Kirby Johnson, Toastmaster of the day and acting as Sergeant-at- Arms, convened our meeting at 6:36 p. m.

The theme of the meeting was Freedom of the Press.

The word of the day was Abridge.

Members in attendance: Mike Schoenberg, James Hogan, Carmen Simonet, Lynda Bennett, Dana Hays, Frank Mayers, Harvey Johnson, George Leiter, and Kirby Johnson.

There were no guests in attendance.

Meeting Roles

Toastmaster/Exhortation:   Kirby Johnson

General Evaluator:             Lynda Bennett

Word of the Day:               Frank Mayers

Timer/Vote Counter:          James Hogan

Ah counter:                            Harvey Johnson

Grammarian:                         Harvey Johnson

Joke Master:                           None

Table Topics Master:              Dana Hays

Speaker 1:                              Mike Schoenberg

Evaluator 1:                           Carmen Simonet

Speaker 2:                              Lynda Bennett

Evaluator 2:                            Round Robin

Harkmaster:                           None

After the Toastmaster opened the meeting, he called on Lynda Bennett, the General Evaluator. The General Evaluator and Frank Mayers suggested role switching as reflected above. Then she called on all role takers to explain their roles. She then returned control of the meeting over to the Toastmaster.

The Toastmaster introduced the day’s first speaker, Mike Schoenberg.

His presentation, Project 7 in the Competent Communicator manual, was called Ideas over Interest. The speech took 14:00 min:sec of the requested 13 to 15 minutes. Of that time between 6 to 8 minutes were used for group participation activities.

The speech concerned formative ideas in a person’s background will influence the solutions they will use to act on their special interest.

Next Kirby Johnson asked if any one else had a prepared speech. Lynda Bennett had a speech for the next week’s noon luncheon for her organization, Face to Face.  Her speech concerned the organizations history and how it empowers often homeless (and otherwise overwhelmed) young people by providing support. The speech as delivered took about 10 minutes.

Dana Hays  led the Table Topics session. Four people answered questions related to Earth.

1. James Hogan answered: Can you give an assessment of freedom of the press in the United States? (1:44 min:sec).
2. Harvey Johnson was asked: Please discuss the risks and warning signs of freedom of the press in the U.S.? (1:40 min:sec)
3. Frank Mayers answered: Suppose you are a journalist doing a story about crystal meth production in southern Minnesota. Should you be able to include a detailed description of how to produce it in the article? (2:30 min:sec)
4. George Leiter responded to: Given the history of the Pentagon Papers and Daniel Elsberg, what about wikileaks, Julian Assange, and freedom of the press?  (1:35 min:sec) Winning response.

Lynda Bennett, as General Evaluator, then conducted the evaluation portion of the meeting.

1. Carmen Simonet evaluated Mike Schoenberg’s speech. (2:15 min:sec)
2. A round robin evaluation was conducted for Lynda Bennett’s presentation.
3. Harvey Johnson provided the ah-counter and grammarian reports.
4. James Hogan gave the timer’s report and announced the Table Topics winner.
5. George Leiter summed up the meeting as the general evaluator.

The meeting was closed at 7:48 p. m.

Submitted by Mike Schoenberg, Club Secretary, May 4, 2012.

Kirby took first place honors in the Area International Speech Contest. James Hogan made a fine showing in the Table Topics contest speaking on snowboarding.

Word of the Day was Participatory.. 

The theme of the meeting was Women’s History.

Members in attendance: Frank Mayers, Mike Schoenberg, James Hogan, Carmen Simonet, Craig Ostrom, George Leiter, Sharon Hanson, Harvey Johnson, Vomshi Alanka, and Kirby Johnson. Vomshi Alanka became our newest member today.

One guest was in attendance: J. A. (Ahmed Jama) Boton.

Meeting Roles

Toastmaster/Exhortation:   James Hogan

General Evaluator:              Sharon Hanson

Word of the Day:                James Hogan

Timer/Vote Counter:            Mike Schoenberg

Ah counter:                         James Hogan

Grammarian:                       James Hogan

Joke Master:                        None

Table Topics Master:            George Leiter

Speaker 1:                          Carmen Simonet

Evaluator 1:                         Craig Ostrom

Speaker 2:                           Frank Mayers

Evaluator 2:                          Kirby Johnson

Harkmaster:                         Harvey Johnson

 The Harkmaster was assigned at the beginning of the meeting. After the Toastmaster opened the meeting with brief remarks about the League f women Voters, he called on Sharon Hanson, the General Evaluator. The General Evaluator called on all role takers to introduce themselves and explained their roles. Before control of the meeting was passed back to the Toastmaster, the General Evaluator related the story Empress Theodosius ofConstantinople.

