Club 1314, we made a great contest happen!

Thanks again to EVERYONE who made our Silver Spring Toastmasters Club International Speech and Evaluation Contest last Wednesday evening a resounding success.

• We put into play all the practices and protocols proven to make for a fair, valid, and exciting Toastmasters competition. Thanks again, Fiona Morrissey, for stepping up to the role of Contest Chair and preparing thoroughly for it. Thanks again, Merlyn Kettering, for stepping in to provide coaching and assistance, and Una Mae Kettering, our Division Governor and club member, for your leadership in acting as our Chief Judge.

• We had great participation . . . bold participation! We had just about everyone in the room playing one role or another, including new member Assegid Habtewold as Timer and new member Barbara Sahli as Sergeant at Arms. We had Five Evaluation contestants--Desiree Payne, Maxine Blanks, Marcia Snyder, Renee Davis, and Ignatius Cobb--each of whom was competing in this contest for the first time, if I'm not mistaken (and Ignatius, stepping up to the Club 1314 lectern for the very first time in any capacity!) We had Four International Speech contestants--Renee Davis, Drew Kolody, Andy Jacobs, and Shirley Jarvis--all of them also throwing their hats into this ring for the first time. Hats off to all of you!

• We had a terrific test speaker for our Evaluation contest. Thank you again, Pamela Copeland, Area 61 Area Governor, for giving us your time, treating us to an informative and enjoyable speech, and being a wonderful meeting guest.

• And, yes, we had two excellent competitions . . . and we have our winners! CONGRATULATIONS to our Club 1314 Evaluation Contest winner: MAXINE BLANKS! CONGRATULATIONS to our Club 1314 International Speech Contest winner: SHIRLEY JARVIS! And CONGRATULATIONS to our runner-up in BOTH categories: RENEE DAVIS!

Again, thanks to everyone who made this contest meeting the great learning and growth experience a Toastmasters contest is meant to be.

Please mark your calendars, everybody, for Sunday, March 11th, 2 til 5 p.m.. Come out to support our contestants in the AREA 62 CONTEST taking place at Takoma Park Presbyterian Church!

Three great opportunities to become a stronger evaluator

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!

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Area 62 Humorous Speech and Table Topics Contests

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!

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.