Bravery

For the month of January our Cottonwood Toastmasters Club has been holding a Speech Craft with the theme and goal of teaching valuable interview skills. This past week we had a volunteer, not a member of Toastmasters,  bravely stand before us and give a speech, terrified as she was. We would like to congratulate her on doing a marvelous job! She incorporated interesting information about herself, reasons why someone would benefit from her services and skills, asked valuable questions, and stood confident in her desire to learn and grow.

We learned that she was trained by a Shaman named Blue Cloud and does a Reiki type of healing. We also learned that she has a CD available and offered to share it with her future employer. Her name is Reverend Linda Page associated with Liberating Perspectives. Our applause is for you! You did a great job and we thank you for sharing.

Cottonwood Toastmasters meets every Monday 12:00 to 1:15 at the Cottonwood Village, 201 E Mingus Ave. Guests are welcome. For more information call Laina Lloyd at 928-300-8638 or Dave Ellison at 634-6540

Learning From Your Mistakes

Yesterday I gave a speech in our Cottonwood Toastmasters Club. It was probably one of the most difficult speeches I have ever given. That's a good thing! I learned the most from this speech because of the topic difficulty and the mistakes I made. The topic was "Interview Skills". This topic was assigned to me for the Speech Craft Series we are doing during the next three weeks. To make it more challenging, I wanted to give a speech out of my Entertaining Speaker Manual to assist me in my goal of Advanced Communicator. Whew, I tumbled thoughts around in my head for days, all the while asking myself "How can I make this speech informative and entertaining?" It wasn't until the night before my speech was to be given that I got a FLASH of an idea! 


I had recently read an article from Pine Tree Consulting Service "Things Not to Say at a Job Interview". They surveyed top personnel executives of 100 major American corporations and asked for stories of unusual behavior by job applicants. It is from this article that I chose to be the person of the "DO NOT DO'S" at an interview. It was a lot of fun being the wacky one, wearing the bold jewelry, kicking off my shoes, making insulting comments, talking on my phone, etc... The difficult part came when I realized I'd forgotten to pass out the hand out and had to do it during my speech, oops. And I ran out of time and didn't tie up my ending very well, which is something I pride myself on doing. Okay, so maybe it was a lesson in humility. I can take it!


How are you going to learn if you don't make mistakes, if you don't get up in front of an audience and speak? There are some club members I have not heard from in the year I have been in our club. I would like to extend this challenge to you of speaking at least ONCE each month. It is good for you, even though it hurts! I still get anxious before my speeches and often ask myself  "Now remind me why you are doing this Laina?" and the response is always the same, "It's good for you girl!" 

So how about it? Are YOU up to the challenge?

Cottonwood Toastmasters meets every Monday 12:00 to 1:15 at the Cottonwood Village, 201 E Mingus Ave. Guests are welcome. For more information call Laina Lloyd at 928-300-8638 or Dave Ellison at 634-6540

Thoughts for the Day

At each of our Cottonwood Toastmasters meetings someone is assigned to give a thought and I have heard some great messages over the past year. I felt that it would be appropriate to devote this blog post to a few of the thoughts that have impressed me at different times of my life. There are so many, these are but a nibble of the great words that can inspire, humor us, or assist us in times of change.  Maybe you can use these in your Toastmaster meetings as well. I will start with our thought from this past Monday, which was: "Don't wait for people to be kind, show them how."

"Your mind will be like it's habitual thoughts; for the soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts." 

 -- Marcus Aurelius

"Every good thought you think is contributing its share to the

 ultimate result of your life" 

--Grenville Kleiser

"The destiny of mankind is not decided by material computation. We learn that we are spirits, not animals, and that something is going on in space and time,and beyond space and time, which, whether we like it or not, spells duty."

--Winston Churchill 

"Never put off till tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow"

--Mark Twain

"Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there." 

--Will Rogers

"If at first you don't succeed you're running about average." 

--M.H. Alderson

"All nature is but art unknown to thee, All chance, direction which thou cantst not see; All discord, harmony  not understood; All partial evil, universal good; And, spite of pride, in erring reason's spite, One truth is clear, Whatever is, is right. 

--Alexander Pope

"Just trust yourself, then you will know how to live."

--Goethe

To be continued...........................

Cottonwood Toastmasters meets every Monday 12:00 to 1:15 at the Cottonwood Village, 201 E Mingus Ave. Guests are welcome. For more information call Laina Lloyd at 928-300-8638

 or Dave Ellison at 634-6540

Speech Craft

Cottonwood Toastmasters is hosting a Speech Craft, which is a short, seminar-style presentation that teaches basic Toastmasters skills: speaking and evaluating, with a focus on interviewing skills. 

Please join us in this mutually supportive and positive learning environment, where every member and guest will have the opportunity to develop valuable communication and leadership skills necessary in seeking employment.

