the very first time, adeptly steps to the podium to begin the educational portion of our meeting. This is where participation increases, and it's the best part of our experiential meetings. Katie's prepared a lovely agenda for our meeting, which pictures a well-tendered garden with neat rows. With "space fillers" as our theme for our meeting today, she notes that proper "spacing" in a garden allows for the biggest impact for producing food. In turn, if we are tenacious and strive to weed out space fillers in our language, we may create more impact when we express ourselves.

Karen Milliner, our guest speaker today, is a Professional Networker, Speaker, Coach, and Body Language specialist who focuses on teaching effective communication through verbal and non-verbal techniques. As an award winning speaker who loves challenging and entertaining her audiences, Karen speaks internationally on topics such as presence, presentation, effective listening skills, body language and leadership. Invited to share her expertise on how to avoid using space fillers, her speech today is titled "So...Um...How Do Others See/Hear You?"

The following is a summary of what Karen imparted on June 7th at our Peace Speakers meeting:

The speaking public often relies on space fillers or words that are unnecessary. Everyone has done it at one time or another. Fillers are our effort to hold time or space, but we don’t need to do that. Karen says that when she has space, she just lets it go. That space allows her to give what’s been imparted a moment to be ingested by the listener. Her pregnant pauses serve a valuable purpose!

It’s important to know that fillers include our body language as well. We use filler words to fill space, but we don’t need a constant barrage of words. Instead, use your body and gestures. Keep your hands in front of you…never hide them…as the former makes you more believable. When you’re nervous, place your hands in front of you in a positive power stance: fingertips touching in a triangular shape. Where your body goes your mind follows, so this helps overcome your nervousness.

Karen confessed that the way she presents herself doesn’t give away the fact she didn’t finish college. She doesn’t use filler words, unlike many who have college degrees. And if you don’t present well, people won’t take your education seriously. And that can be a huge problem!

When do you use filler words such as uh, like, um and you know? Pay attention to that. When you hear one, stop! Pause instead. When you start hearing them, you’ll begin dropping those space fillers. And don’t be afraid to use other acceptable words in place of those filler words. Speak slowly enough so you can think about the message you want to deliver.

Your boss doesn’t want to hear a bunch of filler words when you pitch a proposal. It lessens the impact of the proposal! Use your body in the same manner. This leads Karen to think of the handshake, which can set the tone of the whole conversation. Limp ones tell the other that they’re either the weaker sex or weaker party. Then there’s the bone crusher handshake, which kills the other. Another handshake pulls one person in closer, which tells the other that they’re in control. Sometimes handshakes include the other hand touching the upper arm, which is meant to be warmer by implying a mental connection.

Karen notes that it’s very important that you not only pay attention to the content of what you say, but how you say it and the body language that goes along with it. Body language is actually 40% of what is actually said. Watch your eye contact as well. Staring is creepy, so instead, pause and look away occasionally.

As Toastmasters, we are exposed to valuable information that often the general public doesn’t hear. We’re given the weekly meetings, the conferences, and the Toastmaster Magazine to make us aware. The general public isn’t given this opportunity to learn, which leaves them at a disadvantage.

One of the things Karen’s most proud of as a Toastmaster is that we do not criticize each other. Instead, we give gifts of improvement to one another. When her daughters start using a particular filler word, she playfully throws that filler word back at them so they can hear what they’re doing. That’s a great teaching tool to make others aware.

Q & A Session

Q – You speak slower than I do. Do you recommend this speed of delivery?

A – There’s no one recommended speed. One can speak faster and still do well, even though faster speakers tend to use more filler words. However, when you slow down your cadence, your articulation is better. People have an easier time understanding you, too.

Perry, our Table Topicsmaster for the day, waves a bag holding prompts that relate to "space" in some way. He reminds us that our answers to these questions should stay between 1-2 minutes. He encourages us to use of the Word of the Day, tenacious, when we respond. This is one way that we practice thinking on our feet!

