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.
It's an exciting time for Peace Speakers, as new officers have just come on board. Megan, our new president, warmly welcomes Adama, a guest who is visiting our Toastmasters club to see if it's a good fit for her. She hopes to speak at a Moth Hour event someday to share her personal story. What a compelling reason to come to Toastmasters!!!
The new officers of Peace Speakers met last week and concurred that registering our entire club for Louisville's District 11's Fall Conference on November 4-5 was a fiscally sound move. This gives everyone a free opportunity to attend events that will impact our learning and connect us with other Toastmasters outside our club. Here's how you can learn more about it: http://toastmastersd11.org/conferences.html
And for those attending the upcoming International Toastmasters Convention in Washington, DC, August 17-20, download this year's Convention App to give you everything you need to navigate your way through that weekend: https://www.toastmasters.org/Events/2016-International-Convention
For those club members who aren't going to the latter, we could schedule an ultimate convention-themed viewing party. The link below helps you plan a party with related Table Topics prompts, trivia, photo contest details, and other fun ideas. Contact Kay or Megan if you'd like our club to experience the highly anticipated international convention events. Plan Your International-Themed Convention Party
Perry, our Toastmaster for the day, shares the agenda he's prepared with a photo of the elementary school where his wife works. After all, teaching and learning are always on the Toastmaster agenda! Referring back to the early 1900's, Perry shares that John Dewey pitched lifelong learning in pragmatic or experiential ways. This is key to Toastmasters, as our skills in leadership and speaking are largely developed by our experiences at our bi-monthly meetings.
As Toastmaster, Perry also introduces those who've agreed to take on special roles during our meeting: the Ah-Counter/Grammarian, the Timer, the Speech Evaluator, the Table Topics Master and Vote Counter. Our Word of the Day is shared, and it's cavalier. It means dismissive, disregard for safety, scornful, carefree and nonchalant. Perry challenges us all to use this word when we speak today, if possible.
Our prepared speaker for the day is Katie, a new member to Peace Speakers. This is her Ice Breaker speech, where she has 4-6 minutes to share whatever she likes about herself with the rest of the club. Her reflective and heart-felt speech is well-worth reading, and for those of you who missed Katie's delivery, it packed a big punch. I'm so grateful I was there to hear it!
“Family Talks”
The new officers of Peace Speakers met last week and concurred that registering our entire club for Louisville's District 11's Fall Conference on November 4-5 was a fiscally sound move. This gives everyone a free opportunity to attend events that will impact our learning and connect us with other Toastmasters outside our club. Here's how you can learn more about it: http://toastmastersd11.org/conferences.html
And for those attending the upcoming International Toastmasters Convention in Washington, DC, August 17-20, download this year's Convention App to give you everything you need to navigate your way through that weekend: https://www.toastmasters.org/Events/2016-International-Convention
For those club members who aren't going to the latter, we could schedule an ultimate convention-themed viewing party. The link below helps you plan a party with related Table Topics prompts, trivia, photo contest details, and other fun ideas. Contact Kay or Megan if you'd like our club to experience the highly anticipated international convention events. Plan Your International-Themed Convention Party
As Toastmaster, Perry also introduces those who've agreed to take on special roles during our meeting: the Ah-Counter/Grammarian, the Timer, the Speech Evaluator, the Table Topics Master and Vote Counter. Our Word of the Day is shared, and it's cavalier. It means dismissive, disregard for safety, scornful, carefree and nonchalant. Perry challenges us all to use this word when we speak today, if possible.
Our prepared speaker for the day is Katie, a new member to Peace Speakers. This is her Ice Breaker speech, where she has 4-6 minutes to share whatever she likes about herself with the rest of the club. Her reflective and heart-felt speech is well-worth reading, and for those of you who missed Katie's delivery, it packed a big punch. I'm so grateful I was there to hear it!
On the spectrum of introverts and extroverts—and I do
believe it is a spectrum—I hunker down in the introvert camp most of the
time.
I've always loved stories—the conversation between a
person and the work that they're reading--and note this is one way that I dealt
with moving multiple times growing up--instead of speaking to people, I would
bury myself in books. It is a spectrum,
because I can’t tell you how many times my family, knowing me as they do, have
said to me, “Katie, you don’t have to tell it all.”
The only way that I know to tell you about this aspect of
myself—this hesitance to speak up—and what finally led me to Toastmasters to
work through it—is by telling you some things about my family.
My uncle asked me to speak at my Aunt’s funeral. It was prime gardening seasoning around here,
the weekend after Derby. I keep a gardening
journal, because I like to leave tips for myself about what to do and what not
to do the following year. It happened to
be what I had on hand to write in when I found out that the cancer was done
ravaging her. So, in the middle of all
this growth, with all my seedlings ready to be put in the ground, I tried to
formulate what I would say about her at the memorial service.
I left the memorial service not only heart-broken, but
ashamed, because I was asked to speak—and I couldn’t.
I looked at Toastmasters as a way to fight this shame—to
help me get a grip on my fear that got in the way of me paying tribute to my
aunt.
