Peace Speakers Louisville Toastmasters Club

Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Peace Speakers Make the Most of Their Meetings

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.

PRESIDENT HAS ENJOYED HER OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE

Our president, Robin, opens our meeting on a cheery note. We have a slate for next year's officers for Peace Speakers, and with our vote today it was adopted by consensus. Oh happy day!!!!!

President - Catherine Reuning
VP of Education - Megan Neff
VP of Membership - Connie Martinez
VP of Public Relations - Tanja Eikenboom
Secretary - Denise Hayden
Treasurer - Perry Chang
Sergeant at Arms - Kerri Daly
Past President - Robin Rueff

Let us remember those officers who have faithfully served this past year. Thank you for sharing your gifts, which brought in new members and made Peace Speakers an even better Toastmasters club.

President - Robin Rueff
VP of Education - Catherine Reuning
VP of Membership - Betsy Blocker
VP of Public Relations - Kerri Daly
Secretary - Megan Neff
Treasurer - Perry Chang
Sergeant at Arms - Eva Stimson

INVOCATION RELAYS AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE

Knowing that the theme for this meeting is humor, Robin shares a Dr. Seuss poem (which matches the image atop our agenda today):

If we didn’t have birthdays, you wouldn’t be you.

If you’d never been born, well then what would you do?

If you’d never been born, well then what would you be?

You might be a fish! Or a toad in a tree!

You might be a doorknob! Or three baked potatoes!

You might be a bag full of hard green tomatoes.

Or worse than all that… Why, you might be a WASN’T!

A Wasn’t has no fun at all. No, he doesn’t.

A Wasn’t just isn’t. He just isn’t present.

But you…You ARE YOU! And, now isn’t that pleasant!

Today you are you! That is truer than true!

There is no one alive... who is you-er than you!

Shout loud, “I am lucky to be what I am!

Thank goodness I’m not just a clam or a ham

Or a dusty old jar of sour gooseberry jam!

I am what I am! That’s a great thing to be!

If I say so myself, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!

And that, dear readers, fits the outlook of Peace Speakers...the kind of Toastmasters who honor individuality and people being themselves.

JOKE MASTER HAS SOME FUN

Catherine shares a few jokes that produce some hearty groans and smiles:

Did you hear the one about the jump rope? Never mind, I'll skip it.

Why did Helvetica swipe left on Times New Roman?
He wasn't her type.

Why did the fern get excused from the jury?
They found out he was a plant.

What did Delaware?
Her New Jersey.

And a bit of wisdom for your day...
Remember, you can do anything. And if you can't, you can probably watch someone else do it on YouTube!

You know, even though this Joke Master role hasn't produced any remarkable stand up comedians in our club, we are getting better at our timing, our delivery, and we just keep plugging away at the mastery of joke telling. However, I would like to see more people share funny anecdotes about their lives. I've used the Joke Master role to tell several embarrassing tales on myself, and one time I even pretended to be indignant and proceeded to outrageously advise a new member with crazy tips on how to give a speech. It surprised everyone, and I had fun doing it (even though it scared me to act out like that). So, members of Peace Speakers, I challenge you to do try something unique as Joke Master. Experiment some!

FIRST TIME TOASTMASTER MAKES HER DEBUT

Connie, our Toastmaster for the day, begins the educational part of our program with an explanation for the Dr. Seuss image she put on our agenda. Courageously facing her fears, she used the tool of humor and Dr. Seuss to lend support and encourage fun in our meeting today. She hoped it would create a more relaxing atmosphere, and it did just that!

TABLE TOPICS MASTER IS ON A ROLL

Because there was no prepared speech for today's meeting, Eric, our Table Topics Master for the day, created 2 sets of prompts for a smack-down session. The first group of questions focused on humor from our childhood, and the last group was more of a grab bag. The following are the members who volunteered to draw a prompt about childhood and give a spontaneous 1-2 minute response.

By the way, these are snippets of what people shared!

When as a child did you begin exploring boundaries? What's the best thing you got away with at any age?

Catherine claims she started exploring boundaries as soon as she could walk...if not earlier. She followed her older brother's example. If he pushed back, she would too. The best thing she got away with was when she sneaked out of a friend's window to hang out with the minor league baseball team. Neither of them ever got caught!

Describe your earliest childhood memory. Why do you think you remember it?

Robin fondly recalls a beagle-mix puppy she got from her grandparents on her 3rd birthday. She had the pick of the litter and chose the runt. The tail was a stub with a heart-shaped spot on its head. She remembers this moment because it was her first pet and this dog lived for 15 years.

