Emergency situations; Aviation Pioneer and A Frenchman in New York - a nuanced meeting at EarlyBirds

 

Dear Members,

Invocator TM Pam opened our meeting with a thoughtful and reflective invocation, setting the tone for an inspiring session.

TM Marie then launched us into action with table topic questions that kept us on our toes — this time focused on emergency scenarios. Members were asked to think fast, get creative, and share their rescue strategies on the spot....

 

 *TM Gail won Best Table Topics Award, by making light of a serious medical situation.

 * TM Aleta lost her extensive shoe collection in the reconstruction of her home but she has her good LL Bean boots!

 *TM Randolph no longer trusts the round back patio trampolines aka bone crushers in the making!

*TM Pam unabashedly revealed her favorable bias for big dogs.

*TM Jose confided that he was once young and reckless and 911 in Spain is 122.

*DTM Mary Helen wore a helmet and took siestas in the back of Jim's motorcycle.

*TM Jorge kept us all engaged and became the official "King of the Pause"

 

Then came our prepared speeches, where inspiration really took flight:

*TM Christina took us on a journey with aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart, reminding us of the courage and curiosity that fueled the golden age of exploration — long before satellites mapped the skies.

*TM David had us all feeling très Français as he shared his NYC experience — how living in the city shaped his identity and his language. It was the other version of "An American In Paris".... He walked away with the Best Speaker Award for his heartfelt delivery.

When it came to evaluations:

*TM Beckyjo commended TM Christina for her strong vocal variety and engaging eye contact, while suggesting she reposition her notes - and get into the space program soon!

*TM THE Tom was so moved by TM David's speech that he said he wants to hear it again — just so he can evaluate it one more time! No surprise he won Best Evaluator Award.

 

The Word of the Day was

NUANCE, noun

a subtle difference in or shade of meaning, expression, or sound.

"the nuances of facial expression and body language"

 

And of course, we all missed our master of multitasking Ana, who has been in the hospital but is now well on her way to recovery and normalcy. We can't wait to have her energy back at our meetings! 

It was a meeting full of intention, action, and thoughtful reflection — true to our EarlyBirds spirit.

 

Here's the link to the recording:

https://youtube.com/live/Ndde3YOQiu8?feature=share

Things to Ponder, Bring Back The Tomboys, Intentions vs Actions - an impetuous meeting at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests, and Friends,

FIrst-time Invocator TM Christina started our meeting with a thoughtful invocation. 

TM Cory launched us with deep, thought-provoking table topics...

* DTM Mary Helen has had many moments that changed her life - Al-Anon, Toastmasters, having children, astrology... and more to come!  

* TM Gail was chosen as a student from many schools for a noteworthy cause and this was a day she would gladly relive, over and over again.

* TM BeckyJo would change the day she got married and that would in turn, eliminate her flawed belief that if she became perfect, her husband would love her! She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Christina has experienced many moments of personal growth in different stages of her life, with different mentors, and she's still always changing.

* TM Jorge faced a challenge of getting injured when first being initiated in technology that turned into a blessing in disguise - he became self-taught and moved ahead.

* TM Veronica is going to write a letter to her future self asking her to be kinder, gentler and more loving to herself, and to reinforce her self-confidence and self-trust.

Along came our prepared speeches...

* TM Christine reminisced about her tomboy childhood which led to some gender ambivalence and has finally brought her full circle to enjoying her femininity and is starting a movement to "Bring Tomboys Back"! She Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM Randolph plants the seeds of noble intentions which lead to actions that agree with the flow of the divinity and acknowledges God in all ways, at all times.

Regarding the evaluations...

* TM Jose praised TM Christine for her courage in presenting a controversial topic with excellent vocal variety, great eye contact and suggested she limit the gender descriptions for audience understanding.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM The Tom thoroughly enjoyed TM Randolph's spiritual speech and encouraged him to present the speech again so he can evaluate it again.

The Word of the Day was

IMPETUOUS, adj.

Characterized by undue haste and lack of thought or deliberation; incautious.

or

Marked by violent force or strength

Example:  He slammed the door so impetuously that it came off its hinges.

Here's the link to the recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAuGPcMaY5U

See you next week!

Ana I.

Impetuous Wizard of Ahhhs

Salsa, Salsa, Salsa, Evaluations and Labor Day - a fun contest at Early Birds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

We had our Evaluations Contest today! What a huge success! 

Our Test Speaker, TM Yolanda, delighted us with a fun, upbeat speech about her passionate love affair... with SALSA!  ("The rythm is going to get you, the rythm is going to get you!) (sung to the tune of Gloria Estefan's Rythm is Going To Get You... 

She followed her friend's father's wise adage "If you don't swing the bat, you won't hit the ball!" and she swung the bat and hit the ball all right!  Inspired by the movie "Dance with me" she began as a shy observer and progressed to Salsa Casino, Salsa Club, Salsa Congress, Salsa Competition...

By the end of her speech, we all wanted to sign up for Salsa lessons.

And then came the evaluations...

* TM Pam praised TM Yolanda for the connection between love affairs and dancing.

* TM Jose was enthralled with TM Yolanda's self-assurance and her evolution from bystander to salsa expert.  He Won Third Place.

* TM Christine so related to the light hearted tone of the speech and TM Yolanda's ebullient nature.

* TM BeckyJo was inspired by TM Yolanda's zest for best and vows to create an EarlyBird Salsa Contest at our old Denny's.  We will fly the non-locals in.  She Won First Place

* TM David thoroughly enjoyed the essence of the speech and praised TM Yolanda for overcoming her initial insecurity with an intrepid salsa spirit.

* TM Marie admired TM Yolanda's strong start and non-glare glasses as well as her joyful disposition.  She Won Second Place.

While the votes were being tallied, we had Table Topics about the upcoming Labor Day...

* TM David firmly declared that he will wear white or any color he chooses after Labor Day.   So there!

* TM Jorge lived in South Beach for a while and did not go to any Labor Day Beach Bash parties, thank you very much!

* TM Christine is torn between a backyard barbeque and a picnic because she loves both soooo much.

* TM Yolanda has gone to the beach plenty of times but has not engaged in water sports, boating or swmming.  She prefers to watch the waves from the shore...

Reminder frrom TM Marie, our Treasurer:

Dues are due!  Please go to toastmasters.org and follow clear instructions.  Thank you!

Next week, September 4, will be a standard Early Birds meeting.  The Humorous Speech Contest has been pushed back until further notice.

Next week, September 4, we will have a brief business meeting right after our regular meeting to discuss items of interest.  Club Officers need to be there but everyone is welcome to stay!

Here's the link to the recording:

https://youtube.com/live/JUV4SqUHT8Q?feature=share

See you next week!

Ana I.

Recap Writer

Idioms, Idioms and Face the Devil - a salient morning at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

I started us off with idioms....  We discovered that...

* TM Randolph tells his kids to "Boom, run" which is the salient equivalent of making a beeline.

* TM Cory, MBA, recently celebrated in Mexico City and loved it all except he had to chew fat when he ordered a steak.  Heimlich Maneuver, here it comes!

* TM Gail made an approximation of Bill's Your Uncle to Bob's Your Uncle.  There you are...  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Veronica stays cool as a cucumber and prevents eye inflammation with cucumber beauty masks.

* TM BeckyJo likes all different kettles of fish except Tilapia and in her wild college days used to drink champagne and molusks.

