Silver Spring Toastmasters Blog

Three great opportunities to become a stronger evaluator

2012-01-28T08:17:00.000-08:00

Silver Spring Toastmasters family members :

Many of you have said nerves get the better of you when it comes to signing up for the meeting role of Evaluator. Others have said you'd like mentoring in this important skill. All of us would love to become better and better at this vital role that's at the heart of what makes Toastmasters such a powerful personal growth experience.

So . . . please take advantage of these excellent opportunities to build your Evaluation skills and confidence:

This Weds., Feb. 1, 7:30-9:30 p.m. (our regular meeting): "Evaluation to the Power of Three: A Special Skills-Building Presentation." Learn by demonstration and discussion when two of our club's most experienced and accomplished Evaluators, and one of its most experienced and aspiring, provide three different "takes" on a single manual speech (by one of our club's soon-to-be CCs!). Observe and contrast their individual approaches. Hear the tips and experiences they've found most valuable. Ask questions! We believe you'll find there are many routes, and yet some common mileposts, on the road to great evaluations.

Next Sat., Feb. 4, 11:10 a.m.-1:10 p.m. (TLI at MedImmune in Gaithersburg): "The Art of Evaluation." Build on what you've learned at our meeting in this in-depth District 36 Toastmasters Leadership Institute training session. This educational elective, along with others, is open to any Toastmaster free of charge! See details at the District 36 website.

Weds., Feb. 15, 7:30-9:30 p.m. (our club's Spring contest, coming right up!): The Evaluation Contest. There's nothing like a little friendly competition to take your skills to new heights. Here's your once-a-year chance to apply what you've learned by competing to be our club's (and then our Area's? Division's? District's?) Evaluation Contest winner--or to learn by seeing and hearing the winning evaluation that gets this journey started!

SEE YOU SOON!

Members & Guests: Please join us!

2011-12-18T17:59:00.000-08:00

Customize your own invitation card

Area 62 Humorous Speech and Table Topics Contests

2011-09-07T20:45:00.000-07:00

Silver Spring Toastmasters......

You've GOT to be there!

The District 36, Division F Area 62

Humorous Speech and Table Topics Contests

Here's the details.......

September 18, 2011 3-5pm

Takoma Park Presbyterian Church

310 Tulip Ave, Takoma Park MD

Doors for Set Up 2pm

Registration Begins 2:30pm

Briefings 2:45pm

Ignite Your Potential......See YOU There!

We have . . . TWO WINNERS!

2011-08-28T16:53:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the winners of our Silver Spring Toastmasters Club 1314 Table Topics and Humorous Speech contests . . . and Bravo/a to all those who participated!

Six contestants came forward for Table Topics, conducted into the room one by one by our Sergeant-at-Arms Robin Bradshaw. Contest Master Merlyn Kettering presented each with the thought-provoking query: What person from the past, present, or imagined future would you most like to meet, and why? We enjoyed thought-filled responses from Andy Jacobs, Drew Kolody, Mary Olowofoyeku, Renee Davis, and Fiona Morrissey . . . and CLARENCE FEATHERSON, whose intriguing two-minute account of the pioneering life of America's first African-American female physician garnered the most votes from our judges.

It was exciting to have three of our newer club members--each of whom has joined within the last year--entertain us with well-prepared Humorous Speech entries. Andy Jacobs, Drew Kolody--double entrants both!--really had us chuckling! But in the end it was SHIRLEY JARVIS, drawing us in with a tale that began darkly--like, really darkly--and then delightfully lightened right up, who emerged as our judges' top choice.

Thanks to Merlyn, and Chief Judge Mike Nolan, our judges, and everyone who enjoyed a fun and enlightening evening as they supported our contestants.

Congratulations, Clarence and Shirley!! We are pleased and proud that you will represent our club in the Area 62 Table Topics and Humorous Speech Contest at 2 p.m. on Sunday, September 18, at Takoma Park Presbyterian.

First meeting full of verve and vigor!

2011-07-09T17:02:00.000-07:00

Thanks again, everyone who participated, for kicking off our new Silver Spring Toastmasters year con BRIO last Wednesday evening!

We lived up to that excellent Word of the Evening that Renee Davis shared with us--so much so that most of the photos I snapped came out a blur! (Likely there's an iPhone setting to take care of that . . . will explore further, or try taking video next time! :)

Featured here is the sole posed photo--of 2011-12 Silver Spring Toastmasters Club 1314 officers Pauline Brown, VP Education; Desiree Payne, VP Membership; Maxiine Blanks, VP Public Relations; Andy Jacobs, Secretary; Mike Nolan, Treasurer; Shirley Jarvis, Sergeant-at-Arms; and me, Joan Phillips, President--snapped by Merlyn following our installation by immediate Past President, Mel Bayo.

Fittingly, our leadoff meeting featured some new developments . . .

See the NEW ORANGE NAME TAGS? If you're a member who wasn't able to attend, you'll find one waiting for you at the door at the next meeting. No more hand-scribbled stick-on throwaways, thanks to Shirley!

Why orange? We introduced OUR NEW CLUB COLOR: ORANGE--a powerful color evocative of activity, fun, socialization, and . . .

Our 2011-12 CLUB MOTTO: IGNITE YOUR POTENTIAL! as well as member and District Governor Barry Piatt's District 36 motto, BE THE SPARK! and member and Division Governor Una Mae Kettering's Division F motto, FIRE UP!

We also enjoyed some new twists . . .

. . . (and a lot of laughs) as our creative respondents, including William Aley, rose to Table Topics Master Mike Nolan's challenge to concoct a story leading up to the "moral of" he provided them.

. . . as Master Evaluator (and new Area 62 Governor) Mel Bayo expanded on the three excellent evaluations with insightful pointers of his own . . . foreshadowing the You Too Can Become a Great Evaluator theme you'll find at many of our meetings this year.

As always . . .

. . . The meeting featured admirable preparation and delivery by our Toastmaster of the Evening (Pauline).

. . . We were treated to informative and inspired speeches: K.I.S.S. (Keep It Short & Simple) by Maxine, who did!; "Medicaid's Nursing Home Benefit" by Henry Nash (many notes taken); and "We've Got Talents" by Las Vegas International Speech Contest bound Eldon Ralph (GO ELDON!).

. . . Our speakers, and each of us, benefited from perceptive, well articulated evaluations (by Andy Jacobs, Eniola Olowofoyeku, and Merlyn Kettering).

. . . We also received valuable feedback from our Timer (Robin Bradshaw), Grammarian/ Wizard of Ahs (Hoan Dang), and Listener (Shirley Jarvis).

. . . And, of course, we enjoyed great refreshments (thanks to Fiona Morrissey, Marcia Snyder, Una and Merlyn, and other contributors).

Looking forward to seeing you on WEDNESDAY, JULY 20, everybody!

Get to Know the Great Leader Inside You!

2011-06-05T06:46:00.000-07:00

Fellow Silver Spring Toastmasters,

It has been a fun year full of growth opportunities for all and high achievement for our club as a whole. I personally thank and commend every member of #1314 for their contribution to our joint success in the 2010-11 Toastmaster year.

You’ve been the embodiment of our club’s tagline: Together We’ve Soared!!!

Want to soar even higher?

Get to know the Great Leader inside you better. Be a Silver Spring Toastmasters club officer in the 2011-12 Toastmaster year!

I can clearly remember my first #1314 meeting in March of 2008. As I walked in the door I was FULL of trepidation. This was a room FULL of accomplished speakers and leaders, what could I bring to the table?

But as the meeting was about to begin, the Sergeant at Arms greeted me with a welcoming smile and introduced himself. Without the safety net he provided my first meeting experience wouldn’t have been the same. That gentleman went on to become Vice President of Education, President and is now our Area 62 Governor. You know him well: Merlyn Kettering.

I was also struck by the eloquence and grace of the club President that evening. She was engaging energetic and, above all, full of encouragement for each member who performed a role and for the club as a whole. She became Area 62 Governor in 2009-10 and is our incoming Division F Governor. You know her well too: Una Kettering.

One of the speakers that night delivered a 7 minute speech with no notes. That was amazing to me! What presence, what casual confidence and WHAT A SENSE OF HUMOR!!! So that’s what a decade or so of taking on Toastmasters speaking and leadership opportunities can do for you. That gentleman was Division F Governor, went on to be Lieutenant Governor of Marketing, Lieutenant Governor of Education and Training and is our incoming District 36 Governor: Barry Piatt.

There are NUMEROUS additional examples of OUTSTANDING Toastmasters Leadership in our club’s history (to those not mentioned here: sorry for holding true to tri-partite structure) and the three described above were chosen so you could convince yourself not only of the importance of taking on club officer roles but the many benefits you’ll enjoy when you do so.

And please understand: those benefits are available to you regardless of how long you’ve been a club member. EVERY great Toastmaster Leader began with their first meeting. In fact, it’s great when new members decide to take on a club officer role right from the start!

To that end: It’s time to nominate club officers for the new Toastmaster year which begins in July.

Please be sure to attend our next meeting which will begin at 6:45 (in order to accommodate the club officer nomination proceedings) and will be followed immediately by our regularly scheduled club meeting from 7:30-9:30.

Also, please visit the Toastmasters International website beforehand to get an understanding of what each of the club officer roles entails.

Get to know the Great Leader inside you!

Silver Spring Toastmasters: The Resolve to Win by Pauline Brown

2011-05-11T14:32:00.000-07:00

Mel Bayo and Eldon Ralph, you are truly quintessential communicators!

Silver Spring 1314 salutes you and shares the sentiments. You competed among six of the best speakers and earned first place in your respective contests. By your sterling performances, you have certainly set the standards higher.

Kudos!!!

Winning at the May 2011 District 36 International Speech and Evaluation Contests was indeed a by product of their unwavering persistence, focused hard work, and the resolve to win.!

Mel and Eldon shared these common denominators of success!

In his response to the question, “Are you ready for the Evaluation Contest?", Mel said in a rather calm and confident manner, “I am going to have fun, and I am going to deliver my BEST 3-minute evaluation speech ever!”

Not surprisingly, Eldon remarked prior to the start of the International Speech Contest that, “This will be my LAST speech contest—at the District level!”

The resolve to win was clear!

The inimitable Mel Bayo stepped out on center stage. Right away his keen listening skills were evident. The audience knew that his three main focus points for the evaluation of Wilson Rumble’s Test Speech titled, “Peeps Value” were: storytelling, structure, and premise.

Mel had a style. He was sharp—his attire was demonstrative of success!

He exuded confidence, boldness, and charisma. Mel’s gestures and use of speaking area were right on. He commended the Test Speaker’s use of story-telling with dramatic pauses throughout the speech. He spoke directly to the Test Speaker, but also maintained reasonable eye contact with the audience.

Mel identified values in the speech, and created the right balance by providing suggestions for improvement. Among his suggestions for improvement, he encouraged the speaker to make his premise and personal values clear. His job as an evaluator was well done. He validated the speaker.

Yes indeed, Mel delivered his BEST 3-minute evaluation speech!

Eldon’s speech titled, “You’ve Got Talents” was inspirational. It was clear from his speech that he had the benefit early, of becoming aware of his innate talents and abilities. He carefully navigated his path to success by focusing on using his natural talents as frequently as possible in environments that best rewarded them—He joined Toastmasters!

If Eldon’s innate abilities could be seen as a well-make cake, then Toastmasters was certainly the icing. He employed all the elements of speech-craft and delivery! How could one ever forget his amazing and humorous use of vocal variety? Eldon’s pace as he “navigated” the speaking area, was calculated and rhythmic. This served to enhance his transition as he moved through the speech.

The conclusion was memorable! As he charged the audience to celebrate their talents his final set of gestures illuminated the stage. It was awesome! The applause was sustained, with a subtle jubilant tone as Eldon Ralph did the Do-Si-Do that signaled the end of his speech—his LAST speech at the District level!