I attended a few clubs, settled on this one, but hadn't
joined, when my PawPaw passed.
Again, it's gardening weather--a classic spring day, when
the sun is just beating down happiness and vitamin D—the kind of weather that
stirs me to buy dirt--2 cubic yards
of it—to make new vegetable beds. I had even taken off the next day to move the
mound single-handedly out of the driveway.
Well, the night before, I found out that he’d passed. I spent the next day crying, shoveling dirt,
and shoveling dirt while crying. My
gardening journal was open again, and I started writing out what I planned to
say when asked—but I never was, and I can’t blame being grief stricken on being
afraid to speak up.
For someone who loves stories, I wish to be able to TELL
one when it matters.
I wish I had been brave enough to tell the room about my
Aunt—even the stories that family already knew--I could have told them about
the last time I spoke with her, how I had said I love you, good bye, but
couldn’t stand leaving on good bye, so I went back into the hospital room to
tell her how beautiful her home looked—and she said: "I want you to come
in the fall when the leaves on the trees are down and you can see the
river." I could have told them how
brave she was in those last moments, making a date to see me in the fall. I could have told her sons, my cousins, that
they split her temperament, her art, her imagination, humor and looks. I could have told my uncle about the rose I
planted for her and its namesake story about a French woman in the 1700s
crossing enemy lines to brave saving her lover when an army couldn't. Again, how brave was she?
About my PawPaw, I should have said how he was the most
stubborn and gentle man. Wild baby bunnies were known to jump into his open
palms. He had an edge to him, too. He once told me, “I don’t care if someone
wants to worship this damn flowerpot as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone.” A Navy man, everything he owned was organized
to a T—from his closet to his barn.
"Everything has a place, everyone has a place," he said. He eventually lost his voice—for most of my
life it was reduced down to a whisper—because the Navy ringed their own ships
around a hydrogen bomb and set it off—just to test the endurance of their
fleet. Everyone has a place, everyone at
their post. But he always had a voice in
his fiddle—and if you don’t know about bluegrass—a fiddle always leads—you may
not have a singer, but if you have a fiddle player, go ahead and push all the
furniture to the side and make room to dance.
I remember falling asleep to my Dad and PawPaw picking out Orange
Blossom Special at 2 in the A.M. Then he
would pull me out into the yard at sunrise, and show me every pansy and tomato
he was growing—Oh, how he kept the most stunning yards for the women that he
loved.
You may have learned some things about me, yes: I like to
grow things, and bury myself in books and writing, and it would seem I didn’t
have the words to bury my loved ones—but that is why I show up here—there were
things I wanted to say. Thank you for
giving me the space to say them.
This was a remarkable Ice Breaker speech - full of emotion and beautiful content. Many members of our club are also introverts, and before we became Toastmasters, we also found ourselves hesitating to speak up when we wanted to have a voice. So Katie's courage to join Peace Speakers at this time is inspiring. Admittedly, I recently delivered my father's eulogy with great passion and vigor, and Toastmasters helped me achieve that dream. After all, it is never too late to change and grow ourselves! The past is the past, and we must concern ourselves with now so that our todays and tomorrows will be more satisfying and happier.
Octavia, our Table Topics Master for the day, gets us pumped and stirred up with a novel way to express ourselves spontaneously today. She created a host of 1-word prompts to use in creating an oral story that would continue around the room and include everyone at our meeting. The instructions are to draw 3 words and use them in a story where we'd each share what we'd do if we were a millionaire. This is a sneaky yet fun way to get everyone thinking on their feet and expressing themselves in a concise manner. After all, Table Topics only allows for 1-2-minutes talks!
Remember, each person creating this story has drawn 3 key words on which they are to build their narrative, and the theme is to be continued.
Catherine begins our story by saying she'd use some of her money to buy a special door to walk through into nature to get out of work. She immediately makes friends and plays with the bunny and worm that are outside. They befriend a giraffe that allows her to ride on its back. Then she's able to reach the leaves at the tops of the trees!
Kay begins by saying she doesn't want to sound cavalier, but being a millionaire just isn't what she's about. Besides, it's not really that much money! She agrees that her focus is on nature and her love of critters, and she talks about a pet mouse that stays with her and pops out of her shirt on occasion and surprises people. Then it hops from hand to hand as she feeds it bread in its tiny mouth. They all love just hanging out with the bunny and the giraffe in the wilderness.
Adama, our guest, decides that buying a house in Sierra Leone is how she'd like to spend her million. She'd grow lots of okra but has no idea about making pies! She agrees that nature is where the fun is. You get to see lizards and other interesting animals out in the wild...
(And this blogger confesses that I was unable to write down or remember the rest of Adama's details because of the photos I was taking. Sorry!)
Kristi admits that as a millionaire, she'll create T-shirts for all occasions. She will also combine singing and playing of musical instruments to make a CD. She'll take lessons on the flute, guitar, piano, and the accordion. As for continuing the nature theme, she admits that she didn't really connect very well with the other stories.
