Category: Toastmasters

Tinton Falls Table Topics Dinner

“You’re up.”
 
The experience of hearing those two words after your first name marks a favorite occasion at meetings for Toastmasters – the opportunity to participate in a round of Table Topics.
 
On Thursday, October 5th Talk of Monmouth Advanced Toastmasters Club is hosting a Table Topics dinner meeting at MJ’s Pizza Bar and Grill in Tinton Falls, NJ from 6 to 8 PM. Calling all Toastmasters; you are invited!
 
As any Toastmaster will report, the multicolored-butterflies of nerves and enthusiasm that one feels fluttering in his / her stomach in anticipation of an impromptu speech gives Table Topics an air of excitement. Members frequently cite Table Topics as a favorite aspect of meetings. The problem is, with typical meeting Table Topics limited to five to ten speakers, not everyone is guaranteed to participate on any given night. Talk of Monmouth’s Table Topics dinners are different. If you attend, the likelihood that you will speak is very high! The two hour meeting will feature no prepared speeches; the time will be given exclusively to Table Topics. On similar occasions in the past all attendees have participated as speakers and we plan to repeat that trend this time around. We hope you will join in the Toastmasters fun and fellowship of this unique meeting!
 
Talk of Monmouth Advanced Toastmasters Club meets at 7:30 PM on the second Thursday of each month in the courtroom of the Tinton Falls Municipal Center.

Begonia Wants to See You at the Fall Conference

Area 21 Director Begonia Reyes, CC, talks about why she goes to conferences, including the great speeches as well as a sense of community. Join us on Saturday, November 18, 2017 at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Somerset, NJ. Reserve your spot at TM83.org.

Module “Realizing Your Purpose” (Part 2)

On July 29, our District 83 started a four part series with aim to connect Toastmasters in District 83 and work on a personal success plan conducive to reaching One Level Up in the current 2017 – 2018 Toastmasters Year. These educational training modules are more than a check the box form. They are a blueprint, a road map, to help as many members as possible understand the current Toastmasters Communication and Leadership Track. In these modules, members brainstorm with other members on the best ways to set the course that will build the basics for arriving at whatever educational award or project achievement the individual member intends. During these sessions, attendees will learn firsthand from the experience and best practices of other members, who have found solutions to problems many of us encounter in our own journey.

Part 1 was about creating a Success Plan. During that training, we covered selecting and planning on SMART Goals, Distinguished Club Strategies, and tracking these goals. We had a session that covered beyond the Competent Communicator manual and an in-depth review, explaining the scope and objectives, of each one of the 15 advanced manuals. We also reviewed the leadership track and all the projects needed to achieve DTM.

Part 2, “Realizing Your Purpose” is going to be about how experience and Distinguished Toastmasters have navigated through the Communication and Leadership Tracks to achieve the ultimate Toastmaster Award. Before we get to that, let me start with Google’s definition of the word purpose: “the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists”.

As Toastmasters, we all have a purpose for attending meetings and staying active. What brought you to join this organization may be completely different from what motivated me, but what is common to all of us is that we have an expectation of getting somewhere and that destination point is expected to be better and closer to where we want or wish to be in either our careers, skills, or personal growth.

In D83-P2 Module, we are going to learn from the personal experience of our Division A Director Narendra Pondugula, DTM. He will explain the way he laid out an action plan to reach the coveted Distinguished Toastmaster award in can be record time.

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Meet the Area Directors: Nayan Shah

Name: Nayan Shah

Position: Area 24 Director, Div-B for 2017-18.

Club(s): Parsippany Toastmasters Club, Carpe Diem

Other positions: Currently, I am VP Education for the Parsippany Toastmasters Club. Last year, I was Sergeant-at-Arms for the club.

How long have you been in Toastmasters? Since, February 2015.

What are your plans for the district/area/division? All of the clubs are corporate clubs in my Area-24, Division-B. I want to be there for my clubs, for any of the questions they have. Our plan is to find local leaders for future Division need. I will try to keep my Area to be Distinguished Status by creating Area Success Plan early in the year.

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Club Spotlight: Sunset Toastmasters (Part 2)

Club Spotlight: Sunset Toastmasters      
 
Charter Date: December 3, 2002
 
Meeting Times: 2nd and 4th Monday at 7:00pm. 
 
Address: Pearl River Library (80 Franklin Ave, Pearl River, NY)
 
Club Members In Their Own Words:
 
I joined Toastmasters because, at the time, I had just joined a business networking group, BNI. Whenever it was my turn to get up to speak in front of the group, I would get very nervous, to the point where my heart was pounding heavily. Since public speaking is one of my goals, I knew I’d have to correct this problem pretty quickly. I decided to join Sunset Toastmasters because it was the closest group to my house, and I’m glad I did. I’ve found the group to be very supportive, and a place where one can thrive. I was just offered a speaking slot at an industry event at the end of the month. Thanks to my Toastmasters training, I am ready for the challenge! –Avrohom Gottheil
 

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The Pillars of Toastmasters Wisdom

To become a Toastmaster is to open the door to the world.