Actor, Richard Cline summed up the success strategy best when he said, “Confidence is preparation. Everything else is beyond your control.” Our winners were prepared to win!

Mel and Eldon, you are the “Spark!” Best of luck as you continue to reflect your light.

Eldon, your friends and family at Silver Spring 1314 look forward to seeing you electrify the audience as you compete in the August 2011 World Championship of Public Speaking in Las Vegas!

Silver Spring Toastmasters Meeting Summary April 20, 2011 by Pauline Brown

2011-04-28T05:49:00.000-07:00

”Tulips are at their perennial best in ideal conditions!“ This was the response given by flowers expert, Frans Roozen, to the ever pressing horticultural puzzle, “Why don’t tulips always behave as perennials?”

April 20^th was heyday for Silver Spring 1314! Live, beautiful, flowering tulips “decked” the meeting room, and the agenda in its flowery splendor was a special rendition of Kim Crews’ creativity. It was little wonder then, that the word of the meeting was blossom—an intransitive verb.

As if May flowers burst forth ahead of the April showers, all 21 attendees, including two returning guests, were at their perennial best! This particular meeting must have been the kind of experience that motivated Doris Lessing, British writer, to say, “Any human anywhere will blossom in a hundred unexpected talents and capabilities simply by being given the opportunity to do so.”

Like proud eagles in flight, attendees harnessed every opportunity and every challenge to soar higher and higher. No one dared to lose the momentum. Each leadership and each speaking role was a stellar performance!

Kim Crews, in her role as TMOE was a delight—a real pace-setter! There was no question as to whether she prepared for this role. She added value in a variety of ways. From her introduction of each leader/speaker we learned of their particular affinity to flowers. The secret’s out! Joan Phillip’s charming personality lies in her genes—her father was an amateur horticulturist, and she is particularly fond of pink tulips!

There were double-bloomers too! Merlyn assumed the role of Sgt-at-Arms and also gave a speech, while Joan Phillips graciously presided as President, and was also Table Topics Master. Eldon was Master Evaluator, and volunteered at last minute to fill one of the role as speech evaluator.

Table Topics was a blast! From the Quote Garden (website) Joan Phillips rolled out quotes dating back as far as the 16^th century. Remember literary/poetic favorites such Dickens, Shakespeare, Herbert, and Browning? Like a champion, Desiree Payne ‘danced’ verbally for about two minutes to the tune of the unfamiliar Shakespeare quote, “Oh, how the spring of love resembles the uncertain glory of an April day.” Great impromptu speech Desiree!

The three speeches were inspirational and powerful!

Merlyn Kettering spoke first—from the heart. Transitioning from his powerful and appropriate opening, “It’s not just flowers that blossom, people do too,” he unfolded in an almost solemn manner, his Rite of Passage. Can you guess the Rite of Passage that is associated with: socks and shoes taken off, towel draped around his waist, a basin (of water?), and a chair? Yes, the Ordinance of Feet-washing it is! We saw the magic of using props to add character and value to a speech—a firsthand illustration of true humility, and another opportunity to know Merlyn better!

Una-Mae Kettering ‘s speech titled, “My Path” provided much food for thought. She methodically and skillfully used the analogy of a waiter to inspire us to reach out and serve others. Could it be that this analogy also bore the underlying principle upon which Una planned and executed her path to growth as a Toastmaster? Let’s spread our wings and soar with her to greater heights!

“Setting the Tone” was Barry Piatt’s speech title. This was packed with powerful punches. One of them was his very personal and compelling story as a 9-year old, and the brilliant action that he took—that set the tone for his career as an adult. It was clear that with Barry’s wealth of knowledge, experience, and dedication as a Toastmaster, he is poised for control of the lectern and gavel at a higher level. See Barry in action at the District 36 Convention next week!

In his usual confident manner, Eldon Ralph led the evaluation segment of the meeting. Every attendee participated! Pauline Brown and Shirley Jarvis evaluated the first and second speeches respectively. The third required a round-robin evaluation. It was great hearing the many perspectives as to what worked and suggestions for improvement of Barry’s speech.

Another key component of the meeting, the reports, were provided by:

Mike Nolan – Timer, Marcia Snyder – Grammarian/Ah counter, and Fiona Morrissey – Listener’s report.

Social Time is special at Silver Spring 1314. Much gratitude went to Mike Nolan and Shirley Jarvis for providing delicious snacks.

In their concluding remarks, the Master Evaluator and President (acting) both agreed that the meeting was another well-spent time of fun and sharing!

Come soar with us at our next meeting!

Division F International Speech and Evaluation Contests - AND THE WINNERS ARE...by Pauline Brown

2011-04-11T17:22:00.000-07:00

Three Cheers, Silver Spring 1314!!!

Eldon Ralph and Mel Bayo have done it once more--They have done us proud, and have claimed the FIRST PLACE TROPHIES!

The international Speech Contest was as inspirational as it was entertaining. With his speech title, "You've Got Talent," Eldon held the audience captive as he showcased all the elements of speech craft and delivery. He had stage-center, left, and right well defined, and he certainly spared no opportunity in rolling out vocal variety with appropriate gestures. He evoked furrowed brows at times, laughter at other times, and bobbing heads throughout. Eldon, you've got talent!

Mel Bayo's evaluation of Liz Porter's Test Speech, titled, "Doors and Windows" was indeed a mini-speech of of high class! It was clear that speech-mastery is transferable--the structure was well defined, and he transitioned well from one part to the next. Most notable was his conclusion. Mel's listening skills, coupled with mastery of delivery elevated his performance clearly above the rest. Mel's evaluation was a incontestable winner!

Silver Spring 1314, this is history, and this is big! Let's follow our winners to the next level!

Silver Spring Toastmasters Wins the Area 62 International Speech and Evaluation Contests by Mike Nolan

2011-03-21T15:28:00.000-07:00

Dear valued member of Silver Spring Toastmasters Club 1314–

A large number of you were at the Area 62 International Speech and Evaluation Contests held on Sunday, March 13th. Many thanks for your support!

Those of you who missed that event will be pleased to hear that Eldon won our Area 62 International Speech Contest and Mel won our Area 62 Evaluation Contest.

Here is a photo of our two contest winners and our Area 62 Governor Merlyn Kettering who, with help from Silver Spring club and Area club members, held an exciting and memorable event.

Eldon and Mel will compete next at the Division F Contests. Please be sure to mark it on your calendar. Here are the details.....

Division F International Speech and Evaluations Contests

Montgomery County Executive Office Building Auditorium
101 Monroe Street, Rockville Maryland
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Doors Open 3:30pm
Contestant Briefing 3:45pm
Contest: 4-7pm

Come out and support our club representatives in their bid to compete in the May District 36 Finals!

Come Soar With Us!!!

A Note From Our Area 62 Governor

2011-03-15T19:15:00.000-07:00

Esteemed Officers of Toastmaster Clubs of Area 62,

Thanks! and Congratulations!! to our Area 62 Clubs for helping make our Spring Contest a successful event, an exciting event, a good memory.

What a good time for all Toastmasters who were able to attend. What a good experience for seasoned and new Toastmasters.

Thanks to your Clubs for sending capable, enthusiastic contestants. The speeches and speech evaluations were all excellent.

Thanks to you for your Club leadership which produced quality at Club levels and at this Area level for a good contest - party!

Thanks to all the Toastmasters, your Club members, who attended. What a good audience we had. What fun was had by all.

Thanks for all who supported in contest and performed in official and helping roles. It was a very participatory experience.

Thanks for for all who came early and stayed extra to help set-up and clean-up.

Thanks to all who contributed snacks and door prizes.

Thanks for your leadership in promoting Toastmasters, for modeling good Toastmaster leadership and for encouraging members to be at the contest.

Each of you has my respect in the Toastmaster leadership you are giving to your Clubs and are willing to share with others.

Thank you, Do Tell Toastmasters!
Thank you, Holy Cross-Words Toastmasters!
Thank you, Monument Toastmasters!
Thank you, Silver Spring Toastmasters!
Thank you, Toast USS Toastmasters!
Thank you, Top Notch Toastmaster!

Thank you, all !!!!!!

A special Thank You to our leading District Officers who honored us with their presence and participation. That makes us feel even more special!

Thank you to the District Leadership Team has given valuable advice, guidance and support this year to help our Clubs, Area and District meet our goals.

Please share these thanks with your Club and with all your members who helped make this event so special.

What a pleasure it is to have this opportunity to work with you all.

Respectfully,

Merlyn Kettering

Your proud Area 62 Governor

Silver Spring Toastmasters Meeting Summary March 2, 2011 by Pauline Brown

2011-03-14T16:01:00.001-07:00

While the giant, golden, 24-foot-high statue was nowhere in sight in room 204, and the carpet was not exactly red, a rather illustrious and prestigious atmosphere prevailed.

Twenty-seven (27) stars, including nine (9) guest-stars were present at the Silver Spring 1314 meeting on March 2^nd. As if memories of Oscar Night, just a few days past, were still alive in everyone’s mind, there was sense of excitement. Sgt-at-Arms, Louise Janus, set the tone for the meeting as she alluded to the Oscars, and the meeting progressed in a kind of “epic” fashion.

David Buresh traded his VP-Education hat for the presidential hat, in the absence Mel Bayo, the Club’s president. In true Toastmasters leadership style, coupled with David’s own adaptability, the meeting was lead well, and with ease! Kudos to you, David!

Just a sneak-peak at our guest list: With thanks and commendation to Mike Nolan, our guests included two Silver Spring 1314 past presidents from 1980’s--Stan Lum, president 1980, and Michael Wolfe, president 1984. Stan’s invitees were Glen, Juan, and Jamie—all affiliated with the organization called NOAH. Did you miss Stan’s explanation of the acronym, “NOAH?”

Continuing with the guest list: Lisa Covi, and Gerald Crawford, secretary and president respectively of Monument Toastmasters; Mike Rilee, Area 62 Lt. Gov. Marketing, and president of Do Tell Toastmasters, and Issa, who became our newest member that night. Welcome Issa!

In Shirley Jarvis’ debut leadership role of TMOE, she recalled the Ides of March, a festival celebrating the god of Mars. How fitting! In our own rights, we were celebrating yet another grand time of great leadership, brilliant speeches, and fun-filled interaction. Shirley’s role bore evidence of preparation and a quest for quality.

Una-Mae Kettering assumed the role of Table Topics at last minute, and did a fantastic job! She invited participants to stretch their imagination, loosen-up, and recall favorite memories, mostly from childhood at knee-high. This theme brought out some of the funniest responses. Among the favorites was one from Gerald Crawford. Of the wide variety of fruits with which we are blessed, he imagined himself being a watermelon. Just imagine a great big watermelon falling from several feet high, and breaking into numerous pieces—juice, color, seeds, and all—how many lives would be touched! Really funny, Gerald!

No Oscar statuettes were handed our, but we were entertained by three brilliant, enlightening and entertaining speeches:

Andy Jacobs’ superbly delivered speech, titled: “Should you Change” brought back memories of the old TV game show, a favorite, and counter-intuitive, “Let’s Make a Deal.” Like Monty Hall, the illustrious host, Andy delivered a powerful dose of nostalgia as he achieved the objectives of Project #3. He employed the techniques of speech craft, and sincerity in delivery. Most notably, he did not use notes, and he got to the point! Good job, Andy!

What a treat it was to listen and watch as Maxine Blanks juxtaposed “Crown Jewel,” her speech title, with the Oscars. She then proceeded to edify the group of the Washington Area “Crown Jewels.” The Kennedy Center, the Opera House, and Eisenhower Center for the Performing Arts were all named and illustrated with descriptive language such as grandeur, magnificent, majestic, and spectacular. Oh, and who could forget her props, especially a replica of a shawl worn by Anne Hathaway! Keep the great speeches coming, Maxine!

Merlyn Kettering, Area 62 Governor, captivated the audience. The elements of advanced speech craft and delivery were very evident as he unbundled the mystery in the title: “A Friend, a Mountain.”

