Hello Buffaloes,
I think of you often and apologize for not being in contact sooner. I saw this article and I had to share it with my fellow Buffaloes. Maybe we should get a mascot for our meetings!
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/11/11/142249280/the-story-of-a-guy-and-his-pet-buffalo
Chile is amazing, and I am a little saddened by how quickly the time is going by (even though it means that I will see all of you soon).
I miss Toastmasters! In every meeting I attended, I learned so much. Speaking, listening, planning, setting agendas, following agendas….. And in addition to learning, I had a lot of fun! Each meeting is filled with laughter and smiles, I am really thankful to be a part of such a great group.
Speaking of agendas…..I miss those the most! Chile is not known for its agenda setting and/or following. It has definitely been a cultural learning experience for me and although I am open to different ways of doing things, I long for the days of planning and organizing
Aside from that, I love Chile. Santiago is a massive city, over 6 million people! It is definitely a change of pace from Colorado. I have gotten used to the crowded streets and the metro, and now that it is moving into summer the air is cleaning up considerably. With the Andes mountain range on one end and the Chilean Coastal mountain range on the other end, it makes for spectacular views (especially sunsets!).
I am also fortunate to be here during a time of big change. The students are protesting for educational reform: free, quality education. It is an amazing movement, the students have been protesting for almost 7 months (which means 7 months without classes!). In addition to the protests they have taken over many of the universities (they took over USACH, where I am studying, twice!).
Needless to say, it has been an interesting and valuable experience all around.
I would like to close by responding to a blog made by the wonderful Linda Knudsen regarding ‘firsts’ (check it out if you haven’t read it). Buffalo Toastmasters has introduced me to a bunch of firsts as well. I don’t think that I will ever forget the fear I felt before giving my Icebreaker speech. I remember sitting with Pamela at a coffee shop discussing and organizing my speech, thinking: how am I going to do this? But with the support of the Buffalo Toastmasters, and especially Pamela, I not only gave an Icebreaker, I finished my CC! In addition to that, I developed the confidence to take some firsts on my one, such as going to Chile! “Who knew such good things would come my way!” I appreciate all of the support you have all given me, I thank you tremendously!
And one final note (really), I am hugely out of public speaking practice, SO I hope that you all have been honing your um counting, grammarian and other evaluation skills while I have been gone
I hope that you are all well!
Caroline
Monday, November 21, 2011
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Wearing Pink without Apology
Buffalo,
Let us celebrate a wonderful meeting yesterday with Roger Surdahl as TM and a theme that provided an educational and information subject matter that all of us can take with us outside of this wonderful group of people.
Roger lead off with wonderful example of "Saying Sorry" from Politicians, CEOs, and did so with wonderful examples and descriptions. He incorporate the buffalo members into the example later in his role as TM and gave us wonderful, clear, and concise instructions on properly apologizing to friends, coworkers, and spouses. Case in point I now know how to apologize after throwing water on a fellow TM and Shannon Lucio now knows the proper apology for placing Chlorox in Roger's coffee. I know that when I apologize to my girlfriend a future point I will remain silent and let her do most of the talking while the ladies in the office need only provide a BEAR HUG and perhaps a quick open ear for their men.
Brian Vankeuren lead off as first speaker with a wonderful Toast he presented at a recent wedding in Sonoma, CA. He performed the Toast with grace and poise and the full windsor knot in his tie provided some beefiness to the Toast. Brian, I look forward to a speech on how to ligthen the tips of my hair but I'll pass on the all male soaks in the hot tub.
Larry B. rounded out the 2nd spot with "The Silly English Language" speech for his Project 4, "Make Them Laugh" where he provided humor and theatre with all of the nuances and intricacies of the English language and how it confuses those learning our language. Given with great eye contact, movement, and vocal variety!
The wonderful Shannon Lucio provided excellent Table Topics with challenging apologetic situations with Ray, Brian, Walter and Jewel apologize profusely for their transgressions outlined in the table topics.
Rounding out the Evaluation portion of the meeting, both Walter and Taya provided superb evaluations for our speakers. Hat Tip to Taya for stepping up and providing a very solid evaluation for Larry B. *Taya and Walter, remember to hold the Lecturn until your GE relieves you. SAVOR YOUR FAME at the Lecture be it as an Evaluator, Speaker, TM, or Jokemaster!
Our long winded GE, Ray, provided positive feedback and stressed the importance of NOT leaving the Lecturn! Thank you for a wonderful meeting. Let's continue to challenge and provide excellent meeting topics so that we all can take what we learn into our personal and professional lives!
Muchas Gracias Amigos!
Regards,
Ray Hebert
Pres.
Let us celebrate a wonderful meeting yesterday with Roger Surdahl as TM and a theme that provided an educational and information subject matter that all of us can take with us outside of this wonderful group of people.
Roger lead off with wonderful example of "Saying Sorry" from Politicians, CEOs, and did so with wonderful examples and descriptions. He incorporate the buffalo members into the example later in his role as TM and gave us wonderful, clear, and concise instructions on properly apologizing to friends, coworkers, and spouses. Case in point I now know how to apologize after throwing water on a fellow TM and Shannon Lucio now knows the proper apology for placing Chlorox in Roger's coffee. I know that when I apologize to my girlfriend a future point I will remain silent and let her do most of the talking while the ladies in the office need only provide a BEAR HUG and perhaps a quick open ear for their men.
Brian Vankeuren lead off as first speaker with a wonderful Toast he presented at a recent wedding in Sonoma, CA. He performed the Toast with grace and poise and the full windsor knot in his tie provided some beefiness to the Toast. Brian, I look forward to a speech on how to ligthen the tips of my hair but I'll pass on the all male soaks in the hot tub.
