How much did Santa’s sleigh cost? Nothing, it was on the house!

Nicole served as Toastmaster to a Christmas theme. It was a lighter attendance than usual with 8 Members and 1 Guest. Mitra returned from a long absence and our newest Member Maarten brought his wife, Thalita. We started a couple minutes late and ended 25 minutes early.

The WOD was “Exuberant”. It is an adjective that means filled with or characterized by a lively energy and excitement.

Scott pulled inspiration from the winter solstice for his speaking tip. Solstice comes from Latin, “Sol” – Sun, and “Sistere” – To stand still. So from the Earth’s vantage point, the Sun appears to stand still for three days during the winter solstice. This got him thinking about the waxing and waning of the Moon from the Earth’s view as well. The changing of the Moon’s shape symbolizes the changes in how we feel on a day to day basis. Some days we are exuberant, other days we are unmotivated. He encouraged the audience to apply this principle to public speaking in two ways:

  1. Some days you will be more motivated than others to attend Toastmasters to develop your public speaking and leadership skills.
  2. Some days you will feel confident on stage while others you may feel nervous. Or, some days you will crush it while others you may flop.

Scott then concluded that by becoming more aware of the changing levels of how you feel, you can become less attached to the highs and lows. This will help you stay the course in achieving your goal.

Nicole shared some interesting Christmas facts including: 1/3 of men wait until Christmas Eve to do their shopping and two days before Christmas is the busiest shopping day.

Maarten gave his Icebreaker and set an incredibly high standard for himself. He spoke to how his fascination with airplanes as a child propelled him in staying out of trouble, getting good grades and obtaining his pilot’s license by age 19. He inspired the audience and suggested the experiences along the path to his accomplishment were as rewarding as the goal itself.

The Journey is essential to the dream. – St Francis Assisi

Mitra returned from a long absence and recalled some prior advice by Scott: “Don’t let the size of the audience allow you to be any less great”. After Maarten’s speech, Mitra highlighted his speeches structure, enthusiasm and gestures.

In keeping with the Christmas theme, Scott borrowed Sunny’s leftover Table Topics questions from last week. Geoff took home top prize speaking about his favorite Christmas cookie.

We are NOT meeting next week, 12/30.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!