Family Feud, Mobile Notifications and Y2K remembrance - an agentic meeting at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Marie started us off with an inspirational invocation.

TM Aleta introduced us to thought-provoking topics based on the old tv show, Family Feud.  We discovered that...

* TM Christina thinks fear is funny and different for all of us.  For starters, fear of public speaking is why we are all here....

* TM Jose thinks bakers call their wives honey, sugar and the like - all except the owner of Pan e Dolci bakery who was more like a Soup Nazi so God knows what he called his wife....

* TM David dislikes doing dishes and taking the garbage out, closely followed by French brooming and vacuuming.  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Randolph got lightheaded just thinking of all the types of insurance exist,  and how little return one gets for the investment.   Ahhhhrrrggg!!!

* TM Pam would go to Australia (rather than Oz) to find a Koala and suggested we start calling vacumming 'sucking the floor'.

* TM The Tom talked about junk mail and wistfully contemplated the local city landfills brimming with it.

* TM Veronica stated that other mice are perplexed by Mickey's gloves, costume, voice to ask the owners to leave out some cheese for the night.

TM Jorge presided the meeting as Toastmaster of the Day and did an outstanding job!  Go Jorge!

Regarding the prepared speeches...

* TM David confirmed that mobile notifications have become digital spam, but prepared and sent with precision could create value messages, not noise.  He Won Most Improved Speaker Award.

* TM BeckyJo recalled Dec 31, 1999, purported Doomsday and the party she catered for 150 people with an overabundance of beets and no Y2K end.

As far as evaluations...

* TM Christina praised TM David for making a tedious subject lively, his vocal variety and suggested he make it more of a storytelling tale of useless pings.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM Randolph thoroughly enjoyed TM BeckyJo's humorous tale of celebratory End of the World with lots of humor... Viva los Beets!! 

The Word of the Day was

AGENTIC, adj

Able to accomplish results with autonomy, especially in Artificial Intelligence.

Example:  Agentics are not a chatbot.  They are powerful cloud agents with a full computing environment.  Huhhh?   Say what???

Madam La Presidenta encouraged us to bring a friend to the next meetings.  She will start by following up with (2) interested friends.

Here's the link to the recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDaKDYYb96w

See you next week!

Ana I.

Recap Writer

Earth Day, Job Interview and Conflict? What Conflict? A ubiquitous morning at EarlyBird

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

We true EarlyBirds were pleasantly surprised by a brief visit from seafarers Chris and Jim, presently in Indonesia, who stated they will soon join us for a full meeting.

TM Aleta improvised her invocation in her version of the Christian tradition.

TM Marie presented excellent slides to commemorate Earth Day and stimulate our ideas:

* TM BeckyJo thinks Earth Day is a great concept and should be called Everyday is Earth Day...

* TM Jorge sees the planted seedling as a symbol of our own incipient potential as human beings.

* I, Ana, embrace the concept of Beach Cleanup Day to get rid of all the trash that washes ashore and the trash that we humans dump on the pristine sands.

* TM Aleta sadly recognizes that trash is everywhere, not only on the beaches and we are responsible to keep our environment clean.

* TM The Tom expounded about photosynthesis, degraded/disturbed forests and deforested areas and the havoc we humans create.

* TM Jose revealed that in Spain they have hit people's pockets by charging for plastic bags so now everyone uses very quaint reusable bags.  Good strategy!

* TM Veronica sadly confirmed that we're in the middle of the largest extinction phase and we may never see some of these species again if they disappear.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM David expressed awe for our beloved Planet Earth as recently photographed by Artemis II.

Along came prepared speeches...

* TM David gave a great example of an effective job interview by cleaerly responding to questions and... he got hired!  He Won Most Improved Speaker Award.

* TM Jose's presentation stated conflict is inevitable but disagreements do not have to be disagreeable.  If you think you're right - zip your mouth!

As far as evaluations go...

* TM Jorge praised TM David for his clear diction and for pointing out that he combines two critical areas - business sense and technology expertise.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM The Tom very much appreciated TM Jose's speech on conflict resolution and the many helpful tips he gave for achieving this without losing friends.

Note:  It seems that both Evaluators today are working toward a  DTM (Don't Time Me) Level ....  Just sayin'....

The Word of the Day was

UBIQUITOUS, adj.

existing or being everywhere.

