Tuesday, April 12, 2016

My Toastmasters Journey


By Barbara Kincade, DTM - Toastmasters at Twelve, Daytona Beach

I never even heard about Toastmasters until I took the Dale Carnegie Course.  I had a job where I was expected to stand before a group and teach Petroleum Economics software.  I was really bashful.  DCC is not a public speaking course, but more a human relations course.  Their speeches might be one minute.  I visited Toastmasters clubs in Houston and Dallas.  They seemed like professional speakers to me.  At the end of the meetings, dreading the time for guest comments, my allergies would flare and I would begin clearing my throat.  The best I could manage was, "Nice meeting."  I visited those big city clubs off and on for ten years.  I knew I needed Toastmasters, but I was too scared to join. 


I moved to Fort Myers, Florida.  A new club was starting in Bonita Springs.  They stumbled, bumbled and Ah'd all over the place.  Plus, they were so nice and friendly. 

I joined Bonita Springs Toastmasters in August 1991.  My first Table Topics response was mentioned in the Ah Counter's report.  He said I had 14 Ah's in my 27 seconds, plus I seemed to have a case of the "However's."    Once I made that commitment to join, nothing could stop me from mastering that fear.  The following spring, someone said to me, "Barbara, I can tell you would make a really good Vice President Education." I was so flattered that I agreed.  The next year someone said, "Barbara, you did a great job as Vice President Education.  I can tell you would be a fantastic Area Governor."  I became a Toastmaster fanatic - Area Governor, officer in my home club, dual member, building another club. I ate, slept and breathed Toastmasters.  I achieved my first DTM in 1996.

Reminiscing, I recall people, speeches, particular meetings, funny things that happened in Toastmasters.  One of the funniest was when one of my ballot comments after a speech, said, "Most eyebrow movement since Groucho Marx."  I was very self-conscious about my eyebrows for quite a while.

Another funny story happened at a Division Humorous Speech contest in Sarasota.  I was "Priscilla Louise Walker, CTM or Prissy Lou to my friends."  I went through the 10 speeches in a silly voice with humorous explanations of each. In the middle of my presentation I noticed the District Governor from Miami checking his watch.  That was funny.


One of my big speaking fears was my mind going totally blank in front of the group.  Thank God it happened during the Invocation.  I just said, "Amen."


I love the teamwork and flexibility we have in Toastmasters. I recall an October West Volusia Toastmasters meeting at the Deltona Library.  We arrived to find early voting had taken our meeting room.  We went outside in the park area, had a semi-dark meeting.  It was perfect for Halloween with lots of strange sound effects in the dark.


My favorite officer role is Sergeant at Arms.  There's no homework.  You show up early and set up the room.  You stay late and put it back together.


My favorite advanced manual is Interpretive Reading.  You don't have to write a speech.  You use your voice, gestures and facial expressions to interpret the author's words.


Twice I've had my heart broken in Toastmasters.  I guess that's inevitable when you invest so much of your time, energy and self into anything. The first time I was trying to build a Christian Toastmasters club at my church in Fort Myers.  We had 17 members after six months, and then people started dropping out.  The final straw was when one of my Bonita Toastmasters evaluated a brand new member and became so emotional that he took the Lord's name in vain.  I knew my pastor would hear about it and I would be held accountable.  That night I sobbed at the side of my bed.  I cancelled the new club effort.  The second time we had some personality conflicts in another club.  Someone became offended and we went through six months of Toastmasters' stress.  I finished my term as Vice President Education, helping them become President's Distinguished, and then I left. Each time, it was not the Toastmasters program that caused problems.  It was the actions of a few members.  I believe in Toastmasters, found other clubs where my contributions were appreciated.


One of my most favorite Toastmasters activities is leading Youth Leadership, public speaking training for ages 8 to 18.  One person could lead the entire program, but it's better for fellow Toastmasters to present the educational speeches.  The Toastmasters get manual credit for their speeches and the youth are exposed to different style of speakers.  We've presented them in Fort Myers, Houston and Daytona Beach.


