When President John Graves introduced a “large, migratory bird that has already raised it’s young,” at our September 8 conclave, he was talking about Toastmaster of the Evening Chick Saffell-ATM, a retired businessman who spends half the year in Palm Desert, then returns to the city each Summer to rejoin our club. In addition to bringing on our lineup of speakers, Chick also introduced our competition level table topics, where Bill Anderson handily captured the trophy and will be moving on to the Area Competition. Congratulations, Bill!

John Graves, CTM-CL was also doing double duty as the regular Topicmaster, where he challenged our members with a variety of  questions concerning matters of competition and ambition. Our Pinklady (TM) Jackie Goldberg seized the best table topics award by talking about how she bluffed her way through a job interview to success. Maybe bluffing is a key element in table topics, too. It’s not so much what you say, but how you say it that counts.

In one of the most visual and content-rich speeches in recent memory, Shelly Bright used powerpoint and a laptop-linked projector to intrigue us with the latest research about anti-oxidants, vitamin dosages, and nutritional health in her full-length speech number 8.. Then Soraya Deen, CTM followed up by telling us that “food is so abundant, we staple our stomachs because we are afraid it will kill us.”

Actually, Soraya’s award-winning speech was probably more about Gandhi’s role in raising world consciousness than anything else. Soraya touched our audience with her worldly message and once again grabbed Best Speaker of the evening. As last year’s best overall speaker, she seems well on her way to dominating the field for 2006.

Lastly, Nitin Arneja brought his technical expertise to the table with a talk explaining what E-business and E-commerce are all about.

In the evaluation segment, Rose Lane projected her usual radiant energy as she introduced some of our best evaluators, including Larry Blackford, Don West, and Maya DeBus, CTM, whose critical review of Soraya garnered her the Evaluation Award.

If you missed this last one, and pity you if you did, we invite you, yes you, to be at the Marriott for our next meeting on September 22, 2005, helmed by Don West, who will be sharing the spotlight with General Evaluator David Wurth. Rose Lane will make sure that everyone is covered in her table topics. We’ve got an icebreaker coming at you and two exciting speeches, so do set aside some time to join us, won’t you?  

READ OUR SPEECHES                                     MEETING ARCHIVES

Are you thinking of visiting Warner Center Toastmasters?
  
The purpose of Toastmasters is to help you develop your public (and private) speaking skills, improve your self-confidence in business and personal situations, and to help you define yourself to your world more clearly. Why fumble around in the dark with your self-image? You can communicate more effectively than you ever dreamed possible!

If this sounds good to you, then come join us for a light buffet and some great speakers at the Warner Marriott Hotel in Woodland Hills. Among the most prestigious and popular Toastmasters meeting locations in greater Los Angeles, the Marriott provides a wide variety of superb meeting rooms for one of Los Angeles' finest Toastmasters organizations.  

Warner Center Toastmasters has been enhancing careers and enriching interpersonal communications for our members for more than two decades. Why leave great speaking skills to politicians and CEO's? You too can speak like a pro, and we'll show you how. 

It all comes together in a clearly defined and well-supported program of speeches and exercises that help you to sharpen your verbal skills, organize your words and gestures, and make you fast on your feet. Lose your fear of speaking in front of a large group, and you'll feel more relaxed speaking to anyone!

The Warner Marriott is located at 21850 Oxnard Street at the corner of Topanga. From Granada Hills to Calabasas, Santa Monica to Chatsworth, we have active members from all over the area.

We DO meet every 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month without fail. Meeting begins at 630pm, gavel at 7pm. Meeting concludes approximately 9pm. Guest fee: five dollars.  This site is updated twice a month with forthcoming meeting details, so check back often.  For more information, please contact: