12 Members in attendance and 1 Guest, Polett.

Scott reminded the group that the area humorous speaking contest will be October 18th at 6 PM at Concord Fire Station #9, 1020 Ivey Cline Rd., Concord, NC 28027. 8 clubs will be represented in the competition. Go support John and Nicole and let Scott know if you can help as a Timer, Judge, or Ballot Counter.

John reiterated to check with your employer for reimbursement of your Toastmasters membership. He just found out his employer will cover his!

Scott’s speaking tip of the week was that you can find a topic in every day life and turn it into an entertaining speech. He referenced a speech he heard at Kenton Place Toastmasters. A member gave a speech entitled “My Dirty Little Secret” which was about how to clean your dishwasher! It was an awesome speech filled with humor and practical takeaways.

Word of the day: Speculate – form a theory or ideas about a subject without firm evidence. It was used 6 times.

Praveen opened with some jokes about public speaking.

Nadine talked about the anatomy of a great speech. It’s very simple, but it’s not easy. Here are some of her tips:

  • Introduction needs a strong hook to capture the audience’s attention.
  • Don’t memorize your whole speech. Tell a story.
    • First tell your audience what you’re going to tell them
    • Then, dive into the main content but keep it simple.
    • For the topics, it’s great to include a personal story (something funny or embarrassing is always great).
    • Your story should be under 3 minutes. You can tell a number of stories in a speech, but each one needs to be 1-3 minutes.
    • Keep your entire speech simple. Focus on only one message.
  • Memorize your conclusion and hit them with a strong last sentence.

“Don’t just tell them what you want them to know, take them on a journey.” – John Maxwell

Nadine encouraged the group to watch Toastmasters International Championship speeches on YouTube. The 2014 winner was one of her favorites – see if you can spot the hook!

Tony gave a heartfelt, informative speech entitled “Grandpa’s Risotto”. Ironically it aligned with Scott’s speaking tip. Who knew learning about risotto could be so entertaining! Here are some tips for you chefs:

  • Use arborio rice and a broth, like chicken.
  • 3 cloves of garlic – no more!
  • Toast the rice with the garlic
  • Spoon warm broth in and slowly stir
  • Remove from heat when al dente
  • Stir in veggies or meat
  • Should take about 25 minutes and drink wine while cooking!

In his evaluation, Jerome highlighted how the sentimental aspect of Tony’s speech helped the audience connect emotionally. He also encouraged Tony to “Be Tony”.

Scott led Table Topics. He had participants use sayings from fortune cookies as themes for their speech.

  • Praveen’s cookie said “a pleasant surprise is waiting for you.” He told us that his surprises are coming in the form of Amazon boxes lately.
  • John’s cookie said “curiosity kills boredom, nothing can kill curiosity.” His story was about how his 2 year old son’s curiosity gets him into precarious situations.
  • Bruce’s cookie said “do not be intimidated by the eloquence of others.”  Bruce talked about comparing himself to others and how rather than get jealous, he tries to admire.
  • Sunny’s cookie said “a fresh start will put you on your way.”  She talked about how switching tasks make her feel refreshed. Whether it’s dancing, singing, cooking, paddle-boarding, etc… it makes the mundane work feel like a new task.
  • Robert’s was “a truly rich life contains love and art in abundance”. He let the group know that you never know the impact you have on other people. He and his wife have “adopted” some very special people that have filled his life with love and art.
  • Polett’s quote was that “a smile is your personal welcome mat.”  She talked about how when she moved to the U.S. from Hungary everyone was always smiling and she felt so welcomed. Especially in the South, in the North, not so much!
  • Danny’s was “advice is like kissing, it costs nothing and is a pleasant thing to do.” He explained how the advice he gives his daughters is different for each.
  • Enyonam’s cookie read: “carve your name on your heart and not on marble.” She used it as an opportunity to talk about her name and her son’s name. Specifically how her son was given a nickname that he didn’t like… but she encouraged him to stand strong and correct people in the future.

As grammarian, Danny called out some unique phrases he heard throughout the meeting.

Robert said the group did a nice job with filler words. About 25 total. In his intro, he joked how he finds himself counting his own ahs & ums while in everyday conversation. This is a common phenomena!

Angela was general evaluator. She reminded everyone to silence their cell phones and also sign up for roles!

Enyonam won Table Topics

Dues are due on October 1st. Please pay them before then!