25 November 2008

Holiday season 2008 is upon us! I have been visiting with family. These meeting minutes are brought to you by Ann. Thank you, Ann, for covering for me while I was gone for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, that was the theme for this meeting. Theo was the Toast Master.

Here are the minutes:

Attending: Bud, Kelly, Jane, Tony, Lee, Mark, Daohua, Stephanie, Tryphine, Ann, and special guest, Neil Gavande.

Bud opened the meeting promptly at 6:30 AM.

The Toast Master for the day was running late that day, so Ann took over as Toast Master and introduced the first speaker. Still running late, Theo was covered for by another attendee, Tony, who introduced the second speaker.

Speeches at this meeting:

1) Kelly Brant, "Who am I?" A very interesting and entertaining speech.

2) Jane, " A radio talk show presentation on the Second Harvest Food Bank"; Daohua assisted Jane in presenting this speech as a real live radio broadcast in progress.

Other roles at this meeting:

Table Topics: Bud

General Evaluator: Lee W.

Ah counter/Grammarian: Stephanie 

Inspiration: Tryphine

Word of the Day: Ann

Timer: Daohua

Evaluators: Ann and Tony

Joke Master: Mark

Awards at this meeting:

Best Table Topics: Jane

Best Evaluator: Tony

Best Speech: Kelly

Announcements: Consider being a board member! Sign up next week.

18 November 2008

The theme was "The Simple Life." In these trying and complex times, simplicity is the breath of fresh air that has the potential to replenish that which has been depleted in us.

And I shall have some peace there,

For peace comes dropping slow,

Dropping from the veils of the morning

To where the cricket sings.

--William Butler Yeats

As Toast master for the day, Kelly featured this quote on his agenda this day.

This meeting reminded me that we are volunteers at Toastmasters. It is time to elect club officers again, so the officers that were present made sure to say a few words to describe the roles of each position and to tell a little a bit about how things get done around the club and invite anyone who may want to step up to fill a role this time around.

6:30 AM welcome by Bud Rubin

Attending this meeting on this day: Ann, Connie, Tryphine, Bud, Theo, Tony, Lee W., Mark, Kelly, Stephanie, Josie, and two visitors: Kathy (from Toastmasters in Pacifica, CA) and Barbara (from Toastmasters in Prague, Czech Republic).

As Toast Master, Kelly takes control of the meeting and introduces the theme and inspiration (provided by Josie, a Buddhist story of what heaven is).

Guests introduce themselves and say a few things about their experience with Toastmasters.

Officers describe their roles in light of the coming election.

Speeches at this meeting:

1) Lee W., "There is Light at the End of the Tunnel," 6-8 minutes, The Persuasive Leader manual, speech #5. Actual delivery time: 00:08:19. Evaluated by: Tryphine (actual evaluation delivery time: 00:03:43, 13 seconds overtime).

2) Stephanie, "CHAR lee keh BECK," 6-8 minutes, Competent Communicator manual, speech #3. Actual speech delivery time: 00:07:33. Evaluated by Theo (actual evaluation delivery time: 00:03:20)

Other roles at this meeting:

Word of the day: Josie (word is integral); word was used 12 times throughout the meeting time

Ah-count: Mark

Grammarian: Tony

Timer: Bud

General Evaluator: Connie

Table Topics: Ann. This was a good one! Each member got a chance to make a brief introduction of a randomly selected member that day. Ann passed out quarter sheets of paper at the beginning of the meeting. On these little pieces of paper, club attendees wrote their names, career titles, interests and hobbies. The person doing the introduction used this information to put their little speech/introduction together. A great idea! We all have to make introductions at some point. It is a great skill to develop and hone. All Table Topics introductory speeches were delivered within the specified time limits.

Awards at this meeting:

Best Table Topics: Tryphine (who did a great introduction of Kelly)

Best Evaluator: Theo

Best Speech: Stephanie

 

Announcements:

Elections! The sign-up sheet was passed around. Stephanie pointed out schedule details.

Meeting adjourned at 8:00 AM

11 November 2008

Another lively meeting. This entry is for the meeting that happened this week. There is also an officer's meeting on Friday. It's a great week to be a Toastmaster.

This meeting was lead by Ann, our president. She was Toast Master that day.

The theme: thriftiness

Word of the day: frugal

The inspiration: "Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without." -New England maxim

Attendees offered some great ideas on how to spend less money on things like clothes and entertainment.

Attendees at this meeting: Claire, Tryphine, Stephanie, Jane, Connie, Bud, Lee W., Kelly, Mark, Josie, Donna (our guest evaluator from SAP Toastmasters!). 

Awards at this meeting:

Best evaluation: Kelly

Best Table Topics: Mark

Best speech: Bud

Speakers and speeches at this meeting:

1) Bud, "I too had a dream," 5-7 minutes, Competent Communicator manual, speech #5. Actual delivery time: 00:05:16. Evaluated by Kelly (evaluation time: 00:02:35).

2) Claire, "Being Proactive," 5-7 minutes, Competent Communicator manual, speech #7. Actual delivery time: 00:06:45. Evaluated by Guest Evaluator, Donna (evaluation time: 00:03:40--unfortunately 10 seconds over the limit :(...)

Other roles at this meeting:

Inspiration and Word Master: Stephanie

Timer: Jane

Grammarian and Ah-counter: Mark

Table Topics Master: Connie

General Evaluator: Josie

Joke: Kelly

Announcements: It's election time for club officers! It's a great time to step up and do service for the club. No experience is necessary. Officers will be meeting this week at Hobee's on El Camino and Charleston for their monthly meeting.

Meeting adjourned at 7:50 AM.

4 November 2008

Well, this was an interesting meeting! Lee W. was the Toast Master in charge or running the show. He had been out of town when Stephanie had sent out the new schedule that announces who the next Toast Master is. Ah! True to style, the club made this work beautifully. Lee W. did a lightning fast agenda the night before and got the speeches confirmed minutes before the meeting started. Everyone played their role and made it work. Now, that's a club!

The theme was: "One Nation: Indivisible." 

Inspiration: "A man sees in the world what he carries in his heart." (a quote/paraphrase of Goethe)

Word of the day: tout

It was the election day after all. The polls hadn't opened when we started this meeting. Our meeting place at Unity Community Church in Palo Alto, CA, was a polling place, as it has been for many years.

Attending this meeting: Stephanie, Theo, Lee W., Mark, Ann, Kelly, Connie, Tryphine, Sam (visiting from Foster City Toastmasters club), Claire, and Josie.

Awards at this meeting:

Best speech: Mark (his ice breaker!)

Best evaluation: Stephanie

Best Table Topics: Stephanie

Speakers and speeches at this meeting:

1) Mark, "Introducing Mark," 4-6 minutes, Competent Communicator manual, speech #1. Actual delivery time: 00:03:40. Evaluated by Stephanie (evaluation time: 00:03:05).

2) Ann, "Ten Reasons Toastmasters can enhance your life," 5-7 minutes, Public Relations manual, speech #1. Actual delivery time: 00:07:20. Evaluated by Connie (evaluation time: 00:02:48).

Other roles at this meeting:

Inspiration: Theo

Ah-Counter and Grammarian: Ann

Timer: Theo

Joke Master and Word Master: Tryphine

Table Topics Master: Josie

General Evaluator: Kelly

Announcements: Roles for next week announced. There was some changing of roles and adjustments that the next Toast Master, Ann, needed to attend to.

Meeting adjourned at 7:55 AM.