With compliments to Louise Janus and Desiree Payne, Social Time was a welcome break—we spared no time in interacting with our guests.

With Joan Phillips as Master Evaluator, this important segment of the meeting really “crowned” it all. Speech evaluators, David Buresh, Pauline Brown, and Mike Nolan all lived up to expectations in providing feedback for the great speeches. The ever-so-important roles of Timer, Grammarian/Ah Counter, and Listener were done by Kim Crews, Craig Schaar, and Tiffany Montero. The degree of listening skills and attention to detail that were noted in the delivery reports were very much appreciated

To help savor the memories of another great meeting, our guests shared their positive impressions of the meeting. Lt-Gov, Mike Rilee congratulated the Club for being the first to achieve President’s Distinguished!

Did you know, that during Past President Michael Wolfe’s 1984 Presidency, he arrived so early for the meeting, that he took advantage of the time and availability of a certain very important book. He read that book in its entirety. Which book was that?

Silver Spring Toastmasters Club 1314 invite you to soar with us!

Your Support Needed at the Area 62 International Speech and Evaluation Contests

2011-03-10T05:58:00.000-08:00

Fellow Toastmasters.....Here is a short note from our Area Governor requesting assistance at our Area 62 Contests this upcoming Sunday.

Please note the change in schedule below. The contest begins one hour earlier than published in our last post from February 27th. The Contests are scheduled to take place from 2pm to 4:30pm on Sunday March 13.

Also please contact Mel Bayo or David Buresh by email by the end of the day Friday March 11 with your commitment to participate in any of the roles outlined below.

Our club has always been HUGE in attending and supporting Area contests so we hope to see YOU there this weekend!

-----------------------------

Esteemed Officers to Toastmasters Clubs in Area 62,

I am writing to urge you you to invite and encourage attendance of your Club members to our Area 62 Spring Contest.

Come!! Let's make this a real treat for or contestants, our clubs, our guests.

Please note that contestants and contest team members are asked to come at 1:45pm for briefing.

Area 62 Spring Toastmaster Contest – International Speech Contest & Speech Evaluation Contest

Sunday March 13, 2:00 - 4:30 pm

Takoma Park Presbyterian Church
310 Tulip Avenue (corner of Tulip and Maple Avenue)
Takoma Park, MD 20912

This is a great opportunity for all Clubs and all club members. Your Club Contestants benefit.
Members who play supporting roles learn and benefit. Let’s make this an enjoyable event for all.

Working together, helps us all make our dreams will take flight!

We need support from your Club for the Area Spring Contest. Please send me names of your Club members for the following roles:

1) Names of your Club Contestants for

International Speech Contest: ______________________________
Speech Evaluation Contest: ______________________________

2) Qualified member(s) - at least 1 person from each Club - to help with judging roles
(i.e., preferably someone with CC or at least 6 speeches and evaluations):

Name: __________________________________

3) Club members to assist with hosting and support roles such as greeting, service, set-up, etc.
(at least one person from each Club, and a second person, if available.)

Name: __________________________________
Name: __________________________________

We are also asking each Club to assist with snack refreshments by providing at least 2 savory and/or sweet snacks to complement snacks and drinks that are provided for the Contest.

Please let me know about the snack refreshments that will be provided by someone in your Club:

Savory snack/dishes: _________________ ______________________
Sweet snack/dishes: __________________ _____________________

We also ask each Club to provide one (1) door prize ... something simple and surprising is sufficient.

We count on you and your Club to help make this Area Spring Contest an enjoyable and learning Toastmasters event.

Please distribute copies of the Contest Brochure (attached) to inform and encourage members to attend the Spring Contest.

Thank you!! for your participation, contributions and encouragement!!

Respectfully,

Merlyn Kettering
Area 62 Governor

International Speech and Evaluation Club Contest Winners!!!

2011-02-27T12:50:00.000-08:00

And the winners are........

EVERY SILVER SPRING TOASTMASTER WHO PARTICIPATED!!!!

A special thanks goes out to......

Una Mae Kettering our Contest Master
Joan Phillips the Chief Judge and....
Clarence Featherson who volunteered as Test Speaker

Of course Timers, Ballot Counter and Judges all made important contributions as well.

Now for the contest results.....

International Speech Contest

Eldon Ralph
Mel Bayo

Evaluation Contest

Mel Bayo
Desiree Payne

Now on to the next level of competition!!!

Club #1314 member presence and contribution have always been big at all levels of District 36 contests, so be sure to support our Area and cheer on our club representatives at.......

The Area 62 International Speech and Evaluations Contests

Sunday March 13, 2011
Takoma Park Presbyterian Church
310 Tulip Avenue Takoma Park, MD

Registration Begins 2:30pm
Contest Begins 3:00pm

Come Soar With Us!!!

Silver Spring Toastmasters: First President's Distinguished Club in District 36!!!

2011-02-25T11:23:00.000-08:00

Congratulations Silver Spring Toastmasters!!!

Ours is the first club out of 200 in District 36 to attain......

President's Distinguished

for the 2010-11 Toastmaster year.

A big thank you goes out to every member for all your hard work and support.

It's YOUR dedication and caring that makes our club the enthusiastic and tight knit family it is!!!

Only two more Competent Communicator Awards and we have our PERFECT 10......

Who's up for the challenge?

Come Soar With Us!!!

Silver Spring Toastmasters Meeting Summary January 19, 2011 by Pauline Brown

2011-02-01T20:02:00.000-08:00

If I could substitute one word in the idiomatic expression, “All’s well that ends well,” it would then read, “All’s well that starts well!”

The January 19^th meeting started well as our Sgt.-at-Arms, Louise J, shared her dream of her speeches being clear, competent, concise, and crisp! This is the high note on which the ever enthusiastic President Mel Bayo announced that our Club recently achieved Toastmaster's Distinguished award and could achieve an additional distinction that very evening (Select Distinguished).

As if announcing another award, TMOE, Eldon Ralph’s posted the word of the day, “erudite.” This was a proud moment, as we learned that so many of the male members (…and ladies too) were characterized by erudition.

One of the intriguing responses to Robin Bradshaw’s Table Topics theme, “New Beginnings” was that of one of our visitors. If he could change one thing, he would inspire the art of listening—“a willingness to listen to each other, person to person, and country to country!”

With much thanks to Maxine Blanks and Fiona Morrissey for providing refreshments, all 20 attendees, including two visitors engaged in the 15-minute social time.

Just a nugget from each of the four speeches:

Kim Crews explained that her theme of the year was the “Daffodil Principle” –learning to achieve our goals one step at a time.
Desiree Payne’s persuasive punch was that we could enhance our leadership qualities by serving others in the community.
Mel Bayo challenged us to make time to develop a speech. He said that, “Getting up to speak is more than half the battle—get up!”
Mary Olowofoyeku engaged us from start to finish as she employed all the storytelling elements to entertain while delivering the moral that “In life there are certain things we are required to do.”

Master Evaluator, Mike Nolan with his wealth of Toastmasters knowledge and experience moderated the evaluation process. Kerron Kalloo, Joan Phillips, Pauline Brown and a fourth Evaluator provided well deserved and useful feedback to each speaker.

Andy Jacobs, one of our newest members provided the timers report in true “techy” style. Can you imagine delivering a speech in six hundred thousand milliseconds?

Our Grammarian/Ah Counter was Merlyn Kettering, and Listener, Fiona Morrissey.

Another great meeting ended well!

Join Us for Silver Spring Toastmasters International Speech and Evaluation Club Contests!

2011-01-30T06:51:00.000-08:00

Greetings Fellow Toastmasters!

Get ready, because great things will be happening at Silver Spring #1314 on February 16, 2011!!!

That is the date of our International Speech and Evaluation Club Contests!!!

Every past competitor will agree that contests are a perfect way to grow skills and confidence RAPIDLY. So everyone who has completed at least 6 speeches in the Competent Communicators Manual is encouraged to have fun and stretch themselves by entering our Club's International Speech Contest!

Actually, now is the time to reply with your intentions to enter one or both contests.

On the organizational side, we will need:

Contest Master
Chief Judge
Judges (5)
Timers (2)
Ballot Counter
Snacks
Beverages

Club Contests are a fabulous opportunity to showcase the individual and collective BRILLIANCE that is Silver Spring #1314, let’s EVERYONE attend!

Also, if you have any friends or associates who are contemplating Toastmasters this will be a great way for them to witness our club at the tip-top of its game!

Prepare to be ROCKED by the tremendous speeches and evaluations on February 16 as we select Club Contestants to move on to the area contest.

Whether you are a longtime or brand new Toastmaster we NEED and APPRECIATE your contribution to our club's vitality! Please contact David Buresh with your intention to compete or help run the contests as soon as you're done reading this!

Make Your Dreams Take Flight!

How Your Toastmaster Club's Blog is Like a Restaurant by Mel Bayo

2011-01-29T13:27:00.000-08:00

Because different people's tastes vary, most restaurants you visit have a menu.

Yes, restaurants are generally known for their specialties, but they almost always offer their patrons choices of what to eat.

Make sure your club blog is like a restaurant and the content categories resemble a menu. Give your followers a choice of what to consume.

First identify your club’s goals. Of course, most clubs focus on member recruitment and retention.

Both of these goals are achieved through identifying and addressing the needs of current members (customer base) and future members (prospects).

And while Toastmasters focuses on speaking and leadership growth opportunities, individual members display varying levels of skill in these two areas.

The success of your marketing effort through this medium rests on your ability to identify these skill levels then define and address the needs of the members (current and future) at each skill level.

Once this is done YOUR WHOLE CLUB can develop content that is relevant and engaging for members.

Be sure to visit Silver Spring Toastmasters Blog again soon when we'll discuss some of these skill levels and identify topics you can use to engage your club members in each group.

Until then, remember to.....

Come Soar With Us!!!

Silver Spring Toastmasters Attains 2 DCP Goals! by Mel Bayo

2011-01-24T05:42:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to all Silver Spring Toastmasters!

The EXCITEMENT throughout our club is infectious and everyone's hard work and dedication are paying off!

YOUR efforts are evidenced by the fact that our club reached both Distinguished and Select Distinguished status just 7 months into the 2010-11 Toastmaster year!

For perspective take note that this year just 6 clubs of the 200 in our District have accomplished this feat so quickly!

The goals we have achieved so far are:

2 Competent Communicator Awards
1 Advanced Communicator Award (ACG)
A Second Advanced Communicator Award (ACB)
1 Leadership Award (CL)
A Second Leadership Award (DTM)
4 New Members
4 Officers (at least) Attending both Fall and Winter TLI (we're going for a Dream Team in each session)
2 Club Reports received on time

Now all we need are.....

2 more New Members and
2 more Competent Communicator Awards

In order to round out a PERFECT 10 for the 2010-11 Toastmaster year!

We can do it #1314!!!

And by the way, due to these and other stellar achievements this year, Silver Spring Toastmasters is also eligible for our District's Club Excellence Award.

You'll hear more about it soon right here on Silver Spring Toastmasters Blog!

Want to get in on the EXCITEMENT?

Visit our club on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of every month and......

Come Soar With Us!!!

Silver Spring Toastmasters Meeting Summary December 15, 2010 by Pauline Brown

2010-12-31T08:49:00.000-08:00

The December 15^th meeting was a singularly special and festive occasion.

All five senses were called into action by the delectable array of potluck-style food on the one hand (well, on the large table right up front), and on the other, by true Toastmasters-style speeches and leadership.

Among the 30 special attendees were: Jaci Pasley – District 36 Governor, Jim Cline – Division D Governor, Bill Aley – Area 43 Governor, and Merlyn Kettering – Area 62 Governor.

The epigrammatic responses to Ellen Segal’s well prepared questions based on the Table Topics theme, “The Many Reasons for the Season,” set the tone for the festivity.

