Johan, as Toastmaster, introduced the meeting’s theme, “Learning Curve.” Two guests and 17 members attended the meeting.

Johan launches the meeting.

Patrick delivered the meeting’s first speech, “Care about Your Work,” the third project from the competent communicator manual. He recounted his experiences working as a stocker, through which he learned the importance of a good attitude in his work—a lesson that he applies now in his career as a graphic designer, and which he called on his audience to adopt as well.

Patrick describes his first job.

Shen was our second speaker, presenting “Cultural Differences,” his second project from the competent communicator manual. Based on his observations of three cultures, growing up in China, studying in the U.S., and starting a business in Africa, Shen explained several differences between the three cultures. He persuasively exhorted the audience to “embrace the differences” among cultures.

Junlei, as the third speaker, delivered her ninth(!!) project from the competent communicator manual, a speech she entitled “The Top 5 Reasons to Buy a Prefabricated House.” She quickly dispelled notions of trailer parks with striking images of modern modular homes. She focused on persuading the audience to consider prefabricated houses as a good option by explaining many benefits, including financial savings and environmental advantages of prefabricated housing.

Scott, this meeting’s Topicsmaster, asked attendees to consider the special learning opportunities presented by road trips through his series of questions. Angie, Violetta, Shane, Adrian, and Mary delivered short speeches in response to the questions. With his humorous remarks on running out of gas on the road, our guest Shane won the ribbon for best Table Topics.

Madeleine, Nicole, and Stephen presented evaluations of the speeches. Dick gave a general evaluation of the meeting. Stephen won best evaluator for the meeting.

Madeleine shows why speakers should not look at the ceiling during a speech!

Our next meeting is October 26, 2013.

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Nicole explains the contest rules

Today we held our club’s Humorous Speech & Table Topics Contest. Our acting president Scott launched the meeting by introducing the theme of the meeting and welcoming our guests. We had one returning guest Adrian, and two new guests, Ndingin and Eurayna. Then Nicole, as today’s toastmaster briefed the meeting roles and responsibilities.

At the Humorous Speech Contest, our first contestant Dave’s topic was “Things Happen”. He shared his funny story at the Vietnam War when he and his buddy’s action was somehow matched with the war dog’s action in military training, while they were planning to play basketball. He concluded that sometimes things just happen and don’t go the way you want.

Dave adds gestures to his speech

Our second contestant Steve presented about his “autopilot” story from high school. He talked about how his buddy in high school forgot to put on his speedo after a swimming training, whiled being watched by everybody. After much hilarity, he suggested that don’t engage in autopilot when you are in a speedo.

Petra uses visual aids in her speech

Our third contestant, Petra taught us the driving lessons about manual cars. She grew up in Slovenia in an engineering family. That’s why she learned to drive sticks. She talked about how to engage the clutch and gas pedal at the same time in order to shift gears, and also how to start the car at an uphill. She suggested that while you don’t need a third leg to drive a manual car, you would need a third hand to text while driving. So no texting while driving.

The Table Topics Contestants were Michelle and Steve. The question was “is it better to watch or to be watched”. They both answered that they wanted to watch than to be watched. Michelle stated that as her maturity evolved, her talent lied when she watched. Steve said he would only want to be watched on a stage.

Angie describes the Table Topics timing

Then, our district representative Lance and acting president Scott announced today’s winners. Dave won the first prize in Speech Contest, and Petra was the runner up. For Table Topics Awards, Steve won the first prize and Michelle was the runner up. The winners, Dave and Steve would represent our club at the regional contest in Snohomish PUD on Oct. 5th.

Michelle is runner-up in Table Topics Contest

Petra is runner-up in Humorous Speech Contest

Steve is winner of Table Topics

Dave is Winner of Humorous Speech contest

Our acting president Scott received the Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) Award, and then he went on to close the meeting by introducing the theme of our next meeting, SpeEch a tHon. It was an incredibly fun and successful contest for today’s meeting.

Shen delivers his first Toastmasters speech.

Janell, launched the meeting as Toastmaster by taking us back in time to Seattle’s jazz history on Jackson Street showing off part of her vinyl collection with the meeting’s theme, “Golden Oldies.” Twelve members and two guests, Karen and Adrien, attended the meeting.

Members write feedback for speakers.

Shegkun (Shen) presented his first project from the competent communicator manual, the Icebreaker. He made an inspiring speech entitled “Risk that Makes My Life T
hrilling,” emphasizing the value of taking risks as he described his excitement in deciding to turn down opportunities at home in China to study here (and then at MIT), and his goal of helping address food security in China.

Our second speaker, Michelle, presented project #3 from the competent communicator manual in a speech entitled “You, Too, Can Be an Urban Farmer . . . Starting Today!” With carrot and trowel in hand, she discussed the benefits of home gardens and how easy it is to get started, even in late August.

Nicole presented project #2 from the “Special Occasion Speeches” advanced manual. Her speech, entitled “Farewell,” was what she would say to praise her colleagues, both as a group and individually, if she were leaving her job (which she isn’t!).

Junlei presents a song title to Mike for Table Topics.

Karen selects another song title for Table Topics.

Junlei, this meeting’s Topicsmaster, asked participants to imagine themselves at an international conference on global warming where the speaker suddenly receives a note requiring use a specific song title. Mike, Andrea, Karen, and Auggie were our brave Table Topics volunteers. After much hilarity, Auggie won the ribbon for best Table Topics for his use of “Hit the Road, Jack” in a speech about governmental corruption in Uganda.

Auggie wins the ribbon for Best Table Topics.

Andrea, Scott, and Madeleine presented evaluations of the speeches. Johan gave a general evaluation of the meeting. Scott won best evaluator for the meeting.

Club president, Johan, inducted two new members, Auggie and Shen. Nicole ended the meeting with a reminder and call for participants in the club’s speech contest on September 14—our next meeting!