Our word for the day was polychromatic. I think Ken must have called Becki ahead of time and asked her to model its meaning for us (multi-colored). As I skim down the page of photos, I see that other members got that memo as well.
I used the term polychromatic as I talked about my role as the Timer, referring to the green, yellow and red light system which signals speakers that time is passing. Be forewarned: Being the Timer today, I learned that I cannot hold a stopwatch, keep time, take pictures, and take notes simultaneously. Something's gotta give, and it was my notes.
So prepare for a "blog lite" experience during Table Topics today, when I couldn't manage my notetaking. However, Becki gave me her Invocation and the other Becky gave me notes to her speech. Muchas gracias!
Becki took on dual roles today: Acting President and Invocation leader. She read an excerpt from a poem by Sri Chinmoy. It reminds us we are wise to realize that we don't know everything and still have much to
learn:
You are nothing,
I am everything.
My knowledge declares:
You know something,
But I know much more.
My wisdom whispers:
You and I know nothing
Of everything on earth,
And everything of nothing
In Heaven.
(You can enjoy more of his poems by clicking on his name: Sri Chinmoy )
Pictured to the left, I learned that Sri Chinmoy moved to an Ashram at age 12, after his parents died. There, he spent 20 years in spiritual practice. Sri sees
aspiration - the heart's ceaseless yearning for ever higher and deeper
realities - as the spiritual force behind all great advances in
religion, culture, sports, and science. By living in the heart and
aspiring for continual self-transcendence, men and women can bring
forward the best in themselves and find their path to true satisfaction.
In his words: "Our goal is to go from bright to brighter to
brightest, from high to higher to highest. And even in the highest,
there is no end to our progress, for God Himself is inside each of us
and God at every moment is transcending His own Reality."
I inserted this lengthy quote because each one of us represents a light that gets brighter and brighter as we work together as Peace Speakers, expressing our ideas and supporting each others' growth in communication and leadership. In our club, I see the best in other members and believe that there is no end to our individual or collective progress.
Yes, sometimes we get visitors to our club. Betsy introduces her friend, Gwen, who has paid a visit to our club today.
WONDER WOMAN
Joelle also served in multiple roles today: Secretary, Toastmaster, and the Table Topics Master. Whew!!! No wonder she felt a little harried, but she kept a smile on her face and conducted herself masterfully.
OUR SPEAKER FOR THE DAY
As a new member of Peace Speakers, Becky gave her Ice Breaker speech today, introducing herself to the rest of the club. I always love these speeches, as it's a chance to delve a little into the unknown life of the speaker. Becky's title, "Traveling Down the Path of Most Resistance," created intrigue at the onset. This woman focuses on things she wants to improve rather than on her areas of accomplishment.
Not
willing to settle for less, Becky chooses paths of greater
resistance, aware that taking the easy way out leads to mediocrity.
She chooses to grow in fortitude, energy and strength even though the
trek is often arduous and scary.
Becky
faces her perceived shortcomings and tackles them head on. For example, rather than accepting her fear of heights, she
chose to rappel off a cliff. Then in college, earning a "D" in
Chemistry bothered her so much that she retook the course, earning a
much better grade. And now, feeling unpolished as a speaker, she's
thrown herself fully into Toastmasters seeking skills and friendship. She's
in a position to have both!
A few other facts Becky shared about herself:
- Is a mother of 2 sons, who are above average in both intelligence and annoyance. : )
- Is a wife to an above average man in humor and patience.
- Is finishing her degree in Information Studies with certification as a School Media Specialist.
- Is a 4-year computer teacher with 3-years experience as a sub for JCPS.
- Is a supervisor to 9 dedicated employees who are driven to help others.
- Believes we are truly all one in the world.
TABLE TOPICS MASTER
Joelle had a movie newsreel pictured at the top of our agendas, and her Table Topics questions reflected that. This is where my brain went into a freeze. With 1-2 minutes to photograph people, time them with the stopwatch, record times, and makes notes on what they said, I failed on the notetaking...big time! (So, I got a little silly to fill in what was missing. )
Rhonda said she loved science fiction the best. (My my, isn't that the cutest top ever!!!!!!!! My memory may be poor, but I know cute clothes when I see them.)
What was your favorite movie as a child?
Robin admitted it was between Annie and The Wizard of Oz, in which she loved belting out the songs. (You can't tell, but she's a few days away from having a baby. This an example of trick photography.)
Which do you prefer: movie or a book?
Eric prefers reading a book to sitting and watching a movie. (Eric is rolling up his sleeves, showing us how serious he is. Actually, he's cuter than this picture gives him credit.)
Gwen couldn't think of one, then turned it around and admitted her favorite movie, though, was The Ten Commandments. (Every picture I took of this visitor looked award-winning. Charlton Heston should have smiled like that once in a while to win over the masses.)
What movie have you seen more than once?
Becki admitted that she's seen Gone with the Wind 15 to 20 times! (She proceeded to give great insight into why, which is why she won the vote and the esteemed Table Topics trophy. I'm serious now, Becki. I recommend you seei Barfi at Tinsletown this week if you like long, interesting movies and can handle subtitles.)
SPEECH EVALUATION
Perry may look like he's ranting, but it's his way of telling Becky that he really enjoyed her Ice Breaker speech. He thought it was conversational, funny, informative, and inspirational. He suggested she project a little louder and admitted that he, too, gets a bit nervous when he speaks.
I imagine all of us at Peace Speakers experience nervousness from time to time. That's one reason why we're here. At our next meeting, I will be giving a speech after an unforgivably long lull. Whether you're a Peace Speaker or a visitor to this blog, I hope you'll come. I'll be doing something out of the ordinary for me, and it'll be a stretch.
OUR NEXT FEW MEETINGS
ARE OCT. 3 AND OCT. 17, 2012
ROOM CHANGE:
Come to Room 4000
for the Oct. 3rd meeting!
ARE OCT. 3 AND OCT. 17, 2012
ROOM CHANGE:
Come to Room 4000
for the Oct. 3rd meeting!
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
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