Cromwell Community Toastmasters 5908

Showing posts with label Evaluator. Show all posts

Saturday, October 12, 2013

Area 32 Fall Contest October 9th, 2013...

Hello Toastmasters and friends,

I wanted to tell you a bit about our Fall Area 32 contest which took place on Wednesday October 9, 2013 in Berlin, CT.

It was hosted by the CCAT Toastmasters in their home meeting zone at Northeast Utilities.

There were veggie platters and pizza and drinks as the small crowd gathered.

When I first arrived I was completely THRILLED to see Charlie Hubert seated at a table with Don Ostertag. It was SO good to see Charlie’s smiling face again. It’s been too long. He looked good and well on the road to recovery. Let’s hope he’ll be able to join us at regular meetings again soon!

Cromwell members represented were Charlie, Don, Tom Alvord, Elizabeth Landeen and Hollie Rose (me) as part of the audience. And Rob Dalo and Andrew Watt as participants in the Evaluation and Humor contests respectively.

The contest got underway precisely at 7 with Ray Johnson of CCAT as the Area Contest Master.

The evening’s Test Speaker was Gaia Dong from the Aetna Club. Her speech was about culture shock and the different ways she experienced it growing up in China, moving to Japan for two years and then coming to the US eleven years ago.

By random drawing the first Evaluation Contestant was Murali Pemmaraju from the Middlesex County Club. He made some excellent points about Gaia’s speech and was able to compare some of her experiences of culture shock with his own experiences when he came to the US. It was an insightful and worthy evaluation but Murali had some tough competition.

Our own Rob Dalo was up next. He took a more technical approach to evaluating the speech; speaking of some of the many things we learn in Toastmasters and how Gaia used those techniques to great effect. He mentioned things like her use of the rule of 3s, her vocal variety, her eye contact and how she worked the room and the stage. For possible improvement he suggested some more extreme physical movements she might use in particular parts of her speech.

There were only two contestants for this contest.

Major Congratulations to Rob Dalo, who represented us well and took first place!

Congrats also to Murali Pemmaraju in second place!

After a break for more pizza and veggies the Humorous Contest began.

First up was our own new member Andrew Watt who has been a great addition to our club. He did a version of the same speech he gave for us at our club level contest but modified it somewhat to fit the stage area. His speech about what’s actually funny is fun to watch. From acting in Hamlet as a kid, to the follies of history, we get to contemplate humor. (Are feet funny?) His speech title was “What’s Funny, Anyway?”

Next up was Maria Johnson from the Middlesex County Club. She gave a speech that was very well organized – taking us from an awareness of how the story would contain death and an hour long crying jag, through some history, the death, the crying jag, something lost and something found. Her speech was titled “Diamond in the Fluff.”

The third and final contestant was Dolly Reed from CCAT. She dressed the part and looked like a mountain farm girl as she told the story of her own brand of culture shock when, as a pre-teen, her family moved from the suburbs of Ohio to the wilds of West Virginia. Many comparisons were made between the different worlds and I think we all loved the story of their pet pig named Pork Chop. She left us with the wisdom to “never fall in love with your bacon.” Dolly's speech title was "Country Ways."

For the Humorous Contest the results were…..

(Drumroll please)

First place goes to - Maria Johnson!

Second place to Andrew Watt!

Third place to Dolly Reed!


The evening's winners - Maria Johnson (Middlesex County Club - Humor) and Rob Dalo (Cromwell Community Club - Evaluation)

Pictured from left to right, Tom Lore, Area Contest Chief Judge; Dolly Reed, CCAT Club; Maria Johnson, Middlesex County Club; Area Contest Master Ray Johnson; Rob Dalo, Cromwell Community Club; Murali Pemmaraju, Middlesex County Club; Andrew Watt, Cromwell Community Club (on the floor)

Pictured from left to right, Dolly Reed, CCAT Club; Tom Lore, Area Contest Chief Judge; Gaia Dong, Test Speaker; Maria Johnson, Middlesex County Club; Nathan Jaycox, Area 32 Governor; Rob Dalo, Cromwell Community Club; Andrew Watt, Cromwell Community Club; Murali Pemmaraju, Middlesex County Club.