Example:  Wordiness was ubiquitous in today's EarlyBirds meeting.

Here's the link to the recording...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvKiT6YG6I0

See you next week!

Ana 

Recap Writer

Choices, Life Statesperson and Fear Not - EarlyBirds extricates itself

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

In what became known as Technology Thursday, TM Marie saved the day by figuring out the intricacies of logging in.  Thank you, TM Marie!

TM Randolph launched us like Artemis II with an inspiring invocation.

TM Jose responded 'on his feet and good to go' to the role of Table Topics.

We discovered that...

*I, Ana, would like to be both funny and smart but not the funniest or smarties in the room, all in moderation!

* TM Marie likes to count everything - welcome to the world of Obsessive-Compulsive-Order and her favorite character is Sesame Street's The Count.

* TM Becky imagined her Death Row Last Meal - a copious breakfast without sausage patties as she is watchful of her cholesterol....

* TM Randolph would like to have dinner with Oprah due to her wise remarks and with Barack Obama, due to his simplicity of  explaining his worldview.  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Jorge prefers mountains to oceans due to their wider variety in color, smells and the majestic wildlife of great preponderance.

We had 2 motivational speeches today...

* TM David advised us to become the statespersons of our lives, to redefine success and to challenge ourselves to 1 hour this week without external stimuli and watch what happens.  He Won Most Improved Speaker Award.

* TM The Tom inspired us with a heartfelt, spiritual speech about spirituality, which touched the heartstrings of many of us.

As far as evaluations go...

* TM Randolph exalted TM David for his masterful delivery, good pauses and encouraged him to change the slide color and use more vocal variety.

* TM Jose enjoyed TM The Tom's speech greatly and suggested Tom define spirituality more clearly and incorporate the fear part more into his speech.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

EXTRICATE, verb

To free or remove a person or oneself from a trap or a difficult situation.

Example:  Due to sheer incompetence, I had no other recourse but to extricate myself from the role of Tech Host/SAA at today's meeting.

Here's the link to the recording:

https://www.youtube.com/

See you next week!

Ana

Recap Writer

Cupid, Adventures and Smart Homes That Are Not Too Smart - a fun morning at EarlyBirds!

Dear Members, Guests, Friends,

TM Randolph started us off with a meaningful Invocation, and we were ready to start our Table Topics contest...

The topic was ADVENTURE.... and as we soon found out...

* TM Veronica stays in Toastmasters to master her hesitation with impromptu speaking and has embarked in this adventure.

* TM Pam's main adventure - at this stage of life - is exactly that, to have conquered another night stayin' alive...

* TM Jose's middle name is Adventure - he began getting into pickles at a very tender age and continued until caution became his second middle initial.  He Won Second Place.

* TM Cristina's life has been a total and complete adventure, seconded since a few years ago by her also-adventurous husband.  She Won First Place.

* TM Randolph's adventure plans includes riding his bike alone and aimlessly until his legs give out - hopefully near a Hyatt Regency.  He Won Second Place.

* TM BeckyJo's childhood adventures included commanding her entire 4th grade to follow her across the street to a park and serving 3 years' detention for it. But... she'd do it again in a heartbeat.

While the votes were being tallied, we had a prepared speech and a disruptive audience.

* TM David told us that "A smart house is not a silver bullet" and, among interruptions, comments and sneers, we realized that smart homes are simply endless set up instructions, compatibility issues, resetting passwords, wifi shutdowns and toilets that don't flush when the internet is down.  So beware of modern technology if you still want to have a quiet cup of coffee on weekends.

As far as evaluations go...

* TM Jose praised TM David's speech and how he handled disruptions... before TM Jose himself was disrupted by a security technician intending to make my home a little smarter but not quite.

Our Word of the Day was

CUPID, noun

A cherub-like entity that throws arrows at people's hearts to allure them into romantic love and otherwise entices everyone to profess brotherly/sisterly love to their fellow humans.

Example:  Cupid played an important role in most couples' romantic involvements.

Overall, our Table Topics contest provided a morning of fun and laughter for us all.

And as they say.... "If it's not fun... it's not Toastmasters!"

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cawh2Cfo_g

See you next week!

Ana I.

Recap Writer 

Contest, Inspiration and Is It Fair? - a contested morning at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

We heard very inspirational speeches...

