A Special Meeting 1*T

DG Dave Meeks, DTM

Have you ever analyzed the members of your club? Do you know what motivated them to join? Was i t self improvement? Was i t because they like to speak in public? Was it a speech impediment? A foreign accent? Di d it ever occur to you that by analyzing your clues as to where to look for new members? There are people out there in the world who have the same reasons and motivations for joining Toastmasters as your present members You run into them every day

Have a special meeting Have every member review wit h the club wh y he joined You'd be surprised at the diversity of reasons Each of you take the information and keep it in the back of your mind. When you meet someone who meets the criteria, give him a pitch for Toastmasters He is a prime candidate and chances are he wil l join

As you know, facts gain strength through good solid examples; so, let's take a look at a success story A prominent Tampa Toastmaster was starting a new club. He recognized that Tampa had a large population wit h a foreign tongue as its first language He invited ten of his acquaintances of that nationality to a meeting and six of them joined the club providing the required twenty members and enough to charter .Space precludes more success stories, but if you try it, you wil l increase membership and improve your club

D G David Meeks, DT M

If You Want To Know

Q — How do I get DCP questions answered? A — Write or call: Richard B Battin, 305/452-3854, home; or 305/8677283, work; 1555 Saturn Street, Merritt Island, Florida 32952 You wil l get an answer in a reasonable time, and the SUNSHINE R wil l publish them too

May We Assume?

What Is TM All About?

LGA George Veltman, DTM

The past few months have been busy ones for district officers fulfilling their obligations to Tl As one sees the picture put together, i t all fits like a jigsaw puzzle Just like any puzzle, we find some of the pieces are not fitting into the place we all thought they would Several Area Governors have given second thoughts to their jobs, and they asked to be replaced

Our district has set goals, and i t is my job to keep check to see if we are reaching these goals. The only way I have of gathering my information is from the Area Governors reports Wit h no reports from some areas, I end up wit h an inaccurate and incomplete total for the District This is my way of knowing if each area is doing its part Wit h no reports from almost 50% of the areas the first month I must only assume they have been so busy working for Toastmasters that they haven't had time to report. Fear not Area Governors . . . take another look at your report form Very little time is needed to complete it I t is of vital importance that I receive these reports on time!

Each A G has as his or her duty to act as a communication link between the clubs and the District Remember, we are i n Toastmasters to work at communication I f I were to assume all is well in the District, I might be very dissapointed i n a few months Please relieve my frustration and fill i n that single 8)2 x 11 page you have been given I f you have done the work, you deserve the credit Let's continue to function as a President's Distinguished District should

LG A George Veltman, DT M

Bob Gelfand, DTM

Recently a guest attended my home club, Hollywood No 3370, and before anyone cculd ask him for comments, he raised his hand and said, "Wha t is Toastmasters all about? — is i t possible for me to get up there and speak; do you people have special training?" Everyone wanted to explain that we are ordinary people from all walks of life The following is a compilation of the remarks I heard

We emphasized that wit h little effort and practice everyone can learn to speak better than he does now Everyone can learn to speak well He can learn to speak wit h greater confidence A person who now speaks effectively undoubtedly does so because he makes a thoughtful effort to prepare himself for the presentation of his ideas He believes i n his ideas and thus speaks wit h sincerity and conviction His speech in a sense reflects his knowledge his breadth of understanding, his convictions, his objectives, and even his personality A person's speech reveals many of the qualities by which you evaluate him

If a person speaks well, he makes his ideas clear to others His listeners have something better than a fuzzy concept of his ideas His remarks are clear and to the point They cover the subject thoroughly, but are not so long as to bore the listener

A person who speaks well must think through his subject from his introductory comments to his conclusion Speaking well is not merely a matter of speaking words well and speaking clearly Good ideas are imperative in a speech To organize his material the speaker must use his mind: one cannot organize thoughts if he is ignorant of the subject or is not fully informed

The possession of knowledge of a subject gives a speaker greater assurance and lessens the fear a person may have

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What Is TM All About?

