Peace Speakers Focus on Gratitude for Open House

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.  

Megan, our president of Peace Speakers, greets members and guests warmly at our Open House.  She expresses gratitude for the many visitors and our members' willingness to take on different roles during our meeting.  She extends thanks to those who've brought in all kinds of treats for us to enjoy.  

Megan has an epiphany she shares with us.  Being in Toastmasters is why she's able to stand up there today and lead our club.  Epiphany is our Word for the Day, which means an ah-ha moment of realization and clarity.  Her involvement in Peace Speakers allows her to feel more confident and comfortable in a leadership and speaking role, which wasn't the case prior to joining our Toastmasters club.

Catherine, VP of Public Relations and our Toastmaster today, jokes about the possibility of having food lodged in her teeth.  She's been enjoying the treats, which takes us to the theme of our meeting today: GRATITUDE.  She reminds us to be grateful for what we do have...not what we don't have.  She appreciates being surrounded by friends, Peace Speakers, who allow her to occasionally get flustered when trying to express herself.  This is a safe environment in which to try new things and wobble a bit before getting grounded.

Today George fills the role of the Ah Counter and Grammarian.  This calls for him to listen carefully as people speak during our meeting, noting words like uh, um, you know, and other unnecessary fillers.  Awkward sentence shifts are also on his radar.  He chose epiphany as the Word of the Day and listens for its use as well.  He keeps record of all of this and makes a general report at the end of the meeting.  This lets us know what changes we need to make to improve our speaking skills.  

Kathryn is our Timer today, and she explains how the light system helps speakers.  The individual green, yellow and red lights indicate how much time remains for each speaker.  They are friendly warnings to remind speakers that time is running out.  The red light is not a mandate to stop, but it does encourage the speaker to bring the talk to a close.

Catherine introduces our prepared speaker for the day.  Kerri is giving her 5th speech from the Competent Commun- ication Manual, which focuses on "Your Body Talks".  Her speech is called "Books I Think You'll Like".  As Kerri walks to the podium, Catherine begins clapping and says, "We also get a lot of practice clapping at Toastmasters.  It's just another way to show gratitude."  


Prepared Speech - "Books I Think You'll Like" by Kerri Daly

In honor of today’s theme, I’d like to talk to you about something I’m grateful for....books. I am thankful for books for many reasons. First of all, I actually work at a publishing house – Presbyterian Publishing Corporation, which is located in this very building. Books in my world are the reason why I get a paycheck, and as I’m sure you can guess, I’m grateful for my bi-weekly income. I also am grateful for books because more often than not they transport me through time. From magical worlds to a good biography, all of them release me from my daily routine, and I’m grateful for the journeys they take me on. 

Today I’d like to talk to you about four books that I think are worth checking out. Full disclaimer though: My list of favorite books is always evolving. As a result, this presentation is not a top 4 list of all time but instead information on a few books that I’ve recently read that I thought might be of interest to you. So without any further adieu, let’s get started.

The first book I want to mention is The Year Without a Purchase by Scott Dannemiller. Now by a show of hands, how many of y’all have purchased a non-essential item this month – an article of clothing, something from the always-tempting dollar bin at Target, etc.? Okay, then this title might be of interest to you. In this book, Dannemiller shares the story of his family’s quest to stop shopping and start connecting. The idea came about because both Scott and his wife Gabby were former missionaries. It’s been 10 years since they made their vow of simple living, and they both admit that they’re failing miserably at it. So they decide not to make any purchases for a year.  Now to clarify – they still use money throughout the year. They buy food, toiletries and they pay their bills. But all extra, non-essential items, no more! No more clothes, shoes, extra items for their home, toys for their kids, etc. They use what they have. When they forget to pack extra socks for a business trip, they wash and re-wear the ones they have on in the hotel sink. When it’s time to go to a party or celebrate a holiday, they re-wear outfits they’ve previously worn. Now for a lot of people, these habits are already part of their daily life out of necessity. However, for those lucky enough to live a life of privilege, this book offers a wake-up call that not only had me laughing out loud but inspired me to refocus my spending habits and prioritize what’s really important – my connection with others. 

 

The second book I want to talk about is Kindred. I read this over the summer, and I seriously couldn’t put it down. I tend to be a slow reader, but I inhaled this book in 3 days! Inside Kindred, Dana, a modern black woman, is celebrating her twenty-sixth birthday with her husband when she is taken abruptly from her home in California and transported to the antebellum South. For whatever reason, she’s been selected by the universe to help a boy named Rufus, who is the white son of a plantation owner. Throughout the book, Dana is drawn back repeatedly through time to help him during his times of need. But with each visit, her stay grows longer and more dangerous until it is uncertain whether or not Dana's life will end. If you’re interested in a book that deals with history, African American studies or time travel, I strongly urge you to check this book out.

Next up is Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. This was the first graphic novel I’d ever read. My husband actually got the book for me, and when I opened it and saw all of the cartoon images, I said to him, “I don’t want to read a comic book!”  He encouraged me to give it a shot, and I’m glad I did. While Persepolis is compiled of black and white images like a comic book, it’s actually a memoir of growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution.  Inside the author gives readers insight into her daily life starting at age 6. As the great-granddaughter of one of Iran’s last emperors, she has a unique perspective of Iranian life. Readers get her take on everything from war and political changes to clothing options. If you’re interested in Iranian culture or simply want to try reading a graphic novel, I recommend giving Persepolis a chance too.  