I've made lots of friends during my 24 years of Toastmasters.  Two of my mentors during that early period are still my best friends.  I stay in Toastmasters because of the networking.  Where else can you go and hang out with positive people wanting to improve?

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

The Answer to all our Club Membership Questions

by Gina Lockhart, DTM
Lakeview Toastmasters, Club Mentor, Sponsor and VPE

Three of us started a brand new toastmaster club a year and a half ago. We had many concerns as we contemplated chartering such as…
  • How
    will we get a minimum of 20 members and keep them?
  •  How
    will we get the members to come to each meeting and stay excited about Toastmasters?
  •  How
    do we get them to sign up to give speeches?
  •  How
    can we have fun while learning?
  •  Who
    will want to be an officer?
  • How
    will we become a Presidents Distinguished club every year?
  • How
    do we get visitors to come to our meetings, become members and bring their friends and coworkers?
Naturally between the three of us, we came up with plenty of answers from having open houses, passing out fliers to having guest speakers and bringing food. Yes, food always works well we found out but we get tired of bringing it every week and it can be costly. We found the best solution was a
balance between all of these. We came up with monthly themed meetings and we GO ALL OUT!

 
Here’s how it works: Each officer chooses a month and is in charge of the themed meeting for that month. The officer chooses a theme and they can grab a team of 1-2 more people if desired. The themes can be anything, i.e., Feb – Hearts, Red, Love or Cardio, (we are a healthcare company), you can be creative here. Then they ask for volunteers or use a signup sheet for members to bring food and decorations. This is all voluntary, not mandatory. Then they announce their theme one month in advance, so there is always a themed meeting to look forward to. The Grammarian, speakers and table topic master are then asked to choose a word of the day, speeches and topics that incorporate the
theme. At the end of the meeting, we socialize over the food and snacks that were brought, like red velvet cupcakes and punch for our Feb cardio theme. Members and visitors love it, the work is not all on one officer and its easy to do! Each month is a different theme. Members can take a month too if they are motivated or they can be helpers. It even fits the criteria in their CL manual so they credit for it as well. You can have any theme like International month, Father’s Day, Thanksgiving or Cardboard Box Day. Be creative. The theme doesn’t matter, what matters is, it is a meeting that everyone looks forward to attending, its different from the usual meetings and members love bringing
guests to them. Plus there is food. Having themed meetings once a month we found are not too often but just often enough. Of course, still have your guest speakers come and prepare your open houses with fliers for the meetings in between the themed meetings. Keep the variety going for your meetings and the members guessing at what will be next. You will notice a greater attendance at
weekly meetings, new members joining often, membership retention, DCP points rising, a line of members ready to be an officer for next term and your signup sheets will be filled with speakers weeks in advance! We say whoever coordinates the themed meeting is Toastmaster for that day.


What did I choose for my month? I chose ‘It’s Everyone’s Birthday!’ This themed meeting was complete with party hats, balloons, noise makers, presents for table topics and birthday slides on the screen. To polish off the meeting, we concluded with a Banana Dream Cake, candles and singing for
all of our birthdays (it was fun trying to fit everyone’s name in that song). We love having themed meetings and we keep a solid 24 members. What theme will you choose first?

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

The ACE Club wants to contribute to Area Toastmasters in a BIG Way

by Jerry Smith, DTM, District 84 New Club Chair

ACE is an Advanced Club on the northeast side of Orlando that hopes to serve as an assist to area clubs. The club is doing so with three special events coming up in the very near future. The dates and events are: Monday, November 30 "All Speech Night", Monday , December 14, "Tall Tales Workshop" and Monday, January 18 "Division D Tall Tales Contest and Open House".

All events start at 7:00 PM and are at the Metro Church in Winter Springs at 1491 S.R. 434 near 417. We invite everyone to come for the fun. The Tall Tales Contest is limited to Div.D clubs and has a limited participant list of 8 and you must be nominated by your  Club President  or VPE. Only one participant from each club.

The Tall Tales Workshop which will focus on the history and mechanics of the tall tale is open to anyone interested in the subject. It will be hosted by Jerry Smith, Storyteller & DTM . A RSVP is appreciated. 