Eniola Olowofoyeku, Toastmaster of the Evening, led the program in her usual confident and organized style. As a special treat, she introduced “Bobo.” If you missed meeting this special guest, you will probably be lucky to meet him at our next meeting.

Una Kettering’s speech titled, “My Brother in the Hood,” captured the theme of the meeting. Like a skilled painter, her word picture on the Holiday canvas started with a baby born in Trinidad, an area of Washington D.C under underprivileged circumstances. With Una’s grasp of various elements of speech craft and delivery, we could almost reach out and touch that baby. As she continued on her path of imagery, the Baby born in Nazareth over 2,000 years ago evolved—and the real reason for the season was clear.

Well done Una!

Eldon Ralph’s “Tribute to Mother Teresa” was as intriguing as it was stimulating. Known for his adeptness at story-telling, Eldon took us with him as he verbally “mapped” Mother Teresa’s journey from Macedonia, her birthplace, to Calcutta, India. Among the many valuable nuggets of her character traits that we picked up along the way were:

a) Mother Teresa’s life bore witness to the virtue of humility

b) Her life was an enduring symbol of man’s humanity to man

c) She was the incarnation of charity

Then it was back to Toastmasters basics with the Clarence Featherson.

His energetic and interactive delivery of the A B C’s of Toastmasters protocol, while educational in nature, was entertaining. Can you visualize the Do Si Do—the exchange of positions at the podium between the leader and the next speaker? Do you know that the handshake is symbolic of the passing of power, and that in practice it helps with the smooth transition from one role to the next? Do you realize that in some places you need to step up onto the podium in order to get to the lectern? How long should your applause last? Long enough to allow the person who is introduced to get from his/her seat to the lectern or vice versa.

Good job Clarence!

Silver Spring Club 1314 knows best the value of socialization. With much thanks to all, the potluck was a blast! If your sense of taste was not revitalized, then I guess you missed some favorites like Mel’s Eggplant Parmesan and Fiona’s Pumpkin Roll with Ginger Orange.

Yum, yum!

President Mel Bayo exchanged his hat for the Master Evaluator’s hat which he “wore” very well. Like a good teacher, he explained the reason for, and benefits of this all-important aspect of the meeting.

Armed with an abundance of positive energy, the evaluators, David Buresh and Merlyn Kettering demonstrated their advanced evaluation skills as they commented on what worked and provided insight into opportunities for improvement. Highlights from each speech were the effective use of storytelling, and the skillful balance of information and humor.

To help provide indications of the quality of the meeting, Maxine Blanks, Fiona Morrissey, and Marcia Snyder gave the Timer’s report, Grammarian/Ahs report, and Listener’s report respectively. Maxine commented on consistency with respect to starting meetings on time, and that speakers stayed within the designated time for each project/speech. Fiona generously helped speakers identify fillers that potentially rob a speech of its spark. Marcia did a good job of reminding us of details of each speech.

Kudos to you ladies, your listening skills and keen attention to details really enhanced the roles.

Like the perfect icing on a scrumptious cake, Merlyn Kettering’s crafted a festive twist to the Carol, “Jingle Bells”. We sang with much gusto:

“Toastmasters, Toastmasters,

Toastmasters every day

We love to come to our club

We come to learn and play.”

That made for a perfect ending to the memorable December 15^th meeting!

Use Your Club Blog to Get Cooking on Toastmaster Recruiting and Retention! by Mel Bayo

2010-12-27T09:05:00.000-08:00

I've been told I bake a great Eggplant Parmesan.

Fresh tomatoes, bell peppers, onions and herbs. The eggplant is peeled, drained, breaded and baked. NOT FRIED.

And of course, two cheeses: Parmesan and Mozzarella.

My wife recently took two casseroles of it to an event she attended with 20 other women.

Only two small pieces survived!

More remarkable were the recipe requests received during the ensuing week. They came through e-mail, phone call, text, and even face-to-face encounters!

That's exactly what a quality Toastmasters club blog should do.

Give everyone a taste.

Let everyone, including current and future club members, experience the magic of your club. Use engaging text, photo and video content to give them a clear picture of what awaits them when they choose to attend one of your meetings.

Offer them a solution to their public speaking and leadership needs that is so compelling, they can't help but take the next step.

They've got to ask you for the recipe.

Be sure to join us next time when we'll talk about how to develop YOUR CLUB'S content recipe!

Silver Spring Toastmasters 2010 Holiday Party on December 15th

2010-12-11T07:00:00.000-08:00

Greetings to all Silver Spring Toastmasters:

I trust you are all enjoying the holiday season. We have a great Toastmaster holiday party coming up this Wednesday. Even though we are reducing the number of speakers to three in order to make more time for socializing, we still have some roles to fill. Please let me know if you are available for any of the following roles: Three evaluators, Master Evaluator, Table topics master, Timekeeper, Grammarian/Ah counter.

Here's the current line-up

TMOE: Eniola Olowofoyeku

Master Evaluator: OPEN

Table Topics: OPEN

Speaker #1: Una Mae Kettering

Speaker #2: Eldon Ralph

Speaker #3: Clarence Featherson

Evaluator #1: OPEN

Evaluator #2: OPEN

Evaluator #3: OPEN

Timekeeper: OPEN

Grammarian/Ah Counter: OPEN

Listener: OPEN

I look forward to celebrating with all of you on Wednesday!

Welcome, Jim and Andy!

2010-11-29T18:49:00.000-08:00

We have two new members, Silver Spring Toastmasters Family!

JIM CLINE is a very active and experienced Toastmaster--Advanced Communicator Bronze (ACB) and Competent Leader (CL)--who belongs to other clubs and in fact is currently Division D Governor! Though that's not even our division (we're F) and though he lives in Kensington, Jim couldn't resist visiting given what he'd heard about us--and then couldn't resist joining!

ANDY JACOBS, on the other hand, is brand new to Toastmasters--and does live right in the Four Corners neighborhood. He had decided to take his public speaking skills to the next level, and found us through an Internet search. He visited once, and then came back to join Club 1314!

Andy and Jim, it's been great to get a sense of you through your intriguing Table Topics comments and other remarks. We look forward to getting to know you as we hear more--soon! Thanks for deciding to come soar with us!

Silver Spring Toastmasters November 17, 2010 Meeting Summary by Pauline Brown

2010-11-27T10:02:00.000-08:00

Like runners in a relay, Silver Spring Club 1314 members understand very well the importance of passing the proverbial baton.....transitioning from one speaker/leader to another..... well and on time. Our November 17th meeting, with the theme, "A Time to be Thankful", was another well run race toward excellence in communication and leadership.

Sergeant at Arms, Louise Janus set the pace, then passed the gavel over to our ever enthusiastic President, Mel Bayo. He reminded us of three key elements in the race for Toastmaster excellence:

Sign up for speaking and leadership roles regularly.
Become a club officer.
Compete in contests.

Toastmaster of the Evening, Robin Bradshaw brought her calm, but confident and focused leadership style to the lectern. Her well prepared introduction of each speaker functioned much like an invisible propeller...it stirred up energy and blew away any noticeable trace of nervousness.

Each of the four speakers represented very well the quality, both in preparation and delivery, for which Silver Spring 1314 is known.

Kim Crews, with the speech title, "When the Whistle Blows", surprised us with her athleticism. She skillfully juxtaposed the fundamentals of organized sport with growing and succeeding as a Toastmaster. Can you identify with these three fundamentals?

Come ready to play......Practice
Keep your eye on the ball....stay focused on your goal
Exude confidence.....Allow your dreams to take flight

Fiona Morrissey's title, "Deadly" was brought to life in her characteristic bold and pragmatic style. Her writing skills, coupled with rich substance, stood out as she revealed the "eighth deadly sin".... Toxic Politeness/Radical Honesty. Have you noticed that in a particular store you are referred to as a guest instead of a customer?

And the highlight of the evening was the achievement of the highest Toastmasters award of excellence. What a great honor it was to have been part of the audience when Eldon Ralph delivered his qualifying speech for the Distinguished Toastmasters (DTM) award. All 23 attendees gave a standing ovation after he unbundled all the elements of competent communication, most noticeably, vocal variety. In his "off the cuff" delivery the moral of the story was "Look Before You Leap".

Here is a photo of the whole group that night except for the member who took the picture, Oz Ortega.

Clarence Featherson graciously volunteered to highlight the DTM achievement by emphasizing the award is a symbol of dedication and excellence. This meant that Eldon had previously achieved the Advanced Communicator Gold and the Advanced Leader Silver awards.

District 36 Lieut. Gov. of Education and Training, Barry Piatt, DTM gave yet another sterling speech... a hip pocket, mind you! this was an editorial for television titled, "The Death Penalty".

The word of the evening, "gratitude", became a more useful during our 10 minute break. Ellen Segal and Shirley Jarvis generously facilitated this time of socialization.

Maxine Blanks, Table Topic Master, recaptured the momentum with her stimulating questions that provoked responses revealing several other reasons for which participants were thankful.

As if the finish line was in sight, Master Evaluator Louise Janus led with confidence. It was hard to believe this was her first time in this role!

It was now up to the four evaluators, Yen Le, Mel Bayo, Joan Phillips and Desiree Payne to make the right strides by giving highly deserved and excellent feedback to the four speakers. and of course they came through! In what seemed like almost a team effort, all the elements of speech evaluation were collectively expressed very well.

Did I mention "right timing" earlier? Well, Tiffany Montero's Timer's Report confirmed that almost all speakers observed the timing rules. This was Tiffany's debut Timer's Report!

David Buresh's Grammarian/Wizard of Ahs Report was a neat balance between creativity and diligence. He enumerated the Ahs and Ums within his own established ranges of excellent, very good, good, or needs work. This was welcome twist in style. David also gave credit for proper word usage.

The Listener's Report given by Marcia Snyder served both to test our listening skills and as an on the spot recap of the highlights of the meeting. Great listening skills Marcia!

The TMOE and Master Evaluator agreed that the meeting was yet another great experience in communication and leadership for Silver Spring 1314. To crown it all, we added one more new member, Andy Jacobs, and one more distinction.

After getting the overwhelming and positive vote in favor of a fun way to wrap up the first half of the Toastmaster year as a family that soars together, President Mel Bayo announced our December 15 Holiday Party.

I say, if you bring up the topic of a well-run and fun meeting I will remind you of one where Toastmaster stalwarts such as Clarence Featherson, Mike Nolan, Merlyn Kettering and Una Kettering were in attendance. November 17th was just such a meeting!

Talk about REPRESENT!!

2010-11-20T05:49:00.000-08:00

That's what these two gentlemen did fabulously last night in the District 36 Conference Table Topics Contest: CLARENCE FEATHERSON (okay, yes, *officially* representing another of his clubs . . . ) taking FIRST PLACE!! and MEL BAYO, representing Silver Spring Toastmasters Club 1314!!, taking THIRD!!

The Table Topics question: "What person, excluding members of your immediate family, has had the biggest impact on your life?" It was a dream question to this autobiography/biography aficionado . . . a love I imagine many of us in Toastmasters share. All six respondents were eloquent, interesting, moving. But Clarence regaled, in his inimitable fashion, with his account of his first supervisor, who taught him ATTITUDE--Attitude is all! No matter how down, down, DOWN (to the platform he was, last night, remembering it--can't you just see him?) you can pick yourself up and emerge victorious! And Mel, in his own irrepressible fashion, told us of Father Aloysius, I believe ("Society of Jesus, no less!") who, in teaching Mel he could bring his Freshman Algebra grade from barely passing to excelling, taught him that with PERSEVERANCE he could excel in anything he put his mind to.

Guys, your performances--and your very presence--in that contest last night (and all you do in and outside Toastmasters) demonstrate how well you've carried those lessons with you throughout your lives. BRAVO!!

Be a Judge? A Fun Opportunity to Pass It On!

