Hello Marsh Winds Toastmasters!
Living is one thing yet Living in Gratitude is entirely different. I hope you felt the energy our room emanated! You are magnificent; as individuals who come together to create Marsh Winds Toastmasters!
Cheryl Henkels, our beautiful Sergeant at Arms, began our meeting with great presence! We held our meeting in the all-encompassing Dragon Room. What a room to practice our stage presence, voice projection, and making everyone in the room feel as if they are the only one in the room! Cheryl, thank you for your ever joyful, expectant, and supportive openings!
Sandy Ryan, our president elect, presided at the meeting! She introduced our many guests with grace. The reason for our special meeting was due to a contest we won at the TELI in February. The contest? The club with the most members attending the TELI received a visit from the Fabulous 3 of District 6 with food! Marsh Winds Toastmasters attended en mass and earned the great privilege of a feast of food and friends! Our guests:
Jerry and Marilyn guests and parents of a returning guest Barb Frank! Marcia Hanson, Joann Schmid; the lovely wife of Tom Schmid, Joe Ryan, father of Sandy Ryan's 3 beautiful children, Ann Cathcart; a past member of Marsh Winds Toastmasters, Pete Machalek, and our honored
guests; District 6 Governor Pat Croal, Lt. Governor of Education and Training Joan Watson, Lt. Governor of Marketing Allan Bernard.
Sandy also introduced our very own member Jean Keating; Chair of the District 6 Toastmasters Youth Leadership Program. Jean led us in an exercise called Acknowledgment with the Eyes from the Magnificence Meeting Protocol. We have started our last 2 meeting with this rich opening of self and acknowledging of each other. If you have not experienced this exercise please join our meeting soon! Sandy thank you for your divine presence.
Jennifer Stensrud, your President, was the toastmaster. Our theme: Living in Gratitude. When we acknowledge gratitude in our lives we
become co-creators, attracting all that is good and bountiful for us. As our thoughts are things, not only our spoken words of gratitude are a part of this creation; our thoughts, feelings, and intentions all affect our lives. A bounty of bells were offered to people as they found their name tags. Bells signify change and new beginnings. Bells also signify Angels on earth; allowing support and guidance in our creations. The bells replaced our usual clapping of the hands to appreciate and acknowledge each other.
With all meetings, the toastmaster is well supported with assistants. I would like to thank my assistants that signed up before the meeting; Larry Everett. Larry was our ah counter and had an exceptionally keen ear. Larry also volunteered his photography skills snapping many memorable moments. Thank you Larry for your continued support in role responsibility for Marsh Winds.
I shall digress a bit now for I feel it is in our club's best interest. It is a responsibility for each of us, as Marsh Winds Toastmasters, to check the online roster or sign up at the meetings for meeting positions. It allows us to grow and learn by doing, through experience. Perfection is not expected or needed. Growth and learning is, however, why we are toastmasters. Please, be responsible in co-creating your toastmaster's experience; sign up now and often!
My two other assistants for our meeting were Tom Schmid as grammarian. Tom challenged us with the word prithee – please. Thank you Tom for stretching our vocabulary and stepping forward to fill a meeting role. Shaun Jamison pulled double duty as timer and evaluator. Thank you Shaun for multi-tasking!
Assistants, especially Larry, Tom, and Shaun are greatly appreciated! I would also like to extend a hug of gratitude to Deborah Dora. She signed up for an evaluation position. One of our speakers was unable to attend our meeting thus Deborah's position was not needed. Deborah participated in our meeting as a participant in table topics. Thank you Deborah for your commitment to Marsh Winds as well as flexibility!
Speakers are a highlight of the meeting and this week we had two.
#1 Dr. Michael Kennedy gave his 10th speech from the Competent Communicator manual. He has finished his first manual of 10 speeches. The objective of this speech is to Inspire the Audience. Mike's speech title was Prevention is the Best Medicine. Dr. Michael Kennedy is a chiropractor. He is very health conscious and inspires all of us to live life to our fullest! Thank you Mike for your inspiration in co-creating our lives through health. It is customary to be rewarded with a standing ovation after a completion of a toastmaster level. Congratulations Mike on earning your Competent Communicator Award!
#2 Pat Croal was our second speaker. She was joined by Joan and Allan. Pat's speech was titled Where Do We Go From Here? Pat will be moving on after being District 6 Governor. She will be moving back to her home toastmaster club were her toastmaster experience began. She emphasized the point that all toastmaster experiences begin at the club level and grow. Pat's speaking style is a delightful conversation. She is very relaxed, playful, and simply brings a point into being. Thank you Pat for your beautiful words.
Table Topics is the portion of the meeting where we practice our extemporaneous speaking skills. Betty Liedtke lead us in a gratitude exercises: When life hands you lemons… be grateful; for example. Thank you to all who participated in table topics!
Thank you Betty for your gift of theme and creativity!
Our General Evaluator, Lisa Jenks, was poised! Lisa's job is to lead our meeting in the evaluations of the speakers, assistant reports, as well as an overall evaluation of the meeting. Lisa did so with great style and leadership. Thank you Lisa for your ever continued smile and talent!
We closed our circular meeting with an explanation of the bowl of water in the center of our meeting. Each person had a small stone on their chair when they arrived. This stone signified each of us. Through our thoughts, words, and intentions we send out into the world ripples. As the ripples extended to the ends of the universe they ripple back to their origin; you and I. Be mindful of what you send out into the world. People were invited to drop their stone into the bowl in the center of the room or keep the stone the remind them that they create the ripples in their life.
I was honored with your vote of Toastmaster of the Day! I am grateful, humbled, and awed by the energy of Marsh Winds! Did you feel the all-encompassing energy in our room last Thursday? Thank you for a year of growth, experience, love, and support. I am excited and look forward to supporting our incoming board. I am very proud to call Marsh Winds Toastmaster's my home club!
Take good care,
Jennifer Stensrud
President of Marsh Winds Toastmasters
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