Peace Speakers: Unpretentious and Devoted

A FEW HIGHLIGHTS FROM A CLUB MEETING

Peace Speakers met on March 21, the first day of spring. This picture was taken by Dylan, a visiting teenager.  He's perched at the front of our meeting room near the podium. (You'll need to grab a magnifying glass to get a better look at our faces.) 

We are an unpretentious group of people from diverse walks of life. I add this because our Word for the Day was pretentious, and the members of this Toastmasters group are anything but that. We are, however, grounded in our belief that we come together in supportive roles to help each other attain and increase our communication and leadership skills.

THE INVOCATION

For our Invocation, Rhonda chose a passage that decreed the need to live in harmony with one another, to be sympathetic, to love one another, to be compassionate, and to be humble.  Too often, our happiness depends on other people.  Their pleasure or misery becomes our own.  She reminded us that each one of us controls our own happiness or misery, regardless of what's happening around us.  This is a timeless quest and a way of living that serves us all.

OUR JOKE MASTER!

This young man, the grandson of our president, Betsy, visited our club today because he figured it'd be less boring than staying at home.  (Hangin' with the old folks is pretty amusing, right?) He agreed to take on the role of Joke Master after a scheduled member had to cancel.  What a guy!!!!!!  He shared several jokes, and the one my brain remembered was as follows: Which season is like a trampoline? ... Spring time!!!!!  Thank you, Dylan, for gracing us with your youthful company and humor today.

NEW MEMBER DELIVERS

HER ICE BREAKER SPEECH

Robin, one of our newest members, gave her first talk today.  She named her Ice Breaker speech Spots of Happiness and shared what she wanted members to learn about her.

She noted that to be happy is what people strive for in life, which has its ups and downs. The following are some of her personal experiences in life:

•  Great joy was experienced on her 3rd birthday after receiving a dog she named Spot.
• Had fun putting her brother in tight spots by dressing him up in dance leotards and taking pictures of him. 
• Wasn't happy about moving to new spots and attending 4 different schools in 4 years.  Soon her parents would divorce.
• Loved being a visual arts student at duPont Manual and stealing the spotlight in photographic competitions, winning several awards.
• Graduated from U of L, which lead to becoming an Associate News Producer at WLKY and her own news cast.
• Enjoyed planning her wedding and being a new wife.
• Found a spot working here at the Presbyterian Center in publishing.
• Her 18-month child, Maggie, as well as her husband and dog, are the bright spots in her life.
• Admitted that baby #2 is on the way! 

Robin reminded us that happiness comes in all shapes and sizes.  She has found spots of enjoyment in many facets of her life.  She advised anyone searching for happiness to just take Dorothy's advice from the Wizard of Oz.  Just look in your own backyard, where happiness always resides.

TIME FOR TABLE TOPICS!

Perry was our Table Topics Master today, and he sprang a few spring-related questions on us. 

The Ides of March are upon us, and we remember that Caesar couldn't trust his friends.  Can you trust yours?  Not all of them, Eric responded.  You have to know which ones you can and cannot trust.  His wife, who's his best friend, is the one he trusts implicitly, as well as his parents.

From what you have learned, will this April be a rainy or not?  Eva noted that we live in an area that typcially gets rain, so she predicts that it's very likely we'll experience showers in April.

Green works for St. Patrick's Day.  What's your favorite color?  Without hesitation, Becki declared purple as her favorite color.  Growing up, it was her cousin's favorite, and she guessed that might have influenced her.  (And yes, I didn't get a current photo at the meeting!   Rather than having no image, I browsed for an older one.)

Given 3 mock headlines (not listed here), which one is likely to be an April 1st headline in tomorrow's Courier Journal?  Another of our visitors today, Shelia definitely decided that none of the headlines were worthy as a joke and gave excellent reasons why. 

What is your favorite season of the year? Another esteemed visitor to our club today was Abheshek.  He surprised us with the answer "winter," explaining that he comes from a hot and humid country, India, and enjoys the cooler weather experiences.

Which do you fear more: death or taxes?  Rhonda claims she fears neither.  After all, taxes are her husband's responsibility, and in death she knows where she's going.  Her faith is strong.