2010-11-17T10:15:00.000-08:00

Silver Spring Toastmasters family members:

You are invited to volunteer your time as a judge at the Frederick Douglass Oratorical Contest for D.C. and other schoolchildren, taking place Thursday-Saturday, Dec. 9-11, 2010, 9:30 to 4:00, at the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site (in the Visitor Center auditorium).

The contest, which has been held annually for decades, will have four divisions: Grades 1-3, Grades 4-5, Grades 6-8, and Grades 9-12. This year, in addition our metro area, it is expected to draw kids from New York, New Jersey, and maybe Texas.

Contestants' objectives are similar to those for "The Oratorical Speech" in our Interpretive Reading advanced manual: Memorize a speech, or portion of a speech, by Frederick Douglass (ranging from 1-3 minutes for the little ones to 6-12 minutes for high schoolers). Give a speech, not a dramatic presentation (no costumes or props allowed in this case). Focus on "delivery, accuracy, and emotional appeal to the audience." No notes allowed!

Laura and I visited the Frederick Douglass house recently, and somehow it came up that I was a Toastmaster . . . hence the invitation. Braden Paynter, the National Park Service staff member organizing the event, says we can volunteer for one day, all three days, or just half a day. Toastmasters from the Red Cross chapter and a Capitol Hill chapter will be volunteering also. Sounds like the more, the merrier/the better!

The Frederick Douglass National Historic Site (house and visitor center) is located at 1411 W Street, SE, Washington, DC 20020. If you'd like more information, let me know, or call Braden Paynter at 202.426.5961.

Silver Spring Toastmasters November 17th Meeting Announcement

2010-11-10T07:08:00.000-08:00

Greetings to all Silver Spring Toastmasters:

Before you start your Thanksgiving preparations, come out and enjoy another entertaining Club 1314 meeting on November 17th. We have a full line-up with the following volunteers:

TMOE: Robin Bradshaw

Master Evaluator: Louise Janus

Table Topics: Maxine Blanks

Speaker #1: Kim Crews

Speaker #2: Fiona Morrissey

Speaker #3: Eldon Ralph

Speaker #4: Pauline Brown

Evaluator #1: Yen Le

Evaluator #2: Mel Bayo

Evaluator #3: Joan Phillips

Evaluator #4: Desiree Payne

Timekeeper: Tiffany Montero

Grammarian/Ah Counter: David Buresh

Listener: Marcia Snyder

Snacks: Ellen Segal

Drinks: Shirley Jarvis

We look forward to seeing you next Wednesday!

Silver Spring Toastmasters November 3, 2010 Meeting Summary by Desiree Payne

2010-11-07T20:11:00.000-08:00

We soared to another exciting and memorable meeting as our Club President , Mel Bayo, transitioned from his Presidential role to his speech project for the evening, from the Advanced Communication Series Storytelling Manual.

He told a historical story and captured our undivided attention as he enlightened us about Sir William Osler, one of the greatest icons of modern medicine who organized the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and later became Regius Professor of Medicine at Oxford.

Mel’s speech (taken from Dale Carnegie's "How to Stop Worrying and Start Living") entitled “Day-Tight Compartments”, was a story telling lesson on how to live one’s life worry-free by preparing for the future by doing your best of today’s work today.

Oswaldo Ortega, one of our newer members, is definitely soaring through the Competent Communicator's Manual without missing a beat. Oswaldo’s speech, entitled “Emotional Intelligence, It's All About Your EQ Not Your IQ” took us on an emotional journey and encouraged us to be honest with ourselves. He touched on social awareness and relationship management. It was a teachable moment.

David Buresh, Club Vice President of Education, presented “A Hat, A Coat, A Chair: How to Mix Topics, Skills and Audiences as You Move Through the Toastmaster Communication Series” Project #3 from the Technical Presentations Manual in the Advanced Communication Series.

WOW! By literally moving completely around the room, donning and removing jackets and hats AND changing his view of the audience by alternately standing on chairs and the floor, David actively and cleverly demonstrated how to use various speaking skills and tools to accomplish our Toastmaster speech goals.

Talking about creativity, we have that too at Club 1314. Barry Piatt, our District Lieutenant Governor of Education and Training and club member, presented “The Talk Show” which was a project from the Advanced Communication Series (Communication on Television).

The topic of Barry’s Talk Show was the Annual District 36 Fall Conference. He detailed the itinerary for the two day event and aroused everyone’s interest and curiosity . Barry was interviewed by Joan Phillips and videotaped by Mike Nolan who transitioned from Toastmaster of the Evening to do the taping. We are multi-talented and we multitask expertly.

Three of our speech evaluators for the evening were Fiona Morrissey, Merlyn Kettering (Area 62 Governor) and Maxine Blanks. Each did an outstanding job as they put the icing on the cake.

Marcia Snyder was excellent as our Table Topic Master for the evening. She appropriately selected Autumn and Halloween as the theme for Table Topics.

And to round out yet another fantastic Silver Spring Toastmaster meeting Bill Aley was Master Evaluator. He actively conducted the evaluation process as he cheerfully moved us toward the meeting conclusion.

Bolster Toastmaster Club Recruiting and Retention Through Blogging by Mel Bayo

2010-11-06T22:04:00.000-07:00

Hey there Silver Spring Toastmasters!

In the screencast you received recently we talked about blogs and the benefits our club will enjoy by becoming actively involved with them and ESPECIALLY this site.

You'll remember we discussed growth potential for individuals and for the club as a whole.

As an individual you can grow through blogging by eventually becoming seen as a subject matter expert. You can learn how to develop that skill now by publishing content on Silver Spring Toastmasters blog and transfer that skill onto your own site or job eventually if you like.

The club can grow because it is a collection of subject matter experts. Whether it's in your business, your personal life or in your time in Toastmasters, you are the expert of your own experience and, believe it or not, there are people out there right now looking to learn from your experience.

Some of them are inside our club and some are outside of it. So your experience can be utilized to support club member recruiting and retention through content creation.

Content creation is what a Toastmasters club is all about. Every time you write a speech, do a table topic or evaluation you're creating content and that content can be used to fulfill someone's needs or solve their problems.

Hey, isn't needs fulfillment and problem solving the core of sales and marketing?

Yup, you bet it is. And in upcoming posts we'll discuss marketing personas, content marketing and how those concepts can be used to bolster our club's recruiting and retention efforts.

So Silver Spring Toastmasters, until next time remember,

Come Soar With Us!

Silver Spring Toastmasters: You've GOT to be at the District 36 Fall Conference!

2010-11-05T11:37:00.000-07:00

You were at the Area Contest in DROVES on September 19th!

You made us the most visible club at the Division Contest on October 24th!

Now it's time for the BIGGEST EVENT of the Fall, you've GOT TO BE THERE!

It's time for the District 36 Fall Conference: two days full of learning, networking, fun and laughter.

Silver Spring Toastmasters has a rich history of involvement with and success in past District 36 Conferences. Our club is home to past District Governors AND past District Speech Contest Winners.

This year the stage is once again set for club #1314 to showcase its excellence. Club member and District Lieutenant Governor of Education and Training Barry Piatt has worked hard to organize and promote the event.

Club Treasurer and District Conference Videographer Mike Nolan will be there capturing every moment on film.

And by virtue of winning the Area Governor Speak-off, our very own Area 62 Governor and club member Merlyn Kettering will be weaving his magic spell as Contest Master.

We hope that all this Silver Spring Toastmaster involvement will help conjure up the very best performances from all the contestants, ESPECIALLY Mel Bayo and Clarence Featherson, who will represent #1314 in the Table Topics and Humorous Speech Contests respectively.

That's right Silver Spring Toastmasters: OUR CLUB WILL BE REPRESENTED IN EACH OF THE CONTESTS!

And now all we need is for YOU to top off the MOJO so..........

Register for the Conference NOW!

You can attend the whole event or do it a la carte.

Just be sure to save November 19th and 20th on your calendar so you can join us at the Silver Spring Hilton on 8727 Colesville Road for all the FUN!

Come Soar With Us!

Call for November 3rd Meeting Volunteers

2010-10-27T19:40:00.000-07:00

On the night after election day, we'll have a lot to think about. What better place to take a break from the political overload than Toastmasters Club 1314. We still have a lot of open roles, so I hope you'll be able to volunteer for something if you haven't already. Thanks for all you do to make our meetings so enjoyable and productive!

Here are the role assignments as of now:

TMOE: Mike Nolan

Master Evaluator: TBD

Table Topics Master: TBD

Speaker #1: Mel Bayo

Speaker #2: Oswaldo Ortega

Speaker #3: David Buresh

Speaker #4: Eldon Ralph

Evaluator #1: Fiona Morrissey

Evaluator #2: Mary Olowofoyeku

Evaluator #3: Maxine Blanks

Evaluator #4: Anonymous Member

Timekeeper: TBD

Grammarian/Ah Counter: TBD

Listener: TBD

Snacks/Drinks: TBD

Please email David Buresh or reply to this blog if you available for any of these roles.

Thanks!

The Club 1314 Bandwagon Rolls On!!!

2010-10-24T16:37:00.001-07:00

It's exciting! It may even be unprecedented! The Silver Spring Toastmasters Club Contest Bandwagon rolls on! Today, Club 1314's Mel Bayo and Clarence Featherson teamed together for dual victories in District 36, Division F's Humorous Speech & Table Topics Contests.

If you think that was easy, you should have seen the formidable competition. But Mel and Clarence both excelled in the eloquent crafting of their words, physical use of the entire stage, humor, storytelling, gestures, vocal variety, etc. And they made it look easy -- a thing of beauty.

And our own Merlyn Kettering did his usual outstanding job of leading the event as contest master, while Barry Piatt faithfully served as a judge!

It's not too late to get on the bandwagon. I know you won't want to miss seeing Mel and Clarence at the District 36 Fall Conference on Friday, November 19th and Saturday, November 20th. The Table Topics Contest is on Friday and the Humorous Speech Contest is on Saturday.

Thank you Mel and Clarence for making us proud and representing us so well!

Silver Spring Toastmasters October 20, 2010 Meeting Summary by Mel Bayo

2010-10-23T08:24:00.001-07:00

Our Sergeant at Arms, Louise Janus, started us off precisely at 7:30pm with the Pledge of Allegiance and an opening citing the autumnal changes surrounding us in the Washington D.C. area. Images of the pastoral scenes of baseball and the rough and tumble moments in football filled this thoughtful beginning and set the stage for a transition into the business portion of the meeting.

The recap of club business had three focal points: the Toastmasters Distinguished Club Program (DCP), the upcoming Division F Humorous Speech and Table Topics Contests and the welcoming of our guest, 2010-11 Division D Governor, Jim Cline.

The baton was then passed to the Toastmaster of the Evening, our Vice President of Education, David Buresh who strode to the lectern with his characteristic energy and enthusiastic smile. We were treated to pumpkin colored programs as a foreboding of the last day of this month. David's introduction of our Table Topic Master led us into the first speaking portion of the evening which began with a feeling of "Trick" but in the end was all "Treat".

Fiona Morrissey's Table Topics theme "Getting to Know You" had a fun, tongue-in-cheek opening that had club members thinking, "I wonder what she's going to ask me?" The respondents' answers had the room rolling in laughter. Thanks Eldon, Jim, Una and Mary for the fun responses and GREAT JOB Fiona!

Then quick as a flash, it was time for the prepared speeches.

Kim Crews let Silver Spring Toastmasters know "What Really Goes On In the Man Cave" during her speech about Fantasy Football. Did YOU know it all began in 1962, and currently has 30 million participants in North America who invest an average of $134 per person per year on their sporting passion? Outstanding work Kim and yet another step closer to that Competent Communicator's designation!

Next, our Vice President of Membership, Joan Phillips answered the question, "Was All That REALLY Worth It?". Her story told of a training contract she was involved in that eventually landed her in the Beverly Hilton at the AFI Lifetime Achievement Awards. While it's best to have her tell it since you'll enjoy it more, the core of her answer to the question posed in the speech title rests in a single letter: "D".

