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.