 The Toastmaster introduced the day’s first speaker, Carmen Simonet.

Her presentation, the Icebreaker, was called The Path of a Landscape Architect . The speech took 5:55 min:sec of the requested 4 to 6 minutes.

 The speech started with Carmen’s interest in her natural environment while growing up inStillwater,Minnesota, along theSt. Croix River. She discussed many of her experiences along the river. This interest developed into the study of art, then into the study of Landscape Architecture. The retooling involved with the change in focus involved the taking many classes in both math and science.  

Landscape Architects are place makers. Carmen related this to several projects she has worked on. Today her passion is to create landscapes that work within natural systems.

 Next James Hogan called on Frank Mayers. In his introduction of Frank, James related interacting with a representative ofRamseyCounty(Peggy), who stated that things in the County have gone downhill shince Frank retired.

 Frank Mayers gave a speech called Look Who is Going Green Now! The speech was a Competent Communicator Manual Speech, Project 4: How to Say it. The speech took 9:15 min:sec of the asked for 8 to 10 minutes.  

 Frank Mayers addressed energy usage trends in theU. S.military. These trends are toward greener energy usage because, using energy in that fashion, saves service member’s lives through less exposure to the enemy, allows for extended patrols, and lastly saves money. The solar powered equipment theU. S.M. C. is now phasing in is more efficient than older gasoline- and diesel-powered electrical generators.

 George Leiter led the Table Topics session. Three people answered questions related to Women’s History.

1. Mike Schoenberg commented on: Given recent women’s history in this country, have we made the progress we give ourselves credit for? (2:07 min:sec)
2. Vomshi Alanka answered the question: Given the women in the world’s pantheon of women, who has earned your admiration? (1:42 min:sec). Table topic winner.
3. Harvey Johnson was asked: How do you deal with women’s issues in other cultures respectfully when don’t agree with how those issues are dealt with? (2:47 min:sec)

Mike Schoenberg, as General Evaluator, then conducted the evaluation portion of the meeting.

1. Craig Ostrom evaluated Carmen Simonet’s speech. (3:24 min:sec)
2. Kirby Johnson evaluated Frank Mayer’s presentation. (3:45 min:sec)
3. James Hogan delivered the word-of the day, ah-counter and grammarian  reports.
4. The Timer (Mike Schoenberg) reported time usage as indicated in the report above.
5. Harvey Johnson asked questions as Harkmaster.
6. Sharon Hanson summed up the meeting as the general evaluator.
7. A. J. Boton was asked for his response to the meeting. He liked it and plans to return.

The meeting was closed at 7:35 p. m. and a short business meeting ensued.

There were five items in our business meeting:

1. Kirby Johnson won the area International Speech Contest.
2. Frank thanked James for participating as the club’s entrant in the Table Topics contest.
3. The agenda for March 15 (The Ides of March) was reviewed.
4. James reminded us to notify him of flyer locations.
5. Frank moved that Vomshi be voted in as a club member. After seconding, he was voted in unanimously.
6. Harveyis back as an active member.
7. We were reminded that the Division contest will be April 5. This is the same date as a club meeting. Frank moved that our April 5 meeting be cancelled. This was accepted unanimously. The Division contests will be held at The Orville Friedman Building at 625 Robert Street North, St. Paul, MN 55102.  The link for a map is: http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&q=625%20Robert%20Street%20North%2C%20St.%20Paul%2C%20MN%2055102  You must contact the Eastern Division Governor prior to attending so tha you can be put on a list for building security. .
8. Craig reminded us that dues need to be paid by the end of March.

The business meeting adjourned 7:43 p. m.

Submitted by Mike Schoenberg, Club Secretary, March 8, 2012.

 Members in attendance: Frank Mayers, Robin Veal, Mike Schoenberg, James Hogan, Carmen Simonet, Lynda Bennett, Craig Ostrom, George Leiter and Kirby Johnson.

