March 2, 2015 Club Meeting

Chamber Speakers Circle Toastmasters

March 2, 2015

Attendees: Samya, David K., Suzanne, Kira and Annamarie

Guests: Margaret

Theme of the day:  The Color Green

Word of the day:  “Green”

David K. was the Toastmaster and the General Evaluator; Kira was the Vote Counter, and the Timer.

Samya started the meeting by introducing the guest and making announcements.  Aditi won the International Contest and Annamarie won the Tall Tales Contest.

Speaker #1:  Annamarie:  Advanced Manual  “Left Out”        

Annamarie gave an inspiring and passionate speech.  She began by acting out being called to the principal’s office, which included using the prop of a chair.  Annamarie took us through, first being notified of her father’s illness and then the process of his passing away.  It was an event that changed her life.  She had to control her life for the next ten years or she would become angry. 

Annamarie then had another experience with her aunt who had a stroke.  She was again in the hospital.  This time her aunt pulled through and was back to being sarcastic and critical.  Annamarie made the determination at that moment to change her pattern and let things go.  She no longer wanted to be angry.  This was another life altering experience and a great burden had been lifted off of her shoulders. 

Table Topics:  Suzanne was the Table Topics Master. Questions were asked around of the theme of “green”.

Evaluator #1: Samya evaluated Annamarie.  She also received additional comments from the group.  Annamarie shared with us, an authentic personal story.  The audience was entertained, moved and fully engaged by her speech. 

The speech was well organized around the theme, of her father’s passing and how this impacted her over the next ten years.  She concluded with the near death of her aunt and how this inspired her to make a transformation in how Annamarie dealt with her life.  “Chaos ended with another chaos.”

This was a powerful speech, filled with many antidotes.  It was suggested that she make her body match the emotions that she was feeling.  Annamarie had great presence and voice modulation.  She drew everyone into the topic because she painted the scenes so well.

Samya asked for remarks  from the guest and then closed the meeting.  

February 9, 2015 Club Meeting

Chamber Speakers Circle Toastmasters

February 9, 2015

Chamber Speakers Circle Toastmasters

February 9, 2015

Attendees: Brenda, Leif, Belinda, Randy, Samya, Martin, Suzanne, Aditi, David K, David N., and Annamarie

Guests: Janet and Jim

Annamarie was the Toastmaster; Brenda was the General Evaluator; Belinda was the Grammarian, Martin was the Ah Counter and the Timer.

Samya started the meeting by introducing the guest and making announcements.

Speaker #1 and Speaker #2,  (Combined speeches)  “An Interview”

Aditi – Project #8  “Getting Comfortable with Visual Aides.” 

Samya – Project #3 in the Advanced Manual  “When You’re the Host”

This was a very creative way of combing the needs of each speaker.  It was an educational session incorporating these three areas:

1.     Leadership

2.    Communication, including our websites, (Chamber Speakers Circle, District 4, and the Toastmaster International sites), and Social Media (Facebook site)

3.    Engagement, Being pat of a larger community    

Brenda called on her team of evaluators.

Evaluator #1:  David K. evaluated Samya.  He said that it was well prepared and well rehearsed.  Samya demonstrated that she understood the dynamics of an interview.  It was very effective and called for action from the audience.  Samya is a seasoned speaker, relaxed and confident.

The suggestion was made that Samya be careful not to stand in front of the projector and to also use a little more vocal variety.  She has a good presence and excellent eye contact. 

     

Evaluator #2:  Leif evaluated Aditi.  He started by saying, Aditi was excellent all the way across.  She had good inflection, and used visual aides with confidence.  It was recommended that Aditi dim the lights slightly because it was hard to read the slides at times.  Leif stated that she demonstrated a very good use of body language and had excellent expressive language skills.   

Samya asked for the guests remarks and then closed the meeting. 

January 26, 2015 Club Meeting

Chamber Speakers Circle Toastmasters

January 26, 2015

Attendees: David N., Samya, David K., Suzanne, Randy, Kira, Lief, Martin, Lefteris, Annamarie, and Kira

Guests: Four new guests

Theme of the day:  Freedom of Speech

Word of the day:  “Censorship”

Lief was the Toastmaster; Annamarie was the General Evaluator; David N. was the Grammarian, David K. was the Ah Counter, and Suzanne was the Timer.

