Resolutions - by Lisa Jenks

Welcome 2010

Find your zen

Satisfy a yen

Now is when

Higher heights

Grander sights

Champion rights

Romantic nights

Cheers to you

What will you do

The new year through

To be a better you

Financially sound

Common ground

Fitness found

Family bound

Promises to keep

Dig down deep

Take that leap

Benefits to reap

Learning skills

Seeking thrills

Cutting frills

Curing ills

Take full pride

Goals be your guide

Don't be denied

Hit your stride

Sharing wealth

Better health

Professional stealth

Thoughtful self

Do your best

Never rest

Show your zest

'Til next New Year's fest!

The Elusive Gilded Gavel (The E.G.G.) Now Resides With Marsh Winds

Elusive? Not any longer! It is ours!

Gilded? Perhaps a stretch, but yes, it is special.

Gavel? Did it once start its life as a croquet mallet? One may never know. It is now a gavel, and as such, will be used at our meetings until another District Club comes to capture it.

What does the future hold? Ah, well, now that is a good question. A question for table topics, I would say, so I will refrain from giving my answer today.

Here’s our story, and we are sticking to it:

At 5:35 a.m. on Thursday morning, December 17^th, 2009, a red mini-van with five Marsh Winders left the Marsh and headed for Hutchinson. The 7 a.m. meeting was all set up and ready to go at 6:50 when we arrived after stopping for coffee and candy canes in town. It had been a smooth trip, thankfully, with no scarcity of great conversations. No surprise, on that, however: we ARE Toastmasters, after all!

The Hutchinson II meeting was very enjoyable. We met the president, web master, and all of the other members. We were welcomed with congenial conviviality. Aside from the Marsh Winds President spilling her water glass, and nearly knocking down the club’s stand of ribbons, it was a smoothly executed and fun meeting. All in attendance enjoyed a liberal splashing of humor. The joke of the day got the room warmed up nicely, and even the evaluations were spritzed with jokes. A long list of procedures that vary from our club’s could be made, but one detail that we all liked was having more than one award given for quality efforts. A best table topics award and best speech award were given. Our club’s participation in table topics and warm-ups was terrific, but alas, did not merit any awards. Certainly, had there been an award for clumsiness, we would have had that one! They also gave a bone-award to a member who misnamed another member. Argh! This would never happen at Marsh Winds! Our VP of PR, Lisa, did her best to create a positive relationship as we stole away this coveted gavel, by offering the gifts of super-sized candy-canes to the other club. Memorable! Hope it helped ease their loss! Also, we said The Marsh Winds Jingle Number One in unison before we departed.

It was a struggle, but at the end of the meeting, the five Marsh Winders successfully grabbed that E.G.G. from five of the Hutchinson II members. Yes! We came, we spoke we conquered!

As we drove out of town, we stopped for a photo-op with the van riding into the sunrise, towards home, and a safe arrival to our own 9:15 meeting. We left with fond memories, skills learned, and many ideas to consider borrowing from our fellow District 6 club. And we left with the E.G.G.!

Until we meet again: please drive safely, buckle-up, and laugh as much as possible.

Dawn Anderson

President, Marsh Winds Toastmasters Club #7179

How the Grinch Spoke at Christmas

Check out this creative spin on a holiday favorite! Click here to enjoy!

Thursday December 10th - A Chilly Meeting Recap

"Brrr, It's Cold Outside" was the theme for the Marsh Winds meeting last Thursday. BUT, it was warm and cozy around our Toasty table! Roles were filled as needed with Susan Budig as Ah Counter, Leslie Smith as Grammarian and Dawn Anderson as Timer. Betty Liedtke gave a speech that not only warmed our hearts, but added steam to our Toastmaster bonding by sharing a story of Toastmaster "goodness." Betty's evaluator, Jean Keating gave her piping hot feedback with extra marshmallows! Having simmered some thoughtful Table Topics, Stacey Modahl elicited responses of tales of adventure in our winter wonderland. Larry Everett, as General Evaluator, gave our meeting some warm, fuzzies of approval. Our guest was hot "spot on" with her Table Topics response and report of her Toastmaster experience with us.

In the end, having delivered some hard, cold facts such as: We can think about getting past our fears of public speaking, but the only way to overcome them is to prepare and practice (in a safe environment such as Toastmasters), Toastmaster, Sandy Ryan, wrapped up our meeting (which ended with a blanket of applause). Betty Liedtke was awarded Toastmaster of the Day! She is so hot! :)

Greatest Ways To Better Yourself

This may be an old posting, but still worthwhile. In 2005 CNN Money.com listed in its 50 Smartest Things To Do with Your Money section "Greatest Ways to Better Yourself."

Speak confidently - No one ever got a raise by being a wallflower. Spend a few hundred dollars on a public speaking class at a community college or get training and practice at Toastmasters.

But didn't we already know that? Spread the word!

Anatomy of a Humorous Speech by John Zimmer

Hello, Fellow Toastmasters!

I found this great blog posting about the crafting and delivery of a contest winning humorous speech. I found it very enlightening and entertaining! Click here to check it out!