Thursday, October 21, 2010

Our Guests

Hello Toastmasters Family!

          First of all, thank you to all guests who came to visit our Club. It was great to have you and we all look forward to seeing you again and helping you achieve your public speaking goals.

We had 13 members in attendance and 7 guests, including some who came for their second visit. Nancy Hogg was Toastmaster of the evening. John Harman was General Evaluator.

          Magda Brugos presented a brief report from Dr.John Maxwell's book, "25 Ways to Win with People".  Way # 2: Practice the 30 second rule. Within the first 30 seconds of conversation, say something encouraging to a person. "Be kind, everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle'". People need a good word, a compliment, or encouragement. It takes little effort but lifts people up and energizes them.

          Christy Gardner was the first speaker of the evening. Her speech, "In the Spirit of Halloween", came from the Entertaining Speaker Manual. Tim Tonkovic was Christy's evaluator.   Christy spoke of her love of haunted houses. As a little girl, she loved them during the Halloween season. As a mother and a wife, she gets to experience a "haunted house" on a daily basis. Christy spoke of changes that came with marriage and children, and how her once-perfect house became a place of organized chaos. Things got lost or misplaced; furniture moved, piles of stuff appeared in random places. Her sparsely decorated town house was now filled with collections of comic books, video games and toys. Over time, Christy learned how to accept the fact that she can't have control over everything and she has now grown to love the noise and the mess that came with a husband and two little children. 

          Danita Fox was the second speaker. Danita was evaluated by Linda Williams. Danita's speech came from the Specialty Speech Manual and her objective was to convince the audience to buy a product. Danita began her presentation with a sales pitch in which she was sellling a revolutionary water bottle. She soon transitioned to her main sales presentation where she was promoting her fictional firm, Fox Consulting. We learned that Fox Consulting offers extensive training, developing and coaching program which will help any company reach its goals and increase employee productivity.
          Juan Martinez was Table Topics Master. Table Topics participants were asked a series of Halloween-themed questions. 

          Danita Fox, in her official role of Area Governor, reminded us that Toastmasters is of excellent value but only if we practice, participate and attend. It is the best program in which we can improve our public speaking and communication skills.

Ribbon Winners: 

Tim Tonkovic - Best Evaluator

Judy Anderson - Best Table Topics Speaker

Christy Gardner - Best Speaker

Congratulations, winners!

Notes:

Next meeting is November 4

Christmas Party is on December 16. We will exchange gifts and fellowship. Please invite a friend.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Hello Toastmasters and Guests!

The following update has been provided by our VP Membership, Christy Gardner, who kindly agreed to temporarily take on the duties of Secretary. Thanks, Christy!

"It was a great meeting with about 20 people present, including 3 guests - Rita Essick, Karen Essick, and Angela Fox. Although this was her first time at an Oyster Point Speakers Club Toastmasters meeting, when Toastmaster Adam Gold asked Ms. Rita Essick if she would be so kind as to provide a Word of the Day, she quickly used her Smart phone and came up with "fossick", a verb which means to hunt or seek out. Several speakers used the Word of the Day during the meeting.

We had three wonderful speeches. Victor Lopez gave his Icebreaker speech and we learned many different things about him, such as he has volunteered at a hospital and at a local radio station, he was a cop, he is an optimist, and he is an actor. Cristina Stoia gave her 2nd speech, which started off asking the audience whether they would rather go back in time and feast with the Romans or go into the future where our food might be served up in a pill. She then told us about the customs of Romans when they prepared for and enjoyed a feast. Our 3rd speech came from Mr. John Harman, DTM, who spoke about traveling with Mr. Jerry Keast, our District Governor, to various Toastmasters events. The audience voted John Harman the best speaker of the evening.

Lois Boyle was our Table Topics Master and she asked various questions of the Table Topics participants - Stan Dalziel, Linda Williams, Christy Gardner, and Sandy Peterson. Participants had to talk about topics such as raising money for a nudist colony, saving the woody woodpeckers, why I live in a swamp, and why I live in a treehouse. The audience voted for Linda Williams as the best Table Topics participant.

The three evaluators did a great job providing positive feedback to the speakers. Nancy Hogg evaluated Victor Lopez's speech; Matt Phillips evaluated Christina Stoia's speech, and Rick Boyer evaluated John Harman's speech. The audience voted Rick Boyer as the best evaluator of the evening.