The last book I want to talk about with you today is Change of Heart by Jeanne Bishop. This is a story of restorative justice unlike any other I’ve heard. Inside this book, which is based on a true story, Bishop explains how her faith challenged her to forgive the man who murdered her sister, brother-in-law and their unborn child. It doesn’t end there, though. On top of already doing what I feel like for many is the unthinkable, Bishop, who is a lawyer, now actively works towards getting the murderer’s life sentence reduced. She also works daily to help make positive reforms to our criminal justice system that gives inmates a second chance. For her, faith requires us to show mercy to those who have done us wrong. There’s no way to sugar coat it – this is a straight up tear-jerker, and I found myself crying at various points. And I’ll be honest – I don’t know if I could ever forgive the way she has. But my goodness… does this powerful book give you something to think about!

In conclusion, I want to encourage you all to make time to read something for yourself this week. Whether it’s a blog post you’ve been wanting to read, a classic novel, or a book I mentioned today - life is too short not enjoy good stories on a regular basis. Thank you so much, and happy reading everyone!

As the blogger, what I love about the 7-minute speeches Peace Speakers give is the insight we get into our members as a result. It makes sense that Kerri would deliver such a thoughtful speech using content to entice us to read.  Not only are the speeches we hear informative, but they are often fun and have unexpected elements.  New members can expect to get ample education and guidance for creating their first 10 speeches, and you can move through them at your own pace.  There is always support when you need it!

In staying with our theme of gratitude, Perry briefly shares tips for expressing our gratitude to others:

• Be aware and on the lookout for opportunities around you to say thank you.
• Be immediate, as this might be your only chance to express your gratitude.
• Be specific and personal.
• Be succinct and positive. Don't mix the message with any negative.
• Be authentic and accurate.  What you express must ring true, or it won't seem sincere.

Malinda, our Table Topics Master for the day, holds an envelope of prompts she created that pertain to gratitude.  She encourages those attending our meeting to volunteer and pull a prompt, read the question; then answer it spontaneously within 1-2 minutes.  This trains us to think on our feet and remain composed as we formulate a response.  It gets easier with time; I can assure you of that!!!!!

Who is a teacher you're especially grateful for and why?

Brittany, a first-time-guest, surprises us by volunteering to speak during Table Topics.  She pulls the prompt, steps up to the front, reads it, says she's grateful for her science teacher, then draws a blank.  (I'm still sitting there impressed that she was the first volunteer for this!)  This is the classic "deer in headlights" response when all eyes are on you, which every Toastmaster understands.  We've all been there, Brittany, and you telling me you'll come back is even more impressive!   

Imagine you're living in the beginning of the 20th century.  Would you be more grateful for electricity or running water? 

Jewel says she'd be more grateful for running water because she likes to stay clean and keep things washed off.  She finds the sound of running water soothing and focuses on a clear spring during meditations.  She's lived in communities and shared a lot.  When a cup of sugar was borrowed, then they'd share the lemonade they made, which is another way to enjoy running water.

Tell a story about something you weren't happy about in the moment but you're grateful for now.

Andrea shares that she was in law school in 2009 and wanted to work in public interest but couldn't find a position in New York.  Her husband was here, so she started volunteering at the Legal Aid Society, making the best of a bad situation.  She ran into obstacles but soon began to enjoy her volunteer work because it changed people's lives.  So it all worked out.  She's grateful to be here in Louisville, a foodie city she's come to enjoy.

Describe how being grateful for the gift of the earth affects how you live your life.

Kathryn admits that she really loves living on earth.  Enjoying the seasons, traveling, experiencing different foods, and exploring are some of her favorite things to do.  She strives to live life to the fullest each day and tries to be selfless.  She is grateful for earth and realizes there's no way to know if it'll be here in the future, which is why she appreciates it every day.

 

Members and guests vote for the Table Topics speech they liked the best.

 

We meet in cafeteria style for Open House to make room for our more visitors.

 

With the votes tallied, listeners chose Jewel as the Table Topics winner today. Now she has bragging rights until December 7, when our Peace Speakers club meets again.  Display that trophy proudly in the meantime, Jewel!

Eva, the evaluator for Kerri's speech, notes how well done it was.  She admits that she had an epiphany.  After listening to Kerri's speech, she realizes that Kerri has the perfect job - publishing and selling books!  She goes on to add that Kerri tied her talk nicely to the theme of gratitude.  She used lots of natural gestures and enthusiasm to promote her ideas.  Eva loved the 4 book choices...all quite different and interesting.  She did a good job of selling them to the audience.  Kerri could improve by just stepping away from the podium once in a while; then she could use more body movement.

Before closing today's program, our Toastmaster, Catherine, conducts three drawings in honor of our Open House.  The first gift card goes to Deb, a visitor and friend of mine.  Somehow I failed to recall the other winners, but I'm sure they're grateful as well.  I am, too, just to be here sharing in the fun and the growth.



If you're visiting my blog, don't be a stranger!  Drop in sometime to one of our Peace Speakers meetings.  You'll witness a gentle group of Toastmasters with a variety of reasons why they joined.  However, we all share a common mission, which is in bold print at the top of this blog.  It's a safe place to try new things, where people are growing in confidence and skills in both speaking and leadership.   So get out of your comfort zone and join us! We'll lend you the support you need to create a better life for yourself both professionally and personally.

OUR NEXT FEW 2016 MEETINGS:

Wed., Dec. 7- Conference Room B

Wed., Dec. 21- Conference Room B 

2017
Wed., Jan. 4 - Conference Room B

Wed., Jan. 18 - 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