The September 6th meeting ofo T-Toasters of Vinings was masterfully led by Toastmaster of the Day Beverly.  In attendance were 13 members and 1 guest.  General Evaluator Jim led a team which included Tracee as Ah Counter, Jasmine as Timer and Natalia as Ballot Counter. The Word of the Day was “catachresis”.

Four prepared speakers presented for the crowd.  First up was Christian with his Ice-Breaker speech.  Christian had made a decision to work on some personal goals, and that is a large part of what brought him to T-Toasters.  Greg served as Christian’s Evaluator.  He complimented Christian’s comfort level and commented on his ability to speak without the aid of notes.

The second speaker of the night was Theresa with her Advanced project “Farewell to Africa”.  Theresa spoke words of praise about her daughter, Shawna.  Shawna is an incredibly loyal and generous person who has accomplished great things in her life.  At the end of Theresa’s speech, the audience was surprised to learn Shawna was actually in the room with us!  Devin was Theresa’s Evaluator, and was voted the night’s Best Evaluator.  He complimented her excellent storytelling and moving tale.

Marcus gave his eighth CC speech “Fantasy Football 101 with Professor MWJ”.  Marcus enjoys playing fantasy football and shared some of his championship level tips with the crowd.  Josue was Marcus’s Evaluator.  He noted Marcus’s use of strong visual aids and his mastery of the subject matter.

The Best Speaker of the evening was George with his second CC project “Ice Breaker: Take 2”.  George was born in Bulgaria and earned an Engineering degree from Duke.  He was also the 13th fastest swimmer in Georgia back in his younger days!  Lori was George’s Evaluator.  She commented on his signature humorous style, his organization and his poise in front of the crowd.
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Beverly did double duty as the evening’s Table Topics Master.  Each participant was asked to speak about his or her best or worst trip.  Jim, Devin and the evening’s winner, Natalia, all shared stories.  

The August 23 meeting of T-Toasters of Vinings centered around the theme “Hump Day”.  George served as Toastmaster to the 19 members and 1 guest in attendance.  Jim, our General Evaluator, led a team compromised of Greg as Grammarian, Beverly as Ah Counter, Josue as Timer and Liana as Ballot Counter.  Greg’s word of the day was “oblivious”, meaning “clueless, not aware of”. 

Three prepared speeches were given.  First to the lectern was Tracee with her Icebreaker speech “Why Did I Join Toastmasters?”  “Life is about change,” said Tracee.  A good athlete, star student and mom to two teens, Tracee has decided to take a few risks in her life in order to grow.  She hopes that her Toastmasters journey will help to that end.  Andrea was Tracee’s Evaluator, and the evening’s winner.  Andrea shared that this didn’t seem like a first speech for Tracee and complimentered her determination to grow.  She noted the speech was well organized, and that Tracee possessed both a calm and poised presence and vulnerability.

Jasmine gave her second CC speech entitled “Defining Culture in the Workplace”.  Jasmine used big companies and their policies as some positive examples of good workplace culture. Netflix, for example, provides employees with a full year of paid parental leave when they add a new family member.  “When you provide a great workplace, employees work harder and smarter,” said Jasmine.  “Culture is the social glue that helps everyone stick together,” she continued.  Christian served as Jasmine’s Evaluator.  He noted her calm, organized approach.  Christian also thought that Jasmine chose an interesting topic and appreciated her strong opening which got the entire audience participating.

The evening’s Best Speaker, Chad, gave a speech from an advanced manual entitled “One Size Does Not Fit All”.  As a recruiter, Chad has learned a lot about what it takes to produce a stellar resume, and he was kind enough to share some insider tips with the audience.  He gave several concrete examples of things to do as well as things to avoid, and accompanied his speech with handouts which illustrated great and not so great resumes.  First time Evaluator Devin shared his thoughts on Chad’s talk.  He noted Chad’s expertise on the subject, the structure and organization of his speech, and his confidence.

​Marcus served as the evening’s Table Topics Master and invited 6 participants to the lectern.  The evening’s winner, Mark, told the crowd about the most difficult part of the weeks, Lee told us her thoughts on 4 day weekends, guest Aaron told us what he dreads about his job, Tiffini shared that she’s lucky to be working at her dream job, Lori shared that her favorite day of the workweek is Wednesday, and Justin artfully dodged a question with a response about an upcoming fight.
Grammarian Greg noted that Tracee, Chad, Andrea, Devin and Jim all used the Word of the Day.  Timer Josue noted the following times: Tracee 4:21, Jasmine 5:28, Chad 7:28, Mark 1:08, Lee 1:05, Aaron :53, Tiffini :57, Lori :32, Justin 1:25, Andrea 2:49, Christian 2:26, and Devin 2:14.  General Evaluator Jim reminded us of the importance of working the Toastmaster Program. 