Our Club President, Stan Dalziel, closed out the meeting by giving out the awards, inviting our guests to speak, and informing us of some changes to future meetings. These changes include combining the Grammarian and Ah Counter into one role, discontinuing the role of Humorist, increasing the time allotted for Table Topics, and creating a new role - "Professional Tip of the Day" which will be kicked off by Magda Brugos. "

 
PHOTOS:  http://www.radiantharvest.com/TM/photos/
 
See you next time!
Magda Brugos
OPS Club Secretary

Thursday, September 16, 2010

"Leaders aren't born, they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. And that's the price we'll have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal."

Vincent Lombardi, NFL American Football Coach

Toastmasters Family and Friends,

This quote by Coach Lombardi was picked for our last, football-themed meeting. I love it. Personally, it gives me great reassurance and a lot of hope. I'm not sure if I have been born with the talents needed to achieve what I've set to achieve in my life, but I know I can work hard and hone the skills necessary to reach any goal I set for myself.

It was wonderful to see everyone at our last meeting. We had 18 members in attendance and a guest, David Gomez. It was great to see you again, David. Anxious to hear your Icebreaker speech soon!

John Harman as Toastmaster of the Evening

John Harman served as Toastmaster of the Evening.
Dr. June Montgomery was Table Topics Master.
Stacey Wallace was General Evaluator.

Dr. Adam Gold was the first speaker of the evening. He presented his third speech from Competent Communicator manual, titled "Kick Off New Habits". 

Dr. Adam Gold

Adam's speech was evaluated by Dr. June Montgomery. Adam gave us great advice on how to stick to positive habits which will carry us towards achieving goals. We need to remember that, first of all, any change begins with us, individually. Additionally, while setting goals, we need to be S.M.A.R.T.E.R:

S - Specific - goals have to accurate and specific.

M - Measurable - e.g., instead of saying " I am going to lose weight", be more exact :"I will lose 10 pounds by Christmas".

A - Achievable - a goal needs to be achievable and within reasonable reach.

R - Reasonable - a goal needs to be reasonable, not a "pie in the sky".

T - Time frames - set exact time frames for achieving a goal.

E - Evaluate - evaluate your progress.

R - Re-organize - reset your goals if you set them too high or too low.

Juan Martinez

Juan Martinez, MBA student at William and Mary, was second speaker. His evaluator was Grayson Williams. Juan gave a speech from Advanced Communicator manual. The purpose of his project was to present a fictitious award. Juan did a great job presenting a bowling award!

Danita Fox

Danita Fox, evaluated by Maritza Alger, was third speaker. Danita presented project # 5 from The Professional Speaker manual. Danita's speech was titled "Lessons from Geese...No, no. I mean, football!". Danita talked about lessons drawn from observing football coaches and dynamics of an effective team. Any team player needs to know these basics:
1. Know who you are as a team.
2. Know your role on a team and why what you do is valuable to your team.
3. Know who your opponents are.

Oyster Point Speakers club is also a team. Every member of our Toastmasters team has a purpose and an important role to play. Our bi-weekly meetings are our game night and as such, we need to be prepared to play our role to the best of our abilities. We, just like a sports team, have opponents as well. Our opponents in Toastmasters are fear and doubt, inconsistent attendance, and indifference. They prevent us from acting and becoming our best. In Danita's words: Enthusiasm inspires and breeds excitement. Excitement breeds effort which in turn produces achievement. Achievement breeds success!

Table Topics Participants: Magda, Stan, Cristina, Victor, Christie, and Grayson

Victor Lopez presented Word of Day, which was "scramble". Scrambling is a term used in football, and translated into lay terms, means "to buy time". The word came in handy during Table Topics when the participants were faced with challenging questions from "The Book of Questions" served by the Table Topics Master, Dr. June Montgomery. Table topics is a great opportunity to learn to "think on our feet" and give short, impromptu speeches.

It was a great meeting once again!

Ribbon Recipients of the Evening 

Danita Fox, Best Speaker

Dr. June Montgomery, Best Evaluator

Victor Lopez, Best Table Topics 

Congratulations!

Dr. June and Club President Stan Dalziel

Danita and Stan

Victor and Stan

P.S. Danita Fox has accepted the position of Area Governor. Congratulations, Danita!

Good luck, Matt Phillips, at Area Humorous Speech Contest. You will do great! Thank you for stepping up to represent the Club!

