he February 28, 2018 meeting of T-Toasters of Vinings was called to order promptly at 6:00 by Sergeant at Arms Rob.  In attendance were 19 members and 1 first time guest, Senden.
Toastmaster of the Day Tiffini centered the meeting around the theme of Black History Month.  Tiffini provided a trivia game and supplied lots of interesting facts for the crowd, including:

•       Black History Month was made official in 1970 by President Gerald Ford.
•       The first African-American to appear on a U.S. postage stamp was Booker T. Washington
•       In 1989, Virginia was the first state to elect a black governor.
•       Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, the Congressional Gold Medal, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, but not the Freedom Award.

General Evaluator Greg then introduced his team including Grammarian Rob, Ah Counter Beverly, Timer Christian, and Ballot Counter George.  Rob’s Word of the Day was “Invigorating” which means “to make one feel strong, healthy, and full of energy”.

Taking a turn at the lectern were three prepared speakers.  First up was Ken with “You Can Run on Empty”, project 1 from the Advanced Manual Humorously Speaking.  Ken’s project asked him to warm up the audience, which he did with a story about a midnight battle that took place during his days with the U.S. Marines. “You can muster to the strength to get back up and run again,” Ken told the audience.  Jim served as Ken’s Evaluator.  He felt the speech was motivational, inspirational and had a strong call to action.  Jim complimented Ken’s riveting storytelling style, excellent tone and vocal variety.

Lori was up next with her first project from the advanced manual The Entertaining Speaker.  Lori’s speech was titled “The Dirty Dozen: 12 Secrets About Parenting that Nobody Tells You… But Should”.  Lori’s objectives included sharing a personal story to entertain the crowd which she did via a Power Point presentation featuring her two sons, and a list of 12 potential pitfalls parents face including the gross factor that kids bring to the table, the embarrassing moments  and the lack of both sleep and money.  Best Evaluator Andrea gave her thoughts on Lori’s presentation.  She enjoyed her liberal use of one –liners, the photos featured in the slide show and Lori’s writing style.

Matt was the final speaker of the evening.  With project 2 from the advanced manual Special Occasion Speeches, Matt gave a moving speech entitled “A Tribute to Herevery Ross”.  Herevery was a dear friend to Matt and a former T-Toaster.  Matt shared that he was a very ambitious man who served in Germany, had a successful career in the insurance industry, and a gifted orator who spent 50 years as a Toastmaster.  Herevery’s ambition was second only to his generous philanthropic nature. Through his generosity, many benefited from his founding of Toastmasters clubs.  Chad served as Matt’s Evaluator.  He complimented Matt’s preparation, smooth flow, completion of the project’s objectives and genuine and impactful words.

There was no vote for Best Speaker as only two of the participants had qualifying times.

During the Table Topics portion of the meeting, Topicsmaster Anne shared some beautiful and moving tales of African American heroes which she used to introduce her thought-provoking questions.  Anne began with the story of William Harvey Corney who was awarded the Medal of Honor.  She then asked Marcus, “Share with us someone who should receive the medal of honor.”  Marcus spoke about his friend, new member James, and the influence he has had on his life.  Anne spoke of Robert Blake next.  She asked James to tell us about a time he’d had to sacrifice and do a job that he didn’t want to do to get something he really wanted. James spoke about demolishing a house in Tuscaloosa, AL in the middle of summer.  Anne then spoke of Robert Sweeny who twice saved men’s lives, then asked Devin to share a frustrating experience on the road.  Devin spoke of a terrifying spin out experience on a winter day many years back.  Anne asked Kristina to name the greatest challenge she’d faced as a second generation African American college graduate.  Kristina found attending her father’s alma matter to be a challenge and often felt all eyes were on her.  Anne closed out this portion of the meeting by speaking a few words about Herevery Ross who’d once told her, “If you’re going to sing, sing as loud as you can!”  Senden then shared that his wife was someone who made a big difference in his life.

General Evaluator Greg then called on his team for their reports.  Rob told us that several members had used the Word of the Day and noted some of his favorite phrases of the evening.  Ken used “muster strength” and “wind knocked out of you”.  Lori used “misery loves company” and “pulling back the curtain”.  Matt used “the only person you’re competing with is yourself”.  Marcus used “jump the broom”.  Andrea used “hit the nail on the head.”
Greg suggested that Toastmasters of the Day remember to call out the evaluators for each speech and that we remove the flag after the pledge.  He also commented on the great speeches and reminded us that dues are due no later than March 31st.   Dues are $60 and can be paid via Paypal, checks made out to T-Toasters of Vinings or cash.  Our club receives incentives if we have enough members renew by the 15th, so please pay asap!