Larry B. rounded out the 2nd spot with "The Silly English Language" speech for his Project 4, "Make Them Laugh" where he provided humor and theatre with all of the nuances and intricacies of the English language and how it confuses those learning our language. Given with great eye contact, movement, and vocal variety!
The wonderful Shannon Lucio provided excellent Table Topics with challenging apologetic situations with Ray, Brian, Walter and Jewel apologize profusely for their transgressions outlined in the table topics.
Rounding out the Evaluation portion of the meeting, both Walter and Taya provided superb evaluations for our speakers. Hat Tip to Taya for stepping up and providing a very solid evaluation for Larry B. *Taya and Walter, remember to hold the Lecturn until your GE relieves you. SAVOR YOUR FAME at the Lecture be it as an Evaluator, Speaker, TM, or Jokemaster!
Our long winded GE, Ray, provided positive feedback and stressed the importance of NOT leaving the Lecturn! Thank you for a wonderful meeting. Let's continue to challenge and provide excellent meeting topics so that we all can take what we learn into our personal and professional lives!
Muchas Gracias Amigos!
Regards,
Ray Hebert
Pres.
Monday, September 12, 2011
September 7, 2011
As General Evaluator, it is my duty to post the blog so the remainder of the club can have an opportunity to see what they missed. My first blog entry, go easy...
A lot of people are out enjoying summer, at least, I truly hope that's what everyone is doing! For those of you who are absent due to work, I feel your pain and hope you'll be joining us again soon. We all really miss you!
This meeting was quite small, much like a family formed around the dinner table (only we were missing dinner!). We had three great speeches!!! Yes, I did type three!!! It was amazing to hear about lightening from Linda, as the room was transformed into a thunderstorm! And Ray showed up with champagne (faux) so we could all give give a toast to Pamela and give her the great big "Thank you" she deserved for being such a great club leader. Ray provided us with a sincere speech which gave gratitude to Pamela for her service as our club President, and showed his admiration for her. (The trick was getting Pamela to show up for a meeting!) Then Darryle let us know what Brown could do for us! No - not UPS!!! The B-R-O-W-N method for writing a speech! You'll have to ask him to share it again sometime, it was great to hear and of course - the "N" stands for the method which gets the best of us - No Excuses (so easy to make)!
Great Table Topics, great theme for a meeting - Change - and a great reason to come join us in a couple weeks...family, friends, entertainment, education, and laughter! How can you say no to this group???!! See you then!
A lot of people are out enjoying summer, at least, I truly hope that's what everyone is doing! For those of you who are absent due to work, I feel your pain and hope you'll be joining us again soon. We all really miss you!
This meeting was quite small, much like a family formed around the dinner table (only we were missing dinner!). We had three great speeches!!! Yes, I did type three!!! It was amazing to hear about lightening from Linda, as the room was transformed into a thunderstorm! And Ray showed up with champagne (faux) so we could all give give a toast to Pamela and give her the great big "Thank you" she deserved for being such a great club leader. Ray provided us with a sincere speech which gave gratitude to Pamela for her service as our club President, and showed his admiration for her. (The trick was getting Pamela to show up for a meeting!) Then Darryle let us know what Brown could do for us! No - not UPS!!! The B-R-O-W-N method for writing a speech! You'll have to ask him to share it again sometime, it was great to hear and of course - the "N" stands for the method which gets the best of us - No Excuses (so easy to make)!
Great Table Topics, great theme for a meeting - Change - and a great reason to come join us in a couple weeks...family, friends, entertainment, education, and laughter! How can you say no to this group???!! See you then!
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
10 Tips for being a good Toastmaster and Communicator for Life
by "Denver Wedding Photographer R. J. Kern, Kern-Photo"
I owe my first toastmaster experience to my Mom... which began 25 years ago at her Toastmaster club in New Bern, North Carolina while I sat under an 8’ table, grabbing bites of my Hardees cinnamon and raisin biscuits in between playing with Transformers and GI Joes. I can still hear the marble drop in the tin can for every “umm” & filler word mentioned in those meeting (sounds a bit old school, now). Today, I presented a speech for my Buffalo Toastmaster’s public speaking Club. As part of the Advanced Communication Series, I presented my “Mastering the Toast” speech project which challenged me to present a two- to three- minute toast in honor of a person. I chose my Mom, since she has been a model Toastmaster in my life.
I share with you the Top Ten things I learned from my Mom that can make us all better communicators for life. My notes to guide my speech:
10. God gave us two ears and one mouth. We shall use them in that proportion. Many of us forget the importance of listening.
9. You’ll get farther with sugar than vinegar. Especially when it comes with dealing with the IRS on the phone. Steady persistence using patience and a sense of humor usually pays off more than stinging words.
8. Simple IS better. And that goes for preparing for a family dinner, writing a cover letter, or planning a wedding. Less can be more.
7. ‘Thank you portions’ can open your eyes. Instead of turning away Brussels’ sprouts, as for a small “thank you” portion. Our taste buds change with age and being opening up to new things, whether it be foods or Toastmaster speaking opportunities can open up amazing new doors. Mom, never thought it would take me 33 years to like Brussels’ sprouts.
6. It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it. Which do you think feels better? Mom, I love you. OR. Mom, I LOVE you !!!
5. “Why do you ask?” A perfect response to someone asking a personal question you choose not to answer, simply respond in a nice way: “Why do you ask?” You might be surprised at their reaction.
4. Back pedaling on a mountain bike isn’t easy, especially when you got a flat tire miles from nowhere and didn’t want to bring a spare tube/pump because of not wanting to lug the extra 300 grams of weight. You never know how much you can do until you try to undo what you have already done.
