Thursday, December 23, 2021

Solstice, Hannukah and Mentoring - an ethereal morning of EarlyBird Toastmasters!

 


Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

 

TM Jim G. led us in a Solstice Invocation, which marked the way to Solstice-inspired Table Topics by TM Aleta.  We thus discovered that…

 

  • TM Chris used to play midnight hopscotch growing up with her friends in Alaska, where solstice is known as an oxymoron.   She Won Best Table Topics Award.
  • TM Paolo used to like Florida’s hot, hotter and hottest seasons but after 20 years he now likes it cold, colder, coldest – but balmy indoors. 
  • DTM Kip does his level best to help the sun rise by reveling, partying, carousing and yuletiding – everywhere except in the Mediterranean, where the sun doesn’t need his help.
  • I, Ana, agree that guests and fish get smelly after a few days.  This applies specifically to in-laws, and excludes my dear brother.
  • TM Marie is convinced that the elf-on-the-shelf is creating a new generation of paranoid humans with delusion of persecution.  Her personal Santa Claus does not keep score.

 

And then came the prepared speeches…

 

  • TM Lois told the story of Judah Maccabee, who led the Maccabean Revolt against the Syrians which gave birth to Hannukah, when she and her family have a Secret Maccabee Gift Exchange.  Her gifts were heartwarming this year.
  • TM Jim G. delighted us with an excellent rendition of “A Visit From St Nicholas”, a tradition started by late EarlyBird TM Neil many years ago.  He Won Best Speaker Award.
  • DTM Kip reminded us that in the world of speaking, laughs are gold.  Call to action:  Consider using a mentor, we don’t know how far we will go.

 

As far as evaluations…

 

  • TM Paolo lauded TM Lois for her passion, enthusiasm and excitement and encouraged her to stand up for her next speech to give us a greater range of vision.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.
  • TM Marie praised TM Jim G., storyteller extraordinaire, for an almost ethereal impersonation of St. Nicholas, including the hearty laugh and the twinkle in the eye.
  • TM Aleta commended DTM Kip for his speech on mentoring.  Kip, mentor of mentors.  Motivational speaker par excellence…

 

The Word of the Day was:

 

ETHEREAL, adj.

Extremely delicate and light in a way that seems too perfect for this world.

 

EarlyBirds voted to have another ethereal meeting next week, on the eve of New Year’s Eve.

 

Dates to Remember:

 

Jan 13, 2022 – Table Topics Club Contest

Jan 20, 2022 – International Speech Club Contest

 

Here’s the link to today’s recording: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1zCediohX8

 

Ethereally submitted,

 

Ana I.

Recap Writer

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