January 2007 Newsletter

Dear Lexington Toastmasters,

Happy New Year to you all! Do you have New Year’s resolutions? I do not, but that does not mean the new year is not an opportunity to look at new beginnings. Nature brings its own with the waxing and weaning of the moon, and how we are drawn to it emotionally (or so they say) with a higher energy at full moon. Searching on the Internet never fails to amaze me with its ubiquitous information flow. Life cycles is about beginnings and endings, but Google brings up a site of Alastair Humphrey’s global bike ride that takes him to the end of the world. In his second year, 29,000km and 32 countries late, he is raising funds for the charity “Hope and Homes for Children."

Another reference took me to a Celtic tradition, were trees are looked at as a source of hope and wisdom, symbolizing the cycle of renewal and birth. Well, I will leave you with the poem I shared at our holiday party:

Solstice

dawn creeps in

crystal clear

intrepid

yet

calm

endings

become

beginnings

savor this juncture

for the road ahead

is long

and arduous

but in this moment

all things

are possible

© 1997 Judy Anne

International Speech Contest – Thursday, March 8, 2007
Lexington Toastmasters Club is holding our very own International Speech Contest! This one leads all the way up to the crowning of the "World Champion of Public Speaking" which is awarded to the final winner at the annual international conference which is held each year in August.

So, how about you? We want you to consider this worthwhile experience, remember the contest aspect adds a whole other dimension to public speaking. We are looking for about 6 contestants with an original speech of 5-7 minutes. Call or email Duncan Stewart today to save your spot, remember, you don’t even have to be funny in this one!

We will use a similar format to the humorous contest, blocking off the entire meeting to allow up to 6 contestants. Every attendee will be a judge (if you are late however, you may not vote and will be disqualified from any judging) and all evaluations will be done privately after the meeting.

"Speak-Out" – Monday, January 22, 2007

If you have never attended any speak-outs, now is the time! We usually get in 6 speeches and 2 table topic sessions. Please use this opportunity to invite your colleagues, family and friends. This is our show and tell, an excellent way to spread the word what we are all about!

Our next event will be on Monday, January 22 at 7pm downstairs at Cary Memorial Library in Lexington. Take this opportunity and give another speech and email Duncan Stewart . Our fourth “Speak-Out” will be Tuesday, May 22 (not confirmed). I do hope that you will take advantage of these additional speaking options with the idea to help you reach your goal in public speaking.

Accolades:
Again, we thank Kumiko Suzuki for organizing a lovely light lunch during our Holiday meeting. It was good to see so many of you; it made it fun. Mary Roberts, our Toastmaster for the day, ran a shorter meeting and led us through festive activities with rounds conducted by Carolyn Kingston with famous guitar player Arthur Fox, a Jingle Bells song with real, antique jingle bells, and recorder music provided by Mary and Rudi Scheiber-Kurtz.

Duncan Stewart was given an “Outstanding Toastmasters Award” by our president for the committed role as VP of Education. Next time you send him a request email, take a minute and thank him. It is truly the hardest officer position one can hold, especially in a club as active as ours. We are fortunate to have his talent and humor.

Club Stats:

Attendance at our noon meetings ranges between 18 -30 members and guests.
Hall of Famers for the past six months are Suzanne Kellner-Zinck and Rudi Scheiber-Kurtz who finished the Advanced Communicator Bronze. Congratulations! You want to be a Hall of Famer? Simple, just finish a set of ten speeches and bingo!!

Snow Day Policy:

The snow policy for the Lexington Toastmasters Club is that we will not meet on days when the Lexington Public Schools are closed due to snow. To find out if the Lexington Schools are closed, you may try one of three options:
Go to the Town of Lexington website and click on Public Schools in the left column. The resulting page should indicate whether schools are closed due to snow.

Call the Lexington Schools at 781-861-2580. This number should have recorded information about school closings.

Check your local TV station, 4, 5 or 7, which will announce school closings on snow days.

Calendar:

Saturday, Jan 20 8:30am - 1:00pm
Club Officer Training – see 31district link
Monday, Jan 22 7:00pm – 9:00pm
Speak-Out, Cary Library, Lexington
Thursday, Mar 8 12noon – 1:00pm

International Speech contest