Two guests were in attendance: Harvey Johnson and Vomshi Alanks

Meeting Roles

Toastmaster/Exhortation:       George Leiter

General Evaluator:                 Mike Schoenberg

Word of the Day:                    Craig Ostrom

Timer/Vote Counter:                Robin Veal

Ah counter:                            Craig Ostrom

Grammarian:                         Craig Ostrom

Joke Master:                           None

Table Topics Master:               Lynda Bennett

Speaker 1:                             James Hogan

Evaluator 1:                           Carmen Simonet

Speaker 2:                             Kirby Johnsonl

Evaluator 2:                           Frank Mayers

Harkmaster:                           None

Any role adjustments for the meeting were made at the beginning of the meeting. After the Toastmaster opened the meeting, he called on Mike Schoenberg, the General Evaluator. The General Evaluator called on all role takers to introduce themselves and explained their roles. Before control of the meeting was passed back to the Toastmaster, the General Evaluator related the following story from Paulo Coelho’s Blog:

The fisherman and the businessman

There was once a businessman who was sitting by the beach in a small Brazilian village.
As he sat, he saw a Brazilian fisherman rowing a small boat towards the shore having caught quite few big fish.
The businessman was impressed and asked the fisherman, “How long does it take you to catch so many fish?”
The fisherman replied, “Oh, just a short while.”
“Then why don’t you stay longer at sea and catch even more?” The businessman was astonished.
“This is enough to feed my whole family,” the fisherman said.
The businessman then asked, “So, what do you do for the rest of the day?”
The fisherman replied, “Well, I usually wake up early in the morning, go out to sea and catch a few fish, then go back and play with my kids. In the afternoon, I take a nap with my wife, and evening comes, I join my buddies in the village for a drink — we play guitar, sing and dance throughout the night.”

The businessman offered a suggestion to the fisherman.
“I am a PhD in business management. I could help you to become a more successful person. From now on, you should spend more time at sea and try to catch as many fish as possible. When you have saved enough money, you could buy a bigger boat and catch even more fish. Soon you will be able to afford to buy more boats, set up your own company, your own production plant for canned food and distribution network. By then, you will have moved out of this village and toSao Paulo, where you can set up HQ to manage your other branches.”

The fisherman continues, “And after that?”
The businessman laughs heartily, “After that, you can live like a king in your own house, and when the time is right, you can go public and float your shares in the Stock Exchange, and you will be rich.”
The fisherman asks, “And after that?”
The businessman says, “After that, you can finally retire, you can move to a house by the fishing village, wake up early in the morning, catch a few fish, then return home to play with kids, have a nice afternoon nap with your wife, and when evening comes, you can join your buddies for a drink, play the guitar, sing and dance throughout the night!”
The fisherman was puzzled, “Isn’t that what I am doing now?”

The Toastmaster introduced the day’s first speaker, James Hogan.

His presentation was called Creative Brainstorming. The time for the speech took about 4:30 min:sec of the requested 5 to 7 minutes and the time for the discussion was 6:42 min:sec of the requested 5 min (Totals 11:42 min:sec of the requested 10 to 12 minutes).

The speech examined a case study of the use of brainstorming to address the problem of downed power lines in Alaska. The method used was called Random Word Analysis (chosen from a list of choices – Reverse Solution, Random Word, e-mail chain, Sittac, etc).

Next George Leiter called on Kirby Johnson. He reprised a speech called Celebrating Diversity, You Betcha in preparation for the Area Contest on March 3. The speech took 7:00 min:sec of the asked for 5 to 7 minutes.  

Kirby Johnson addressed the lack of respect that lutefisk gets. 

Lynda Bennett led the Table Topics session. Four people answered questions based on nursery rhymes.

1. Robin commented on: Early to be, early to rise– What time do you go to be or wake up? (not timed)
2. Harvey Johnson commented on: Pocket full of posies, all fall down– Talk about the most unusual treatment for illness. (2:33 min:sec). Table topic winner.
3. Craig was asked: What advise would you give the president about immigration and people coming across the border? Given the sone John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt.  (1:55 min:sec)
4. Vomshi Alanka was asked about: Red sky at night, sailors delight; Red sky in morning, sailor’s warning. ():22 min:sec) 

Mike Schoenberg, as General Evaluator, then conducted the evaluation portion of the meeting.

