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Guests Welcome Would you like to develop your public speaking skills? Are you interested in learning more about Toastmasters or, attending one of our meetings? Click here for more information. Toastmasters: A New Campfire for Storytellers (Recap of April 12th Meeting) The Pearls Room at the Marriott was the site of Warner Center Toastmasters (WCTM) April 12th meeting as thirty-three members and seven guests enjoyed an evening of Table Topics, five Prepared Speeches, and Evaluations. The theme of the night was ”Stories.” The evening’s Toastmaster, John Graves, CTM / CL, related his confusion in preparing for a meeting during tax season. “Now I’d like to introduce some depreciating assets, our monitors. All right 590564, will you please tell us what a Grammarian does,” he joked. Table Topics: Can Androids Say, “I do”?
Table Topics,
the opening segment of the evening’s program was led by Topics Master,
Dan Marzec, ATM-B. “A long time ago,
before books, magazines,
Prepared Speeches: Variety, the Spice of Toastmasters
The five Prepared Speeches that formed the core of the
evening’s program were as eclectic as the membership of WCTM. Up first
was
Eva Barry followed with her speech #6 from the CLM, an interpretive reading of a selection from the stage play, “Bird Bath” by the late playwright Leonard Melfi. Providing voices for both characters, Eva communicated the pain and confusion resident in the relationship of Frankie, a poet in his late 20s, and Velma, a troubled, twenty-something waitress. In the selection performed, Velma reveals to Frankie that she has used a knife to free herself from her abusive mother. “What will they do to me?” she asks. Feng Shui was the topic of “Weird Science”, Cate Bramble’s CLM speech #6. Asserting that this ancient Chinese philosophical system has been co-opted in recent years by New Age practitioners, Cate proceeded to set the record straight. “‘Feng’ means “wind’ and ‘Shui’ is ‘water,’” she explained. “The Chi that rides the wind stops at the boundary of the water.” It is this concept, a living space’s separate harmony, which is the underlying principle of Feng Shui. Having practiced the art herself, Cate provided several examples of her work that illustrated the power and accuracy of Feng Shui. “I can walk into a house I’ve never seen before and ask five questions about it that will reveal both its history and its future,” she asserted.
“Just when you think you have this ‘mothering’ thing perfected
and you begin to like the little monster….he leaves,” said
Donna Stewart in The final Prepared Speech of the evening was a talk from the Speaking to Inform Advanced Manual by Marc Cohn, CTM, entitled “When is Easter Sunday?” In it Marc offered a number of facts as to why, “…the dates for Easter jump up and down like a bunny.” Describing such things as the development of the Metonic cycle, Marc explained that Easter is on the first Sunday of the full moon following the Vernal Equinox. Evaluations: Another Fantastic Meeting
WCTM’s Founder, Rose Lane, DTM,
served as General Evaluator for the Evaluations segment of
the evening’s
April 26, 2007
Club #2966
Editor: Bill Anderson
New Members Warner Center Toastmasters is pleased to welcome four new members to its ranks. Jeff Sarnowski, Cynthia Legagneur, and Raymond Ward all joined at the club’s April 12th meeting. Philip Fischer, who has been a guest at several recent club meetings, finally made it official, transferring his membership to WCTM. These fine additions bring our club’s membership to 52. Welcome one and all! Upcoming District 52 Events Division “A” International Speech and Evaluations Contest – Saturday, April 28, registration - 8:30 a.m.; contest start – 9:30 a.m. Where: Taft High School – annex, 5461 Winnetka Avenue, Woodland Hills. For more information contact Division “A” Governor, Erin O’Neil at egtoneill@yahoo.com. District 52 Spring Conference – Saturday, May 19. Where: Beverly Garland Holiday Inn; 4222 Vineland Avenue, North Hollywood, CA. For more information go to the District 52 Web Site: http://www.district52.org/.
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and
the internet, people sat around the fire and told stories,” he told the
audience. “Toastmasters is all about story telling.” Describing
his youthful interest in a now popular form of storytelling, science
fiction, Dan laid out the parameters of the evening’s Table Topics
segment, “I’m going to give a brief science fiction scenario. I want you
to tell a two minute story around it.” The following WCTM members were
then called upon to do their best Philip K. Dick impression:
opening “It is as It Should Be,” her speech #7 from the CLM. A
paean to navigating the empty nest syndrome, Donna described the sadness
that she has experienced since her son Chase left home for college.
However, this feeling is tempered by the satisfaction she feels in
having given him the basis to start on his life’s adventure. “I gave him
his wings. It’s what I’ve invested my heart and soul in for years. But,
it is as it should be,” she closed. In recognition of her outstanding
effort, Donna Stewart was voted the evening’s
program.
Summing up the meeting, she observed, “The evening flowed beautifully.
Another fantastic meeting! I hope that we all will continue to be
involved.” Individual evaluations were done by 
meet
every 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month
without fail (except Xmas). Meetings begin at 6:30pm
with gavel at 7 pm. Meetings conclude at approximately
9 pm. Guest fee: $5.
f Topanga Canyon Boulevard in