Simply Speaking Minutes

Colorado Community Church

12/13/2012

Sergeant-at-Arms Joe Long got the meeting started with a call to order and the pledge of allegiance.  He then introduced our Toastmaster for the evening, Leo Chen, serving in the role for the first time.

The theme was “No matter how long the winter” and the word of the day was “Auspicious”, an adjective meaning “showing or suggesting that future success is likely”.

Cybele Antonow was our Inspirator, telling us the secret for peace and success is to let go of resentment and feeling offended, to stop judging.

Speeches were started off by Will Osagiede.  Using the Speaking to Inform manual he told us how to give an effective evaluation.  Using the sandwich approach we should identify content, delivery, and impact.  He also told us that it is important to offer feedback to help the speaker grow.

Ed Pens was the second speaker and entertained us with his speech “Manifest Destiny 3.0”.  Even though he didn't win in the presidential election and garnered fewer votes than Rosanne Barr, he has plans to improve our political system.  He would extend manifest destiny to include Canada, Mexico and Central America.  We’ll start with a car rally into Canada first.  “They won’t suspect a thing” to quote Ed.

Kathy Fortune filled in the third speaker spot with “Overcoming the Fear”.  A woman who has done over 60 speeches in her life, she told us that the butterflies we feel before a speech are normal.  Just take a moment, relax, take a deep breath, and do your best.

Concetta Palmieri was a last minute stand in as Table Topics Master.  She had some great question for the participants.  Rick Burton, Alan Swartz, Lee Johnson, and Felicia Arambula all provided some great answers to the questions.

Timer Kreg Lyles reported that Ed Pens was the only speaker in time, but all table topics participants were in time.

General Evaluator Darryle Brown introduced the evaluators and offered evaluations of them and the meeting.  The meeting started a little late and we were a little behind on the time, but it was a great meeting overall.  He also thanked Concetta and Kathy on filling in at the last minute.

Joel Weissman evaluated Will’s speech mentioning that it was ironic to be evaluating a speech on evaluations.  Will used the projector to his advantage, providing good examples of Henry Ford and McDonalds as models of evaluating situations and improving on them.

Darryle told Joel that his experience as a teacher served him well in his evaluation and he was well organized.

Tom Marrs evaluated Ed and said he loved Ed’s idea for manifest destiny, but he should do Manifest Destiny 3.2 and annex South America, too.  Ed was congratulated for overall creativity and enough content to almost be credible.
Darryle told Tom his evaluation bridged his evaluation well  to work with Ed’s speech.  He gave a “how to” with recommendations.

Third evaluator Pete Hazlet told Kathy that she gave a great speech with only three hours to prepare.  Originally planned to be used with PowerPoint, she used handouts to her advantage.  It was a very lively speech, engaging and encouraging, reminding us that nervousness before a speech is normal.
Darryle told Pete that his evaluation his evaluation was engaging and encouraging.

.Ah counter Connie Akins used the bell to mark the ah’s, um’s and filler words.  She asked everyone present their preference for the bell only or the Ah count.  The bell only was preferred over the report.

Grammarian Maura Thompson kept track of some great lines from the speakers, including table topics participants and evaluators.  The word of the day as used several times.

Awards went to :
Best Evaluator: Joel Weissman
Best Table Topics: Alan Swartz
Best Speaker: Ed Pens

Immediate Past President Tom Marrs was awarded his Advanced Communicator Bronze.  

Present at the meeting:
Darryle Brown, Alan Swartz, Connie Akins, Margaret Seyer, Maura Thompson , Pete Hazlet, Tom Marrs,  Kathy Fortune,  Joel Weissman, Will Osagiede, Ed Pens, Deborah Frauenfelder, Joe Long, Kreg Lyles, Lee Johnson, Diane Nuss, Felicia Arambula, Cybele Antonow, Rick Burton, Leo Chen and Concetta Palmieri.

Guests: Margaret Seyer Sr.

Next meeting December 20, 2012 with Diane Nuss as toastmaster


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