This week’s meeting kicked off with a warm welcome from our Vice President of Education, Gulnara. This was followed by the One World, Many Voices segment led by Toastmaster Kerstin, who shared an inspiring message about the importance of the Lions Club and the many ways its members serve their communities. From purchasing school lunches for children to providing eyeglasses for those in need, the organization makes a meaningful impact on the lives of others. Kerstin concluded by emphasizing how much of a difference someone can make simply by giving their time.
Following this segment, Gulnara briefly introduced the Bias Flag and explained its purpose. The Bias Flag is a tool our club uses to encourage inclusive and mindful language throughout our meetings.
The meeting was then turned over to our Toastmaster of the Day, Sophie, who quickly noted that several meeting roles remained unfilled and requested volunteers. Sophie then introduced the Word of the Day, façade, defined as “the front side of a building. Figuratively, it describes an appearance that hides the truth.” After a quick round of introductions, she guided us through an engaging and well-organized meeting.
Both speakers this week delivered unscheduled, impromptu speeches. Toastmaster Danielle presented a speech titled “The Importance of Being Prepared for the Unexpected.” She immediately captured the audience’s attention with the opening line, “No one expects the Spanish Inquisition.” Danielle went on to explain a practical approach to delivering a speech without relying on a script, highlighting how flexibility can help speakers recover from mistakes. She compared this approach to a four-wheel-drive vehicle that can easily leave the road when conditions require it.
Our second speaker, Toastmaster Kerstin, delivered a speech titled “The Unexpected Gift of Time.” Her presentation offered a thoughtful reflection on time as one of life’s most valuable gifts, emphasizing the importance of using it intentionally and not taking it for granted.
Table Topics were led by Toastmaster Kenny, who centered the session around the Word of the Day. Questions included:
- What does the word facade mean to you?
- Have you ever pretended to be happy when you were actually feeling sad?
- Why do you think people hide their true feelings, and do you think they should?
- Is it always wrong to wear a facade?
- How can we tell when someone is hiding their true emotions?
- Have you ever judged someone based on their appearance, and why?
Next, we moved into our Breakfast of Champions segment for those on the East Coast of the United States, also known as Lunch or Dinner of Champions, depending on your location. This portion of the meeting marks our evaluation and feedback session.
Toastmaster Matthew led the evaluation team, highlighting the excellent One World, Many Voices presentation and the insight it provided into the Lions Club’s service within local communities. He also noted how smoothly the meeting progressed despite several open roles at the start.
Speaker evaluations were delivered by Toastmasters Diana and Chang Yu, who praised both speakers for their ability to deliver impactful presentations on short notice. Diana specifically highlighted Danielle’s strong opening and well-developed central theme. Chang Yu commended Kerstin’s powerful message on perspective, gratitude, and the value of time.
Finally, Toastmasters Gulnara and Sophie helped keep the meeting running smoothly by serving as Timer and Grammarian, respectively. Their efforts ensured speeches remained on schedule while also tracking filler words and noteworthy language usage throughout the meeting.
The meeting adjourned right at 7:59 AM EST, and we are already looking forward to next week’s meeting.
The next Sunrise Toastmasters meeting will be at 7 a.m. on October 16, EST. If you would like to join our meeting as a guest, contact us for the meeting link.
The roles for the next meeting are as follows:
Toastmaster: Tina Joe
One World, Many Voices: Robert
Speaker 1: Chang Yu
Speaker 2: Abdulrahaman
Table Topics: Syed
General Evaluator: Danielle
Evaluator 1: Yuko
Evaluator 2: Gulnara
Timer: OPEN
Grammarian: Matthew
