Speakeasy Toastmasters

Monday, November 28, 2011

News (Ken Covington Obit)

SPEAKEASY NEWS

Online Newsletter of Toastmasters Club 1789

Members and guests have noticed that the Word of the Week is sometimes done in a rather elaborate fashion, while others are somewhat crude but readable (mine). The creator of the better ones has died, and only long-time members will remember Ken Covington. He passed away last Thursday at the age of 90. Visitation is from 5 to 8 on Monday and from 10 to 11 a.m. on Tuesday, with funeral services at 11 a.m. Tuesday -- all at Gearty Delmore Funeral Chapel at 3888 West Broadway in Robbinsdale (55422).

Had a nice e-mail from Larry Berle, our representative in Arizona, who says he is making great progress through the manuals and owes his commitment to Toastmasters to Speakeasy, which is where he started several months ago. I keep him informed about our club via our Sunday evening newsletter, and he could drop in on us at any time. Good.

The latest schedule from Leah is attached (I now do that first thing so I don't forget). The three meetings are the last of 2011, since we will be taking December 21 and 28 off so that members can spend more time spending money and boosting our economy. Any spare time left can be used to write those great speeches we're just itching to create. Do it -- you'll never be sorry.

Also, we can always make room for more speeches. We have the room until 8:30, but seldom go that long.

Speaking of the room -- the one upstairs where we'll be meeting for the rest of the year -- in the words of Peg Meier, a Star Tribune former columnist, "bring warm clothes." That's also the title of a book of hers that sold very well, especially here in the North Country. Yes, it's cool up there, but we're sturdy stock, we are, and we can handle it, perhaps with an extra sweater or a heavier jacket. Or do I exaggerate?

As for this week, if anyone has a change, let me know by 1:00 Wednesday, or we'll have to scribble all over your name on the agenda. Not a pretty picture. See you all at the meeting.

Gordon Andersen

Editor, Speakeasy News

Monday, October 31, 2011

News

SPEAKEASY NEWS

Online Newsletter of Toastmasters Club 1789

Come one, come all. Speakeasy's open house is this Wednesday, and we're marking the occasion with a short regular meeting, goodies, and a chance for visitors to learn what Toastmasters is all about.

If you know of someone who should be a Toastmasters visitor, now is the time to put the arm on him or her and urge attendance at this special event. If you are a recent inquirer and haven't been to a meeting yet, now's the time. I guarantee, it won't hurt a bit.

Three cheers for Cori, Don, and Dorothy for making all the arrangements, including baking ***** (come and taste), and spreading the word via posters and personal contact. We are fortunate to have such enthusiastic members, and I hope we get some more from this special evening. We do so much good for so many people that it's a shame more don't know about us. But we're trying. Yes we are.

So that our visitors get the best impression of our procedures, I hope we all remember to applaud everything. Also, everyone should help in welcoming our visitors, introducing ourselves by name and offering to sit with them and answering any questions they might have. If we all work together on this, we may just get a new member or two or three.

Advance notice: By tradition, we take 3 meetings off during the holidays -- the night before Thanksgiving, and the two Wednesdays during the year-end holidays, which this year are the 21st and 28th of December. We will resume our full schedule on January 4.

For those working their way through the beginning manuals, please remember to bring them with you to meetings so that you can get full credit for speaking, and for the activities in the Leadership manual. There are evaluation forms for every activity in the manual, so even if you're not scheduled, we may need to have you fill in on a duty and you might as well get credit for it.

The schedule for our open house is attached. If you have a duty but run into difficulties, please let me know by 1:00 Wednesday afternoon so that the agenda can be as correct as possible. See you all at the meeting.

Gordon Andersen

Editor, Speakeasy News

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

News & Open House

SPEAKEASY NEWS

Online Newsletter of Toastmasters Club 1789

It's on! Speakeasy is having an open house on November 2, which is a week from this coming Wednesday. Notices have been and are being sent to the local media and flyers are being posted conspicuously. Cori Judge is the prime mover on the project, and is performing admirably. All we can do now is hope that some guests appear.

Historically, Toastmasters has been one of the world's best-kept secrets, despite herculean efforts to give that idea a rest. There are many who have said to themselves, "I've got to look into that someday." But so many never do, for reasons unfathomable. I went through that sort of period myself, almost 31 years ago. I made only one false start, having found a club nearby, marked it on my calendar, looked at the calendar on the day chosen, and wondered if there wasn't something else more important to do. Sadly, I found something.

Sound familiar? I'm guessing that sort of thing happened to most of us, but those who grabbed themselves by the collar and hauled themselves to a meeting have never looked back. We have gained so much in so many areas, it's impossible to describe it all. So let's get ready to welcome our visitors on November 2. We'll talk about it this week.

We do have other items on this week's agenda, and they are described on the attached schedule from Leah. As is our custom, if you are listed for a particular performance (I don't like "duty"), but run into difficulty and can't make it, let me know by 1:00 Wednesday so that I can make the agenda as correct as possible. Thinking ahead, I hope we can be fully organized for our open house, so that visitors are fooled into thinking we do it all the time. It'll be a neat trick. See you Wednesday.

Gordon Andersen

Editor, Speakeasy News

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

news

SPEAKEASY NEWS

Online Newsletter of Toastmasters Club 1789

Good news! For those who have wondered about the absences of our president, Gene Welch, please note that all is OK. Gene has been busy with some extremely important personal matters, and expects to return very soon.

