Dream Talkers Dunwoody, Georgia

6/14/20

 

Dream Talkers is the kind of club all clubs need to aspire to be.   This was my second visit to this engaging club and I was looking forward to visiting it again.  Dream Talkers did not disappoint.  They are so welcoming and engaging with each other and the visitors.  I felt right at home.  Since not everyone had arrived by the time the meeting started, they opened the meeting on time then promptly called for a 5-minute recess to wait for the others to come and also fill any needed roles. This was a trick I learned in the very first club I ever was a member of.  Technically we DID start on time.

 

Steve had contacted them earlier in the week about giving a speech since they had an opening,  but as we arrived at the meeting it seemed they had plenty of speakers.  However, they kept their word to Steve and let him speak which meant the club had four speakers that day.  Due to so many speakers, they decided to forego Table Topics.  Myself, I would have asked Steve not to speak and had  Table Topics.  I think Table Topics is where we can really bring the fun and make sure everyone gets a chance to speak.  But I guess they did not want to go back on their word to Steve or disappoint anyone that had worked hard preparing a speech and I have to admire that.

 

I ended up being grammarian which I rarely do, because I can’t really enjoy the speeches when I am parsing every word, trying to listen for bad grammar, good phrases and the Word of the Day.  But I am always willing to step in if someone needs a role filled.

 

The only unpleasant memory I have of this club last time was the zoom experience.  They had not purchased Zoom Pro and were using the free version so it only lasts for 40 minutes before it ends.  This is the only club we have ever visited that we had to relog in two times before the meeting was over.  This happened again this week.  However, someone finally decided to address the "elephant in the room" and they voted as a club to pay for the Zoom Pro account so they could have unlimited time.  I mentioned that our club shares time with another club and that would cut the cost in half.  They seemed to like my idea.  We all need to help each other. 

 

I was pleasantly surprised to see a long-time division officer from my district join in this meeting.  But after the meeting had to shut down the first time due to Zoom time constraints he never logged back on.  That was very sad.  Maybe that’s when they realized how important it is to keep the continuity of the meeting going instead of logging off and back on during the meeting. 

 

This was a great meeting and I was uplifted and energized after the meeting which to me is a sign of a good meeting.  I guess if I were to offer them at least something they could improve in, I would suggest leave the timing cards up the whole time and not just at the minute time.  Of course, maybe they usually do that and it was the timer's error.

 

All in all, loved the meeting and had a good time the second time  around as well as the first.  I would definitely recommend this club to anyone wanting to find a Toastmasters club. 

Jack C High Toastmasters Club Idaho Falls, Idaho

6/12/2020

I didn’t realize it would be so hard to get to Idaho.  As Steve and I travel to these clubs all over the states, we find some clubs make it very easy to get to their zoom meetings and some club make it very hard to get to.  They may not have their link on their website so you have to go searching for it somewhere.  They may have a link but no password so he spends much of his time sending emails but getting no response.  The original club we were going to visit in Idaho had similar barriers.  We finally got to the meeting and waited and waited and waited.  It was past time for the meeting to start and still Steve and I were the only ones there.  This club has no website.  Steve connected with them through meetup. I did notice they had a current facebook page so I joined to see what was going on.  We both tried to make a connection with someone to find out where everyone was.  Steve finally heard back on meetup that the club decided not to meet anymore “pause their meetings” on zoom because some members didn’t like it.  No one ever responded to me on facebook.

 

Jack C High was our next club to try to visit in Idaho.  We arrived 15 minutes early for the meeting and were pleasantly surprised to see smiling faces conversing with each other.  They greeted us enthusiastically.  They have 20 members on the rolls but only 9 in attendance.  They began on time.  One thing I really loved about this club is they embraced this new way of meeting online with vigor.  They used chat almost as much as my home club does, although my club has been accused of using it too much.  This is probably fair, because my club has a few overachievers and don’t do anything half way.  “Sharon” chatted during the meeting and told Steve she loved his accent and “Mira” chatted that she loved my Table Topics answer and the story I told. I really liked the personal touch.

