What if...., 3D Metal Marvels, Burn Baby Burn! A meeting carried out with alacrity at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

Returning TM The Tom started us off with a heartfelt invocation and a hilarious Sherlock Holmes joke.  Welcome back, Tom!

TM David impressed us with some thought-provoking topics.  We discovered that...

* TM The Tom would choose to be The Joker, The Fool Who Does Drool, from all the zany things he's done in life - although he did some noteworthy ones too!

* TM Christina would choose to teach Astronauts for Dummies if she were ever remotely to consider being a teacher...

* TM Jorge thinks the worst thing that could happen at a wedding is for the younger sister of the bride to upstage the bride and make it all about herself.

* TM Marie would take a knife, her husband and an empty container if she were to be stranded in a (tropical, hopefully) deserted island.

* TM Jose reminisced about the 70s trendy Pet Rocks which created a $1 M industry and led him to proclaim "What a country!" as he walked his Pet Rock on a leash down the streets of Helena, Montana.  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Gail thinks a skunk would definitely be the rudest talking animal, in line with the stinky odor they release seemingly without provocation.  They're usually drunk, too.

* TM Veronica has no pets to reveal naughty family secrets but she's seen plenty of kids who do so at the drop of a hat - or a missed allowance.

* TM Aleta had a momentary delusion about barging into a wedding and speaking up instead of forever holding her peace as the scorned 'other woman'.

* TM Pam would promptly pee in the yard if she woke up as the opposite gender and then would return to female and rest in her favorite recliner- also her cat's favorite activity.

* I, Ana, daydreamed of having a pillow fight -and more- with my favorite tv history character - Jamie Fraser of Outlander fame.  Ah... to be a damsel in 17th Century Scotland!!

We had (2) fascinating prepared speeches...

* TM Christina taught us about metal forging, casting, machining, the Laser Power Bed Fusion, Direct Energy Deposition (before a court of its peers), more similar to a glue gun and the marvels of 3D printing which lead to Raptor 1, 2, 3 - a precursor to the Ford Raptor.  She Won Most Improved Speaker.

* TM Jose took us on a journey down Valencia Fallas, the festival of art, colossal monuments and a pyromaniac's fiery dreams while enjoying hearty paellas.  EarlyBirds is chartering a flight next March!

As far as evaluations go...

* TM David praised TM Christina for her innate teaching skills and suggested she eliminate the introductory slide and get right to it, while slowing down to fullly explore her demonstrative passion and her organized flow.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM Gail appreciated TM Jose's grace under pressure when PPT refused to cooperate and he overcame the glitch.  She suggested he make bigger pictures for the slides so we can see each grain of rice in the paella and to maintain his visuals, gestures and vocal variety.

The Word of the Day was

ALACRITY, noun

Promptness in response

Cheerful readiness

Example:  EarlyBirds shows great alacrity in using Alacrity as often as possible during the meeting.

Here's the link to the recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGpon-3d3q0

See you next week!

Ana I.

Recap Writer

Seasons, Selfies and Follies - a non-kerfuffle meeting at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

Today is St. Joseph's Day and Father's Day in Spain (and Italy).  The invocation was in his honor.

TM Pam led us to table topics about seasons, since tomorrow is the Vernal Equinox.  We were amazed to discover that...

* TM Gail is kerfuffled by Daylight Savings Time and finds that Greenwich Mean Time is really mean.

* TM David tries to find equilibrium between his body and spirit - our mission in life.  Equinox = Equilibrium...

* TM Jorge likes laundry for spring cleaning and is training his son soon-to-be his laborer (as soon as he turns 4 years of age).  

* TM Aleta is doing Swedish Death Cleaning and everything in between to the tune of "Let It Go" from the movie Frozen...

* TM Veronica does not do New Year's Resolutions for the Persian New Year (Nowraz) or Lady Day in Europe, she makes daily resolutions instead...

* TM Cristina misses the seasons in Florida although she's learning to detect their subtleness by ordering pumpkin lattes in Fall and daiquiris in Summer.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Jose is planning his summer trip to Switzerland and most importantly, mapping all the electric car charging stations along the Route Napoleon....

We had (2) interesting prepared speeches...

* TM Marie delighted us with a thought-provoking speech about cutting out the excessive selfies and focusing more on others, before we miss any more opportunities and learn to be present now.

* I, Ana, told the story of one of our eccentric pioneers, Henry Flagler, who built the Florida Railroad and was the successor of the Paris Folies Bergere by naming it "Flager Follies"....  I Won Most Improved Speaker Award.

Regarding evaluations...

* TM Jorge praised TM Marie for her good hand gestures in spite of zoom restrictions and good pauses but please don't say thank you at the beginning of the speech.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.  Go Jorge!

* TM David found my speech educational but suggested I imagine that Henry Flager was Cuban and put more passion into it, and stop reading the notes, parbleu!

The Word of the Day was

KERFUFFLE, noun

Commotion, fuss, noisy argument, chaos

Example:  Several members expressed a craving for a kerfuffle with whipping cream.

We had the pleasure of the visit of our District Director, Rachel B., who said our Club is a lot of fun - and no kerfuffle.

Here's the link to the recording...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmnPGCjZ0cU

See you next week!