President Jim then took the lectern for announcements:
•       We formally welcomed our newest members: James, Severin, and Marquisa.
•       Please remember to come out to cheer on Jatika and Suzanne at the Division D Table Topics and International Speech contests
Saturday, March 3 promptly at 10 AM.
Location: Cobb County Water System, Water Quality Laboratory,  662 South Cobb Drive, Marietta GA 30060
MAPQUEST - Directions:  https://www.mapquest.com/us/ga/marietta/30060-3105/662-s-cobb-dr-33.935849,-84.54034
•       VPE George reminded us that Toastmaster of the Day and GE roles have been assigned to members for the next several months.  Please check with him if you need to have your date reassigned.
​

​The January 10th meeting of T-Toasters of Vinings was brought to order by acting Sergeant at Arms Lori and her assistant Zachary promptly at 6:00.  In attendance were 14 members and 4 guests.  The meeting was led by Toastmaster Marcus with a theme of “No Resolve in Resolutions”.  As our new VP Membership, Marcus hopes to find out exactly what guests hope to get out of Toastmasters. 
General Evaluator Devin led a team which included Grammarian Lori, Ah-Counter Jasmine, Timer Theresa, and Ballot Counter Beverly.  Lori’s Word of the Day was “audacious” meaning “extremely bold or daring”.
 
Suzanne was the first of three prepared speakers.  She gave a presentation based on CC project 9 entitled “What If”.  Suzanne encouraged listeners to take a 21 day fast from complaining.    She began by asking the audience to clap if they’d ever complained about the traffic, the weather or the opposite sex.  Suzanne covered three rules: 1. Focus on the resolution, 2. Start your day with a positive message or song and 3. Just let it go.  Kristina served as Suzanne’s Evaluator.  She commented on her sincerity, conviction, passion, and use of statistics from credible sources.

Next up to the lectern was Matt.  He presented a project from Special Occasion Speeches entitled “A Toast to the Georgia Bulldogs”.  Matt’s love for the Georgia Bulldogs began when he was 12 years old.  Through the team’s ups and downs, he has continued to cheer them on and has high hopes for the year ahead.  Andrea, the evening’s Best Evaluator, noted Matt’s ability to inspire even non-fans.  She complimented his passion and looks forward to his next project.

The final prepared speaker for the evening was George with an advanced level project entitled “VPE: Declassified”.  As the newly appointed VPE for T-Toasters, George has been exploring the responsibilities his role entails and decided to share his findings with the group.  They include: Planning, organizing and directing the club program, submitting education awards, coordinating contests, and running the mentorship program. Greg served as George’s Evaluator and noted his stellar PowerPoint presentation, as well as his excellent opening.
 
Table Topics Master Jim asked his three participants the same question: What is your goal for the new year?  George was up first.  He said his goal is threefold: to spend more time at the gym, to be a better boyfriend and to be a better son.  Jatika’s goals included leaving South Carolina, competing in the International Speech Contest, and earning her DTM.  Ken, the evening’s winner, hopes to silence his critics while taking big, audacious risks. 
 
Lori congratulated Theresa, Matt, George, Marcus, Jim, Ken and Jasmine for using the Word of the Day and noted several colorful and descriptive turns of phrase: Suzanne“21 day fast”, Matt’s “dawgs” (complete with Southern drawl), and “Not just beating them but picking them up and body-slamming them to the ground”, Marcus’s “My condolences, Matt,” “I will hold my punches” “pinnacle” and “volun-spire”, Jatika’s “Time for me to take care of me” and “step up your game”, Jim’s “to regale us”, Ken’s “silence the inner voice”, Andreas’ “weaving the lives together”. 
 
Timer Theresa reported the following times: Suzanne 7:28, Matt 4:21, George 5:06, George 1:08, Jatika 2:21, Ken 1:45, Kristina 2:37, Andrea 2:09, Lori 2:17, Jasmine 1:07, Theresa :47. 
Jim’s announcements including kudos to Marcus and Devin on their jobs ell done, and he encouraged us to continue to support each other.  Our thoughts are with our friend Christian as he mourns the loss of his grandmother.

​There will be an officer meeting and Post-Toasties next week after the meeting.
The District 44 Spring Conference will be held May 4-5 at the Atlanta Marriott Alpharetta Hotel.  See www.d44conference.org for more information.  At this conference we will celebrate our two new DTMs Jatika and Lee.  Congratulations ladies!  We are so pround of you!