* TM David reasoned that when pigs fly means that something is not bound to happen; however, he enjoys eating pork like his mother used to prepare.

We heard (1) humorous prepared speech and (1) motivational speech:

* TM Christine incited audience participation while introducing popular Americanisms that foreigners do not understand, ie highway robbery becomes daylight robbery in the U.K.

* TM The Tom reminisced about his futile attempt to condense the SS Costa Concordia vessel into 7 minutes and recommended that speakers keep it simple and mentor others who are fishing for minnows.  He Won Best Speaker Award.

As far as evaluations go...

* TM David praised TM Christine for her Americanisms and suggested she speak slower so even Americans can understand her American-ness.  LOL!! He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM BeckyJo acknowledged TM The Tom's goal to encourage newer Toastmasters and suggested he condense and reiterate the beginning of his condensation.

The Word of the Day was

SALIENT, adj

Very important or noticeable

Example:  The salient truth is that Americanisms are twelve of one, half a dozen of another.

Here's the link to the recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UblKKKMJh9U

Next week is our Evaluations Contest!!

See you then!

Ana I.

Recap Writer

First Day of School, Undesirable? Living Large, Living Small - let's stipulate it at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM BeckyJo started us off with carefully researched Table Topics about First Day of School customs in various countries....

* TM Gail exercised as School Principal only one year because First Day of School problems between students, faculty, janitors, supervisors, maintenance crew was simply too much and not stipulated in her job description.

* TM Jim, calling in from Japan, thinks an apple is still the best token of appreciation for good teachers/mentors, rather than flowers that wilt.

* Guest and former TM Kit's most precious possession is her wedding ring which came wrapped and enclosed in a $300 leather backpack, customary in Japan.

* Area Director TM Rachel is all for improving the workplace by providing food mindfulness and a siesta after a scrumptious lunch, as they presumably do in schools in France.   She Won Best Table Topics Award.  Note from Recap Writer:  Our French member, TM David, gently insinuated he does not recall 2-hour lunches in his school days in France.  Just sayin'.....

* TM Veronica's symbolic celebration is a dance party and implementing 2-hour leisurely school lunches in the US, much like they do in Spain and Argentina.  

* Guest and former TM Randy will command artificial intelligence  (more artificial than intelligent) to remove visitors' shoes when they enter his cabin.

* TM  Christine fondly recalls her first days of school and embarks on new beginnings with a MIckey Mouse backpack full of candy.

We had two fantabulous prepared speeches today...

* TM Marie led us down our collective path of phone addiction, which originally began in innocent, simpler days of avoiding the Molasses Swamp in Candyland and then we all mentally sang Laura Branigan's hit song Self-Control to relieve anxiety and stress.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM Chris entertained us with her skillful presentation of their maritime sojourn since April and guided us into the future with a fantastic slideshow and maps depicting the trajectory of their residence ship, again proving that you can live small and live VERY large simultaneously. How does she create the moving little Villa Vie all over the mappa mundi???  Ah..... the wonder of it all...    Welcome back, TM Chris.

And then came Evaluations...

* TM Jorge (first-time evaluator? great job!) praised TM Marie for her inspirational speech steering us away from scrolling - the new smoking- to get out of our quagmire... and he subtly suggested she wear anti-glare eyeglasses.... 

* TM Randolph was captivated by TM Chris' ability to live in a small cabin within a VERY BIG house and he'd like to know where she got her bed risers for extra storage.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

Our General Evaluator, TM Jose, gave a comprehensive General Evaluation report, stemming from his keen sense of observation.  Good job TM Jose!

Our Area Director, TM Rachel, a self-proclaimed night owl, gave EarlyBirds a raving review and stipulated she will be our Guest Speaker in our Evaluations Contest.  Thank you, TM Rachel!

Dates to Remember:

Club Evaluations Contest:  Thursday August 28

Club Humorous Contest:  Thursday September 4

The Word of the Day was

STIPULATE, verb

To demand or request that something be part of an agreement or a contract between two or several parties.

Example:  Per our friendship agreement, it is stipulated that you will laugh at all my jokes, no matter how bad they are.

Here's the link to the recording....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4P4fwXS-0pY

See you next week!

Ana

Recap Writer

Idioms & Proverbs, Leadership Styles and Unsung Heroes - a peopled meeting at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

In honor of our late TM Carmine, TM Randolph led us in idioms and proverbs.  We soon learned that...

* TM The Tom usually bites more than he can chew and tries to make sense of it  while speaking Gaelic.

* TM Veronica recalled this was one of her Dad's favorite expressions but if you enjoy something, do it often instead of once in a blue moon!

* TM Gail has counted her chickens before they hatched plenty of times and learned that it only leads to broken plans and disappointments.  Life is what happens while we're busy making other plans, as John Lennon used to say...

* TM David's grandpa used to say be happy with what you have instead of wishing for what you don't - bird in hand is better than 2 birds in the bush.  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Christina's Dutch ancestry makes her avoid beating around the bush and she is very direct even if it's hard on the other person, but her Canadian side softens it up.

* TM Jorge ate plenty of pasta while spending time in Rome and doing as the Romans do....

* I, Ana, mused that words are empty when not backed by loud actions....

* TM Cory thinks he will build muscle by buying books on bodybuilding and stacking them neatly on his bookshelf.  Don't we all wish...

We had (2) excellent speeches...

* TM Pam described several leadership styles - coaching, innovative, authoritative (her favorite) and democratic while cajoling her youngest daughter to learn how to ride a bike in Long Key State Park.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM Aleta inspired us with the kindness of strangers who helped her untangle the chaos produced by an Act of Nature.

Along came evaluations...

* First-time evaluator TM Christina loved TM Pam's speech and as a child growing up in a helmetless world, she related to Pam's daughter...  Great job, Christina!

* TM David loved TM Aleta's phrase "Hope is never washed away" because perfect strangers become friends when disaster strikes.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was 

PEOPLED, verb

To populate, inhabit

PEOPLED, adjective

To be filled with people

Example:  It is people who are peopled by constantly peopling those peopled.

We had a plesantly surprising visit from TM Chris and TM Jim all the way from Japan, where cities are densely peopled!  Great to see you, friends!

Next week we will receive the visit of our Area Director.  

Here's the link to the recording....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukDITWQ86bM  

See you next week!

Ana I.

Recap Writer 

Choices, Race to Space and Blue Bicycles - a moment to linger at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Friends and Guests,

TM The Tom led us in Table Topics and took some flak for (perceived) goofy choices... (they seemed very logical to The Tom)...

* TM Christina hates both massages - waste of time and money- and mani-pedis, since as a technician-pleaser she has walked around for 2 weeks with green nailpolish and not saying a word.

* TM Pam stays away from being too good at anything or she gets stuck being asked by slackers.  She's a self-described mediocre watercolor painter but by golly, she enjoys it and who knows, her art may someday be displayed at MOMA.

* TM Veronica hates to be tickled and would much rather be pinched for 3 minutes; however she prefers gentle Swedish massages and lets her husband be contorted into a pretzel by vicious Thai masseuses. 

* DTM Mary Helen will get a barking cat because she needs her house to be guarded and a meowing dog is a non-guardian freak of nature.

* TM Aleta avoids quacking like a duck and much prefers to chirp like a canary... or even better, she sings like a canary - but definitely not in a coal mine!