Division D Presidents and Area Directors please look for emails with more information coming soon.

Sunday, October 25, 2015

International Day

by Victor Theocharides CC, Club President, Florida International Talkers

On Sunday October 18, 2015 Florida International Talkers held a very special event. Florida International Talkers toastmasters club had an international day, an open house which attracted members from all over the community.   We had both speeches and entertainment and a great keynote speaker. Pim Parpart, DTM did a thai dance that was great. She also wore a Thai outfit and played Thai music. This made the audience feel as if they were actually in Thailand watching a show. Zhuo Li conducted a speech about the difference between American Chinese food and real Chinese food. Zhuo Li is an exchange student from China and truly gave the audience a clear picture of how Chinese food and American Chinese food differ. Victor Theocharides CC, delivered a speech about his experiences in Tobago. William Capote, Mayor of Palm Bay was our keynote speaker and delivered a speech about the importance of toastmasters and how it can help advance our career.

Florida International Talkers is a Toastmasters club that was founded to help foreign exchange students develop their English communication skills as well as leadership skills. We have speakers from many different countries, including; Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago, China, Dominican Republic, United Arab Emirates, India, Brazil, and off course U.S.A. We meet the first and third Sunday of Every month from three to five P.M. at Memaw's Barbeque in Palm Bay. We hope that you can come visit our club sometime and listen to some great speeches. Toastmaster's is an international organization and we have our own little international toastmasters within our community.

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Happy Birthday Speak Up America Club 7911

by Brian Gourlay, CC CL

Speak Up America, a corporate club at Bank of America, is 25 years effective 10/1/02015.  The club has done a fantastic job developing multiple different levels of leaders and communicators.
We’ve had  several district and international officers from this club:
  • Dave Hollingshead – First District 84 (D84) Governor; Toastmasters International Director and Regional Advisor.  Dave was also an Area Governor, Division Governor, and Lt. Governor of Education and Training, all in District 47.
  • Linda Deshauteurs – First D84 Public Relations Officer; D47 Division A Governor; and a D47 Area Governor
  • Coleman Stokes – D47 Division A  Governor
  • Shari Cartwright – a D47 Area Governor; First D84 Division F Governor
  • Lori Green – a D84 Area Governor
  • David Sturgis – a D84 Area Governor
  • Manny Costa – D84 Treasurer
  • Beth McCullough – D47 Treasurer
Thank you to all of these fantastic Toastmasters for their contributions to developing people. 

 Additionally, three members of the Speak Up America club went on to develop new clubs.  Shari Cartwright (PMI-NEFL), David Sturgis (World Golf Village) and David Hollingshead (Mandarin ).

Thank you to everyone for their contributions over the years and we look forward to the next 25 years.

Brian Gourlay
Club President - Speak Up America Club 7911

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

JIA Toastmasters Receives 2015 Best of Jacksonville Award

Press release provided by Eve Rojas, JIA Toastmasters VP Public Relations
JIA TOASTMASTERS RECEIVES 2015 BEST OF JACKSONVILLE AWARD


Jacksonville Award Program Honors the Achievement



Jacksonville, July 10, 2015 – JIA Toastmasters has been selected for the 2015 Best of Jacksonville Award in the Non-Profit Organization category by the Jacksonville Award Program.

Each year, the Jacksonville Award Program identifies companies that we believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and our community. These exceptional companies help make the Jacksonville area a great place to live, work and play.

"JIA Toastmasters was a struggling club whose members were committed to ensuring its survival and growth," stated Eve Rojas, club president for the 2015 Best of Jacksonville award year. "By implementing a well-rounded public relations strategy, JIA regained its momentum in both membership and member success."

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2015 Jacksonville Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the Jacksonville Award Program and data provided by third parties.

We are honored to have earned Toastmasters International's President's Distinguished award for 2014-2015," stated Ms. Rojas, "and excited that an outside organization like the Jacksonville Award Program has recognized our commitment to excellence."