 SPEECH EVALUATION

Peer at the picture above and study the woman wearing red.  That's Joelle, and she's our Speech Evaluator today.  I believe the first words out of her mouth about Robin's Ice Breaker speech were, "That was amazing!"  Joelle noted many strong points, like Robin's engaging smile, eye contact, good vocal variety, and little reliance on notes.  She enjoyed the theme of happiness and the special examples Robin gave about her life.  Her speech, called Spots of  Happiness, was well thought out and cleverly utilized the word spot in different ways throughout her talk.  Thank you, Robin, for making the decision to be a part of our club!

So there you go.  I've made no pretentious or excessive claims  about the magic that goes on in our Peace Speakers meetings, nor have I exaggerated our importance or worth.  What I did share, however, was a snippet of opportunities people took to practice their communication skills and share their ideas...all in a safe and supportive environment. 

COME TO A CLUB MEETING! 

If you're visiting my blog today, spring forward and come to one of our upcoming Peace Speakers meetings.  We are warm and inviting people who are seeking ways to grow ourselves in our communication and leadership skills. 

Peace Speakers Toastmasters Club

Presbyterian Center

1st and 3rd Wednesdays

1:00 - 2:00 PM

100 Witherspoon Street

Downtown Louisville, KY

What you learn from your participation in Toastmasters could positively impact your personal and professional relationships.  Our next few meetings are April 4th and April 18.  Hope to see you there!

Respectfully submitted,

Kay Chambers

VP of Public Relations for Peace Speakers

Feeling Lucky to be Peace Speakers - March 7, 2012 Meeting

Upcoming St. Patrick's Day
a Theme for Today's Meeting 

As St. Patrick's Day approaches on Saturday, we're reminded of the luck of the Irish. But Peace Speakers count themselves lucky as well! Our Toastmasters club is supportive and solid, affording members and guests opportunities to express themselves, gain skills, and have a good time several times a month. We are lucky to be a part of this Toastmasters club!

In my blog today, I'll write about some of the experiences at our March 7th meeting. Robin, one of our newest members, delivered her first Invocation. (She wasn't shaking...I just shot her out of focus, and unfortunately, I did this repeatedly today.)


Referring to the recent tornado victims, she suggested we bring light to survivors in this extended time of devastation. Besides helping families replace obvious tangible goods lost or destroyed, Robin added, "We all have something to share in a world that is dark and hungry." She reminded us that sometimes the smallest gestures, like a smile or a phone call, are even more meaningful to people who are struggling.

Ada, our VP of Education, stepped in and presided as our club president today...another first. Her expression of great happiness resulted after voting in two new members who were present at our meeting today. We're thrilled to have Robin and Ken join Peace Speakers and sincerely welcome their influence.

Eva, our Joke Master today, admitted that this role gave her pause to think, believing that humor is not her forte. However, her joke about a Presbyterian minister and his son evoked smiles and laughter from everyone. Here's the gist of it:

A teenage son, who'd just received his driving permit, wanted to drive his father's car. His father said they'd talk about it if the son brought up his grades, studied his Bible, and got his hair cut. After commending his son for achieving everything but the haircut, the son replied, "Jesus wore his hair to his shoulders," to which the father remarked, "Yes, and let me remind you that Jesus also walked everywhere he went."

Each week the new role of Joke Master has added even more suspense and levity to our club meetings. 

  

A Final Speech from the Competent Communication Manual

Joelle gave her 10th speech today, which focuses on inspiring the audience. Entitled "Baby Steps: Setting Small Goals for Lasting Change," she asked her evaluator, Becki, to be hard on her. From what I've observed, Joelle continually seeks growth and puts herself out there to achieve it.

Joelle began her speech by stating that people often plan their vacations better than their lives. They like escaping. However, planning for intentional change is essential to life. We need to set attainable goals to achieve the life we desire. Our talents will go to waste if they're not utilized. And as the saying goes, "If you fail to plan, you inadvertently plan to fail."

Joelle suggested that we set reasonable, achievable goals and realize that it's a process. "Reasonable" doesn't include New Year's resolutions like "I'll work out 6 days at the gym and never eat desserts." That's just not feasible.

She encouraged us to ask ourselves who we want to become. Rather than doing a complete overhaul, break the task into smaller steps...baby steps...ones that are achievable in the direction of our change.