Megan claims that she'll rebuild her wealth (having spent it all on a variety of pets, all of the pies, a house in Sierra Leone and more) by inventing a self-writing pencil controlled by our brain waves for those of us with horrible handwriting. She'll use that money to start a foundation that would stop the outbreak of white nose syndrome to save all of the bats. She will top that off by buying an all-terrain truck to continue her outdoor adventures.
George decides to use his million to create a new national sport called skateboarding basketball. This would be a really exciting game! The mascot would be an orange calico cat. He'll get to watch their games on all major networks while eating grapes.
Malinda says she wouldn't be cavalier about how she spent her money. It'd go fast, but she'd hold onto her purse! She admitted that she likes nature from a distance in the comfort of a good hotel with natural light for vitamin D. She added that being broke is for the birds!
Eva chimes in with the reminder that with having a million means lots of responsibility. She'd have accountants to manage her money, a big home with maids and maintenance help. She'd go on trips when the weather was bad to see parts of the world she hadn't seen. She might buy cows and goats and make cheeses for a cheese and wine-tasting shop.
Perry continues with his love of world travel and different cultures. With his money, he and his wife might adopt a girl from Indonesia. He's also interested in purchasing a home in Guatemala and buying lots of bananas. He adds that he normally hates wearing hats because he becomes a "hat-head", but no one would fire him now that he's rich, so he'd buy some great hats and wear them anyway.
Peace Speakers and our guest, Adama, have time to mull over all of the stories shared during Table Topics and vote for the one they enjoyed the most. Megan, our new president, wins the most favor. She gets bragging rights for 2 weeks, especially if she sets the trophy out for friends and family to see.
George, our speech evaluator for Katie's Ice Breaker speech, shares his opinion at this time. He begins by saying what a deep appreciation he has for what Katie shared with us today. He notes that he isn't cavalier about how bold she was in choosing to impart painful stories. He adds that she got us inside her heart with the way she chose and delivered her words. He continues saying that the presentation was smooth, the content was well-thought out, and the events she shared were significant. At the spur of the moment, she even inserted the word of the day, cavalier! He closes saying that Katie's willingness to use painful memories gave us great insight, and he thanks her for the gift she's given us.
Perry, our Toastmaster, led a short Education Check-in session where he asked us to work in groups of two and share one thing that helped us succeed in either a teaching or learning moment along with one challenge we
faced. It's a good reminder that we're always teaching or learning and that challenges are just par for the course. Overcoming them grows our confidence and skills.
Perry concludes his Toastmasters duties by sharing a quote from the pragmatist John Dewey: "Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself." So let's all go out and continue our education by taking some risks and living life to the fullest. Put your Toastmaster skills in leadership and expression to work for you. Enjoy your life even more so!
Megan draws the meeting to a close by noting just how powerful Katie's speech was. She says she feels honored that she chose to share it with us. After all, the most powerful thing we can do is share our stories. She also commends Octavia, who came up with the creative and fun Table Topics idea of a round-robin group story.
As the blogger, I feel very grateful to be a part of this Toastmasters organization. Each member is unique, yet we're all bound by the desire to grow ourselves in expression and leadership skills. If you're a visitor to our blog, don't be a stranger. Join us some 1st or 3rd Wednesday and experience what it's like to hang out with Toastmasters. All clubs are similar, but each club has a unique personality.
Our Peace Speakers club is warm and welcoming and not as hard-edged or competitive as some. I hope you'll drop in some time and see if we're a good fit for you. Don't be cavalier or dismissive about its benefits. Joining us could be life-changing!
Wed., Aug. 17- Conference Room B
Wed., Sept. 7 - Conference Room B
Remember, each person creating this story has drawn 3 key words on which they are to build their narrative, and the theme is to be continued.
(And this blogger confesses that I was unable to write down or remember the rest of Adama's details because of the photos I was taking. Sorry!)
Katie does an excellent job recapping everyone's story in the room. With that summary, she adds that she would read to her kids via a lamp, enjoy a cup of wine, and you could see on her face that she is thrilled she's won a million dollars.
Perry concludes his Toastmasters duties by sharing a quote from the pragmatist John Dewey: "Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself." So let's all go out and continue our education by taking some risks and living life to the fullest. Put your Toastmaster skills in leadership and expression to work for you. Enjoy your life even more so!
As the blogger, I feel very grateful to be a part of this Toastmasters organization. Each member is unique, yet we're all bound by the desire to grow ourselves in expression and leadership skills. If you're a visitor to our blog, don't be a stranger. Join us some 1st or 3rd Wednesday and experience what it's like to hang out with Toastmasters. All clubs are similar, but each club has a unique personality.
Our Peace Speakers club is warm and welcoming and not as hard-edged or competitive as some. I hope you'll drop in some time and see if we're a good fit for you. Don't be cavalier or dismissive about its benefits. Joining us could be life-changing!
OUR NEXT FEW 2016 MEETINGS:
Wed., Aug. 17- Conference Room B
Wed., Sept. 7 - 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