If you could go back and be a child again for a week, how old would you choose to be and what would you do?

Connie ponders thoughtfully and then shares that she would choose to be the age of 7 again. That was a time when her parents moved south. She didn't feel ready for this move at the time. She was lost at age 7 and wasn't prepared for or informed about this big change. Then how would she choose to be instead at the age of 7? She would be more prepared and dream about her future to be the person she wanted to be when she grew up.

Tell us about a memorable childhood injury. Was there a scraped knee, a fall, or a broken bone that really stands out in your memory?

Denise tells us that she came around a curb on a bike and broke her leg in 2 places. The bone actually stuck out, but a neighbor blocked her head so that she couldn't see it. Everyone poured into the station wagon, and on the way to the hospital they all told her she'd be just fine. The cast came all the way up to her thigh!

A vote was taken at this point for the Table Topics response that members liked the most, and Denise secured the most votes out of these 4 speakers. That meant she'd be taking on the winner of the next group by responding to one more prompt.

California recently implemented water restrictions. Some wealthy residents argue that anyone should be able to purchase more expensive water if they can afford it. Do you agree? Why or why not?

Kristy says she's aware that California residents balk at conserving water. However, she doesn't agree with them. There's not an unlimited supply of water, even though she's not keen on restrictions. She lived in Denver for a while, and they had similar restrictions in the summer. As long as they are fair restrictions, she'd probably do the same if she ran the world.

Tell us about a favorite hobby. Why do you like it so much?

Ada tells us that gardening is her favorite hobby. She enjoys house and indoor plants. Her mother influenced her, and it became second nature to grow them. She has plants in all of the rooms of her home. Her son had to water them once and told her he counted 90 of them! She loves seeing them thrive. The air is cleaner, and she even names them the giver's name when they're a gift. Plants are like her kids.

Louisville drivers are crazy. What are things we can do as a city to reduce bad driving habits?

Kay shares that bad drivers get her all riled up. She wishes a device was installed in people's cars that would zap them when they didn't use a turn signal or didn't go around a turning car that's blocking all of the traffic. She'd even like to have a Mack truck to lightly bump them to get them to wake up and pay attention! She's all about the flow...keeping traffic moving and people showing consideration for each other.

On Monday Donald Trump announced that he is running for president. What does he have to add to the election conversation? How do you envision a Trump presidency?

Eva admits that we know Trump is wealthy and powerful. Obviously, money helps to run a campaign. As far as his stand on the issues, she thinks he'd be opposite of her, which doesn't make him an appealing candidate. What would he add to the election conversation? From what she hears, not very much, even though he might impart some humor.

Another vote was taken a this point for the Table Topics talk that members liked the most, and Kay secured the most votes out of these 4. Now Denise and Kay will each draw one more prompt and speak again.

What is your best summer break memory from elementary age and why?

Denise shares that she grew up in a large family with 13 kids. They were often busy with summer school and didn't get to travel much on summer break. One time, they pitched 2 tents in the back yard - one for the boys and another for the girls. Mom and Dad stayed in the trailer. Dad built a fire pit and they made S'mores. They told ghost stories and pulled pranks on each other, like putting ketchup on a sibling's head and TPing the trailer. This was one of Denise's fondest summer memories.

If you have 1 or more siblings, tell us about your early childhood relationship. Were you troublemakers?

Kay shares that growing up in her family, she and her sisters were not troublemakers. Her parents were very strict. She and her older sister would often create these outdoor fantasies with other neighborhood kids on a big hill. Her sister always played the guy part, the prince, and Kay was the princess in distress who had to be rescued. Kay was very jealous of all of the privileges another much younger sister got that she didn't get. Kay was all about fairness, and she'd split the meatballs into fractions so that all of her sisters got the very same amount.

A third vote is taken, and Kay wins this smack-down round by just 1 measly vote. Again, Table Topics has given each of us the opportunity to think on our feet and express ourselves. It's great practice and usually fun, even when you think you don't want to do it.

Connie concludes her duties as Toastmaster by returning to the topic of humor. She notes that playing with problems seems to come naturally to children. When they are confused or afraid, they often turn their problems into a game, giving them a sense of control and an opportunity to experiment with new solutions. After all, interacting with others in play helps us retain this creative ability. Humor takes us to a higher place where we can view the world from a more relaxed, positive, creative, joyful, and balanced perspective. As Connie noted on our agenda today, humor is a positive medicine!

Great job as Toastmaster for the very first time, Connie! As a newer member, your willingness to put yourself out there and take on numerous roles is impressive.