The December 20 meeting of T-Toasters of Vinings revolved around the Winter Solstice, and was led by first-time Toastmaser of the Day Devin.  In attendance were 11 members and 3 guests.  Devin shared some interesting facts about the solstice, including that it is the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere, as well as the longest day of the year in the southern hemisphere.
 
Leading the evaluation team was General Evaluator Christian.  His team included Grammarian Jim, Ah -Counter (and guest) Erica, Timer Josue and Ballot Counter Greg.  Jim’s Word of the Day was “pinnacle“ meaning top, or crest. 
​
Three speakers took the lectern.  First of those three was Andrea with an Advanced project form the Successful Club Series titled “How to Be a Distinguished Club”.  Andrea inspired the club by announcing that we have been a President’s Distinguished Club for 13 years, and are about to complete our 14th year as such.  Motivating listeners with gold candy coins, Andrea shared some facts including that the Toastmasters year runs from July 1st through June 30th and that qualifying requirement categories include education, administration, membership and training.  Jasmine served as Andrea’s evaluator.  She noted Andrea’s use of a quote in her strong opening and that her “clarity was on 10!”  Jasmine appreciated how Andrea “channeled a celebratory tone” and kept the audience engaged.
 
The evening’s second speaker was Liana with “Why a Pageant’s Right for Me,” project 5 from the Competent Communicator manual which focuses on body language.  Liana spoke about her decision to pursue participation as a pageant contestant and her journey thus far.  After being named Mrs. Cobb County, Liana will progress to the Mrs. Georgia contest.  Lori served as Liana’s evaluator.  She praised Liana’s strong use of gestures, movement, poise, enthusiasm, vocal variety and facial expressions, as well as her naturally confident manner.  Lori also noted that the use of a personal story was a powerful tool in reaching the audience.
 
The final speaker was Matt with a pocket speech focused on growth and betterment.  Matt touched on the importance of contests, conferences, participation in leadership roles at the area level and the potential value to be gained by becoming involved with an advanced club. 
 
The Table Topics portion of the evening was run by Marcus.  Marcus asked three volunteers about some of their winter experiences.  Greg spoke about what he wants for Christmas (quality time with Jennifer Anniston).  Jim shared that 2002 was his favorite year because of the birth of his son. Guest Jimmy said he has always wanted (but never received) an IPad. 

During the evaluation portion of the meeting, Grammarian Jim noted two uses of the word of the day- nice work, Marcus and Matt!.  Jim appreciated Devin’s use of “figure out what we want to be when we grow up”.  Jim also enjoyed Andrea’s use of a Susan Gale quote, Greg’s “Age is just a number,” Matt’s “evolve or disappear” and Liana’s use of alliteration. 
 
Josue’s Timer report included the following: Andrea 14:49, Liana 5:41, Matt 8:07, Greg 1:02, Jim 1:04, Jimmy :40, Jasmine 2:42, Lori 2:41, Erica 1:30, and Josue 1:00.
 
Chiristian’s General Evaluator report noted that good turnout.  He complimented Josue’s dedication to his Sergeant at Arms role, and congratulated him on his last day as such.  Christian also noted the topical thereme and Devin’s calm and smooth manner as Toastmaster.
 
Guest Erica said, “Thank you for being so welcoming.  I had a great time!”  Jimmy said the meeting was “great, as always!”
President Jim closed out the meeting with some announcements.  Marcus was named our new Vice President Membership.  We are still looking for a Secretary to take over for Lori, as well as a new Sergeant at Arms to replace Josue.    Contest time is upon us.  Please see New VPE George, Jim or Andrea for more information on competing or serving a role. 

The December 13th Holiday Party Meeting of T-Toasters of Vinings was hosted at the Lake Laurel clubhouse by Toastmaster Jim, our club’s President.  With a festive Christmas tree and beautiful decorated tables, courtesy of Andrea Lewis, the atmosphere was warm and cheery.  A delicious sampling of potluck treats were shared, as was the good company of 15 members and 8 guests.
 
General Evaluator Greg led a team which included Grammarian Jasmine, Ah-Counter Scott, Timer Josue, and Ballot Counter Lori.  Jasmine’s word of the day was “salubrious” meaning “favorable”. 
Marcus was the first of three prepared speakers.  He presented his second project from the advanced annual Speaking to Entertain.  Marcus detailed the shady characters involved in “The Kringle Conspiracy”.  Some of Christmas’s most notorious troublemakers, including Frosty (top distributor of snow), Elfon D. Shelf (Kringle’s muscle) and the big guy himself.  Marcus’s PowerPoint presentation illustrated the who’s and why’s of the Elf B. I’s. investigation into these characters.  David served as Marcus’s evaluator.  David complemented Marcus’s ever-present passion and his excellent use of smooth transitions.
 