1. Carmen Simonet evaluated James Hogans speech. (2:12)
2. Frank Mayers evaluated Kirby Johnson’s presentation with examples of how he would have liked the introduction and conclusion to have been delivered. (2:25)
3. Craig Ostrom delivered the word-of the day, ah-counter and grammarian  reports.
4. The Timer (Robin Veal) reported time usage as indicated in the report above.
5. Mike Schoenberg summed up the meeting as the general evaluator.
6. Vomshi Alanka was asked for his response to the meeting. He liked it.

The meeting was closed at 7:39 p. m. and a short business meeting ensued.

There were five items in our business meeting:

1. The agenda for March 8 was reviewed.
2. We were reminded on the Area contest on March 3.
3. Craig reminded us that dues need to be paid by the end of March.
4. The was a round of applause for Robin

The business meeting adjourned 7:45 p. m.

Submitted by Mike Schoenberg, Club Secretary, March 8, 2012. 

Word of the Day was Invariably

Members in attendance: Frank Mayers, Robin Veal, Mike Schoenberg,
James Hogan, Carmen Simonet, Lynda Bennett, Dana Hays,Craig Ostrom,
George Leiter and Kirby Johnson.

One guest was in attendance: Rick Heller.

Meeting Roles
Toastmaster/Exhortation:    Kirby Johnson
General Evaluator:        Craig Ostrom
Word of the Day:        James Hogan
Timer/Vote Counter:        Frank Mayers
Ah counter:             James Hogan
Grammarian:            James Hogan
Joke Master:            Mike Schoenberg
Table Topics Master:        Carmen Simonet
Speaker 1:                    Mike Schoenberg
Evaluator 1:            Lynda Bennett
Speaker 2:                    Robin Veal
Evaluator 2:            George Leiter
Harkmaster:            Dana Hays

Role adjustments for the meeting were made at the beginning of the
meeting. After the Toastmaster opened the meeting, he called on Craig
Ostrom,  the General Evaluator. The General Evaluator called on all
role takers to introduce themselves and explained their roles. Control
of the meeting was passed back to the Toastmaster, who introduced the
day’s first speaker (Mike Schoenberg).

Mike Schoenberg’s presentation was called Sustainability: A
Definition. The time for the speech took about 6:30 min:sec of the
requested 4 to 6 minutes.

The speech as delivered as an Icebreaker.  Mike’s conclusion is that
over the long run (thousand to millions of years) a sustainable
environment is really a buit or engineered environment – either by
nature or creatures like us.

Next Kirby called on Robin Veal. She presented a speech called
Organizing your Speech from the Better Speaker Series  The speech and
discussion took 18:35 min:sec of the asked for 13 to 15 minutes.

Robin presentation, from the viewpoint of a librarian, developed the
idea of organizing your research and idea development from the middle
of your speech.

Carmen Simonet led the Table Topics session. Three people answered
questions based on quotes from Mark Twain..
1.    James was asked: It usually takes more than three weeks to prepare
an impromptu speech.  How long do you think in advance to tell the
full story? (1:40 min:sec)
2.    Dana was asked: Life does not consist mainly or even largely of
facts. It consists of a storm of thoughts blowing through our heads.
Dana was asked he response. (1:59 min:sec).
3.    Frank was asked: Keep away from people who belittle your ambitions
(etc). Frank responded that one should pick their friends and
acquaintances carefully.  (1:59)
Dana Hays had the winning table topics response.

Mike Schoenberg delivered a joke as Jokemaster.

Dana Hays, as General Evaluator, then conducted the evaluation portion
of the meeting.
1.    Lynda Bennett evaluated Mike Schoenberg’s speech. (3:20)
2.    George Leiter evaluated Robin Veals’s presentation. (3:32)
3.    James Hogen delivered the word-of the day, ah-counter and
grammarian  reports.
4.    The Timer (Frank Mayers) reported time usage as indicated in the
report above.
5.    Kirby Johnson summed up the meeting as the general evaluator. She
liked the meeting.

The meeting was closed at 7:46 p. m. and a short business meeting
ensued.

There were five items in our business meeting:
1.    James thanked Robin for her service before she leaves us on March1.
2.    The agenda for March 1 was reviewed.
3.    We were reminded on the Area contest on March 3.
4.    Craig reminded us that dues need to be paid by the end of March.

The business meeting adjourned 7:52 p. m.

