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.
Presiding Officer, Betsy, opens our April 2nd meeting in a welcoming way. April is upon us, spring is in the air, and Peace Speakers are ready for the growth that comes with each changing season. With colorful flowers and tiny buds on trees popping out around us, our attitudes are in numinous alignment. (Our Word for the Day is numinous, meaning appealing to higher emotions or to the aesthetic sense.)
SPRING INSPIRES OUR INVOCATION TODAY
Betsy, our Invocation leader for the day, has numinous praise for the season at hand:
Great Earth Mother! We give you praise today and ask for your blessing upon us. As seeds spring forth and grass grows green and winds blow gently and the rivers flow and the sun shines down upon our land, we offer thanks to you for your blessings and your gifts of life each spring.
JOKE MASTER SHARES A TIMELY (THOUGH OLD) BROADCAST
With
April 1st behind us, Kay (moi) googled April Fools jokes and found 100 of the best of
all time. Today I’m sharing Joke #1…considered the best hoax ever…
judged by notoriety, creativity, and number of people duped. This was one of the first times TV was used
to stage an April Fool’s Day hoax. This
joke was played on April 1, 1957, and is called The Swiss Spaghetti Harvest.
A BBC cameraman,
Charles de Jeager, came up with the idea for the Spaghetti Harvest Hoax after
one of his teachers commented, "Boys, you're so stupid…you'd believe me if
I told you that spaghetti grows on trees."
Years
later as an adult, Charles turned this remark into a visual joke for April
Fool's Day. The BBC’s flagship
news program was anchored by Richard Dimbleby, whose commanding
presence made him one of the most revered public figures in Britain.
Viewership was huge. And if Dimbleby
said it, people trusted that it was true.
While filming the segment, they ran into all kinds of
problems trying to hang the spaghetti in the trees. Both the dry
and then the cooked spaghetti kept
falling off the branches. Finally, they
succeeded, and the BBC broadcasted a 3-minute segment about a bumper spaghetti
harvest in southern Switzerland,
thanks to an “unusually mild winter”
and to the "virtual disappearance of
the spaghetti weevil."
The audience heard Dimbleby, the show's highly
respected anchor, discussing the spaghetti crop as they watched video footage
of a Swiss family pulling pasta off spaghetti trees and placing it into
baskets. The anchor also explained how each strand of spaghetti always grew to
the same length thanks to years of hard work by generations of growers. The segment concluded with, "For those who love this dish, there's
nothing like real, home-grown spaghetti." Music was added to the background to provide
the appropriate atmosphere.
After the broadcast, hundreds of people phoned the BBC
wanting to know how they could grow their own spaghetti tree. The BBC
diplomatically replied, "Place a
sprig of spaghetti in a tin of tomato sauce and hope for the best." To see the entertaining and original 1957
3-minute broadcast, click on this link: The 1957 Broadcast of the Spaghetti Harvest Hoax
Returning to the podium after hearing my joke, Betsy shared that she had played an April Fool's joke on her 6-year-old grandson. When he woke up April 1st, she held up one of her frilly blouses and announced that this is all she had for him to wear that day. He looked at her in dismay and exclaimed, "But Gamby, you said you did laundry last night!"
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| Our charming Toastmaster bubbles up with enthusiasm as she introduces today's speaker and President of Peace Speakers. |
OUR SPEAKER APPEALS TO OUR NUMINOUS SENSE OF GIVING
Ada, our prepared speaker for the day, delivered the following speech
called “A Gift that Keeps on Giving” based on Project 9, Persuade with Power
from the Communications
and Leadership Manual.
Mayor Greg
Fischer has declared, “We need your help to make Louisville an even more compassionate
city.” April 12-20 has been designated
as Mayor Fischer’s “Give a Day” week of service. You can give an hour, a few hours, or you can give a whole
day.
In
2013, over 100,000 persons donated their time and compassion. In 2014, the goal is to get 120,000 people to
donate their time and compassion to causes.
(Ada circulated numerous photos
of volunteers serving the needs of the public.)
Let me share a couple of experiences:
Ø In 2012, in
conjunction with the pastor, his wife, and members of the Unity United
Primitive Baptist
Church, I participated in
Mayor’s “Give a Day” by helping clean up their facilities inside and out,
scraping, and re-painting. We also fellowshipped with them by providing pizza
and conversation over lunch. A most memorable
occasion.
Ø As I reflect over
my life, I have never had a day that I had to go to a homeless shelter for a
nutritious meal. Have you? In 2013, I served at the Franciscan Shelter
House on Preston where they serve lunch to the
homeless Monday through Friday. That day
I helped in the kitchen preparing meals for over 300 and cleaning tables. Most of the cooks preparing the meal were
retired men who took pleasure in cooking and enjoyed each others’ company.