* TM Jose recalled the days of strobe lights and dry ice smoke in discoteques but is unfamiliar with foam parties or whipped cream (aka shaving cream) baths.  He's looking into buying a bathtub and will report back.

We had (2) outstanding prepared speeches today.

* TM Cory explained that the Race to Space is back on full force - Space X preparing trips to Mars and NASA preparing a lunar base.  There's collaboration rather than competition and the benefits have included GPS, hurricane tracking, robotic surgery, water filtration and potential new friends in other galaxies.

* TM BeckyJo painted a picture of blue bikes representing community in war-torn anti-semitic Holland during WWII, when her friend Wilhelmina (Ellie) lived in an armoire of kind Allied collaborators until they won.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

First-time General Evaluator TM David did an outstanding job... And as far as evaluations go...

* TM Randolph asked TM Cory to focus on captivating an audience who may not be so interested in space travel by using specific examples and more vivid stories.

* TM Pam praised TM BeckyJo for her storytelling skills and asked her to focus on looking straight at the camera instead of the little squares that fill the scrreen.  A challenging feat while in Zoomland.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

LINGER, verb

Slow in parting or quitting something

Still present but waning in strength

Example:  To understand Scots, you need to hurkle durkle and get your ears acclimated to their wee vocal variety.  Aye!

The link to the recording is here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpUtJpigKB8

See you next week!

Ana 

Recap Writer

Administrator Console, But For a Small Twist of Fate, Protecting Girls' Sports - a morning of great impetus at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Pam introduced us to different facets of the Administrator's Console in our EarlyBirds website.  We realized that...

* TM Randolph understands that, although an annoyance, he needs a secondary email so when he drifts away from our group, we can reach out to him and reel him back in!!

* TM Marie joined EarlyBirds on a Mad Hatter day when our late DTM Kip was at his funniest and she just couldn't resist and joined on the spot.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Christina started FB while in college but doesn't use it anymore.  She uses - and recommends - Instagram, Instagram, Instagram.

* TM BeckyJo recommends that your pubic bio best include why you joined TM, why you stay.  If you have a colorful, intriguing life, describe it.  And keep your old picture in there!

Along came (2) longer-than-usual speeches...

* I, TM Ana, shared with the audience my personal recollections of leaving Communist Cuba in 1960 and shared some factual data about pre-Castro Cuba.  I Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM Aleta regaled us with a speech about her Protect Girls' Sports presentation in BPW (Business Professional Women),  which was arbitrarily handled outside of her presence and betrayed her, but primarily betrayed young girls and women.  We hope there is more action to be taken by you, TM Aleta!

As far as evaluations...

* TM Gail praised my father's impetus in taking the family out of an increasingly perilous situation and suggested I allow more time for audience questions next time.

* TM Jose lauded TM Aleta's courage, empathized with her feelings of having been betrayed, liked her appropriately sober virtual background and suggested she give us a better sense of BPW's structure and a stronger ending for our "Big Comeback Toastmaster"...  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

IMPETUS, noun

Force that makes something happen or happen more quickly.

Example:  The discovery of a hidden stash of cookies was the impetus for a sugar-fueled adventure that ended with a sugar crash and a smile on my face.

Here's the link to the recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OywF7Dy1LIo

See you next week!

Ana 

VP Education

Musical Metaphors, Icebreaker and Cuba - then and now; a reverberating morning at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Randolph pushed our melomaniac (passionate, sometimes obsessive, love for music) genes.  We soon found out that...

* TM Jose is a Professor Emeritus on Led Zeppelin and The Forbidden from the University of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.    He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Christine S. is sometimes a firework, sometimes the guest who wonders if her pyromaniac friends will set their back yard ablaze to light up the night sky...

* Guest Beatriz name-dropped her park bench acquaintance with Queens native Art of  Simon & Garfunkel fame gazing at a bridge over troubled waters...

* TM BeckyJo is a complete unknown and thankful for having sowed her wild oats pre-computer and pre-iphone and pre-social media.  No proof exists!

* TM Veronica, a boombox melomaniac, obsessively played and replayed Eminem songs to memorize what turned out to be garbled lyrics.

* Guest Kristian is frankly way too young to catch a grenade for anyone, with places to visit, people to meet all while listening to Bruno Mars' s three-octave tenor vocal range.

* Guest Alissa recognizes that John Legend is indeed a R&B and Soul blender legend but certainly not in her time.   He's 48 years OLD OLD OLD...!

Along came our newest member's ICEBREAKER..

* TM Christina revealed she shares her hometown Newmarket, Canada with none other than  celebrities John Candy and Jim Carrey.  An aerospace designer by trade, she and her gourmet chef husband sailed on a yacht "From Capri to Amsterdam, Honolulu to Siam...."  She Won Best Speaker Award.  Go Christina!

Followed by a reading about Cuba:  Then and Now..

* TM Jose flawlessly read the tragic history of Cuba, the island that meant to have a political revolt to overthrow Batista's dictatorship and got cheated into a social revolution which plummeted  the island from the top of the tier to the bottom of the barrel... and counting.  Let this horror story reverberate to others ....

Along came evaluations...

* TM BeckyJo had some practical tips for TM Christina and suggested she not screenshare her points in a slide but work on using PowerPoint for future speeches.  She congratulated Christina for marrying a handsome man who cooks.  That fact alone outranks those rocketship designs... She Won Best Evaluator Award.

* DTM Mary Helen was surprised that TM Jose dispensed of his now-famous PowerPoint presentations and was glad that he read the speech in his melodious voice.

TM Veronica handled her tasks as SAA and Pollmaker seamlessly.  Good job, Veronica!

The Word of the Day was

REVERBERATE, adj

Repetition of an echo

Repeated sound

Example:  The woman's shrill laughter reverberated throughout the movie theater.

Here's the link to the recording...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvKZB80uATA

See you next week!

Ana I.

Recap Writer 

What's in the H?, Am I Alone In This? What Happened Along The Way - a non-putative meeting of EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

Our new Sergeant-at-Arms, TM Veronica, has her role down pat by now. 

Our Invocator, TM Jose, led us in a very timely invocation.

We were visited by our new Area Director, TM Rachel!  Very honored...

TM Gail introduced various H words for our consideration as Table Topics.   We discovered that...

* TM Pam described a whirlwind of alternatives to Hurricanes - Georgia Tech, Gators, Seminoles, UCF.... and handy, convenient t-shirt gifts aplenty.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Randolph's hobby is music because he considers cooking a survival skill rather than a hobby and he's now thinking of taking up gardening.  Go for it!

* TM Veronica so loved her Asian honeymoon that she is firmly intending to renew her vows every year in order to orchestrate a party and an exotic trip to follow.

* TM Christine had a good habit of studying which led her to her aerospace engineering career - and she's now working on taking it easier as the other side of  being driven by habits.

* Area Director TM Rachel is a putative night owl but made a firm commitment to do a 'crack-of-dawner' in order to join us this morning, on her birthday.  She's a firm believer in horoscopes.  We hope you come back!

* Guest Alissa has had many heroes in life and is looking forward to becoming someone's hero which will make her feel very self-realized.

We had (2) excellent speeches today...

* TM Christine delighted us with a very humorous speech about the trials and dilemmas of those dreaded Security Questions we face in order to gain Access to our finances, travels, medical records, and the like.  You're not alone, TM Christine, in pondering whether Chunky Monkey is one word or 2 in Password World.

