Tm Torch November 2009final

November 2009

The Torch Best of the autumn season to you, fellow Toastmasters. I trust that Halloween has brought its fair share of candy apples and other sweet treats, and maybe even a few tricks. Now with the season of costumes behind us, we can look forward to the great feasts of Thanksgiving and Christmas time where we must battle to remain within our own waistbands. This newsletter is the second edition of 2009 and is still experiencing a few growing pains yet is coming along nicely. Inside, find articles about the recent division contest and Toasmasters 85th birthday, pictures from the Bedstone Toastmasters year end BBQ courtesy of Karl Schlenkrich, a glossary of interesting words and their definitions, a message from our club President and more… If you are wondering what to do with your newsletter once you are done with it, just remember to “pass the torch.” Leave it at the bus stop or at the coffee shop, give it to a friend, or post it on a bulletin board, and get the word about our club out there!! df

Bedstone Olympic Toastmasters meet each Wednesday September through June at 730pm. Club Meetings are at Huntington Hills Community Center Top floor meeting room 520 – 78th avenue NW

Calgary, Alberta Canada

President’s Message We are only three months into the toastmaster year and have started off with a bang. We have had lots of guest and some new members. New members are vital to keeping our club vibrant. New members challenge the more experienced members by providing opportunities for mentoring and improved evaluations. New members may have lots of questions about our club and our practices. Some of the resources you can use are: 1) Mentors. Your mentor is a great resource. You can also ask any other member of the club. We would be happy to provide you with assistance on your speeches or guidance about any role.

2) Roles of the Meeting: http://www.bedstoneolympics.com/files/ClubRoles.pdf

3) Evaluation Methods http://www.bedstoneolympics.com/files/EvaluationMethods.pdf

4) Business Meeting procedures. To assist in running effective meetings, the book ‘Robert’s Rules of Order’ is a valuable resource. Also check out these links online; Motions: http://www.bedstoneolympics.com/files/HandlingaMainMotion.pdf Rules: http://www.bedstoneolympics.com/files/TypesofMotions.pdf

5) Table Topics: http://www.athenians.co.uk/content/table-topicstips-athenians-education-workshop-26-august-2008 or http://www.londoncorinthians.co.uk/appiesboard/viewtopic.php?t=11

These suggestions are just some of the resources available, but I found I learned the most by observation. Regular

attendance helps solidify what you have learned and will give you a chance to put what you learned into practice. Club President, Bonnie Sham

Division C Contest Results Contest Date: October 23, 2009 Location: Cedarbrae Community Centre Table Topics Toastmaster: Doris Henn – Area-03 Governor Humorous Speech Toastmaster: Iris Talbot – Area-05 Governor

Table Topics Winners: • 1st Place: Russ Dantu from Wit Pleasure, Area-05 • 2nd Place: Esperanza Montalvo from Miracles, Area-50 • 3rd Place: Gayle Johnson from Vibrant Speakers, Area-49 Humorous Speech Winners: • 1st Place: David Haines from Wit Pleasure, Area-05 • 2nd Place: Ian Wollbaum from Vibrant Speakers, Area-49 • 3rd Place: Gordon Bristow from Fifth Avenue Place, Area-03 If you are interested, you can see more pictures and read about the contest at the following link: http://calgarytoastmaste rs.wordpress.com/2009/

Sandra Grills receives a Rookie of the Year Award from 2008 Bedstone Olympic Toastmasters

Karl Schlenkrich and Bac Quan

Member Joan Wery and her husband receive recognition for hosting the lovely BBQ.

Charles Mohammed working the BBQ

Some friends enjoying conversation and good food. From left, Bac Quan, Joan Miller, Wendy Mewhort, and Liliana Arias.

As the VP of public relations, I get all kinds of goodies in my email inbox. This press release is from Suzanne Frey 949 858 8255

