July 12, 2017 Minutes

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.