Peace Speakers Toastmasters: May 2012

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Smack Dab in the Middle of Derby Week...Our May 2nd Meeting

I was unable to blog in a timely manner after this Derby week meeting. Hosting 6 fun-loving Canadians in my home and then picking up a nasty bug after they left town kept me physically down and out for a while.

My plan was to just skip this blog, but I decided against that when I looked back at the pictures and activities. So, this blog is a tribute to the die-hard members who attended our Peace Speakers meeting in the throes of Derby week.

JOKE MASTER SPINS A TALE

Robin shared a joke about a troubled moth who sought help from a doctor. The moth showed up in a podiatrist's office and explained woefully that he had been experiencing "burning problems" that kept reoccurring. The confused podiatrist asked, "Why aren't you seeing a psychiatrist to address these problems?" The moth replied, "Because your light was on!!!!!"

TODAY'S SPEECH USES POWERPOINT

Geoff gave a speech called "What's the Big Idea," encouraging us to utilize "invention tools" in business. He gave strategies for defining the problem at hand, seeking relevance, considering what and who are involved, and getting a proper perspective on the situation.

To capture ideas, Geoff suggested "brainstorming" all thoughts on the subject and writing them down without stopping. Afterwards, organize those ideas into 3 categories. A "flow chart" helps with process analysis and includes checks to weed out problems. With an "idea tree", one visualizes the structure. And using the "journalist's formula" with the 5 W's works well with all genres.

Finally, an evaluation of your material looks at its credibility and completeness. Geoff reminded us that using these invention tools undoubtedly creates something better than just writing off the top of your head. It takes more discipline to do this, but the rewards are greater!

TABLE TOPICS FUN

Our Table Topics master, Becki, created questions that used the horses' names of past Derby winners. The following 5 members of Peace Speakers participated in the spontaneous verbal play of Table Topics. Listed below each of their pictures is the name of a Derby horse, a corresponding question, and a snippet of their reply.

Animal Kingdom

Name your favorite critter in the animal kingdom.

Robin admitted that she loves the sea otter because of it's ability to play and swim so easily. She envies their free-spirited nature as they swim, do somersaults, and relax in the sun. (Sounds like a much needed vacation you're describing, Rhonda. Go for it!)

Northern Dancer

Thinking back to a high school dance, where are you and what are you doing?

Probably in the middle of the dance floor dancing. Perry admitted that in middle school, he became a huge fan of disco. He partied every weekend dancing to hits like "Roller Coaster" and "The Hustle". Dancing with friends got so out of control one time that a sofa was broken in his home. (Whenever I hear those old tunes, I'm movin' and groovin' as well!)

Grindstone

When your nose is to the grindstone, which tasks do you find tedious and which ones do you enjoy?

Geoff admitted that he finds checking the numbers for his projects a bit tedious, but he particularly enjoys researching topics. That's far more interesting and satisfying. (I'd say that the latter preference is one that marks a good professor!)

Spend A Buck

How do you manage or make decisions about money?

Joelle admitted that her husband, Ben, has more wants than she does fiscally. But that may not deter her from spending some bucks to go blond someday...just for the fun of it. (I donned a long blond wig once and looked like an albino sea hag. Joelle, however, will look stunning!)

Funnyside

What is your favorite kind of humor?

Surprise! Eric confessed that he is drawn to "potty humor" as evidenced by his appreciation for late night ingenious programs like Southpark and the Colbert Report. (I concur! Both are remarkable productions that use striking and often jaded humor to make their point.)

Perry's 2-minute impromptu speech chronicling his teen fanaticism with disco earned him the Table Topics trophy and a Derby glass from Becki. (I'm betting that Perry's disco dancing days aren't behind him. Neither are mine.)

While we're on the topic of Perry, he evaluated Geoff's speech, "The Big Idea". He liked getting help with organizing his thoughts and communicating effectively. He noted that many great ideas were shared in the "invention tools" tips.

Perry admitted a PowerPoint pet-peeve of his: too much text in each frame. Better to expand on one's ideas verbally than to overwhelm listeners with too much to read during a speech.

WORD OF THE DAY

These past weeks have been quite an odyssey for me...fraught with a pounding headache, sore throat, laryngitis, and coughing. So much for "I never get sick!" Maybe I'll keep that in mind when I think, "I could never be such an esteemed speaker as that person!" Never say never!