 

Since there were only 9 members present, they doubled up on some roles. For example, a speaker also served as an evaluator for another speaker and the Toastmaster of the day also served as timer.  Steve and I would have been happy to shoulder some of the roles if asked.  I think this is something clubs with low attendance might want to consider.  Also it might be interesting to be evaluated from someone you have never gotten an evaluation from before just to get a different perspective.

 

All in all, it was a very friendly and welcoming group and we were glad to finally get to a club in Idaho.

Pathfinder Toastmasters Club Casper, Wyoming

6/9/20

 

It’s easy to get thrown for a loop and at Toastmasters that happens quite frequently.  People don’t show up for meetings and roles have to be filled at the last minute.   But at Toastmasters we learn how to be flexible and adaptable.  This meeting turned out to be quite the lesson in adaptability.  They only have 9 members and 6 were in attendance. Steve and I make 8 total.  The host opened the meeting but had a crisis at work and had to leave so Steve stepped in as General Evaluator. Kris couldn’t get logged on so I was asked to fill in as timer.  The Toastmaster was flummoxed at the beginning and Word of the Day was not given until after the speaker and the pledge and quote was done at the end of the meeting. They forgot to tell me as the timer to have people vote and to have voting results sent to me to count.  But we pushed on because that’s what you do.  As a whole the meeting was run very well aside from the few hiccups.

 

They begin at 8:15 and have the time 8-8:15 set aside to chat with each other.  I really like that.  Their meeting is very similar to mine.  The members were very welcoming to me and Steve.  I really liked the meeting and think with some effort this club could really grow.

 

Thoughts

1. They have a basic website, not able to contact or meet members on their website.  I think they really need to dress up their website. They have a lot to offer and need an attractive pull.  Their PR in general could probably be ramped up.   They have a good product, people in the area need to know about it.  Maybe get on other social platforms, i.e Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, community event booth, etc( if they aren't already).
2. Table topics-I prefer that the question be asked first, then the person so everyone is on the hot seat for a minute or two (but I’m like that)
3. Consider putting the agenda in chat and Word of the Day so even visitors would see it
4. I notice they only have met 3 educational goals.  The speaker did give her 3^rd speech in the Pathways program.  Why aren’t others stepping up and getting speeches done?  In a year,  I would think more education awards could be earned by members. Especially the officers-they need to lead by example.
5. Lastly, although we were greeted at the beginning and even asked to help, it would be beneficial to ask visitors at the end to give their thoughts on the meeting.  This also will help in improving the club and to see the meeting through the eyes of a visitor.

Thank you Pathfinder for allowing us to be a part of the meeting.  You have a good meeting, keep up the quality meetings, and get the word out and they will come.  Good luck to you.

Politically Incorrect Toastmasters Club Vancouver, Washington

6/8/20

 

In this politically charged environment with social media revving up everyone’s emotions to the highest intensity, I was surprised at how much I liked this club.  I had never been to a “politically correct” or “politically incorrect” club before.  Not even sure what those terms mean anymore.  The president greeted us enthusiastically and shared an interesting history of the club.  It started off as a Republican club but then Democrats and liberals joined so they turned it into a “politically incorrect” club so everyone could feel comfortable sharing.  At least that’s the way I understood it from the president.  

I really like the idea of having a safe place to voice your opinion without all the name calling and shaming.  Our club is similar in that we do have a fair amount of Democrats and Republicans and a few I don’t know what they are politically.  Some members share their leanings in speeches but are always evaluated on the mechanics and not the content.  That’s what we feel Toastmasters is all about; helping you deliver your message the best you can.  I may not agree with what you are saying but I am here to help you in communicating that message better.  

