Congrats to Vince Patton!

Vince Patton will join the General Assembly Mission Council as Executive Administrator on October 4, 2010.

We are very happy for our fellow toastmasters member and wish you luck on your new opportunities!

For more information:

http://ctrnet.pcusa.org/gac/MessageFromLinda810.htm

Toastmasters 2010 Fall Conference Oct 15-16

The Toastmasters Fall Conference will be in Louisville, Kentucky at the Holiday Inn on Hurstbourne on Oct 15 and Oct 16.

• Friday night is a dinner and then fun activities with fellow area toastmasters.

• Saturday has workshops and educational meetings, then a speech contest that evening.

We look forward to learning new techniques and meeting fellow toastmaster members! Please drop a note or feel free to ask questions for more details.

Peace Speakers Toastmasters Club

Semi-annual dues

Hello, Toastmasters!

This is a heads up that I will be sending individual semi-annual dues invoices to each of you.

The list that I send to Toastmasters International determines your subscription to the Toastmasters magazine and updates our roster on their website.

Please note that the due date to me is Wednesday, September 22, 2010.

Thanking you in advance!
Linda C. Patton

July 21 meeting

At 1:02 p.m., President Becki Moody commenced the meeting. Becki invited Ada Middleton to give the invocation. Ada read a message about listening/silence from a publication entitled Grounded in God.

Becki led the Pledge of Allegiance and welcomed everyone to the meeting. During the business meeting, Eric made a motion to approve the prior meeting’s minutes as written, which was then seconded; the minutes were approved as written. Becki noted that an executive committee meeting needed to be scheduled. Perry Chang mentioned that the International Toastmasters Convention on August 11-14, 2010 will provide streaming video online. Kim Kaberle announced that she has an upcoming speaking engagement on July 31 at a ladies’ prayer breakfast, and asked for prayers from the group.

Eric Darnell assumed his role as Toastmaster and invited members of the Evaluation Team to explain their responsibilities: Speech Evaluator—Kim Kaberle; Timer—Vince Patton; Table Topics—Perry Chang; Ah Counter/Grammarian—Becki Moody; Vote Counter—Joelle Anderson.

Becki Moody chose bolster as the word of the day.

Eric Darnell introduced Faith Aeilts, who gave her Competent Communication Project #2speech entitled “It Takes So Little to be Above Average.” Faith shared how even small amounts of kindness, action, and time can “go a long way” toward bettering one’s life and the lives of others.

Perry Chang led a summer-themed Table Topics session.

Eric called for reports from the evaluation team.

Kim applauded Faith for her preparation, the tone and volume of her voice, and her “infectious” smile.

Timer Vince Patton reported the following times:
- Faith Aeilt’s speech 5:18
- Kim Kaberle’s speech evaluation 2:13

Table Topics:
- Ada Middleton 1:41
- Kim Kaberle 2:15
- Vince Patton 1:26
- Joelle Anderson 0:50
- Becki Moody 1:51

Ah Counter/Grammarian Becki Moody counted 21 space fillers and 3 sentence shifts. The word of the day was used four times during the meeting.

Vote Counter Joelle Anderson awarded Ada Middleton with the Table Topics victory.

Eric Darnell concluded his time as Toastmaster, and Becki closed the meeting around 1:45 p.m.

-- Joelle Anderson

Training opportunity

Toastmasters officers and folks interested in club leadership are encouraged to participate in this year's last area Toastmasters officers training, starting at 6:15 p.m. this Tuesday (July 27) at the Kentucky Farm Bureau building behind Shoe Carnival at I-64 and Hurstbourne Parkway. See you there!

Surprise!

I had my July 2010 "Toastmasters" magazine in my bag to read on the plane ride home from a Guatemala church mission trip when I was surprised and intrigued to see - in the Guatemala City airport - a member of a large church mission team with the July issue in her hand. I chatted with three Toastmasters active in the Faith Toastmasters, which meets at Faith Family Church in Victoria, Texas, including one who had served as regional Toastmasters leader. We exchanged stories, about our churches, our mission trips, and our Toastmasters experiences. I explained how Toastmasters had helped with my career and helped me be able to speak in church. Thank goodness for that magazine! (Good reading on the way home, also.) For more on the church, see: http://www.faithfamilyvictoria.com/

-- Perry

June 16 meeting

At 1:01 p.m., President Eva Stimson commenced the meeting. Eva invited Jessica Holman to give the invocation. Jessica said a Father’s Day prayer, as Father’s Day was celebrated that next weekend.

