SRTM Member Profile

From my experiences with Toastmasters over the last three years, I have found it exciting to watch fellow members progress through the program. In becoming a Toastmaster, each member has the unique opportunity to practice and obtain feedback with skills that are challenging for most people - leadership and communication. I have noticed a definite change in my confidence, assertion, and ability to build relationships on both a professional and personal level since becoming a member . Each member of our club has a similar story. This post will highlight how one of our members is putting her leadership and communication skills to work in our community.

Wendy McDonnell has been a valued member of our club for just over two years. In this time, she has also been working steadily on a unique project - developing a weekly radio show - Family Matters - for our local community and campus radio station CFRU 93.3 FM. The show airs live every Sunday morning from 8 to 9 Eastern. This show explores the joys and challenges of family life through interviews with a variety of guests. Wendy says she took up this challenge because people continuously recommended that she record her voice because they liked hearing the sound of it. She also manages a personal coaching practice, Compassionate Solutions (www.compassionatesolutions.ca), where she was already engaged in the work of helping families overcome relationship and communication challenges.

Developing her radio show took a year of planning and another year of training. Wendy acknowledges Toastmasters' role in helping her be successful with this project. Specifically, Toastmasters is helping her develop her impromptu speaking skills, preparing topics for the show, and organizing herself when speaking. Interestingly, the most challenging aspect of community radio is not the talking. It is the multi-tasking! Wendy is both the host as well as managing all the technical aspects of live radio and editing - quite the challenge indeed! We would like to thank Wendy for allowing us to share her story with you. It is an inspiring story of where our voices can take us.

Michelle Munroe, VP Public Relations

Club Speechathon

On May 9^th, 2011, we held our first Club ‘Speechathon’. It was a great success. This night we had four prepared speeches, compared to the usual two or three. They ranged from an beginner’s speech by Kathryn Ssedoga, which featured some stand-up comedy and a moving poem, to an Advanced Communicator’s ‘dramatic speech’ by Alan Cook, C.C., about some of his adventures in India. New member, Kerri, gave a well-structured speech on the joys of mountain-biking, and Blake Kurisko, focusing on body-language, gave a lawyer’s interpretation of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, who, far from living happily ever after, it seems, were suing the heroine for $1.5m in damages!

Our Toastmaster for the evening, Isabel Hershaw, D.T.M., led us smoothly through this unusual meeting, which also featured voting for the best speaker (Blake) and the best evaluator (Michelle). Further novelty came in that we had two rounds of Table Topics, led by Terri Millar C.C. on the theme of ‘Your Super-Self.’ This got four of our six guests speaking for the first time at the club, one of whom jointly won a prize for her efforts.

Finally, this meeting saw the culmination of our membership drive. Rebecca Anstett, A.C.G., A.L.B., was by far the most hospitable of our members! All the guests and those who had brought them, qualified for the prize draw of a season’s free membership. This was won by Ricaldo Ward, who was with us as a guest for the second time. Congratulations to him, and to all those who took part in making this meeting such a success.

Alan Cook, C.C.

Spring Membership Drive and Speech-a-Thon

There was an announcement made at a recent club meeting about two events planned for our members and guests this spring. The first announcement is that there will be a special event run on May 9th, 2011. The club will be hosting it's first ever Speech-a-Thon! Instead of our usual meeting, as many members as possible are challenged to write and deliver a speech. More details are to follow, but expect a fun-filled night listening to well-crafted stories and information, enthusiasm, and helpful speech evaluations in the Toastmasters spirit of positive self-growth.

The second of these announcements is that a membership campaign is now in progress and will run until May 9, 2011. Campaign organizers Shawn Weldon, VP Education, and Wendy McDonnell, club member, have put forth a challenge to both members and guests and here is how it will work:

• If a SRTM member brings a guest, they receive two points, and their guest, one point.
• If that guest joins before the end of the campaign, they both get another point.
• At our Speech-a-Thon, all points will be converted into tickets and there will be a draw for a free six-month membership to Stone Road Toastmasters!! Guests will need to be in attendance to win, members will not.

