The Lectern Speaks by Clarence Featherson

"Laugh and Grow Strong."

St. Ignatius of Loyola

Once upon a time when I was a beginning Toastmaster I was a very passionate but extremely serious (and stationary) speaker. One night I was given feedback by two very experienced Toastmasters that completely changed my speaking style and helped me become a more effective speaker.

I was told to put humor in my speeches and give only humorous speeches for several months. I did as suggested and the proof is in the pudding! Today I wouldn't dream of doing a presentation or training (at work, for TM or anywhere) without using humor.

I have used it at a memorial service for a close family member. Because I always use humor in my presentations (including table topics and evaluations) I'm often asked if humor is necessary in a speech.

My answer is always:

"No, it's not.....UNLESS you want to keep your audience interested, awake, engaged and focused on your message."

Audiences have a very short attention span. Humor helps keep people interested for several reasons (emotional and physical). Humor reduces tension, which is extremely important when dealing with conflict, very serious issues, very technical issues or children.

Humor helps people relax and have fun, makes them more open (think open fist versus closed fist) and receptive to information you're sharing. Humor makes people more likely to remember your message or to quote James C. Humes:

"What entertains endures."

It also helps people retain your message better because when people laugh they consume more oxygen and some of that oxygen makes its way to the brain and revives some of the brain cells the humorless speaker before you put to sleep (yeah for you)!

Humor also makes the speaker (particularly in job interviews and work settings) more likable (and for single people who are interested in making good impressions on dates.....it makes you more interesting, attractive AND super sexy).

Many people tell me they can't include humor in their speeches because they are not funny and can't tell jokes.

One super important point I always tell people is-humor does not have to include jokes or stand up comedy or a deliberate effort at being physical. Humor is anything that is amusing or information presented with a different twist (or facial expression, body language, exaggerated pause) or perspective.

You don't have to be funny to use humor. You just have to be willing to not take yourself too seriously and practice it every chance you get.....until you get better and you will (based on feedback from others). Using humor makes your speech more fun for you and your audience (and most people want to have fun).

Another question I hear Toastmasters ask frequently is, "Do I have to have humor in my International Speech?"

The answer is:

"No you don't.....UNLESS you want to win!"

All winning International speeches have humor in them (watch the winning speeches from the Toastmasters World Championship of Public Speaking if you don't believe me).

My challenge to you is to use as much humor as possible in your speeches (all types), evaluations, table topics, job interviews, passionate discussions with spouses, children, family or friends for two months (or longer).

You be the judge of the results. If humor doesn't help you connect better with your audience I'll give you not only a complete refund but I'll give you double your money back (that's supposed to be an example of humor)!

Line-up for Silver Spring Toastmaster's October 6th Meeting

We have a great group of leaders and speakers signed up for our first Autumn meeting on October 6th. The roles are as follows:

TMOE: Merlyn Kettering

Master Evaluator: Joan Phillips

Table Topics Master: Kim Crews

Speaker #1: Yen Le

Speaker #2: Maxine Blanks

Speaker #3: Oswaldo Ortega

Speaker #4: Mel Bayo

Evaluator #1: Louise Janus

Evaluator #2: Craig Schaar

Evaluator #3: Clarence Featherson

Evaluator #4: Pauline Brown

Timekeeper Jim Phillips & Ellen Segal

Grammarian: David Buresh

Listener: Dorothy Jefferson

Snacks: Tiffany Montero

Drinks: Marcia Snyder

Come out and join us for an entertaining evening!

Silver Spring Toastmasters September 15 Meeting Summary by Pauline Brown

Acting Sgt-at-Arms for the evening, David Buresh got the meeting to a bright and energetic start at 7:30pm. President Mel Bayo capitalized on the momentum as he announced the recently received President's Distinguished award for club 1314. Immediate past President Merlyn Kettering was recognized for his outstanding leadership that helped our club maintain its high standards.

Table Topics provided a 30 foot view of Toastmasters and was a tribute to our visitors. Participants shared the various means by which they showcased their effective speaking and leadership skills in the workplace.

Fresh from his hiatus, past Club President Craig Schaar with much confidence and mastery of the role of TMOE, set the stage for "Dreams to Take Flight". Bill Aley and Clarence Featherson ensured that there was no shortage of energy to fuel the flight.

The evening's speeches were as varied as they were thought provoking.

Eldon Ralph's Interpretive Reading project entitled "Gray Matter" was a perfect choice. The vocal variety in delivery saw the characters come alive, as the audience learned about how bonds between people, even of disparate backgrounds, can be formed. Move over Robin Williams,Eldon does voice much better!