NOTE: The blogger was unable to obtain the original questions, but here is a summary of what each participant had to impart.

Sigga is a guest today and jumps right in by volunteering. She shares that she worked for OSHA in Chicago at a training institute during New York's 9-ll tragedy. She and co-workers were sitting at breakfast and saw the image of a plane going through a building. At first it didn't register. They wondered: "Is that real? Is that a stunt?" Then the second plane hit the other tower, and they were in shock. Just staring and stunned. She says she saw the worst and best of humanity that day. "We became one," she notes.

George grapples with the idea that there's life in outer space. On the surface, we say no there isn't. However, there's more we don't know than we do know. But we want to control things, so we keep searching. Months ago George had an empathizing experience. Someone struggling with fear and anxiety made him feel totally empathetic. It was a shot to his system...a kind of déjà vu. George does believe that the spirit lives on. Something more is going on out there, but we don't understand it, he concludes.

Malinda responds to this quote and the question that follows it: "Don't know what to say, be quiet." Is there a time when you didn't know what to do next? She replies with the saying, "I only open my mouth long enough to exchange feet." (That got a laugh!) She goes on to add that she's had an exciting life...done a lot...and has changed and adapted. In college she thought she'd become a teacher or go to the seminary. She came to Louisville to look at the Baptist Seminary, but the setting was ugly. In Indiana, however, there were trees and hills. Malinda notes, "The seminary campus was beautiful. There were violets on the lawn. It was like a message meant for me, so I chose seminary. It was an important step on my journey."

Pat is a first-time visitor to our club and agrees to participate. She talks about spaces where there's clutter and admits that her husband and she are thinking about downsizing. The children have moved on, so they're just now planning to do it. She's been moving things out of the basement and recently set gardening items outdoors. But her husband stopped her, thinking it was too much. "Wait until next week," he insisted. Pat admitted that it made her feel good to move stuff out and open up the space.

Afterwards, a vote is taken and Sigga is recognized as the winner of Table Topics. Katie, our Toastmaster, congratulates her with a chocolate bar. It's a sweet way to recognize her triumph!

And speaking of recognition, Megan, President of Peace Speakers, gives Karen a gift for being a guest speaker at our club today. Her willingness to share her expertise is greatly appreciated.

And now to top that off, Megan holds up the gold coin she was given a while back that exemplifies 4 characteristics of an outstanding Toastmaster member. It's her turn to pass it to another who has shown integrity, respect, service and excellence.

That honor goes to Eva, who has been a loyal member since the onset of our club. She's one of the reasons why our club is so solvent. She has completed her 10 speeches in the Competent Communication Manual and moved on to the Advanced Series Manuals. Throughout many years, Eva has often served as an officer and is willing to fill any role for our meetings. She's quite an asset to Peace Speakers!

And speaking of assets, I must commend Catherine. This is her at another meeting of ours. I just want to thank her for seeing a need at this meeting and filling it. While I was videoing our guest speaker's speech for Karen today, Catherine took my camera and carried on with the photographing of our meeting. She's a natural behind the camera, and I really appreciate her help, which provided needed shots for this blog.

Our Toastmaster, Katie, returns to the podium to conclude the educational part of our meeting. She's no longer a novice in this role and has handled her first-time experience with grace and ease. She ends with a quote from Mark Twain: "The word may be effective, but no word was ever as effective as a right-timed pause." Katie nailed it. We Toastmasters know the value of that!

And speaking of value, becoming a Toastmaster really kicked into high gear opportunities for me to practice expressing myself and taking on leadership roles. Having a welcoming and safe environment in which to practice is essential, and Peace Speakers seem tenacious about being thoughtful and kind.

If you're a visitor to this blog, don't stay a stranger! Drop in on one of our bi-monthly meetings, which last for 1 hour. You will be warmly greeted and will experience a Toastmaster meeting to see if it's a good fit for your desired growth.