(Continued from Page 4) when he speaks A man is not likely to be frightened when he speaks if he knows that he comes to his speaking assignment thoroughly informed The person who prepares, who knows his subject, soon acquires a reputation for his knowledge. Being known as a wellinformed person in one's field is an invaluable asset

Having mastered the subject, a speaker must organize his remarks logically and systematically His ideas and his arguments must flow in logical order, so that the audience accepts his reasoning step-by-step

If you become a competent speaker, it is much easier to lead others to accept your ideas This competence is helpful not only in public speaking, but even i n committee meetings where ideas are discussed informally and in sales talks to individual customers and prospects

The person who earnestly seeks through preparation to speak well wil l find a gratifying increase i n his own confidence He wil l almost inevitably be asked to present ideas because he does it well He wil l have more influence among his own associates in his daily work As he is chosen to present ideas in committees and conferences, he begins to be recognized not only for his knowledge, but for his ability to organize his thoughts and to present them effectively

When a person becomes aware of his increasing confidence in himself, he wil l seek even more to expand his ability to present ideas i n conversation and i n formal speeches He wil l add to his knowledge i n order to be better informed He wil l work to improve his vocabulary

We emphasize that everyone can speak well, and wil l find i t to his great advantage to do so

Our guest asked so many questions and was amazed at the facility wit h which he was answered by our club members Perhaps you have also encountered such questions

For this reason, I have departed from the news of the Southern Division this month I felt i t was pertinent to impart this information to the entire district Maybe one day you may also be asked, "What is Toastmasters all about?"

LGS D Bob Gelfand, DT M

Words From The West

"Even the wise man makes mistakes but only the fool does not profit by them." Rubiyat

Now that the "summer doldrums" and vacations are behind us, Toastmastering in the West is once more in full swing. October is Toastmasters month and an excellent time to begin a membership campaign

Before you begin, look closely at your club and be sure that you are having meetings that are of the type that wil l interest a guest in belonging to your group I f you are providing the club membership wit h organized business meetings, stimulating table topics and speeches, then and only then can you expect a guest to be interested enough to come back and to want to join Only if we have interesting and varied meetings can we even expect the members that are now active to remain International provides all the information we need to make our meetings what they should be — but only the members can make i t happen

"Patterns in Programming" is but one of the publications from which ideas can be obtained I f your club does not have this booklet, order it I f i t does have one buy i t to stimulate your programs The A VP of the club has the responsibility for recruiting members,

LGED Report

LGWD Dick Wood, DTM but, not only wil l guests be discouraged but the present membership wil l be i n jeopardy

Membership problems wil l always be wit h us Al l we can hope to do is minimize them There must exist some affirmative action planning for constant membership recruiting i n order to account for normal attrition; and, certainly action must be taken if the club is ever to approach that magic number of 40 Publicity is a must — and if the club can start a speechcraft, youth leadership or Patrick Henry program, these should provide leads for potential members Al l of us come into contact from time to time wit h someone who needs what Toastmasters can so uniquely provide Wor d of mouth is still one of the best forms of advertising Wear your Toastmaster pi n and spread the "gospel" wherever and whenever you can You may be surprised how many wil l be interested when they find out what Toastmastering really is

LGW D Dick Wood, DT M

Each club has a personality: as much as each member Sometimes a member will transfer from one club to another because he feels more comfortable in another group This can be good or i t can be bad if i t is your members that are transferring out all of the time

At Chuck Taylor's training session Carl Franzen from the Calliope Club of Orlando enlightened officers of Area 21 , and the Lieutenant Governor of the Eastern Divis'on to the plight of the troubled club When the small membership becomes a group of good old buddies, trouble often ensues I n the clubs like these, one good old buddy would make a good old speech to the other eight or nine good old members They neither wanted or needed new members to evaluate them or to break into their good old ideas

If it is your members that are transferring, look at the Carl Franzen theory, and see if your club has become loaded with G.O.B.'s (good old buddies) To prevent the buddy club, welcome your guests First, welcome new ideas A body of still water only stagnates and dies Second, make each of your programs interesting enough that they want to come back to your club Third, keep the meetings to a reasonable length Remember that it is better to finish early than late A bored guest wil l not return, but one wishing to hear more will be back

Let's ri d the Eastern Division of G.O.B clubs

The Toastmaster Villain Or Hero?

Of all the roles I have seen or had the pleasure of filling as a Toastmaster I can think of none so keenly subject to extremes of judgement as that of Toastmaster for the meeting Recall wit h me the times you have been disgusted (and let i t be known) wit h an unprepared Toastmaster who substituted competent Toastmastering wit h a flurry of bad jokes Consider the extreme scrutiny Banquet Toastmasters undergo at District functions by remembering the mumbles, both pro and con, you have heard at these affairs Then turn your thoughts to the times you have left a top-flight meeting regretting having failed to have guests present Let your thoughts go back to the orderly, enthusiastic, and enjoyable efforts you have seen performed by some Toastmasters

What's the difference? Both good and bad presented necessary introductions and dispensed wit h pertinent matter Some were villains, though; while others heroically conquered the tasks before them

As you consider your own future approaches to the position of Toastmaster, may I make some simple suggestions?