The evening’s second speaker was Christian with his 6th CC speech “Play the Long Game”.  Christian began with an explanation of the infamous Marshmallow Experiment, which took place in the 1960s.  In it, participating children were offered a marshmallow but told that if they resisted eating it for a set period of time, they would be rewarded with a second treat.  The study showed that the children who were able to resist achieved more success in life, and lived healthier lives.  In doing so, the critical importance of self-control with regards to delayed gratification was illustrated.  Christian wrapped things up by requesting people pick one thing to do one percent better each day, and to reflect on their choices.  Kristina served as Christian’s evaluator. She noted his pleasing voice, good use of pauses, meaningful movements, and the timeliness of his topic. 
 
The final speech was Beverly’s “Uplift the Spirit” from an advanced manual.  Beverly inspired the crowd, reminding us to “Get busy living or get busy dying,” a line from The Shawshank Redemption.  Beverly encouraged listeners to “work your dash”, referring to the dash seen between a birthdate and death date on a gravestone.  Liana, the evening’s Best Evaluator, evaluated Beverly’s speech.  Liana began by asking the crowd, “Did you feel uplifted?” and was met with a resounding “Yes!”  Liana said, “Hand down, this was the best speech I’ve heard from you@”
 
The Table Topics Master for the evening was George.  Four participants stepped up to the lectern to answer George’s questions.  Guest Jean chose to speak about a doll in our Toys for Tots collection pile that reminded her of one from her childhood which inspired her to become a teacher.  Kristina shared her thoughts on Christmas music.  Guest Jimmy filled us in on his opinion of Christmas movies.
Guest Jatika discussed her holiday plans for a Las Vegas vacation and took home the ribbon for Best Table Topics.
 
In her Grammarian report, Jasmine complimented Christian’s phrase “The decision you make has a strong impact later.” As well as Lianna’s “gamut of emotions”. 
Scott’s Ah-Counter report let us know that “and” and “so” were the words of the day.  Scott encouraged us to take the opportunity to pause, reminding us that it can make us sound more knowledgeable as speakers and makes it appear as though we’ve “got it together”.  General Evaluator Greg feels that “Every evaluation team should have two Bracketts!” and suggested keeping the wine stash closer to Suzanne. 
 
Our guests then shared their thoughts on the party.  Jean said, “It felt good to speak again!”  Jatika reminded speakers of the importance of bringing their manuals and striving to meet their speech objectives. Maya though the meeting went well.  Tracy enjoyed the evaluators, the speeches and the meeting’s flow.  Markisa was “glad to be back” and Zachary said, “All the meetings are awesome!”
 
President Jim closed out the meeting with a special thank you to Andrea for all of her hard work.  The crowd was also reminded that TLI will be held on January 6th.  With the attendance of our officer team there, our club will have met all ten of our Distinguished Club goals and will be named President’s Distinguished for the fourteenth year!

The November 29 meeting of T-Toasters of VInings was led by Toastamaster Christian with a theme of Holidays.  Christian shared several tidbits about various holidays and holiday traditions with the crowd including Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hannukah and Kwaanza.  In attendance were 14 members and 2 young guests- Zachary and Maya. 
 
General Evaluator Matt led a team which included George as Grammarian, Lori as Ah-Counter, Jim as Timer and Chad as Ballot Counter.  George’s Word of the Day was “wastrel” meaning “one who is wasteful”. 
​
As the first of two prepared speakers, Greg gave an advanced level speech from the Storytelling Manual entitled “Dream Big”.  Greg’s speech covered a variety of topics including his teenage crush on Jennifer Aniston, his experience owning the coolest t-shirt in the universe and the dreams he had for himself as a Toastmaster.  Lee served as Greg’s evaluator.
 
Next up at the lectern was Beverly with an advanced speech from the Better Speaker series entitled “Organizing Your Speech”.  Beverly provided the audience with handouts and touched on several pointers including starting with a great opening, including interesting facts, using stories and props and trying techinquest like demonstrations with volunteers.  Marcus served as Beverly’s evaluator.
 
