Tower Toasters Newsletter Feb. 2010

Tower Toasters Newsletter

January 2010- April –2010  Issue 8

Members of Tower Toasters Take the Lead at the Eastern Division Contest

Events: • Our meetings are every 2nd and

4th Tuesday @ 12 Noon, 4th floor of Dominion Tower 999 Waterside Drive Norfolk, VA 23453

Spring Contests 2010 Club Level – March 9th Area Level – March 16th Division – April 10th

District Conference – May 14 & 15 in Virginia Beach “Beginners or veterans there is something for you

Go to our website at www.towertoasters.org for more details on upcoming events. .

The Eastern Division Contest was an impressive event held at the? Theater in Norfolk. All contestants had a chance to perform on stage and our fellow members, John McCarthy and Ryan gave an outstanding performance.

Ryan won 1st place and John won? Where both of them moved up to compete on the next level at the District Conference in Richmond.

Meet District & Other Club Officers

In picture above are? John McCarthy, Ryan, John Harmon (position) Tim Williams (Eastern Division Governor) Paul Teakettle? (Area Governor and Contest Master)

Members Gather at Max and Erma’s for a Speech Marathon.

Our Club members quite the social butterflies, 3rd from left: John McCarthy & Regina Raimona, extreme right, representing Tower Toasters.

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Learn/expand knowledge on your Club Officer position.

Share experiences/ask advice/enjoys the experience.

Discuss Strategies for encouraging/growing membership.

Earn points for the club in the Distinguished Club Program.

Member Spot Light What I Learned From Competing, And You Should Too!

By John McCarthy, AL-B, AC-S.

I’m not a particularly competitive person, so friends were probably surprised that I entered a speech competition.

The quality of the competition was excellent. Any of the six speakers could have been called forward for a trophy.

What did surprise me was what I learned from competing in a speech competition.

The big lesson I learned came from breaking the club meeting/speaking routine. I learn from the evaluations, and respond to the support of club members. My problem is, I match my effort to what’s required. It’s not that I don’t want to grow, to do my best and inform and entertain my fellow club members (I do! I do!), but the odds are excellent that I will never deliver this speech again.. I’m one step closer to my Advanced Communicator-Gold. I will revisit the evaluation, to see how I can improve my next speech, but I will not revisit that speech.

The competition gave me a whole new understanding of giving a speech. What’s new and different?

1) Its game time. I think of my speeches in the club as practice drills. The competition is game time. Lots of good things happen in practice, and I can try things I can’t in a game, but practice time is supposed to lead to the game. For me, that is the competition. Other members probably already have a game time situation outside of Toastmasters. If not, this is a good way to get in the game.

2) Speeches are not one shot deals. This was the first time that I have had a chance in Toastmasters to give a speech more than once. I was able to improve the speech between events. Each opportunity to give the speech again meant I had a greater investment in the speech, and the speech could mature.

3) Its different. Although many members join Toastmasters with another speaking outlet, for many of us, Toastmasters is our public speaking opportunity. However, the club experience becomes familiar. Contests are one way to break out of the comfort zone. The different spaces and different audiences forced me to adjust elements of the speech to work in the new space with the new audience.

4) There’s pushing. Evaluations are an excellent evaluation tool. However, they examine only certain criteria, and objectives. Most evaluators will include your objectives if you ask, but the evaluation considers a specific, limited skill set. In the contest, the speaker is measured against a certain set of objective standards that encompass all elements of a speech. I was pushed to have the speech meet the standard. At the same time, the other contestants push. They speak well, I speak better. There’s a higher level for all of us.

5) “Practice.” I admit it, I don’t practice speeches. I spend time developing a speech, trying out ideas, but speaking to family or friends or co-workers or even a mirror just does not happen.

However, I rehearsed this speech, or more accurately lived with it. I tried to recite the speech at least once every other day, and recorded it so I could listen to it in the car. Living with the speech for four months allowed me to be more comfortable delivering it. Now I have to figure out ways to live longer with a speech, even if it’s a “delivered one time only” practice speech. .

Being able to develop a speech in this fashion is an experience that all Toastmasters should have. There are other ways of gaining this knowledge and experience, but the contest was the best way for me. It can work for you, too!

John is one of the charter members and mentor for Tower Toasters. He represented the Virginia Beach Human Services Club in the Fall Humorous Speech Competition in District 66.

Tower Toasters, Club 1002826

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Suggestion Box: If you have any information that you would like to see featured in our next Newsletter, please contact…

Geri Collins @ (757) 640Area 11 welcomes all 9466 or Email: “Eager Speakers” and

Divawpgc@yahoo.com other Toastmasters with a New Year’s resolution to improve their Come join us at our next speaking, listening, meeting; where evaluating and preparation leadershipwill skillsmeet to participate in a opportunity.

