Hello Seattle and Sunrise Toastmaster, we’ve accomplish yet another great meeting. Tom, our President, has been in his new role for a month; reflecting on the Victories and Failures thus far. Speaking of Victories and Failures, this was our theme for the meeting. Tom introduced and explained Seattle Sunrise Mission, a reflection of the victory sustaining our welcoming and open culture week after week. Tom also mentioned that our meetings are now only occurring 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and when applicable 5th Saturdays of the month starting August. It’s worth mentioning that our members do commit to a Saturday morning week after week. Our commitment is unwavering, but a break every now and again is healthy.
In fitting with Sunrise and Toastmaster at large, Tom introduced toastmaster of the day, Dave. The Toastmaster of the Day opens the meeting with the traditional roles, the Grammarian and Timer. The Grammarian last Saturday was Tina. She listened for creative uses of language, count filler phrases like “ummm” and “so,” and discuss the Word of the Day. Last week the word was: Actualize (to make reality). The Word of the Day is a Toastmaster activity to challenge members to broaden one’s daily vocabulary. Every time the word is mentioned during the meeting, we give a customary knock on the table.
Cara fulfilled the Timer role last week. Her responsibility for the meeting is to express how each speaker has a set time to speak. When certain milestones are reached within speeches and short speaking opportunities, various colored sheets with become apparent. A green sheet means you are ready to finish. A yellow sheet means you are mentions concluding thoughts. A red sheet means you have to finish.
After Dave introduced the roles, he continued to facilitate speeches. He introduced each speech while in between speeches reminded the group of Toastmaster protocols, in particular using our various Toastmaster provide speech guides and manuals. The victory of our club sustaining its culture is due in part to the protocol we aspire to uphold. It’s easier for the club and its members to keep consistent to this protocol for a quality execution of each meeting. Another victory mentions were getting passed 30 members, a milestone within the Toastmaster organization. Sunrise is an attractive option for those dedicate, professional, innovative people looking to expand their abilities and boundaries.
Speaking of expand boundaries, Jung was the day’s first speaker. The title of the speech was: Blending Cultures. She accomplished Project #06 from the Competent Communicator (CC) Manual, called Vocal Variety. Jung made an analogy from the movie, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” drawing parallels from her traditional and big Korean family versus her husband’s small Washington family who happen to be Vegan. She expanded her husband’s resilience (love?) were enduring the clashing of cultures. She sharing her lessons with the audience. Understand Korean greetings, the nuance approach to her family’s subculture dictates the mood of the entire experience. Talk about first impressions! Greetings are one things, knowing her Uncle’s table fraternity games, is another. Be prepared for invasive questioning. Finally, pick up the check. Just do it, your right every time to pick up the check no matter what. Her husband was so determined to do this right, she ending her speech with her husband eating pancakes with chopsticks! Simply a wonderful speech again, Jung.
The next speaker was Steve. This was his Icebreaker, the first project in the CC Manual. The Icebreaker is simply a speech about you. He spoke of his protocol failure and his victory in learning to respond to emails and to always communicate. Steve spoke of his childhood in Portland, then in Central Washington. He said it was nothing to exciting and perhaps hindered his confidence. So he joined the USMC. He discussed a vulnerable moment during Basic and having the right and great Drill Instructor that did not give up on him. A great motto mentioned during his speech, “fail forward.” Great quote, motto, and one of our more confident Icebreakers to date.
Speaking of more confident speakers, Neva spoke third. Neva discussed the Three Life Lessons She Learned from her Three-year-old. She accomplished CC Manual #05, Your Body Speaks. She spoke with poise (a project goal) and purpose, talking about how fortunate she is to have a great, chill kid. Perhaps this is a testament to good parents. Her lessons she learned: learning new habits is hard, stay committed! Getting to the big potty will happen, it’s up to them to make the leap. Great lesson for team dynamics, too. Be mindful on the current moment; life isn’t ideal. We can spend time wishing and planning for some future idyllic place and event, or realize it right in front of us, right now. Realize this and perhaps it went be too fleeting. Ultimately, embrace change. Change happens, one can ebb and flow with the waves, or clash right into them.
The last speech for the day was from Paula Lui, a season speaking at Sunrise. Her speech was titled: Naming Stories. She accomplished CC Manual#06, Vocal Variety. Paula Lui has seven names, a Chinese tradition of sorts. She spoke of her young years in Mauritius, an island nation in the West Indian Ocean. She presented her DooDoo passport and talked of world traveling. She then shifted her story about a Chinese child. It ended up being a Chinese fable about the perils of a child with too long of a name. Wonderful story, Paula.
Next of the agenda was Table Topics. Marti was assigned the role to present this activity. The activity is an extemporaneous speaking challenge primarily for those who don’t have speaking roles. We go to Toastmasters to become better speakers; on-the-spot speaking is a great way to find victories in those sudden opportunities. Marti incorporated Victories and Failures into the extemporaneous exercise. Cara was picked and spoked of wanting victories at work. Dean spoke and discussed living through failure with her black belt experience. Nicole S discussed a grade school victory that shaped her career. Mark, a guest, discussed how a recent victory at work reminded him of a victory 25yrs ago, defining his career change that led to great things.
The final part of our meeting is the evaluations. Each Toastmaster meeting maintains this exercise. We speak to be critiqued and accept the feedback. Seattle Sunrise maintains a positive culture as the intangible value brought every Saturday morning. The evaluators we always mention praise for their speakers. Key feedback items last week were: pace and pauses. Pace and pauses give the audience a chance to think or when appropriate a chance to laugh. Points last week were very prevalent in speeches. Points helps the audience to follow the story or speech. Other observations: make eye contact and have strong, commanding posture on stage.
Great meeting again! A couple of announcements, give online comments and checkout Marti’s Meetup (http://www.meetup.com/Fearless-Powerful-Speaking/members/11944914/). The next meeting is theme is Meditations on 7:30am, 30 July. This is the last meeting for July. Our first meeting in August will be the on the 13th.