Eva led the Pledge of Allegiance and welcomed guest speaker Sheila Coulbourn and her friend Jessi Benton Jones to the meeting. During the business meeting, Becki Moody made a motion to approve the prior meeting’s minutes as written; Faith Aeilts seconded the motion. The minutes were approved as written. Eva noted that new club officers begin their roles in July, but that there would be only one meeting in July (on July 21). She asked outgoing officers to make sure that the incoming officers are prepared for their new roles.

Kay Chambers began her role as Toastmaster by asking the club to show appreciation to all of last year’s officers. Kay then invited members of the Evaluation Team to explain their responsibilities: Speech Evaluator—Perry Chang; Timer—Debbie Belt; Table Topics—Becki Moody; Ah Counter/Grammarian—Eric Darnell; Vote Counter—Faith Aeilts.

Eric Darnell chose dilatory as the word of the day.

Kay Chambers introduced Sheila Coulbourn, who gave her Competent Communication Project #5 speech entitled “The Art of Self Care.” Sheila discussed the effects of a lack of self-care, and provided simple steps for taking care of oneself.

Becki Moody led a “Father”-themed Table Topics session.

Kay called for reports from the evaluation team.

Perry thought that Sheila displayed nice movement in a room that doesn’t easily facilitate movement, and felt she made good eye contact with the audience.

Timer Debbie Belt reported the following times:
- Sheila Coulbourn’s speech 6:58
- Perry Chang’s speech evaluation 4:07

Table Topics:
- Debbie Belt 0:59
- Jessica Holman 1:10
- Vince Patton 2:20
- Joelle Anderson 1:39
- Jessi Benton Jones 1:45

Ah Counter/Grammarian Eric Darnell counted 34 space fillers, 4 grammatical errors, and 5 sentence shifts. The word of the day was used at least 3 times during the meeting.

Vote Counter Faith Aeilts awarded Jessi Benton Jones with the Table Topics victory.

Kay Chambers concluded her time as Toastmaster, and Eva closed the meeting at 1:52 p.m.

-- Joelle Anderson

June 2 meeting

At 1:02 p.m., President Eva Stimson opened the meeting. Eva invited Kim Kaberle to give the invocation; Kim said a prayer.

Eva welcomed Jeanette Matteson to the meeting (a friend of Kay Chambers’), and led the Pledge of Allegiance. During the business meeting, Perry Chang made a motion to approve the prior meeting’s minutes as written; Kim Kaberle and Jessica Holman seconded the motion. The minutes were approved as written. Perry also reminded the club that July 21, 2010 will be the only time a Peace Speakers meeting is held, due to the PC(USA) General Assembly meeting in early July. Kim Kaberle asked for more information on how to use the leadership manual; and those interested in learning more about the leadership manual were instructed to talk with Vice President Education Eric Darnell later.

Debbie Belt assumed her role as Toastmaster and invited members of the Evaluation Team to explain their responsibilities: Speech Evaluator #1—Joelle Anderson; Speech Evaluator #2—Eric Darnell; Timer—Patricia Longfellow; Table Topics—Jessica Holman; Ah Counter/Grammarian—Eva Stimson (with Betsy Blocker choosing the Word of the Day); Vote Counter—Kay Chambers.

Betsy Blocker chose callithump as the word of the day.

callithump (KAL-uh-thump), noun: a noisy, boisterous band or parade

Debbie Belt introduced Becki Moody, who gave her Competent Communication Project #6 speech entitled “Jumping Through Hoops: Agility and Your Dog.” Becki discussed the benefits to agility training for dogs.

Debbie Belt then introduced Linda Patton, who gave her Competent Communication Project #1 (Ice Breaker) speech entitled “The Triple A’s,” talking about her life/work path from a focus on art to administrative organization to accounting.

Jessica Holman led Table Topics, asking participants to share about a person who first comes to mind after reading a quotation.

Debbie called for reports from the evaluation team.

Joelle Anderson found Becki to be very well prepared for her speech, which helped facilitate her use of vocal variety. Joelle also noted that Becki’s speech was well-organized.