[email protected]. Suzanne is the editor of Toastmaster magazine Toastmasters International turns 85 RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, CALIF., Oct. 22, 2009 – Eighty-five years ago today, Dr. Ralph C. Smedley held the first official Toastmasters meeting in the basement of a YMCA in Santa Ana, Calif. Not even Dr. Smedley could have envisioned the history he was making on that day. The organization that started as a small group of people dedicated to teaching after-dinner speeches to young men has evolved into a worldwide leader in communication and leadership development. Since that first meeting in 1924, more than 4 million people have benefited from the Toastmasters experience. “Toastmasters’ long-term success and growth is a tribute to Dr. Smedley’s vision,” says Toastmasters International President Gary A. Schmidt. “He understood that communication isn’t optional and leadership isn’t always innate, but both can be learned through doing.” Today, Toastmasters’ 250,000-plus active members participate in over 12,500 clubs spanning 106 countries. From Dubai to New Zealand, Saskatchewan to Connecticut, each day thousands of Toastmasters participate in meetings to learn and practice valuable communication and leadership skills in a supportive environment. Michael Avedissian of Reading, Pennsylvania, is one of the organization’s longest-term members. He moved from Germany to the United States in 1954 and joined Toastmasters the following year. He credits the Reading Toastmasters Club with saving his engineering career and his new life in America by helping him learn and practice English. “Toastmasters gave me the ability to deliver the reports and presentations that were required for my career.” Many organizations stall or even crumble during difficult economic times. Toastmasters has withstood the test of time and has even grown 5% annually since 2005 because it offers practical skills that are critical for success in today’s competitive environment. Ann Maxfield of Austin, Minn., recently was able to begin a new career as an e-learning coordinator at Hormel Foods. With her Toastmasters training, she aced the interviews. “People in management know about Toastmasters and look to it as valuable training for the skills and experiences they require in employees,” she says. The Toastmasters program also helps political and business leaders prepare for the demands of their positions. Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle is one of many with political aspirations who found help in

Toastmasters. “It is the best and least expensive personal improvement class you can go to,” says Lingle.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOASTMASTERS INTERNATIONAL!!!

Credit must go to the Toastmasters International website for the following excerpt about some of the things your club dues get for you. The Many Benefits of Paid Membership

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Educational Development. All new members receive the Competent Communication and Leadership manuals. The backbone of the Toastmasters program, these practical manuals have brought many nervous speakers into their own as confident, competent speakers and leaders. Plus, members receive three guidebooks: Your Speaking Voice, Gestures: Your Body Speaks and Effective Evaluation. These booklets guide speakers in developing the skills they need to communicate gracefully and feel at home in their Toastmasters meetings. Leadership Experience. For those who wish to pursue leadership training, opportunities abound at the club level and beyond. Leadership positions offer members great training at the area, division and district levels...and even higher. In Toastmasters, options are often limited to your dreams and your willingness to work hard in pursuit of them. Support the Club. It’s always a good feeling to know that you’re supporting your club. After all, these are the people who supported you when you first stood at the lectern with your knees knocking. By keeping up your dues, you’re helping your club to maintain its status (or work toward the goal) of being a Distinguished Club. It’s important to note that Distinguished Clubs offer the best possible learning environments for their members. Trisha Bridenstine, president of Rancho Speech Masters in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, agrees. “Working toward being a Distinguished Club not only stimulates personal growth and pride but bonds the club by providing a common goal,” she says. “This distinction is also a magnet for new membership, inspiring the club with new ideas, experiences and creative opportunity.” The Toastmaster Magazine. Toastmasters around the world look forward, each month, to the arrival of the Toastmaster magazine. Speaking tips, techniques, stories and a sense of community...they all come together in its pages. Included in your membership is a subscription to this helpful and informative magazine. Member Pricing on Toastmasters Products. Diana Ewing, president of UniMasters club in Lake Forest, California, enjoys the discounts at Toastmasters.org/shop. “The TI store is an added benefit for both individuals and clubs because it offers members access to – and preferred pricing for – a host of wonderful educational and training materials,” notes

Ewing. “Also available are ribbons, pins, certificates and many other items that we use to recognize member achievements and encourage people to strive for even greater success.”

Expand your vocabulary and enjoy these interesting words and their definitions!!

abecedarian (ey'-bee-see-dair'-ee-un) adj. 1a: of or relating to the alphabet. b: alphabetically arranged. 2: rudimentary. brobdignagian (brob-dig-nag'-ee-un) adj. (often capitalized) of colossal proportions or extraordinary height; gigantic. n. a giant. [From Brobdignag, a country of giants, in the book Gulliver's Travels.] jitney (jit'-nee) n. 1: a nickel. 2: a bus, especially one that carries passengers over a regular route according to a flexible schedule [second meaning from the 5¢ fare of such a bus, originally.] oscitate (oss'-it-tate) v. to yawn or gape from drowsiness. [from Latin oscitare "to open (like a mouth.)"] paronomasia (pair-on-oh-maiz'-ee-uh) n. the use of a word in different senses or the use of words similar in sound to achieve a specific effect, as humor or a dual meaning; pun. [from Latin from Greek paronomazein "to call with a slight change of name," from para- "closely resembling" + onoma "name."] turophile (toor'-oh-file, tyoor'-oh-file) n. a connoisseur of cheese; a cheese fancier. [from Greek tyros "cheese" + philos "loving."] tyro (tie'-roh) n. a beginner in learning, a novice. [from Latin tiro "young soldier, tyro".] New members at Bedstone Olympic Toastmasters as of November 2009

Scott Su

Mickey Horvath

Hongfei Hu

Bac Quan

Darcey Ansell

Judy Olson

Welcome to the club. Congratulations and good luck with your endeavors in Toastmasters!!