Our October 14 meeting was distinctive if for no other reason than that we had a record number of guests. But even as many new guests and new members said hello, veteran member Chick Saffell, ATM said goodbye for the winter, with a speech from the entertainment manual. Chick described how he and his future spouse once walked the entire length of Wilshire Blvd to the Pacific. It was a memorable trip out of history, with rich sights, sounds, smells, and a pair of weathered boots that have climbed to the tops of mountains. Watch Chick at work and you'll get an idea of how effectively you can use props in your next speech. 

As for the other speakers in Rose Lane, DTM's lineup, ex-prez Loann Carrison, ATM, shared her Tiger Bride fairy tale from the front of the lectern, probing the limits of vocal variety and gestural expression. 

Soraya Deen, however, took home the evening's highest honor with a reflective speech #4 which explored the best instinct in all of us, that of human kindness.   

Lois Coburn randomly sampled WCTM's membership with a rich topic segment about Halloween, and then General Evaluator Maya Debus, CTM seized control of the evaluation segment, leading three of our most experienced evaluators (Marzec, Cohn, and Blackford) to critique and review all of our leading speakers.

As for you new members, don't hesitate to sign up as a monitor or for an Icebreaker and get the ball rolling. Getting started may seem like the hardest part, but nervousness is par for the course, especially if you're new. It's normal. Getting over your presentation anxiety is what Toastmasters is all about! To accomplish something worthwhile in Toastmasters, get out of your comfort zone and do it!  Experiment!  You are on a journey of self-discovery.

Don't miss our upcoming pre-Halloween meeting, led by VP of Publicity John C Graves. Come in costume (optional), be prepared to  enjoy a star-studded line-up of speakers, and climb onto your broom for a program that promises to be so good, it's scary. 

_________

Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom.    —Bertrand Russell 

The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed, and hence clamorous to be led to safety.      —H. L. Mencken, 1923 

by the speech. REMIND them to bring their book so that you can fill it out.

To really be prepared, look the speech up in your book and read for yourself the goals of that speech. Review the evaluation page so that you’re extremely familiar with the questions you’ll need to answer after the presentation. Then write up a small speech with ‘fill in the blanks’ spots for feedback on the actual presentation. It will help you focus on the skills you’re looking for.

Now, the big day arrives! If the speaker doesn’t approach you first, go over and ask for their book and for any last requests they may have for you.

When it is their turn to speak, watch closely for the skills they’re working on and fill in the blanks of your outline. Look for anything else that seems unprofessional. Maybe they lean on the lectern, or their hands are in their pockets…now listen closely! Don’t look for just the things they do wrong, look for all the skills they are doing right.

When it’s time for you to get up and give the evaluation, start with all the things the speaker did RIGHT! Use the outline you made before the meeting to guide you. Lastly, mention whatever you think they could do better, but do it in a positive manner. Don’t say “you lean on the lectern too much.” Rather, tell them how to improve it…say “your speech would be better if…you stood back from the lectern. Your speech would have more energy if you did.”

And, do all of this in 2-3 minutes! It’s possible if you rehearse using your outline.

Good luck and take the plunge! Challenge yourself while building your impromptu skills.

Cheers,