September 20, 2017 minutes

The September 20th meeting of T-Toasters of Vinings was led by Toastmaster Jim with a theme of “Flexibility”.  In attendance were 18 members and 1 guest.  Lori served as General Evaluator and led a team which included Andrea as Grammarian, Beverly as Ah-Counter, Chad as Timer and Carin as Ballot Counter.  Andrea’s Word of the Day was “malleable” which means “adaptable or tractable”.
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Four prepared speakers took the lectern to give their presentations. First up was David with his Icebreaker speech “How Bad Do You Want It?”.  Although this was David’s first speech with T-Toasters, he has actually already completed his CC award, but wanted to share a bit about himself with our group.  David is an entrepreneur.  Three months after launching his business, it was hit with a $350,000 class action lawsuit!  Not one to easily give up, David consulted 8 different attorneys who all gave him the same advice- close the doors!  Undeterred, David contacted one more attorney who suggested simply having a conversation with the other side.  That conversation was tremendously beneficial, and David learned that when you want something badly enough, sometimes persistence will get you there. David’s Evaluator was Natalia.  She commented on David’s speaking ability and steady pace.

Best Speaker winner of the evening, Marcus, gave his powerful 9th speech, “Pole Position”.  Marcus made his case for why Confederate flags should be removed from state and federal buildings.  His four points were: 1. The flag is not a complete representation of history, 2. It’s treasonous, 3. It’s not even the same flag and 4. It is a hate symbol.  Devin served as Marcus’s Evaluator.  He complimented Marcus’s powerful message, moving opening and strong argument. 

Jasmine, a self-described “recovering information hoarder” gave her fourth CC speech “Who do you call…A Millennial“.  A serious technology buff, Jasmine assured the crowd that, “Millenials are here to make your life easier.”  She polled the crowd on their own tech-savviness.  Best Evaluator Theresa began her report with a Ghosbusters style song and complimented Jasmine’s engagement of the audience.

Last but not least was George with “Mathematical Lessons in Humility”.  George asked the crowd “Have you ever been high on your own ego?”  Using his incredible verbal prowess, he described a math competition from his high school days, describing his sense of humor as “a weapon of class distraction”.  “Slow and steady wins the race, fast and egoistic leads to public disgrace,” sighed George.  Christian, George’s Evaluator, complimented his word choice and his gift of making the audience laugh. 

Greg served as Table Topics Master.  The first participant, Hank, was asked which gymnastics event he would choose.  Justin, the evening’s winner, answered the question “Why should I eat other breakfast meats besides bacon? Lee described the importance of knowing where your food comes from and the details of how it is prepared.
 
General Evaluator Lori praised Jim’s malleability as Toastmaster, and complimented the group for the willingness to sign up for roles in advance. 
Andrea closed the meeting out with some announcements.  The D44 Fall Conference is right around the corner.  Not far behind will be our annual holiday party.  Opinions were solicited on a venue for this event.  Please submit any suggestions you may have.  Possibilities include: Smyrna’s Community Center, our regular meeting room (alcohol is not allowed), and a neighborhood clubhouse.  A survey will be forthcoming.