3. Smile. Actions really do speak louder than words. A smile and sparkle in the eyes goes a long way.
2. Thoughtfulness is never over rated. Homemade jam always tastes than store bought stuff.
1. Never underestimate the power of a simple compliment. Mom, you’re awesome. Mom, I send you my best wishes for health, happiness, and your continued source of inspiration for those around you. And I must say, of all the toasts I’ve given in my entire life, this one, this very Top 10 toast, by far.. is the most special!
_____
A special thanks to the support of my fellow Buffalo Toastmasters, kind enough to not hand me a ticket for going 15 seconds over the {speaking} limit.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Who Knew?
Buffalo Toastmasters has introduced me to a great deal of "firsts"...including posting a BLOG!! Who knew so many good things would come my way?
Many of us don't take opportunities to express our personal appreciation along life's trail. I have vowed not to be one of them. So, (strike that filler word)... Instead of recapping the past two meetings, I'd like to take a minute to thank all the Buffalo TM's for your past support and guidance, and for the future fun and learning I know awaits me. It happens at every meeting. I doubt every club has such sincere, pleasant and supportive membership.
Table Topicsmaster still eludes me, but the easy ones, Grammarian, Timer, Ah-Counter, Joke Master and Word Master are no longer a threat, but a challenge to make them greater. Evaluating is an art that I am working to master, and with such fine mentors (all) I will no doubt succeed.
My first attempt at General Evaluator was fraught with surprises, as I agreed to the task as a last minute replacement. And as most will remember, the meeting included our Area Governor! But, true to the Toastmaster Spirit, I was gently guided and assisted by the membership, arriving at the end with lessons learned and a smile from all, including my own. My second attempt started out well then deteriorated. When the doubts about the event snuck back in a few days later, I opened two e-mails only to find support and kudos. It just doesn't get any better than that.
All this said, I have more hurdles to cross. Speeches are lined up in front of me (but not written). Goals escape me (thankfully there is a manual or two). Adequate preparation has never been a problem for me, but the perfectionist in me needs to take a rest. As I work the program, I know I will appreciate your continued support and assistance. You have all made it clear that I am welcome, acknowledged, appreciated and respected. As I said earlier, WHO KNEW SUCH GOOD THINGS WOULD COME MY WAY?
Linda Knudson
Proud to be a Buffalo Toastmaster
Many of us don't take opportunities to express our personal appreciation along life's trail. I have vowed not to be one of them. So, (strike that filler word)... Instead of recapping the past two meetings, I'd like to take a minute to thank all the Buffalo TM's for your past support and guidance, and for the future fun and learning I know awaits me. It happens at every meeting. I doubt every club has such sincere, pleasant and supportive membership.
Table Topicsmaster still eludes me, but the easy ones, Grammarian, Timer, Ah-Counter, Joke Master and Word Master are no longer a threat, but a challenge to make them greater. Evaluating is an art that I am working to master, and with such fine mentors (all) I will no doubt succeed.
My first attempt at General Evaluator was fraught with surprises, as I agreed to the task as a last minute replacement. And as most will remember, the meeting included our Area Governor! But, true to the Toastmaster Spirit, I was gently guided and assisted by the membership, arriving at the end with lessons learned and a smile from all, including my own. My second attempt started out well then deteriorated. When the doubts about the event snuck back in a few days later, I opened two e-mails only to find support and kudos. It just doesn't get any better than that.
All this said, I have more hurdles to cross. Speeches are lined up in front of me (but not written). Goals escape me (thankfully there is a manual or two). Adequate preparation has never been a problem for me, but the perfectionist in me needs to take a rest. As I work the program, I know I will appreciate your continued support and assistance. You have all made it clear that I am welcome, acknowledged, appreciated and respected. As I said earlier, WHO KNEW SUCH GOOD THINGS WOULD COME MY WAY?
Linda Knudson
Proud to be a Buffalo Toastmaster
Friday, July 22, 2011
July Picnic and Table Topics!
Hey Buffs (TMers),
Thanks to all who attended the Picnic! We had a small but solid showing with some great table topics from Shannon Lucio!
Check it out; she presented a Table Topcis with the game Table Topics:
http://www.tabletopics.com/
I enjoyed the game tremendously and plan to grab the game in the very near future as the questions proved thought provoking and definitely gave everyone a BIG challenge. Even some of our most experience TMers struggled! Brilliant!
Also, BIG SHOUT to Brian V. for brining Linda Ing (hope I got that name correct) who is an Attorney and Wonderful Speaker! She practically gave her Ice Breaker speech when presented with the question: How do you support the US as a country?
See you August 3rd folks!
Regards,
Ray
Pres.
Thanks to all who attended the Picnic! We had a small but solid showing with some great table topics from Shannon Lucio!
Check it out; she presented a Table Topcis with the game Table Topics:
http://www.tabletopics.com/
I enjoyed the game tremendously and plan to grab the game in the very near future as the questions proved thought provoking and definitely gave everyone a BIG challenge. Even some of our most experience TMers struggled! Brilliant!
Also, BIG SHOUT to Brian V. for brining Linda Ing (hope I got that name correct) who is an Attorney and Wonderful Speaker! She practically gave her Ice Breaker speech when presented with the question: How do you support the US as a country?
See you August 3rd folks!
Regards,
Ray
Pres.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Family...
Buffalo TM,
We had a wonderful June 15, 2010 meeting! Larry Brummond lead the charge with the theme of Family. Specifically I liked how he kept it light and mentioned a few jokes even before the jokemaster showed up to the podium. What was that Larry, Family Reunions a great form of birth control...