Bad news! We still don't have renewal checks from all of our members. There's no penalty for renewing late, but it is a nuisance for treasurer Dorothy to have to send in renewals individually. If you are still one of the missing, please have pity and mail your check to Dorothy Woodard, 4747 Upton Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55410. (Got it right that time.) C'mon, have a heart.

Now that the summer is over and fall activities have begun in so many ways, have you set goals for your upcoming Toastmasters year? The best way to get full benefit from TM is to take the time to write those book speeches, and deliver them for evaluation by your fellow members. Also, don't forget to use Toastmasters for previewing presentations you have to give at your job. Leah Meyer did just that last week, and I predict she'll knock their socks off. Or has already.

Autumn is also a time for many people out there to seek help with their public speaking. There is no better place for it than Toastmasters, as we all know, and if you know anyone - co-worker, friend, family member, etc. - invite him or her to a meeting. You'll be doing someone a huge favor, as you also already know. We do need a few more members, as so many, through no fault of their own, must miss meetings on occasion. With a larger member pool, we are better assured of fully effective meetings and a chance for every member to participate. Keep your eyes peeled and your ears open.

I'm hesitant to use this space for personal gain, but members have expressed an interest in the progress of my book. I'll use just these 3 lines to direct your browsers to http://www.englishrepairman.com/.

The schedule is attached, as usual. If you need to make a change, try to let me know by 1:00 Wednesday. Otherwise, we'll find a way to adjust and adapt. I hope to see most of you at the meeting.

Gordon Andersen

Editor, Speakeasy News

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Fw: Congratulations to Mike Cook - Area 93 Tall Tales Speech Contest Winner

----- Original Message -----

From: Hamilton, Colleen (GfK Custom Research NA)

To: Lakers President ; Lakers VP PR ; Lakers VPE ; Leadership Summit President ; Speakeasy President ; Speakeasy VPE ; SUPER Valued Speakers President I ; SVS President II ; Talking Meds President (Pink489@comcast.net) ; Whole Wheat President ; Whole Wheat VPE

Cc: mike.w.cook@supervalu.com ; Clark, Shannen M. Retail Operations (Shannen.M.Clark@supervalu.com)

Sent: Tuesday, September 20, 2011 8:50 AM

Subject: Congratulations to Mike Cook - Area 93 Tall Tales Speech Contest Winner

Please join me in congratulating Mike on his successful speech last night. He will go on to represent Area 93 in the Western Division Tall Tales contest on October 6^th. Please come out to cheer him on if you are able! (See the attached flier)

Also, thank you to each of the volunteers who came out to the contest last night to help make it a success and support Mike's ability to proceed to the next level. We literally could not have done it without you and I am personally very grateful for your support!

Keep in mind that there are many speech contests going on this week and next in our Division and in the District as a whole. If you have never been to one, it is a great experience. Check out the D6TM.org website to find one that fits your schedule.

Thanks!

Colleen Hamilton

Senior Research Director

----------------------------------------

GfK Custom Research North America

Consumer Sector

8401 Golden Valley Road, Suite 100

Minneapolis, MN 55427

Tel. +1 (763) 542 0807

Cell +1 (612) 598-6881

Fax. +1 (763) 542 0864

colleen.hamilton@gfk.com

www.gfkamerica.com

Monday, August 8, 2011

news

SPEAKEASY NEWS

Online Newsletter of Toastmasters Club 1789

I'm hoping that everyone has made good use of the time off during our every-other-week hiatuses. I was able to skip shaving on Wednesday, and that was a plus since I hadn't anywhere to go that day at all. Dare I risk it again next week? Perhaps; perhaps not. Play it by ear.,

This week we again have only one speaker scheduled, so anyone who has a speech ready, let Leah and me know and we'll put you on the program. I'm guessing that things will pick up after the State Fair closes, and we resume regular weekly meetings on the 7th.

ALERT: The Area 93 Humorous Speech Contest is set for September 17 at the Ridgedale Public Library. That means we will have to have our club contest fairly soon, no later than September 14 and getting the winner's name to our area governor immediately. Tight schedule, I know, but we have no choice. Please consider competing, as it is one of the special benefits of Toastmasters, where we get together with other clubs and their members.

Never mind if you don't have a barn-burner: Just performing in a different speaking venue is both a thrill and a challenge. So what if you don't win? It's the doing that counts. Think about it.

There's an auxiliary contest too, but I can't find my note on it. It will be one you can't prepare for, like Table Topics or Tall Tales, or maybe Evaluation, so you don't need to know right now anyway.

Did you know that there's a Farmer's Market barely a stone's throw from where we meet? It's at the St.Louis Park Rec Center Plaza and it runs from 3 to 7 p.m. every Wednesday. Might come in handy.

Any changes to the schedule should come to Leah and me by 1:00 Wednesday. I hope to see a lot of our members, and a guest or two as well. Until then,

Gordon Andersen

Editor, Speakeasy News

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Interesting Words

Tony V. writes:
I found an interesting word related to a scientific paper on mice.
Quiescent, meaning being at rest, inactive, or motionless. Mice with Down Syndrome apparently lose quiescence, being too active.

Interesting Tony, I've never heard that word before so I had to look up how it is pronounced. I would have thought it was a two syllable word but no - it has three. See the following for more info on this interesting word. Cori J.