Humorous contest - let's have some fun at EarlyBirds Toastmasters!!

 Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

 

Our humorous speech contest started off with a rap’s inspirational lines (rapped to the tune of ….. rap)

 

• Everybody lookin' at you crazy (crazy!)
  What you gonna do? (what you gonna do?)
  Lift up your head and keep moving (keep moving)
  Or let the paranoia haunt you (haunt you)?…An attempted break-in at a Denny’s in his youth took TM Jeff, instead, to the Boulevard of Broken Rapper Dreams… He made the local paper’s front lines as the fastest runner East of the Metacomet Range.  He Won Second Place.

 

• TM Aleta fondly reminisced about her Relay for Recovery, where she piggy-backed her little friend Courtney across 3 football fields while dragging a Flintstone-style homemade cardboard box on wheels.   Aleta has singlehandedly supported her chiropractor for decades now.  He’s been spotted lighting  candles for Relay for Recovery.

 

• TM Joe hilariously told us about one of his wacky Sicilian family’s vacation to Canada with huge watermelons flying inside the car every time  his aggressive driver father hit the brakes, Uncle Enrico the exhibitionist traumatizing the kids, his father dumping a banana peel and the car keys into the dark woods.  Joe sold the movie rights to National Lampoon Goes On A Gitto Vacation and the rest is ….literally…. history.    He Won First Prize.
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• TM Carmine introduced us to Senator Big Jim Foghorn, an independent thinking Californian with a Southern drawl, who taught us valuable lessons about money, greed and taking bribes from every side.   In other words, your average politician.
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• TM Pam is a self-described somewhat woke person, who has discovered that Pinot Grigio couples very nicely with Cheetos while lying on the couch.  It’s also known as seal repair (pothead) while eating a kiwi fruit and learning native New Zealand language.   “A person walks into a bar, another person walks into a bar, a third person ducked.” Get with the joke telling, unwoke people!  She won Third Prize.
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• We received the visit of several members of a Toastmasters Club in Southern India.  Virtual technology has removed barriers of distance and time.
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Below is the recording for the meeting:

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luiwdxmCIp0
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• See you next week!
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• Ana I.
• Recap Writer

Maya Angelou's wisdom and Mentoring, Mentoring - an educational morning at EarlyBirds

 

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

 

TM Carmine started us off the inspirational quotes by Maya Angelou, and we discovered that…

 

• TM Chris tries to be a rainbow in someone’s life, not rain on anyone’s parade, and to sing like a bird- even when caged.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.
• Guest TM Roosevelt has realized that love saves all and we’re all more alike than we’re different.  He remembers his father’s proud smile when he (Roosevelt) made a great athletic pass as a youngster.
• Returning TM Mildred highlighted that great achievements require time – but most importantly, they require knowledge.
• TM Jeff has worked diligently to achieve work-life harmony – beyond balance – and takes inspiration from Jeff Bezos.
• TM Aleta pointed out that most people don’t show their true colors at first, then followed with a good rendition of Good Golly Miss Molly.
• DTM Jim D., bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at 3:00 am local Anchorage, Alaska time – NOT- recommended we all wear masks to avoid illness.
• TM Jim G. urged everyone to VOTE on November 3 or forever hold your peace. 

 

Then came prepared speeches from two of our beloved TM Titans:

 

• DTM Kip, ever the  rugged individualist, used to be his own counsel and messed up any genuine attempts by others to mentor him. Now older and wiser, he recognizes that rules are meant to be bent, not ignored, and acts accordingly.   He Won Most Improved Speaker Award.
• DTM Mary Helen cleverly interwove her personal life when she developed a zest for books. They provided a window into another world.  She’s currently in a TM Book Club and they are reading Dale Carnegie’s 1936 all-time best seller “How To Win Friends and Influence People”.  Conclusion:  back to basics.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

 

As for evaluations….

 

• TM Pam lauded DTM Kip for turning a corner and delivering a positive speech about mentoring.  As a result, she’s all in for the mentoring movement. She Won Best Evaluator Award.
• TM Tom loved the artful way in which DTM Mary Helen interwove her family life and being a book aficionado to her ability to win friends and influence people.

 

The Word of the Day was

 

AFICIONADO, noun

 

Very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about an activity, subject or pastime.

 

Next week is our Humorous Speech Contest.  Come ready to laugh and have a good time!

 

If you’re interested in the Book Club (Saturdays at 7 pm) please email DTM Mary Helen directly for login information.

 

Below is the link to today’s recording

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YU_KjsEjXbA

 

See you next week!

 

Ana I.

Recap Writer

Win/Win Masks, Evaluations and A Variety of Adventures - a fun contest at EarlyBirds!