Samya opened the meeting and made the announcement about holding our club contest on 2/23/15 from 6:00 to 7:30.  There will be two categories; 1) The Tall Tales Contest for anyone of the members, and 2) The International Speech Contest for members that have given at least six speeches.  Contestants volunteered and both categories were filled.

Speaker #1:  Randy, – “The Best Way To Get Someone To Do Something Is To Tell Them Not To Do It”        

Randy began his speech by telling how as a child, he and his brother delighted doing things that they were told not to do.  Even as adults people will sometimes deliberately do the opposite of what they were told to do.

Randy told us one story when he was a child and his brother came up with the idea of going to the bathroom on a gas heater to manipulate the flames.  One time Randy did this on his own and all of the flames went out.  He worried about this and tried to figure a way to fix this problem.  He could come up with nothing and did not report this to his parents from fear of being punished. 

Their house caught on fire after this, but it is unknown what caused the fire so the incidences may very well be unrelated.  Randy shared about how this event shaped his life as he felt responsible.  “He never healed”, until he found music, the universal language, and leaned to play an instrument and sing. 

Randy then came to Toastmasters and discovered the healing effect of communication.  “Words can help us connect.”   In giving speeches and sharing our experiences, we can truly connect with people in a meaningful way.  This is what Randy called, “The Therapeutic Benefit of Toastmasters”.

Speaker #2:  Martin – “This Is Your Year – 2015”       

Martin opened his speech by describing New Year’s Resolutions, which are firm decisions to do or not do something.  He mentioned the top ten most often used.  Martin suggested that we keep our resolutions simple and not “far fetched”.  He said that 47% of people make resolutions; 17% sometimes make them; and 38% never make them.

Of those people making resolutions, only 8% achieve them.  This lack of success is from the following reasons:

1.    We don’t really mean it.

2.    We make it for someone else.

3.    The resolutions are not specific enough.

4.    They are not ongoing, sustainable.

5.    Change can mean losing something.

Martin indicated ways that we can become part of this 8%.

1.    Write down our resolutions.

2.    Be realistic.

3.    Share them with others.

4.    Make it a priority.

5.    Create a routine.

6.    Reward yourself.

“The most you get out of life is what you put into it.”

Speaker #3:  Aditi, Project #7  - If You Are Not On Line, You Don’t Exist”       

Do you have an online identity?  There are only about 20 people that I really interact with directly.  The others are online.  How does this define me?  There are 8 billion people vying for an online identity.  You must be authentic when you share about yourself.  Aditi described the various ways to identify yourself on line using facebook, linkedin, twitter, etc.  None of us can escape an online identity so we should embrace it and utilize it to our advantage. 

Annamarie called on her team of evaluators.

Evaluator #1:  Kira evaluated Randy.  Kira stated that she liked Randy’s enthusiasm and his animation.  His speech was entertaining and at the same time very poignant.  Kira finally was able to understand the story toward the end when it all came together for her.  Randy spoke from his heart and the audience was very connected throughout his speech. 

Evaluator #2:  Lefteris evaluated Martin.  This was a beautiful speech from the beginning, through the middle and at the end.  It was well organized.  What Martin said was more engaging than the slides that he used.  Lefteris stated that the statistics were a little confusing and could use a little more explanation.  Overall, the speech was wonderful and the tone of voice was very good.

Evaluator #3:  Samya evaluated Aditi.  Aditi had a very strong opening.  It brought me into her speech right away.  Aditi gave excellent reasons for getting online.  She was very persuasive.  If you have a very strong worldwide presence, then you can be known for exactly what you desire.  Aditi provided great solutions.  Embrace it, don’t fake it.  Aditi had good eye contact and looked friendly and confident.

Samya asked the guests for comments and then closed the meeting. 

