I just watched the YouTube video of last week's meeting that I missed. Wow! What a reminder of how important we are to each other. I congratulate DTM Paolo Barone! Our President Randolph Bastein has developed his own special finesse as our leader with his welcoming and grateful style.
It was great to see our clever Gail West. The Table Topics responses kept a smile on my face. So good to see Jim and Chris Guld, albeit I was sad to hear about their dilemma and know their resilience will lead them on to an unexpected adventure. Jim's rendition of The Raven was phenomenal and Marie Rock is always delightful in sharing her thought provoking words.
The evaluators clearly were attentive to the speakers' presentations. All in all, I was once again so grateful that we have our meetings recorded so that we can go back and see what we missed.
The meeting began with introductions and welcoming attendees, including Marie's daughter Valentina. Pam led the invocation and Pledge of Allegiance, followed by Gail sharing a joke. Randolph announced that the format would be different, including a word of the day ("courage") and self-introductions, starting with Marie Rock.
Anna Tribute and Celebration Meeting
The meeting was a tribute to Anna, with Toastmasters and guests sharing memories and expressing admiration for her courage and contributions. Many speakers highlighted Anna's strength, authenticity, and the wisdom she shared about Cuban history and personal experiences. The gathering served as a celebration of Anna's life and the impact she had on those around her, with participants expressing gratitude for her friendship and leadership. The conversation ended with plans to start the formal agenda, including a video presentation.
Anna's Speech Compilation Presentation
Marie Rock presented a 13-minute video compilation of Anna's speeches, which Chris Gould and Jim Gould had created by collecting recorded speeches since April 2020. The video showcased Anna's legendary recaps and humorous moments from Early Bird Toastmasters meetings, including her stories about wearing masks, the origin of Fort Lauderdale's nickname, and her journey to joining Toastmasters in 2009 after receiving encouragement from friend Peggy Gallagher.
Early Birds Toastmasters Club Meeting
The video shared Ana's journey with the Early Birds Toastmasters club, describing how she joined after being impressed by the meetings and eventually held multiple leadership roles. She then shared personal stories about her Cuban heritage and family traditions, including how her mother used food to express love and care, and how her health habits evolved over time. Randolph Bastien and Chris discussed the video presentation, with Chris suggesting they should have arranged to serve flan in honor of the occasion at their former Denny's meeting location. The meeting then continued with Veronica Wininger's eulogy for Anna, describing her as a wordsmith who wrote three books and shared her experiences from Cuba, Spain, and America.
Anna Ilson Memorial Tribute Meeting
The meeting was a tribute to Anna Ilson, a long-standing member of Early Bird Toastmasters who passed away recently. Several speakers, including David, Aleta, Marie, and Becky Jo, shared memories of Anna's dedication to the club, her role as Vice President of Education, and her legendary meeting recaps. The speakers highlighted Anna's values of connection, generosity, and authenticity, as well as her impact on welcoming new members and fostering a sense of community within the club. The conversation ended with reflections on Anna's legacy and a commitment to continuing her spirit through the club's activities.
Anna Ilson Toastmasters Tribute Meeting
The meeting was a tribute to Anna Ilson, a beloved member of the Toastmasters club who passed away recently. Distinguished Toastmasters Mary Helen Day and Pam shared personal memories of Anna, highlighting her dedication to the club, her meticulous speech preparation, and her unique humor. RandolphBastien, the meeting president, expressed gratitude for Anna's courage and leadership, especially during Kip Barkley's transition, and encouraged the club to continue shining in her memory. The conversation ended with a message of support to Anna's family and friends, emphasizing the importance of finding strength in the face of loss.
Anna Memorial Tribute Meeting
The meeting was a tribute to Anna, with participants sharing memories and expressing gratitude for her impact on their lives. Jose shared a story about Anna's love for birdwatching at Lake George, comparing it to how her presence and "beautiful call" would be missed. The group discussed plans for Anna's memorial service on Saturday, with Jose promising to share a link for those who cannot attend in person. The conversation ended with thanks to RandolphBastien for organizing the tribute and plans to reconvene for the next meeting agenda at a later time.
TM Aleta started us off with an inspiring Invocation about respectful communication.
TM Christina presented us with very enjoyable summery table topics. We discovered that...
* TM Pam's perfect summer day is gardening till it gets too dang hot and then floating in the pool with an imaginary pool boy...
* TM Marie became enamored with the ocean her first time in Atlantic City and remains enamored today...