Big congratulations to all those who put themselves out there for these contests. And heartfelt thanks to those who facilitated – Ray Johnson as Emcee, Tom Lore as Chief Judge for the evening, Gaia Dong as Test Speaker and Nathan Jaycox, Area 32 Governor.

Out of 19 total persons present, I’m thrilled to report that 7 of those were from our wonderful Club #5908 – Cromwell Community. I thank you all for making us so well represented and hope you will do so again next week to support our member Rob Dalo as he (hopefully) wins the next level of the contest with as much aplomb as he won this one.

Let’s see if we can show our spirit and our support next Wednesday the 16^th for the Division level Contest – Division C.

Hope to see you there!
(107 Seldon St. Berlin, CT. 6:30p)

~~~~~~~ Hollie Rose

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Fall Contest 2013 Meeting Minutes

Cromwell Community Toastmasters

Club 5908 ~ District 53

September 17, 2013

“Go Big or Go Home”

Attendees: members attended: Tom Alvord ACB, ALB, Bo Bogart, Robert Dalo, Miroslav Grajewski, Elizabeth Landeen, Cheryl Mason DTM, Phil Mason CC, Donald Ostertag, Sheetal Patel, Hollie Rose CC, Molly Seely, Crystal Storo CC, CL, Brian Terry, Heather Turner ACS, Carolyn Warner, and Andrew Watt

Guests: Ute Brinkman

Business Meeting: Don Ostertag started the meeting on time. Tonight was the Cromwell Community Toastmasters Club Evaluation and Humorous Speech Contest. President Crystal Storo CC, CL gave everyone a warm welcome and shared that fellow Toastmaster Carolyn Warner became engaged. Congratulations and Best Wishes to Carolyn! Crystal then presented Contest Master Hollie Rose CC. Hollie explained the purpose of the contest, the rules and introduced the “Test Speaker.” The Test Speaker gives the speech that is evaluated during the Evaluation Contest.

Contest Roles:

Contest Master: Hollie Rose CC

Test Speaker: Ute Brinkman of Eagle Toastmaster Club

Speech: My Two Boys

Ute started her speech by opening a case containing a violin bow, removing the bow from the case, snipping the hair from the bow and dropping the hair on the floor. She repairs bows and is paid seventy dollars for rehairing bows. She spoke of the things that seventy dollars could buy; one of her super, shiny, shoes, a fine meal, or she could use it to help support her two boys in India. Some of the money from rehairing bows gets sent to India each month and Ute told how having two boys taught her to struggle with issues of how to spend her money.

Speech Evaluation Contestant: - Tom Alvord ACB, ALB

Tom complimented Ute on giving an excellent speech, noted that it was concise, she said what she needed to say and sat down. He commented on her skillful use of pacing and pauses to let thoughts sink in. He suggested that the first sentence to have been more audible and to enunciate a few words more clearly. Tom summed up by saying the speech was concise, well constructed and he thanked Ute for giving her speech.

Speech Evaluation Contestant: Rob Dalo

Rob thanked Ute for being at the contest. He talked about how she used continuity, the continuity of her uses for the seventy dollars. Rob spoke of the drama of cutting the bow’s hair and how Ute used hand gestures. Her gestures helped move the speech along and showed struggle which was explained by now having two boys to consider. Rob felt she wrapped her speech up nicely but that Ute did not mention what she was getting out of supporting her two boys.

Humorous Speech Contestant: Andrew Watt

What’s Funny Anyway?

