Traci served as Toastmaster to a Valentine’s Day theme. There were 11 Members and 2 Guests (Steve and Rich) in attendance.

Scott announced these upcoming dates to mark on your calendar:

  • No meeting 2/17
  • Club Speech / Table Topics Contest 3/2
  • Area Speech Contest at Concord Fire Station 3/6
  • Open House 3/23

If you want to compete in the Speech or Table Topics Contest you have to notify Scott before 2/24. Bruce has already committed to competing in both. If no one else wants to compete then we will just send Bruce to the Area Contest as our Club Representative.

Robert has agreed to take over as Seargent at Arms. Please help set up and put the room back together.

New agendas are live on the website through the end of March. Feel free to sign up for a role or speech week’s in advance.

Scott’s speaking tip referenced Lebron James’s speech as part of the Lakers tribute to Kobe Bryant. He praised Lebron’s decision to speak from his heart instead of reading from a prepared speech. Scott suggested that it’s still a good idea to write down some ideas ahead of time to organize your thoughts. You can see Lebron’s full speech here:

Bruce also gave a great speaking tip via his Jokemaster role. Jerome had actually shared the technique with him a while back. Do you ever feel nervous while on stage? Try this next time that feeling comes upon you. SQUEEZE YOUR BUTT CHEECKS! Yes, you read that correctly. Squeezing those babies releases tension and increases blood flow which gets you back into that peak perfomance state. The best part, no one can tell you are doing it!

The word of the day had an appropriate Valentine’s Day alignment – “Embrace”. 9 of the 13 attendees managed to incorporate it into their speaking opportunity.

Traci shared several interesting facts about the origin of Valentine’s Day and some traditions associated with the celebration.

  • There were 3 Saints by the name of Valentine and it’s debatable as to which of the three the Day we celebrate is attributed to. You can read more here.
  • 36 million heart shaped boxes of chocolate are purchased for the Day
  • It’s the 2nd largest card giving day
  • “Wear your heart on your sleeve” has an interesting backstory
  • Men spend more money than women on average for their sweetheart

Sarah gave a heartfelt rehearsal eulogy for her uncle. She said her uncle gave her the difficult task of making the audience smile during a time of mourning. She said he advocated maintaining a positive attitude through the ups and downs of life.

Praveen highlighted the personal anecdotes and encouraged Sarah to hold eye contact a hair longer.

George brought personal profiles from online dating sites as the inspiration for Table Topics. The participants were tasked with explaining why that person was the right match for their single friend. Let’s just say that some of the profiles were more colorful than others and time allowed for everyone to give their matchmaker pitch. Scott took home the top prize while finding the perfect girl for George!

Angela will serve as Toastmaster next week. Please sign up for a role if you will be in attendance. It makes the meeting run smoother and only takes a moment.