* TM Ellen would travel to Tibet if she had an unlimited summer budget because she's been everywhere except Antartica and... the penguins are waiting! She Won Best Table Topics Award.
* I, Ana, would go back to French Polynesia, where the ocean is Listerine Blue and the bungalows on stilts are floating aquariums...
* Returning TM Kim's favorite summer vaca was time with family eating fish & chips and an awfully awful delicious dessert...
* TM Jorge's favorite summer food left him pondering about scrumptious foods and moveable feasts...
* Guest Monique's favorite summer drink is rosemary, pineapple and passion fruit-infused water, although she's considering adding pomegranate....
* TM BeckyJo's favorite summer tradition is to visit friends who live out yonder in the mountains to get away from South Florida's sweltering heat.
We had (2) excellent prepared speeches...
* TM Randolph shared about his upbringing where spirituality played a big part and had him living in Grace - and that was besides his Auntie Grace who forced him to eat his vegetables. He Won Most Improved Speaker Award.
* TM Marie asks God to help her surrender so that she is a presence of peace and love with her family members who are who they are - and not as she would like them to be.
Along came the evaluations...
* TM Jorge praised TM Randolph for revealing more of his upbringing in a speech sprinkled with humor and suggested he sit further back from the camera for freedom of movement.
* TM Jose commended TM Marie for her clear voice projection and good use of pauses, calm and comfortable presence and recommended she change her voice pitch when talking to herself in the third person. He Won Best Evaluator Award.
The Word of the Day was
YONDER, adverb
Over there, in the distance
Example: We thought yonder was a Southern and Appalachian Mountain word and it turns out Shakespeare used it in Romeo and Juliet! Who knew????
TM Pam inspired us with a Summer Solstice invocation...
TM David led us with very well-thought-out Table Topics about the current World Cup...
* TM Jose warned soccer teams to be humble and not rest on their laurels or they will tie with an unheard-of team from Cabo Verde as recently happened to Spain.
* TM Aleta took a 100 m sprint and had to deal with Charley Horses by drinking pickle juice with yellow mustard. Yummmm, how appetizing!
* TM Pam broke a national swimming record and profusely and humbly thanked everyone and daydreamed about becoming a movie star. She Won Best Table Topics Award.
* TM Veronica was shocked to receive a Red Card at her soccer game and told the referee that red didn't match her uniform color scheme.
* TM Christina would wear moonboots to be taller and stand a better chance at the NBA playoffs. Basketball was created in Canada, by the way....
* TM Jorge would artfully and craftily evade a basketball defense keen on stopping him - it's nothing but a slam dunk!
* TM Marie won a silver medal in gymnastics and enviously pondered why that other gymnast won gold. She, TM Marie, was the one who deserved it!
* I, Ana, most of all love the birdies that fly around over golf courses and would definitely use golf carts to travel from one hole to the next, defeating the purpose of bodily exercise.
We had (1) prepared long speech today,,,
* TM Marie gave an outstanding speech about Fixed vs Growth Mindset, to which the whole audience could relate. Vivid examples of both - (Growth Muhammad Ali, Christopher Reeve, Mia Hamm) (Fixed Lee Iacocca, John McEnroe). She Won Most Improved Speaker.
As far as the evaluation goes...
* TM Aleta praised TM Marie for her inspirational speech and her extraordinary slides. She encouraged her to put more passion into her vocal variety.. She Won Best Evaluator Award.
The Word of the Day was
RESONATE, noun
To connect with something or someone on a deep personal or emotional level.
Example: I really resonate with the lyrics of many songs from the 60s and 70s.
TM David started us off with very intriguing future time travel....
We learned that...
* TM Veronica would use her extra 6 hours a day -thanks to robotic housework- buying fresh groceries, cooking healthy meals, tending her garden (what plants?) and sleeping more, for sure!
* I, Ana, would like ingratiating scientists to prolong life to 150 years in a healthy condition and I would give my kids money periodically to avoid getting arsenic in my coffee...
* TM Marie is concerned that her STDs may be publicized in LinkedIn... who cares about her cholesterol??? She Won Best Table Topics Award.
* TM Pam realizes that we can't understand the life before our time - she went from an early calculator to talking to her bathroom fixtures - who cares about passwords?
* TM Aleta stated that her best years were from 45 to 55, old enough to know best, young enough to enjoy things...
* TM Christina would investigate new hobbies, volunteer, train, travel (locally?) if she had 11 extra hours a day due to hologram meetings instead of the current tedious in-person ones.