"The Rent is Due", delivered by Maxine Blanks, began with her singing a piece of Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On". Her speech reminded everyone attending that activism is not only our right but our responsibility. A stirring call to action and fantastic job on your second project Maxine!

Finally, our very own Area 62 Governor and club member, Merlyn Kettering treated #1314 to the speech that earned him the role of Contest Master at the 2010 District 36 Fall Conference. Influenced by two of the greatest speeches ever delivered on American soil, Merlyn entreated us all to Make Our Dreams Take Flight.

WOW, break time was ELECTRIC! The chatter, laughter and smiles engulfed Room 204 while everyone enjoyed the fare provided by Merlyn and Una Mae Kettering.

In playing Master Evaluator for the evening, I had the pleasure of introducing our Evaluators. Each was effusive in their praises of the speakers' efforts while being particularly helpful with the specificity of the suggestions for improvement. EXCELLENT evaluations were delivered and 3 of the 4 Evaluators were Una Mae Kettering, Tiffany Montero and our Treasurer Mike Nolan.

Also, outstanding examples of a Timer's, Listener's and Grammarian's Report were provided by Oswaldo Ortega, Eldon Ralph and Louise Janus respectively.

With EVERY meeting Silver Spring Toastmasters continues to gain more and more momentum. Because of the heartfelt contributions of members looking to improve themselves and help others do the same, this truly is a club on fire.

You can feel the connection, the excitement when you enter Room 204 at Marvin Memorial Methodist Church on the first and third Wednesdays of every month.

Whether you're already a member or visiting us online, we invite YOU to......

Come Soar With Us!

Silver Spring Toastmasters and the Distinguished Club Program by Mel Bayo

2010-10-17T07:46:00.000-07:00

Hey there fellow Toastmasters!

Did you know our club has 17 meetings left in the 2010-11 Toastmaster year?

Wow, it snuck up on me too!

And that means we'll need to be just that extra bit focused, communicative, strategic, industrious and INSPIRED in order to reach our club's collective goal of earning the top distinction in the Toastmasters Distinguished Club Program, the President's Distinguished designation.

Okay, so what's the Distinguished Club Program (DCP)?

It's a set of 10 communication, leadership, training and membership goals meant to challenge a club and its individual members to grow each Toastmaster year.

First off, in order to qualify for any award, by June 30 of 2011 our club must have either:

At least 20 members, or
A net growth of at least 5 new members

The GREAT news is that with over 40 members, Silver Spring Toastmasters is all set on that requisite.

So the 10 goals are as follows:

Two Competent Communicator (CC) awards given to club members
Two more CCs
One Advanced Communicator Bronze (ACB), Advanced Communicator Silver (ACS), or Advanced Communicator Gold (ACG) recognition given to a club member
One more ACB, ACS, or ACG
One Competent Leader (CL), Advanced Leader Bronze (ALB), Advanced Leader Silver (ALS), or Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) recognition given to a club member
One more CL, ALB, ALS or DTM
Four new members added to the club
Four more new members
Minimum of four club officers attending district-sponsored club officer training (TLI) during each of the two training periods
One dues renewal report and one club officer list submitted on time

Now, how does a club attain recognition in the DCP? Below are the three distinctions possible for a club and the number of completed goals required for their attainment.

When we reach five of the ten goals: Distinguished Club
When we achieve seven of the ten goals: Select Distinguished Club
When we attain nine of the ten goals: President's Distinguished Club

In designing a strategy for becoming President's Distinguished this year, it's safe to assume that Goals # 9 and 10 will easily be reached since dues have consistently been taken care of and if all 7 officers attend the Winter TLI sessions (they did so this Fall) we will again have our Dream Team.

Note also that Goal #5 has already been attained so in essence we'll have three goals spoken for by early Spring.

By the way, we are currently at the halfway point (or better) on Goals # 1 and 7.

Club Challenge

Taking into account the time allotted to reach our collective goal I propose the following time-line to spur us on as individuals and a team:

Attain Distinguished status by January 19, 2011 (complete at least two more club goals within the next 7 meetings).
Reach Select Distinguished by March 16, 2011 (complete two additional club goals in the 4 February and March meetings)
Become President's Distinguished by May 18, 2011 (complete the final two club goals in the 4 April and May meetings)

Why complete 9 goals by the end of May when we have until the end of June?

First off, because we CAN if we focus on it and work together as a team.
Secondly, because the extra time will allow us to shoot for a PERFECT 10 of 10 goals.
Thirdly, because don't you just LOVE a challenge?

We have a fair number of members who are 5 projects (or less) away from achieving that next level of recognition. So take some time before our next meeting on October 20th and look at how close YOU are to your next speaking and leadership designation.

After doing so, contact David Buresh to let him know how many projects you need to complete and schedule your next few speaking and/or leadership roles so you can be that much closer to your individual Toastmaster Goals.

I challenge you to STRETCH yourselves Silver Spring Toastmasters.

YOU CAN DO IT!

And when you win, our club will win as well.

LET'S GET THAT PRESIDENT'S DISTINGUISHED!

Silver Spring Toastmasters Line-up for October 20th Meeting

2010-10-16T10:48:00.000-07:00

Greetings to all Silver Spring Toastmasters,

We have a strong line-up for the October 20th meeting, with five speakers. We still need a Listener and we have room for a Hip Pocket speech.

Here is the current lineup:

TMOE: David Buresh

General Evaluator: Mel Bayo

Table topics master: Fiona Morrissey

Speaker #1: Kim Crews

Speaker #2: Joan Phillips

Speaker #3: Maxine Blanks

Speech #4: HIP POCKET

Evaluator #1: Anonymous

Evaluator #2: Yen Le

Evaluator #3: Tiffany Montero

Evaluator #4: Mike Nolan

Timekeeper: Oswaldo Ortega

Grammarian: Merlyn Kettering

Listener: OPEN

Snacks & Drinks: Merlyn & Una Mae Kettering

Please respond to this blog or email David Buresh if you are available for one of these open roles.

Also, for those who have leadership roles, please be sure to bring your Competent Leadership Manual to get credit.

The Lectern Speaks by Clarence Featherson

2010-10-13T19:56:00.000-07:00

"Fake it till you make it!"

(Original Source Unknown)

Public speaking consistently rates as one of the top fears if not the #1 fear for most people. Just thinking about speaking in public (also called stage fright) causes panic attacks, sweaty palms, heart palpitations and knees that often get to shaking. The great news is that with practice, feedback positive expectations and a few tips, tricks and techniques most people can not only reduce or even eliminate the fear of public speaking but begin to see it as something fun and enjoyable! Below are some tips to make public speaking more fun and less scary. Try the techniques below and see if they make you feel more comfortable and confident. They may not at first but eventually they will. Until then use them often and if necessary......

"Fake it till you make it!"

15 Speak Easy Tips to Reduce the Fear of Public Speaking

Arrive early when speaking. Also confirm the date/time location and physically visit the location if you have not been there before.
Call before speaking to find out the dress code. Being dressed appropriately reduces stress.
Know your material inside and out before speaking.
A few minutes before speaking, close your eyes and see yourself enjoying talking to your audience.
Practice deep breathing to calm down and reduce tension.
Physically stretch before speaking and walk around the speaking area.
Avoid caffeinated drinks and dairy products before speaking.
Always have room temperature water available while speaking.
For cases of extremely dry mouth, apply petroleum jelly (Vaseline) to front teeth before speaking.
To eliminate sweaty forehead or palms, apply antiperspirant to those areas before speaking.
Do verbal warm ups like tongue twisters before speaking (Peter Piper patiently persevered at picking pretty purple petunias).
Look at friendly faces when talking.
Always prepare a back up low tech presentation in case your Power Point or other technical presentation equipment fails. Also prepare a condensed version of your speech in case you have less time than expected.
Focus on the information you want to share with your audience, not on how uncomfortable or nervous you feel.
If you make a mistake (everyone does) just do what the professionals do......"Fake it till you make it."

Doing all of the above helps you to be relaxed, confident and enjoy the experience of speaking to an audience.

Be Sure to Attend the District 36 Division F Humorous Speech and Table Topics Contests!

2010-10-07T12:19:00.001-07:00

Want to have a TON of FUN in just one afternoon?

The District 36 Division F Fall Contests is where you want to be!

Clarence Featherson will compete in the Humorous Speech Contest AND....
Mel Bayo will compete in Table Topics!

Come out and contribute to the Division's efforts while cheering on our club's competitors.

The Date and Venue are.....

Sunday, October 24, 2010 from 2pm-4pm Doors Open at 1pm

Montgomery County Council Building Auditorium
100 Maryland Avenue
Rockville, Maryland

Let's show the Division what Silver Spring Toastmasters is all about!

We look forward to seeing you there!

Ever Made a Fortuitous Mistake? by Mel Bayo

2010-10-04T12:14:00.000-07:00

OOPS!

This might just be one, but your help is needed to figure it out.

Club Members received an RSS screencast by email today. While previously trying to fit it on our blog, a mistake was made.

I was playing with previews of blog templates and our original template went *POOF* then disappeared into thin air (I actually overrode it by accident but *POOF* sounds much better, doesn't it?).

Try as I might to recover the old template, the one you see remains. Before experts are brought in to diagnose and right the situation:

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS TEMPLATE?

Should we keep it or (if possible) bring the previous one back?

Please let us know in the comment section and we'll respond accordingly.

Thanks in advance for your replies!

The Lectern Speaks by Clarence Featherson

2010-09-28T18:45:00.000-07:00

"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

2010-09-24T18:05:00.001-07:00

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

2010-09-24T04:51:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-09-22T19:12:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-22T19:07:00.000-07:00

"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

2010-09-15T11:40:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-09-14T19:47:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-09-12T08:21:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-11T11:12:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-09-10T19:42:00.000-07:00

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: __________________________________

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!

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!

2010-09-06T09:56:00.000-07:00

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?

2010-09-03T09:21:00.000-07:00

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!

2010-09-02T18:41:00.001-07:00

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!

Silver Spring Toastmasters: August 18th Picture of the Week

2010-08-30T18:12:00.000-07:00

August 18th's picture of the week was taken by Desiree Payne.

It features a proud Jim Phillips receiving his Icebreakers award for delivering his first speech entitled, "Welcome to DC, Baby!"

And here are some thoughts from Jim after the meeting:

"Finally, finally giving my icebreaker has breathed new life into me. It actually turned out beyond my wildest expectations. Now I have a new spring in my step!

With everyone's support and appreciation, I have a new appreciation of myself as being just fine, and I see new vistas for myself as I move on with my life."

Thank you Jim, for your contribution to our club and congratulations on your first step towards your Competent Communicator award.

For those who want to improve their public speaking and leadership skills: you too can reach your goals at Silver Spring Toastmasters.

Come Soar With Us!

Silver Spring Toastmasters: Meeting Summary August 18, 2010 by Pauline Brown

2010-08-29T19:13:00.000-07:00

"A mentor is someone whose hindsight can be your foresight." How timely!

With the Humorous Speech Contest coming up September 1st, Table Topics Master, Joan Phillips certainly rolled out one creative question after the other, and we were all the better off with sharpened wits!

Speaking of wits, Jim Phillips' icebreaker speech, "Welcome to D.C. Baby!" really took us on a laughing spree throughout the historical journey from Cleveland, Ohio to Washington D.C. Lots of natural speaking potentials! His humor comes across without effort. Kudos to you Jim!

If you have not had a good dose of laughter lately, then I guess you were not present at the August 18th meeting.

What a great time of fun and laughter! Speech # 2 entitled, "May I Offer You a Cup of Tea?" left us wondering whether laughter is indeed the best medicine or we could get a dose of this best medicine from a plant in our neighborhood garden? See whether Shirley Jarvis has any advice.

Surprise! Surprise! From the baritone voice box of Immediate Past President, Merlyn Kettering, came a tune you well know called "Pomp and Circumstance".