* TM Marie expressed to us how the most important gifts we receive in life are those invitations we accept....  She Won First Place

* TM Veronica clearly showed us how life happens while we're getting prepared so we must reverse course and take action first!  She Won Second Place

* TM Jose reiterated that we are responsible for our own actions and we need to actively build a healthy life and determine what we refuse to tolerate.

* TM David declared that life marches along and we must not allow any small hiccup to cause upheavals.  That's why he goes to Toastmasters.  He Won Third Place.

* I, Ana, gave a bird's eyeview of life from the shoreline instead of focusing on one finite point in my realm.

* TM Aleta explained to us what a modern pioneer woman is - perseverance, stamina and WiFi!  Go Starlink!

While votes were being tallied, we had outstanding Table Topics led by TM Randolph - is life fair and does money make a difference?

* TM Jose's life indeed changed by the lack of money when he learned to hunt and cook and then as he made more money, expenses always caught up!

* TM Veronica found herself in Costa Rica, 21 years old with no money but she had generous friends who spotted her till she got back home.

* TM Aleta said you can't depend on what you learn in college because life itself is the best teacher.

* TM Pam stated that no, life is indeed not fair, but hey people, learn to be empathetic to those below - it needs to become trendy again.

* TM BeckyJo said it's fair to cut in line if you pay Premium but it's not fair to cut in line for organ donation just because you're wealthy.  No sireeee...

The Word of the Day was 

CONTEST, noun

An exercise to determine one's place in a competition.

Here's the link to the recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9wJWefpXwE

Next week, on to Table Topics Contest!!!

See you then!

Ana I.

Recap Writer

Beach Snow, Design Tools and Cat Scratch Fever, an obdurate morning at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

TM Pam launched us with a Unitarian Invocation about the Whip of Winter.

TM Christina introduced the tropical snowstorm concept to us...

* TM The Tom stated that Floridians are obdurate in avoiding snow-driven mistakes by migrating South from the cruel harsh northern winters.

* TM Veronica dreams of building beach snowmen, beach snow cones and posting the pictures on social media.

* TM Jorge was horrified at multiple-car crashes in MIami traffic when driven by a snowstorm.

* TM Aleta has found a good job for Florida teenagers experiencing a snowstorm... if they own a John Deere snow plow.

* TM Jose saw real snow in one year in Montana and when we first moved to Madrid from Cuba in the Navacerrada mountains surrounding the capital.

* TM Pam looks forward to winter olympics, mostly ice skating and ice racing, one a spring, one an obdurate sport.

* TM David laughs at Miamians' winter gear -including himself- when the thermometer hits 70 degrees fahrenheit.  He Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM BeckyJo made a mistake as a 6-year-old by diving into snow in her flipflops. She had to be rescued by her compassionate uncle.

Along came prepared speeches...

* TM David presented a speech about his printing company and their sophisticated platforms to make customers and other businesses lives easier.

* TM BeckyJo emphasized her 2 degrees of separation from Ted Nugent by suffering her Cat Scratch Fever - and now she's immunized.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

Regarding the evaluations...

* TM Jose was impressed with TM David's speech, his great presentation and he suggested he explain what B to B and B to C stand for.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM The Tom thoroughly enjoyed TM BeckyJo's speech, her vivid descriptions of the feline scar on her finger and surviving Mersa.

The Word of the Day was

OBDURATE, adjective

Stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion or course of action; hardened in fellings.

Example: The difference between obdurate and obstinate: Obdurate implies a hardened, unfeeling resistance to persuasion (often morally) while obstinate suggests a more willful, perhaps unreasonable, persistence in one's opinion, often linked to pride or pigheadedness, though it can sometimes be admired as tenacity.

Here's the link to the recording:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LflNAdjB9sc

See you next week at the Group International Speech Contest!

Ana I.

Obdurate Recap Writer

Visuals, Innovation and Mutual Help - a morning of symmetry at EarlyBirds

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

Battling the forces of nature in search of WiFi, the indomitable TM Aleta led us in visual Table Topics with assorted stunning pictures.  We learned that...

* TM Christine S. has the World Trade Center workers planting the flag among the ruins of 9/11 etched in her mind.

* DTM Mary Helen is awed by the heroic water landing of a United flight on the Hudson River and everyone miraculously  survived.

* TM The Tom nearly identified hanging out at a Publix in the midst of a treacherous snow storm in 2014.

