This week’s meeting kicked off with a warm welcome from our President, Tina Joe. This was followed by the One World, Many Voices segment led by Toastmaster Kerstin, who shared a message about the importance of leadership. She emphasized that leaders do not simply hold a position; they set something into motion that continues to move people forward long after they are gone. Kerstin concluded by expressing how fortunate she has been to surround herself with great leaders and how proud she is of the difference made during her tenure as club president. She reflected on the importance of leadership and expressed gratitude for those who helped lift and support her along the way.
Following this segment, Tina Joe 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, Tina Joe, who introduced the Word of the Day/Theme, legacy, defined as “the lasting impact and influence left by a person’s actions, decisions, and contributions.” Tina Joe then recognized past president Abdulrahman, highlighting the remarkable growth the club experienced during his tenure. Membership increased from 16 to 28 active members, bringing new voices, fresh perspectives, and greater engagement. Tina Joe also displayed the gift selected in recognition of Abdulrahman’s service, which will be shipped at a later date. Abdulrahman expressed his appreciation for the recognition.
Tina Joe then introduced the club’s 2026-2027 Presidential Vision, which focuses on intentional development, engagement and belonging, leadership and voice, and sustainable growth. She also presented the Sunrise Member Spotlight, recognizing members who recently completed a pathway level, including Toastmasters Danielle, Diana, Summer, and Kenny.
We had one speaker this week, Toastmaster Abdulrahman, who delivered a speech titled “Journey Toward Understanding.” He opened by asking members to imagine walking into a room full of people, each carrying their own stories, dreams, and experiences, while being judged before saying a single word based solely on appearance or background. His speech explored the realities of prejudice, discussed common sources of bias, and encouraged members to reflect on and become more aware of their own assumptions.
Table Topics were led by Toastmaster Syed, who centered the session around leadership. Questions included:
- What is the most important quality of a good leader?
- What do you think is the biggest threat facing future generations?
- Is it better to lead by example or by direction?
- AI is advancing rapidly. What do you think are its greatest benefits, and what are its potential drawbacks?
- Describe a leader who inspired you and explain why.
- If you were given $1 million but had to spend it all within 24 hours, what would you buy?
- Are great leaders born, or are they made? As noted during the discussion, growth comes through practice, learning, and mistakes, allowing individuals to evolve beyond their current level of training.
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 serves as our evaluation and feedback session.
Toastmaster Yuko led the evaluation team, highlighting the impactful One World, Many Voices presentation and Tina Joe’s thoughtful recognition of Abdulrahman. She also commended the variety and quality of the Table Topics questions. Yuko specifically noted Syed’s strong eye contact throughout the session and his intentional focus on members who did not have speaking roles. She concluded by expressing appreciation for Abdulrahman’s contributions and service as past president.
The speaker evaluation was delivered by Toastmaster Gulnara, who noted that she received the speaker introduction ahead of time, helping her prepare for the evaluation. She also highlighted Abdulrahman’s role in implementing the One World, Many Voices segment during his presidency, noting that many clubs do not offer a similar program and emphasizing the value it brings to our meetings.
Finally, Toastmasters Kerstin and Matthew 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 recognizing noteworthy language usage throughout the meeting.
Tina Joe concluded the meeting by sharing important information regarding upcoming Toastmasters training opportunities, including sessions covering the recent FreeToastHost updates.
The meeting adjourned right at 8:00 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 23, 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: Kenny
One World, Many Voices: Md Adnan
Speaker 1: Open
Speaker 2: Matthew
Table Topics: Norris
General Evaluator: Lisa
Evaluator 1: Tina Joe
Evaluator 2: Diana
Timer: Yuko
Grammarian: Open
