This or that, days of wine and olives, panel on leadership - very accountable morning in EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

 

TM Jim G. made us ponder about the imponderables of life – would you rather this or that?  And thus we learned that…

 

• TM Randolph chooses Time over Money simply because with more Time, he would figure out a way to make more Money….
• I, Ana, have been stuck in a ski lift, swinging in mid air, wondering why, as a hot-blooded Cuban, I didn’t get stuck parasailing in the Caribbean instead!
• DTM Mary Helen would rather be an adult with childlike enthusiasm or be a child to get to meet her parents again – with the perspective of an adult.  Oh this is very clearly confusing!
• TM Pam would rather slowly move forward because there’s been enough dang Pause in 2020.  Besides, she’ll be on Pacific Time next week with her grandkids so she will definitely be in a time zone warp.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.
• TM Tom would rather speak with (interesting) animals than learn all the world’s languages.  He has antipathy for Wally Gator, though, for some reason he chose not to reveal until Level 5 in Pathways.

 

With regard to prepared speeches…

 

• TM Paolo, born in Puglia region (Apulia for gringos) on the heel of the Italian boot (see attached map), reminisced a sotto voce that his mother had a parto difficile, but nothing compared to his move to Miami 25 years ago dreaming of becoming Miami Vice’s “Sonny” Crockett.  Allora, a wife, 6 children and a prosperous clothing business later, we look forward to hearing his many adventures as he lives out his plans.
• TM Marie is whetting our appetite to fill our Club’s upcoming officers’ slate – while cleverly conquering Mt Everest Pathways Level 5.  Her panelists explained that the President has terrific backup, the Secretary only has to show up and have good legs and the VP Ed -in our club at least- does pretty much everything.  Ah… the secret is out!  There are no term limits.  The initials are DTMKB.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

 

As for evaluations….

 

• TM Chris is booking her flight to Puglia as we speak, where she hopes to take a 25-year vacation and live out her dream of being Sofia Loren – she will take her caro marito Giacomo Guld with her, though.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.
• TM Aleta thoroughly enjoyed Moderator of the Day TM Marie’s speech and finds it mathematically impossible to evaluate a 20-minute speech in 2 minutes, darn it.   She remarked that TM Marie’s new haircut is largely accountable for a Level 5 impact.

 

The Word of the Day was

 

ACCOUNTABILITY, n.

 

Quality or state of being accountable; willingness to accept responsibility for one’s actions.

 

Example:  A certain someone takes personal accountability for banana peels carelessly dropped on the ground by irresponsible muppets and hillbillies.

 

 

Recording of this meeting - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgkkrrxoXjQ

 

 

See you next week!

 

Ana

Recap Writer

Irish Sayings, Enhancing Performances and Finding New Obsessions - an interesting morning at Early Birds Toastmasters

 

 

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

 

TM Marie started us off with some delightful ‘morning after St. Patrick’s Day” thoughts to ponder…

 

• TM Pam unequivocally stated that insanity is hereditary – you get it from your kids.  Hence her well-earned dang wrinkles and gray hair.
• Newly-inducted TM Randolph confessed that he’s part of a group of four friends – two of them blood cousins – who stay regularly in touch, especially sharing bubbly drinks on St Patrick’s Day.
• TM Chris has an effervescent mind and creates daily expectant anticipation in TM Jim when she announces that she has a great idea.
• TM Paolo’s wife and mother remain cool and calm while handling multitudes of children and grandchildren by drinking lots of Prosecco.
• TM Aleta agrees that the Irish toast “The heck with you, here’s to me” is the best way to handle disagreement with people formerly known as friends.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.
• TM Jose concurs that a good belly laugh is the best cure for any malaise, plus it’s free and contagious. So be ready to laugh in his next speech!

 

 

Then we heard the prepared speeches….

 

• TM Lorena proved that the reason Call Center reps leave us scratching our heads with perplexity is because they face severe disciplinary action due to our stubborn resistance to let them achieve the 5-minute Call Center Average Handle Time (CCAHT).    Get with the program, people!!
• DTM Mary Helen shared with us her new Podcast addiction and encouraged us to find an addiction of our own without wasting any more unfocused time.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

 

As for the evaluations…

 

• TM Jeff praised TM Lorena for her sound structural approach and her clarity and encouraged her to get all her “speech ducks” in a row (ie timer, slide show, effervescent Calming Tea Infusion) during the Toastmaster’s introduction.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.
• TM Aleta was inspired by dear friend and DTM Mary Helen’s call to motivational addiction and suggested that if she slows down a bit she, Aleta, will even be able to understand the topic of the speech.

 

The Word of the Day was

 

EFFERVESCENT, adj.

 

1. (of a liquid) giving off bubbles; fizzy.
2. Vivacious and enthusiastic.

 

Example:

Fizzy alcoholic beverages make people vivacious, enthusiastic and uninhibited, also known as drunk.

 

 

Video Replay link - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUn_LUguC20

 

 

 

Online Evaluation App: https://toastmost.org/evaluation-forms/

 

 

Early Bird Blog: https://earlybirdtm.blogspot.com/

 

 

See you next week!

 

Ana I.