 

Dear Members, Guests (yes, from Durban, South Africa and from Tokyo, Japan) and Friends,

 

TM Aleta did a fantabulous job as Contest Master and DTM Kip was our Chief Judge par excellence.  Our Test speaker, TM Charu, delighted us with…

 

“Everyone Wins When Everyone Wears A Mask”, in which she persuaded us with power that the unshackled facts speak forcefully to uncover blood in the hands of those who don’t believe in the spaghetti monster.   It turned out to be tomato sauce….

 

• TM Beckyjo praised the speaker’s gracious tongue-in-cheek and scrupulous bashing.  She Won Runner Up Award.
• TM Jeff pointed out that it’s a blasphemous concept to not wear a mask, especially when eating spaguetti.   He Won Third Place Award.
• TM Tom liked the analogy of carrots boosting the economy and the allure of the speaker’s dangling earrings while he wore  a coordinated mask/tie ensemble.
• TM Marie encouraged the speaker to proclaim her truth with gusto and own her power.  She Won First Place Award.

 

While ballots and hanging chads were counted and backroom schemes took place,  DTM Kip led us in adventurous Table Topics:

 

• TM Denis competes with self, cooperates with others – and loves the DUSI Canoe Marathon, where he hauls his canoe over the shoulder across a mountain range….   (Note from Recap Writer:  No comment….)
• TM Pam loves to be Chief Judge in a contest because she scrupulously takes bribes,  especially the Fort Lauderdale Boat Parade, where her guests floated tiny boats on her swimming pool and won a prize for most lit boat or boat owner.
• TM Kei was attending his first contest and liked it so much that he’s now motivated to participate in DUSI Canoe Marathons with TM Denis.
• DTM Mary Helen relishes being assistant to DTM Kip in contests.  She pointed out she won several contests with an -in her estimation- unfunny tale about her love affair/altercation with an ostrich.
• TM Annie has planned many contests and much prefers planning them than participating in them.  Her mind is made up so let’s not shackle her with the facts.   She Won Best Table Topics Award.

 

The Word of the Day is

 

SCRUPULOUS, adjective

 

Diligent, thorough, paying great attention to detail, having integrity.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCDbg2ljgpA

 

See you next week!

 

Ana

Recap Writer

Technobabble, Renaisscattered Woman and Pathways Choke Points -another fun meeting of EarlyBirds

 

Dear Members, Guests and Friends:

 

Table Topic Master  Chris delved into the linguistic semantics of technology.

 

• DTM Mary Helen definitely thinks Google is Goddle with a few typos and inverted letters.
• Visiting TM Charu pondered about the bittersweet story of Yahoo – exuberant in Hindi and a cautionary tale of the fall of a technogiant.
• TM Jose thought metadata is a Greek deity who cavorts with Amazons in the rainforest writing code.  He Won Best Table Topics Award.
• TM Jim G. liked the comic book Androids- which allow us to move our consciousness into newer buildings.  Ahhhh if only…..
• TM Aleta had never heard the word QR Code before but she’s pretty sure it’s the precursor of Q-Tips.
• TM Carmine thanks Chrome Books for allowing him to communicate simply while reading Android comic books.

 

Next….

 

• TM Marie delighted us with her speech about her stance as a Scattered Renaissance Woman.  Her scrutinizing lens provided the silver lining in the Covid clutter cloud before the avalanche from her bedroom closet shattered it to pieces.   She Won Best Speaker Award.
• DTM Kip asserted that, much like his own life, Pathways runs in circles.   He worries about folks who will be found on the floor, dehydrated next to their computers from their inability to log in.  That’s the first snarkily choke point in Pathways. He Won Most Improved Speaker Award.

 

As for evaluations….

 

• TM Charu praised TM Marie for her eloquent speech and particularly liked the closet avalanche analogy because she periodically experiences them herself.

She Won Best Evaluator Award.

• TM Aleta praised DTM Kip for his storytelling abilities and his open dinner invitations to friends or strangers who agree to evaluate his speeches.  Anything to get through Level 5 in Pathways.  She’s particularly glad that he likes mushrooms.

 

 

The Word of the Day was

 

CORNICHE, noun

 

A road built along the coast or along the face of a cliff.

 

Ex.:  Do not eat Cornish Hens while driving in a Rolls Royce Corniche along the California corniche – you’ll get grease on the upholstery.

 

Our visitor TM  Miznuma K. invited us to visit her club, Tokyo ESS TM.

 

Here’s a recording of today’s meeting: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udtvz00pnIw

 

 

And here’s a path along the labyrinthine Pathways:

 

https://d4tm.org/index.php/educational-program/pathways/paths-and-projects.html?22LoaO

 

See you next week at the Speech Evaluation Contest!

 

Ana I.

Recap Writer