* DTM Mary Helen shared a heartfelt family loss intertwined with learning in TM to be a good listener, which comes in handy when you're surrounded by compulsive talkers!  She Won Best Speaker Award.

As far as evaluations go...

* TM Jose praised TM Christine for her very funny speech which was well structured, engaged the audience and reaffirmed that we're all in this together, inaccesible passwords and What's Our Favorite Anything - who can remember anymore?  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM BeckyJo admires DTM Mary Helen's voice modulation, security and confidence, and prowess as a powerful communicator.  We usually don't realize what happens along the way until we look in the rearview mirror...

The Word of the Day was

PUTATIVE, adj

A state of being assumed or believed, rather than definitely established.

Example:  The putative father was, in reality, her stepfather.

Here's the link to today's recording

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzl9wJ_SjyA

See you next week!

Ana I.

Recap Writer

Idioms, Interdependence and Independence - a liminal day at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

Today was a liminal day at EarlyBirds:  We thanked our Immediate Past President and former Officers for their work; we installed our new Officers in their new roles and we inducted our newest member, TM Christina.  Welcome to EarlyBirds, everyone!

TM Veronica did a superb job as first-time Sargeant-at-Arms.  TM BeckyJo took the baton from our Immediate Past President, and was particularly helpful in informing and welcoming our newest member and our guest, Kristian, and reporting to all of us the good news about TM Aleta who is thankfully overcoming a natural disaster suffered by her home.  We missed you TM Aleta, and hope you return soon....

DTM Mary Helen led us with very thought-provoking idioms.  We found out that...

* TM Gail is counting her chickens before they're hatched but hopefully this 3rd time is a charm and she will be boarding her cruise in Roma, Citta Eterna (per parlare della sua natura infinita).

* Returning TM Jarrett gave his wife a surprise  anniversary trip to the Keys including a loggerhead turtle and a Goliath grouper in their scubadiving.  Actions speak louder than words!  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Jorge is happy he joined EarlyBirds when he did because it's definitely better late than never!

* TM Jose always chased the grass that was greener on the other side of the fence and found out that it was on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean!

* TM Veronica likes to look before she leaps but sometimes looking turns into staring and she wants to learn to shorten the observation stage.

* TM Christina believes that honesty is the best policy because frankly, she's a bad liar and she always gets caught...

* TM Cory is risk-averse and prefers a bird in hand than two in the bush.

* TM BeckyJo knows the early bird catches the worm because worms are out early morning before it gets too hot and besides, her neighbor's grass IS always greener than hers - or most of the year anyway.

* TM David knows that when in Rome you must do as the Romans do, or as our guest Kristian would say "when in Milan, have a veal milanese."

We had two fabulous speeches today...

* TM Pam related the history of EarlyBirds and how our interdependence has gotten us through liminal moments to how we are thriving today.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM The Tom gave a suspenseful speech about Gouverneur Morris, who hand-wrote The Preamble and the Constitution, created the street grid of Lower Manhattan and was homesteaded in a certain Gettysburg Address.

And then came the evaluations..

* TM David complimented TM Pam for her well-presented history of EarlyBirds and finding out about the Creator of the Peak of the Week.  

* TM Christine praised TM The Tom for keeping the main character of his speech as a Mystery Man with an unusual French name and, as Tom predicted, nobody had heard of him before.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

LIMINAL, adj.

Occupying a position at, or on both sides of, a boundary or threshold.

Relating to a transitional or initial stage of a process.

Example:  TM Jorge hit the bullseye choosing this Word of the Day as our EarlyBirds Club is in a liminal stage.  Good job, Jorge!

Here is the link to the recording....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUhsR-R2wNA

See you next week!

Ana

VP Education

Resilience, Glory of God and What's in a name? a morning of glimmer at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

We inducted our returning TM Christine formally into our Club.  Welcome back, Christine!

TM Marie launched us on a glimmer of resilience.  We discovered that...

* TM Christine's heroic effort consisted of getting a degree in Oxford at midlife while doing standup comedy with a British accent.

* TN The Tom is "the comeback kid" - overcame a health hardship and turned into a fish in a glimmering pond.

* TM Aleta overcomes adversity day by day, step by step, shovel by shovel, while anticipating a visit from the glimmering Samaritan's Purse.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Cory is mastering rising above it, talking when the mind goes blank while envisioning TM Jorge's AH, ER, YOU KNOW screen flashing in his mind's eye.

* Guest Christina converts triggers into glimmers of the day and her family, work and trip to Fairfax and Toronto rank in top relevancy.

* TM Randolph's faith gets him through the challenges of daily life with an unwavering moral code.

* TM Jose likens his life to a chu-chu train with different stops for different folks and is managing the Reservations Desk for visiting friends at his home in Javea, Spain.

Along came our prepared speeches...

* TM BeckyJo regaled us with a sailor's tale of triumph over adversity while proclaiming The Glory of God.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

* I, Ana, revealed the little-known story of the origin of our city's name, tracing it back to wee William Wallace, aka Braveheart, aka Mel Gibson,  glimmering hero of the Scots.

TM Jose performed as first-time General Evaluator and glimmered steadily throughout...

* TM Cory asked TM BeckyJo to clarify if Boston Whaler and Laser is a marine mammal with a Boston accent and having laser cataract surgery.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM Randolph asked that for the love of Scots, I repeat the speech with a wee bit of humor added to it.

The Word of the Day was

GLIMMER,

noun - a faint or unsteady light

verb - shine faintly or unsteadily

Example: To identify your glimmers, pay attention to your senses, notice what brings you a sense of peace or joy, and reflect on activities that make you feel energized and alive.   So there....

Here is the link to the recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmMBSIjcL5U

See you next week at Inauguration!  Dress code:  pyjama pants and a chic top will do!

Ana 

VP Education

First liners, Core Strength and Influencers - a curated meeting of Early Birds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM BeckyJo gave us intriguing literary first liners.  We soon discovered that...

* TM Gail is living in the best of times and the worst of times but through it all we need to help and serve each other.

* DTM Mary Helen wishes her benign, frail grandmother had exploded and been a stronger role model in her life...

* TM Randolph really envisioned his imaginary twin children meeting up with dragons in the vegetable garden.  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM David segued impeccably from getting the willies to living in the best of times and the worst of times.  Well done, TM David!

* TM Jorge agrees that families are not uniformly unhappy and parents are responsible for making a positive or negative impact on their kids.

* I, Ana, knew that my topic came from a bright cold day somewhere in Europe because it used the ever-confusing military time.

We had (2) outstanding prepared speeches...

* TM Jose educated us about Pilates, formerly known as contrology but too controlling of a term to prevail and reform the core of your inner sanctum.

* TM Marie talked about the fleeting fame of influencers and the lasting community of true world restoration.  She Won Best Speaker Award.  Note: Her story is from The Birthday of the World by Rachel Naomi Remen.

Along came evaluations...

* TM David praised TM Jose for his educational, masterful speech delivered in a smooth soothing voice.  TM David may heed the call to action and sign up for concentration, control and breathing.  Go Pilates!  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM Randolph admitted TM Marie's speech captivated him from the start and this will be a praiseful evaluation, and he kept his word!

The Word of the Day was

CURATE, verb

To select the best or most appropriate for presentation.

Example:  It is wise to curate our clutter  when we are planning to move.

Here's the link to the recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FHTN4B6m2I

See you next week!