Dorothy Jefferson, with her characteristic poise and confidence, in rare pedagogic style, and with visual aids, delivered Project #8 from the Competent Communicators Manual, entitled "The Care and Feeding of the Soul". She emphasized that, "The longest journey one will ever take is the journey from the heart to the soul." Where are you on your journey to the soul?

Remember how you reacted the last time you shook shook a can of soda then popped the top? Then you'll get what I mean when I say Bill Aley took the speaking area like a storm!

Judging from the title, his hip pocket speech entitled "When You Intend to Fly, It's That First Step" seemed innocuous, but then he unleashed his full complement of energy and in real Bill Aley fashion, leaped from the floor to the top of a chair, and with the vocal variety and gestures to support each move. Yes indeed, we journeyed with him through his dream as he realized the mantra "Make Your Dreams Take Flight!" And then....we all exhaled!

Speech evaluators Mel Bayo, Clarence Featherson and Marcia Snyder did justice to the speakers' efforts as they provided valuable feedback.

As with every successful meeting, the supporting roles of Timer's Report, Grammarian/Ah Counter and Listener's Report were done with keen attention to details. Commendations are in order for David Buresh, Maxine Blanks and Ellen Segal.

Many thanks to Joan and Jim Phillips for the tasty treats! Mingle, mingle was a great time of fellowship and meeting our first time visitor Tony and returning visitors Tara and Tasha.

To crown it all, Master Evaluator Robin Bradshaw did a superb job as she conducted the review and analysis of the entire meeting. In just a few words, the meeting was fun filled and productive.

Our Club President's concluding remarks were filled with satisfaction and optimism. Optimism because Club 1314's contestants were set and ready for the upcoming Area 62 Contests!

Yowsa! We're surrounded by winners!

Club 1314 is full of winners. . . even outside of our club meetings! At last Sunday's Area 62 Humorous Speech and Table Topics Contests, Club 1314 proudly walked away with both 1st place finishes: Mel Bayo for the Table Topics and Clarence Featherson for the Humorous Speech.

Congratulations Mel and Clarence!

And three Club 1314 leaders served as officials for the event: Merlyn Kettering as Area 62 Governor, Sandra Coles Bell as Contest Master, and Una Mae Kettering as Contest Coordinator. Thanks for representing us well!

Be sure to come and cheer on Mel and Clarence at the Division Contest. More details to follow.

The Lectern Speaks by Clarence Featherson

"The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step."

Confucius

I became involved in Toastmasters in order to become a more effective communicator and improve my performance at work.

But, once I became active in Toastmasters I realized I had embarked upon a lifelong journey of personal development and improving my communication skills was just the tip of the iceberg.

This journey is in many ways equivalent to the Knights of the Round Table and their quest for the Holy Grail or Jason and the Argonauts and their quest for the Golden Fleece.

Toastmasters cannot guarantee my quest will be successful.

But I am certain, if I attend meetings regularly, actively participate in meetings and make Toastmasters a priority, I will improve my speaking, listening and leadership skills.

The communication and leadership skills I've acquired in Toastmasters have helped me in all areas of life. Joining Toastmasters was my first step on a journey with adventures and rewards that are limited only by my imagination and vision!

I've taken the first step - what about you?

How to Post a Comment on Our Club Blog

Three years ago I didn't even know what a blog was.

I'd never written a post and I'd DEFINITELY never posted a comment on a blog either. One of my favorite facts I've learned about them since is.....

The best thing about blogs is they aren't a one way form of communication.

Because it is possible to comment on the content presented, future presentations improve AND more importantly, a sense of community develops among those who regularly submit comments and the blog contributors.

Because a few members wanted to know, here is how YOU can submit your comments on a club blog post......




Once you've clicked on the post from the home page or clicked on comments, you are taken to the comments field for that particular post. Just enter your comment then click "Post a Comment".




Once you do this your comment goes live on the blog under that particular post. If you have a Google account, since Blogger is a Google app, your comment will go live immediately if you're signed in.

If you're making your first comment and don't have a Google account I suggest you create one (future RSS Reader related posts will explain why).






When selecting your profile choose Google from the dropdown menu then click "Post a Comment. You'll be taken to the screen below.





Click on "Create One Now" and you'll go to the following screen to get you started with a Google account.







Once this is done all you'll need do is make sure you're signed in to your Google Account when you'd like to post a comment. If you are, your comment will immediately go live.

Remember your first Toastmasters meeting?