Walter gallivanted to the stage and gave us our word of the day: "gallivant" which many used quite well throughout the meeting. Jokemaster Paul added levity and Larry gave a nice intro to the various roles for our guest, Ryan Ronnebaum!
Speaker 1 (Caroline Armstrong), discussed "HIV: A complex and efficient virus" and masterfully used various visual aids to enhance the speech. She spoke with confidence and poise throuhout.
Speaker 2 (Paul Murphy), gave us "Sweet Success...or...Agony of Defeat" and bedazzled our ears with a wonderful array of vocal variety and visual imagery. Nice job Paul!
After more than 2 years with the club I took on Table Topics for the first time in my tenure as a Buffalo TM and provided some tough questions as well as easy. What's more our guest, Ryan Ronnebaum, showed his previous prowess and spoke well for a little TT.
Walter and Linda provided great evaluations and spoke with eloquence.
Big Shout to the Ah Counter and Grammarian (Brian V), the Timer (D. Browne), and myself again as GE.
Cheers,
Ray
VP of Ed.
We had a wonderful June 15, 2010 meeting! Larry Brummond lead the charge with the theme of Family. Specifically I liked how he kept it light and mentioned a few jokes even before the jokemaster showed up to the podium. What was that Larry, Family Reunions a great form of birth control...
Walter gallivanted to the stage and gave us our word of the day: "gallivant" which many used quite well throughout the meeting. Jokemaster Paul added levity and Larry gave a nice intro to the various roles for our guest, Ryan Ronnebaum!
Speaker 1 (Caroline Armstrong), discussed "HIV: A complex and efficient virus" and masterfully used various visual aids to enhance the speech. She spoke with confidence and poise throuhout.
Speaker 2 (Paul Murphy), gave us "Sweet Success...or...Agony of Defeat" and bedazzled our ears with a wonderful array of vocal variety and visual imagery. Nice job Paul!
After more than 2 years with the club I took on Table Topics for the first time in my tenure as a Buffalo TM and provided some tough questions as well as easy. What's more our guest, Ryan Ronnebaum, showed his previous prowess and spoke well for a little TT.
Walter and Linda provided great evaluations and spoke with eloquence.
Big Shout to the Ah Counter and Grammarian (Brian V), the Timer (D. Browne), and myself again as GE.
Cheers,
Ray
VP of Ed.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Toastmasters at Work....A Successful Presentation
I missed today's regular Buffalo meeting.....but I spent the same time doing a 30-minute presentation followed by questions. As some of you know I work for the U.S. Geological Survey -- specifically with a group focused on a national water database. It's okay if you just said to yourself "BORING!!" To say the least, the presentations are typically just information sharing...this one was a status update on a long-term IT project.
I had put powerpoint slides together (simple yet informative) and asked management to review them for the last couple of weeks. I had to get the headset and microphone set up because I would be talking to ~20 people in the room and an equal number on the phone. At the same time the presentation was being done over the internet.
You can almost imagine me looking like I was from outer space with all the technical devices hooked to me!
The presentation went well and I got to address a few questions afterwards.
The best part was at the end when folks in the room actually started clapping. Did you read the part about "BORING" above? I was stunned and pleasantly surprised.
To top it off, my boss caught me in the hallway on the way out and said, "I need to make sure you know how professional you just looked. If other employees of the USGS attended Toastmasters we would be in such a better place as an organization."
On the one hand, scientists and engineers are not known as being great presenters.....I think Walter said that recently too?.....so the bar to exceed that expectation is not very high. On the other hand, to be recognized for something that I think is important, but not supported widely within my agency was really great.
Thanks to all my fellow Buffaloes for helping me to become someone who is noticed for her presentation skills!! Without such great examples to learn from and to push me, I would not be the presenter I am.
I had put powerpoint slides together (simple yet informative) and asked management to review them for the last couple of weeks. I had to get the headset and microphone set up because I would be talking to ~20 people in the room and an equal number on the phone. At the same time the presentation was being done over the internet.
You can almost imagine me looking like I was from outer space with all the technical devices hooked to me!
The presentation went well and I got to address a few questions afterwards.
The best part was at the end when folks in the room actually started clapping. Did you read the part about "BORING" above? I was stunned and pleasantly surprised.
To top it off, my boss caught me in the hallway on the way out and said, "I need to make sure you know how professional you just looked. If other employees of the USGS attended Toastmasters we would be in such a better place as an organization."
On the one hand, scientists and engineers are not known as being great presenters.....I think Walter said that recently too?.....so the bar to exceed that expectation is not very high. On the other hand, to be recognized for something that I think is important, but not supported widely within my agency was really great.
Thanks to all my fellow Buffaloes for helping me to become someone who is noticed for her presentation skills!! Without such great examples to learn from and to push me, I would not be the presenter I am.
Monday, June 13, 2011
5 Things I Learned from Toastmasters - Compliments of R.J Kern
Buffalo TMers,
I ask you to follow the link below for a quick view of R.J. Kern's latest blog entry. In addition to his 5 most important things learned from TM; he also has some great group photos of the Buffalo TMers!
http://www.kern-photo.com/index.php/2011/06/five-things-learned-from-toastmasters/
Thanks again R.J. for the wonderful photos and energy you bring to the club!
Regards,
Ray
VP of Ed.
I ask you to follow the link below for a quick view of R.J. Kern's latest blog entry. In addition to his 5 most important things learned from TM; he also has some great group photos of the Buffalo TMers!
http://www.kern-photo.com/index.php/2011/06/five-things-learned-from-toastmasters/
Thanks again R.J. for the wonderful photos and energy you bring to the club!
