VP of Education and Toastmaster Abdulrahman Ahmed opened the meeting with a greeting and reminded us of the privilege we have as members of the club, acknowledged the genuine care we show for one another, and the power vested in us to empower and inspire each other.
Abdul encouraged us to remember those who have left an undeniable mark on us, pushed us to grow and achieve more than possible. Reflecting on ways our lives have enriched as toastmasters, Abdul invited us to take a minute of silence to honor all extraordinary people who have crossed paths with us, who have shaped us and challenged us to become better individuals.
Toastmaster of the day & President, Kerstin Haase introduced the “Word of the Day” (WOD), “inspire,” meaning to stimulate action; motivate. synonym: encourage. She also prompted us to hold peace sign when we come across any bias during speeches. Reminiscing on leaders who held roles at Sunrise Toastmasters over the years, Kerstin dedicated the session in honor of Past President, Summer Murphy, for her selfless love, support, and dedication to the chapter, its members, and for keeping up the core values and charter of the club!
Toastmaster Tina Joe Ross introduced the first speaker for the day, Toastmaster Anu Parvathaneni, to deliver her speech on MCI or Mild Cognitive Impairment, referring to one’s inability to remember and use their cognitive skills. Defining the term MCI as a start, Anu offered an eye-opening detail on the topic, including its causes and related medical conditions, and the changes that occur in the brain of individuals with MCI. Anu emphasized on the saying “what we feed our mind, body, and soul matters,” andhighlighted the benefits of and the necessity to engage in regular exercises, eat healthy, and manage stress by staying positive and being socially active. Anu’s speech on MCI taught the members something new and informative. Sheoffered a fantastic overview of the condition with brevity and enough clarity, thus persuading us to take steps to living a healthy life.
Tina Joe congratulated Anu on her carefully crafted speech with definition, examples, causes, risk factors, treatment options, suggestions, and action items for the audience to take part. Commending on Anu’s well-spoken and clear vocal variations and facial expressions, Tina Joe encouraged Anu to overtly state her sources to enhance her credibility as a speaker, given the nature of the speech topic.
Toastmaster Norris Bass introduced the second speaker of the day, Hema Kellett, to present her speech, My Inspiration, showcasing who and what truly motivates and inspires her. Sharing a poignant quote on Success and inspiration, Hema shared her unforgettable journey of growing up with her grandmothers, the friendship and bond both her grandmothers shared with each other, and their unconditional and selfless love for herthat taught her the notion and importance of friendship and kindness. As one of the members pointed, the speech highlighted the wisdom, the strength, and the force of nature these women were in Hema’s life. The emotional storytelling resonated with the audience at its core.
Toastmaster Norris commended Hema on her delivery of a truly emotional and sensitive speech, keeping her emotions in check, and for conveying the message she had intended to deliver in her speech. Norris reflected on the connections the audience were able to make with the speech. Acknowledging Hema’s appropriate use of eye contact, facial expressions, and brief movements that supported her speech, Norris also offered suggestions to maintain appropriate distance from the camera to help the audience gauge hand gestures and any related movements.
Toastmaster Dave Burr then led the table topics session using the word of day inspire, and in honor of Past President Summer. The topics included summer fest, culture, music, artistic, fun, Summer’s influence on Club members, etc. The responses ranged from the best time you ever had, first day in the air force, one important skill you can teach young children and teenagers, to why Summer inspires you. The think on your feet responses showcased the passions, memories, and inspirations that influenced and inspired the members.
Toastmaster Tim Murphy served as the General Evaluator and offered members evaluations on their performances. He acknowledged President Kerstin for honoring the session to Toastmaster and Past President Summer.
Toastmaster John Doggett shared the timer report to the participants on their speaking time. Toastmaster Abdul commended members on clean speeches and inspiring table topic presentations, with exceptions to the use of few fillers such as ‘ah,’ and ‘ums.”
Toastmaster Tim transitioned from evaluations onto Toastmaster & President Kerstin. Acknowledging members’ contributions to the session, Kerstin once again reminded us of Past President, Summer’s contribution to the club, her legacy, and honored Summer with the Club President Award, in recognition of her dedicated service and outstanding leadership. All members congratulated Summer with cheers and claps.
Kerstin shared the names and roles for next week and transitioned the session to Abdul for closing remarks. Abdul gave a quick summary of the session’s activities, and officially adjourned the session with a reminder of the privilege we have, as toastmasters club members, to impact and inspire each other.
The next Sunrise Toastmasters meeting will be at 7 a.m. on August 2, 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: Norris
Speaker 1: John
Speaker 2: Saraswathi
General Evaluator: Dave
Table Topics: Anu
Evaluator 1: Kerstin
Evaluator 2: Savannah
Timer: Kendra
Grammarian: Tina Joe