I felt a little intimidated in a room full of accomplished speakers and leaders. Yet over the past three years, by doing what I feared and receiving feedback on every effort, my speaking and leadership skills have grown.

By regularly contributing your comments on blog posts your content creation and evaluation skills will grow. Not only that, but we'll also create an even deeper sense of community among our members and those searching the web for a way to improve their speaking and leadership will be drawn to us. That's how our community will grow.

So, what do you think? Are you ready to comment now?

SEE YOU AT OUR SEPTEMBER 15th MEETING!

We're all set up for Silver Spring Toastmasters' September 15th meeting. We still have room for a hip-pocket speaker for anyone who is interested.

Here is the current lineup for this meeting:

Toastmaster of the Evening: Craig Schaar

Master Evaluator: Robin Bradshaw

Table Topics Master: Paulie Brown

Speaker #1: Dorothy Jefferson

Speaker #2: Eldon Ralph

Speaker #3: HIP POCKET

Evaluator #1: Mel Bayo

Evaluator #2: Clarence Featherson

Evaluator #3: Marcia Snyder

Timekeeper: David Buresh

Grammarian: Maxine Blanks

Listener: Ellen Segal

Refreshments: Joan and Jim Phillips

BE SURE TO BRING YOUR COMPETENT LEADERSHIP BOOK WITH YOU IN ORDER TO GET CREDIT FOR ANY ROLE YOU PERFORM!

Learn How the First Update on Our Blog Can Save You Time and MORE!

Ever wanted to stay on top of the latest developments in a certain field of expertise?

Let's say on an ongoing basis you want to know what experts are saying about something like.......

PUBLIC SPEAKING!


Well, you could easily use a search engine like Google and type in the words "Public Speaking". This makes lots of sense because many resources would be made available to you. All you'd need to do is visit the most relevant sites to gather your information. Also, you could bookmark your favorite sites and make a mental note to visit them regularly.

The challenges though, are:

• The bookmarking solution proves difficult if you have to keep up with lots of sites.
• You have to do all the work.
• Life gets busy and you just don't have the time to visit each of your bookmarked sites every day to see if there are any updates on them. So you miss content.
• If the sites you picked don't update frequently you waste time seeing the same content over and over.

Enter the world of RSS and solve your problem.

RSS (Really Simple Syndication) allows you, as a web surfer, to subscribe to sites relevant to your interests and automatically receive updates from them. This way you can stay on top of the latest and greatest on Public Speaking and enjoy these additional benefits:

• You don't have to give any personal information to subscribe.
• It's 100% opt in, meaning you have control of the information you get so there's no SPAM and you can unsubscribe at any time.
• You can easily locate information and quickly scan it.
• You can classify and categorize your information.

While you're a web surfer gathering information, as a Toastmaster you're also a content producer. Here's how content producers can benefit from RSS.

• It allows you to distribute relevant information to a targeted audience.
• It helps you increase your exposure.
• Over time you can position yourself as a thought leader in your area.

Also, believe it or not, the club benefits from RSS too! Check this out:

• Because of the constant updates on the blog, search engines crawl it more frequently and improve the chances of it being a Top 10 search result for the term "Toastmasters Silver Spring".
• Because of this the club reaches new and broader audiences.
• RSS is easier than email and gives us an additional way to communicate.

So....have you sold yourself on RSS yet? If you have, you'll need to get started with an RSS Feed Reader.

Would you like to know how to do this?

If so, type a quick reply in the Comments Section and you'll get the information SOON!

September 15th Meeting Roles and Openings

After a great Humorous Speech and Table Topics Contest on September 1st, we're moving into our Fall season of Toastmasters. We already have four speakers lined up for each of the next three meetings, but can fit in a 5th speaker if necessary, and need to fill all of the leadership roles.

For next Wednesday's meeting on September 15th, we still have openings for TWO EVALUATORS.

Here is a current lineup for this meeting:

Toastmaster of the Evening: Craig Schaar
Master Evaluator: Robin Bradshaw
Table Topics Master: Paulie Brown
Speaker #1: Dorothy Jefferson
Speaker #2: Eldon Ralph
Speaker #3: Desiree Payne
Speaker #4: Louise Janus
Evaluator #1: Mel Bayo
Evaluator #2: Clarence Featherson
Evaluator #3: OPEN
Evaluator #4: OPEN
Timekeeper: David Buresh
Grammarian: Maxine Blanks
Listener: Ellen Segal
Refreshments: Joan and Jim Phillips

Please email David Buresh or respond to this blog posting if you can fill one of these roles. Be sure to check what roles you need to complete for the Competent Leadership requirements, and see if any of your requirements match an opening in next week's meeting. And BE SURE TO BRING YOUR COMPETENT LEADERSHIP BOOK WITH YOU IN ORDER TO GET CREDIT FOR ANY ROLE YOU PERFORM!