 
The Table Topics Master for the evening was Josue who asked the crowd to imagine they were at a holiday party and that they were approached by guests who asked a variety of questions.  The first participant was Suzanne who was approached by a psychic and was allowed to ask for the details of any one future event she’d like to know about.  Suzanne showed a bit of her true nature by admitting she’d rather learn about the psychic’s experiences than to know about her own future.  Next up was Chad who was asked if he’d rather develop beliefs or gain knowledge.  Chad shared the tale of a work trip with a colleague and her nervousness about public speaking.  Mark was the third participant.  Josue asked him, “When you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up?”  Mark wanted to b e a professional baseball player.  The final participant was George.  He was asked, “If you didn’t have to worry about money, what would you do with your life?”  George said if he had a job he loved, he’d probably continue working.
 
Timer Jim reported the following stats: Greg 3:38, Beverly 13:23, Lee 2:56, Marcus 3:26, Suzanne 1:06, Chad 2:19, Mark 1:33, and George 1:33

General Evaluator Matt reminded us to not ask for corrections, especially when acting as Toastmaster as it causes us to potentially give up control of the timing if people do add their thoughts.  Matt commended Christian on his ability to keep up with all of the moving parts of the meeting.  Finally, he also reminded us to clap until speakers take their seats.
There was no vote for Best Speaker as we only had two prepared speakers.  Marcus was named Best Evaluator and Suzanne won the ribbon for Best Table Topics. 
 
President Jim took the lectern to share some announcements: 
-Our holiday party will be at the Lake Laurel clubhouse on 12/13 at 6:00.  Please remember to sign up for the potluck and to bring a toy for Toys for Tots. 
-Club members received a survey and are asked to participate in our efforts to continue to improve our experience at T-Toasters
-TLI will be held on Saturday, January 6 at the Loudermilk Center (Georgia State).  Contact Greg Palmer for tickets if you’re interested in attending.  T-Toasters will cover the cost!
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/district-44-toastmasters-mid-year-club-officer-training-at-toastmasters-leadership-institute-tickets-39924321721
 

The October 25th meeting of T-Toasters of Vinings was attended by 12 members.  Toastmaster Christian, decked out in vampire regalia, started the meeting by introducing his timely theme: Halloween.  Christian enjoys the parties and shenanigans which surround the holiday, and kept the group entertained with fun facts about October 31st. 

In his first time as General Evaluator, Josue led a team which included Greg as both Grammarian and Ah-Counter and Lori as Timer. 

​Marcus, the first of three prepared speakers, gave his tenth CC speech entitled “How I Got Over”.  Growing up, Marcus struggled with low self-esteem due to his strict father.  He thought of himself as an Urkele type, and struggled with various challenges through the years.  As he made his way through these struggles, Marcus began to realize that if he relied on his “Four Keepers” he could triumph over adversity.  Marcus advised: Keep your head up (get rid of the stinkin’ thinkin’), Keep serving (get out of your own head by helping others), Keep Pounding (a reference to Panthers coach Sam Mills), and Keep the the faith (his faith has lent him strength).
 
Next up at the lectern was Beverly.  Beverly presented “Why Didn’t You Just Leave?” Beverly presented several sobering statistics about domestic violence.  Every 52 seconds a woman is abused.  More women were murdered by their partners than troops were killed in Afghanastan between 2001-2012.  Women with disabilities are even more suspetible to domestic violence. Beverly included reasons that some women either can’t or won’t leave these situations including a lack of money and work experience, familial pressures, guilt and isolation.  She also included a helpful handout with resources for people who might be living with violence.
 
Anne presented a pocket speech entitlted “You’re Sorry But I’m Dead”.  Continuing the converestation about domestic violence, Anne told us the stories of close friends who lived with violent partners.  Anne cautioned the audience “When someone shows you who they are, believe them,” a quote from Maya Angelou. 
 
George served as Table Topics Master.  With an upcoming birthday of his own, George chose to use various people with October 25th birthdays as his topics.  Ken spoke about Johan Straus (1825), Kristina spoke about Katy Perry (1984) and Christian spoke about James Carville (1944)
Anne evaluated Marcus’s speech.  She praised Marcus’s opening saying,  “In the first few seconds we decide if we’re going to lean in and listen.”   She noted that Marcus gained a consensus of the audience with his statement “Everyone loves a hero” and enjoyed that he included a joke within the first 60 seconds of his speech.
 
Justin evaluated Beverly.  He complimented her preparation saying he appreciated the “respect you gave to us by having your stuff together.”  Justin appreciated the depth of Beverly’s topic and the emotion she used to convey the stories of some who have lived with domestic violence.
 
Greg was Anne’s Evaluator.  He noted her descriptive vocabulary, describing the images that her words brought to his mind.  Greg also appreciated Anne’s use of vocal variety, and her inclusion of Maya Angelou’s words. 
 