Ø While the meal was
being prepared I saw one picture, but once the meal was being served to those
who came to eat another picture was revealed to me that I can’t even explain.
Serving was humbling and a true eye-opener.
Most of the people who came to eat probably didn’t choose this, however,
many showed their gratitude. Some came
and seemed to be in a world of their own and ate in silence. Serving was bittersweet – bitter because it showed me no one is
exempt from possibly having to walk in their shoes – sweet because my service
to those being served was my gift to them. I could give of
myself knowing I was giving and not expecting anything in return. It made me realize it is only by the grace of
God there go I. This year I have already
signed up to serve yet once again at the Franciscan House and two other
agencies.
You
might ask, “What can I do to be a
part of this yearly ‘Give a Day’ week?”
Hmmm…I am so glad you asked! If you will look at the flyer I put before
you, there is information that will help you look more closely at the
possibilities to be a part of this week of giving. Two Sundays ago our Louisville community experienced
bullying and attacks on innocent people at the waterfront area. God knows our city is in desperate need of
compassion right now. Maybe if we as
adults show more compassion, it will spill over to our younger generation.
A gift that keeps on giving…yes…and each
time I pass the Unity
United Primitive
Baptist Church,
my mind takes me back to the day I served to help beautify their church. It was my gift to them.
And when I think about the day I served at
the Franciscan Shelter House, I was blessed to serve those less fortunate than
I.
Each time you or I give of ourselves
unselfishly, it is a gift, and each time I reflect I receive a gift that just
keeps on giving.
How will you make Louisville a better place? Remember - you can
give an hour, a few hours, or you can give a day. It your choice.
Fellow Toastmasters, compassion…it starts
in the heart. Will you, please sign up today? The Mayor's Give A Day (or hour) Link
TABLE TOPICS MASTER HAS SPRING ON HIS MIND
Fred, our Table Topics Master of the Day, admits that after a long, hard winter, the theme he's chosen is "Spring Has Sprung!" He asks for volunteers first...those who are willing to give an extemporaneous 1-2 minute talk after pulling a prompt from his stash of questions. Megan, our newest member, raises her hand right away. Impressive!!!!
Nature reveals itself with the coming of spring. What thing or things in nature inspire you the most and why or how does it inspire you?
Megan admits that she grew up in a small rural town. In her childhood, she had a numinous attraction to nature. She's always felt close to nature since that's where she's spent so much time. She and her brothers played outside on most days. They involved nature in their play and sometimes caught birds. She also loves going to Otter Creek, where she continues to be inspired by nature.
Spring offers many opportunities to do new and exciting things. Describe new things that you would like to experience and why.
Betsy says that she experiences new and exciting things through the eyes of her grandsons, who spent the weekend with her. Just sitting outside with them at the picnic table and doing simple things like riding on the tractor is always an adventure. The youngest talks non-stop, and it's fun because she never knows what he's going to say. They especially enjoy nature, noticing the flowers and the trees blooming at this time of the year.
Betsy says that she experiences new and exciting things through the eyes of her grandsons, who spent the weekend with her. Just sitting outside with them at the picnic table and doing simple things like riding on the tractor is always an adventure. The youngest talks non-stop, and it's fun because she never knows what he's going to say. They especially enjoy nature, noticing the flowers and the trees blooming at this time of the year.
Spring brings alive the many colors that we all enjoy. What is your favorite spring color and why?
Robin admits that she doesn't have a single favorite but leans towards any color that's Derby related. She loves the look of the bright red roses and the pink of the lilies. She has a white rosebud tree just outside of their home, and it's in full bloom at this time of the year. All of the colorful flowers are especially enjoyable during the Derby season.
With the advent of spring, the freedom to travel is realized. What has been your favorite spring-like place to travel and why?
Eva shares that last April she traveled to California and stayed at the San Francisco Theological Seminary in San Anselmo, just north of the city. She and her husband were there on business. And rather than the cloudy, rainy weather typical of the area, they experienced lovely weather for a change. It was sunny every day! She spent most of her time outside enjoying the area and its sights.
With
the coming of spring, we leave old man winter behind and welcome
spring. What emotions best describe how you feel about the leaving of
winter and the coming of spring?
Kay exclaims, "Leaving old man winter behind makes me feel elated, joyful, and ecstatic!" She adds, "As you know, this has been a miserable winter, what with the snow and ice. And you may have noticed, I'm like a thin slab of meat. I freeze quickly! So it's a numinous experience for me to move into the warmth of spring and away from the freezing temperatures that chill my body."
Spring is an opportune time for children to play the games they enjoy. Share with us the childhood game or games you enjoyed the most and why.