January 12, 2015 Club Meeting

Chamber Speakers Circle Toastmasters

January 12, 2015

Attendees: David N., Samya, Aditi, David K., Suzanne, Randy, Kira, Lief, Martin, Annamarie, and Kira

Guests: None

Theme of the day:  Impromptu

Word of the day:  “Improvise”

Lefteris was the Toastmaster; David N. was the General Evaluator; Annamarie was the Grammarian, Aditi was the Ah Counter, Kira was the Vote Counter, and Martin was the Timer.

Samya opened the meeting and made the announcement about holding our club contest.  There will be two categories; 1) The Tall Tales Contest for anyone of the members, and 2) The International Speech Contest for members that have given at least six speeches.

Speaker #1:  David K., Project #2 – “Conquering Fears”        

David opened his speech with the quote, “There is nothing to fear but fear itself.”

The fear of public speaking is up at the top for most people.  One way to conquer fear is to build our confidence.  David gave three basic points to build our confidence.

1.    Ability and skill – Practice to develop your skills. 

2.    Body Language – When you are nervous it shows in your body movements.  No eye contact, jittery, speak quickly, etc.  To counteract this, imagine taking a “Wonder Woman” pose for two minutes before going on stage.  Bring air into your lungs.

3.    Visualization – Visualize giving your speech with a calm and confident air.

Speaker #2:  Annamarie, Project #10 – “The Value of Leadership - Going and Showing the Way”       

After attending a Leadership Conference, Annamarie discovered what it meant to be a good leader.  The most significant impact you will make is by guiding people, show them the way.  The most important person is the one in front of you.

Annamarie told the story of the Monkey King.  I am their king.  She then made the distinction between “sacrifice” vs. a “figure head”.  Annamarie then talked about a foundation that she was involved with, where the leader was a figure head.  She said that coming to Toastmaster “was a savior to her”.  Annamarie discovered the importance of delegating.  She became an officer and was surprised that she could fully participate as a new member of the team.  Annamarie found that the only hope for leadership is to continuously allow “new blood” to participate.  Leadership is to know the way, go the way and then show the way.

Table Topics:  Samya was the Table Topics Master. Questions were asked around of the theme of the meeting.

David N. called on his team of evaluators.

Evaluator #1:  Lief evaluated David K.  Lief opened by stating the objectives and saying that David met each one of them.  He was well organized and had a good use of props.  It helped to illustrate the points that he was making.  Lief suggested that perhaps David could have a little stronger ending because the beginning and body of the speech were very strong.  Overall, the speech was excellent and gave us something to think about.

Evaluator #2:  Suzanne evaluated Annamarie.  Suzanne said that Annamarie’s speech was very thought provoking.  She had not heard of that distinction made before about leadership being sacrifice vs. figurehead.  Annamarie was well organized and her examples coordinated with her speech well.  She gave us clear examples of what a figure head style was like and then gave us her experience with Toastmasters.  It was suggested that Annamarie develop a way of utilizing the stage that is not as rhythmic in nature.  When one goes back and forth on the stage in a rhythmic way, it can tend to lull the listener.  Her delivery was so articulate that it did, however, counteract this effect.  Annamarie’s topic was easy to relate with and her delivery was very engaging.

Samya closed the meeting. 

January 5, 2015 Club Meeting

Chamber Speakers Circle Toastmasters

January 5, 2015

Attendees: David N., David K., Samya, Lefteris, Lief, Suzanne, Annamarie, and Lara

Guests: Chino

Samya introduced the coming events of Toastmasters which are the club contest in March, and the officer trainings in January and February.  She then asked each one of us to give a 30 second introduction and what we are committed to complete this term. 

The following are the responses of those present:

1.     David K. said he would do a speech next month.

2.    Lief said that he would complete two speeches, one per month in the next three months.

3.    David N. would complete 25 speeches in the next three months.

4.    Lara would complete 16 speeches in the next three months.

5.    Suzanne would complete her keynote speech within the next three months.

6.    Annamarie would complete her Competent Communicator this term.

7.    Samya would complete her Silver award this term. 

Samya then opened the floor to the members for spontaneous Table Topic questions.  Members would respond to their question then choose the next member and ask a question for them to answer. 