* TM BeckyJo would sing nursery rhymes if brain to text technology came about, to keep her internal monologue from getting out... because her mind is a dangerous place!
Along came the prepared speeches...
* TM Jose explained that our minds love narrative patterns and we give meaning to chaos. We at times suffer from apophenia - making connections that don't exist. Along came Sartre and Camus and complicated things with their existentialism, for Pete's sake!
* TM Marie calmly set forth how we need to have a growth mindset because otherwise we practice self-imposing limitations. She did a great job in spite of some pesky talkers, interrupters and arguers in the audience. She Won Most Improved Speaker Award.
As far as evaluations go...
* TM Randolph commended TM Jose for his good vocal variety and encouraged him to repeat the speech with his legendary PowerPoint slides and adding specific scenarios. He Won Best Evaluator Award.
* TM BeckyJo praised TM Marie for being calm and steady in the face of disruption, "nothing rocks the Rock" and, in an attempt to incite more chaos in the group, TM BeckyJo suggested that in the future an unscripted member interrupts the speech.
The Word of the Day was
INGRATIATE, verb
To gain favor or approval by being or doing what (we think) others want us to be.
Example: As I get older, I no longer actively seek to ingratiate myself with others as much.
TM BeckyJo, aka La Presidenta, improvised a childhood poem as an Invocation.
TM David improvised Table Topics, courtesy of AI...
* I, Ana, am already a legend in my own mind... among my family members, and would probably be a world=famous writer if it were in the cards.
* TM Veronica's imaginary paparazzi would only see her wearing yoga pants going to the UPS return store if they were to stalk her...
* TM BeckyJo's tabloid scandal headline would be "Starlet Kills Business Partner" - this dastardly thought has crossed her mind many a time.
* TM Gail would blow fragranced airplane passengers on an 11-hour flight out of their fragrance... and out of the plane, too!
* TM Marie's tv reality show would proclaim that AI is here to stay and we need to use it, much as TM David did today!
* TM Randolph's AI assistant, Athena, secretly complains that Randolph does not speak to her quite enough. He Won Best Table Topics Award.
* TM Jorge surmised that the biggest possible imbroglio between a human baby and an infant AI baby is that the AI baby knows everything...
* TM Jose's Chat GPT would roast him for being a perfectionist but a cheap one at that that - he digs deeper into it until it's time to pay up!
And along came prepared speeches...
* TM Randolph described how different of a Dad he was to his firstborn - a quasi avatar - and to his lastborn - the family talker- since the adults create the narrative.
* TM Marie encouraged us to stop our limiting self-talk, since we are capable of anything and failure is only a huge part of learning. She Won Most Improved Speaker Award.
Regarding the evaluations...
* TM Jorge loved TM Randolph's humor sprinkled throughout his speech and encouraged him to give it more structure, a strong start and end.
* TM Gail praised TM Marie's uplifting and inspiring speech, great eye contact, positive hand gestures and good command of notes. She Won Best Evaluator Award.
The Word of the Day was
IMBROGLIO, noun
A complex dispute or argument
Entanglement, confusion
Example: Dangerous liaisons usually involve some convoluted imbroglios.
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.
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!
* 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.
TM The Tom started us with a profound invocation about Father Fulton Sheen, known as the first Televangelist, soon to be canonized after a life of introspection.
TM BeckyJo introduced us to British children's analogies posted on FB's The Laughing Librarian. We found out that...
* TM Pam wistfully reminisced about the Disco Era, when the walrus sang while making sounds like rusty farm equipment. She Won Best Table Topics Award.
* TM The Tom's eyes twinkled like dew drops on the mustache of a man with a cold... And Won Best Laughing For The Duration of a Table Topics Award.
* TM Marie quoted "Sorry to see you leave and happy to see you go" as the reasoning behind magnetic back attraction and front repulsion. Or something like that...
* TM Veronica compared the beauty and delicacy of a ballerina extending her leg at impossible angles and the strength of a dog lifting his leg at a fire hydrant. Both are very impressive...
* TM Jose liked Canadian bacon while living in the US, which reminded him of one of his cars which had attractive back fenders and repulsive front benders.
* TM Aleta's cats get their ragged nails caught in her shag carpet and demand vacuuming often = the mustache topic reminded her of TM Jim G.
* I, Ana, pondered about the medical uses of lampshades as an instrument of isolation for dogs when licking wounds is not permitted.
Regarding prepared speeches...