Where: Cottonwood Village

             201 E Mingus Avenue

             Cottonwood, AZ 86326

When:  January 16^th, 23^rd and 30^th  2012

          

Time:   12:00 to 1:00 pm 

Cottonwood Toastmasters:

Meets every Monday 12:00 to 1:15 at the Cottonwood Village, 201 E Mingus Ave. Guests are welcome. For more information call Laina Lloyd at 928-300-8638 or Dave Ellison at 634-6540

HUGS!

Congratulations are in order to Tara for completing her third speech in our Cottonwood Toastmasters Club! We will miss you when you leave Tara. You have been a wonderful addition to our club. Hopefully you won't be absent too long, however we wish you abundance and joy in your new adventure!

Tara taught us how hugs are important to a sense of well being. Psychologists have done case studies on babies in orphanages to determine that if these children are not held they show a failure to thrive and usually die. In a study of monkey types, monkey infants chose an empty feeding bottle covered with soft terry cloth over a full bottle left uncovered. The need for touch, gentleness, comfort and softness was preferred.

Adults will wait in line for hours to receive a hug. As an example, Tara once went to a lecture on Love by Leo  Buscaglia, a famous author and motivational speaker known as "Dr. Love"  who said he would stay after the meeting to hug anyone that came to him. Tara herself stood in line for forty minutes to receive a hug, others stood in line much longer.

There is a woman in India known as the "Hugging Saint", lovingly called Amma, which means "mother", who, according to Wikipedia, has hugged over thirty one million people throughout the world. People go to her to share their troubles. Amma holds them, wipes away their tears, and hugs them. This one woman's actions are evidence alone that we human beings desire hugs to assist us in achieving a sense of well being.

	"There is one truth that shines through all of creation. Rivers and mountains, plants and animals, the sun, the moon and the stars, you and I—all are expressions of this one Reality." --- Amma

Cottonwood Toastmasters meets every Monday 12:00 to 1:15 at the Cottonwood Village, 201 E Mingus Ave. Guests are welcome. For more information call Laina Lloyd at 928-300-8638 or Dave Ellison at 634-6540

Did You Know About Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer?

Rudolph came to life in 1939 when the Chicago based Montgomery Wards asked one of their copy writers, Robert May, to come up with a Christmas story they could give away in booklet form to their shoppers. Wow, look at what happened from there! Who would have imagined? This is something we learned in Toastmasters, which is not only a public speaking arena, but also an educating one. We learn all sorts of interesting tid bits of history. 

This past Monday we also learned about a horse named Robert who overcame his allergies to Roses and went on to be an amazing and heroic police horse! 

Fun and folktales at Toastmasters! 

It doesn't get much better than that!

Cottonwood Toastmasters meets every Monday 12:00 to 1:00
at the Cottonwood Village  located at 201 E Mingus Ave. Guests are welcome.

For more information call Laina Lloyd at 928-300-8638
or Dave Ellison at 634-6540

Elevator Speech

The following information is taken from the Toastmasters International Branding Manual:

What is an “elevator pitch”? An “elevator pitch” is an exceptionally brief (5 seconds/3-floors per statement), unassuming summary used to define the organization and its value proposition with the intent of simply getting the audience to ask for more information, ride another floor, request a business card, etc. Each statement of an elevator pitch lasts about five seconds, or three floors of an elevator ride.

Preparation is key. Be ready with three key things you can say about the Toastmasters organization. Your three key messages should be authentic; therefore, each pitch will be a little different. The only thing that should remain consistent is that you clearly explain what Toastmasters International does, and frame it in a way that relates to the interests of your listener. Stuck on what your key messages should be? Here are two ideas to get you thinking:
1. Describe three things that the Toastmasters International program
helped you accomplish over the past year and the impact of these
accomplishments.
2. Tell one great story about the work you do in Toastmasters that
is personal, compelling and representative of the Toastmasters’
organizational purpose.

Being prepared means being ready to go further. In other words, if someone is really interested in what you just told them, you need to be ready to expand on the conversation with more information. You also need to know how to help your listener find more information and contact someone who can guide them through a welcoming engagement.

Here is an example of a 250 word Elevator speech:

“For more than 86 years, Toastmasters International has been recognized as the leading organization dedicated to communication and leadership skill development. Through its worldwide network of clubs, each week Toastmasters helps more than a quarter million men and women of every ethnicity, education level and profession build their competence in communication so they can gain the confidence to lead others. The world needs leaders. Leaders head families, coach teams, run businesses and mentor others. These leaders must not only accomplish; they must communicate. By regularly giving speeches, gaining feedback, leading teams and guiding others to achieve their goals in a supportive atmosphere, leaders emerge from the Toastmasters program. The organization answers a new generation’s plea: Where can I go to become a better communicator and ultimately, a stronger leader?

