Back to School!

With a 50% increase in attendance over last week (16 members and 2 guests), Immediate Past President Fred Sadler presented the Presidents Distinguished Club Blue and Gold ribbon from Toastmasters International to Art Testani on behalf of the club (for achieving all ten club goals during the 2008-2009 year). Yeay team and congratulations to everyone who worked diligently to achieve this club goal for the seventh time in the past eight years!

TMoD Karen Woodson reminded us that school will be starting soon and chose the theme "Back to School."

We started the meeting by welcoming newset member Juliette Ferguson:


Joe Tacker channeled Marcel Marceau with his Opening Remarks - perhaps the first ever without words or sounds (thereby beating out Past President Angi Anderson with her "toot" on a noisemaker a few years back):


Karen in action as TMoD:



Elie Ishag was voted "Best Table Topics" speaker in response to Moyara's question:


Kate Daniels gave an effective "dry run" proposal for funding her business venture:



Jim Burlison's #4 speech Dream Team evoked baseball heroes of yesteryear, and garnered him the "Most Improved" award:


Carl Thormeyer presented the Toastmasters International "Successful Club Series" Module on "How to Become a Distinguished Club" within the framework of a #8 speech from the CC manual. He was voted "Best Speaker" - barely - he had but one second to spare at 7:29!


Art Testani evaluated Kate:


Natalie Laudier evaluated Jim's speech:


Arnie was selected "Best Evaluator" for his feedback to Carl:


Karen takes control of the lectern after Vote Counter Khalid Woods presented today's awards:

Fiscal Responsibility

Wendy Goody, a newer NPS TM member but seasoned Toastmaster, led today's meeting with a theme of Fiscal Responsibility. Raising the bar with a printed agenda, Wendy enlisted the assistance of her "Debt Squad" with some (scary) facts about the state of our debt. With a lot of folks on vacation, we had a rather underpopulated meeting of 11 members and one guest, so there was lots of "double duty"! Great effort by Wendy, who is also a Division Governor in District 57 this year (East Bay).

We need to push back against the state of our debt!

This affects us all!


Karen Woodson gave Opening Remarks:


To give the evaluators more time, the prepared speakers went first. Craig led off with a humorous #4 speech (title??) about why coffee should be regulated - and the dire consequences of not having coffee. Craig was voted both Best Speaker and Most Improved:


Craig was evaluated by Art Testani:


Elizabeth Mitchell gave her #8 speech The Fun House, in which she showed pictures of her color-filled abode, a vast improvement over beige, the motif of her erstwhile residence.

Elizabeth was evaluated by Joe Tacker, who was selected Best Evaluator:


KJ Woods won Best Table Topics Speaker:

New York Times Bestseller List!

Elizabeth Mitchell added some literary touches to our meeting with a theme of the New York Times Bestseller list. With information going all the way back to its founding in 1942, she led a fun-filled meeting for the 15 members and two guests in attendance. We also welcomed Dennis Hickman into membership, who brought his Father-in-Law along from the Czech Republic for moral support!

KJ Woods gave Opening remarks:


Beating out her son who was visiting, Moyara Ruehsen came away as the top Table Topics response. Kudos to Moyara for answering a tough question about a book she was embarassed to have read with her son Bert in the room!


Natalie Laudier gave her #3 speech My Friend the Farmer and was voted Most Improved speaker:

Natalie was evaluated by Moyara Ruehsen:


Lacey Rakk also gave a #3 speech entitled Goals, and was voted Best Speaker:


Evaluator Art Testani used Lacey's message (as well as one of the index cards) to set (and reach) goals for his speech, and was selected Best Eveluator:

Summer Vacation!

We began the new Toastmasters year by welcoming the new club officers. District 4 Parliamentarian Carl Thormeyer inducts NPS's new officers. From left to right, Sergeant at Arms KJ Woods, Treasurer Craig, Secretary Moyara Ruehsen, VP Membership Tonya Holloway, and President Art Testani. (Not pictured: VP Public Relations Karen Woodson and VP Education Cathy Lee).



Jim Burlison gave Opening Remarks:


Tonya Holloway won Best Table Topics speaker:


Craig won best speaker for his #3 speech The Greatest Invention:


Craig was evaluated by Kate Daniels:


Lacey Raak tied as Most Improved for her #2 speech Sustainability:


Lacey was evaluated by veteran Carl Thormeyer, who was selected Best Evaluator: