Starbucks was the theme and the Toastmaster started with setting the scene. Paula had a coffee house virtual background, starting her facilitation before the start of the meeting, with agenda distribution, starting social conversations, and priming the early morning audience for another Saturday regular meeting. Everyone adjusting to the new normal of meeting online instead of in person. Despite the limitation of meeting online, Paula brought us together and led our imagination as if we were all together at a coffee house.
Bill, former president of the club, had an 3 minutes to share an educational moment at the beginning of the meeting, using a power point slide. This educational moment section in the Zoom agenda is new, allowing officers of the club, opportunities to speak in the meeting.
Jimmy was the toastmaster for the table topics, which is the impromptu speaking section of the meeting. There were four participants, Steven, Lara, Jovica, and Bill volunteered for an improvisational scenario speech.
Our one speaker was Sam, who gave her second presentation at the club. Titled “The Cold Killer”, Sam had illuminated a light under her chin and starting telling a story of a serial killer, who hid his victim’s bodies in the snow. As part of the Advance Communication serious The Entertaining Speaker”, Sam entertained us, gives us shivers, and woke us up. Lara evaluator Sam’s speeches. As a trained theater and stage performer, commented on Sam’s theatrics in telling the story, commending her on her vocal variety, and asking her consider even more body movement or body language for dramatic effects. There was a two round robin volunteers with Paula and Petar.
The General Evaluator orchestrated the evaluation portion of the meeting by introducing the section and each evaluator role. Aleli was the GE for this section and she lightly covered the entire meeting. Isabella gave a timer report and Steven provided a grammarian report. One highlight from Aleli’s observation was Petar’s great interests in Sam’s speech, which led to genuine round robin critique.
Paula concluded her TM duties with the Starbucks coffee house background, and like the start, warm smile and closing remarks before handing off the meeting to the VPE and President to end the meeting.
During the closing of the meeting, the President mentioned that a business meeting with the Officer Committee would follow the meeting immediately after the regular session ends.
