The highlights:  member induction, gym stuff, jock strap, green eggs and ham, Peru, Thai restaurant, and the super plunger, and first time.

We inducted our first two new members to Seattle Sunrise for year 2020.  Oleg inducted Samatha and Young, welcoming them to the club as members, and asking them four questions: 1.Will you prepare for your assignments to the best of your ability? 2.    Will you cheerfully accept the roles assigned to you? 3.    Will you support and encourage others in their speaking goals? 4.    Will you attend regularly?  Then Oleg reminded the club members of their commitment asking them “As club members, do you agree to support Samatha and Young in their growth as a speaker,  leader and club member?”  Toastmaster club provide 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. 

Gym instructor was the theme, which tied to a Mr. Jeffreys, to the word of the day “equipment”, to physical props of dumb bells and jock strap, the meeting was full of interesting stories and transition.  The speakers were Jovica, Ana, Samatha, and Steven.  Jovica refined his speech about green eggs and ham, using repetition and a photo of green eggs and ham, getting to the point of great nutrition.  Ana had a slide show of her trip to Peru.  Samatha gave an award speech to her favorite Thai restaurant, while also including some icebreaker personal facts.  Steven with enthusiasm and custom, told us of his fundraising efforts for the Super Plunger efforts in 2019, a physical and cold way to to support the local Special Olympics.   Bill won the table topics speech, with his rendition of using the jock strap not only for its original purpose, but as a helmet.

To summarize, we had first time visitor of Thomas, Lisa, and Hannah.  Young had his first role as timer.  Samatha gave her first speech as a member.  And of course we had our induction of new members.  Jimmy as toastmaster of the day, not only facilitated the meeting, but also was the general evaluator. The meeting ended on time.  The officers stayed for an extra 20 minutes to conduct a business officer meeting immediately following the regular session. 

What are the elements on this earth? Earth, Wind, Fire, etc. Our toastmaster extraordinaire, Steven, used the Frozen 2 theme to facilitate a fun packed meeting.  Our agenda handouts had images of Frozen the movie all over it.  In print, in voice, and visually, Steven was able to masterfully weave and transition the theme and elements variations throughout the meeting.  Steven’s energy was contagious causing the other roles to carry the theme into a smoothly run meeting.

The first speaker Oleg provided a show-and-tell speech about Pathway Base Camp on the Toastmaster.org website and how to navigate. It was small bite size education, pertinent, and very helpful speech for the members of the Club.  Our most improved speaker of the year might just be Isabella.  As the second speaker, she gave us a retrospective on her journey in Toastmaster, in Pathways, and how it improved her communication and confidence at work and personally.  Designer by trade, Isabella definitely designed a wonderful speech for us to experience.  It was speech of culmination and retrospective, sharing with vulnerability, self deprecating humor, and relevant details, of how her journey at Toastmaster had dramatically help her.  Traci evaluating Isabella commented on her “pausing” and “slowing” down in her delivery, asking her to do more of this and to connect more with the audience, while celebrating the improvements and the messages she presented in her speech.  With poise and composure, Jimmy described how train travel put the world on the same clock. Using simple power point visual aid and the power of his words, Jimmy took us on a journey of how the railroads create the first time zones. In Scott’s evaluation of Jimmy’s speech, he mentioned that the narrative arch was enjoyable. Connecting the Toastmaster early meeting time to the thesis of the presentation, Jimmy was able to hook us to the topic.  Both speaker and evaluator were polished in their delivery, and it was fantastic for the audience to have Jimmy and Scott finished each of their respective section.  Scott won the Best Evaluator award. Our returning guest, Jason, won the best Impromptu Speech for the Table Topics. 

At the end of the meeting, visitors voluntarily gave some feedback. We even had time for toastmaster moments from Paula and Bill.  There were a few new comers interested in Club membership and our VPM and Treasurer took time after the meeting to answer their questions.  Jovica and Petar, our sergeant-at-arms officers, repacked our gear and coordinated breakdown of our setup to the original room orientation.  We’re really thankful for Merrill Gardens for allowing us to use their Event Room every week.  It’s warm, welcoming, and perfect for our Club.  

Green eggs and ham, learning how to drive, barefoot fire walk of Toastmaster, the habit loops were some of the topics of today’s meeting. With four speakers, and their evaluators, our early Saturday morning meeting open with VPE, Oleg, introducing our Club, two guests, and handing off the podium to the Toastmaster of Day, Aleli.

Wearing a flaming hat and repeating “Green Eggs and Ham”, Jovica discussed eating nutrition habits of America, struggling with health, raising his son during a season of struggle of truancy and rebellion, and provided statistics how good nutrition can help avoid struggles.  We also learned that Jovica can lift near 1K pounds in his power lifting disciplines. Titled “Crashing American Dream of a Car at 16”, Petar told of his story of learning to drive from his father and grandfather, repeating a previous speech. Bill went to the podium bare footed and told us of his $50 seminar where Tolly Burkan, the original seminar speaker of the fire walk, guided him to walk over red hot coals in 1985. Traci asked the audience to think about their 2020 goals progress and highlighted the insights from the book Atomic Habits. 

Dave facilitated the impromptu speeches, weaving the questions with the theme of overcoming obstacles, with four volunteers.  Petar spoke of how to overcome a giant rabit.  Jovica gave us ways to survive a tsunami. Visitor and new comer, Yevhen, who Oleg brought as a guest, provided a recommendation on how to increase membership of a non-profit organization, and Scott wowed us that he indeed has intimate knowledge of whales species and how to avoid being eaten.

Oleg awarded Steven the best evaluator ribbon, and we also celebrated co-winners, Jovica and Yevhen, for the best table topics.

The first meeting of 2020, President Lara made an announcement of the Club’s receipt of the Distinguished Club Program Award for year 2018-2019, calling up former President Steven to the podium. We’ll be tagging this new ribbon on our Toastmaster Banner, which is hung at each of our meetings. Jovica started the meeting with the agenda review, to a mostly packed house, with our members and six guests. Four speakers, four evaluators, and table topics, and report from the general evaluator, timer, and grammarian, along with special Executive Committee Announcements, and guests feedback, the meeting went a little over… (But) we hung around chatting, catching up, and introducing ourselves, while enjoying the mini cupcakes that Paula supplied.

Special guest speaker John LeCompte hooked us with the question “do you want to be a hero”, then buy the Sanden Sanco Heat Pump Water Heater. That transition to Steven, who although is one of our advance speaker, had re-iterated his Icebreaker from Classic to Pathways, dazzling us with his tips and tricks on planning a Mega-Date with your significant other. Aleli gave her speech on How to Fail Faster and Why You Should, which should have been a controversial speech, with hostile audience, under fire. As Oleg evaluated Aleli, he commented that the “attempt to put yourself in those uncomfortable situation” is what Toastmaster is about. Dave gave an expletive filled interpretive reading, that had us giggling and attentive. Truly a wide range of useful topics for the first batch of speeches, as one of the guest Jason noted in his feedback.

The Executive Committee Announcements: celebration of Dave’s 10th Anniversary with the Club, the VP of Membership Officer role for January to June will be managed by Paula, and lastly open to all members and guest, there will be an Officers Meeting immediately following the Regular meeting.