Eric was pleased that the audience learned a lot more about Linda Patton through her speech. He also praised her for her very advanced display of vocal variety and her good eye contact.

Timer Patricia Longfellow reported the following times:

Becki Moody’s speech 6:22
Linda Patton’s speech 4:39
Joelle Anderson’s speech evaluation 2:04
Eric Darnell’s speech evaluation 2:55

Table Topics:
- Kim Kaberle 1:20
- Kay Chambers 2:11
- Bethany Furkin 1:16
- Perry Chang 1:13

Ah Counter/Grammarian Eva Stimson counted 56 space fillers, 4 sentence shifts, and 4 uses of the word of the day.

Vote Counter Kay Chambers awarded herself with the Table Topics victory (very humbly ).

Debbie Belt concluded her time as Toastmaster, and Eva closed the meeting at 1:52 p.m.

-- Joelle Anderson

May 19 meeting

At 1:04 p.m., President Eva Stimson opened the meeting. Bethany Furkin gave the invocation, reading a poem by Billy Collins.

Eva led the Pledge of Allegiance. Eva also announced that she needed to leave the meeting early, and that Vice President Education Eric Darnell would close the meeting in her place. During the business meeting, all members on the slate of officers proposed by the nominating committee were elected to the Peace Speakers executive committee for the 2010-2011 Toastmasters year. The 2010-2011 Peace Speakers club officers will be:

President—Becki Moody
Vice President for Education—Eric Darnell (second term)
Vice President for Membership—Kim Kaberle
Vice President for Public Relations—Jessica Holman
Secretary—Joelle Anderson (second term)
Treasurer—Linda Patton
Sergeant at Arms—Bethany Furkin

As Immediate Past President, Eva Stimson will continue to serve on the Executive Committee, but did not need to be elected. New officers will begin serving on July 1, 2010.

Faith Aeilts made a motion to approve the prior meeting’s minutes (with a correction from Eva); Kim Kaberle seconded the motion. The minutes were approved, with Eva’s correction to be implemented.

Perry Chang assumed his role as Toastmaster and invited members of the Evaluation Team to explain their responsibilities: Speech Evaluator #1—Valerie Mansfield; Speech Evaluator #2—Eric Darnell; Timer—Faith Aeilts; Table Topics—Joelle Anderson; Ah Counter/Grammarian—Becki Moody; Vote Counter—Perry Chang.

Becki Moody chose relevant as the word of the day.

Perry Chang introduced Patricia Longfellow, who gave her Competent Communication Project #3 speech entitled “You Can Do This.” Patricia encouraged the audience to work diligently to eliminate space fillers from their verbal communication.

Perry Chang then introduced Kim Kaberle, who also gave her Competent Communication Project #3 speech entitled “Christian Life Purpose Coaching,” describing the role/function of a Christian Life Purpose Coach.

Joelle Anderson led Table Topics, asking participants to share what advice they would give to people who asked questions of “Dear Abby.”

Perry called for reports from the evaluation team.

Valerie Mansfield thought that Patricia’s speech was relevant to Toastmasters. Patricia’s speech was well-organized, and Patricia did not display any nervousness.

Eric thought that Kim was “confident” and “absolutely sincere” as she delivered her speech. The speech succeeded in persuading, informing, and inspiring the audience.

Timer Faith Aeilts reported the following times:
- Patricia Longfellow’s speech 5:57
- Kim Kaberle’s speech 7:36
- Valerie Mansfield’s speech evaluation 1:18
- Eric Darnell’s speech evaluation 3:48

Table Topics:
- Valerie Mansfield 1:03
- Ada Middleton 2:07
- Becki Moody 2:07
- Perry Chang 2:27

Ah Counter/Grammarian Becki Moody counted 59 space fillers and 1 sentence shift. The word of the day was used 8 times during the meeting.

Vote Counter Perry Chang awarded Ada Middleton with the Table Topics victory.

Perry Chang concluded his time as Toastmaster, and Vice President Membership Eric Darnell ended the meeting at 1:58 p.m.

-- Joelle Anderson

Congratulations, officers!

Earlier this month the club elected officers for the 2010-2011 Toastmasters years.