Ana I

Curated Recap Writer

Father's Day, Small Claims Case and Dad Collection - no minutia at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

I started us off on Father's Day-related Table Topics....

* TM Marie will accommodate her wonderful husband's request for Father's Day by gifting him a day of peace and quiet1

* TM Jose declared himself the Great White Hunter of pesky mosquitoes on Spain's Father's Day (also his Saint's Day), and US Father's Day.  He enjoys every celebration!

* TM David reminisced about his own father, an intelligent, clever, compassionate, old-school Father who was born in Martinique.

* TM Randolph cannot pinpoint a memorable Father's Day because they are all memorable - and he has learned not to treat his children's problems as minutiae.  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

We then had prepared speeches...

* TM David recounted a landlord-renter small claims case he is currently experiencing where he wants to establish fairness, clarity and justice.  He Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM Christine shared her Dad Collection - men who were father figures to her in assorted ways - by answering her questions "Do I have value?" and "Am I loved?" 

As far as evaluations went...

* TM BeckyJo gave very helpful tips to TM David about Florida laws and how to masterfully present his case to the judge.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM Randolph praised TM Christine for her touching speech and encouraged her to make more eye contact with her audience.

The Word of the Day was

MINUTIA, noun

A small or minor detail

Example  The important things in life are usually mistakenly considered minutae.

Here's the link to the recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OdYHshjJOw

Our new officers will be installed in early July by the incoming Area Director.

Sargeant-at-Arms:  Veronica

President: BeckyJo 

Immediate Past President: Aleta

VP Education: Ana

Treasurer: Marie 

Secretary: The Tom

VP Membership: Cory

VP Public Relations: David

See you next week!

Ana

Recap Writer

June, The Elks Rest, A Commonplace Book - a tech-risible morning at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Aleta led us in a June series of Table Topics.  We found out that...

* TM Jose is aka Mr. Chocolate for his all-time favorite ice cream flavor.... He loves "polos" - chocolate ice cream on a stick that gives you both mobility and edibility.  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Veronica watched the Marilyn Monroe documentary and feels compassion for such a beautiful person - inside and out- who lived such a tragic life.  Had she avoided drugs and alcohol, who knows? She would perhaps be celebrating her 100th birthday next year!

* TM Pam has never been to a professional tennis match but her kids were once coached by Jimmy Evert and they didn't even know it!

* TM BeckyJo had a handsome tennis coach in Vancouver hired by her mother who really enjoyed male eye candy... BeckyJo ran marathons on Summer Solstice Day, just so you know....

* TM Gail has a special flag from her son which she will keep forever and she recalls  displaying all United Nations flags as a school project in the 6th grade.

* TM Christine could not think of Dad jokes but she is an avid tennis fan and has watched many professional matches.

* Guest Kris has no idea why there are so many June weddings - all she knows is she's having a birthday coming up... First things first!

* TM David has no objection to girls named June but his favorite girl's name is Catherine with a French accent.  Ohlala....!

Along came the prepared speeches...

* I, Ana, talked about a fascinating piece of Fort Lauderdale history:  The Elks Lodge, host venue of many memorable events, watering hole of many legendary celebrities and soon to be reopening after a long legal battle.

* TM The Tom regaled us with a helpful speech about A Commonplace Book, where one keeps quotable quotes, ideas for speeches and other sources for speech topics.  He Won Best Speaker Award.

As far as evaluations go...

* TM David enjoyed my speech and suggested I use more vocal variety, hand gestures, and introduce exciting stories into the speech that will captivate the audience.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM Christine kindly asked TM The Tom to step out of the closet - or at least blur it - or the audience starts to make mental grocery lists.  She enjoyed the purpose of the speech - to give practical tips to the rest of us to find topics for speeches.

The Word of the Day was

RISIBLE, adj.

capable of laughing, disposed to laugh

Example:  Today's meeting was chock-full of risible technical bumps; however, we pulled ourselves together and risibly figured them out.  Go EarlyBirds Learning Lab!

The link to the recording is here (thank you Jose!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BMtz1NV_PQ

See you next week!

Ana I.

Risible Recap Writer

Looking back, The Model Prayer and Let It Go - a gallant morning at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM David launched us off by having us take a look at our past....

* TM Gail would tell her younger self to take the job she turned down, although in hindsight, it turned out to be the right choice!

* TM The Tom made a turning point decision to write down his memoir for his children to enjoy.  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* Guest Kimberly would not compare herself to others if she could change one thing about her life.  She would focus on her own life!

* TM BeckyJo took longer to learn math, which she thought was irrelevant, and it turned out to be present everywhere in her life.  2 + 2 = 4

* TM Jorge regrets having dropped out of high school although he later made out all right!

* TM Veronica's most valuable lesson has been not to get distracted by distractions and focus on being herself.

* DTM Mary Helen wishes she had learned to ski as a girl, learned a musical instrument, although she became a professional astrologer  while playing the ukelele and signing German songs.

* I, Ana, would have chosen to study a career instead of wasting my time figuring out how to buy myself trendy clothes.

Then we listened to prepared speeches...

* TM Aleta presented a detailed description of The Lord's Prayer, where we pour out our hearts to God instead of using it as a private wish factory.

* TM Pam redid her Let It Go speech about purging holy family relics by storing them in Nostalgia Plastic Bins.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

Regarding our evaluations....

* TM BeckyJo commended TM Aleta for speaking at a moment's notice and urged her to watch prolific speakers to improve her vocal variety.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM The Tom praised TM Pam's ability to purge her belongings while singing Let It Go in B-minor and assigning her husband one storage drawer in the entire household.  

The Word of the Day was

GALLANT, adj

brave, heroic

Example:  At EarlyBirds we learn to be gallant while improvising different tasks.

The link to the recording is here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5j-t_WEPM4

See you next week!

Ana

VP Education

Inside Out, Outside In, Busland in Broward - Attuned (?) at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

We have a slate of officers for the new Toastmasters year beginning on July 1.  Our President, TM Aleta, wil make the announcement at the right time.  Thank you for everyone who stepped up to fill a role.

Several in the group announced they were short of sleep due to jet lag or plain insomnia.  Nonetheless, they all showed up.  Bravo!!!

TM Cory led us in Table Topics based on the movie Inside Out and its 11-year-old star Reilly's assortment of emotions. 

* TM Pam is not a theme park person but a tree person and combined both by admiring native plants in Universal.  She's looking for a weeping wipon holly. She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Veronica does not like to feel disgusted and only felt it when there were no Florida panthers at Flamingo Park.  Sniffff.

* TM Christine suffered embarassment when her underwear's crotch got eaten by her dog during a tennis match.  Game set.

* TM Jorge suffers frustration as a formerly lunatic driver who now drives among lunatic Miami drivers.

* TM Aleta has carried guilt for years because someone got blamed for a nasty incident Aleta started at her high school cafeteria.  True confessions!

* TM David is not a fan of surprises but got pleasantly surprised when his sister showed up at his doorstep on a visit from France.

Then came the prepared speeches...

* TM Christine rehearsed a humorous speech to be presented at a church in Wisconsin while eating a slab of Wisconsiin cheese.

* DTM Mary Helen showed her zest for adventure while exploring Broward County's bus service which led her to walk across half the city for lack of a better bus.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

Then we had some great evaluations...

* TM Jose gave some helpful tips to TM Christine and commended her for standing up in front of the camera.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM The Tom earnestly urged DTM Mary Helen to take an uber home from the car mechanic next time.