PHOTOS: http://www.radiantharvest.com/TM/photos/

 

Thank you,

Magda Brugos

OPS Club Secretary 

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Our Guests, David Gomez (C) and Anesha Carroll (R)

Hello Toastmasters and Guests, 

Thankfully, we were able to hold our meeting today despite the impending hurricane Earl. Earl was gracious enough to pass us by and spare us from potential torrential rains and power outage.

We had 15 members in attendance and 2 guests. David Gomez and Anesha Carroll were first time visitors to our Toastmasters club. It was a pleasure to meet both of you and we hope to see you again!

New Member induction took place. Victor Lopez is now officially sworn into the Club. 

Congratulations, Victor. We wish you all success!

Today was a little unsual as we held Contest Night. We had speakers participate in both Humorous Speech Contest and Evaluation Contest. John Harman was Contest Master. Chief Judge was Rick Boyer. Judges were Tim Tonkovic, Nancy Hogg, and  Juan Alvez. Evaulation Contest participants were Danita Fox and Matt Phillips. Humorous Speech contest were Stanley Dalziel and Matt Phillips.

Frank Connelly's Test Speech opened the contest night. Frank talked about an event that took place in the Grand Canyon 35 years ago. Frank recently revisited the Grand Canyon with his wife where he was reminded of the experience that helped save his life many years ago. Frank spoke of the unconditional Love that embraces everyone, despite the mistakes and failures they commit.

First contest speaker was Stanley Dalziel with his speech, "Real Life Is Easy". Stanley has been blessed with an ability to find humor in even the most sad of situations. He shared about his late grandmother's sense of humor and his experience of saying final goodbyes at her funeral. 

Second contest speaker was Matt Phillips with his speech, "Five Guiding Principles to Parenting". Matt talked about his experience of becoming a parent for the first time and gave advice to how to survive as a parent. Matt, your speech was hilarious!

We still had Table Topics which took place between the speeches.

Table Topics Master was Stacey Wallace. Table Topics Speakers were John Harman, Wade Miner, Magda Brugos, Juan Alvez, Nancy Hogg, and Victor Lopez. Speakers answered various questions about their previous contest experience and gave advice on how to best prepare for a contest. They also had to plan a perfect Labor Day and a Hurricane Party. They all did great. Table Topics is one of the best opportunities to pratice your "off the cuff" speaking skills so volunteer to speak whenever you can.

WINNERS OF TODAY'S CONTEST WERE:

Best Humorous Speech

Stanley Dalziel, 1st Place

Matt Phillips, 2nd Place

Best Evaluator

Danita Fox, 1st Place

Matt Phillips, 2nd Place

Both Stanley and Danita are moving on to Area Contest to represent Oyster Point Speakers Club! Congratulations!

Best Table Topics

Nancy Hogg and Victor Lopez / TIE

Congratulations!

It's Membership Renewal time. Deadline is September 30. 

$39 for 6 months or $78 for whole year. It comes down to $3.25 for one class/meeting! Where else can you get such a deal? Remember to bring a check to next meeting or mail it to Janet Krenn, Club Treasurer. If you have questions, please email: ops-officers@freetoasthost.info

Thank you,

Magda Brugos

OPS Club Secretary

Thursday, August 19, 2010

New Members: Adam Gold, June Montgomery, Cristina Stoia

Dear Toastmasters and Guests,

 

         What an honor it is to announce that Oyster Point Speakers Toastmasters Club  is a President's Distinguished Club for the year 2009-2010. We are one of the best in Virginia!

         The highlight of our meeting was induction of new members. Adam Gold, June Montgomery and Cristina Stoia  are now new Toastmasters. They have already brought so much positive to our Club.

          We had 21 in attendance, including Jean Smith and her daughter Jasmine. Toastmaster of the Evening was Lois Boyle. Tim Tonkovic served as General Evaluator. Wade Miner was Table Topics Master. 

We heard 4 speeches:

          Cristina Stoia, evaluated by Stacey Wallace,  gave an Icebreaker speech. Cristina has such a great story to tell. She was a university student in her native Romania when she applied and got accepted into a summer program at Yale University. She was the first Romanian to have ever done it. While at Yale, Cristina made many international friends. As she put it: "we all spoke with different accents, but we all learnt how to dream in English".  She also completed an MBA Degree at William and Mary despite the fact that it took her twice the time to read and write in English, as compared to her American classmates. Cristina encouraged us to fight for our dreams and not be afraid to fail. Failures will only make us grow in ways we never thought we could.