 

Joelle reminded us to give ourselves rewards for incremental successes. Being flexible helps us during setbacks, which are just stepping stones and not failures. Modify goals as necessary to develop yourself in ways you desire. Persevering through challenges is what builds a better life.

This was a great speech, one that we could all relate to as we reflected on experiences where we've been stuck or have plateaued, as opposed to times we set attainable goals and achieved them.

Time for Table Topics and
Spontaneous 2-Minute Talks!

Bethany entices us with Table Topics slips of paper, asking for volunteers to draw one. With St. Patrick's Day around the corner, she shares that the theme for her questions is in alignment with this holiday.

Eric bolts out of the gate and asks to participate first. He is questioned on how he views St. Patty's Day and whether he pinches those who don't wear the color green. He quickly announces that pinching isn't his style. Besides, sexual harassment laws are a deterrent. He admits he enjoys wearing green because of his ties to Ireland and the fun it evokes.

I am always impressed when a first-time visitor to our club volunteers to do Table Topics without being prodded. Geoff jumped right in and admitted that he enjoys St. Patrick's Day and has an Irish family background. Besides, celebrating it is fun, so why not seek a little more joy?

 

Robin's question provided numerous choices of countries where she might choose to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Realizing she hadn't traveled to Australia, New Zealand, Japan, or Argentina, she claimed her right to choose all of them as her preference. (Of course, the English-speaking Aussies and the adorable kangaroos gave Australia a slight edge as a more desirable destination.)

Eva ponders what the shamrock symbolizes to her. She immediately related it to the Trinity and God, one in three persons. St. Patrick used the shamrock to teach the concept of the Trinity of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

The last person to draw a slip of paper was me. If I were given 3 wishes by a leprechaun, what would they be? First, I'd ask that the perpetrators of hatred and violence would have their hearts opened and filled with love so that they would make amends for the hurt and harm they've caused. Secondly, I'd wish everyone maximum health and vigor as they practiced holistic health. And thirdly, I'd wish all people great happiness. (No! I am not a candidate for the Miss USA pageant!)

As the Vote Counter today, I notice that all participants in the Table Topics session garnered at least one vote, but Eric carried it overwhelmingly. I think he deserves a good pinch with that trophy!

The Evaluation of Joelle's Speech

Becki's evaluation of Joelle's 10th speech was glowing. She remembered Joelle's first speech and recognized the progressive growth she has made in her speaking skills and composure. Her speech topic was relevant and she used good examples. An excellent use of quotes and great word usage made the speech even more significant and inspirational.

As our Ah Counter and Grammarian, Perry, commends us for only having a total of 33 space fillers (like "um" or "ah"). Considering that included every single person who spoke, reported, or gave a speech at today's meeting, that's quite good. The Word of the Day, fatigue, was used 5 times, and after a lively 1-hour meeting, it's not what we're feeling as we leave the premises. Engagement and support brings us together with purpose, and that's uplifting rather than draining.

Now I can't resist adding a pic of our Timer today. Ken looks so cool and casual behind those gears! With a simple flick of the finger, greendenotes a speaker is getting close to the end of the allotted time, yellow suggests that you begin bringing your talk to a close, and red reminds you to end your sharing as soon as possible. 

Now I've saved this pic of our delightful Toastmaster for last. Being one of our newer members, this was the first time Rhonda had ever served in this esteemed position. There was no wobbling or fainting...just a great job. Her willingness to volunteer for numerous roles since she joined Peace Speakers is impressive. Rhonda left us with this Irish blessing:

May the road rise up to meet you,

May the wind be always at your back,

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

The rains fall soft upon your fields,

And until we meet again,

May God hold you in the palm of his hand.

All Peace Speakers warmly invite you to join us during our club meetings which are held the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of every month. It's a chance to have fun, meet great people, and find and refine your communication skills and leadership style. Let us support you in your growth:

OUR NEXT TWO MEETINGS ARE

MARCH 21st AND APRIL 4th

PEACE SPEAKERS

PRESBYTERIAN CENTER

 100 WITHERSPOON ST.

DOWNTOWN LOUISVILLE, KY

1:00 - 2:00 PM

ALL ARE WELCOME!

  

Respectfully submitted,

Kay Chambers

VP of Public Relations

Peace Speakers Toastmasters Club