The Word of the Day was

ATTUNED, verb

make receptive or aware

Example:  The interests of TM members are highly attuned.

See you next week!

Ana

VP Education

One-word topics, Food is Critical and Scam Alert - EarlyBirds are flourishing!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM BeckyJo is preparing us for Table Topics contests with one-word topics. We discovered that...

* TM Gail proliferates in her use of thingamajig, a catch-all descriptive word to find anything, reach for anything, drop anything or use anything.

* TM Veronica does not worry about chinhair YET - wait till age catches up with her!

* TM Jorge is reminded of leprechauns and pots of gold when he envisions a rainbow.

* TM David gets a dose of vitamin C and positive energy when he eats an orange.

* TM Cory got out of the box and delivered a speech in front of 100 team members while thinking of us last Thursday.  Go TM Cory!

* TM Aleta does not diet per se but keeps a healthy body by dividing her food intake into liquids for one week, fruits and veggies another and light protein the third.  On the fourth week she flourishes....

* I, Ana, make a distinction between joy and happiness and gave a non-sequitur recap of the House of Orange festivities in The Netherlands.  I Won Best Table Topics Award.

Along came (2) outstanding prepared speeches...

* TM David revealed that he loves to eat and cook healthy food - ater discovering that fast food stays one minute on your lips, forever in your hips- and healthy cooking is a spiritual experience.  We the local EarlyBirds are going to his home for an exquisite meal SANS CROISSANTS.... He Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM Gail got scammed by AI impersonation and shared very helpful tips to avoid being victimized.  Think about this:  1.3 BILLION personal records were compromised last year in the U.S.of A.  Thank you for raising awareness among the potentially scammable crowd, TM Gail!

Regarding the evaluations...

*TM The Tom thoroughly enjoyed TM David's speech and encouraged him to repeat it again incorporating a few gourmet recipes for added spirituality!

* DTM Mary Helen thanked TM Gail for her helpful practices to make us aware of the cunning sophistication of Scammers Unlimited flourishing in the world.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

FLOURISH, verb

To grow luxuriantly, to thrive

To achieve success

Example:  Those of us with a fear of public speaking thrive and flourish in Toastmasters.

Note: Due to technical difficulties, today's recording will be made available soon - maybe.   Stay tuned!

See you next week!

Ana

VP Education

One or the other, Exotically Ordinary and The Lights Went Out, a cardinal meeting in the Early Birds' Conclave

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Gail led us with a heartfelt Mother's Day invocation, and TM Jorge brilliantly displayed the US flag for our Pledge of Allegiance.  Thank you, Jorge!

TM The Tom introduced us to Table Topics' quandaries:

* Singer or Writer? I, Ana, love both of these activities and although not a gifted singer, I choose to write while I sing when I'm not in the shower.

* Blimp or Hot Air Balloon?  TM Beckyjo loves riding in both - and has actually sailed the friendly skies on more than one occasion, enjoying the scenery below!

* Rancher or farmer?  TM Aleta faces a dilemma, but ultimately chooses to grow tomatoes over being a cattle rancher in Western Pennsylvania.

* Soggy cereal or crunchy cake?  Another dilemma for Frenchman David, forever bound to soggy cereal prepared by himself with chocolate milk while watching tv as a youngster.  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* Sightseeing in Africa or shopping in Milan? DTM Mary Helen will go shopping in Milan en route to a sightseeing tour of Africa.  She wants the best of both worlds.

* Raise cows or sheep?  TM Jorge chose raising sheep because he can use their fleece to make himself a jacket.

* Hang gliding or sky diving?  TM Marie says "Not today, thanks, I've got a headache".   Instead she'll  lovingly prepare a healthy oat bar for her husband's birthday.

We had a great Icebreaker today...

* TM Veronica delighted us with her topsy-turvy world of exotic vs ordinary and took us down a travelogue of various parts of the world.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

And we had a power outage reality check of a speech...

* TM Jose recounted the painful experience of having  "Lights Out!" not to the entire college dorm, but to the entire country.  Yikes!  After several near misses, he was able to emerge unscathed but alert to potential repeats.

And then came the evaluations:

* TM David enjoyed TM Veronica's speech and completely related to her trainhopping, a national passtime in France.  

* TM Pam enjoyed TM Jose's Tales of Dark Days in a Green Country and made a call to action for him to masterfully use slides as prior to today.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

CARDINAL, adjective

Of prime importance, principal

Example:  It is  cardinal that the sequestered Cardinals elect the next Pope while there's still wood to be burned in the Conclave.

The link to today's recording is here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUqNLBRUXIA

See you next week!

Ana I.

VP Education

The Wild Wild West, Do You Hear Me? Tree chainsaw massacres - a Nolens Volens morning at Early Birds

--No Video Available--

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

We formally inducted our returning Toastmaster Veronica.  Welcome aboard!

TM Randolph led us in Nolens Volens Table Topics.  We were soon to discover that...

* TM BeckyJo keenly watches her cat while she also watches British, Swedish, German and French crime dramas.  American crime dramas are just too preachy!

* TM The Tom frequents Mom's Kitchen, a family joint where the longtime waitresses are good flirts and the food is second to none.  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Marie's faith is her bedrock, gives her courage and trust to face any challenges she encounters while doing mental acrobatics about Polls. Great job, Marie!

* TM Veronica enjoys life being lived in the moment and has found the way to be happy while working toward future goals.

* TM Jorge has learned to never say never and finds more joys than frustrations in being a software engineer.

* TM David's big ego tells him he's the smartest in the room but he's aiming to be the funniest in order to release tension in his environment.

* TM Pam was thinking of AI this morning regarding microbes and cancer-sniffing beagles who will just have to return to being pets.

* TM Jose had great athletic talents in his early days but tore his meniscus and now simply walks 700 kilometers of the Camino like he eats a piece of cake!

We had (2) excellent prepared speeches...

* TM David explored his communication style - his forte being direct, which has caused him some family tensions, so now he practices supportive, which is much more conducive to happy endings.

* TM Pam taught us how to avoid tree-trimming scams by requesting the permit to solicit, the ISA certification and thus avoid neighborhood chainsaw massacres.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

Along came evaluations...

* TM Randolph praised TM David for his organization and encouraged him to add more personal stories next time he gives this speech.

* TM The Tom, evaluating from a closet, pointed out that TM Pam's speech was well-knit and she urged us to avoid falling willy-nilly for tree scams.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

NOLENS VOLENS, noun

Something that happens whether a person wants it or likes it or not.

(Can be used either/or Nilly-Willy)

Example:  The dog was dragged, nolens volens, to the groomer for a much-needed wash.

Here's the link to the recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfmZEyUOg-Q

We overcame temporary and longer absences, rose to the occasion and had a great meeting as always!  Thanks everyone for the teamwork!

See you next week!

Ana

VP Education

Farewell, Bon Voyage, Hasta La Vista, Aloha Nui - a pelagic meeting at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

Our Special Farewell Bon Voyage meeting got off to a good start!

TM Marie inspired us with novel ideas...

* Starting on time: I, Ana, am supercilious about punctuality.  I annoy myself!

* Adventure: TM David is so inspired by TM Jim and TM Chris' trip he is looking forward to hearing about their adventure.

* Lifelong learning:  TM Gail is ever so grateful for her lifelong learning from her lifelong friends, TM Jim and TM Chris.