About JIA Toastmasters Club

JIA Toastmasters — Jacksonville Innovative Articulators — provides a supportive and positive learning experience in which members are empowered to develop communication and leadership skills, resulting in greater self-confidence and personal growth. We are open to all interested parties and the general public.

CONTACT:

JIA Toastmasters ClubEmail: vppr-3862@toastmastersclubs.org

About Jacksonville Award Program

The Jacksonville Award Program is an annual awards program honoring the achievements and accomplishments of local businesses throughout the Jacksonville area. Recognition is given to those companies that have shown the ability to use their best practices and implemented programs to generate competitive advantages and long-term value.

The Jacksonville Award Program was established to recognize the best of local businesses in our community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to recognize the small business community's contributions to the U.S. economy.

SOURCE: Jacksonville Award Program

CONTACT:

Jacksonville Award ProgramEmail: PublicRelations@awardcontact.org

Friday, May 22, 2015

The Vintner's Daughter

by Theodore J. Allman, ACS, ALB

There are only two seasons in Minnesota: winter and pothole repair, which is a local euphemism for summer. Since it was not yet summer, my 1960 Fiat Spider had sustained some damage to its undercarriage from one of these potholes. It was more like a cauldron hole. Because parts for a Fiat had to come from Italy, I was driving a “loaner” from the repair shop, a '50's something pea green station wagon.


By evening I was ready to collapse, but I had a date, ostensibly to celebrate the end of another school year. I got to Patti's house about 7 –  in my station wagon, where I was greeted by Frank. Normally I am not intimidated by meeting a potential father-in-law, but he wanted me to follow him into the basement. I might have been alarmed, but already sleep deprivation had diminished my resistance and caution.


However, he only wanted to show me his pet project – making wine. There were vats of fermenting mash and paraphernalia everywhere. I feigned interest and asked a few dumb questions when finally Patti called from upstairs. “Are you ready?” Oh yeah.


As we walked down the driveway, she asked, “Where's the Spider?” After proffering an explanation, she consented to get in, reluctantly.


We cruised around Minneapolis until we were thoroughly lost. By 3:00 in the morning, we finally found our way back to the right part of town and her house. There had been no petting or making out, but I still shook with apprehension as I pulled into her driveway. And sure enough, here comes Frank flailing his arms for me to wait for him.


The man had no concept of the hour. He only wanted me to take a crock of mash home. Since the hour hadn't disturbed him, I certainly didn't want to insult him by refusing to share his hobby. We lowered the back seat which provided a metal platform on which to place the 15 gallon crock of fermenting grape mash. Then I left for home, relieved.


The soporific drive lead to a predictable conclusion. BANG! I had fallen asleep, and veered into a very stout tree. My head struck the steering column and I was knocked unconscious. The inertial forces on the wine vat sent it sliding forward until it struck the back of the bench seat. A tsunami of grape mash inundated everything in front.


As I regained consciousness, my head was resting on the steering wheel with my gaze focused on the window ledge of the driver's door – on a grape. In my confused state, I figured it must be my eye. I reached out for it and was trying to put it back in the socket, when the policeman appeared at my window and asked if I had been drinking.


I was befuddled. Here I was trying to restore my sight when he wanted to know if I had been drinking. Of course, I didn't realize the whole car smelled like a brewery, or what it must have looked like to see me pressing a grape into my bloody face. He wanted to see me walk and was kind enough to open the door for me. As my only support was removed, I tumbled to the ground and lapsed back into unconsciousness. I was next aware of someone yelling profanities at me, accusing me of damaging her beautiful tree. I laid there absorbing verbal abuse until the ambulance arrived and rescued me.


 After getting my broken nose temporarily set at the hospital and few hours of R and R, I was allowed to leave, but not before answering a few innocuous questions from my friendly police officer who had been waiting all this time. He was sure he could get me on a DUI, but an intern assured him that the only alcohol was on me, not in me.

My Toastmasters Journey

By Barbara Kincade, DTM - Toastmasters at Twelve, Daytona Beach I never even heard about Toastmasters until I took the Dale Carnegie...