One obvious necessity is diligent preparation As much as a week i n advance of the meeting you should call all who are scheduled to actively participate and confirm their intentions Make needed adjustments well before the meeting Obtain from speakers the title, time, and manual assignment number of their speeches Study the purpose of each speech and supplement this wit h any other pertinent comments the speaker may have to offer on the project I f a theme for the meeting is to be followed, be sure the speakers as well as Topics Master are planning accordingly

When the program is sure and the information is complete, sit down and carefully plan your comments The presence of a theme should see you gather humorous quips or thought-provoking quotes that are in keeping wit h the theme When there is not a theme you could select interesting and brief comments about each portion of the meeting For example, i n introducing the Master Evaluator and i n following up on his portion of the program, you may select some thoughts on effective evaluation, a joke about criticism, etc (Topically arranged speaker aid books, such as you are likely familiar with , are available and are invaluable i n this regard.) Introduction of the Topics Master could be similarly handled, remembering i n both cases the sound principles on good taste in introduction of an individual of which we should always be cognizant

Speaker introductions must supply listeners wit h the title, time, and purpose of the speech I f you have done your homework, though, a simple statement about the speaker's thoughts on the project or his personal concerns as well as a clear explanation of purpose could truly enhance an otherwise lackluster introduction These points i n no way means a license to rob the speaker of his thunder Be clear and brief and i n good taste

Close the meeting by tying together the strands you have presented A good quotation on the theme, a catchy general comment about speakers and speaking, or a quick joke directed at yourself would suffice Leave them thinking, or "leave 'em laughin' " but leave them content wit h the meeting and happy that they came

Simple suggestions? I said they would be Beyond this I can only remind you to be on your toes at the function, alert to time and to comments that could be capitalized on Don't steal the show wit h self esteeming soliloquy Remember, there seems to be no middle ground You'll be villain or hero . . . the choice is yours

Sonny Dixon

Toastmasters' Common Denominator

Although one of the fundamental concepts of Toastmasters, constructive speech evaluation is too often misunderstood Many Toastmasters have a misunderstanding of the real meaning of evaluation. Some think evaluation is uncomplimentary Constructive speech evaluation is Toastmasters' common denominator!

When we evaluate, we are a critic. The word critic is a Greek word meaning "one who is able to form wise judgements." Webster's Dictionary defines criticism as an appreciation, the purpose of improvement, or a recognition of merit When we understand that evaluation is an appraisal, recognizing both the good and bad, and offering constructive suggestions, we are ready to evaluate the speeches to which we listen The first question is, for what does an evaluator listen?

As an evaluator, your goal is to provide an honest reaction to the speaker's presentation, in a constructive manner You are to give your reaction to the material presented — its content, organization, and delivery — and offer suggestions as to how the speaker might improve his method of getting the message to the audience Now, let's look closely at the presentation

Imagine you are attending a big league baseball game The pitcher has the ball in hand He winds up, summons all his force and skill — and delivers the ball! As he puts force and direction into his delivery, he is successful

Like in baseball, i n speaking, delivery is a most important concern What is involved in delivery?

The first thing that impresses the audience is the personality of the speaker His posture, dress, and his whole appearance must be considered as part of his speech

The voice is the vehicle by which delivery is made Thus, pitch, inflections, and tone quality are important Gestures or the lack of them — are a part of the delivery I n summary, it is apparent that one talks with one's whole being.

As an evaluator, we listen for the speech's structure Thus, we can get ful l appreciation of the content and have a method for remembering it I n speech structure, the evaluator must first listen for the purpose of the speech The purpose of a speech is a concise statement of what the speaker intends to say I t is at this time that we hope to identify the speaker's purpose and what ground he hopes to cover I n speech structure, the next part is the body — the part which makes it all worthwhile The body of the speech must be: logical in arrangement, clear in presentation, well phrased, illustrated wit h appropriate examples, and so designed as to carry the audience straight through from start to finish

The final part of speech construction is the closing or conclusion. As an evaluator, your two-fold responsibility is to: appraise the appeal in view of the materials presented, and to schedule a time of reflection on the proposition you heard

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