Meeting notes by Kathy M.
Andy K. stepped in as President for the day and did a nice job of opening our meeting and greeting members and guests.
Zhou B., our Toastmaster, kicked off this Memorial Day week-end meeting with an observation that in his China, his home country, they also have a day to honor military personnel. This event is observed in August with marches and parades to celebrate the homeland.
Aleli M. brought history to life when she shared her story about Dr. Rizal. Dr Rizal, a Filipino writer and poet living under Spanish Colonial Rule, was executed due to the rebellious nature of his writing. He is known as the National Hero and is credited for shaping the independence of the Philippines. There are many monuments to Dr Rizal in this country of birth and around the world. There’s even one in Seattle where there’s a vibrant Filipino community. Aleli, who moved to the United States from the Philippines as an almost seven year old shared that she’s been reconnecting with her roots through her Martial Arts community, and through her research for Toastmasters.
Kathy M grabbed the attention of the audience with her speech, “Open the door to communication” by raising her hands and yelling, “STOP, What are YOU DOING?” as water poured out of the washing machine and her husband was trying to mop up a river of water with a few dry towels and throwing the wet towels out the door. Her speech was geared for gestures, and she did a few funny ones to pantomime the actions. She had attended a workshop a few weeks ago and recognized the need to have a crucial conversation after they spent 2 hours mopping up the water in silence. She learned that the best way to work with her husband was not to yell at him but to ask him for a plan. She also realised that she needed to work on herself and that difficult conversations always help, they clear the air and improve communication and connections.
Our third and final speech was from Bill S. titled “The art of good listening”. Using vivid color and descriptive words, Bill shared lessons learnt from the observation of a friend’s parenting style. This friend’s young daughter got into a scuffle with a young boy in the play area at the mall. Instead of coming to the rescue of his daugher and giving the young boy’s father a talking to, his friend opted to first check in with his daughter. Bending down so he could talk to her at eye level, he asked her how she was doing. She stated she was fine and Bill realized that, more than an intervention, all this little girl needed was for her dad to ask the right question and then listen to her. Fast forward to the present where we find Bill using these communication skills with his wife. Bill who likes to problem solve, realizes that when his wife comes home after a challenging day at work, what she is looking for someone who will sit and listen quietly to her as she shares her emotions. Being an active listener, he concluded, this is the most beneficial action he, or anyone else can take to support someone.
Aswini H. lead the table topics and Kiki N.was the timer and kept us all on track for the morning.
Brett S.was the overall evaluator and shared some positive and constructive points for improvement.
Isabella Z. was the Grammarian, and her word for the day was script.
What do Mauritius Island, fashion design, Vaclav Havel, Poutine and the Emerald City have in common? Me! All these ways have led me to ( drum roll...) the Seattle Sunrise Toastmasters where friends and great speakers are made! I look forward to sharing my stories with you!
