A Bountiful Harvest - 11/2/11 Meeting (and how a Peace Speakers meeting is conducted)

Peace Speakers gathered at the Presbyterian Center in early November to once again enhance their communication and leadership skills.  With just one hour to accomplish this, members serving in various roles moved effectively and efficiently.  It was 1:00, and Peace Speakers were on a mission!

If you're new to this blog and want to learn more about what often occurs in a Toastmaster meeting like ours, here's a typical run-down:

The meeting opens with a welcoming word from our club president, Betsy, and a pledge to the flag.  Toastmaster business is discussed (usually briefly), then our president turns it over to the member who has agreed to do the Invocation.  We hear an inspirational passage like a poem, reading, personal writing, or non-denominational prayer, which sets the mood and prepares members and guests for our Peace Speakers meeting.

On this day, Kay (moi') shares an invocation about the splendor of fall and the transformations that occur in every season.  She relates seasonal changes to the ongoing transformations we experience as we strive to harness the power of speech.  She notes that each time we actively engage and share ideas, as well as explain, influence, and entertain each other, we are transformed as well. 

Moving right along, our the Toastmaster for the day is welcomed to the podium by our president, Betsy.  This is Keith's first time in this role, and you can see from the picture above that he handles the experience with enthusiasm and grace.  The Toastmaster creates an agenda ahead of time and introduces the educational part of the program.  He asks members to briefly explain the roles they have taken for this meeting.

Members agree ahead of time to accept roles such as Speech Evaluator, Timer, Vote Counter, Table Topics Master, and Ah Counter/Grammarian.  In the above image, Perry has taken on the latter role, sharing the Word of the Day he chose: bucolic, which pertains to a rural lifestyle.  He encourages anyone speaking today to use this word, if they can, and reminds us that he will be listening for speaking errors.  This increases people's awareness of the common speaking mistakes they make.  That way they are easier to change over time.  As Dr. Phil says, "You can't fix what you don't acknowledge," and we're all about becoming better communicators.

After the other members briefly explain their roles, Ada is greeted at the podium by our Toastmaster as she prepares to give her 7th speech called "Tic Toc, Tic Toc - Your Body Clock."  She shares that our internal body clocks follow the sun and never really adjust when forced to change to Daylight Savings Time each year.  And since our body clock regulates essential body functions, it is best to minimize disruptions to these natural body rhythms.  If you are not in sync with the earth’s pattern, here are 4 simple ways for resetting and/or regulating the tic toc of our body clocks: 

1. Have a morning routine. 
2. Eat the right food at the right times.
3. Engage in regular exercise at the right times. 
4. Have a regular bedtime routine. 

What's great about the speeches given by members is that we listeners are educated on a wide assortment of topics/opinions and learn different ways to make presentations. Each of the speeches has a difference focus, all of which is clearly explained in our Competant Communication Manual.  This is a valuable tool that helps us prepare and organize our first 10 speeches, which are given at the pace of one's choosing.

Following the speech, our Table Topics Master, Eva, brings in a basket full of harvested fruits and vegetables to elicit spontaneous sharing from members and willing guests. Participants draw one fruit or veggie from a covered basket and talk about it for approximately 2 minutes.  

Perry pulls out a large clove of garlic and admits that his wife is the cook in his family.  He brags on the savory spaghetti sauce she whips up on occasion.

Ken finds a tomato in the basket and shares that both he and his dad used to raise them together.  He still loves growing tomatoes today and enjoys bucolic or rural experiences. (Thanks, Ken, for using the Word of the Day!)

After selecting a fresh pepper, Betsy shared that she actually won a Blue Ribbon at the Kentucky State Fair for the habanero peppers she grew in her garden. 

Usually 4-6 people share extemporaneously during Table Topics, making for an interesting time listening and learning from others as well as thinking on our feet while speaking. What's missing in this blog is a picture of the homemade pumpkin/chocolate chip cake topped with a dollop of whipped cream that Ada shares with everyone as they talk today.  (When does this woman ever sleep!?!?!)

At this point in our Peace Speakers meeting, our Toastmaster calls for the reports from the Evaluation Team.  Above, Bethany compliments Ada's speech, admitting that she was unaware that our "body clock" was actually a tiny cluster of nerve cells located in the center of our brain.  Speech evaluators commend what they can about a given speech and offer a few constructive suggestions during their 3-minute sharing.

Next, the other evaluators share the specific times for speeches, the total number of grammar-related mistakes made by all (not by individual names), and who gave the Table Topics winning speech.  Two people tied, Ken and Betsy, so they both get a trophy.  The bragging rights are theirs to enjoy for 2 weeks, or until Peace Speakers meet again.

The Toastmaster, Keith, makes his closing remarks and Betsy, our president, adjourns the meeting.  It's no more than 1-hour long and participants leave with smiles.  Most likely, everyone has practiced their speaking skills, learned something, and enjoyed themselves.  We know that what we've planted today, we will harvest later.

Our next Peace Speakers meeting  will be held on Wednesday, November 16, at the Presbyterian Center in downtown Louisville at 100 Witherspoon Street from 1:00-2:00 PM.   PLEASE JOIN US!  ALL ARE WELCOME!

P.S..The Weight Watchers Pumpkin/Chocolate Chip Cake recipe is as follows: 1 Spice Cake Mix, 1 can pumpkin, and semi-sweet chocolate chips. Beat cake mix and pumpkin for two minutes. Add chocolate chip morsels, one-half bag or more. Bake in bundt pan 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until done. Thanks, Ada, for baking it for us!!!!!

Respectfully submitted by Kay Chambers, VP of Public Relations