Today was the first meeting with our new slate of officers. Congratulations to the new team, and many thanks to the outgoing officers for their service over this past year. Our new president, Kelsey Long, opened the meeting with a moment of silence for the Black Lives Matter movement and thoughts for the victims and rescue teams at the condo building collapse in Surfside, Florida.
Even though it was the start of a holiday weekend, we had a full meeting, and our Toastmaster, Bettina Ross, started us off with introductions. We had ten members in attendance, plus three and a half guests: John Doggett, Nereida Sutton, Bettina’s cousin, Ariel, visiting from Michigan, and Amelya’s son, Cy. Bettina’s word of the day was “enlighten.” Weaving that theme throughout the meeting, she reminded us all that our mind is what drives us and we need to train our minds in order to have control over our lives. Several members used the word of the day in their talks, as we all tried to open our minds and be enlightened by the knowledge and sharing that happens every week at Sunrise Toastmasters.
The first of the prepared speeches today was delivered by Amelya Black. She led us through the mental and emotional gymnastics that have challenged her as she tries to sort through her belongings in preparation for moving to a new home. As her evaluator, Kelsey Long, pointed out, Amelya’s speech was humorous and relatable, and we were all glad we were present to enjoy it.
Savannah Murphy delivered the second prepared speech, an icebreaker to launch her Humorous Speaking Pathway. She took us on a laugh-out-loud journey recalling interactions she has experienced as a non-religious person growing up in the “Bible-Belt” south. Norris Bass evaluated Savannah’s speech and noted that it managed to be funny and lighthearted, despite being centered around such a sensitive topic.
Our impromptu speaking skills were tested by Angela Marsh, who served as Table Topics Master. Angela provided us with life quotes from famous people such as Nelson Mandela and James Cameron, and then challenged us to explain why we agreed or disagreed with the quotes, and talk about how the sentiments might apply to our own lives. Several members gave thoughtful and sometimes humorous responses before we moved on to the feedback portion of the meeting.
Karen Rhodes provided a general meeting evaluation, with praise for jobs well done and some ideas for improvement in future meetings. Tim Murphy reported on the times for each speaker and the adherence to the agenda timing, and Summer Murphy noted language and grammar usage as well as memorable quotes from the day’s speakers.
Next week’s meeting will be at 7 am, July 9 EST on Zoom. The roles for that meeting are as follows:
Toastmaster: Angela
Speakers: (1) Dave , (2) Summer
Table Topics: Dustin
Gen. Evaluator: Norris
Evaluators: (1) Kelsey, (2) Amelya
Timer: Savannah
Grammarian: John
Join us at the next Sunrise Toastmasters meeting for an enlightening experience and another opportunity to grow as leaders and communicators!