 

This was the first time I had seen a hybrid meeting.  They call it a “mixed” meeting.  There were a group of members at the president's house enjoying a taco bar (which looked delicious) and then participants on Zoom.  Steve and I were visitors as well as the area director and division director.  I was very interested in seeing how this was conducted since our club is thinking about going in that direction when we are able to meet again at our club venue.  This was their first time doing a mixed meeting and they are still  trying to work out the kinks; however,  I thought they handled it well as a first time.  

 

The speeches and table topics revolved around the issues of today, George Floyd, Black Lives Matter, the pandemic, the shut-down, protesters, etc.  They didn’t shy away from these politically charged topics; they eagerly jumped into the fray and gave their opinion.  I appreciate that all the opinions, whether I agree or not, were delivered in a calm and respectful way.  There was no “I’m right, you’re wrong” attitude.  No naming the other side as the enemy in an US vs THEM mentality.  Each person had a safe space to form their words in an organized manner.  No one was trying to persuade another to join their side.  I found this very refreshing and disarming.  I wish we could all do that with each other.  Maybe we could learn to listen to each other and understand the other side.  

 

If I could give them a little feedback being “politically correct” that I am:

1. The president said they are a fairly new club and have only 10 members.  I think they have a fantastic club and could really use help with some better PR about their club, especially their website.  It needs to be updated, have more pictures, maybe have members put info about themselves.  This is the kind of club we need right now at this time in the world. 
2. The Table Topics Master asked a table topic question to one of the speakers that night.  I believe he has not served in this role much, but I would recommend to him to ask people who have not given speeches that day the Table Topic questions so more people can have a chance to speak.

 

Last words:

 

I appreciate the president taking the time to explain everything in detail what they do in their club from toastmaster ballots to name cards.  If we were looking for a club to join, this is one we might consider.  The members were very friendly and welcoming to us.  One of the members gave me and my husband a challenge to write a “handwritten” letter to the club.  I guess in today's high-tech world handwritten words are becoming obsolete.  We both agreed to take up that challenge.  Now I just have to remember how to do that.  Where do you even find a stamp and an envelope? 

 

So thanks for letting us visit you Politically Incorrect, keep up the good work!  Who knows you may see us in the future!

Vagabond Toastmasters Gaithersburg, Maryland

6/8/20

 

Toastmasters is a place you can always strive to get better.  Hats off to this group of non native English speaking members who use this club to polish their English speaking skills.  They are acutely aware  of the importance of pronunciation in communication.  As I mangled their names as Table Topics Master, they patiently told me the correct way to pronounce it.  Maybe I need to do a little polishing of my pronunciation skills also.  Vagabond Toastmaster chartered in 1984 and has been Presidents Distinguished for the last 16 years.  That tells you how much they strive for excellence. 

 

As they started the meeting, the “cheerleader” stirred up the crowd with “WHO ARE WE?” and the crowd yelled, “VAGABOND TOASTMASTERS!’  “Are we going to have fun tonight?”  And the crowd yelled, “YES!”  They certainly got into the spirit of things right off the bat.  I settled in to have some fun.   Together they said the Mission Statement and The Toastmaster Values.  The General Evaluator said at the end of the meeting that it might have been better to have one person read the mission statement, since online the words sounded garbled.

 

There were 4 visitors at today’s meeting.  Steve served as an evaluator and I served as a Table Topics master, which finally gave me a chance to use my handy dandy Table Topic conversation cards that I got as a present  4  Christmases ago and never have used.  They like to give everyone a chance to answer a Table Topics question except the speakers and evaluators, so I ended up asking 5 questions.  Not only did they  have a Word of the Day “Gleaming” but they had an Idiom of the Day also, “Whale of a time” or Whale of a meeting”.  So fun trying to use that in our conversations. 

 

To me,  being early is on time and being on time is late.  When Steve and I logged on to this club 15 minutes before start time of 6:00, they already had 7 people logged on.  Good going guys.  They greeted us warmly.  Asked us all kinds of questions and made us feel very welcome.