Robin, our out-going president at the end of June, closes our meeting expressing gratitude. She concludes, "It's been my honor to lead our club. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to do so! It's been a wonderful year, and I look forward to seeing where the club goes in the next club year."

And knowing that Father's Day is upon us this weekend, Robin also shares a poignant quote by Jim Valvano and one that is personally meaningful to her: "My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person. He believed in me."

Perhaps you are a visitor to this blog. By all means, drop in and visit us during an upcoming meeting! We are a friendly and relaxed club. Who knows, you might just enjoy yourself and come to understand why we gather together two times a month. The camaraderie, experience, fun, and growth Peace Speakers enjoy are just a few of the reasons to check us out!

OUR NEXT FEW 2015 MEETINGS:

July 1 - Conference Room B

July 15 - 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

To access our previous blogs, here are the links:

http://peacespeakerslouisvilletoastmasters.blogspot.com/

http://peacespeakerstoastmasters.blogspot.com/

(We kept running out of space and needed to start new ones!)

Like us on Facebook: Facebook.com/peacespeakers

Friday, May 29, 2015

Peace Speakers Happily Collaborate

OUR PRESIDENT AND AREA GOVERNOR EXCHANGE GREETINGS

Robin, President of Peace Speakers, welcomes everyone to our May 20th club meeting. She notes that John Frederick, our Area 66 Governor for Toastmasters, is visiting us today. Robin's expression denotes how we feel having John on the premises. It's always great to have his expertise and insight.

INVOCATION TIED TO SPRING

Kay, invocation leader for the day (and your blogger), draws a correlation between the miracle of spring and rejuvenation in our own lives. Spring is a time to renew the excitement and zest for life that lives inside us. During our meeting today, Kay invokes us to act like emerging buds on a tree and to unfold ourselves. With Peace Speakers as our nurturing soil, and the support we get from one another as our sunlight, she encourages us to grow our courage and our talents by sharing openly. And even if we don't feel 100% ready to put ourselves out there, push through those moments of doubt! Then...don't be surprised if you see a shift, an emergence of growth within you that spring and your friends around you will joyfully celebrate.

JOKE MASTER EVOKES SMILES

Denise, our Joke Master for the day, shares a delightful example of humor taken from Art Linkletter's book called Kids Say the Darndest Things:

While walking outside along the front of his church, a minister heard the intoning of a prayer that nearly made his collar wilt. Apparently his 5-year-old son and some friends found a dead robin. Feeling that they needed to give it a proper burial, they placed it in a small box and then dug a hole. The minister's son was chosen to say an appropriate prayer. With all seriousness, he intoned his version of what he thought his father always said at funerals, "Glory be unto the Faaaaaather, and unto the Sonnnn...and into the hole you gooooo..."

I recall watching this show (named after Linkletter's book) back in the 1960's. This man was such a good listener and mastered the art of drawing out the sentiments of children like a magician. Here's a link if you want to enjoy some video clips of interviews Linkletter had with small children. It's a step back in time but timeless humor! Kids Say the Darndest Things

TOASTMASTER COMES ON BOARD

Toastmaster for the day, Eric, opens up the educational part of our meeting. He brings attention to the sweet image atop our agenda of a bird with its wing draped over a mouse, seemingly cuddling it. They look like best buds. He references other uncommon interactions among animals like the Clydesdale horse and puppy in the Bud Lite commercial. There's also the rat snake that makes nice with a hamster that it originally intended for lunch. Eric notes that the theme of our meeting is friendship and references the members of our own families who seem unlikely or much different from us. He also encourages us to let friends know we care and value them.

With friendships in mind, take a look at one of my all-time favorite videos of an unlikely friendship between Tara and Bella, which chokes me up every time. For a refreshing break from your busy day, here's the link: The Unlikely Friendship of Tara and Bella

Before long, we learn that our Word of the Day for this meeting is collaborate, and that is what we do to bring our Toastmaster meetings to fruition. We work together to plan a theme for our gathering and look for ways to tie it into Table Topics or other aspects of our meeting. Collaborating with others creates special opportunities for growth. It's at the core of Toastmasters!

1st PREPARED SPEAKER FOR THE DAY

Kristi gave her 3rd speech today and decided to give me a shortened version of it rather than a word-to-word account. I always enjoy hearing from Kristi, who just naturally has a unique perspective on the world. This is her synopsis of the speech she gave.

