Zhou was Toastmaster of the day, Justin K., Grammarian and Saher A., Timer. The Word of the day was “Synthesis.”
“ Synthesis” refers to the combining of separate elements. Our Saturday morning meetings are a great synthesis of stories and experiences .

Speaker #1, Lara G. presented Project #4 from the CC manual . Her speech titled” Photography is everywhere” was a thoughtful reflection on the reasons why people take so many pictures( 1.2 trillion in 2017, or an average of 1.7 billion per day!) Some people may choose to make a picture book, like the handsome family picture book Lara showed the audience. Leafing through the book, Lara realized how her children had grown since these pictures were taken. She then led the audience to the reasons why people take so many pictures everyday. Pictures are our time machine which lets us go back to very specific moments in the past and makes us immortal.

Speaker #2  Paula L.., presented “ Of birds and the art of travelling”.  Have you ever noticed that there  is a bird on the cover of your passport? Paula shared her observations about how the ease of travelling changes depending on one’s nationality and how her travel experience changed when she changed from her “dodo passport” to her ” Bald Eagle ” passport .

Speaker #3, Aswini H., presented CC project #6 titled “ Excruciating pain- not physical but mental”- a story  about Louise,  an orphan who inherits her parents’ restaurant after their death and her evil creditor, Adelbert.  Louise is distressed by the debt owed to Adelbert, but even more by the bizarre behavior of Adelbert who insists on burning the hard earned money he is repaid every month in front of Louise’s eyes.  Thankfully, Louise confides in two of her friends and one of them ultimately leads the police to Adelbert who is identified as a money counterfeit and arrested. The moral of the story is that it’s always better to face adversity together than alone.

Speaker #4, Isabella Z, presented CC project #4 titled “ Elements of Communication” . Listening and  speaking without casting any judgments are two very important elements of successful communication.

Kathy M. was the Table Topics Master. She asked questions about food, organic or not.  And she received a variety of answers; from Tree Hugger Pizza to home made nachos.
Tom B. was voted best table topic and Marti M., best evaluator.
Our next meeting is October 21, 2017.

Lara was the Toastmaster on this first fall meeting. The word of the day was “ Mercurial”, meaning volatile.

Paula L. and Justin K. were the Grammarian and Timer respectively.

Speaker #1 , Tom B. presenting Project #5 from the Speaking to Inform Project. Tom’s objective was to present an abstract concept. His speech titled “ A new framework for tolerance” used an interactive introduction where the audience was asked to listen to a list of feelings with their eyes closed and raise their hands if they identified with these feelings. Surprisingly, this reenactment of a past experiment seems to yield the same results. We are perceive ourselves as flawed even though we may project otherwise to others, we are all in the search of success, happiness and security. This reaffirmation that we all share a common humanity is at the root of tolerance.

Speaker #2, Zhou B., presented CC Project #7 titled “ Do more with less”.

“ In design less is more, but in the field of aeronautics, you had to do more with less.”  Zhou described the  early beginnings of flight and and how, even though the aeroplanes were rudimentary, each successive version was  designed to surpass the performance of the previous version.

Speaker #3,Dilip G. presented project #4 from the CC manual. In his speech titled “Venezuela- Bolivar of Broken Dreams”,Dilip explained the reasons behind the decline of the Venezuelan economy.  In spite of their large oil reserves, lack of diversification and the falling prices of oil are causing  current catastrophic levels of hyperinflation, poverty and increasing homicide rates. Venezuelans who are no longer able to afford the basic necessities are increasingly  seeking asylum overseas. Dilip concluded with a deeper appreciation for the stability of the country we all live in.

Landing your dream job

Speaker #4, Isabella Z. presented CC Project #3. Her speech titled “ How to land your dream job” was chock a block full of practical and helpful advice on how to apply for, follow up and persist in finding your dream job.

Table topics were led by Neva C. Jasmine, a guest, was voted Best Table Topics with her solid pitch on how to invest for your early retirement.

Best Table Topics

Scott C. was voted Best Evaluator.

Two new members, Steve and Justin, were inducted.

Welcome to Seattle Sunrise!

Our next meeting is September 30th.

Toastmaster Zhou B. introduced the meeting with thoughtful reflections about leadership: to build a ship, a leader does not ask his/her team to fetch wood, rather he/she will evoke the appeal of the ocean. With those inspiring words, Zhou introduced his helpers: Cara S. , Grammarian and Saher A., Timer.

The Word of The Day was ” Ostentatious”, meaning ” overly elaborate or conspicuous.”

Julie S. presented “Diet and Exercise: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” She asked the group to stand up and do some quick exercises as part of her introduction  to illustrate that exercise is good for you. She then reminded us of the importance of eating and exercising right to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Exercise will increase your vascular and muscular health, improve your sleep, increase your energy levels and help fight depression. Eating right means balancing your diet and controlling your portion size. To sum, do the right thing, it’s  good for you.

Neva C. presented “Think of your ears.”, an informative speech about hearing loss. Did you know that hearing loss is irreversible and that permanent hearing loss occurs if you are exposed to  85 decibels for 8 consecutive hours?  Using exact language and expressive hand gestures, Neva gave a very effective description of the anatomy of the ear and made a very convincing case for taking simple steps to prevent hearing loss.

Bill S. presented “ Feeding the Hungry Ghosts- A Compassion Building Practice.” in which he shared how during his annual meditation retreats, all participants had to offer a share of their meals to the Hungry Ghosts before they could eat. In Zen literature, Hungry Ghosts are described as having d quite visually, with necks as thin as needles, so very little food can pass through and  great distended bellies, so they are ravenous. They are described as being in continual torment because they have this great hunger that can not be satisfied. In the process of learning about Hungry Ghosts, Bill learnt about his own feelings about food. He also developed an acceptance and compassion for people who are afflicted with addictions , which are manifestations of Hungry Ghosts.

Kiki N, presenting project #2 of the Story telling manual “ Streaking and in no hurry to grow up.” In this coming of age story, Kiki took us back to one of her teen- age summer adventures where with her friends Jessica, Katie and the dog Sackett, she  decided to undertake a rite of passage to adulthood: streaking in the neighborhood! The excitement soon devolved into sheer terror when the girls got split up and were followed by a mysterious car. Thankfully they all made it back home without getting in trouble with their parents. Kiki’s conclusion was that being a child was not such a bad thing after all.

Lidia S., Table Topics Master asked members of the audience to relate what lessons of leadership they might have learnt in their various roles as a Toastmaster. Neva C. was voted best table topic for her thoughts about gaining in confidence as a result of the support received from her fellow club members.

Paula L. was voted Best Evaluator.

Our next meeting is September 16.