Regards,
Ray
VP of Ed.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Vacationing with Buffalo TM
To the Buffalo TMers,
Your New Officers:
President - Ray HebertII
VP of Education - Shannon Lucio
VP of Membership - Taya Sweeden
VP of PR - Paul Murphy
Treasurer - Brian Vankeuren
Secretary - Linda Knudson
Sgt. At Arms - Walter Weinigh
Past President - Pamela Gould
Nice job new officers! Looking forward to a great year ahead!
Caroline Armstrong peregrinated her way through the meeting and lead us through a Vacation themed meeting! She stepped in the week prior and despite some last minute substitutions remained flexible and easy going throughout!
Peregrinate - to travel from place to place served as the word of the day. The lovely Sierra (Roger Surdahl's daughter) had us laughing with a joke in no time! Now we know how to keep a goat from charging. Take away it's credit card silly!
BIG CONGRATS to Walter Weinig for achieving his CC award with his inspirational speech: "Support your Local Artist."
Taya Sweeden came in as Speaker 2 to practice vocal variety with her speech: "Hope on the Road". Nice job!
Dorrie G. brought us a creative Table Topics and ensured that most club members spoke extemporaneously. Nothing like vacationing on a boat with $10 or taking a plane with $5,000 or taking a car with no money! Great job Linda, Darryle, and Roger and Sierra.
Roger & Sierra sang to us and provided wonderful humour to the meeting. Shannon L. and Roger S. provided great evaluations with great detail and positivity! Brian V. served as our timer while Ray Hebert wrapped up the meeting with a solid General Evaluation.
See you next meeting!
Regards,
Ray Hebert
President Elect
Your New Officers:
President - Ray HebertII
VP of Education - Shannon Lucio
VP of Membership - Taya Sweeden
VP of PR - Paul Murphy
Treasurer - Brian Vankeuren
Secretary - Linda Knudson
Sgt. At Arms - Walter Weinigh
Past President - Pamela Gould
Nice job new officers! Looking forward to a great year ahead!
Caroline Armstrong peregrinated her way through the meeting and lead us through a Vacation themed meeting! She stepped in the week prior and despite some last minute substitutions remained flexible and easy going throughout!
Peregrinate - to travel from place to place served as the word of the day. The lovely Sierra (Roger Surdahl's daughter) had us laughing with a joke in no time! Now we know how to keep a goat from charging. Take away it's credit card silly!
BIG CONGRATS to Walter Weinig for achieving his CC award with his inspirational speech: "Support your Local Artist."
Taya Sweeden came in as Speaker 2 to practice vocal variety with her speech: "Hope on the Road". Nice job!
Dorrie G. brought us a creative Table Topics and ensured that most club members spoke extemporaneously. Nothing like vacationing on a boat with $10 or taking a plane with $5,000 or taking a car with no money! Great job Linda, Darryle, and Roger and Sierra.
Roger & Sierra sang to us and provided wonderful humour to the meeting. Shannon L. and Roger S. provided great evaluations with great detail and positivity! Brian V. served as our timer while Ray Hebert wrapped up the meeting with a solid General Evaluation.
See you next meeting!
Regards,
Ray Hebert
President Elect
Friday, May 20, 2011
BTM Meeting May 18, 2011
Fellow Buffalo Toastmasters,
We had a successful meeting on Wednesday, May 18, 2011. Thanks to everyone for participating. Even though the theme was “Off the Beaten Path”, the meeting proved to be on the “right track”. I had the pleasure of being the GE, or General Evaluator.
The meeting was called to order by President Pamela Gould. Pamela provided a quick overview of any updates, including introducing the Word(s) – which I forgot to write down for this blog. Ray Hebert, the Toastmaster, helped to guide the meeting forward.
Jokemaster Linda Knudson knocked it out of the park with a very cute joke about a dead rabbit and “hare” spray. Get it? Rabbit…hare…hair..?
RJ Kern delivered speech # 10 with passion and energy. Congratulations RJ! Walter presented his “Don’t Be Shy: Speak Up from the Middle” with finesse and confidence. Nicely done!
Table topics were well orchestrated by Brian VanKeuren. Ray and Caroline provided thoughtful, meaningful, and useful evaluations to RJ and Walter.
The timer report was provided by Linda Knudson. Overall, we stayed within most time limit recommendations.
The meeting concluded with Toastmaster Ray Hebert sharing some thoughts with the fellow BTMers.
And thank you to Caroline Armstrong for switching roles with me at the very last second to assist me with the completion of my CL manual.
Overall – a very good meeting. Some laughs, some serious moments, and lots of mutual respect.
Regards,
Paul
VP Public Relations
We had a successful meeting on Wednesday, May 18, 2011. Thanks to everyone for participating. Even though the theme was “Off the Beaten Path”, the meeting proved to be on the “right track”. I had the pleasure of being the GE, or General Evaluator.
The meeting was called to order by President Pamela Gould. Pamela provided a quick overview of any updates, including introducing the Word(s) – which I forgot to write down for this blog. Ray Hebert, the Toastmaster, helped to guide the meeting forward.
Jokemaster Linda Knudson knocked it out of the park with a very cute joke about a dead rabbit and “hare” spray. Get it? Rabbit…hare…hair..?
RJ Kern delivered speech # 10 with passion and energy. Congratulations RJ! Walter presented his “Don’t Be Shy: Speak Up from the Middle” with finesse and confidence. Nicely done!
Table topics were well orchestrated by Brian VanKeuren. Ray and Caroline provided thoughtful, meaningful, and useful evaluations to RJ and Walter.
The timer report was provided by Linda Knudson. Overall, we stayed within most time limit recommendations.