Andrew began his speech by lying on the floor on his back with his feet pointed toward the audience. He asked – what makes something funny? Andrew told us Hamlet is a very serious play, and when an actor is portrayed as dead with his head towards the audience death is perceived to be serious but that when feet face the audience it’s a signal it’s funny to be dead. We heard examples of funny and not funny. We heard folly in human beings is funny, an example being how Queen Zenobia of Turkey maneuvered into a win, win situation. The banana loaf dance at Starbucks is NOT funny but at the same time it is funny. To twelve year olds, saying something that sounds like a forbidden word is funny. To keep from smirking we look at our feet, which brings us back to - feet are funny – so if dying, do it head first.

Humorous Speech Contestant: Phil Mason CC

How Did I Live Through Adolescence?

Phil told us how when he was thirteen, he and his buddies, Joe and Chris, had nothing to do but get in trouble.

When Jarts, BB Guns and Bows and Arrows were no longer amusing Phil and his friends thought of creative ways to have fun with their toys. Jarts were always a good time until someone got hit, and the BB guns were good for target practice but were better to set matchbooks aflame. That would have been fine but the lit matchbooks fell onto the hay bales propping up the targets. Ooops! The bows and arrows were also fun, but became better when shot at gas cans which made a good sound but didn’t ignite. Even more fun was shooting the arrows towards their fort in the woods. It was an exciting pastime until Phil stopped an arrow with his neck. He summed up by saying thirteen year old boys are the dumbest thing on Earth.

Humorous Speech Contestant: Heather Turner ACS

My Daily Commute

Having switched from a ten minute to sixty minute

commute, it’s an interesting but scary route. Heather recognizes the different BMWs she sees on a daily basis on route 5. We heard of Digger, the driver of the black BMW who likes to exercise his index finger; Rocker – the red Z8 convertible with it’s elderly driver energetically playing imaginary drums; and Gigolo –3 series BMW – M version - souped up and scouting chicks to wink at. Prima Donna – has a 5 series BMW and a filthy car, at every light she’s engrossed in the mirror, either putting her hair up or taking it down. Other drivers on Heather’s commute include the Organizer who can multi task with steering wheel, makeup, cigarette, cell phone and coffee without swerving; and the Snowman, who lets his dandruff blow out the window. Heather left us with the query; if there was a reality show about commuting, should it be named Real Commuter Confessions of Connecticut Gigolos or Real Starbucks Schmucks of Route 5?

Timers: Miroslav Grajewski, Molly Seely

Judges: Ute Brinkman, Elizabeth Landeen, Cheryl Mason DTM, Sheetal Patel

Chief Judge: Crystal Storo CC, CL

Ballot Counters: Bo Bogart, Brian Terry, Carolyn Warner

After the Evaluations and Speeches the judges voted and ballots were collected. Rob Dalo had brought in refreshments for everyone to enjoy. Chief Judge, Crystal handed the results to Contest Master Hollie to announce. Hollie presented certificates to all the contestants as follows: for the Evaluation Contest Tom Alvord - Runner up and Rob Dalo - First Place Winner. For the Humorous Speech contest Phil Mason CC - Second Runner Up, Heather Turner ACS - First Runner Up and Andrew Watt - First Place Winner. Rob, Tom, Andrew and Heather will be representing Cromwell Community Toastmasters at the Area 32 contest. President Crystal Storo said it was an awesome evening, we all had some belly laughs and heard great speeches and evaluations. She recognized and thanked Contest Chair Elizabeth Landeen, for all her hard work, Contest Master Hollie Rose for all her hard work and recognized and thanked stand-in Sergeant at Arms Don Ostertag for all he did. She thanked everyone for coming and mentioned for those not paid up – six month dues are due – checks should be made out to Cromwell Community Toastmasters and mailed to Treasurer Brian Fleming.

Congratulations and Thank You to all the contestants for a job well done!

Next meeting: October 1, 2013

Respectfully submitted by

Bo Bogart, Secretary

[posted by VPPR Hollie Rose CC]