Elected were:
- President - Becki Moody
- Vice President for Education - Eric Darnell (second term)
- Vice President for Membership - Kim Kaberle
- Vice President for Public Relations - Jessica Holman
- Treasurer - Linda Patton
- Secretary - Joelle Anderson (second term)
- Sergeant at Arms - Bethany Furkin

Also serving on the club Executive Committee between July 1, 2010, and June 30, 2011, will be Immediate Past President Eva Stimson.

Congratulations, Eva!

Club President Eva Stimson is going out (June 30) with a host of accomplishments under her belt. She’s only the second Peace Speakers Toastmaster to ever complete the Toastmasters Competent Communication – and the first person to do so exclusively within our club – with an inspiring speech last month on what we can all do to combat climate change.

Eva also presided over a year during which the club membership spent most of its time hovering just under the magic number of 20, making this the largest Peace Speakers club, except for the very first few months. And, in leading the Nominating Committee this spring, Eva helped put together a slate of candidates for office that, if elected Wednesday, will represent the first set of Peace Speakers officers elected (not counting Immediate Past President Eva Stimson) that will be totally devoid of club charter members. Hence, Eva has helped usher in a whole new generation of leaders. Good going!

-- Perry

May 5 meeting

At 1:04 p.m., President Eva Stimson commenced the meeting, and invited Betsy Blocker to give the invocation. Betsy read a poem about spring, and shared a blessing/prayer in tribute to all mothers.

Eva led the Pledge of Allegiance. During the business meeting, Becki Moody made a motion to approve the prior meeting’s minutes as written; Betsy Blocker seconded the motion--the minutes were approved as written. Treasurer Ada Middleton announced that all dues had been paid, and noted that the club lost one member. The current club balance is $262.56. Perry Chang mentioned that the next round of Toastmaster competition speeches was to be held on Saturday, May 15, in Sellersburg, Indiana. The winners from this round of competition will travel to the district competition in Lafayette, Indiana. Eva Stimson passed out the proposed slate of officers for the upcoming Toastmasters year, and reminded people that new officers would be voted in at the next Peace Speakers meeting. Officers will assume their positions on July 1, 2010. Perry Chang also asked PC(USA) employees in the club to send Secretary Joelle Anderson their home email addresses, so the club can keep in touch with them in the unfortunate event they are laid off on May 14.

Kim Kaberle assumed her role as Toastmaster and invited members of the Evaluation Team to explain their responsibilities: Speech Evaluator—Debbie Belt; Timer—Joelle Anderson; Table Topics—Eric Darnell; Ah Counter/Grammarian—Faith Aeilts; Vote Counter—Jessica Holman.

Faith Aeilts chose spectacular as the word of the day.

Kim Kaberle introduced Bethany Furkin, who gave her Competent Communication Project #2 speech entitled “Behind the Counter: How to Be a Courteous Customer.” Bethany gave three tips on how to be a good customer, based on her experience working in the retail world.

Eric Darnell led Table Topics, asking people to describe a vacation to a randomly chosen continent, utilizing a randomly chosen mode of transportation.

Kim called for reports from the evaluation team.

Debbie Belt enjoyed the sense of humor Bethany displayed during her speech, which she found to be brimming with “good advice that all of us can use.”

Timer Joelle Anderson reported the following times:
- Behany Furkin’s speech 6:21
- Debbie Belt’s speech evaluation 2:35

Table Topics:
- Becki Moody 1:48
- Faith Aeilts 1:21
- Perry Chang 1:08
- Linda Patton 0:50
- Ada Middleton 1:45
- Jessica Holman 1:03

Ah Counter/Grammarian Faith Aeilts counted 33 space fillers and 3 sentence shifts. The word of the day was used 6 times by the end of the meeting.

Vote Counter Jessica Holman awarded Faith Aeilts with the Table Topics victory.

Kim Kaberle concluded her time as Toastmaster, and President Eva Stimson ended the meeting at 1:48 p.m. with a reminder to vote at the next Peace Speakers meeting.

-- Joelle Anderson

Why stay active

With layoffs looming at the Presbyterian Center, where half of Peace Speakers Toastmasters work, it’s time to consider why Toastmasters members who get laid off ought to consider staying active in the club.

First, Toastmasters activity gives us a chance to maintain contact with some former Presbyterian Center colleagues, the ones who were active in the club. It lets us keep one foot in the Center door.

