The theme of the second NPS Toastmasters Club meeting of 2007 resonated well with the 26 present (19 club members and 7 guests). Robin Walker, after an over-the-top introduction as Toastmaster of the Day, pursued the theme of “Speaking Opportunities” with Shenequa Mitchell providing opening remarks. Cathy Lee performed admirably in her first foray into Table Topics, using fortune cookies to punctuate her questions on Opportunity and Chance. Mary Ann Klein and Shahid Abrar stepped up to the challenge—Mary Ann opting for Chance (taking a fortune cookie) while Shahid spoke on Opportunity. Mary Ann's chance paid off, and she was awarded "Best Table Topics."
Robin offered a number of creative, "out-of-the box" ways to find speaking opportunities beyond the club meetings, including class presentations or speaking to a group of colleagues at work. The important thing, he reminded us, was to find an appropriate manual project for the speech and to get a Toastmaster to give a written evaluation of the speech. He also used the opportunity to announce to the club the "Speak-a-Thon" that will be held on January 27th at the La Mesa Community Center. This event is open to all members of the club to give a speech and get credit. More details will be forthcoming in the next two weeks.
The club listened to three prepared speeches on widely different subjects: Peter Blouin’s #2 speech, “The Ugly, the Bad and the Good” demonstrated an expert grasp of college Division 1 football and the argument for a playoff system; Ned Powley’s #2 speech title "Community"revisited the strong themes of family and community, making excellent use of references to psychology (Abraham Maslow) and classical music (Beethoven); and Glenn Tolle’s #6 speech entitled “An Invitation to Chess” gave the club an insight into the club president’s passion for cognitive combat, garnishing him a “Best Speaker” award. The “Most Improved” award went to Ned Powley.
If a “Most Guests Invited” ribbon were awarded, it would have been presented with aplomb to Glenn Woodson, who brought three guests to the meeting, who also represented three generations of Woodsons: wife Karen (a perennial guest who declared her intent to join), new member of the Woodson Clan, Sterling, and Glenn’s mother, Frances
The crowning achievement of the meeting was the induction of the club’s newest member, Shahid Abrar ul Hassan, a graduate student at the Monterey Institute of International Studies (MIIS) and for several weeks a persistent guest of the club. Congratulations, and welcome Shahid!
For better listening, thinking, and speaking!
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