Reminders and Announcements: Dues are due!  Please pay our Treasurer Greg your $60 for the next six months no later than September 15. Greg can accept Paypal, cash or check. 
Congratulations to Suzanne and Marcus for their participation in our area contest!  Suzanne will be advancing to the Division D Evaluation Contest.
We held an officer/Post-Toasties meeting at Padriac’s after the meeting.  Thank you to all who attended.  Your officer team is always looking for your input and feedback to help keep T-Toasters of Vinings at its best.  Please share any thoughts you have with any member of the officer team.    

The August 8th meeting of T-Toasters of Vinings was a lively event led by Toastmaster Andrea with the theme of “A Taste of New Orleans”.  Members and guests with several New Orleans-style dishes and were showered with Mardi-Gras beads for participation.

General Evaluator George did a stellar job leading a team that included Marcus as Grammarian, Christian as Ah-Counter, Jim as Timer and Josue as Ballot Counter.  In attendance at the meeting were 15 members and 5 guests.

Justin was the first of two prepared speakers for the evening.  He presented the final part of his panel discussion series “Justin’s Philosophy on Legacy”.  Justin assembled a panel that included Beverly, Matt, Lori and Kyle and led a discussion focusing around the legacies we wish to leave behind.  “When doing anything, think about the mark you leave and the people you leave an impression on,” said Justin.  He reminded us that he “came into this room with the dream of being a speaker” and was rewarded with encouragement.  Justin hopes to leave behind a university and a legacy of love.  Greg acted as Justin’s Evaluator.  He spoke of Justin’s sincere and transparent presence and congratulated him on leading a powerful discussion.

Theresa presented “How to be a Distinguished Club”.  She reviewed with the audience the requirements to become (or in our case, remain) a Toastmasters Distinguished Club.  T-Toasters is working towards their 14th year as a President’s Distinguished Club, the highest award given by Toastmasters International.  Theresa stressed the importance of holding high-quality meetings.  Education, Membership, Training and Administration are all essential elements to the Distinguished Club program.  Best Evaluator Chad shared his thoughts about Theresa’s presentation.  He noted her excellent use of visuals as well as her playful, spirited, entertaining style. 

Table Topics Master Jasmine asked participants about their New Orleans experiences.  Winner Liana spoke about her experience with the foods, Greg mumbled something about myths and getting himself in trouble .  Guest Krista described her ideal vacation.

​Near the end of the meeting we heard from our guests.  Kyle commented on how our group supports everyone in meeting their goals, Tracy complimented our encouraging atmosphere and is excited to experience her own progression as she starts attending regularly, and Krista said she enjoyed our incredible environment.  Linda Dyson, our new Division D Director for District 44 said, “I had a ball!”  Eduard Bauer, Area D41 Director said, “This is absolutely an awesome group!”  Eduard gave a heartfelt address and pledged his support to T-Toasters of Vinings as our club works towards our 14th time being a President’s Distinguished club.

The August 2nd meeting of T-Toasters of Vinings was held in Building 1 as our regular meeting room was unavailable.  Despite this challenge, Sergeant at Arms Josue managed to start the meeting promptly at 6:00,  Kudos Josue!  Mitzi served as Toastmaster with a theme of Superstitions.  Mitzi's mom was very superstitious, and she and her siblings grew up thinking "everyone was going to die!"  Mitzi explained that superstitions exist because people sought an explanation for all of the things that happen in life.

Theresa served as General Evaluator and led a team including Greg as Grammarian, Jasmine as Ah-Counter, Jim as Timer, and Justin as Ballot Counter.  Greg's word of the day was "shenanigans", which was used by both Jasmine and Theresa.

Devin was the first speaker of the evening with his Icebreaker speech entitled "Life Thus Far".  Devin has had a long career in avionics and electronics.  He was born in St. Paul, Minnesota and has learned to identify his strengths which include his analytical abilities, his adaptability, and his public speaking ability.  Devin's Evaluator, Christian, complimented him on his calm demeanor, and how easy it was to listen to him.  Congratulations on completing your first speech, Devin!

Best Speaker Winner Carin used her magic wand to inspire the audience with her tenth CC speech "It's Magic... Wait No It Isn't".  Balancing her serious message about taking responsibility for one's life with humor and humility, Carin shared some of the struggles she has experienced and the lessons she has learned about one's ability to change their circumstances.  Carin's Evaluator, Kristina, commented on the "emotional rollercoaster" of a speech Carin gave, and complimented her ability to take listeners on that journey with vulnerability and emotion.  

