November 17, 2008 Minutes

From Austin Toastmasters (Balcones, Club #3407)

Anne Child, Toastmaster of the meeting, chose sending and receiving flowers as the theme.

• Guoen Wang opened with Prayer and Pledge.
• Pace Smith timed us carefully and presented the results.
• Jane Sanford, Grammarian, picked “resplendent” (bright, shining, splendid) as the word of the day. She gave such a complete report there is no way I could do it justice in these minutes.
• Dan Naden was One Minute Toastmaster. He used a story of needing a guide as he navigated white water rapids to make some point about using speaking skills to navigate the turbulence of life.

Fred Maynard asked questions of flowers and gifts as Table Topic Master

• Charlie Cole always is big about giving flowers on Valentines Day. He tries to be creative in his selections.
• Jim Comer – Best Table Topic – Jim loves to give azaleas to his mother because it is one thing that connects the two of them to days in Atlanta.
• Mary Buker received a unique Valentines Day gift of red barbeque chicken and hand drawn flowers from her husband.
• Cathy Lovelady gave a beautiful glass vase as a gift once, only to find out it was really a bong.
• Guoen Wang traditionally received new clothes for New Years in China. Noodles have special significance at a gift of longevity for birthdays.

Megan Morris – ice breaker II – “Megan M.” – She doesn’t really like to talk about herself but rather her projects. She feels they define her now. She discovered her design projects can be her contribution that changes the world. She grew up in Ohio and Pennsylvania where she drew in her notebooks. She sings opera and folk music, including Welsh folk music. Her projects are a combination of web work and marketing.. Check out her blog at worldmegan.net.

Steve Gonzales – Best Speaker – Most Improved – “Shirk or Serve?” – 10th CC speech – Steve impressed us with a dramatic story of the initial vetting of the jury process where the judge billowed in and asked those who wanted to shirk their duty to stand up. Then said “just kidding.” He was chosen to serve on an emotional child molestation case. With descriptive details of prosecutor, defendant and confessions, he told of their careful deliberation before pronouncing the guilty verdict. He was very proud of every juror who participated fully and gave two weeks of their lives. He inspired us all to do our civic duty next time we were called.

Antoinette Griffin – “Expand Your Network” – You need to sell yourself. 1) Dress for success. 2) Arrive early and stay late to socialize. 3) Talk to those you don’t know. Remember it’s not about “you.” Look for the other new people standing by themselves. Introduce yourself and follow up with a question. Get to know them. Don’t try to sell your product. Listen and be kind. 4) Talk about othe rpeoples services.

Karen Bondy was General Evaluator. She liked Dugg talking about Table Topics in his evaluation and appreciated Jane’s great grammarian report. She was confused by Dan’s connection between having a guide and distractions.

• Dugg Tankersley evaluated Table Topics. Charlie was relaxed and had great content. Jim used good hand motions and formulated an organized idea. Mary had humor and good descriptions. Cathy can tell a story on anything. Guoen clasped his hands but had good eye contact and a good response.
• Priscilla Oehlert evaluated Megan. She felt Megan’s energy and compassion. Through the speech content we learned that Megan is talented, giving, and wants to make a difference. Priscilla would have liked to hear more on Megan’s background to find out what made her what she is. She felt the presentation was on the wing and not organized. The introduction was long.
• Mike Prentice – Best Evaluator – Mike evaluated Steve. Steve picked a tough topic but hit the nail on the head about feelings of serving on a jury. He started out in a conversational tone then hit us with the dramatic bailiff’s entry. Steve got emotional at the end, very effective. But he still held his hands in fists at his waist and played with his tie a bit.
• Sonny Sonntag evaluated Antoinette Griffin. She was resplendent. She covered up getting lost in places. She knew what she was talking about. She used good voice and gestures. She gave us great ideas and ended telling us that your success depends on the support of others.

Jonathan Huizingh called for a vote for the 2009 first six months officers:

• President Mary Buker
• VP Education Anne Child
• VP Membership Jerry Barret
• VP Public Relations Cathy Lovelady
• Treasurer Dan Naden
• Secretary Jerry will server until someone else volunteers
• Sgt at Arms Fred Maynard

Jerry Barrett announced he received a plaque as Area Governor for a Distinguished Area. He thanked Balcones Toastmasters for being a big part of that accomplishment.

• Tracy Maynard came to hear Steve Gonzales as she served on that jury too.
• Laura Ivy-Schultz was impressed by everyone.
• Sylvester Levario liked Antoinette’s network speech and said Steve’s story hit home.