The meeting concluded with Toastmaster Ray Hebert sharing some thoughts with the fellow BTMers.
And thank you to Caroline Armstrong for switching roles with me at the very last second to assist me with the completion of my CL manual.
Overall – a very good meeting. Some laughs, some serious moments, and lots of mutual respect.
Regards,
Paul
VP Public Relations
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
VP of Education Musings...Kinda, And Uh, So.
Buffalo TM,
As I sat down to lunch today with 2 fellow TMers (R.J. and Brian), Brian specifically pointed out that I used "kinda" quite a few times during my role as TM. I appreciate this feedback even after a meeting. I find that when I am TM I re-run the meeting back through my mind to try to spot opportunities for improvement. I'm appreciative that Brian pointed this out because like all of you I want to improve and sometimes the meeting does not always provide enough time to understand where one can improve. Also, Brian was not my evaluator and the GE can only spot so many areas of improvement. Thank you Brian for point this out after the fact.
In addition; I started to contemplate the speeches I've given as well as experienced lately. I have lost sight of some of the basics (elimination of filler words and good introductions and closings). I have fallen into the trap lately of hastily preparing speeches and not focusing on the introductions and conclusions and not having practiced my speech at least 2 -3 times prior to giving it. I trip and stumble and use filler words. I wonder if perhaps some of you may be in the same boat?
Just some thoughts to consider for your next speech. And I ask that you as fellow Buffalo TMers point out opportunities for your fellow TMers even after the fact so that we can continually improve and challenge one another moving forward!
Regards,
Ray Hebert
VP of Education
As I sat down to lunch today with 2 fellow TMers (R.J. and Brian), Brian specifically pointed out that I used "kinda" quite a few times during my role as TM. I appreciate this feedback even after a meeting. I find that when I am TM I re-run the meeting back through my mind to try to spot opportunities for improvement. I'm appreciative that Brian pointed this out because like all of you I want to improve and sometimes the meeting does not always provide enough time to understand where one can improve. Also, Brian was not my evaluator and the GE can only spot so many areas of improvement. Thank you Brian for point this out after the fact.
In addition; I started to contemplate the speeches I've given as well as experienced lately. I have lost sight of some of the basics (elimination of filler words and good introductions and closings). I have fallen into the trap lately of hastily preparing speeches and not focusing on the introductions and conclusions and not having practiced my speech at least 2 -3 times prior to giving it. I trip and stumble and use filler words. I wonder if perhaps some of you may be in the same boat?
Just some thoughts to consider for your next speech. And I ask that you as fellow Buffalo TMers point out opportunities for your fellow TMers even after the fact so that we can continually improve and challenge one another moving forward!
Regards,
Ray Hebert
VP of Education
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
The May 4th Buffalo Meeting -- A Paragon
Ray Hebert asked me to post a blog entry about the fantastic meeting (some attendees might even call it a Paragon of a meeting) on May 4th. I had to admit that I am a virgin (when it comes to blogging), but he supplied me with instructions so I couldn't get out of it ;-)
I had the pleasure of being the General Evaluator at the meeting which was hosted by a first-time Toastmaster -- Paul Murphy. He did what all great Toastmasters do by communicating with the members who had meeting roles before the meeting to make sure we had coverage. Three fantastic speakers presented information that made us all laugh and think. Paul did a great job during the meeting by keeping it on time and providing fun tidbits about leadership. Our evaluations were filled with humor, ideas for improvement, and lots of praise.
The table topics were hosted by the Toastmaster and were tied to the theme of "Leadership" for the meeting. It was great for all the members and our guests to hear about the various ways that Toastmasters has aided folks in developing their leadership skills. I was able to complete my "new" Competent Leadership manual by serving as the GE for this meeting....which also helped support the theme of Leadership.
And just a plug for the CL manual......it is EASY to complete. Just bring your manual (just look for it at the bottom of a pile in your house ;-) to the meetings and when you serve a meeting role, ask another member to fill out the written evaluation portion. I didn't even realize until a month ago how close I was to completing the required roles. When I took the time to see how many roles were required for each project (hint: it's not ALL of them), it was a surprise to me that I only had two more meeting roles to complete the manual. I had already completed the "old" CL, so it wasn't really a goal for me to complete the "new" CL, but why not? I was able to help the club with a Distinguished Club Program Goal for Buffalo this year, which was a pleasure. Don't be afraid to start bringing your manual to a meeting...that's all it takes!!
As a final plug, please consider being a leader for our Buffalo herd in the coming year. It is a great opportunity to develop leadership skills, have fun, and improve your connection to our great club! Contact Walter (wweinig@golder.com) if you want to discuss the opportunities in more detail!
See you at the next meeting and maybe you can claim to be a virgin too!!
I had the pleasure of being the General Evaluator at the meeting which was hosted by a first-time Toastmaster -- Paul Murphy. He did what all great Toastmasters do by communicating with the members who had meeting roles before the meeting to make sure we had coverage. Three fantastic speakers presented information that made us all laugh and think. Paul did a great job during the meeting by keeping it on time and providing fun tidbits about leadership. Our evaluations were filled with humor, ideas for improvement, and lots of praise.
The table topics were hosted by the Toastmaster and were tied to the theme of "Leadership" for the meeting. It was great for all the members and our guests to hear about the various ways that Toastmasters has aided folks in developing their leadership skills. I was able to complete my "new" Competent Leadership manual by serving as the GE for this meeting....which also helped support the theme of Leadership.
