This week’s meeting kicked off with a warm welcome from VP of Membership Tim, who filled in for our club president. Tim briefly introduced the Bias Flag and explained its purpose as a tool our club uses to promote inclusive and mindful language throughout our meetings. We did not have a One World, Many Voices presenter this week.
The meeting was then turned over to our Toastmaster of the Day, Gulnara, who quickly ensured all roles were filled despite some last-minute cancellations. Gulnara introduced the Word of the Day, Tenacity, defined as continuing to move forward with determination even when things become difficult. She noted that growth, leadership, and communication all require tenacity. After a round of introductions, she guided us through an engaging meeting.
We had two speakers this week. Toastmaster Yuko delivered a speech from the Persuasive Influence pathway for the project Active Listening, titled “But, Please Listen!” She spoke about the challenges that arise when leaders fail to listen, even when tasks may be unrealistic or unachievable. Yuko shared three valuable lessons on the importance of listening, including seeking context, the “why,” and listening effectively during conflict.
Our second speaker, Toastmaster Tim, delivered a pocket speech in place of the scheduled speaker due to an absence. He discussed how his company previously avoided building websites for businesses established for less than five years due to the high costs involved and the statistical likelihood of early business failure. However, with the growing availability of AI, he explained how he can now offer a lower-cost option for newer businesses using what he described as the “ambiguous intern” known as AI.
Table Topics were led by Toastmaster Summer, who kept the group on their toes with a thought-provoking set of questions, including: “Tell us about a time when your stubbornness became a personality trait,” “If procrastination were an Olympic sport, what would win you a gold medal?” and “What snack food or drink is worth fighting through any inconvenience for?”
Responses included Toastmaster Matthew sharing how he became a picky eater after a childhood experience with mashed potatoes, Toastmaster Diana noting that starting a business is something she has been procrastinating, and Toastmaster Kerstin describing how Vernors soda reminds her of childhood and is worth driving to another state to obtain.
Next, we moved into our Breakfast of Champions segment, or Lunch or Dinner of Champions depending on your time zone, which serves as the evaluation and feedback portion of the meeting. Toastmaster Norris led the evaluation team and provided thoughtful feedback, noting that the smaller group size this morning required some members to take on multiple roles. Speaker evaluations were delivered by Tim and Kerstin, who highlighted strengths such as effective vocal variety and strong overall organization. Toastmasters Kerstin and Lisa supported the meeting by timing speeches and tracking filler words.
The meeting adjourned promptly at 7:58 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 May 29, 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: OPEN
One World, Many Voices: Kenny Eniola
Speaker 1: Extended Table Topics
Speaker 2: Extended Table Topics
Table Topics: Md Adnan
General Evaluator: Chang Yu
Evaluator 1: Closed
Evaluator 2: Closed
Timer: Norris Bass
Grammarian: Kerstin Haase