Second, being active in Toastmasters continues to help us sharpen our job skills, interviewing, and job search skills, at a time – during a job search – when we need those to be at their best.

Third, connecting with Toastmasters regularly provides us with networking opportunities, as we share job tips and job leads before, during, and after meetings, and in between.

Obviously, the prospect of going back to the building where we worked and then were rejected may be hard for some of us. And job search and family responsibilities may take a few of us out of town. But I hope, for those of us who will be walking out of the building next Friday with our boxes packed, it may not be for the last time, as we may return twice a month for Toastmasters meetings. See you on Wednesdays!

-- Perry

April 21 meeting

At 1:03 p.m., President Eva Stimson commenced the meeting, and asked Becki Moody to give the invocation. Becki read the poem “As I Ventured to the Wood” by Mark Raymond Slaughter, in honor of Earth Day.

Eva welcomed people to the meeting, and asked the three guests present to introduce themselves: Ann Thomas works in the Presbyterian Center, and Megan and Melissa are students at the University of Louisville, graduating this spring.

Eva led the Pledge of Allegiance and opened the business portion of the meeting. Linda Patton made a motion to approve the prior meeting’s minutes as written; Ada Middleton seconded the motion--the minutes were approved as written. The members present officially welcomed Jessica Holman as a new club member. The nominating committee will provide a slate of officers for upcoming year at the next Peace Speakers meeting. The club will vote to elect new officers at the May 19, 2010 meeting, as the new officers need to be in place by July 1, 2010. Perry Chang attended the area speech contest recently, and mentioned that the next round of competition will be held in Sellersburg, Indiana, on the morning of May 15. Kay Chambers was unable to make it to the meeting, but asked that the speeches be audio recorded. Eva noted that she will record the meeting’s speeches, and also discussed possibly videotaping the speeches in the future.

Joelle Anderson assumed her role as Toastmaster and invited members of the Evaluation Team to explain their responsibilities: Speech Evaluator #1—Vince Patton; Speech Evaluator #2—Betsy Blocker; Timer—Ada Middleton; Table Topics—Patricia Longfellow; Ah Counter/Grammarian—Debbie Belt; Vote Counter—Perry Chang.

Debbie Belt announced invigorating as the word of the day.

Joelle introduced Eva Stimson, who gave her Competent Communication Project #10 speech entitled “Save Our Planet”--sharing ways in which people can help combat climate change.

Joelle then introduced Jessica Holman, who gave her Competent Communication Project #1 (Ice Breaker) speech. Jessica spoke of how she seeks to live by Don Miguel Ruiz’s Four Agreements in her professional and personal life.

Patricia Longfellow led Table Topics, asking people to make sales pitches for advertisements taken out of the phone book.

Joelle called for reports from the evaluation team.

Vince Patton deemed Eva’s speech “excellent” and “relevant” to Earth Day. He also thought she did an “outstanding job using stories.”

Betsy Blocker found Jessica to be both “confident and comfortable” in front of the audience, and noted that she spoke on a topic that kept listeners interested.

Timer Ada Middleton reported the following times:

Eva Stimson’s speech 9:00
Jessica Holman’s speech 7:05
Vince Patton’s speech evaluation 1:56
Betsy Blocker’s speech evaluation 1:06

Table Topics:
- Becki Moody 1:37
- Linda Patton 1:11
- Eric Darnell 2:04
- Debbie Belt 1:09

Ah Counter/Grammarian Debbie Belt counted between 37 space fillers and 4 sentence shifts/grammatical errors. The word of the day was used 5 times by the end of the meeting.

Vote Counter Perry Chang pronounced Linda Patton the Table Topics winner.

Joelle Anderson concluded her time as Toastmaster, and President Eva Stimson ended the meeting at around 2 p.m.

- Joelle Anderson

New officer slate

The Nominating Committee has come up with a complete slate of officers, which we’ll announce to the club May 5, in preparation for voting May 19. These are the people being nominated:

President—Becki Moody
VP for Education—Eric Darnell (2nd term)
VP for Membership—Kim Kaberle
VP for Public Relations—Jessica Holman
Secretary—Joelle Anderson (2nd term)
Treasurer—Linda Patton
Sergeant of Arms—Bethany Furkin

I’m thankful for the contributions of all the outgoing officers, and for Eric and Joelle, who will continue on for another year to give us continuity.