Toastmaster Speech #3: Get to the Point

"Come on In. The Water's Fine"

My speech basically expressed my belief that we all need to try new things, especially if they are outside of our comfort zone. I said I knew that everyone in our meeting already agreed with me and that was because they had joined Peace Speakers. Hence my point was already made! I pointed out my enjoyment of our club because of the variety of backgrounds and that members are so supportive of each other. I believe expanding one’s prudent risk-taking is a way to grow both professionally and personally.

I gave a few examples of trying new things from my own experience, not only Peace speakers, but my deciding to visit Gilda’s Club (of Louisville) since I’m a colon cancer survivor. Not only do they have a variety of activities, including a writing class (one of my favorites) but also training for the mini-marathon. I practiced training for my own "mini" mini-marathon of about four miles, and another Peace Speaker, Kerri, has also walked with me on Sundays, where we got caught in the rain the last Sunday we walked at Iroquois Park.

One of the benefits of trying new things is it gets one out of the doldrums and forces us to interact with people, which is important.

It's so true that some risk-taking and putting yourself out there is essential to a meaningful life. This blogger knows well that one of the great benefits of being in Toastmasters is getting to hear the words of others spoken so passionately. It is often moving, motivating, and compelling!

2nd PREPARED SPEAKER FOR THE DAY

Megan, who gave her 4th speech today called "Mary Agnes Flood", proceeded to share with us why her grandmother was such an integral part of her life. I share Megan's speech in its entirety and hope you'll take time to enjoy its craftsmanship and emotional content.

Toastmasters Speech #4: How to Say It

“Mary Agnes Flood”

At five feet tall, Mary Agnes Flood was a small woman. She spoke softly and slowly with a lilting Southern accent. I can still hear her voice in my mind, reciting the Hail Mary as she prayed the rosary or humming as she cooked dinner.

Mary was my grandmother and she was better known in my family as Mamaw Flood. She was a powerful role model in my life. Not because I aspired to have her life, but because of the way she had lived her own.

So today, I’d like to share some stories with you about Mary, this woman who has become a vital part of me. I’ll focus on three themes that undercut the life that she lived: love, hard work and faith.

It’s always good to lead with love, in anything, so let’s start there.

Mary was born in 1925 and she was raised in Hardinsburg, Kentucky, about two hours west of here. She graduated from Breckinridge County High School in 1944 and married Harold Flood shortly thereafter.

Harold and Mary Agnes Flood, grandparents of Megan

Harold was a farmer and after they got married, they moved out to a farm on New Bethel Road. Mary raised nine children with Harold, including my mother, Rose Mary. After a while, there were so many Floods on New Bethel Road that they literally changed the name to Flood Road.

When Mary and Harold’s children grew up and started their own families, in true Catholic form, she gained a legion of grandchildren. Despite being just one in this legion, I always felt loved when I was in her presence. She was not overly sentimental, but love flowed from her hands in the smallest of actions. In the way she helped me learn which shoe went on which foot by marking the insides that needed to match up with a blue marker. In the way she never failed to offer to make me a pimiento cheese sandwich or tomato soup after I became vegetarian. Even in the way she made me hold hands with my cousin Katie and say the Hail Mary after we had an especially painful cheek-squeezing contest.

Her love was not complicated. It was simple, patient and honest. It was a love that had been kindled over the years and made stronger so that it wrapped you in its warmth like the colorful quilts she would make each winter. And it is now a love I try to carry forward in my own hands to deliver to family and friends.

Hard work was a constant in Mary’s life, and retirement was simply not in her vocabulary. As I grew taller, it seemed like she would grow a little bit shorter each year. Her back was hunched and the skin on her small hands was weathered from

countless seasons of gardening and never-ending housework.

Each spring, without fail, Mary would put out a garden. She would plant rows upon rows of sweet corn, tomatoes, zucchini, potatoes, cabbages, cucumbers, watermelons, green beans. You name it, it was in her garden.

But of course the work didn’t stop at putting out the garden. There was also the weeding and the hoeing to be done each day. And later the canning and pickling and jellying. And then the cooking, and the serving of the food, before finally sitting down on the red stool beside my Papaw that was her place at the table.

She did not even have a real chair, only a temporary resting place before the next task needed to be tended to. Just thinking about all this now makes me feel tired. But she did this throughout her entire life, while raising nine children. And in comparison to our flurry of complaints when asked to help pick green beans or shuck corn, I never once heard her complain.

Sometimes I think about this when I’m ranting to my friends about how I have too much going on at work. And I try to remind myself that instead of complaining incessantly, I would be better served by putting out my own version of Mary’s garden, focusing on each step along the way.