* TM Christina K. had Niagara Falls as her backyard and took family friends to visit during all seasons; this winter picture portrayed them frozen and angry.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Jorge was reminded of Russians doing feats in high buildings by workers having lunch with no personal protection on a 69th floor.

* TM Veronica is impressed by the daunting picture of Earth as seen from the Moon and is reminded of our human vulnerabilities.

* I, Ana, recognized the picture of the blimp ablaze but could not clearly remember its Hindenburg name.

We had (2) excellent prepared speeches...

* TM David presented a professional speech identifying his credentials as an IT innovator who is working on the democratization of orders for his company.

* TM Pam took us back to the Stone Ages where mothers helped each other much like fellow Toastmasters help each other today.  She Won Best Speaker Award.

Along came evaluations...

* TM Jose praised TM David for his clear, concise slides, well-focused speech and suggested if aimed at the general public, please simplify and explain the terminology for better clarity of IDEAS.  He Won Best Evaluator Award.

* TM The Tom thanked TM Pam for taking us back to the land before I-Phones and reminding us that even with our current technology, breast feeding is limited to women only.

First-time General Evaluator TM Christina K. did a fantabulous job and seemed as comfortable as a pro.

The Word of the Day was

SYMMETRY, noun

The quality of having parts that match each other, especially in a pleasing or attractive way.  Similarity of shape or contents.

Example:  The symmetry of a person's face contributes to our perceptions of beauty and trustworthiness.

Here's the link to the recording:

LINK:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a13JOcX-v8g

See you next week!

Ana I.

Asymmetrical Recap Writer

Fwd: YOUTUBE LINK:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5QodhK81Tg

Dear Members, Guests and Friends,

On this memorable day of The Tom's Birthday, we send hearty congratulations and best wishes to our good member.

TM Pam launched us on a centennial remembrance...

* TM Aleta has not read The Great Gatsby but indeed watched the movie and swooned over the late Robert Redford.  Old Gatsby, Old Sport!

* TM Gail sang onstage at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville and silently hoped Dolly showed her boobs and her songs with her.  She Won Best Table Topics Award.

* TM Marie missed the Goodyear Blimp ride, tried helicoptering to a dogsled ride in Alaska and missed it due to low visibility.  A lunar landing may be next....

* TM Randolph is secretly hoping his wife will not get one of the latest TVs where the screen image is realer than real - he prefers the ventriloguist dummy of 1925's first tv image.

* TM BeckyJo cleaned up the beach in Boca Raton as a teenager and chased the garbage dumpers with their garbage in hand.

* TM Jorge can't recall marching in a parade but will call 1-800-Goodyear Blimp to reserve a spot and fly over Fort Lauderdale Beach.

* TM Veronica loved doing book reports and science projects in trifled boards and those fun times brought a smile to her face.

We had (2) fantastic prepared speeches...

* TM David regaled us with "To Become", based on a quote by French feminist Simone de Beauvoir (precursor of second-wave gringo feminists Gloria Steinem and Betty Friedan) and we become women based on culture, tradition, stories and the legenday Edith Piaf (the little sparrow).  He sang a bit of Padam Padam for us.  He Won Best Speaker Award.

* TM Jose took us on a personal tour of his own 70 cycles around his star, where life accelerated more and more as the years rolled fastly by and he found his perfect life of abundance and gratitude which continues to swoon him.

And then came evaluations...

* TM Christine timely realized that evaluations are about delivery, not content; the evaluator stays neutral and opinionless regarding the nature of the speech.  She suggested TM David to insert English sub-titles in his PowerPoint slides until she masters French Duo Lingo.

* DTM Mary Helen was totally engaged with the topic of TM Jose's speech and praised his organization, his pauses and his reminiscences of life by decades in such a masterful way.  She Won Best Evaluator Award.

The Word of the Day was

SWOON, verb

Faint from extreme emotion

A state of bewilderment or ecstasy

Example:  The Heavenly Angels will swoon when Robert Sundance Kid Redford shows up at the Pearly Gates.

Clarification:  Adither exists.  It's a word that describes a state of confusion, excitement, or anxiety, often combined with a sense of expectancy.  Example:  I was adither going hither and thither.

Here's the link to the recording:

YOUTUBE LINK:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5QodhK81Tg

Ana I.

Recap Writer by virtue of Recording Accuracy

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

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

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

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

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

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!)

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