Submitted by Mike Schoenberg, Club Secretary, March 8, 2012.

Sharon Hanson, Toastmaster, convened our meeting at 6:30 p. m. with an
introduction to the subject of kindness.

The meeting theme was Kindness.

Word of the Day was recumbent.

Members in attendance: Frank Mayers, Mike Schoenberg, James Hogan,
Carmen Simonet, Dana Hays, George Leiter and Sharon Hanson.

Three guests were in attendance: Anabel Madden De Juan-Gomez, Harvey
Johnson, and Rick Heller.

Meeting Roles
Toastmaster/Exhortation:    Sharon Hanson
General Evaluator:        Dana Hays
Word of the Day:        Mike Schoenberg
Timer/Vote Counter:        James Hogan
Ah counter:             Carmen Simonet
Grammarian:            Mike Schoenberg
Joke Master:            None
Table Topics Master:        James Hogan
Speaker 1:                    George Leiter
Evaluator 1:            Craig Ostrom
Speaker 2:                    Robin Veal
Evaluator 2:            Frank Mayers
Harkmaster:            None

Role adjustments for the meeting were made at the beginning of the
meeting. After the Toastmaster opened the meeting, she called on Dana
Hays,  the General Evaluator. The General Evaluator called on all role
takers to introduce themselves and explained their roles. Control of
the meeting was passed back to the Toastmaster (Sharon Hanson), who
introduced the day’s first speaker (George Leiter).

George Leiter’s presentation was called Learning outside of the
classroom. The time for the speech took about 8 minutes of the
requested 6 to 8 minutes.

In his talk George Leiter used his experience of learning how to sky
dive, that is to jump out of an airplane, to talk about (and show with
body motions) learning outside the classroom. He related his
experience to patterning, a learning process first explained by
Piaget. It involves training and conditioning by repeated
practice.

Next Sharon called on Robin Veal. She presented a speech called Values
and Leadership from the Leadership Excellence Series  The speech and
discussion took 15:40 min:sec of the asked for 10 to 15 minutes.

Robin started by defining values: fundamental beliefs and ideas held
by an individual or organization.  They are hard to change but will
affect how the group or individual will make decisions, level of risk
they will take, and how they value facts. For example, in Toastmasters
the values are:
1.    Integrity
2.    Dedication to excellence
3.    Service to the members
4.    Respect for the Individual.
Robin noted that “by acting on your values, they will become a compass
for you.”

Anabel, Harvey, and Carmen shared how their values affect their
business and personal actions

James Hogan led the Table Topics session. Three people answered
questions.
1.    Craig was asked: How are the Chinese manipulating their currency?
(1:52 min:sec)
2.    Mike was asked about which was his favorite Mark Twain book. (0:20
min:sec).
3.    Frank was asked about performing acts of kindness.  (Time missed)
4.    Harvey was asked about random acts of kindness. (2:07 min:sec)
Harvey and Frank had the winning table topics responses.

Dana Hays, as General Evaluator, then conducted the evaluation portion
of the meeting.
1.    Craig Ostrom evaluated George Leiter’s speech. (2:30)
2.    Frank Mayer’s evaluated Robin Veals’s presentation. (3:00)
3.    Mike Schoenberg indicated that Craig, Frank, and Sharon used the
word of the day.
4.    The ah-counter delivered her report.
5.    The Timer (James Hogan) reported time usage as indicated in the
report above.
6.    Dana Hays summed up the meeting as the general evaluator. She liked
the meeting.
7.    Anabel, the visiting Area Governor, also liked the meeting.
8.    Rick Heller, attending his third meeting as a guests, reported he
has yet to visit another club but seems comfortable at ours.

The meeting was closed at 7:45 p. m. and a short business meeting
ensued.

There were five items in our business meeting:
1.    James reviewed the club schedule for Feb 23.
2.    Anabel thanked Frank for helping with last fall’s contests
3.    Sharon was congratulated on her full-house presentation at TELI
4.    The Area speech contest is March 3. Anabel need judges, timers, and
ballot counters for the contest.

The business meeting adjourned 7:51 p. m.

Submitted by Mike Schoenberg, Club Secretary, February 22, 2012.

James Hogan, Acting as Sergeant-at-Arms, convened our meeting at 6:35
p. m.

The meeting theme was Dentists.

Word of the Day was dubious.