And just a plug for the CL manual......it is EASY to complete. Just bring your manual (just look for it at the bottom of a pile in your house ;-) to the meetings and when you serve a meeting role, ask another member to fill out the written evaluation portion. I didn't even realize until a month ago how close I was to completing the required roles. When I took the time to see how many roles were required for each project (hint: it's not ALL of them), it was a surprise to me that I only had two more meeting roles to complete the manual. I had already completed the "old" CL, so it wasn't really a goal for me to complete the "new" CL, but why not? I was able to help the club with a Distinguished Club Program Goal for Buffalo this year, which was a pleasure. Don't be afraid to start bringing your manual to a meeting...that's all it takes!!
As a final plug, please consider being a leader for our Buffalo herd in the coming year. It is a great opportunity to develop leadership skills, have fun, and improve your connection to our great club! Contact Walter (wweinig@golder.com) if you want to discuss the opportunities in more detail!
See you at the next meeting and maybe you can claim to be a virgin too!!
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
A Wonderful Open House Meeting!
Buffalo TMs,
A tribute to all you wonderful toastmasters for contributing to a wonderfully successful Open House Meeting this past April 20th!
As TM, Pamela G, lead off nicely and kept the meeting on track with explanations to our guests of the flow and roles of the meeting. Larry B. kept it light with the joke as always followed up by Linda K. with "Affect" and "Effect" as words of the day.
Walter W. lead off as Speaker 1 and provided a nice bit of vocal variety to accomplish his speech project 6. I enjoyed his personal stories with power point and technical topics to expanding his abilities with buffalo to include a much larger swath of speeches. His initial speech giving envelope fits nicely into his much large envelope of speeches!
Taya S. "churned our butter" as Speaker 2 and provided inspiration and challenge to the group through her speech regarding the small things we can do each and everyday to bring success to our lives. Taya has not only challenged the club but also continuously challenges herself by wholeheartedly taking on each speech project and improving each time!
Brian V. saddled up for Speaker 3 and broke the ice with his first speech. A truly remarkable ice breaker and one that will not soon be forgotten. Brian truly is a "buffalo" and we learned a great deal about him through his speech including his taste for buffalo chicken wings and his distaste for electrical engineering.
Our Evaluators did a wonderful job of Evaluating the speakers. Many thanks to Larry B. for evaluating Walter, Dorrie G. for evaluating Taya and Shannon M. for evaluating Brian V.
For TT, I applaud both Pamela for starting us off and Darryle for finishing it off right despite a bit of tardiness. Great job Linda K. as well for Grammarian and to Caroline for our Timer's report.
Thanks to our guests for joining as well; Carl, Megan, Matt, Joy, and Amy. It's a pleasure being a member and officer of the club and we truly had wonderful energy and spirit for our Open House. Looking forward to more success in the future!
Regards,
Ray Hebert II
VP of Education
GE for April 20, 2011 Meeting
A tribute to all you wonderful toastmasters for contributing to a wonderfully successful Open House Meeting this past April 20th!
As TM, Pamela G, lead off nicely and kept the meeting on track with explanations to our guests of the flow and roles of the meeting. Larry B. kept it light with the joke as always followed up by Linda K. with "Affect" and "Effect" as words of the day.
Walter W. lead off as Speaker 1 and provided a nice bit of vocal variety to accomplish his speech project 6. I enjoyed his personal stories with power point and technical topics to expanding his abilities with buffalo to include a much larger swath of speeches. His initial speech giving envelope fits nicely into his much large envelope of speeches!
Taya S. "churned our butter" as Speaker 2 and provided inspiration and challenge to the group through her speech regarding the small things we can do each and everyday to bring success to our lives. Taya has not only challenged the club but also continuously challenges herself by wholeheartedly taking on each speech project and improving each time!
Brian V. saddled up for Speaker 3 and broke the ice with his first speech. A truly remarkable ice breaker and one that will not soon be forgotten. Brian truly is a "buffalo" and we learned a great deal about him through his speech including his taste for buffalo chicken wings and his distaste for electrical engineering.
Our Evaluators did a wonderful job of Evaluating the speakers. Many thanks to Larry B. for evaluating Walter, Dorrie G. for evaluating Taya and Shannon M. for evaluating Brian V.
For TT, I applaud both Pamela for starting us off and Darryle for finishing it off right despite a bit of tardiness. Great job Linda K. as well for Grammarian and to Caroline for our Timer's report.
Thanks to our guests for joining as well; Carl, Megan, Matt, Joy, and Amy. It's a pleasure being a member and officer of the club and we truly had wonderful energy and spirit for our Open House. Looking forward to more success in the future!
Regards,
Ray Hebert II
VP of Education
GE for April 20, 2011 Meeting
Friday, April 1, 2011
Buffalo Toastmaster's Open House Wednesday April 20, 2011
The Buffalo Toastmasters are pleased to announce an open house. This is a friendly & casual time to learn more about Toastmasters, hear some terrific speakers, and enjoy some tasty food & refreshments.
Date: Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Time: 11:30 AM - 12:45 PM
Location:
Golder Associates Inc.
44 Union Boulevard, Suite 300
Lakewood, Colorado, USA 80228
When you arrive at Golder Associates, look for the open house signs.
We are looking for assistance gathering the following items for the open house. If you are available to assist, please email Walter Weinig @ Walter_Weinig@golder.com
Items needed:
We look forward to seeing you there!
Paul Murphy
VP Public Relations
Date: Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Time: 11:30 AM - 12:45 PM
Location:
Golder Associates Inc.
44 Union Boulevard, Suite 300
Lakewood, Colorado, USA 80228
When you arrive at Golder Associates, look for the open house signs.