-- Eva Stimson

Balloons!

Listening opportunity

A chance to see more great Toastmasters speeches - shorter Tall Tales speeches and medium-length International speech contest speeches - as speakers from our downtown Louisville area Toastmasters clubs go up against other local contest winners from around central and eastern Kentucky and southern Indiana, at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 15, at the Ivy Tech Community College campus in Sellersburg, Indiana - just 20 minutes from downtown Louisville. The winners will represent our Toastmasters division in the contests at the district convention the next weekend (May 21-22) in Lafayette, Indiana. See you in Sellersburg!

April 7 meeting

At 1:03 p.m., Vice President Membership Becki Moody opened the meeting, acting as Presiding Officer in President Eva Stimson’s absence. Becki invited Joelle Anderson to give the invocation; Joelle shared an Easter prayer with the club.

Becki led the Pledge of Allegiance and opened the business portion of the meeting. Kay Chambers made a motion to approve the prior meeting’s minutes as written; Perry Chang seconded the motion--the minutes were approved as written. Becki informed everyone that club officer elections are approaching. If anyone is interested in serving as an officer, or would like to nominate someone for a position, speak with Eva or others on the nominating committee. Treasurer Ada Middleton announced that 90% of the club dues had been mailed to Toastmasters Headquarters, and thanked everyone for their cooperation.

Ada Middleton assumed her role as Toastmaster and invited members of the Evaluation Team to explain their responsibilities: Speech Evaluator #1—Faith Aeilts; Speech Evaluator #2—Kim Kaberle; Timer—Eric Darnell; Table Topics—Debbie Belt; Ah Counter/Grammarian—Linda Patton; Vote Counter—Perry Chang.

Linda Patton chose invigorate as the word of the day:
Invigorate (transitive verb)
To give life and energy to; animate.
The awesome beauty of the blooming daffodils invigorated her spirit.

Ada introduced Valerie Mansfield, who gave her Competent Communication Project #2 speech titled “Energy Companies and Our Future.” Valerie discussed the possible changes in Louisville’s energy provision, and what she learned in her research into energy provision.

Ada then introduced Kay Chambers, who gave her Competent Communication Project #2 speech titled “Fuel for My Mind.” Kay discussed her love for quotes about “love,” and shared her most quotable sources of “love” quotes.

Debbie Belt led Table Topics, with all of the questions playing off the words “spring” and “break.”

Ada called for reports from the evaluation team.

Faith Aeilts noted that Valerie Mansfield chose to speak on a “very interesting” and “hefty” topic with implications for us all. She enjoyed the “natural” way that Valerie spoke, and found her to be well-prepared.

Kim Kaberle called Kay Chambers’ speech “interesting, inspiring, and encouraging.” She enjoyed Kay’s “engaging” voice, and praised her for using good sources.

Timer Eric Darnell reported the following times:

Valerie Mansfield’s speech 8:02
Kay Chambers’ speech 5:52
Faith Aeilts’ speech evaluation 3:15
Kim Kaberle’s speech evaluation 1:21

Table Topics:
- Vince Patton 1:34
- Joelle Anderson 1:35
- Linda Patton 1:55
- Mark McCabe 2:59
- Kay Chambers 1:40

Ah Counter/Grammarian Linda Patton counted between 41 and 42 space fillers and 5 sentence shifts. The word of the day was used at least 6 times by the end of the meeting.

Vote Counter Perry Chang pronounced Joelle Anderson the Table Topics winner.

Ada Middleton concluded her time as Toastmaster, and Presiding Officer Becki Moody ended the meeting at 1:59 p.m.

-- Joelle Anderson

Big Tuesday

Tuesday was a big day for Peace Speakers Toastmasters. Fueled by Jessica Holman’s work, some Peace Speakers officers put some finishing touches to the Presbyterian Center Atrium display case with Toastmasters items. The officers then met and talked about membership renewal and nominations for running for next year’s officers. And Perry stopped by the Area Tall Tales and International Speech contests above Vincenzo’s and helped judge the International Speech contest. (Pictured below are the winners, some of whom may guest speak for us.)

-- Perry