Toastmasters continues to build on its legacy by providing a strong foundation for the future. Its proven educational program continually evolves to address the needs of the world’s communicators and leaders both today and tomorrow. Toastmasters members learn to tell their stories. They listen and answer. They plan and lead. They give feedback — and accept it. Through our community of learners, they find their path to leadership.”

Toastmasters International. Where leaders are made.

Cottonwood Toastmasters meets every Monday 12:00 to 1:15 at the Cottonwood Village, 201 E Mingus Ave. Guests are welcome. For more information call Laina Lloyd at 928-300-8638 or Dave Ellison at 634-6540

Holiday

'Tis the holiday season and for the first time since I have been a member of the Cottonwood Toastmaster's club, we had a holiday this past Monday. It felt strange not going to meeting and participating. I thought since there would be no club entry for this weeks blog, that some interesting tid-bits on effective speaking would be appropriate. The following comments on "Empowerment" are taken from the book "The Challenge of Effective Speaking" by Rudolph F. Verderber

Public Speaking is Empowerment!

First, public speaking is a form of empowerment because mastery of public speaking skills enables you to communicate even complex information in a way that all members of an audience can understand.

Second, public speaking is a form of empowerment because mastery of public speaking skills enables you to influence people's attitudes and behavior.

Third, public speaking is a from of empowerment because mastery of public speaking skills will help you in your search for a job.

Fourth, public speaking is a form of empowerment because mastery of public speaking skills is necessary to help you achieve positions of leadership. 

***Teaching tip: A primary teaching strategy is role modeling. Make sure your lectures are organized and employ good introductions, strong previews, and use of transitions. Model strong delivery skills, such as volume, posture, movement, eye contact and rate. 

To increase you public speaking skills and become empowered, join us at Cottonwood Toastmasters. We would love to have you! Cottonwood Toastmasters meets every Monday 12:00 to 1:15 at the Cottonwood Village, 201 E Mingus Ave. Guests are welcome. For more information call Laina Lloyd at 928-300-8638 or Dave Ellison at 634-6540

Pets on Parade

One day I heard someone say that they thought the Table Topics portion of Toastmasters was the dessert of the meeting. I would have to agree. We have oodles of fun with our Table Topics time and this weeks was not a disappointment! 

Our theme of the day was "Pets on Parade" and our Table Topics Master did a great job incorporating that theme into the meeting. One of the first questions he asked was "There has been a reversal in our the society, humans are the pets, and the pets are the masters. Your pet has taken you to a parade. Tell us what you are doing." This was too funny and quiet the challenge! Our speaker talked about her experience of being put in a wagon to juggle all different types of balls using her hands and her feet. She had to "Juggle, juggle, and juggle some more!" 

The next question was "You have recently written a book called "Pets on Parade". Tell us how you chose the title and who your intended audience is." Okay readers, why don't you answer this one? I'd like to know!

The last question was "Us earthlings have contacted an alien world. You have been chosen as a delegate to this alien world and have been asked to pick ten animals that best represent our earth. What ten animals would you choose, and why?" Wow! That's a difficult one. There are so many amazing creatures on our planet. The speaker did a great job and mentioned that he would start with a fish as it represents the life in the waters on our earth. The next would be the turkey, for it's intelligence, being smarter than the eagle. What animals would you choose? I think I would choose the lion for it's majesty and strength. To me it would represent us, the people. We are strong and courageous, having faced many challenges in our existence. We are mighty! Hear us ROAR!!

 

Cottonwood Toastmasters meets every Monday 12:00 to 1:15 at the Cottonwood Village, 201 E Mingus Ave. Guests are welcome. For more information call Laina Lloyd at 928-300-8638 or Dave Ellison at 634-6540

Cottonwood Toastmasters would like to say goodbye to our Toastie and friend, Helen. Today was her last day as a member of our Cottonwood Toastmasters and with sadness, we say good bye. We wish you well on your new adventure. 

"The hardest part of any friendship is when it's time to say goodbye. As much as we might like things to stay the same, change is an inevitable part of life. The universe may seem huge and the rift between friends on opposite side of the world may seem a great distance. There are many tools available with which we can communicate, but even without these tools there is a secret that only real friends know, and it is this. All the mountains and valleys in the world cannot separate friends whose hearts are as one." --anonymous

Source: Goodbye Friend Poems http://www.familyfriendpoems.com/friend/goodbye-friend-poems.asp#ixzz1d4ReLgiw 
Family Friend Poems 

Cottonwood Toastmasters meets every Monday 12:00 to 1:15 at the Cottonwood Village, 201 E Mingus Ave. Guests are welcome. For more information call Laina Lloyd at 928-300-8638 or Dave Ellison at 634-6540