 

I would definitely recommend this club to people.  Especially non native English speaking people who are trying to brush up on their English skills.  This club is all about learning and growing and using those skills professionally.  Keep up the good work, everyone!

Humor Farm Sterling, Virginia

6/7/20

 

This is my second visit to the Humor Farm.  It’s strange how I noticed so much more now that I'm blogging about my Toastmasters sojourn. Here are couple of observations up front:

• Bill was there early with his smiling face at 3:15 when we logged on, but the meeting did start eight minutes late.
• This club has 8 members on the rolls.  At today’s meeting they had 6 members and 5 visitors.  
• We had one speaker, one evaluator, and the rest of the time was spent on Improv exercises  (which is done in replacement of table topics).  
• At this club, they do round-robin evaluations of the speaker before the assigned evaluator provides feedback. Steve volunteered to serve as the assigned evaluator.

Everyone had the opportunity to participate during the four Improv exercises.

1. "Yes, and..."
   Two people viewed a captionless cartoon and, going back and forth, built on the story about that cartoon.
2. Tell a story.
   One person started a story and the next person had to continue the story by starting with a word that began with the last letter of the last word of the previous person's statement. 
3. Zip Zap Zop 
   Point to someone and say "Zip Steve."  Steve says "Zap Cynthia."  I say "Zop" and  someone else's name.  The goal is to not get the Zip, Zap and Zop order confused.
4. What is it? 
   Choose and object and ask someone what it is. That person needs to think of something other than the actual use of the object. 

It was a fun club to attend.  

If I were giving a little feedback:

• Avoid having participants serve in multiple roles. Tom and Teri had two roles each.
• Mix up the Improv games. Steve and i did three of the games the last time we were there.  Tom did say he visited Laugh Lovers Toastmasters in California a few days ago and learned the fourth Improv game. 

Although this is a fun club, with the Improv games, I don’t think they are encouraged to do the Toastmasters educational program.  If they are, with one speaker they won’t get very far very fast.  However, it is possible that all  members of this club are also members of other clubs and this is just one they attend for fun.

Tumbleweeds Toastmasters Santa Fe, New Mexico (Advanced/Speciality)

6/5/20

This was an unusual club that we accidentally came across.  This club's mission statement is "A group who care about advancing Toastmaster clubs".  They are basically there to support area directors in the Northern Division of District 23.  Although neither Steve nor I will be incoming area directors, Steve has agreed to serve as assistant club growth director this year and I thought we might hear some creative ideas. Also  I am always on the lookout to steal ideas that can benefit my home club so I was excited to find out what this club was all about.  

They have 15 members, however, at this meeting they had 26 in attendance.  They had the 2 of the 3 district officers and incoming area directors from District 23.  Steve and I and one other person were the only ones from another state. Elicia was from Texas and in chat she shared that she was using this club to visit the 50 states as we were. This fellow traveler said she was on state 27 same as us.   She said she still needed to go to a Kentucky club and asked about coming to ours. She invited us to her club, but we have already been to Texas. However, as it turns out she is an area director and the club we visited is in her division.  We definitely bonded in our common journey.  

After the pledge and an inspirational thought, Stephen, division director and president of the club, spoke.  His main point was to FINISH THE YEAR STRONG.  He encouraged all leaders to help the clubs, areas, and divisions to get over the finish line with new members. Be "ambassadors" to other clubs and join them to help them become distinguished.  In his speech, he did mention that they just started a new club at the FBI.  I thought that was interesting. Also the FBI club is not allowed to have Zoom on their computers. So meeting right now is a challenge.  He also gave some information about how to build clubs during COVID-19.  That's something I think is a challenge for most all clubs at this time. 

After the speech and evaluation, they basically had a division council meeting. The two members of the trio present spoke and the area directors gave their reports.  I don't know if this club would be beneficial to those outside this division but I found it highly interesting.  But I'm a Toastmaster fanatic so I enjoyed finding out that clubs like this do exist.  Who knows maybe its something our district would be interested in?