Beverly was our thired speaker with "Finding Success".  In her signature style, Beverly immediately grabbed the audience's attention with her visual aid, Mr. Procrastination who was hanging over her head.  Andrea, Beverly's Evaluator complimented her powerful call to action along with her talent for creating moving and entertaining speeches at a moment's notice.

Tiffini presented "What's the Skinny: How a Bill Becomes a Law".  Tiffini gave us a "high school civics" style refresher on this key element of our lawmaking process, detailing the steps with the addition of some interesting stories and entertaining examples.  Best Evaluator Suzanne said that Tiffini is a "born, natural speaker.  You take command as soon as you step up." 

Building upon the evening's theme, Table Topics Master George called upon MCG to tell us thee role her parents played in the development of her superstitious beliefs, Lori to tell whether or not she was afraid of the dark, Josue to share about a Hispanic superstition, and guest Yashika who spoke about her Southern superstitions.

General Evaluator Theresa reminded the 19 members and 2 guests in attendance of the Toastmaster's Mission as well as the importance of watching our meeting timing, and President Jim closed out the meeting with his thoughts.    

T-Toasters of Vinings held their Evaluation and Humorous Speech contests on July 19th and July 26th respectively.  

The Evaluation Contest Chair, Mary-Catherine, led a team including Lori as Contestmaster, Carin as Contest Sergeant at Arms, Josue and Rob as Timers, Lakeisha as Ballot Counter and Jim as Chief Judge.  
Guest Speaker Taylor Duncan gave a speech entitled "Alternative Baseball", sharing with the crowd some of the amazing things he has accomplished with his organization whose mission is to take on ambitious challenges and break social and physical barriers.  

Evaluation Contest contestants included: Lee Pratt, Liana Brackett, Kristina Williams, Marcus James, Christian Bossert, third place contestant Matt Berenson, second place contestant Tiffini Bell and contest winner Suzanne Sheelyy-Walker.  Congratulations Suzanne!  

Humorous Speech Contest Chair Andrea led a team including Matt as Contest Master, Lori as Contest Sergeant at Arms, Christian and Carin as Timers, Lakeisha and Tiffini as Ballot Counters and Jim as Chief Judge.

Contestants included: Liana Brackett who spoke about her love for pranks, George Terziev who spoke about his messy desk, second place contestant Greg Palmer who spoke about the challenges of hair loss and contest winner Marcus James who spoke about the ups and downs of life as a thin guy.  Congratulations Marcus!

Suzanne and Marcus will represent T-Toasters at the  Fall Area D41 Contest

6:30 PM Tuesday
August 22, 2016
Cathedral of Christ the King
2699 Peachtree Rd NE
Atlanta, GA 30305

Please come out and support our winners!  

The July 12, 2017 meeting of T-Toasters of Vinings was led by first time Toastmaster George.  George chose a theme of 3D printing and drew on knowledge from his position at GE as well as information gathered through his senior thesis.  In attendance were 13 members and 1 guest, Kyle, who was referred to us by Suzanne. 

Marcus served as General Evaluator and kept us on track with the aid of his team: Lakeisha as Grammarian, MCG as Ah-Counter,  Lee as Timer and Hank as Ballot Counter.  Lakeisha introduced her Word of the Day, culmination, which means the highest point, or the thing you have been working or aiming towards.

Three speakers gave prepared speeches.  First up was Lori who presented her 9th CC speech “Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers”.  Lori’s aim was to show why homeschooling is a valid educational option for some families and to eliminate some popular misconceptions about it.  Andrea, Lori’s Evaluator, thought the speech was well-written and that the content was interesting and appropriate.

Beverly, the evening’s Best Speaker, showed us “How to Give a Great Speech”.  Showcasing her performance abilities, Beverly expertly illustrated the importance of going beyond the written word and incorporating gestures, vocal variety and entertainment value in our speeches.  She recommended watching a one person play for tips and stressed the importance of knowing your audience.  Josue served as Beverly’s Evaluator.  He appreciated her great start, her confidence and use of quotes.