That certainly helped to embellish Pauline Brown's speech, Project #6 from of the Competent Communicators Manual with the show and tell of commencement caps, tassels, and gowns. Never mind that this is the month of August, typically not the season for commencement.

Oswaldo Ortega is certainly on a roll! All his architectural skills in planning and designing were employed in constructing yet another great speech, the second speech in one month!

Master Evaluator, Merlyn Kettering, headed the illustrious team of evaluators. Three of whom were: Mel Bayo, Bill Aley, and Kim Crews.

Time flies when you're having fun. Oh, did I say this is is a fun meeting?

And what attention to detail. Robin Bradshaw did not miss one beat that was out of tune. She identified great use of grammar as well as its misuse. And the Ahs.......none of those slipped by her.

Marcia Snyder's listening skills were quite evident from her questions which were also a recap of the various speeches.

Our visitor, Utica, expressed her delight in the meeting and promised to be back..... maybe with the baby?

The meeting started and ended on time. Thanks to our Sgt. at Arms, Louise Janus, for setting the tone of the meeting so beautifully with just the right quotations to match the theme of the meeting.

Thanks also to our snack and beverage providers among whom was Yen Le.

If you weren't able to attend, we missed you, and we look forward to seeing you on September 1st!!!

Congratulations to Mel and Barry for new CC and CL awards!

2010-08-29T07:26:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to Mel Bayo for a new Competent Leadership award and to Barry Piatt for a new Competent Communicator award! Mel and Barry have set the pace for Silver Spring Toastmasters in 2010-2011, and I'm sure we'll see many more of these awards this year. Keep up the good work, Mel and Barry!

Getting Ready for Silver Spring TM Humorous Speech & Table Topics Contests on September 1, 2010

2010-08-29T06:53:00.000-07:00

We're almost ready for the humorous speech and table topics contests this Wednesday, September 1, 2010 at Siver Spring Toastmasters. We have at least two humorous speech contestants and four table topics contestants. We only need one more judge, one tiebreaking judge and one more timer. The role volunteers are:

Contest Chairman: David Buresh
Chief Judge: Mike Nolan
Judge #1: Lori Bestock
Judge #2: Desiree Payne
Judge #3: Joan Phillips
Judge #4: Eldon Ralph
Judge #5: OPEN
Tiebreaking Judge: OPEN
Ballot Counter #1: Alicia Richmond
Ballot Counter #2: Barry Piatt
Ballot Counter #3: Louise Janus
Timer #1: Marcia Snyder
Timer #2: OPEN

Please respond to this blog or email David Buresh if you are available for one of the open roles. Thanks. . . and get ready to laugh!!!

Silver Spring Toastmasters: Club Tagline 2010-11

2010-08-25T13:52:00.000-07:00

Make Your Dreams Take Flight!

You've heard District 36's tagline for this year.

Our challenge was to create a club tagline that both echoed the District's AND blended in the essence of Silver Spring Toastmasters.

We believe we've captured it and invite you to.....

Come Soar With Us!

Silver Spring Toastmasters: August 4th Picture of the Week

2010-08-24T07:12:00.000-07:00

As promised, here's the picture of the week for our August 4th meeting.

It was taken by Maxine Blanks and chosen because of the depth conveyed in the room through the use of the background.

Just take a look at the stained glass window! Catching Louise in the middle of her speech was great too!

Be on the lookout for our next photo of the week. It will be posted soon after the August 18th meeting summary is published.

Keep those pics coming and be sure to join us on September 1st for our Club Contests!

Make Us Laugh at the Silver Spring Toastmasters Club Humorous Speech Contest on September 1st!

2010-08-23T20:42:00.000-07:00

We can't wait to have a few good bellyache laughs next week at the Silver Spring TM Humorous Speech Contest followed by the Table Topics Contest.

We have two definite contestants signed up for the Humorous Speech Contest and three definite contestants for the Table Topics Contest, with room for plenty more.

Respond to this blog or email David Buresh to volunteer as a contestant or other supporting role.

Silver Spring Toastmasters' Humorous Speech Contest and Table Topics Contest on September 1, 2010

2010-08-16T19:18:00.001-07:00

Speech contests are an important part of the Toastmaster experience. On September 1st, Silver Spring Toastmasters will hold its humorous speech contest and table topics contest. All members are encouraged to participate!

HUMOROUS SPEECH CONTEST

The purpose of the humorous speech contest is to provide an opportunity for speakers to improve their speaking abilities, to recognize the value of humor in speaking, and to recognize exceptional speakers.

There are three primary guidelines for the humorous speech preparation:

A. The subject for the humorous speech shall be selected by the contestant. The speaker shall avoid potentially objectionable language, anecdotes, and material.

B. Contestants must prepare their own five- to seven-minute speech, which must be substantially original and certified as such in writing to the chief judge by the contestants prior to the presentation of the speeches. Any quoted material must be so identified during the speech presentation.

C. The speech must be thematic in nature (opening, body, and close), not a monologue (series of one-liners).

We will also need a chief judge, at least five judges, a tiebreaking judge, three counters, and two timers are appointed, as far as practical.

Timing is very important. Speeches shall be from five to seven minutes. Contestants who speak less than four minutes 30 seconds or more than seven minutes 30 seconds will be disqualified.

TABLE TOPICS CONTEST

The purpose of the table topic contest is to provide an opportunity to learn by observing the more proficient speakers who have benefited from their Toastmasters training, to encourage development of impromptu and/or extemporaneous speaking skills, and to recognize the best as encouragement to all.

There are two primary guidelines for the table topics contest:

A. All contestants shall receive the same topic, which shall be of a general nature, and shall speak for two minutes.

B. The topic shall be of reasonable length, shall not require a detailed knowledge and shall lead to an opinion or conclusion.

Silver Spring Toastmasters August 4 Meeting Summary by Pauline Brown

2010-08-13T21:13:00.000-07:00

What makes Silver Spring 1314 such an exceptional club, you wonder?

Think adaptable!

The Chinese Proverb sums it up well in a few words, “The wise adapt themselves to circumstances, as water molds itself to the pitcher.”

And adapt we did. Our usual meeting place was temporarily without air conditioning, so we met instead, in the church sanctuary.

What great opportunity for voice projection!

As captured above, Club President Mel Bayo transitioned dramatically form the role of president to the role of Toastmaster of the Evening—and the tone was set for an exciting and memorable meeting!

Our August 4^th meeting was special.

To enhance the ecclesiastical flavor added by the meeting environment, Merlyn Kettering, Area 62 Governor, used the hip-pocket slot on the agenda to give a 7-minute excerpt of his speech that he prepared for the 150^th anniversary of the Church of the Brethren in Ashland, Ohio. How fitting!

Table Topics was a refreshing treat. With the theme, “Picture This,” Maxine Blanks, threw out one creative question after another, and the equally creative responses evoked much fun and laughter. Thanks also to Maxine for our photos.

From the CC Manual, Project #3, Louise Janus navigated quite skillfully around the topic, “Do you really need a GPS?” And yes, she really got to the point!

Yen Le’s Icebreaker speech was as engaging as it was nostalgic. To drive home the importance of family, community and home, Yen concluded her speech with the powerful statement, “Home is a journey, and you are becoming a part of my community.” You should have seen her fiancé, Hai, just beaming with pride as he captured the speech on video.

Oswaldo Ortega “Broke the Ice” with confidence and wit. First he ‘hooked’ us with the statement, “I am an Outlier.” Then he drew us in with sincerity and bold eye-contact. Yes, in our Club 1314 world, Olwaldo is truly an ‘Outlier’ We learned a new definition from his description of his experience growing up in Brooklyn, NY. He has already demonstrated potentials for a Competent Communicator.

At Silver Spring 1314, no meeting is ever complete without an allotted time for interaction. We got to know our three visitors better. Ellen Segal and Merlyn Kettering provided the food to complement the social time.

There was not one hearty “Amen” after all the great speeches. Rather, at Mike Nolan’s direction, the evaluators, Eniola Olowofoyeku, Mary Olowofoyeku, Pauline Brown, and Bill Aley each did a superb job of highlighting the many great points, and of offering suggestions for improvement of each speech.

Oh, I must mention here that Bill is an Area Governor, and our newest member—and his evaluation skills are excellent!

Kudos to Robin Bradshaw, Joan Phillips, and Shirley Jarvis. With their attention to detail and listening skills they added much value to the Timer's, Grammarian/Ah Counter, and Listener’s reports.

As you can see, all our meetings are exceptional and we look forward to YOU being part of our next one on August 18^th!

Welcome to Silver Spring Toastmasters, Oz and Bill! by Joan Phillips

2010-08-12T15:17:00.000-07:00

As our Toastmasters year gets off to a rousing start, it's exciting to welcome two new members to our Club 1314 family! And it was great to hear from each of them last week, at our second meeting of the new year.

Oz Ortega is brand new to Toastmasters and relatively new to our area as well. In his intriguing Icebreaker speech, "Outlier", we got a strong sense of the focused, intrepid personality and "New York" style he's going to bring to his future speeches and other roles in our club. Already, we're looking forward to hearing from him again when he gives his second speech at our next meeting, August 18th.

Welcome, and Way to Go, Oz!!

Bill Aley is an experienced Toastmaster who'd been searching for an additional club to join and found it in ours. We got a taste of his engaged public-speaking style when he stepped up on short notice to give Oz's Icebreaker a perceptive, helpful evaluation.

Welcome, Bill! We certainly look forward to hearing more!!

To everyone else who's visited our club these past two meetings: Thanks for coming out! We've enjoyed your interest and participation. Please let me, or any of our other club officers/members, know if you have questions.

We hope to see you again next week and welcome you as a new member very soon!

Silver Spring Toastmasters Meeting Agenda: August 18, 2010 (Meeting Theme: Mentors)

2010-08-07T09:29:00.000-07:00

Hey there to all Club Members!

Thanks to your commitment, we have a full roster for the August 18th meeting. Below you'll see the Agenda.

The theme will be: "Mentors: Have One and Be One"

Toastmaster of the Evening :: David Buresh

Table Topic Master :: Joan Phillips

First Speaker :: Jim Phillips

Second Speaker :: Shirley Jarvis

Third Speaker :: Pauline Brown

Fourth Speaker :: Oswaldo Ortega

Master Evaluator :: Merlyn Kettering

First Evaluator :: Kim Crews

Second Evaluator :: Mel Bayo

Third Evaluator :: Bill Aley

Fourth Evaluator :: Anonymous Member

Time Keeper :: Dorothy Jefferson

Ah Counter/Grammarian :: Robin Bradshaw

Listener :: Marcia Snyder

Snack :: Yen Le

Beverages :: Dorothy Jefferson

August 4th Meeting Theme: Picture This!

2010-08-03T06:26:00.000-07:00

Just imagine.....

A bunch of your Toastmaster friends bring their digital cameras to tomorrow night's meeting.....

And take pictures of speakers, evaluators, poignant moments AND funny moments.....

Words describe our meetings well and you know what they say about PICTURES, don't you?

When we put words together with pictures the result is POWERFUL!

BRING YOUR DIGITAL CAMERA TOMORROW NIGHT.......

Send your pictures for posting with our Meeting Summary and the one picked as the best picture will get its own post entitled:

PICTURE OF THE WEEK!!!

Are you ready? Then let's get SNAPPIN'.........

Area 62 Fall Contest - Sunday September 19

2010-08-02T18:42:00.000-07:00

This post is excerpted from an email sent by Merlyn Kettering to Area 62 Club Presidents and Vice Presidents Education.

-----------------------------------------

Toastmaster Year 2010-2011 is well underway and it is already time to think about scheduling the Fall Contest. The Fall Contest Season is really one for fun and enjoyment -- Humorous Speeches and Table Topics.

As you know, the District Conference will be held on November 20, so Division Contests will be held in October. To give contestants ample time to prepare between contest levels, the Area 62 Fall Contest will be held in mid-September.