Recap Writer

Quotable quotes, Fixing Healthcare and Lady in Pink - a good trifecta at Toastmasters!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

 

TM Aleta started us with inspirational quotes.  We soon realized that….

 

• TM Jim G. experienced a reverse career: he owned a restaurant but dreamed of being a waiter.  He had to fake it till he could make it – and those hefty tips came in handy too!
• I, Ana, usually practice “do what I’ve always done and I’ll get what I always got” until I get a bloody forehead from crashing against the same wall.
• TM Jim D. fondly reminisced about driving around Florida in his vintage Mustang convertible with the top down.  Now he’s into Harleys, so his whole body rides al fresco.
• TM Marie likes to sprinkle herself with pixie dust and head for an evening full of wonder and magic at the Disney channel.
• TM Lorena so enjoys those moments that take her breath away – a beautiful sunrise, a lovely sunset, the flowers in the garden, the joy of being alive!
• Soon-to-be EarlyBird TM Randolph fully concurs that the secret of getting ahead is to get started.  As the saying goes, “the journey of 1,000 miles begins with a single step”
• DTM Mary Helen agrees that it’s better to keep your mouth shut and be taken for a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.  She’s lost a lot of friends for not practicing this.
• DTM Kip thinks the 20% left of the 80% that happens in a successful life is showing up at your Toastmasters meeting, even from a moving car and with no phone holder.
• TM Pam is married to someone from the (annoying) school of thought of “ask, search, knock” to find lost keys.  Note from author:  I, for one, am married to one of those too ….   She Won Best Table Topics Award.

 

And then came the prepared speeches….

 

• TM Jeff managed to fix our broken healthcare system in 5 to 7 minutes.  We unanimously vote to make him Secretary of Health and Human Resources ipso facto and be done with it.   He Won Best Speaker Award.
• I, Ana, managed to win the award for most egregious overuse of the word pink in a single speech in the history of Toastmasters International.

 

As for evaluations….

 

• TM Tom praised TM Jeff for his well-organized, vitally clear as mud speech and compared it to the banquets he, Tom, usually eats at 7Eleven.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.
• DTM Mary Helen, a faithful Mary Kay fan, liked the ironic tone of my speech and most importantly complimented my pink blouse.

 

TM Jose, first timer as Toastmaster of the Day, kept the meeting running smoothly and flawlessly.

 

The Word of the Day was

 

GRATITUDE, noun

 

The act of being humbly grateful.   The opposite of arrogantly greatful….

 

Ex.  Gratitude is a good deterrent for self-pity.

 

See you next week!

 

Ana I.

Recap Writer

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blowin' in the Wind, Icebreaker and Reaching Level 5 Summit

0:00​ Begin and Self-Introductions 14:27​ a word from our Area Director: Jonathan Jean-Francois 18:03​ Induction of new member: Paolo Barone 23:19​ Table Topics 43:13​ Speaker 1: Pam Schrimsher 48:57​ Speaker 2: Tom Quinn 58:31​ Evaluations 1:07:36​ Reports
Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

 

In honor of March, the windy month, I (Ana) inspired members to share their experiences with hot air.  The answer, my friends, is blowin’ in the wind, the answer is blowin’ in the wind…. (to the tune of Bob Dylan’s Blowin’ in the Wind)

 

• TM Jose has profusely surfed in bars on the wrong side of the road  in Tarifa (Cadiz) overlooking Morocco and the Strait of Gibraltar.  We’re all invited!!  He Won Best Table Topics Award.
• Newly-minted and inducted Early Bird TM Paolo wavered wildly between not drinking coco locos during a Sirocco and drinking Cinzano with the windows open during the Tramontana.
• TM Chris despises wind but loves to travel and relished experiencing Purga-like winds in Purgatory, Colorado. She’s looking forward to the real thing in the frozen tundras of Russia.
• DTM Mary Helen did not know that llamas actually spit on her beloved alpaca sweater and hence the pesky stain that made her throw it away.
• TM Aleta discarded Curvoisier but got propinquity to a hot cocoa while blown sideways by an Alpine Mistral wind….

 

Along came the speeches….

 

• TM Pam told us her life trajectory from Naples to Fort Lauderdale to Windermere via Okinawa and San Diego.  Along the way, she made frequent stops at bookstores before Amazonia PrimaDonna took over.  Discarded a husband, kept another.  For her first ever icebreaker she clutched the lectern and hid her Jell-o knees behind palazzo pants….
• TM Tom took us down his detested Level 5 with a compilation of past speeches and other EarlyBirds’ past speeches and reminded us  that there is light at the end of Pathways – and it’s another Path coming straight at you!  He Won Best Speaker Award.

 

As for evaluations…

 

• TM Jeff thoroughly enjoyed TM Pam’s witty analogies and suggested she extend her pauses and clutch that virtual lectern for more dramatic propinquity.
• TM Marie commended TM Tom for being our Guide on how to reach propinquity of that detested Level 5.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

 

The Word of the Day was

 

Propinquity, noun

 

1. The state of being close to someone or something, proximity.
2. Close kinship

 

Ex. This dizzying recap is propinquity to causing a fainting spell in the author.

 

Recording of this meeting is at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ctds8hm5WjU

 

 

See you next week!

 

Ana I.

Recap Writer