Peace Speakers - There's Nothing Fugacious about this Enduring Toastmasters Group!

SNIPPETS FROM OUR APRIL 4TH MEETING

Our April 4th meeting brought us a word probably none of us had ever heard: fugacious, which means fleeting or transitory.  Eric even admitted it took him 20 minutes to find one in the dictionary that was completely novel to him yet seemed worth practicing for the Word for the Day.  I like the way it rolled off my tongue, and obviously others did as well, since it was used 4 different times during our 1-hour meeting today.

Kim, leading our Invocation today, based her sharing on John 14, verses 15-21. She asked that our hearts be open to the love God has for us and that we open our minds to the truth, which is recognizing God's presence among us...in all things and all people. 

Our president of Peace Speakers, Betsy, referred to her 11-year-old grandson, Dylan, who visited our club back on March 21st.  He admitted to her that he wasn't nervous standing in front of us when he served as our Joke Master.  After all, the school he attends requires children to do public speaking on a regular basis. 

I wish I'd been primed in this manner at an early age!  However, I am grateful to be where I am now and learning communication and leadership skills with these beloved Peace Speakers.

 OUR JOKE MASTER SPINS A TALE

Hoping to evoke smiles and laughter, our Joke Master, Bethany, shared a personal experience she had throughout her school years.  Growing up, the name "Bethany Furkin" evidently posed a problem during roll call for many adults, who repeatedly botched her first and last names.  Tired of correcting adults who butchered the pronunciations, she began answering to just about any name they said that was remotely close to the sound of hers. 

One day in a new class Bethany replied, "Here!" to a name that kind of sounded like hers, and then the next name called was actually hers!  Saying "Here!" to a second name back to back, everyone turned and looked at her like she was crazy.  I can't recall if Bethany bothered to tell them the reason why...or maybe it's just better to let them wonder! 

I loved Bertha's, I mean, Bethany's humorous anecdote. I hope more members share their amusing life stories as the Joke Master.

 OUR TOASTMASTER FOR THE DAY



Joelle, our Toastmaster, ran the educational part of our meeting today.  Placing an April Fool's Day graphic at the top of our program, she shared that her father liked playing tricks on her classmates.  One year he brought her class some Oreo cookies that he'd altered, replacing the creamy white center with Crisco.  It backfired, though, when one child exclaimed, "This is the best Oreo I've ever eaten!"  (Obviously, this child is not a Super Taster.  His taste buds are few and far in-between!!!!) 

  SPEAKING TO INFORM: 
A FACT-FINDING REPORT

Eva's speech, called "A Sunday School Survey," was created for the 4th project in her Speaking to Inform manual from the Advanced Communication Series.  Being a member of the Nurture Council, an educational program at her church, she and her committee members wanted to understand the reasons for the decline in Sunday school attendance.

The Nurture Council developed a 40-question survey of mostly multiple choice questions and a few open response. Several of the questions posed were as follows:

• What keeps you from participating in Sunday School classes?
• How interested are you in following the given time options for Christian education classes?
• What was the best Christian education class you ever took at this church or anywhere else?

What the Nurture Council learned was that their own methods had limitations. A lot of data was inconclusive and their survey was too long. Besides that, next time they would target specific age groups individually, so they would know what each group preferred.

None-the-less, the council was encouraged by the support for an educational program, especially by adults. This led them to believe that they needed to follow up with one-on-one conversations with people for more reliable answers.  They decided to think outside of the box, considering the possibility of nurturing people in the faith in less common locations, like coffee houses, restaurants and bars.

Eva's speech makes me think of the church I love to attend, and one of the primary reasons is the vibrant Sunday School class I've been a part of for nearly a decade.  The studies are broad reaching and deep, the people are open, honest and engaging, and the beliefs expressed are progressive, inclusive and loving.  Discussions can get lively and emotional, and in what better environment than among friends who respect a wide-range of opinions and experiences.

  

     TABLE TOPICS SESSION

For our 1-2 minute extemporaneous talks today, I was the Table Topics Master.  Hence, no pictures or notes were taken during these short speeches while I walked around the room looking for volunteers to draw my questions posed about April events.  However, I will share with you the exact questions that were asked, in case you are new to this blog and want a sampling of what might be posed during this fun and informative part of our program.

·       April is “Jazz Appreciation Month.” Share your feelings about jazz if they’re strong, or choose another type of music you’d like to endorse or trash and why.

·       April 1^st is notorious for pranksters pulling April Fool’s Day jokes. Share a joke that was played on you in the past or one you conjured up to fool someone else. How did it turn out?

·       “International Trombone Week” is celebrated in April. Tell about your own experiences learning to play an instrument, and if you never did, which instrument would you like to play if music was a big part of your life?

·       “April showers bring May flowers.” Describe a delightful (or terrible) experience you had with a drenching downpour. It can be from your childhood or one you had more recently.

·       “National Poetry Day” is celebrated in April. Are you a poetry lover or hater? What reading or writing experiences have you had with poetry that’s brought you to this conclusion?