I see that several clubs have already indicated their Club Contests on their schedules. I am writing to inform you of the date for the Area 62 Contest so that you have advance notice to allow for scheduling your Club Contests.

Area 62 Fall Contest - Humorous Speeches and Table Topics

Sunday September 19

3:00 - 5:00 pm

Takoma Park Presbyterian Church

310 Tulip Avenue, Takoma Park, MD

I trust this is useful for the planning purposes of your clubs.

Respectfully,

Merlyn Kettering

Area 62 Governor

Silver Spring Toastmasters Meeting Agenda August 4, 2010

2010-08-01T19:10:00.000-07:00

We started off the year with a BANG and our August 4th meeting promises to be great too!

Join us this coming Wednesday at 7:30pm and take part in the FUN!

There are still a few roles open. Please indicate your interest in any of them in the comments section of this post or contact Mel Bayo.

Toastmaster of the Evening :: Mel Bayo

Table Topics Master :: Maxine Blanks

First Speaker :: Yen Le

Second Speaker :: Oswaldo Ortega

Third Speaker :: Louise Janus

Fourth Speaker :: Clarence Featherson

Master Evaluator: Mike Nolan

First Evaluator :: Pauline Brown

Second Evaluator :: Merlyn Kettering

Third Evaluator :: Mary Olowofoyeku

Fourth Evaluator :: Eniola Olowofoyeku

Time Keeper :: Robin Bradshaw

Ah Counter/Grammarian :: Eldon Ralph

Listener :: Tiffany Montero

Snack :: Ellen Segal

Beverages :: Merlyn Kettering

We hope to see YOU on August 4th at:

Marvin Memorial United Methodist Church Room 204
Four Corners-University Boulevard and Colesville Road
Silver Spring, Maryland

Silver Spring Toastmasters: Speech Transcript from July 21, 2010 by Mel Bayo

2010-07-27T14:06:00.000-07:00

This speech was delivered as part of Project 3: The Winning Proposal in the Persuasive Speaking Manual which is part of the Advanced Communication Series. The speech title is.......

Cruise or Accelerate?

If you had the choice would you rather ride in cruise control or accelerate your cruising speed? Please don’t respond to this question immediately, rather think about your answer throughout the next 7 minutes.

Like me, many of you may have joined a Toastmasters club to continually improve your speaking and leadership proficiencies so you could use those skills to create opportunities in your business and personal lives. You also probably joined this club because you had so much fun here and we have a true sense of connection among our members.

Over the years, due to the efforts of inspired club members, Silver Spring Toastmasters has consistently attained the highest level of achievement possible for a club, the President’s Distinguished designation. And if you take a close look at our progress, while it is not a given, our club is poised to make President’s Distinguished this Toastmasters year as well.

In order to maintain its current cruising speed our club already knows what it must do and my primary goal this year is to help our club do what it knows. Individually and collectively we must continue to create project based content while educating and communicating through it. That content and our connectedness is what influences visitor after visitor to join us.

Now if we want to increase our cruising speed, how would we do it? Believe it or not, we already have an accelerator available to us. That accelerator can integrate our communication, educational, recruiting and retention efforts while making the strength of our content and connectedness more visible.

The accelerator is our club blog and the ways we can use it as a team. The success of any blog is based on having a steady flow of new content. So think about it: we can post meeting agendas, summaries, speech and evaluation videos and transcripts. We can even post photos and make announcements such as special events, inductions and award attainment. Each meeting could account for as many as 10 quick posts every two weeks.

Now the challenge is the effort it would take to coordinate this. It is a lot of work for one person so the answer is having a team of members manage the task. I propose that our club officers and anyone else who wants to be involved in the effort learn how to use the platform our blog is hosted on. Then posting could be assigned to team members by information type.

So once that challenge is answered, how would our club benefit from blog involvement? First off, when content is published on the blog it will further solidify our top search engine ranking for the term Silver Spring Toastmasters. This way people in the Silver Spring area who are searching for a way to improve their public speaking skills will see broader evidence of a fun and engaging solution to their problems and be attracted to experience in person what the Silver Spring Toastmasters family is all about. Also because blogs allow consumers to comment we’ll be able to deepen our own relationships and create a sharing community with people outside our club who may also be influenced to visit us.

Another challenge we’d face is some members may have a concern about their content being made public. I’d say that participation would be completely voluntary and next here’s a question to consider: what could involvement on the blog do for you as an individual? You could use it to learn skills that will help you expand your professional and personal network because of your content. Also you could learn how to build an online resume through your content and position yourself as a problem solver and thought leader in your field of expertise. The possibilities are many and you could make your start here.

So my fellow Toastmasters, fun, family and a Presidents Distinguished designation for our club this year are definitely my priorities and now I ask you again: would you rather ride in cruise control or accelerate your cruising speed?

Meeting Summary: Silver Spring Toastmasters July 21, 2010 by Pauline Brown

2010-07-23T19:53:00.000-07:00

Fellow Silver Spring Toastmasters and Guests,

Three cheers are in order for a great meeting on July 21st! The meeting started on time, and with a "bang!" Our Sgt-at-Arms, Louise Janus set the tone with three inspirational quotes.

While the prevailing meeting atmosphere seemed a lot like "Christmas (in July)," the evening's program bore the significance of a "New (Toastmasters) Year."

Yes indeed...Silver Spring 1314 has embraced the motto of District 36--"Let Your Dream Take Flight." Speaking of flight, our new President, Mel Bayo, with his characteristic burst of energy, coupled with the proverbial tail-wind to his advantage, has pledged his efforts to see that the club maintains its President's Distinguished status.

There was something extra-special--actually, there were many things that were extra special about this first meeting of the year. Allow me to mention a few:

First off was the installation of Club Officers (Dream Team) by immediate past president and current Area 62 Governor, Merlyn Kettering. In his usual flamboyant spirit, and his leadership, representative of a truly Distinguished Toastmaster, the Officers expressed loudly and clearly, their commitment to their respective roles. The audience pledged their support, signified by joining hands in a circle, analogous to "strength in unity."

Then Mike Nolan demonstrated his vast knowledge and experience of the Toastmasters brand of leadership. His role as TMOE showed a nice balance between the skills associated with the role, and the light-heartedness that encouraged a jovial atmosphere.

There was also a special recognition of the five (5) current/past Area Governors in attendance, namely: Una Henry-Kettering (past), Merlyn Kettering (current), Bill Aley (current), Clarence Featherson (past), and Eldon Ralph (past).

Three (3) top-notch speeches were given: Maxine Blanks - With the famous phrase, "Like a Box of Chocolates," used as her Ice Breaker speech title, and as a metaphor for variety in life, we learned much about our new member Maxine from her excellent presentation.
David Buresh, in a systematic way, demonstrated how the permutations of the three elements: topic, skill, and audience, are a lot like cooking. Mel Bayo inspired us to either ride in cruise control or accelerate our club efforts. Very fitting speech for the start of the new year!

Still reeling from a busy, but successful year as Area Governor, Una Kettering led like a champion in her role as Master Evaluator. Consistent with the great speeches, were three excellent evaluators: Eldon Ralph, Joan Phillips, and Clarence Featherson. If you have ever been in a "flight" with Clarence, then you know that the cruising altitude is usually short-lived. He really accelerated to new heights, and took all 26 Toastmasters and guests with him--full gestures and all!

Supporting roles were played well by Monica Snyder and Robin Bradshaw as Timer and Grammarian/Wizard of Ahs respectively.

Jim Phillips assumed the role of Table Topics Master on short notice. Kudos to you Jim! With his theme, "Staying Cool," we enjoyed another bout of fun and laughter.

Thanks to our VP- Education, David Buresh, the sigh-up sheet for speakers and leaders for the next meeting showed many spots filled.

Eldon and David provided just the right refreshments to complement the celebratory mood of the meeting. Mingle, mingle was fun as usual.

All four visitors expressed their delight and satisfaction with the meeting. Three indicated their desires to join Club 1314.

Important reminder - Club Humorous Speech and Table Topics Contests on September 1st.

We look forward to another great Club 1314 meeting on August 4th and hope YOU will join us!

Silver Spring Toastmasters Officer Induction July 21, 2010

2010-07-22T20:03:00.000-07:00

To kick off the new Toastmaster year Silver Spring Toastmasters held a Club Officer Induction Ceremony.

Depicted above is Merlyn Kettering, Area 62 Governor, who presided over the induction. Merlyn asked all the Officers to join him and swore them in one at a time.

Above you can see the Silver Spring Club's team of Officers along with their Area Governor.

Meet Club 1314's Officers below......

From left to right are: Pauline Brown-Club Secretary, Joan Phillips-Vice President of Membership, David Buresh-Vice President of Education and Merlyn Kettering.

Here's the rest of the team.....

From left to right are: Mike Nolan-Club Treasurer, Mel Bayo-Club President, Louise Janus-Sergeant at Arms and Desiree Payne-Vice President of Public Relations.

To conclude the proceedings all Toastmasters present joined hands, renewed the Toastmaster pledge AND....

The pledge ended with arms raised high in a club salute.

Know what might be missing from this meeting? YOU!!!

Join us at 7:30pm on the first and third Wednesdays of every month at:

Marvin Memorial United Methodist Church Room 204
Four Corners-University Boulevard and Colesville Road
Silver Spring, Maryland

We hope to see you soon!!!

Silver Spring Toastmasters Meeting Agenda July 21, 2010

2010-07-20T19:34:00.000-07:00

Want to improve your Public Speaking Skills?

Join us for for fun on our first meeting of the 2010-11 Toastmaster year.

Here is tomorrow night's Agenda:

Club Officer Induction :: Area 62 Governor Merlyn Kettering

Toastmaster of the Evening :: Mike Nolan

Table Topic-master :: Lori Betsock

First Speaker :: Maxine Blanks

Second Speaker :: David Buresh

Third Speaker :: Mel Bayo

Master Evaluator :: Una Henry-Kettering

First Evaluator :: Merlyn Kettering

Second Evaluator :: Joan Phillips

Third Evaluator :: Eldon Ralph

Time Keeper :: Marcia Snyder

Ah /Grammarian :: Robin Bradshaw

Listener :: ?

Refreshments :: David Buresh

Snack :: Eldon Ralph

Silver SpringToastmasters Club Officer Meeting July 21, 2010

2010-07-20T19:23:00.000-07:00

1) Review Club Performance

o TLI- We Are The First Club in Division F with a Dream Team *Congratulations*

o Possible Competent Communicators for 2010-11?

o Possible Advanced Communicators for 2010-11?

o Possible Leadership Awards for 2010-11?

o Dues-Officers Pay Year in Full?

o Membership Recruitment and Retention

2) Meeting and Club Support Functions

o Meeting Summaries?

o Meeting Agendas?

o Mentoring Program?

o Flip Video Recording?

3) Humorous Speech and Table Topics Contest

o District Conference November 20, Division Contest October? Area Contest Late September?

o Club Contest: September 1 or September 15?

4) Near Future

o Club Involvement in Social Media-Blog

o Educational Modules: Effective Feedback and Best Club Climate

1) Review Club Performance

o TLI- We Are The First Club in Division F with a Dream Team *Congratulations*

o Possible Competent Communicators for 2010-11?

o Possible Advanced Communicators for 2010-11?

o Possible Leadership Awards for 2010-11?

o Dues-Officers Pay Year in Full?

o Membership Recruitment and Retention

2) Meeting and Club Support Functions

o Meeting Summaries?

o Meeting Agendas?

o Mentoring Program?

Flip Video Recording?

3) Humorous Speech and Table Topics Contest

o District Conference November 20, Division Contest October? Area Contest Late September?

o Club Contest: September 1 or September 15?

4) Near Future

o Club Involvement in Social Media-Blog

o Educational Modules: Effective Feedback and Best Club Climate

Today is a new day for SSTM!

2009-10-22T19:13:00.000-07:00

I truly hope that we can exchange ideas and have a good time as the club moves into a new era!