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
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.
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
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