Josue announced the evening’s winners.  Anne was named the Best Evaluator, Marcus was our Best Speaker and Ken was our est Table Topics Speaker. 

​Thank you to the Allstar Team of Jim, Andrea and Josue for compiling the minutes in my absence.  You guys rock! -Lori
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The October 18th meeting of T-Toasters of Vinings was led by Toastmaster Tiffini.  In attendance were 17 members and 1 guest, Ed Bauer, our Area Director.
 

Christian was the first speaker. He spoke about challenges he faced in school, specifically Spanish class. Riddled with self-doubt, he questioned his ability to learn…
 
Next up was George T. He presented his college project, which involved studying the effect of automobile accidents on a toddler’s neck. While the information presented included a lot of engineering data, George did a fine job of breaking down the concepts for his non-technical audience. Unfortunately George’s speech failed to qualify – he exceeded the allotted time.
 
Next up was Beverly Peace-Kayhill. She described how pets contribute to their owners mental and physical health. Pet provide not only unconditional love, but also contribute to reducing susceptibility to environmental allergies when babies are raised with pets,
 
And batting clean-up was Anne Taylor, the evening’s best speech winner. Anne’s mantra: “gratitude washes over her” was vividly described as warm water washing over her face on a cold day. She explained she had recently had hip replacement surgery, to replace her previous hip replacement, and was the reason she had missed a bunch of our T-Toasters meetings.  She advised us to pause and let gratitude wash over us when we are stressed or angry.
 
For table topics Theresa Worthy gave each of the participants an article of clothing and they had to tell us where they were when they wore it. 
 
1st Marcus James received a slick black dress. He wore that dress to the Miss America pageant on a mission to get his target. To not arise any suspicion he participated on behalf of Idaho. Halfway through the contest he spotted his target so he quickly removed the dress because his weapon was hidden underneath. 
Not to worry- he had on a bikini and because he got his target it counted as his talent as well. In the end he became the greatest Miss America secret agent there ever was. 
 
2nd Mr. Ed Bauer received a very elegant bedazzled woman’s shoe. It was worn by a very elegant lady he met on a night fresh into his college life at 18 in New York City. He was out with his buddies and met this gorgeous woman. After he built up the courage to speak to her he found out he was a lady of the night. Regardless it was a night he will never forget. 
 
3rd Matt B. received a black hat and an ID holder with logo MATCHUP. He wore those to the MATCHUP convention also in New York City. He was desperate, okay?! He went around letting everyone know who he was and what he was interested in. However, at the end of it all he recommends we don’t waste our time or money with it as it was not worth it. 
 
4th Lee Pratt received a giant green jacket that she wore on a very particular day. She left home with it flapping her arms around hoping the jacket would leave her to adventure.   She visited her neighbor Beverly and Jim too but no luck. She then went over to Marcus and she found the purpose that day was to they Marcus a piggy back ride while flying away flapping her arms in the giant leprechaun green jacket.
 
Andrea evaluated Christian, Chad evaluated George, Lianna, the evening’s winner, evaluated Beverly and Greg evaluated Anne. 
 
Lianna expressed concern about evaluating a member that was more advanced through the Communication Track than she was. It is important to understand that speakers need to hear feedback from ALL audience members, not just those Toastmaster members whose experience and education level exceeds their own. This is a lesson I was taught by Anne Taylor, who graciously explained this fact to me during my first evaluation of her speech when I was a very new Toastmaster. 
 
Despite arriving late, Jim served as Grammarian with “Balk” as the word of the day. Matt served as Ah Counter, and Josue served as Timer (and did an outstanding job of informing the group of the qualification status of each member prior to “Best of” votes).  Marcus praised the group for pulling the meeting together despite a light turn-out and a number of late arrivers (traffic was HEINOUS). He applauded those folks who stepped into roles upon request: Josue, Matt, and Traci. Traci counted ballots and announced the winners. 
 
Ed Bauer, our Area D41 Director, closed the meeting with the call to action to use the skills we develop within Toastmasters for positive purposes. He quoted the famous phrase uttered in the movie Cool Hand Luke: “What we have here is a failure to communicate”. Ed offered that this “failure to communicate” was why all of his clients came into his office (Ed is a lawyer), was the reason for the protests and riots in the 1960s and is at the heart of the political and community discord of today. Ed requested our help with a struggling Toastmaster club, Shaw Speaks, which (unfortunately) meets on Wednesday nights. 
 