Enjoy the beautiful weather!!

SUPPORT: Help Make Area 62's Dreams Take Flight!

Support Silver Spring Toastmasters' club contestants and Area 62 at next week's Area Humorous Speech and Table Topics Contest!

Contests showcase talent. Not only of the contestants but that of all involved in supporting roles.

Let's show Area 62 what Silver Spring Toastmasters is all about by committing our customary ENTHUSIASTIC involvement in the following capacities:

1) At least 1 member to help with judging roles: preferably someone with a CC or at least 7-8 speeches and evaluations.

Name: __________________________________

2) At least 2 club members to assist with hosting and support roles such as greeting, service, set-up, etc.

Name: __________________________________

Name: __________________________________

3) Silver Spring Toastmasters has also been asked to assist with snack refreshments by providing at least 2 savory and/or sweet snacks for the Contest.

Savory snack/dishes: ________________ _________________

Sweet snack/dishes: ________________ _________________

Let's help make this an EXCELLENT Toastmasters event!

Sign up for roles NOW by responding in the comments section or emailing Mel Bayo AND.......

be sure to attend our.......

Area 62 Fall Contest – Humorous Speeches & Table Topics

Sunday September 19, 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Takoma Park Presbyterian Church

310 Tulip Avenue (corner of Tulip and Maple Avenue)

Takoma Park, MD 20912

Find the 3 Updates to Silver Spring Toastmasters Blog!

Can you find them?

Pick one and comment on it......

• How could it help you as a member?
• How could it help the club?
• How could it help people outside our club?

We look forward to hearing from YOU!

Come Soar With Us!

How is a Blog Post Like a Silver Spring Toastmasters Meeting?

Sounds like a riddle, doesn't it?

And while you may now have a smile on your face, hopefully it's a thoughtful smile because you're trying to figure out the connection hinted at in the title above.

Picture yourself walking into one of our club meetings. You've just finished your duties at work, at home or other engagements and you take a deep breath then slowly exhale as you cross the threshold of Room 204 at Marvin Memorial.

You're ready for an evening of fun, fellowship, learning and growth with your Toastmasters family. A number of fellow members engage you in conversation and you do some catching up with each other.

When the meeting begins, everyone has warmed up and is ready for an evening of impromptu and prepared speaking. You'll participate or observe but here are a few questions for you to consider:

• What if no-one flashed you an encouraging smile after your Table Topics response?
• What if your prepared speech received no applause OR evaluation?
• What would a Toastmaster's meeting be like without any feedback?

The strength of the Silver Spring Toastmasters experience is in the camaraderie, effort and ESPECIALLY the feedback that is displayed. Through feedback the speaker, evaluator and whole club learn together.

During meetings, throughout Room 204 you can see the knowing glances and nods that accompany the acknowledgment of having received a key distinction....the type of idea that can serve as a catalyst for deeper learning and inspired action.

And GUESS WHAT?

Many of the posts on the Silver Spring Toastmasters Blog could be like a VIRTUAL SPEECH and the comments section could serve as a VIRTUAL EVALUATION section where members provide feedback on the post and popcorn ideas between each other.

Just like in an evaluation, you have the ability to post comments that answer the questions:

• What worked well in this article?
• What ideas do you have that could help it be even more effective?

Let's look for opportunities to learn from each other in the past and future posts on our club blog by engaging fellow members through comments. We grow so quickly because we do this so well in person and can definitely do a GREAT job on the blog too!

SO..........

What do you think?

Congratulations to Winners of Silver Spring Toastmasters' Fall 2010 Contests!

The 2010 Silver Spring Toastmasters Humorous Speech and Table Topics Contests showcased the widespread talent in this club. The winners were:

• Humorous Speech Contest 1st Place: CLARENCE FEATHERSON ("A Good Idea")
• Humorous Speech Contest 2nd Place: SHIRLEY JARVIS ("The Dinner Invitation")
• Table Topics Contest 1st Place: CLARENCE FEATHERSON
• Table Topics Contest 2nd Place: MEL BAYO

Kudos to the other talented table topics contestants: Ellen Segal and an Anonymous member.

Appreciation also goes out to the chief judge (Mike Nolan) and all of the judges, ballot counters, and timers.

The evening was a very promising indicator of the quality speeches, both planned and extemporaneous, that we can expect to hear throughout this new Toastmaster year! Well done!