Jasmine, the final speaker of the evening, gave her Icebreaker Speech.  Jasmine crafted a beautiful speech telling listeners that “Life is like art.” She grew up in Valdosta and moved to Atlanta to pursue a career in PR.   Jasmine gave us a glimpse into her past, present and future with her open and honest introductory speech.  Greg, her Evaluator, especially enjoyed Jasmine’s storytelling style.  He complimented her ability to hook the audience from the start as well as her use of gestures.
Table Topics Master Jim posed questions to four audience members.  First up was Christian who told us if he could 3D print any meal it would be a kale and spinach salad with tomatoes and grass-fed, organic beef.  Rob shared that if he could 3D print something the size of a 2X2X2 cube, he would print a rubber band.  He shared the story of a former colleague who wore one around his wrist as a reminder to remain humble despite success.  Guest Kyle, the evening’s winner, said that if he could 3D print a spouse with custom specifications, he would create his wife of just a month and a half.   He loves her understanding nature, appreciation of non-material things, and her love of food, travel and children.  Hank told us of the harrowing experience he faced during open-heart surgery. Had it not been for an eagle-eyed doctor, he wouldn’t have been there to tell the tale!

General Evaluator Marcus, the evening’s Best Evaluator, called for reports from his team.  Lakeisha noted over 10 members used the Word of the Day (wow!).  Marcus also reminded us of the importance of signing up for roles, especially during the summer months when attendance is low.

President Jim wrapped up the meeting with reminders about our upcoming contests.  Our next meeting will be centered around the Evaluation Contest, and the following around the Humorous Speech Contest.  It is imperative that participants confirm their roles in TurboBase or with the Contest Chairs or Contest Masters.  Please see Jim, Andrea, Mary Catherine or Lori if you need assistance.  Participant Profiles and Eligibility Forms can be found on the website near the bottom of this page: http://t-toasters.com/members-section.html .  Please fill out these forms before the meeting.  If possible, please email these ahead of time.  The contest will run far more smoothly if we have the required paperwork out of the way ahead of time!  Also, please remember to bring a dish to share if possible.  If you’d like to share in advance what you plan to bring, there’s a blog post here: http://t-toasters.com/blog/contest-food-signups .  You can leave a comment, or you can email Lori at lori@lorilphillips.com to be added to the list.  Please also be aware that the following meetings may run long as we have a lot of people signed up to participate!  (Woohoo! Great job T-Toasters!)

​Finally, please remember that TLI is this weekend.  If you’re interested in attending, please see any officer so we can cover your admission cost.

Special thanks to Andrea, Josue and Jim for filling in for me!
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The July 5th meeting of T-Toasters of Vinings was brought to order by Sergeant-At-Arms Josue promptly at 6:00pm.  Greg Palmer served as Toastmaster with his theme of Ice Cream. Greg regaled us with numerous Ice Cream facts, such as favorite flavors: vanilla, chocolate, and butter pecan. We had 15 members in attendance and three guests: first-timer Moses, repeat guest Jasmine (who joined), and Mary Margaret, who visited with Lee.

Kristine served as General Evaluator and led a team which included Mary-Catherine as Grammarian, Lakeisha as Ah Counter, Jim as Timer, and Marcus as Ballot Counter. MC's Word of the Day was Amiable -- having or showing good-natured qualities 

First to speak, and the winner of Best Speaker, was Andrea with her 10th Competent Communicator (CC) speech (hooray!) "Giving Dignity -- Part 2". Andrea continued the theme of her speech last week. She provided examples of how to provide folks who are in need a hand up, as opposed to a hand out. David was Andrea's Evaluator. David applauded Andrea's passion for her topic and her clear call to action. David pointed out that she could benefit from using a bit more vocal variety to drive her points home.

Carin was our second speaker. In her 9th speech from the Competent Communicator Manual titled "Communication Failure", Carin opens up about her challenged relationship with AT&T. She explained "AT&T puts me in a rage faster than anything else." Carin shared a series of interactions with AT&T's customer service that had the audience in groans of sympathy and sighs of frustration. Matt evaluated Carin. Matt praised Carin for her confident and calm demeanor throughout her speech, as evidenced by her outstanding eye contact with the audience. Matt felt Carin might have enhanced her speech by demonstrating the anger and frustration she clearly experienced while navigating the treacherous path of AT&T's customer no-service call center. 

Our third prepared speaker of the evening was Alyssa. She delivered her 4th speech from the CC manual entitled "Traveling for Yourself". Alyssa and her husband love spending the holidays with their families. However, they found themselves in a quandary after telling their families, during last year's holiday travels, that they planned to start having babies this year. This statement was not the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. "We want to travel this year, too! What should we do? " was the question Alyssa posed to the audience. The audience decided that she should invite her family to join them for a destination vacation.