·       “Earth Day” is celebrated in April. Thinking about our planet, what is a grave concern you have about our natural environment and why? (Some suggestions: Climate change, clean water, air pollution, ozone depletion, pesticide use; endangered species/extinction.)

All of the volunteers for Table Topics, some of whom were guests, answered these questions with ease.  They even had smiles on their faces as they searched their memories for tidbits to share.  The winner of the trophy for this week went to one of our visitors, Geoff, who shared the many nuances of jazz music that he appreciated. 

EVA'S SPEECH EVALUATION

Robin, the evaluator for Eva's speech, found the background information and research methods helpful in understanding the Sunday School survey that Eva detailed.  Using good volume and gestures, she paused after questions to allow the audience time to think.  Handouts sharing the data made the information easy to understand.

Towards the end of Eva's speech, she came from behind the podium to answer questions from the audience.  She was very approachable and prepared to answer a broad scope of questions.  I noticed how comfortable and confident she seemed to be in the face of the unknown.  Knowing that Eva's a "detail person" and very accomplished, I still cannot wrap my mind around how long it must have taken to develop the 40-question survey with her council, compile the results, and create that speech.   Very impressive, Eva!

    TIME TO THINK ABOUT OUR NEXT MEETING!

If you're visiting my blog today, consider coming to our upcoming Peace Speakers meeting. We are warm and engaging people who are seeking ways to grow ourselves in our communication and leadership skills. 

Toastmasters is participation driven and could positively impact your personal and professional relationships. Our next meeting is April 18th in Room 1203, which is a change from where we usually gather.

Peace Speakers Toastmasters Club

Presbyterian Center

1st and 3rd Wednesdays

1:00 - 2:00 PM

100 Witherspoon Street

Downtown Louisville, KY

There will also be an Executive Committee meeting at 2:00 on April 18th, which immediately follows our club meeting at 1:00.  I hope to see everyone at our regular club meeting as well as even more visitors!  This is hardly a fugacious request!  It's one I make every blog.

Respectfully submitted,

Kay Chambers

VP of Public Relations for Peace Speakers

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

In with the New and Refinement of the Old - Peace Speakers Meet on February 1, 2012

I titled this blog after Bethany's Invocation for our first meeting in February.  She chose to read Psalm 96, which encourages us to sing to the Lord and all earth a new song.  So what's wrong with old songs?  Nothing, however, the point is to offer fresh outpourings so we don't grow stale and predictable.   Bethany reminded us that we all have opportunities for new starts and changes, allowing us ongoing chances to do better. Likewise, Toastmasters gives us limitless opportunities for practice and growth.  We don't stop singing the old songs, but we do refine them and make them better! 

Just as our club meeting was about to begin today, our Toastmaster, Kim (not pictured here), had to excuse herself due to illness.  That meant two roles, both our club president (who could not preside today) as well as our Toastmaster for the day, were left unfilled.  Now stop and gaze above at the woman behind the podium.  The first year and a half after she joined Toastmasters, she repeatedly refused to take on the Toastmaster's role.  Too insecure...too terrified, I'm guessing.  Today, however, Becki immediately agreed to take on BOTH roles at the last minute and did so with grace.  If that isn't a tribute to what Toastmasters can do for one's communication and leadership skills, what is???!!!!!   Thank you, Becki, you Wonder-Woman, you!!!!!

Now here's Eva.  She would have volunteered for one of those last minute roles had she not been our Ah-Counter and Grammarian for the day, a full-time job in a world where butchering the English language has become a hobby.  She chose redundant as the word for the day, which makes me nervous as I type this blog.  I was told once by a very wise woman, learn to be concise.  I'm still working on this one!

Our Joke Master for the day, Perry, waltzed into the center of the room and embarked on his role with great bravado.  Fully memorized, he delivered a joke that he created.  He shared that late one evening after a church committee meeting, a pastor stumbled across 3 young women who'd grown up in his church but were no longer attending.  He noticed that each one appeared drunk, and all 3 were presumably heading home with a young man on their arm. 

Knowing each of the young women, the pastor approached them individually, and basically declared, "It's good to see you,  young lady, but I've had a vision of your future, and if you don't repent and change your ways, you're going to hell."  The first female was warned the devil would make her give a prepared speech once a month at a public meeting.  The second female was cautioned, "The devil will make you participate in an extemporaneous speaking contest twice a month in a public meeting."  Both of these females turned pale, dropped the arms of the men they were cavorting with and headed home alone.  The two women showed up at church in the front pew for worship the following Sunday. 

Now the third female was also delivered a similar warning by the pastor that evening as she stood arm in arm with her male friend.  The pastor threatened, "If you don't repent, the devil will make you give an extemporaneous evaluation of a speech once a month in a public meeting."   She paused and then replied, "That's alright, pastor.  I should have a large pool of suggestions to draw from, given all of the criticisms I thought of the many years I spent listening to your bad sermons." This time the pastor turned pale and bolted for home.  The next Sunday the pastor's sermon seemed extraordinarily well-organized, well-argued, well-rehearsed, and well-delivered...especially compared to the usual.  (Imagine how much better the sermons might have been had the third woman's constructive criticisms actually reached him!)

