Meeting Recap: Thursday, Nov. 12, 2015 (Dream Bigger!)

Dear APS Members,

With the District 46 Fall conference on the near horizon, Toastmaster of the Day Manuel Saldana encouraged us to Dream Bigger! Some APS contestants may have been emulous of their competitors, while other members were preparing for new goals and opportunities. Guest dreamers were Jason Wisdom, Anda and Tudor Maxim and Len Lubarsky who served as Timer. “Emulous” was the Word of the Day presented by Grammarian Georgia Jones.

Manuel Saldana suggested the world needs “A New Army.” This would be an army of the kind – people performing simple acts of kindness to make a big cumulative difference. Evaluator Kadisha Currie enjoyed Manuel’s speech development, use of quotes and the story of the children who gave a poor man a silver dollar, but she asked that he expand the speech body to include even more similar stories.

What do you see through “The Camera” lens? Jacqueline McIntyre demonstrated with her own digital camera that you might be able to see your dreams, and the dreams of your photo subjects. Wesley Webster displayed his own knowledge of cameras as he praised Jackie’s interesting topic and her enthusiasm. He then suggested that she sharpen the speech focus to just a few key points instead of using a wide angle.

“From Crying to Changing Choices” describes the development of Pam Burke’s thinking, as she progressed from a stymied employee, to a volunteer leader in Toastmasters and most recently a keynote speaker asking young students “what changes and choices will you make?” Georgia Jones found a lot to like, including Pam’s passion, confidence, relatable stories and strong closing summary. Georgia then suggested that Pam edit redundancies to improve speech flow, find a more catchy title and modify the opening so that her introducer would set the scenario.

“Toastmasters Anonymous” is the humorous contest speech by Todd McKinney, using the stories of certain APS members to poke fun at the addictive nature of Toastmasters. Jason Wisdom was complimentary overall, but thought that it would be better to introduce the humorous premise right at the start. He also cautioned Todd to remain attentive while being introduced.

Todd McKinney offered Table Topic questions to help Wesley Webster prepare for the upcoming District Contest. Wesley said his life story would be titled “Where Science, Technology and Religion Meet.” Len Lubarsky believes it is certainly possible for people to fundamentally change, while Jason Wisdom said it can be alright to tell a lie if it is of the “little white” variety. Entrepreneur Tudor Maxim believes that public speaking may play a larger role in his future success.

General Evaluator Kadisha Currie praised Manuel Saldana for the excellent room preparation. She liked that guests had a chance to introduce themselves, but asked that all be included in Table Topics. Grammarian Georgia Jones noted that there were some incomplete sentences and an incorrect use of the Word of the Day. After taking comments from guests Kadisha gaveled the meeting to a close.