See WINTER SPEAK-A-THON upcoming meeting details Please callat on our website Area 11 Governor www.towertoasters.org Tabetha Bolton at 629-2427

Meetings are held in Dominion Tower on the 4th floor.

999 Waterside Drive 4th Floor Norfolk, VA 23517

Parking will be validated for guests and members at the meeting.

Published By: Geri Collins Editor: Camille Coffey

Tower Tower Toasters, Toasters, Club Club 1002826 1002826

Distinguished Club Program Tower Toasters has developed a Distinguished Club Plan for Toastmasters 2009-2010 that was started in July.

1. Since the club chartered in July 2007 we have been awarded Select Distinguished consecutively for the last 2 years; do you know how you can help?

2. One AC Bronze, Silver or Gold (You achieve this after you complete your Competent Communicator and we have a few leads for this, could this be you?)

3. One more AC Bronze, Silver or Gold (We have someone on track for this, do you know who it is?)

4. One CL, AL Bronze, AL Silver or DTM (These goals are from the Competent Leadership Track, are you bringing your manual to every meeting?)

5. One more CL, AL Bronze, AL Silver or DTM (We have someone work ing on this, do you that could be, you?)

6. Four new members (We have accomplished this and thank our new members for joining our team.)

7. Four more new members (We need a few more members, invite someone you know to join us at an upcoming meeting and let them know what we have to offer.)

8. Minimum of four club officers trained during each of two training periods (We have accomplished this goal.

9. Membership Renewal Report and Club officer list submitted on time! (Our renewal report and officer list was submitted on time for last season, we need everyone to pay their renewals on time to gain this goal in the month of March.)

When we have completed 5 Goals we will be awarded as a Distinguished Club. When 7 Goals are achieved we are recognized as a Select Distinguished Club and 9 Goals is what we strive to be… as a President’s Distinguished Club!

A SPECIAL THANKS For Your Support To The Dominion Tower Staff Bank of Hampton Roads Norfolk Red Cross CDE Team And Crema Cafe

Red Cross Seeks Help from Toastmasters Any Toastmaster interested in becoming a presenter to educate the Community on how to prepare for disasters in Hampton Roads, contact Louise McCarthy at mccarthyl@seva-redcross.org

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Suggestion Box: If you have any information that you would like to see featured in our next Newsletter, please contact…

Geri Collins @ (757) 640-9466 or Email: Divawpgc@yahoo.com

Come join us at our next meeting; where preparation will meet opportunity. See upcoming meeting details on our website at www.towertoasters.o rg

Happy New Year from Tower Toasters!

The New Year is full of new opportunities, resolutions and new goals. Many people are reflecting on their goals from last year and creating new ones for this year. Do you know anyone working on developing their speaking or leadership skills? Do you know how valuable it is to give an effective evaluation for business professionals?

Would it benefit anyone you know to enhance their skills to effectively communicate to family members and friends? Could you imagine attending a business conference or social event and never worry again about what you would say? Learn to communicate with anyone and develop your skills with Tower Toasters, share the experience with others and tell them about our club.

For any friends or coworkers interested in joining Tower Toasters in the month of February the cost for 1 year is less than a 1 Day Seminar for most speaking or leadership seminars.. This entitles them to training manuals, the Toastmasters International monthly magazine filled with tips and articles on speaking and leadership skills, regular meetings to attend and learn new skills and practice them, training events, contests, and speech marathons. However a Tower Toasters membership is for a year and offers much more. For more information on Toastmasters, check out our website at www.towertoasters.org, attend a meeting as our guest. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Jeff Anderson’s DTM ceremony, where he received his Distinguished Toastmaster Award, he’s accompanied by good friend and fellow Toastmaster, Dick Biondo.

Meetings are held in Dominion Tower on the 4th floor.

(Check our website for updates and changes.)

999 Waterside Drive 4th Floor Norfolk, VA 23517

Published By: Geri Collins Editor: A’Daye Foster

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Regina Raimona (Past Area 26 Governor from 2008 – 2009) and Shavon Arline, a professional speaker & co-authored of a book entitled the Queens Legacy a journey of the trials and triumph of phenomenal women released in April 2009.

Up-coming Speech Marathon Location: Max and Erma’s on Military Highway (tentative locations) Speech Marathons are events that give us more speaking opportunities and allow advanced speakers to give longer speeches from advanced manuals. This is a great networking opportunity as well as an opportunity to get to know your fellow Toastmasters members in a more relaxed environment that isn’t rushed to fit an entire agenda in 1 hour. Please contact Regina if you are able to attend the Speech Marathon and /or if you plan on making a speech. Guests are welcome to attend this event as well. RSVP needed by 2/19/2010.

Regina Raimona/Tower Toasters, VPE Tel: 757.636-0264, Email: regina@ballroomva.net