Now this clever joke has us thinking that maybe some people would equate what we do at our regular Toastmasters meetings as living in hell (i.e., giving prepared speeches, speaking extemporaneously on various topics, and evaluating other people's speeches), but keep in mind that these prepared speeches are usually 5-7 or at most 10 minutes long.  The spontaneous speeches are just 1-2 minutes and are prompted by a user-friendly question, which allows us all to learn more about each other.  In my opinion, "hell" would be staying in my comfort zone 24/7...the same person...and not expanding my skills or who I am.

I'm not a natural born talker, and the thought of joining Toastmasters for years repulsed me.  That's how frightened I was of developing speaking and leadership skills!  But the experience I've had in Peace Speakers has really helped move me forward.  Although still nervous about talking in front of others, I've none-the-less found it to be exhilarating and liberating.  Sharing stories, ideas, and information of value is downright fun and educational. 

Speaking of fun, Ada gave a speech today entitled "A Taste Tester's Experience".  This was Project #8 from the Competent Communication manual.  A few snippets from her speech include:

• Companies use taste tests to gather information about food and improve their products.
• Depending on where food lands on our tongues, we experience bitter, sour, and sweet tastes.
• Our sense of taste gives us pleasure while we eat...unless what we taste is repulsive to us.

Ada shared how she creates her Mandarin Orange Cake, a recipe that has garnered rave reviews for several decades. Since the 8th speech calls for "Getting Comfortable with Visual Aids," Ada displayed the ingredients for making her very special cake.  Whipping on an apron made for a visual effect as well, and watching her reminded me of the precision of Martha Stewart and the grace of Loretta Young, who used to sweep into the room at the beginning of her TV program.   (Now I'm really showing my age!!!!!)

Ada unveiled the finished product and served each of us each a slice.  The imbedded mandarin oranges cloistered in the fluffy icing were simply divine! This final visual aid was definitely appropriate for her speech and her audience, making us understand why this cake has been her signature since the 1970's. 

It's time for Table Topics, and Eric didn't disappoint us.  His questions always reflect deep thought, and today he had us musing about where we experience excess and excessiveness, to the point where it may become a pet peeve.   

 

Bethany's question was about portion sizes in restaurants.  "They're so big!" she exclaimed.  When she feels  compelled to eat everything on the plate,  it's unhealthy.  And when she leaves some food behind, that feels wasteful.  (Right on, Bethany!  Personally, I'd rather have smaller portions of better quality food.  Let's eat the American way and commit nutritional suicide!)

Eva was quizzed on her thoughts about and the perpetual campaign cycle and relentless political ads.  She felt the excessive debates and media coverage during the Republican primaries was contributing to the dysfunction of our political system.  Being subjected to these ongoing debates and attack ads hasn't help educate the public in a substantive way about the candidates' stands on important issues.  (Anyone else find the remote your best friend when the attack ads drone on day after day?)

Robin was asked about making Facebook settings permanent  and their privacy features.  She shared that privacy settings don't always work out as one believes they should.  She learned this the hard way after posting a friend's bachelorette party under what she thought was a privacy "friends only" setting, but instead it went out to everyone.  (How did I miss those pics on Facebook, Robin?)  She concluded that making Facebook entries permanent is a bad idea because the information will quickly become outdated.

Even though I was serving as the Timer at today's meeting, I agreed to pull a Table Topics question as well.  (I know this picture's a few months old.  I can't shoot myself!)  I was asked about the "3 Strikes Legislation" and said that imposing a life sentence for 3 convictions isn't necessarily the best answer.  After all, some people get poor counsel and are unfairly convicted.  Offering rehabilitation is my preference, with the exception of those who are "Silence of the Lambs" psychopaths.  

And finally Becki, residing in the roles of both the president and the Toastmaster at today's meeting, (pictured above in this blog at the podium) volunteered to answer a question about excessive commercials on TV.  She noted that these ads have a way of making us feel there's always something better out there and what we have isn't good enough.  The danger in watching TV ads is how this leads to broad discontent.  (Excuse me, but I need to log off now so I can go buy some luscious lipstick that'll make my lips sparkle like Halle Berry's.)

Members considered the merits of each Table Topics talk and voted for the one that stood out in their minds. Everyone got at least one vote, but Becki lead the pack and takes home the trophy for the next few weeks. (I know, Robin on the left is wearing a different outfit than she was pictured above during her talk.  As the Timer, I was wrestling with the stopwatch and taking notes at the same time and missed a single shot of her during Table Topics!!!) 

This has been another fun meeting of Peace Speakers.  We all got to share, we listened and learned, and we honed our skills. And thanks to Ada, we filled our tummies with heavenly cake.

If you're new to this blog, consider joining us on the first or third Wednesday of any month.  Here are the particulars:

Peace Speakers Toastmasters Club

Presbyterian Center

1st and 3rd Wednesdays

1:00 - 2:00 PM

100 Witherspoon Street

Downtown Louisville, KY

We are an open club and a friendly, diverse group of people.  Give yourself the gift of growth, which will positively impact your personal and professional relationships.  You'll be glad you did!

Respectfully submitted,

Kay Chambers

VP of Public Relations for Peace Speakers