Over the next month make an extra effort to talk up Toastmasters by encouraging friends, family, neighbours, co-workers...any one you can think of to visit our meetings - the challenge is on!

Michelle Munroe, VP Public Relations

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

In the spirit of the holiday season, our club hosted a special meeting this week which celebrated the end of our club's 7th year. The evening was kindly chaired and organized by Wendy and we thank her for her efforts. The night included a fun-filled gift exchange (involving picking a surprise "Whammy"...a.k.a. the dreaded gift can of tuna which changed hands four times before finding its home), holiday carols with live guitar and violin, and great snacks at our break. We would like to thank Blake for his company's sponsoring of the night (Miller Thompson LLP).

It has been an exciting year for our club - we welcomed in a new executive and many new members, the easy-speak system was introduced to better organize our meetings, and our members continued to grow in their speaking and leadership skills and also, most importantly, in wonderful friendships!

The Stone Road Toastmasters executive wishes you a happy and healthy holiday season. Our next meeting is scheduled for January 10th, 2011. See you in the New Year!

ALTRUISM AT TOASTMASTERS

‘Altruism’: that was our word of the week on November 8th, 2010. It means ‘giving yourself up for the benefit of others’. On that day, I was able to use the word after a shy visitor to the club had received the ‘Table Topics’ award. In my comments as the ‘toastmaster’ or chairman of the meeting, I said that this young lady had given us an example of altruism in action. By risking herself, by reluctantly standing up and giving a one minute speech, covered in blushes and confusion, she had given herself up for the benefit of the club. Isn’t that what we do when we gather together on Monday nights? We offer ourselves, our strengths and our weaknesses, not only that we might improve our skills, but so that others might learn, grow, and find the courage to face a new challenge in their lives.

Alan Cook C.C.

AREA 62 CONTEST

On Friday, October 15th, 2010 the Area 62 Contest was held at 10 Carden Street in downtown Guelph. The venue was intimate and the evening’s energy was palpable. Five contestants representing most of the six Guelph Toastmasters clubs were vying for the opportunity to advance to the next level of competition, the Division W Contest. City of Guelph Mayor, Karen Farbridge, was the guest dignitary providing opening remarks to kick off the event. Stone Road Toastmasters very own Linda Neff represented our club in both the Humourous Speech and Table Topics contests. She gave two wonderful performances, making both her club and her children in the audience very proud! The contest winners were: Glen Oxford (Humourous Speech) and Neil Lachapelle (Table Topics).

The night was a success and the efforts from our VP Education and Area Contest Organizer, Shawn Weldon, are commended. He secured many sponsors (NV Lounge, Miller-Thomson Barristers & Solicitors, Williams Coffee Pub, Starbucks Coffee, Atmosphere Café, Borealis Grille & Bar, and Purba Vision), which made for great food and many door prizes!

The Division W Contest will be held on Friday, October 29th, 2010 at the University of Waterloo. Contest begins at 7:00pm. Doors open at 6:30pm. Cost is $5.00. Details to follow shortly.

CLUB CONTEST WINNERS

On October 4th, the Stone Road Toastmasters Club held it's annual Humourous Speech and Tabletopics Contest. The night was certainly a success and we would like to thank our organizing committee - Alan Cook, Wendy McDonnell and Michelle Munroe, as well as all of the members who volunteered for the various contest roles. Our members and guests had the pleasure of listening to four talented contestants - Marion Reidel, Blake Kurisko, Linda Neff, and Kelly Kirkland. They were competing for the opportunity to advance onto the next level of competition, the Area Contest. All contestants are congratulated for their participation - you made us proud!! We are pleased to announce the night's winners: Marion Reidel (Table Topics) and Linda Neff (Humourous Speech). Our club wishes you both the best of luck. Shown left: Linda Neff, right: Alan Cook and Marion Reidel.

The Area Contest is taking place on Friday, October 15th, 2010 in downtown Guelph at 10 Carden Street. Doors will open at 6:30pm and the event starts at 7:00pm sharp. Our club is hosting this event, and we encourage all members to come out to support our organizers and competing members.