* TM Christine gave her speech from a plane seat and recounted when one of the dogs in her care gave birth to 2 puppies in her shag carpet while she was flying back from LA - it turned out the doggy daycare is somewhat of a dog promiscuity center.... She Won Best Speaker Award.
* TM Marie wrote her speech in less than an hour this morning and highlighted the impact that accepting certain invitations has had in her life - Toastmasters, Al-Anon, Centering Prayer.... more will be revealed!
As far as evaluations go...
* TM Aleta thoroughly enjoyed TM Christine's speech and found it very hilarious - so much so that she totally ignored any (superfluous) time constraints while she laughed and laughed and laughed...
* TM BeckyJo praised TM Marie for her superb speech crafted last minute and delivered in such a profound lasting way. She Won Best Evaluator Award.
The Word of the Day was
MOMENTUM, noun
Force that keeps something moving forward, progressing.
Force or speed of a moving object, calculated as mass + velocity.
Example: This morning's meeting gathered momentum once we shifted all the roles around several times.
TM Marie started us with an invocation of gratefulness.
I, Ana, introduced Thanksgiving-related topics. We learned that...
* TM Aleta is grateful for the current local weather and for too many things to list in 2 to 3 minutes with a 30-second deviation only at the end to qualify.
* TM Christina has (2) Thanksgivings, Canada and US, her parents are coming and she's accomplished great things at work this past year.
* TM Pam ran the Marine Corps marathon with an untrained friend and her feet, totally compliant during trials, started to hurt for no good reason. She Won Best Table Topics Award.
* TM BeckyJo would invite Tiny Tim to her Thanksgiving Dinner as he could probably keep the crazies in line.
* Our guest, Naomi, would like to learn the skill of patience in the next year. Go Naomi!
* TM Jose dropped a screwdriver owned by the dockmaster to the bottom of the ocean, who will try to retrieve it with a long line and a magnet attached to it.
* TM Randolph is looking with great hope to take a family trip this coming year, possibly to Orlando but still to be confirmed.
We had (2) outstanding speeches today...
* TM Gail memorialized our recently defunct US penny - although there are still 300 billion of them in circulation, so it will be a while before they disappear and go back to heaven, where they originally came from to be worn in penny loafers. She Won Best Speaker Award.
* TM Marie is setting the groundwork for peaceful holidays by practicing Centering Prayer, using heartfulness vs mindfulness, inhaling acceptance, exhaling surrender and letting go of unpleasant memories with overbearing family members.
Regarding our evaluations..
* TM Christine praised TM Gail's speech for its rich history, Bing Crosby songs, penny earned is a penny saved, lucky pennies, and the rich tapestry of our legendary penny which now costs 3 cents to produce and had to be discontinued. She Won Best Evaluator Award.
* TM BeckyJo admires TM Marie's calm delivery of a speech on serenity and peace, the open loving of God, and for being the essence of calmness herself.
The Word of the Day was
GRATEFUL, adj.
To be pleased about something
Example: I left our EarlyBirds meeting today unexpectedly moved, deeply grateful and with a sense of privilege for having been there.
First-timer TM Veronica led us with an inspiring invocation - go TM Veronica!
TM Aleta presented choices of some of our favorite things ...
* TM Christine got caught dancing in the rain in Poland, where nobody knows her and she did not care what anyone thought of her.
* TM Veronica goes on vacation to tropical places during rainy season - less expensive and less crowded - and she gets caught in the rain quite often. She Won Best Table Topics Award.
* TM Jorge once rode a Tennessee horse which was described as a compliant, obedient horse and turned out to have a will and a gallop of his own!
* TM David was not familiar with schnitzel - although thanks to Mr. Google, we are all now experts in schnitzel - and likes to go swimming in his pool when it's raining. No lightning or thunder, please!
* TM The Tom avoids blue satin sashes lest they get in his eyelashes, so he guesses but no messes with girls in white dresses.
* I, Ana, have not been bitten by a dog - mostly because I avoid them- or stung by a bee although they proliferate in swimming pools in Madrid.
And then came our prepared speeches...
* TM BeckyJo revisited her near-death experience as a passenger in Simonetta's reckless driving to Miami, to Naples and almost to the next world... Ah la bella Italia!!
* TM Marie shared a heart-rendering visual story of Sammy Miami, who lived a privileged life and crossed the rainbow arch leaving loving memories behind. She Won Best Speaker Award.
As far as evaluations go...