          John Harman, evaluated by Matt Phillips, gave us a Club Contest Review. John spoke about the upcoming Humorous Speech Contest on September 2.  Contest takes place only twice a year so this is your chance to dazzle your audience with humor! John reminded us that speeches have to contain all original material.  Remember: how effective you are in making your audience laugh will determine your chances for winning the contest. We still need volunteers to fill in roles and contest evaluators will receive leadership credit for their work. Please speak to the Contest Master, John Harman, or Stacey Wallace, VP ED, about volunteering.

         Rick Boyer, evaluated by Nancy Hogg, presented the final speech from Advanced Communication Manual, which fulfilled his requirement for achieveing the title of Advanced Communicator Silver. Congratulations, Rick! His speech, "From Deep Space to Personal Space", took abstract concepts of physics, astronomy and meteorology to convey an important yet clear message.  There are billions of galaxies in the universe. Each galaxy contains millions of stars. To bring it into prespective, the neighborhood we live in has only one star, the Sun. We are but specks! The universe we live in is so vast that it makes us seem utterly insignificant in its great scheme. However, Rick's speech challenged that concept. He showed us how our seemingly insignificant self can have a huge impact on the world.

Using the concept of the "Butterfly Effect", Rick showed us  that our lives are so intricately connected that every single action we take has worldwide implications. Our words and our actions matter. What we do on a daily basis affects everyone who comes in contact with us and who comes in contact with them. Even if it starts with one person, we can make a positive impact on the world. It is only up to us to do it.

          Stan Dalziel, evaluated by Danita Fox, presented his third speech from Persuasive Speaking Manual. Stan's speech touched on a subject most of us are familiar with: we can't find time to do all the things we would like to do. Stan, already very busy,  recently volunteered to help with Children Ministries at church.  He realized that he somehow managed to find the time to fulfil all his voluntary duties. He did that by giving up activities that were time suckers in his day. Stan's advice is to evaluate all activities in our day. Think about what adds positive value to your life? What drains and subtracts from your life? Make a list. Which negative activities could you replace with positive ones? Sometimes a simple act of switching off the TV will free several hours a day for you to start making a positive change in your life. 

         All the speeches were fantastic!

Tim Tonkovic, General Evaluator, provided us with this acronym that aptly described the speakers:

I for Inspirational Cristina

D for Developmental John

E for Extraterrestrial Rick

A for Amazing Stan

Very clever, Tim!

Wade Miner, Table Topics Master, chose a summer vacation theme for the speakers. Participants (Grayson Williams, Lori Hobson, Juan Alvez, and Adam Gold) were asked to highlight their best vacation memories, talk about vacation plans that never went through, and fantasize about perfect get-aways. Adam's tip: live out your day enjoying it to the fullest. Each day is supposed to be like vacation.

KUDOS TO THE WINNERS:

Grayson Williams was BEST in TABLE TOPICS

Stacey Wallace was BEST EVALUATOR

and 

Cristina Stoia was BEST SPEAKER! 

Rick Boyer is new Advanced Communicator Silver. Congratulations, Rick! Thank you for all the hard work that led to your achievement.  

Congratulations! 

Sincerely, 

Magda Brugos

Club Secretary

 

Thursday, August 5, 2010

          Hello Oyster Point Speakers and Guests!

         Another Toastmasters Thursday at Angelo's Pancake and Steak House. What a storm it was! While the weather outside was furious, everyone inside was taking yet another step towards excellence in public communication. We had a guest! Ryan Shipley came to Toastmasters for the first time. Thank you for coming, Ryan. We hope you will visit us again.

        We had 17 Toastmasters and 1 guest in attendance. Toastmaster of the Evening was Nancy Hogg. General Evaluator was Lavorise Love. Table Topics Master was Wade Miner.

          We heard four prepared speeches. Following Toastmasters International speech manuals is a sure pathway to gaining competence in public speaking and receiving formal recognition for this achievement, as well. Thursday speakers were as follows:

          Stacey Wallace (evaluated by Matt Phillips) presented her 6th speech, "How to Support Our Troops". Stacey talked about different ways in which we can show appreciation and support to the military men and women. Sometimes, a simple care package and a thank you letter is what brings a smile on a soldier's face. Stacey mentioned a few websites which support the troops:

http://www.anysoldier.com/

http://www.militaryministry.org/

http://www.puppiesbehindbars.com/

http://www.uso.org/

        Matt Phillips, (evaluated by Magda Brugos), presented his 4th speech, "In the Fast Lane. Cell Phones and Distracted Driving". Matt talked about the dangers associated with using cellphones while driving. The message was clear:  do not text and drive. If you absolutely have to use your phone while driving, think about investing in a head set or simply pull over to the side of the road.