​The October 11th meeting of T-Toasters of VInings was led by Toastmaster Theresa.  Theresa’s theme for the evening was Conglomerates.  Jim served as General Evaluator.  His team included Josue as Timer, Jasmine as Grammarian, Kristina as Ah Counter and Lee as Ballot Counter. Jasmine’s Word of the Day was “logophile” meaning “lover of words”.  Christian, Greg, Andrea and Lori (Best Evaluator) served as speech evaluators.
 
Four prepared speakers were on the agenda.  First up David with his 3rd Advanced project “What Do You Attract”.  David inspired us all with his speech.  He shared that when it comes to attaining goals, “The story you tell yourself is very powerful”.
 
Next up was Best Speaker Chad with his second Advanced speech “A Toast to Toasmasters”.  Chad took us down memory lane with his journey to finding Toastmasters and conquering his fear of public speaking. 
 
George was the third speaker.  He presented “The Ajmerican Nightmare”, his 7th CC project.  George pointed out some worrying  statistics about the state of American’s savings.  People are spending more than they earn and are not saving enough.  This could easily lead to instability, being a burden on family, and being unable to retire.

Beverly reported on her High Performance Leadership Project.  Beverly was charged with arranging a speech contest for her Alpharetta area clubs.  Unfortunately, she found herself with only two contestants- one for each competition!  Despite this challenge, Beverly managed to pull off a successful contest, providing participants with a chance to break out of their comfort zones.  “If you’re not embarrassed or afraid, you’re not taking chances!” counsels Beverly.
 
Devin served as Table Topics Master for the evening and gifted T-Toasters with a box of Table Topics cards from 2006.  Pulling from the deck, three participants were given the chance to practice their impromptu speaking skills.  Best Table Topics Speaker Kristina talked about the life experience that strengthened her the most.  Tracee told us what she enjoys about the single life.  Lee told us that the change she would most like to make to her personality is her impulsivity.
 
Remember that the annual T-Toasters holiday party will be held on December 13th at the Lake Laurel Clubhouse which is at the intersection of Cooper Lake Rd and Beechview Dr SE in Smyrna.  Please contact Jim if you’re available to help with setup.

​The October 4th meeting of T-Toasters of VInings was led by first time Toastmaster Christian.  Christian’s theme for the evening was Atlanta.  Christian asked ”What makes the city great?” and gave examples of what he thinks makes our city qualify as such.  
 
Marcus served as General Evaluator.  His team included Jim as Timer, Theresa as Grammarian, Chad as Ah Counter and Justin as Ballot Counter. 
 
Three prepared speakers were on the agenda.  First up was Atlanta native Tiffini with her fourth CC speech entitled “My Atlanta Bucket List?””.  Tiffini took listeners through her hometown of Southwest Atlanta, home of Outkast, Mayor Kassim Reed and the very first Chick Fil A ever.  Other stops included Atlanta University Center, the Busy Bee Café, the new Mercedes Benz Stadium, the Varsity, a Georgia Tech game, the Atlanta History Center and the Pink Pig.  Devin served as Tiffini’s evaluator.  He told Tiffini she is fun to listen to and her “enthusiasm is to die for”. 
 
Next up was George with his sixth CC speech “Hands and Pockets: Can We Make It Work?”  George’s speech focused on this small detail of public speaking call it a “No-no that we all know”.  He told the story of an evaluator at another club’s meeting presenting in a casual confident manner with his hands in his pockets, and his struggle to decide if this body language choice should knock him out of the running as Best Evaluator.  In the end, George decided that if one knows their audience and has the confidence to pull it off, hands in pockets can be a valid style choice.  Josue evaluated George saying his topic was “a question we always ask but never get answered”. 
 
The Best Speaker of the evening, Greg, completed his 10th CC project which he named “My Journey as a Speaker”.  Greg crafted a touching speech beginning with his experiences as an athlete.  He told us how this phase of his life led to him developing an often brusque style of communication, and that this style didn’t translate well to corporate America.  He gave listeners some insight into the brain injuries that resulted from his wrestling career lightening the mood with his statement “I’ve been hit in the head a lot but it’s all right- the ladies still love me!”  Greg finished by letting T-Toasters know that we’ve given him something even more valuable than money and bacon- we’ve given him hope.  Best Evaluator Liana told Greg she genuinely enjoys listening to him speak.  Liana said Greg has a great presence, and complimented his transparency, declaring he’d “nailed every objective”.
 
Table Topics Master Lori took the crowd on a visual tour of some Atlanta hotspots by showing participants images and asking them to either explain what we were looking at or to share a story about each place.  First up was guest Trinity who told listeners about the Georgia Aquarium.  Mark spoke about the fabulous Fox Theater, guest Yvette gave a moving talk about the Martin Luther King Memorial and Justin gave his theory about the Vortex In Little Five Points.
 