Consider these disparate facts:

Have you ever heard of the Five Pillars of Islam?

This refers to the five duties required of every Muslim. They are Shahādah, the Muslim profession of faith, Salāt, ritual prayer five times each day, Zakāt, the alms levied for the poor, Sawm, fasting during the month of Ramadan (and no, you aren’t expected to eat nothing for a month), and Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca you should to try to complete at least once in your lifetime.

Have you heard of the Bible’s “Seven Pillars of Wisdom?” In the Hebrew Bible, or Old Testament’s, Book of Proverbs, Chapter 9, Verse 1, we read, “Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars.” This refers to “Wisdom’s Feast,” the benefits we reap by sowing the seeds of kindness, generosity, humility, sincerity, and wisdom.

In Wadi Rum, Jordan, there is a beautiful mountain called “The Seven Pillars.” It looks like this:

Have you ever heard of the legendary Lawrence of Arabia?

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Getting to Know DTM Ann Swartz

Distinguished Toastmaster Anne Swartz has been a member for 20 years. Currently, she is a member of Toastmasters of Westfield. We asked her a few questions about her Toastmasters experience.

What do you do outside of Toastmasters?

I am a health and wellness coach at RWJBarnabas Health, working at several hospital and office locations in the Southern region of New Jersey. I help their employees improve their health and well-being.

I am also a certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor. I attended Washington University in St. Louis and earned a business degree in marketing and public relations. I’ve also taken exercise science and physiology courses at Kean University. You may be interested to know that in my early career I worked for NBA Properties, Inc.

Did you have any public speaking experience prior to Toastmasters?

I had limited public speaking experience and when I worked at the NBA in the 90s, I would freeze and get nervous. My voice would shake – especially when I interacted with upper management. Interestingly, I always felt comfortable teaching fitness classes, but in a room filled with business executives, I was a deer in headlights.

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Club Spotlight: Sunset Toastmasters (Part 1)

Club Spotlight: Sunset Toastmasters      
 
Chartered: December 3, 2002
 
Meeting Times: 2nd and 4th Monday at 7:00pm. 
 
Address: Pearl River Library (80 Franklin Ave, Pearl River, NY)
 
Club Members In Their Own Words:
In 2011 I heard a friend talking about her Toastmasters club. It occurred to me that if I had to give speeches, I could finally put together the stories that had been handed down of my family history and, in giving them as speeches, could prepare them for collection in a book for my family so the stories and family history would not get lost.  At my first meeting, when asked to introduce myself, I could barely speak.  Since that time I have learned to be comfortable in front of an audience, represent myself much better at conferences, business meetings, etc., make a variety of different kinds of presentations and speeches, I also have a collection of family history vignettes that my family actually enjoys reading. I couldn’t have achieved this without the friendly acceptance and support of my club.  I love coming to the meetings and being part of a diverse, interesting group of people. It’s like jumping into one of those big boxes of many different balls that kids enjoy.  Each ball is different, but all together they support the people who “swim” among them. – Paula Steen

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How Many Distinguished Club Points Do You Have?

DCP? Those letters may sound familiar. If you have been a Toastmaster for a while, you probably have been monitoring Your Distinguished Club Program or DCP. In any case, let me remind you how it works and what goals all clubs strive to achieve within a Toastmaster year.

How Does It Work?

The Distinguished Club Program is an annual program, running from July 1 through June 30. The program consists of 10 goals for your club to obtain, using the Club Success Plan. To help keep track of your progress toward these goals throughout the year, updated reports are posted daily on the Toastmasters International website.

At year-end, the number of goals the club achieved is calculated. Based on the goals met and whether or not the qualifying requirements have been met, the club may be recognized as a Distinguished, Select Distinguished, or President’s Distinguished Club.

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Meet the Area Directors: Tezeta Roro

Name: Tezeta “Tez” Roro

Position: Area 22 Director and Midtown Toastmasters President

Club(s): Midtown Toastmasters

Other positions: I have held the Sergeant at Arms and VP of Membership Roles in the past.

How long have you been in Toastmasters? 5 years

What are your plans for the district/area/division?

To increase member engagement and create added value to members by positioning Toastmasters as more than a public speaking and leadership organization. Toastmasters is a great way build and nurture relationships and help support each other’s professional and personal lives and make positive impact in our communities.

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