And last, there is faith. Mary was a devout Catholic. To my knowledge, she never missed a Sunday mass unless she was bedridden, which was very likely never.

One of the most vivid images I have in my mind is of her kneeling to pray the rosary in the evening. When we stayed with her in the summer, she would have us kneel around her reading chair to pray with her. The chair was tan and covered in a pattern of pale red flowers that I would study as I half-heartedly turned the rosary beads in my hands, my knees cold upon the hard tile floor.

I’m not sure if you’re familiar with the term “Catholic Guilt” but it’s a real thing. The prayers and motions I learned growing up as a Catholic are as familiar to me as breathing, but I’m no longer a practicing Catholic. And I sometimes feel guilty because of how devoted my grandmother was to her faith.

But still I appreciate what I learned from growing up around someone with such steadfast beliefs. Because hers was not a faith that made her judge others who did not agree with her views. It did not create a hardness or stinginess or haughtiness in her. Instead it seemed that faith provided her strength and expanded her capacity for love and understanding.

So while I no longer attend mass on Sunday or pray the rosary, I try to carry forward my own humanist brand of faith. At its core, this faith includes the values of reflection, of kindness and of service that I learned from my grandmother.

Mary passed away in February of 2009 from stomach cancer. She was 88 years old. I was a junior in college at the University of Kentucky at the time.

She had lived a good, long life but of course we wished she could have stayed around longer. Like all those who affect our lives so deeply, she has not entirely left, and she likely never will. Humming an Irish hymn in the kitchen, standing in front of the stove wearing her black and white gingham apron.

She will continue to live on, not just in my mind with these images, but in my own actions of love, in a hard day’s work, and in the faith that teaches love, compassion and strength.

This speech was quite moving to hear at our meeting and is just as enjoyable to read, Megan! It takes me back to my own grandmother, who exemplified similar qualities. Thank you for painting such a vivid picture of your own grandmother and giving me a moment to remember my own.

TABLE TOPICS ALLOW PARTICIPANTS TO SHARE

Connie, our Table Topics Master for the day, offer prompts she has prepared to willing participants. Her focus is on friendship, and those who take a prompt will get 1-2 minutes to share their responses. This is a perfect opportunity to practice the art of impromptu speaking, and it's an art that only gets better with practice.

Tanja is the first one to volunteer, and she draws a prompt asking her to describe one of her best friends. She shares that her best friend, Beta, still lives in Holland, where Tanja once lived. 40 years have passed, yet they have remained close since they were 10. Beta has always been there for her through thick and thin. It's like no time has passed when she makes the trip back to Holland to visit.

Catherine is asked to share what friendship means to her. She notes that it means a variety of things. After all, you can be having a crummy day and a good friend won't hold it against you. They'll give you space and won't let it affect how they feel about you or how much they love you. A true friend is someone who helps you hide the body after you kill someone. Knowing that isn't in her cards, Catherine still hopes to be that caliber of a friend to others.

Kristi draws the prompt that asks what's terrible about friendship. She admits that she thought she was friends with a certain guy, yet they had a gazillion trials. Meanwhile, as she struggled with this relationship, her job was disastrous and the apartment they shared was crappy. Then a girl she thought was her friend cleared out the apartment of all of her stuff and became this guy's girlfriend. It was all very upsetting. However, sometime later she had the satisfaction of telling this guy to buzz off when he later tried to win her back.

And the winner is...Kristi! Listeners chose her spontaneous speech as their favorite, so she earned a trophy she can use for bragging rights until our next Peace Speakers meeting in June. The fact that she volunteered to participate in Table Topics after giving a speech just shows how driven Kristi is to hone her skills.

EVALUATORS SHARE THEIR OPINIONS

Perry, Kristi's speech evaluator, admits that he really enjoyed her speech. To him, the speech's theme seemed to be that people should get out and take risks. He liked the many personal accounts she gave and enjoyed learning more about her. He liked the great memories and insights she shared. He noted her relaxed, low-key, and confident style of delivery. He did add that maybe next time she could rely less on her notes.

Robin, Megan's speech evaluator, really enjoyed hearing about Mary Agnes Flood. She notes that everyone was drawn in by her words about her grandmother. It was obvious that the audience connected strongly. Megan's language was very descriptive, and Robin felt she could see her grandmother through her vivid descriptions. Her only suggestions were to pause more intentionally and to slow down during the descriptions...so that the audience would have time to visualize.

Maybe you're a visitor to this blog. Here's your chance to visit us! If you want to develop or grow your communication and leadership skills, Toastmasters is a great avenue. Come visit us sometime and so that we may warmly welcome you.