Grammarian Theresa counted seven uses of the Word of the Day which was “rudimentary” (involving or limited to basic principles).  Congratulations to Mark, Jim, Lori, Tiffini, Greg and George for working it in.  Theresa also appreciated Christian’s use of “gazillion”, Marcus’s “We have a spy among us!”, George’s “we emote”, Greg’s “As an athlete, I could get away with murder” and “zero-sum game”, Devin’s “enthusiasm to die for”, Josue’s “George, our favorite Bulgarian” and Liana’s “thesis statement”.
 
Our four guests shared their thoughts on the meeting. Diane found the meeting “interesting”.  Trinity said, “At points it got a little boring and you sounded like Charlie Brown’s teacher, but I liked talking about places and the Atlanta speech!”  Nikki described us as “so welcoming” and Yvette said “As usual it was fantastic!” and recommended that we pay attention to the details in each speech project.
 The October 4th meeting of T-Toasters of VInings was led by first time Toastmaster Christian.  Christian’s theme for the evening was Atlanta.  Christian asked ”What makes the city great?” and gave examples of what he thinks makes our city qualify as such.  

 
Marcus served as General Evaluator.  His team included Jim as Timer, Theresa as Grammarian, Chad as Ah Counter and Justin as Ballot Counter. 
 
Three prepared speakers were on the agenda.  First up was Atlanta native Tiffini with her fourth CC speech entitled “My Atlanta Bucket List?””.  Tiffini took listeners through her hometown of Southwest Atlanta, home of Outkast, Mayor Kassim Reed and the very first Chick Fil A ever.  Other stops included Atlanta University Center, the Busy Bee Café, the new Mercedes Benz Stadium, the Varsity, a Georgia Tech game, the Atlanta History Center and the Pink Pig.  Devin served as Tiffini’s evaluator.  He told Tiffini she is fun to listen to and her “enthusiasm is to die for”. 
 
Next up was George with his sixth CC speech “Hands and Pockets: Can We Make It Work?”  George’s speech focused on this small detail of public speaking call it a “No-no that we all know”.  He told the story of an evaluator at another club’s meeting presenting in a casual confident manner with his hands in his pockets, and his struggle to decide if this body language choice should knock him out of the running as Best Evaluator.  In the end, George decided that if one knows their audience and has the confidence to pull it off, hands in pockets can be a valid style choice.  Josue evaluated George saying his topic was “a question we always ask but never get answered”. 
 
The Best Speaker of the evening, Greg, completed his 10th CC project which he named “My Journey as a Speaker”.  Greg crafted a touching speech beginning with his experiences as an athlete.  He told us how this phase of his life led to him developing an often brusque style of communication, and that this style didn’t translate well to corporate America.  He gave listeners some insight into the brain injuries that resulted from his wrestling career lightening the mood with his statement “I’ve been hit in the head a lot but it’s all right- the ladies still love me!”  Greg finished by letting T-Toasters know that we’ve given him something even more valuable than money and bacon- we’ve given him hope.  Best Evaluator Liana told Greg she genuinely enjoys listening to him speak.  Liana said Greg has a great presence, and complimented his transparency, declaring he’d “nailed every objective”.
 
Table Topics Master Lori took the crowd on a visual tour of some Atlanta hotspots by showing participants images and asking them to either explain what we were looking at or to share a story about each place.  First up was guest Trinity who told listeners about the Georgia Aquarium.  Mark spoke about the fabulous Fox Theater, guest Yvette gave a moving talk about the Martin Luther King Memorial and Justin gave his theory about the Vortex In Little Five Points.
 
Grammarian Theresa counted seven uses of the Word of the Day which was “rudimentary” (involving or limited to basic principles).  Congratulations to Mark, Jim, Lori, Tiffini, Greg and George for working it in.  Theresa also appreciated Christian’s use of “gazillion”, Marcus’s “We have a spy among us!”, George’s “we emote”, Greg’s “As an athlete, I could get away with murder” and “zero-sum game”, Devin’s “enthusiasm to die for”, Josue’s “George, our favorite Bulgarian” and Liana’s “thesis statement”.
 
Our four guests shared their thoughts on the meeting. Diane found the meeting “interesting”.  Trinity said, “At points it got a little boring and you sounded like Charlie Brown’s teacher, but I liked talking about places and the Atlanta speech!”  Nikki described us as “so welcoming” and Yvette said “As usual it was fantastic!” and recommended that we pay attention to the details in each speech project.