* Exploring new cultures:  TM Cory grew up sheltered and has discovered the excitement of exploring new cultures.

* Scuba diving:  TM Jose has been inspired through TM Jim and TM Chris's scuba adventures in restarting scuba diving again!

* Old Friends:  TM Pam clarified that when young, we have old friends; when old, we have longtime friends.  Mark the difference!  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* My Life in Photos:  TM Jorge reviewed old baby and younger day pictures when his hair had a tinge of auburn, much like his son's does now.

* Appreciating nature: TM Terri admires TM Jim and TM Chris for living out an adventurous life.  Terri will ask her genie in a bottle to hop her on a cruise while Gloria Estefan's rhythm is gonna get her.

* Home:  TM The Tom waxed poetic about sapphire blue waters in sunlight and green in rain with waves cresting pelagically.

And then came the long-awaited Villa Vie Odyssey Tour, led by TM Chris....

We saw the Bow (off-bounds  in most non-residential ships), and the Stern - the Gym, the Outdoor Cafe, the Restaurant with its Buffet Paradise,  the Business Center, the Living Room, the Promenade Deck, the Coral Club.  Along the way, we met  the Chef and some of the very friendly staff.  Even the pool area - currently under renovation - offers a serene environment with chaise lounges and umbrellas to enjoy a good read or take a mid-afternoon siesta.  No cabin fever in this floating condo full of amenities, no sireee! TM Jim ended the tour from the cabin and took our many questions.  No tipping required; housekeeping practices, unlimited gym access... and it's all included in the monthly fee!  Stops of 2 days or more at every port allowing for on-shore activities.  One of his favorite stops on the horizon - Catalina Island.  TM Chris and TM Jim Won Best Speaker and Best Tour Guides Awards.

Please be sure to follow the Gulds' adventures at  geeksontour.com/cruising.    We, EarlyBirds, want the movie rights!

Our Evaluator, TM David, offered TM Chris some practical tips for her (perhaps) soon-to-be regular tours of the Odyssey Villa Vie:  center your camera, center your face so audience sees all of it, avoid jittery movements.  Note:  Totally disregard all of the above in rough seas and reach for the Dramamine!!!   He Won Best Evaluator Award.

TM Cory did a great job as General Evaluator of this pelagic meeting.

Led by our Hilarious, Adventurous RoastMaster TM BeckyJo, several members offered (mostly) poetic - in honor of April, Poetry Month - and at times trilingual (English, Spanish, Hawaiian) farewells.  

The previously-unheard-of Word of the Day was

PELAGIC, noun

Inhabiting the upper layers of the open sea

Relating to the open sea

Example:  Thanks to our favorite Influencers, TM Jim and TM Chris, we are now a collectively pelagic,  in-training ducklings and future technology wizzards who will make our parents, TM Jim and TM Chris, technologically proud.

The link to the recording is here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsqUtcohBKc

See you next week!

Ana I.

Recap Writer

It's Debatable, Procrastination, A Gem Among Concrete - EarlyBirds is definitely not soporific!

 

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Chris brilliantly led us in table topics up for debate.

We learned that....

* TM Gail is pro clearing up a house for sale so that new owners get a better idea of how they can make it look.  

* TM Terri took the same side and also believes in clearing up a house for sale because an empty house looks bigger and unleashes the creativity of prospects.

* TM Veronica is pro legalizing casinos - they bring a lot of revenue and boost the local economy, and in Florida they benefit the native american tribe who owns the largest one.  It's also a great venue for concerts.

* TM David is against legalizing casinos because he worked for an online gaming company and he saw how the addictive behavior got people hospitalized.

* TM The Tom is pro school uniforms because it fosters equality and eliminates competition for Best Dressed, students focus on academics instead of fluff and frill.

* TM Aleta is against school uniforms because they stifle creativity and growth - and students end up customizing their uniforms to look different anyway!  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

We had (2) prepared speeches...

* TM David told us about his struggles with procrastination, especially in things he most likes.  Taking action is the antidote!  He Won Best Speaker Award.

* I, Ana, told the history of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, the beach diving capital of America, and its humble beginnings which have kept it a gem among towering giants.

Next came the fabulous evaluations...

* TM Marie praised TM David for his organization, confidence, display of leadership and persuasion.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

* DTM Mary Helen applauded the fact that I did not read my speech and encouraged me to continue to improve and to stop crunching land crabs while at it!

The Word of the Day was

SOPORIFIC, 

Causes sleep (noun)

Induces sleep (adjective)

Example:  A glass of warm milk and a monotonous tv series are the best soporifics known to man.

Here's the link to the recording

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtt9L5WeV74

See you next week for our special FAREWELL to our friends The Gulds!  SNIFF....

Ana I.

Humorous Recap Writer

(that's debatable!)

Joy & Happiness, Working Together - a nimble morning at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

We had a few First Timers fulfilling roles today, and it all worked out well...

First-timer Toastmaster of the Day TM Gail ran a smooth effortless meeting.  Good job, Gail!

First-timer TM David led us in very uplifting Table Topics.  We learned that...

* TM Gail finds happiness in memories of shared times with friends and family and watching the swans glide by in a nearby lake.

* TM Aleta expands her boundless energy with efficient time management of her virtues, Peppy and Happy.

* I, Ana, am adept at rearranging priorities to allow time for amenities.

* TM Chris is semi-retired but hangs on to her beloved technology demos and kayak diving with her diving partner.

* TM Randolph finds pure happiness in the magic of his IPhone's self-generated memories, for which he is very grateful!

* TM Jim G. describes happiness as a globe which is generated from the inside.

* TM Cory's cat, his partner and their foodie experiences and a feeling of gratitude are the top (3) happiness generators in his life.  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM The Tom finds happiness in the internal process of the little things, of which gratitude is an essential element.

* Area Director Marc finds that happiness is definitely a choice, which only a nimble mind can make over chance.

* TM Jorge stated that happiness prevails over stress by showing gratitude, meditating and calming his thoughts.

We had one panel speech entitled Working Together, facilitated by TM Aleta...

* After sharing her Toastmasters background and how much she has benefited from serving as President of the Club, TM Aleta proceded to ask questions of the officers who were present:

* Sargeant-at-Arms and Immediate Past President, TM Jim G. described his (mostly) behind-the-scenes role, which he is thoroughly enjoying, and would gladly continue if only he were not embarking on a worldwide cruising lifetime adventure.

* DTM Mary Helen reminisced about being Treasurer many years ago in another Club, where she gave an approximate figure for the Treasury Report.  She is now being our Treasurer till the end of this Panel- and doing a mighty fine job!  Besides being VP of Membership and officially registering and  welcoming our new Members.  

* I, Ana, talked about the role of the VP Education, which I am enjoying doing so that we have a fun program every week.

* Our Secretary and our VP Public Outreach were absent today due to illness but would definitely be available for questions any time.

Next, we fielded some questions from the audience, who asked where to find job descriptions for the various officer roles and how long should a member wait until they take on an officer position.  Both questions were addressed.

Excellent informative speech, TM Aleta!

Then we moved on to our Evaluation/General Evaluation...

* TM The Tom praised TM Aleta for presenting us with a plethora of information disguised as plates of spaghetti - carbonara and bolognese - which were impossible to refuse and hence be enticed to take on a role for the next Panel starting in July (Elections will be held in June).  We support each other, we encourage each other, and this is a very SAFE place to try different roles to keep our minds nimble and our sense of humor intact!