Has your experience with public speaking been an oddyessy of sorts? If you're tired of just hoping for the best and want to refine or develop your communication and leadership skills, come to one of our upcoming meetings on June 6 or June 20.

Peace Speakers Toastmasters Club

Presbyterian Center

1st and 3rd Wednesdays

1:00 - 2:00 p.m.

100 Witherspoon Street

Downtown Louisville, KY

Respectfully submitted,

Kay Chambers

VP of Public Relations for Peace Speakers

An Auspicious Time for All - May 16th Meeting

During this Toastmasters meeting, the Word for the Day was auspicious, which describes the time Peace Speakers have together every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month. The experience is ripe for learning and favorable for enhancing communication and leadership skills.

I just finished the May 2nd blog and plan to keep this one concise. We'll see how that goes!

THE JOKE MASTER DELIVERS

Betsy shared an anecdote about her 4-year-old grandson, who loves the TV camera in her auto's rear-view mirror. He thrives on the noisy beep-beep-beep! Recently while backing out of the garage, the alarm system was activated by a cooler that had been moved. When quizzed, her grandson admitted he'd scooted the cooler behind her car, knowing that the system would react and noisily entertain him once again.

Our Toastmaster, Ada, smiled broadly as she introduced our speaker for the day. She spoke from her heart when she noted that Bethany has always been quick to step up to the plate when she needs someone to fill a role at our meetings. Bethany clearly brings finesse and a deep loyalty to our club.

PROJECT #5 SPEECH: YOUR BODY TALKS

Bethany titled her 5th speech "Driving Down Stress: Ways to Make Your Commute More Manageable." She confessed that she hates to drive, hates traffic, and she suffers from road rage. So admittedly, she wasn't prepared for the ensuing worries and agitation that came with a 20-mile drive from her home to work each day. So she set out to find ways to calm herself and make the trek bearable.

Bethany shared 5 tips to chill herself out that are useful for others as well:

Pick a route purposely that is based on what else might impact your drive. Change your timing to avoid traffic and shorten the drive.
Rent books on tape or learn a foreign language. Choose a musical that is fun and engaging. Select music with a similar heartbeat as yours, and consider downloading podcasts that you enjoy.
Follow driving laws! To prevent getting a ticket, take your time and slow down.
Remember to breathe! Open the windows and inhale deeply to reduce panic, stress and anxiety.
Think of something you're looking forward to so you won't dwell on how you get there.

Whoohoo! These tips are a timely reminder for me, one who gets frustrated with drivers who aren't considerate and others who stop the flow. Since I can only control my own reactions, this will help me maintain my sanity on the road.

IMPROMPTU TABLE TOPICS

Jason, our Toastmasters Area Governor, paid us a visit today. He agreed to lead our Table Topics session, and spewed out 3 questions for Betsy, Kay (moi), and Todd. After hearing her question, Betsy let us know how unpleasant she finds the road construction along the hightways and the ensuing traffic tie-ups. Kay responded to her question in favor of fund-raising benefits, such as the recent one for Henryville students at the YUM Center, because it raises needed funds and brings community together.

I saved Todd for last, as he ended up winning the Table Topics trophy for the best 1-2 minute extemporaneous speech given at this meeting. When asked what his biggest pet peeve was during a business meeting, he shared several. He criticized those who arrive late to meetings and listed several distractions like phones going off and side conversations as other variables that rudely disrupt meetings. (Gee, Todd, I get the impression you think people's time is valuable and individuals should show more respect to one another! That, alone, deserves a trophy!)

Eva was our speech evaluator today, and Bethany's speech hit a positive note with her. She deemed the tips for managing road rage a topic that's very auspicious and practical, with super personal examples and stories. Bethany was animated...using great facial expressions and lots of hand gestures. Using humor well in her opening and closing remarks, she remained poised throughout her entire speech.

I've been in Toastmasters for a little over 2 years now, and the kind of skills that Bethany exemplified don't come overnight. She's been a steady member and has gotten a lot of practice from attending Peace Speakers meetings regularly throughout the years.

Has your experience with public speaking been an oddyessy of sorts? If you're tired of just hoping for the best and want to refine or develop your communication and leadership skills, come to one of our upcoming meetings on June 6 or June 20.