Ana I.

Recap Writer

St. Patty's, 70 Cycles Around the Star and A Toast to Our Military - a not-laconic (loquacious) morning at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM David started us off with a laconic yet inspirational invocation.

TM Christina then led us down greener pastures...

* TM David fondly recalls his first St Patrick's Day in NYC with lots of green green green everything and lotsa drinking drinking drinking.

* TM BeckyJo, ever the (legal) street hustler, honors her Irish heritage by selling junk of the Chinese manufacturing kind.

* TM Aleta spent the summers of her youth searching avidly for 4-leaf clovers... ahhh the lazy summers before technology took over!

* TM Randolph will throw the party of a lifetime once he finds that much-coveted pot of gold.  We're all invited!

* TM Veronica used to frequent certain Irish pubs but mostly likes her Cuban Mom's Shepard Pie...

* TM Jose discovered St. Patrick's Day and green beer in no less than the mountains of Montana.  He developed a taste for all kinds of ethnic foods.

* TM Pam exercises her lucky charms by playing Florida Lotto, after voting yes yes yes in spite of initial fears and trepidation.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Gail went to many local pubs in Ireland and thinks she thoroughly enjoyed her visit - ahhh if she could only remember - too much beer and too much song...

* TM Marie has evolved in her St Patty's traditions, from cooking typical dishes to focusing on the amazing story of St Patrick himself,,,

* I, Ana, found a 4-leaf clover before my first daughter was born, make an amazing Cuban Shepard Pie and was permanently impacted by a green Chicago River.

* TM Jorge's favorite shade of green is lime green and finds other colors flamboyant albeit conveying emotions and energy.

We had (2) fabulous prepared speeches...

* TM Jose took us on a fabulous journey of his 70 cycles around The Star, together with visual images and a song he authored about the miles he's walked.

* TM Pam offered a heartfelt toast to our military men and women who are scattered all over the globe and make this land free because it's home of the brave.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

As far as evaluations....

* TM Gail praised TM Jose's autobiography which has taken him from the Halls of Montezuma to the Shores of Tripoli...  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM Aleta loved TM Pam's speech, expertly delivered with grace and loquacity.  She suggested she lower the toasting glass till the end of the speech.  

The Word of the Day was

LACONIC, adj.

Using a minimum of words, concise to the point of seeming rude or mysterious.

Example:  Our Club Members are, for the most part, the opposite of laconic, after they've been with us for a period of time.

The link to the recording is 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqp7ONBmjyE

Notes from Business Meeting (in honor of St. Patrick's Day)

* After some discussion, we voted to contribute $20 per member to EarlyBirds Club.  Our Treasurer, TM Marie, will provide the Zelle or check instructions.  The funds will be used for banking expenses and marketing tools.  Thank you, EarlyBirds!

* We will change Best Speaker category to Most Improved Speaker category, which we had in the past.  We will try this until June 30th.

* Our Club performance to achieve Distinguished President Level:  we need (4) Level 1 completions; (1) Level 2 completion.  We need (3) new members and a total of (20) members in good standing.  Let's invite friends, acquaintances and strangers to our meetings!

* Our VP Public Relations, TM David, will explore new ways to promote our Club in Instagram, to attract working people to our Club wince it does not interfere with work schedules.

* Please renew your membership at Toastmasters International if you have not already done so.  $60.  Thank you!!

See you next week!

Ana I.

Recap Writer

Colors, Cultures and Commitment - an ebullient morning at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Gail started us off with a heartfelt invocation, and TM Pam followed with an ebullient joke.

TM Gail introduced us to thinking about colors.... We discovered that...

* TM Jose recognizes pink is not his favorite color for himself, but he once attended a great concert by Pink and he relished cotton candy, a precursor to diabetes.

* TM Aleta marvels at the orange dusks in Western Pennsylvania, which she attributes to the reflection from the green trees that line the scenery.

* TM Veronica reminisced about drinking beer in high school -ooops, college- a song blue, a restaurant near home called Blue Moon... She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Christina loves purple and is reminded of medieval times, royalty and it was definitely her favorite color when she was growing up....

* TM Pam quoted that "Nature's First Green is Gold" by Robert Frost, green bananas and jumped over to her daughter's wedding cake sprinkled in purple,

Along came our prepared speeches...

* TM BeckyJo talked about 100-year-old black eggs (yuk but survivable), gross alligator tips and Dutch worst candy in the world - liquorice on steroids. "If you can't travel the world, make the world come to you." She Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM Marie refreshed our memories about keeping the commitment we made when we joined Toastmasters, and use the precious Crib Sheets to learn and grow fulfilling different roles.  If It's not fun, it's not Toastmasters!

As far as evaluations go...

* TM Jose praised TM BeckyJo's speech delivery, voice fluctuations, ebullience and humor, and related to surviving eating 100-year-old eggs.  

* TM Aleta thoroughly enjoyed TM Marie's educational speech and encouraged her to use more voice variations in pitch and volume.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

EBULLIENT, adjective

full of energy and cheerful

Example: EarlyBirds is a club full of ebullient members.  Come join us!

The link to the recording is here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAtH7wwlXNg

See you next week!

Ana I.

Ebullient Recap Writer