The Word of the Day was

NIMBLE, adj.

Quick and light in movement, agile

Quick to understand

Example: Jack, be nimble, Jack, be agile, Jack, jump over the box marked "Fragile"; Jack, be nimble, Jack, good luck, Jack, jump over the ice cream truck..."  (sung to the tune of "Jack Be Nimble")

Here's the link to the recording...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vpxA0UgaF0

See you next week!

Ana I

VP Education

Mono-themed topics, Icebreaker and Lead the Followers - no snarks at Early Birds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Marie led us with an inspirational invocation and dove right in to mono-themed Table Topics.  We found out that...

* TM Gail has found creativity in EarlyBirds, with its varied assortment of characters, nationalities, accents, and travel experiences.

* Guest Chantal talked about honesty resulting from the lessons learned, lessons earned and from a firm foundation while growing up.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* Guest Jean-Marc stated that gratitude is so very important, to count our blessings and start our days off  thankful for even things we're not aware we have.

* TM Jose reminisced about his curiosity as a child breaking valuable toys to find out what made them tick and his inability to reassemble them, which almost got him killed by the Big Cats.

* Our cowboy-at-large, TM The Tom, revealed that humor is the essential breath of fresh air that keeps him alive.

* TM Chris explained the Ps of a successful small business: Perseverance, Passion, Poverty and Partner.  Maybe we could add Prayer?

* TM Christine aspires to openness as a virtuous trait - to stay teachable.  That's a quality she seeks for herself.

We had (2) excellent prepared speeches today...

* TM David gave an excellent Icebreaker where he shared a part of his story with us and how he has achieved his dream of living in the land of the free and the home of the brave - in Florida weather!  He Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM Aleta explained with great vitality what the role of President of EarlyBird entails - team building, leading, conflict resolution, meeting facilitation.  More to come in next week's panel speech.

As far as evaluations go...

* TM Christine praised TM David's courage in presenting such a powerful Icebreaker and the variety of experiences he has gathered from living in different parts of the United States.  She encouraged him to look straight at the camera to emulate eye contact when speaking in person to a group.

* TM Gail stated that TM Aleta personifies dynamic leadership, hence the Pathways she has embarked on.  Her vocal variety and hand gestures are second to none; however, work on not using notes.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

SNARK, noun

An expression of mocking irreverence and sarcasm.  

Example:  A snark is a cross between a snake and a shark, as expressed by our President.  The case rests.

TM Cory did an impeccable job as Timer.  Go Cory!

For the local members: 

The Division Contest is this Saturday April 5 from 10 am to 1 pm at:

Liberty Life Center

6800 SW 21st Ct

Davie, FL

Let's go and support our contestants!

Here's a link to the recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgrdktVn2_U

See you next week!

Ana 

VP Education

Spring, Buoyant Life and Mile High Makeover - an astute meeting of EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

We had a number of FIRSTS today....

We inducted our new Member, TM David, and he also was an excellent First Time Timer - great job David!

We had a First Time Grammarian, TM Jorge, who astutely provided our WOD and kept track of our grammatical assets and faux pas...

TM Pam inspired us with Spring topics.  We discovered that...

* TM Chris grew up in Alaska, where spring means the rivers crack, the ice melts and the temperature rises to a smoldering 10 degrees Fahrenheit... No tabebuia trees in the vicinity, for sure!

* TM The Tom, originally a land-bearing Yankee (Colonel Tom, says TM Jim G) transformed into a southern drawler at a moment's notice.

* TM Aleta avoids Artesian Wells, where no pump is needed as the sulphuric water gushes out all by itself and has built a non-Artesian well in her back yard.

* TM Gail astutely summarized members' introductions and topic answers to talk about her own March Madness divorce earthquake which made her a proud lone ranger.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Jim ignored Blue Devil low spirits and focused on New Jersey, the flying biped who takes blue capsules with barbiturates and scares the living daylights out of unsuspecting New Joisy children.

* TM Cory likes the rebound effect of bouncing back through the air after hitting a hard surface or object and prefers to recover from a setback or frustration.

* TM Jorge knows little about Cinderella except she was ignored by her family until Cinderfella came along and rescued her.

We had (2) outstanding speeches...

* TM Marie asked us to consider seriously how to avoid the vitriol of current events and focus on living a buoyant life by paying attention to the marine buoys that line up the Intracoastal Waterway.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

* Returning TM Christine so inspired a former Sephora employee presently flight attendant that Christine got a total makeover while the ignored 120  other female passengers stood hopelessly in line to get an eyelash curler.

As far as evaluations go...

* TM Cory did a second evaluation of TM Marie and praised her for looking straight at the camera and only reading the grasshopper poem.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM Chris praised TM Christine for coming back to the Club and encouraged her to try other glittering eyeshadows in the flight attendant's  eyeshadow pallette.

The Word of the Day was 

ASTUTE, adjective

Clever, perceptive, quick to understand situations.

Example:   We EarlyBird Toastmasters exemplify astute, buoyant, clever, perceptive, witty humanoids.

Here's the link to the recording

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYMMGCKrQf0

See you next week!

Ana

Recap Writer

Iffy Situations, Sensical Numbers and Seeking Help - an opulent morning at Early Birds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

DTM Mary Helen started us off with iffy situations we encountered in life.  We found out that...

* TM Jose tried to steal a vinyl (formerly known as LP) as a budding teen, got caught and learned his lesson - wait 6 months for the coveted LPs to reach the Spanish market.  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* I, Ana, was usually the one to get others in trouble to cover up for lying to my unsuspecting parents.

* TM Gail the pilot learned to make flight plans and adhere to the ETA, except this morning when she broke her lifetime rule - but made it anyway!

* TM Christine prayed over a newly-minted police officer and ended up being hauled away in handcuffs.  The twists and turns of life...

* Guest David's first car was a Honda Civic and remains forever in his heart, especially the coveted sunroof.

* TM Jorge took a wrong direction by stealing school supplies as a youngster but quickly corrected course at the sight of his father's timely appearance.

* TM BeckyJo saw her ex-partner's theft in the books and sadly what was seen cannot be unseen so her goal for 2025 is to pursue legal action and get her money back!

We had an outstanding ICEBREAKER today...

* TM Cory engaged the audience with TM questions and as a data analyst encouraged us all to join one of 182 lifetime La Vie cruises that will accommodate 56% of female Toastmasters and 44% of male Toastmasters.  The data analysis conclusion is 0% privacy for the Gulds.  He Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM Pam backed with data the fact that she's smart, educated, charming, creative and she comes from a long line of educated, charming, creative and smart family members.  From doing it her way she transformed into leaning onto others to make life easier.  

Then came evaluations...

* TM Chris praised TM Cory for his creative Icebreaker which, truthfully impressed everyone with his personalized statistics.  She Won Best Evauator Award.

* TM The Tom related to TM Pam's opulent arrogance as a boss but age has a way of humbling us.

The Word of the Day was

OPULENT, adj.

Rich, luxurious, lavish

We at EarlyBirds like opulent - and succulent - lunches and dinners! 

First-time Grammarian TM Jorge brought us a fantastic Word of the Day and captured the rich language used by our members.  Way to go, TM Jorge!

For tips on Poll-Making and other important tidbits, please visit  earlybirdtm.blogspot.com

The link to today's recording is 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFjciETtJ2Q

See you next week!

Ana 

Recap Writer