We are looking for assistance gathering the following items for the open house. If you are available to assist, please email Walter Weinig @ Walter_Weinig@golder.com
Items needed:
- Appetizers
- Drinks
- Forks/knives/spoons
- Plates
We look forward to seeing you there!
Paul Murphy
VP Public Relations
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Ronald G. Wachenheim, DTM, Buffalo TM July 1, 1994 - February 27, 2011
“True wealth is not measured in money, status, or power. It is measured in the legacy we leave behind for those we love, and those we inspire.” Cesar Chavez
Ronald G. Wachenheim left us on Sunday, February 27, 2011. Ron lead a wonderful life, one filled with excellent memories and stories. As a member of Toastmasters for 18 1/2 years, he obtained the highest designation of TM, Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM). He served in many District 26 positions: Public Relations Officer (PRO), Treasurer, Secretary; Denver Division Governor; Foothills Area 1 Governor; and Denver Area 4 Governor.
In his earlier years, he obtained a BS in Computer Science from Regis College and M.A. in Management from Webster University. He often referenced his first bout of public speaking and his utmost failure at it. He jokingly referred to the story of his professor recommending he not just walk to the local TM meeting but run!
He was an avid doo-wop and R&B song collector and afficionado of other fine music. He wrote folk, country, and rock and roll songs but had to stop playing guitar due to arthritis.
http://www.kern-photo.com/index.php/2011/03/rest-in-peace-ron-mr-dtm/
Regards,
Ray Hebert
Buffalo TM
Ronald G. Wachenheim left us on Sunday, February 27, 2011. Ron lead a wonderful life, one filled with excellent memories and stories. As a member of Toastmasters for 18 1/2 years, he obtained the highest designation of TM, Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM). He served in many District 26 positions: Public Relations Officer (PRO), Treasurer, Secretary; Denver Division Governor; Foothills Area 1 Governor; and Denver Area 4 Governor.
In his earlier years, he obtained a BS in Computer Science from Regis College and M.A. in Management from Webster University. He often referenced his first bout of public speaking and his utmost failure at it. He jokingly referred to the story of his professor recommending he not just walk to the local TM meeting but run!
He was an avid doo-wop and R&B song collector and afficionado of other fine music. He wrote folk, country, and rock and roll songs but had to stop playing guitar due to arthritis.
I will cherish the passion and inspiration and he brought to Buffalo each and every meeting, the wonderful speeches and stories, the great evaluations, and the constant mentoring. He lead by example and with passion and enthusiasm!
May you rest peacefully. For additional photos please visit the link below with photos and comments from other Toastmasters.
Regards,
Ray Hebert
Buffalo TM
Thursday, January 6, 2011
"Too Much On Your Plate? Time to Get A BIGGER Plate!"
The Man, The Myth, The Legend (aka Darryle Brown) led off 2011 with a great theme for the new year. If you've got too much on your plate then get a bigger plate! So as we put together our resolutions and advance through 2011 keep this in mind.
Linda Knudson warmed us up with a "warm and fuzzy" instead of joke which we all enjoyed and appreciated. We had 3 great speakers for this first meeting who gave great speeches. Taya Sweeden lead off with a great Ice Breaker: "Terror & Exhiliration" giving us a brief insight into Taya. Watching Taya you'd have thought she was a Competent Communicator already. Very polished and well presented!
R.J. Kern took us on a journey up "The Climb Up the Stairway to Heaven" which detailed he and his brother's trek to the top of a beautiful hike in Hawaii. R.J. presented great enthusiasm and visuals with a bit of vocal variety thrown in for good measure! Nice job R.J.!
Rounding out the speeches, Doug Kendal made us think twice about Phospate with his "Phosphate Stories; Adventures in Chemistry" which made for a very interesting an informative speech about chemistry and specifically phospate. Thanks to Doug for making an otherwise difficult subject into something interesting and refreshing!
3 Great Evaluators provided superb feedback with Larry B, Roger S, and Ray H. giving their respective evaluations to the speakers above. I always enjoy hearing from Larry B. and Roger S. who give wonderful evaluations! Our GE, Ron W. also provided an excellent evaluation to the meeting and made a point to ask our guest (Brian VanKeuren) to give a quick intro to himself.
As a final note, special thanks to Carolyne for a nice table topics to start the year with good questions and interesting answers. See you next meeting!
Regards,
Ray
VP of Education
Linda Knudson warmed us up with a "warm and fuzzy" instead of joke which we all enjoyed and appreciated. We had 3 great speakers for this first meeting who gave great speeches. Taya Sweeden lead off with a great Ice Breaker: "Terror & Exhiliration" giving us a brief insight into Taya. Watching Taya you'd have thought she was a Competent Communicator already. Very polished and well presented!
R.J. Kern took us on a journey up "The Climb Up the Stairway to Heaven" which detailed he and his brother's trek to the top of a beautiful hike in Hawaii. R.J. presented great enthusiasm and visuals with a bit of vocal variety thrown in for good measure! Nice job R.J.!
Rounding out the speeches, Doug Kendal made us think twice about Phospate with his "Phosphate Stories; Adventures in Chemistry" which made for a very interesting an informative speech about chemistry and specifically phospate. Thanks to Doug for making an otherwise difficult subject into something interesting and refreshing!
3 Great Evaluators provided superb feedback with Larry B, Roger S, and Ray H. giving their respective evaluations to the speakers above. I always enjoy hearing from Larry B. and Roger S. who give wonderful evaluations! Our GE, Ron W. also provided an excellent evaluation to the meeting and made a point to ask our guest (Brian VanKeuren) to give a quick intro to himself.
As a final note, special thanks to Carolyne for a nice table topics to start the year with good questions and interesting answers. See you next meeting!
Regards,
Ray
VP of Education
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)