Catherine admits that her family lived on a dead-end street when she was growing up. She loved playing childhood games, such as water games in pools. However, the game that wasn't her favorite was Red Rover. She hated it because her friends were petite and she was tall. She'd barrel over them. She also loved a Dirty Dancing game where she was Patrick Swayze and her other friend was the female lead who'd do the run while Catherine would try to do the lift. It never worked!
As usual, Table Topics questions get us sharing and entertaining others with information we hope is enlightening. It usually brings a smile! Speaking of, once the votes were taken for the favorite Table Topics talk, Kay squeaks by with a win. She gets to take the Table Topics trophy home to enjoy until our next meeting. (That "thin slab of meat" description of myself brought a lot of laughter, so that may have put me up one vote.)
Catherine admits that her family lived on a dead-end street when she was growing up. She loved playing childhood games, such as water games in pools. However, the game that wasn't her favorite was Red Rover. She hated it because her friends were petite and she was tall. She'd barrel over them. She also loved a Dirty Dancing game where she was Patrick Swayze and her other friend was the female lead who'd do the run while Catherine would try to do the lift. It never worked!
As usual, Table Topics questions get us sharing and entertaining others with information we hope is enlightening. It usually brings a smile! Speaking of, once the votes were taken for the favorite Table Topics talk, Kay squeaks by with a win. She gets to take the Table Topics trophy home to enjoy until our next meeting. (That "thin slab of meat" description of myself brought a lot of laughter, so that may have put me up one vote.)
SPEECH EVALUATOR SHARES HER THOUGHTS
Eva, who is Ada's speech evaluator, begins by sharing that she thought Ada used all of the Toastmaster skills to create a numinous effect with her speech to encourage us to do something worthwhile. She liked the pace, her vocal variety, and her gestures. Ada was passionate and forceful in her delivery...at the podium "preaching" in a thoughtful manner. She asked good questions, shared options for participating in the program, and gave multiple reasons why we should volunteer. The handouts showing volunteers at work were a nice addition as well.
ARE YOU CURIOUS ABOUT TOASTMASTERS?
Looking ahead to our next Peace Speakers meeting, I am reminded that even though Toastmasters meetings worldwide follow a similar format, each club (and each meeting) is distinctly unique. While the members of Toastmasters clubs follow a structured framework, they bring their unique takes to the experience. The temperament of our club is gentle and supportive as we grow our communication and leadership skills. We have fun by "doing"...by taking on different roles and giving short talks.
We hope any visitors to this blog will join us at an upcoming meeting. On April 16, we have a guest speaker who is delivering a speech for a Toastmasters contest, so join us for the fun!
We hope any visitors to this blog will join us at an upcoming meeting. On April 16, we have a guest speaker who is delivering a speech for a Toastmasters contest, so join us for the fun!
I think the first thing a person notices about Toastmasters is how organized, productive, and engaging the meetings are. They’re highly structured, with members filling very specific roles and responsibilities.
- See more at: http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/business-career/public-speaking/does-toastmasters-work#sthash.tnVgk7TX.dpuf
- See more at: http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/business-career/public-speaking/does-toastmasters-work#sthash.tnVgk7TX.dpuf
people get together--for fun--to deliver short talks and to receive supportive feedback. They’ve even had some famous members like management expert Tom Peters and the founder of Mrs. Fields Cookies, Debbi Fields.
- See more at: http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/business-career/public-speaking/does-toastmasters-work#sthash.tnVgk7TX.dpuf
Learn By Doing Using a Structured Approach
I think the first thing a person notices about Toastmasters is how organized, productive, and engaging the meetings are. They’re highly structured, with members filling very specific roles and responsibilities.- See more at: http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/business-career/public-speaking/does-toastmasters-work#sthash.tnVgk7TX.dpuf
people get together--for fun--to deliver short talks and to receive supportive feedback. They’ve even had some famous members like management expert Tom Peters and the founder of Mrs. Fields Cookies, Debbi Fields.
- See more at: http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/business-career/public-speaking/does-toastmasters-work#sthash.tnVgk7TX.dpuf
Learn By Doing Using a Structured Approach
I think the first thing a person notices about Toastmasters is how organized, productive, and engaging the meetings are. They’re highly structured, with members filling very specific roles and responsibilities.- See more at: http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/business-career/public-speaking/does-toastmasters-work#sthash.tnVgk7TX.dpuf
so please pay us a visit!
OUR NEXT FEW 2014 MEETINGS:
April 16 - Conference Room B
May 7 - Conference Room B
May 7 - Conference Room B
Peace Speakers Toastmasters Club
Presbyterian Center
1st and 3rd Wednesdays (usually)
1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
100 Witherspoon Street
Downtown Louisville, KY
Respectfully submitted,
Kay Chambers
VP of Public Relations for Peace Speakers
To access our previous blogs, here are the links:
(We kept running out of space and needed to start new ones!)
