Thursday, October 17, 2013

Meeting Minutes 10-15-2013



Cromwell Community Toastmasters
Club 5908 ~ District 53
October 15, 2013  
Attendees:    members attended: Eileen Baird, Bo Bogart, Micheal Brillas, Robert Dalo, Miroslav Grajewski, Elizabeth Landeen, Donald Ostertag, Hollie Rose CC, Crystal Storo CC, CL, Brian Terry, Carolyn Warner, and Andrew Watt
Guests: Nathan Jaycox - Area 32 Governor, Robin Thompson
Business Meeting:
The meeting was called to order by Donald Ostertag.  President Crystal Storo spoke of the recent Area Contest and upcoming Division Contest. Rob Dalo won first place in the Area Evaluation Contest. Way to Go Rob!  He will be in the Division contest held Wed. Oct. 16th at North East Utilities on the Berlin Turnpike in Berlin.  Congratulations to Andrew Watt who won second place in the Area Humorous Speech Contest.                                 
VP of Education, Elizabeth Landeen discussed the Competent Communicator and Competent Leader Charts to track club members progress towards goals.  She reminded us to fill in the charts with our accomplishments and to have Competent Leader Manuals signed when completing a meeting role.

Meeting Roles:
Toastmaster: Andrew Watt
Invocation: Andrew Watt – Reach Beyond Yourself   Andrew spoke of reaching above and beyond to become greater than we are but not to neglect reaching low, to our toes, so that we remain grounded.
Word Master:  Micheal Brillas
Word - of - the - Day:  Apoplectic – Overcome with anger and rage
Table Topics Master:  Carolyn Warner
Theme:  Chinese Fortune Cookies     Carolyn had each speaker take a fortune cookie, read the fortune out loud and discuss it.  

Bo Bogart’s cookie foretold Romance in Future.  She didn’t think it would be between her cat and tenant’s dog, but maybe one of the people who stop to gawk at the silver styrofoam heads in her garden.  Andrew Watt’s fortune had the Chinese word for chocolate and he launched into a passionate portrayal of Augustus Gloop from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Wonderful sound effects were included.  Miroslav Grajewski spoke effortlessly explaining how public speaking matched his fortune “Your skills and talents are called on in unusual areas.”  Nathan Jaycox ate his cookie; told us not to talk with a full mouth; and admonished us to put our brooms away so we aren’t swept away by our passions.  His fortune was - Your passions sweep you away. Last but not least, Robin Thompson gave a delightful talk about her fortune “Focus on good.”

Speaker # 1:  Eileen Baird
Manual/Project: Competent Communicator/Project 1 Ice Breaker 
Title:  Why I Can Never Become President     
Both Eileen’s parents are American citizens, and were living on a Military Base in Germany when Eileen was born.  Due to an administrative mistake Eileen was a German, not American citizen for the first five years of her life.  She became a naturalized American citizen but is not eligible to become President.  She did point out that she is eligible to become Secretary of State.

Speaker # 2:   Micheal Brillas
Manual/Project: Competent Communicator/Project 1 Ice Breaker 
Title:  How I Became Mike   
Born Ryan Gregory, his parents didn’t want the attending Dr. Ryan to think their baby was named for him and changed their baby’s name to Michael Justin.  The creative spelling of Micheal’s first name created problems and made him apoplectic so he used his middle name Justin. Entering work he was told he had to use his first name, and he found it easier to go by the nick name Mike.

Speaker # 3:  Hollie Rose CC
Manual/Project:  The Professional Speaker/ Project Keynote Address 
Title:  The Serendipity of Being Me  
Hollie told us when you’re open to it, it will happen.  She gave us examples of how many things seem to be amazing coincidences but people are more connected with events and each other than they are aware of.  She told of camping in Oregon, how in the middle of the night a sleeping stranger heard someone in her group laugh and commented it sounded like someone he knew in Atlanta named Yvette.  Her friend Yvette looked to the sleeping stranger and said, “Mike?” It was. She spoke of finding west coast friends on Cape Cod behind a deserted beach dune.  She spoke of unexpected gifts and of things lost and found where least expected. Hollie told us to be open to wild and crazy things, expect a miracle and remember the magic.

General Evaluator: Elizabeth Landeen
Evaluator # 1:  Rob Dalo
Evaluator # 2:   Crystal Storo CC, CL
Evaluator # 3:  Round Robin

Functionary Reports:
Ah Counter:  Donald Ostertag
Grammarian:  Rob Dalo
Timer:  Brian Terry

In closing Crystal gave Ice Breaker candies to Eileen and Micheal.  Crystal asked our guests for comments about tonight’s meeting.  Robin said she like the meeting very much.  Area Governor Nathan Jaycox took the stage for a few minutes and told us about his function in visiting the six clubs in his Area, and the reports he’s required to file. He shared with us some of the things he would put in his report of his visit to our club. He found our club very enthusiastic and encouraging and never heard people clap so loudly.  He thought the Table Topics unique and creative and the evaluations outstanding.  He mentioned he had seen the Round Robin evaluation only done at Advanced Toastmasters Club meetings. 
After the meeting some members stayed to socialize. 
Now (while you’re thinking of it) would be a great time to sign up for roles at the next meeting.
Next meeting: November 5th 2013.

Respectfully submitted by
Bo Bogart, Secretary


[posted by Hollie Rose]

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