How Do I Write a Tall Tale?

Paul Bunyan. Pecos Bill. John Henry. These are among the finest known examples of tall tales. But anyone – YES, ANYONE – can write a tall tale. All it takes is a little imagination.

Here’ your chance to create a legend! This spring, District 6 is featuring a tall tales speech contest, starting at the club level and culminating with a champion at the District level!

How can I invent my own tall tale you ask?

1. Choose an incident and a character.

2. List facts about the incident.

3. Exaggerate the facts. For example, you could write about last Friday's football game that your school won 21-10. I meant the football game we won 213-6 (Star running back Tommy Tidewater felt sorry for the other team and scored a touchdown for them in the 4th quarter.). Todd Wallenbacjerstynomerslimkadin passed for 8,000 yards, saved orphans from a burning building at halftime, and sold popcorn between the third and fourth quarters.

4. Make sure it's written in the first person.

(From www.brighthub.com)

It’s really that easy – and fun! Give it a try – craft a 3-5 minute tall tale speech and enter into our club contest on March 4^th!

Go big, or go home!

Marsh Winds Members Volunteer at Feed My Starving Children

Marsh Winds Toastmasters and other volunteers packed 54 boxes of food, containing 11,644 meals - enough to feed 32 children every day for a year! Thank you, Feed My Starving Children and volunteers, for all that you do!

Belated January 7, 2010 Meeting Recap

While I remind the Toastmaster each week to craft and submit a meeting recap, I was remiss in recapping the meeting of January 7, 2010, when I served as Toastmaster.

It was our first meeting of the New Year, and the theme, appropriately, was “Happy New Year.” There was promise of a celebration, and the meeting did not disappoint!

There were two Ice Breaker speeches. Leslie Smith gave her very first Toastmasters speech – a very courageous, emotional and personal beginning to her Toastmasters journey, earning her “Toastmaster of the Day.”

Betty Liedtke began her third Competent Communicator Manual, with “Find Your Buried Treasure,” telling of her exciting new business venture. She plans to use this manual to talk about and reflect on the experiences in this venture.

Two new members were inducted into the club – Kimberly Jurek, who also served as Ah Counter, and Vivien Bacaner. Welcome, Kimberly and Vivien!

Uplifting and engaging speech evaluations were offered by Jean Keating and Susan Budig, who served double duty as grammarian, with “interjection” (the form of speech, not the word) as the word of the day. What a creative idea!

Stefan Stamenkovic did an excellent job as timer and Dawn Anderson was her usual enthusiastic and supportive self as general evaluator.

The meeting concluded with a non-alcoholic champagne toast welcoming the New Year with all of its potentiality and promise.

Planning for the Unexpected Meeting Recap

Thursday's theme was "Planning for the Unexpected." As our Toastmaster and an attorney,
I couldn't go with "Expecting the Unexpected" because that makes no logical sense. If you expect it, it's no longer unexpected.

Attendees were treated to some unexpected twists:

* The room was set up facing East instead of West (thanks for playing Jean).
* The agenda alternated left to right and right to left with photos of the members.
* There was a last minute substitution of speakers and Shaun spoke on Planning for the Unexpected.
* Shaun wore a hoodie instead of his trademark blue sport coat

Larry Everett was our Table Topics master and our guests agreed to give a go at the questions, we were treated to an even better chance to learn about them.

We had three wonderful guests. One Toastmaster who was visiting, another Toastmaster in transition, and someone brand new to Toastmasters.

Vivian gave her first effort at ah counter and Kimberly her first time as grammarian. Thanks to Vivian and Kimberly for jumping into the Toastmasters experience! Stacey staffed the ever-popular timer position.

Thanks to Sandy and Betty for their warm and inspiring contributions to the evaluation portion of the meeting.

Larry shared several announcement as officer of the day.

* We are having a while elephant sale on Feb 4th to assure an appropriate reserve in our checking account.
* The TELI - Toastmaster Education and Leadership Institute will be held on Feb. 20th.
* We are looking for chairs and participants for the speech contest to be held in March.
* Congrats and appreciation to Lisa Jenks for the beautiful and motivating newsletter that was distributed at the meeting.
* Want to be a chief judge for a contest? Judges training is coming.

Shaun reported it may not be wise to pick a theme of "Planning for the Unexpected." He forgot his wallet that morning and also arrived to find only three chairs in the meeting room...

Prepare for the Unexpected - Jan 14th Meeting Theme

Lisa Jenks will be presenting on impromptu speaking. Most of the communication we do is unplanned, so we will explore how to prepare for the unexpected on January 14, 2010.

New Year's Resolutions

Several Marsh Winds members have shared their resolutions for 2010. We wish them and you success in achieving your goals and fulfilling your resolutions for the New Year! Cheers!

Larry Everett - Aim for greater heights.

Betty Liedtke - My New Year's Resolution will be a two-part resolution to count down to zero. Wherever anything is stacked up and piled high--like the papers on my desk and kitchen counter, or my overloaded email inbox. Part 1 is to process and put away (or toss) everything that's already there. Part 2 is to train myself to deal with everything as it comes in so I don't allow new stacks to grow. If I do this consistently and conscientiously, I will have counted down to zero by the end of the year (or sooner, I hope).

Jean Keating - My New Year's resolution 2010 is to partner with the Living Field of Love in all that I do, all that I Am...to invite this Living Field to serve as co-creator and guide to my purest expression.

Jennifer Ray Berthuessen - Lose 15-20 pounds which means implementing some sort of self control which is always the down fall in any resolution.

Ravi Bakshi – To stay healthy.

Sandy Ryan – To be “passion driven” rather than “calendar Driven.”

Shaun Jamison - To improve my posture, so I'm sitting properly while on the computer all day. Easier said than done...

Dawn Anderson - To cherish and embrace life with both it's ups and downs, and to laugh with myself when I stumble. Yup: I resolve to laugh more

Deborah Dora – To eat chocolate every day.

Pamela Rediger – To be present with people and let go of all those things that get in the way of that.

Lisa Jenks - To get more sleep.