This was a unique way to hold a Toastmaster’s meeting when there had not been an agenda and roles for the meeting.  Everyone enjoyed the event.

Samya asked for the guest’s remarks and then closed the meeting. 

December 8, 2014 Club Meeting

Chamber Speakers Circle Toastmasters

December 8, 2014

This was the Chamber Speakers Circle Holiday Party at Nick’s in San Mateo.

Attendees: David N., Dvid K., Monica, Aditi, Suzanne, Randy, Brenda, Kira, Gustalvo, Lefteris, Martin and Annamarie

Everyone had a great time celebrating our time together.  David N. made the suggestion that all of the new members do their “Ice Breaker” speeches spontaneously.  Monica, Kira, Gustalvo, and Lefteris all gave their speeches.  Thank you David for your wonderful suggestion.  It made the occasion even more festive.

November 17, 2015 Club Meeting

Chamber Speakers Circle Toastmasters

November 17, 2014

Attendees: David N., Monica, Aditi, Suzanne, Randy, Belinda, and Annamarie

Guests: Chase

Theme of the day:  Thanksgiving

Word of the day:  “Harvest”

Suzanne was the Toastmaster; David N. was the General Evaluator; Belinda was the Grammarian, and the Timer.

Suzanne started the meeting by introducing the guest and making announcements.

Speaker #1:  Annamarie:  Project #9, “Fear”        

Annamarie started by defining fear.  She then went into a personal story about her experience of fear.  After accidently finding herself going the wrong way on a one way street, while driving in San Francisco, Annamarie suddenly had a fear of driving in the city.  She made many excuses for not having to drive in the city or found round about ways to get there.

Annamarie told us of another person’s fear of crossing bridges.  She stated that fear can bring temptation or make us lie to cover it up.  When she asked another friend, “Are you afraid?”  The friend responded, “No, I trust in God.” 

Fear is based on losing control.  “Life begins when fear ends.”  Annamarie gave the following two steps in overcoming fear:

1.     Acknowledge it.  Own it.

2.    Fully understand the fear.

As Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.”   Annamarie ended her speech by saying that, “Love builds on itself.”

Speaker #2:  Aditi:  Project # 8 – “Being Interviewed”   

     

Aditi began her speech by describing her last interview for a company in Silicon Valley and what she had learned from the experience.  It is important to practice interviewing so attend as many as you can.  Aditi told us that there were three key elements or lessons that she has learned.

1.    It is the little things that you do every day that count.  She began to track the challenges that came up for her every day.

2.    Branding, “Who am I?”  What is the key element that defines you, for example “I love solving problems”?

3.    People who are hiring are more desperate to find an employee than you are to find a job.  Be yourself.   

Table Topics:  Randy was the Table Topics Master. Questions were asked around of the theme of “Harvest”.

David N. called on his team of evaluators.

Evaluator #1:  Belinda evaluated Aditi.  Belinda opened by saying that Aditi had very good vocal variety.  Her speech was “fabulous”.  She has great vocal variety, annunciation of her words, and vocal clarity.  “Good speakers are very clear on how they speak.”  Her suggestion for Aditi was to pause a little on the significant points.  Overall, her speech had good communication with her audience and a very commanding presence.

Evaluator #2:  Annamarie had a group evaluation.  This is a compilation of the remarks.  She gave a very powerful and impacting speech.  Good information, great voice and projection.  “I took notes.”  Very good presence.  When Annamarie paced back and forth it was a little distracting.  It is important to stop and pause at those powerful moments.  Well prepared, no notes.  Her speech was clear and organized well.  The speech was timely for myself, city driving is hard for me.  The pace was a little fast, but a powerful message. 

Suzanne asked for the guest’s remarks and then closed the meeting. 

November 10, 2014 Club Meeting

Chamber Speakers Circle Toastmasters

November 10, 2014

Attendees: Samya, Brenda, Aditi, Suzanne, Annamaria, Randy, and Martin.