Josue was Table Topics Master asking a single question of all contestants of the night, "What is your favorite dessert or sweet treat?". Lee described her passion for frozen bananas prepared in a Vita-mix (as an substitute for Ice Cream). Marcus enjoys salty snacks and meat. Jasmine, our evening's Best Table Topic winner, explained her love of ice cream @ Honey Suckle. MCG described the joys of homemade Divinity and Butterscotch Brownies. Kristina's dad loved Haagen-Daaz ice cream. She loves fried ice cream @ Raw. Moses extolled the virtues of Strawberry cheesecake & Nutrageous candy bars. 

Kristina, led the evaluation team and performed admirably. 

Greg closed out his program describing how great bacon Ice cream, and that you should try it yourself before you render judgement.

President Jim reminded folks to sign up for available roles, for both upcoming meetings and our Evaluation Contest (7/19) and Humorous Speech Contest (7/26). Don't forget TLI (Toastmasters Leadership Institute -- Officer training) classes are coming up. These sessions are mandatory for Club officers and are available to any interested member (the club will pay the fee).  

The June 21 meeting of T-Toasters of Vinings was run by first-time Toastmaste4r Marcus with a theme centering around African-American Music Appreciation Month.  Marcus pointed out the wide array of musical genres contributed to and created by African-American artists.  Among others, the following genres would not have been enjoyed by the world without the contributions of African-Americans: Blues, Funk, Soul, Zydago, Hip-Hop, and Reggae.  Marcus also made mention of his favorite group, The Roots.

Lori served as General Evaluator and led a team that included Josue as Grammarian, Beverly as Ah-Counter, Devin as Timer, and Lakeisha as Ballot Counter.  Josue’s Word of the Day was “Ineffable” meaning too great or extreme to be expressed or described in words.

First to speak was Theresa with her emotionally moving speech “A Seed Sprouts At Five Points”.  One day, young mother Theresa took her children on a field trip to Five Points, complete with a ride on the subway.  Momentarily distracted by a fellow passenger, Theresa and two of her children were separated from her daughter, much to her dismay.  Drawing upon her mother’s teaching and her positive attitude, the little girl “reaped what she sowed”.  Her mother did as well.  Greg evaluated Theresa’s speech.  He praised her strong opening, word choice, body language and ability to rouse the emotions of the crowd. 

The second speaker of the evening was Courtney with her third CC speech “Man In the Mirror”.  Drawing upon the lyrics of the late Michael Jackson, Courtney challenged the crowd with the questions “What do you see when you look in the mirror?”  and “How can we make a change if we see someone who is broken down?”  Courtney focused on encouraging the crowd to engage in positive self-talk reminding us that the relationship we have with ourselves is the most important one.  Matt served as Courtney’s Evaluator.  He said that there were three things he especially liked about the speech: the song, the mirror and the message.  Matt loved the vulnerability Courtney showed by opening with a song, and felt she did well at driving her message home.

Liana gave her second CC speech entitled “View From the Top”.  Continuing with a movie theme, Liana practiced a speech she intends to deliver to a group of women trying to break into broadcasting.  The speech was structured around three main ideas- Liana’s personal journey, encouraging words and practical advice.  Liana said that despite her plan for her life not working out as she’d envisioned, she learned that by changing her attitude and focusing on gratitude, she was able to excel.  Hank evaluated Liana and said, others “can’t sleep when you’re speaking!”  He enjoyed listening to her speak, her good energy and her use of a movie as a reference point.   

Carin, the final speaker for the evening, gave her 8th CC speech “Don’t Get Burned”.  Drawing upon personal experience with malignant melanoma, Carin warned the crowd of the dangers of unprotected sun worshipping and gave practical tips for staying safe.  George evaluated Carin and remarked on the relevancy of her topic, her voice and pacing, her deliberate choice of words, gestures and body language as well as her confidence.

Jim served as Table Topics Master and asked participants about how music, especially African-American music, has affected them personally.  Lee discussed a recent musical experience she had on a bus in Cuba,  Lakeisha shared her love for Gospel and Jasmine told us about an experience with Hip-Hop and her general love of music.
 
The 16 members and 3 guests very much enjoyed the evening.  We welcomed our newest member Lakeisha into the fold and enjoyed hearing from guests Phoebe, Nyria and Jasmine who felt that the evaluations and feedback provided were helpful and complimented the high-calibre performences. 

President Jim Cyganek gave his thoughts on the meeting, encouraging members to remember to stand when presenting information.  Jim also reminded us that both the Humorous Speech and Evaluation contests are right around the corner.  Please remember to sign up to bring potluck-style refreshments for both events by commenting on the blog. 

​In his signature style, Marcus closed out the meeting with flair with the words “Love, peace and soul!”