       Christy Gardner, (evaluated by Maritsa Alger), presented her milestone speech, "Stand Up and Speak". Christy talked about overcoming her fear of speaking in public. Over the past 17 months she has transformed from someone who was fearful in front of an audience to a confident communicator and a community leader. Excellent job, Christy!

        John Harman, (evaluated by Stan Dalziel), delivered his speech, "My Cars"  from the Entertaining Speaking Manual. John talked about the fun cars he has had over the years.

          Table Topics speakers were asked questions about their favorite product to sell, what challenges they face in selling and what exhilirates them the most in selling. Participants in Table Topics were Bonnie Parker, Linda Williams, June Montgomery and Rick Boyer. Table Topics Master's (Wade Miner) intent was to equip us to be a better sales force for Toastmasters International so that others can also experience the myriad of positives that come from being an active member of this organization.

AUGUST 5, 2010  RIBBON RECIPIENTS WERE:

JUNE MONTGOMERY for BEST TABLE TOPICS

MARITSA ALGER for BEST EVALUATOR

 and

CHRISTY GARDNER for BEST SPEAKER

Christy has now completed her Competent Communication manual (10 speeches behind her belt) and received her trophy - the CC Badge! Christy is now moving on to Advanced Communication course. Good luck!

CONGRATULATIONS !

P.S. Mark your calendars and get your funny on for September 2. John Harman will be leading Humorous Speech Contest. Sign up today!

See you there!

Magda Brugos

OPS Club Secretary

It's HOT HOT HOT! Thursday, July 15, 2010

         

          Hello Toastmasters Family!


          Even though the summer is in full swing and keeps many Toastmasters busy and away from the meetings, we are still going strong, with 16 in attendance!
We had a brand new visitor, Lori Hobson, and a repeat guest, Edward. We were also pleased to receive a special visit from Justin Hitt, Area 12 Governor.

          Christy Gardner was Presiding Officer of the Meeting, in lieu of Stanley Dalziel. Tim Tonkovic stood in for Matt Phillips as Sargent At Arms. Tim was also Toastmaster of the Evening. Wade Miner was General Evaluator. Wade reminded us how blessed we are to be part of such a distinguished club!

          We heard two speeches on July 15. Dr. Adam Gold presented his second speech from Competent Communication manual. John Harman presented an educational module.
          Adam's Speech, evaluated by Magda Brugos, was a positive toast raised to all Toastmasters. It encouraged us to do what we love, and to be passionate and devoted to it. Adam reminded us that mastering in any area of life takes hard work and dedication.
          John's presentation, evaluated by Justin Hitt, focused on a Toastmaster's promise. John reminded us what it means to be a Toastmaster:
          "As a member of Toastmasters International and my club, I promise:

• To attend club meetings regularly
• To prepare all of my speech and leadership projects to the best of my ability, basing them on projects in the Competent Communication, Advanced Communication or Competent Leadership manuals
• To prepare for and fulfill meeting assignments
• To provide fellow members with helpful, constructive evaluations
• To help the club maintain the positive, friendly environment necessary for all members to learn and grow
• To serve my club as an officer when called upon to do so
• To treat my fellow club members and our guests with respect and courtesy
• To bring guests to club meetings so they can see the benefits Toastmasters membership offers
• To adhere to the guidelines and rules for all Toastmasters educational and recognition programs
• To maintain honest and highly ethical standards during the conduct of all Toastmasters activities "

          Christy Gardner, as Table Topics Master, chose the  improvisational story telling format for this exercise.The participants (visitor Lori Hobson, Rick Boyer, Tim Tonkovic and Bonnie Parker) had to continue a story started by Bonnie. It seems that the pig stealing has become an inside joke! (ask any present Toastmaster for details if you missed the pig story... )


          Word of the day was "Faux Pas", provided by Lois Boyle.  Faux pas is a blunder, or a social mistake. Thankfully, Toastmasters program trains us how not to commit communication faux pas!

And the Ribbon goes to:

Adam Gold for BEST SPEECH

Justin Hitt for BEST EVALUATOR

Tim Tonkovic for BEST TABLE TOPICS

CONGRATULATIONS!

Magda Brugos
Club Secretary
Oyster Point Speakers