We started one minute late and ended a few minutes early.

We had 17 attendees including 3 guests (Javed, Danny and Brook (Dan’s daughter). Danny officially joined after the meeting. We will vote him into the club on 9/9.

Scott opened the meeting by reminding all members to update their bios on the website. Traci will pull those bios as content for a working document to have on hand at our meetings. This will make for smoother transitions when the Toastmaster is introduced. We can also use this document if a prepared speaker does not provide a speech introduction.

We will be hosting our humorous speech and evaluation contest on 9/16. Traci will be chairing the event. She will send out an email looking for volunteers and participants.

Speech contests are a great way to hone your skills. If you advance, you’ll get to speak in front of new and bigger audiences. Also, there is an interview portion where you can practice your impromptu skills. If you are on the fence about participating, GO FOR IT!

Scott’s speaking tip of the week was about Callbacks. He wrote a post on Callbacks here. Basically, a callback is a comedy technique when a theme or topic from earlier is referenced again later in the set.

Rupali Sharma was our Toastmaster for the evening with a theme of “Letting Go.”

Her tips included:

  • Don’t expect too much from others or invest in the outcome
  • “Don’t live in chains when you have a key.”
  • Don’t let others hold you back – Always take the chance!
  • Always leave room for mistakes
  • Learn to forgive

Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony. – Mahatma Gandhi

Other Highlights from the meeting:

John offered a longer joke for the group and landed it nicely!

Tom’s word of the day was ‘Caveat.’ It was used 6 times.

Angela was watching for grammar – she loved George’s use of visceral and coerce.

Mandeep was our ah/um counter – lots of ums!

We had 2 great speeches:

  • Sunny gave a speech on leadership. She referenced leadership styles throughout the management hierarchy as well as outside of work. Think about how cultivating your leadership can also benefit your personal relationships.
  • George gave his icebreaker speech. He focused on how change can be hard to accept. He joined Toastmasters to change his ability to persuade people with his speaking. He even managed to include the Word of the Day.

Our evaluators highlighted:

  • Careful when holding a pen or marker – fidgeting with it can be distracting to your audience.
  • Move with purpose around the entire stage and speak to each area by pausing in various locations. Be mindful of pacing.

Tom led table topics with a theme of gaffes. A gaffe is a mistake that embarrasses you in front of others.

  • Praveen kicked it off with a story about joking on the phone growing up.
  • Traci told a story about lunch with a professor when she talked about the 69ers but she meant the Philadelphia 76ers.
  • Danny told a funny story about being mistaken for his twin brother.
  • Javed told a story about a time when he struggled to say the word Asperger’s.
  • John told a Seinfeld story, referencing the Jerk Store episode. (no doubt John thought of a better answer on the drive home!) You have to watch these 2 minute clips:

Javed won Table topics, George took home Best Speaker and Sarah Best Evaluator.

No meeting next week 9/2 in observance of Labor Day.

Praveen is Toastmaster on 9/9 so you know it will be a fun meeting.