Guests: Monica and Siva

Theme of the day: Politics

Word of the day: Indecision

Annamaria was the Toastmaster; Belinda was the General Evaluator; Randy was the Grammarian, Belinda was the Ah Counter, and Suzanne was the Timer.

Samya started the meeting by asking the guests to express why they came to Toastmasters

Speaker #1:  Martin: “What’s our Communication Style?”

Martin began by stating that we each have our own unique way of speaking which include:

·         Body Language

·         Words we use

·         Energy Level

·         Eye Contact

The way we speak also sends signals to people so they can figure out who we are by our conclusions, intentions, and dreams.  This can also lead the listener to form judgments and perhaps even cause conflicts.   Words are only 7% of our means of communication.  Conflicts can be avoided when we are able to send clear messages to people.

Martin then went into Brown’s “Just Do It” method for success, called “Signals Brown Tends to Project”.  He described the four colors that show our basic personality characteristics.  It was fascinating and allowed the audience to identify with different ones.  Martin ended by suggesting that “We all could learn how to be more receptive.”   

Speaker #2:  Samya: Advanced Communicator Manual.  Giving an Interview.

Samya had an interview set up with Aditi as the interviewer.  They set it up as a morning talk show with Aditi asking questions and Samya answering.  The topic was about Samya’s new Book, The Philosophy and Science of Yoga:  5,000 Years in the Making. 

It was a lively interview, which went over many interesting facts about the book.  Samya expressed how she had spent many months in the Himilayas obtaining her training.  Samya also gave us many insights into how to “Self-Expression”.

Table Topics:  Aditi was the Table Topics Master. Questions were asked around the theme of “Politics”.  She used the “key word” method to have us express our points of view.

Belinds called on her team of evaluators.

Evaluator #1:  The Round Table evaluation method was used.  Martin was very polished and professional in his presentation.  It was a fascinating topic that held our interest, very pertinent.  Martin gave us a lot of information with good attention to detail.  He is a natural speaker and uses soothing tones and voice modulation.

Some of the suggestions were:

·         Use the space a little more,  (This was hard because the remote was not there for the power point.)

·         Laminate the papers he used of the color characteristics. 

Overall, Martin gave a very personable, natural, and genuine presentation using good eye contact.  He was very powerful and commands the attention of his audience.

Evaluator #2:  The Round Table evaluation method was used.  Samya had good projection and looked into the camera.  The members were excited to see how the advanced manual speeches were given.  Samya had great eye contact, was smiling and had a friendly tone.  She seemed at ease and knowledgeable of the topic. 

There was good chemistry between the interviewer and the interviewee, “Synergy”.  The questions appeared to put the speaker at ease.  Some suggestions were:

·         When Samya comes to important points in her speech to pause and speak more slowly to emphasize this.  

·         Have less comprehensive questions so the answers could be shorter.  There was a lot of valuable information and it is important to let the audience keep up.

Samya gave us eight steps to work with the techniques, which were well thought out and very informative.  The interview was excellent and we all learned valuable insights into Yoga.

October 27, 2014 Club Meeting

Chamber Speakers Circle Toastmasters

October 27, 2014

Attendees: David N., Kira, Belinda, Annamarie, and Suzanne

Guests: Monica and Siva

Speaker #1:  Belinda:    “FAT Machines OMG”   

Belinda opened her speech about her desire to lose some weight.  She signed into a gym that was a “super muscle gym” and she was told that she would lose half of her body weight.  She talked about other members, whose bodies were “the perfect model”.  Belinda talked about her first visit to the gym and how she felt.

Belinda took us though a colorful story about her experience of trying to lose weight and the end discovered that she didn’t have any weight to lose.  She did everything the others at the gym did and even made friends with them, only to discover she was fine the way that she was.   

Table Topics:  Suzanne was the Table Topics Master. Questions were asked around of the theme of “Halloween”.

Evaluator #1:  Siva evaluated Belinda.   Siva said that the speech was very entertaining and funny.  Belinda gave an excellent performance with a flawless delivery.  Belinda took ownership of the stage and projected confidence.  She loved the personal nature of the speech.

Suzanne asked for the guests remarks and then closed the meeting.