* TM Jorge loved TM BeckyJo's speech, her energy, the way she acts her speech and he suggested that next time, she face the camera and her audience. He Won Best Evaluator Award.
* TM The Tom, a cat person himself, was deeply touched by TM Marie's experience parting with a beloved pet.
TM Christina excelled as a first-time Toastmaster - go TM Christina!
The Word of the Day was
CONCILIATORY, adj.
Intended to gain goodwill or favor or to reduce hostility.
Example: It is more conciliatory to catch flies with lemonade than with pure bitter lemons.
TM Aleta inspired us to sing whenever there's a song with a "Just Do It" invocation.
TM Christina brought back childhood memories of fairy tales of yore....
* TM Veronica took the example from The Lion King - has no worries as everything she needs is within her.
* TM The Tom rubbed Aladin's lamp and got his wish that we would all help each other because we learn from challenges.
* TM Gail is looking forward to exploring Japan for the kindness of their people - and she will do it as a brand new Gail!!
* TM David does not emulate Cinderella and all he wants to do is be PRESENT at the stroke of midnight. He Won Best Table Topics Award.
* TM Pam is not a friend of the Evil Disney Rat but she does consult her own conscience, Jiminy Cricket, once in a while.
* TM Aleta loves Belle of Beauty and the Beast fame and recapped all prior Disney tales with astonishing precision.
* TM BeckyJo's favorite Disney job was checking for unwelcome overnighters at Pleasure Island while watching the sunset surrounded by peacocks.
Along came prepared speeches...
* TM Marie shared her memories of Mimi, her maternal grandma, who worked in a factory as a child in Europe and taught Marie to get up and get going for the day. She Won Best Speaker Award.
* TM The Tom described the amazing technology of fountain pens from the Waterman Ink Co. in NY which is today located in France. He's a fan of handwritten fountain pen notes and many deeply appreciate it!
As far as evaluations are concerned...
* TM Pam praised TM Marie's recollections of "Foundations at Five" and encouraged her to reposition her camera to eliminate the distracting vertical line in the background.
* TM Aleta enjoyed TM The Tom's speech about the olden days of fountain pens and also advised him to reposition his camera to facilitate viewing his product exhibits. She Won Best Evaluator Award.
The Word of the Day was
DELICIOUS, adj.
Highly pleasant to the taste; delightful
Example: Life sometimes offers delicious ironies for us to ponder.
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!
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.
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.
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.
TM Chris, shaker and mover, got us moving in various directions. We found out that...
* TM Terri does not have moving in her genes but treasures her childhood pictures which miraculously made it out of Hersheytown, Cuba.
* TM Aleta's longest moves were back and forth between Pennsylvania and Florida, with lots of uncluttering along the way.
* TM Cory's shortest move was at age 20 when he moved 2 blocks from his Mom who visited every day, till he springboarded to Portland, Oregon.
* TM Paolo just went through a harrowing transatlantic flight with 6 bambini in tow so he wants to stay put for a while.
* Guest Jean's easiest move was from Europe to Florida. His father helped and besides, he had beaucoup des francs a depenser (translation: quite a bunch of French francs to convert to dollars).
* I, Ana, do NOT like to move - miscellaneous objects live in perpetuity in my home so the Gulds are bringing their rnadoms and extras over. I Won Best Table Topics Award.
Then came the outstanding prepared speeches...
* TM Jose took us on a scintillating trip aided by seamless visual/audio aids to Krung Thep Maha Nakhon (coloquially known as Thailand) and a few of the islands they visited - they had 1400 to choose from, as well as near-passing trains. TM Jose and the entire Club is planning to visit the Gulds' Cruise in Phuket in November 2026. Jose won Best Speaker Award.
* TM Marie expertly showed us ways to turn our energy from negative to positive, ignore the external narcissism and find the silver lining in every storm cloud.
Regarding the evaluations...
* The Tom Quinn praised TM Jose's presentation skills as simply magic. He wants MORE, MORE, MORE! He Won Best Evaluator Award.
* First-time Evaluator TM Cory admired TM Marie's self-confidence, great energy, audience engagement and the ability to pose serious questions in a very gentle tone. Great job, Cory!
ALERT FOR TM BECKYJO: The Oxford Dictionary has officially recognized -and listed- the formerly slangy GONNA.
The Word of the Day was
SCINTILLA, noun
Very small amount of something
Spark, flash
Example: EarlyBirds has way more than a scintilla of humor and joy to start us right on any given Thursday morning.