Members in attendance: Frank Mayers, Mike Schoenberg, James Hogan,
Carmen Simonet, Lynda Bennett, George Leiter and Sharon Hanson.

Two guests were in attendance: Pete Madland (from Vikings) and Rick
Heller.

Meeting Roles
Toastmaster/Exhortation:    George Leiter
General Evaluator:        Mike Schoenberg
Word of the Day:        George Leiter
Timer/Vote Counter:        Carmen Simonet
Ah counter             None
Grammarian:            George Leiter
Joke Master:            None
Table Topics Master:        Sharon Hanson
Speaker 1:                    Pete Madland
Evaluator 1:            Frank Mayers
Speaker 2:                    Lynda Bennett
Evaluator 2:            James Hogan
Speaker 3:                    Kirby Johnson
Evaluator 3:            Sharon Hanson
Harkmaster:            None

Role adjustments for the meeting were were made at the beginning of
the meeting. After the Acting Sargent-At-Arms opened the meeting, he
called on George Leiter as the Toastmaster. Who introduced the General
Evaluator, Mike Schoenberg. The General Evaluator called on all role
takers to introduce themselves and explained their roles. Control of
the meeting was passed back to the Toastmaster (George Leiter), who
introduced the day’s first speaker (Pete Madland).

Pete’s presentation, his icebreaker, was called My Calling. The time
for the speech was 6:15 min:sec for the requested 4 to 6 minutes.

Pete indicated that he had a desire/duty to protect and serve others
from a young age: four to be exact, when he stood between that demon
and his mother. He noted that the demon rode on a red fire truck in a
parade. In 2006 he pursued an armed robber through the woods before
tasering him. For reasons he did not relate to us, he left law
enforcement to become a sheet metal worker. An incident in Canada on a
bus led him to talk to his co-workers. This conversation has led him
to commit to being a cop again.

Next George called on Lynda Bennett. She presented a speech called
Does Dong Good Pay?  The speech took 8:13 min:sec of the asked for 5
to 7 minutes.

Lynda called herself a social investor. Her speech concerned the
return-on-investment (ROI) for supplying “supportive” housing for
single adults, families, and (especially) unaccompanied youth.

The money for this service comes from three sources: taxes, other non-
profits, and direct contributions. And the cost is high: about $10,000
per year for a single adult and $15,000 for an unaccompanied youth.
There are also auxiliary costs for mental health services, income
support, and food support.

But the ROI is almost immediate. Where “supportive” housing is
available, crime conviction rate have been shown to drop to 14 percent
from 48 percent, saving $16,000 in the first year. Also, those using
this service can earn increased wages. When all is said and done, the
ROIs for single adults are $1.10 for $1.00 invested, for families
$1.41 for $1.00 invested, and for unaccompanied youths up to $7.10 for
$1.00 invested.

Lastly (but not least), George called on Kirby Johnson. His speech,
Celebrating Diversity, You Betcha, was from the Competent Communicator
Manual, Project 9 – Persuade with Power.  He requested 5-7 minutes and
took 9:59 min:sec.

Kirby started by discussing Marlin Luther King and his life long quest
to rid the world of prejudice and celebrate diversity.  Kirby reminded
us that prejudice was the result of baseless reasons and preconceived
notions. He invited us to take advantage of relieving ourselves of the
shackles of our prejudices.

His speech was an effort to persuade us to partake in one of the
bounties of the briny deep – lutefisk. He even promised to escort us
to a properly prepared lutefisk dinner, with lutefisk that had firm
and flakey flesh.

To reduce our prejudices about this uniquely prepared treat, Kirby
described the life cycle (or pathway) of lutefisk preparation: air
dying, rehydration through soaking in cold water, luting (soaking in a
lye solution to break down the protien), and more soakings to remove
the lye solution.

He then proceeded to answer our objections to particular
characteristics of lutefisk. Finally, he announced that he was heading
to the White Castle on Rice Street to do further research for his next
speech.

Sharon Hanson led the Table Topics session. Three people answered
questions.
1.    James Hogan was asked why a chicken would be a better dentistry
mascot that a beaver. (2:10 min:sec) James had the winning table
topics response.
2.    Sharon pointed out that ashes and honey were used as a dentifrice
in the Middle Ages. George Leiter was asked what advances in dental
hygiene would be made by 2212. (1:12 min:sec).
3.    Mike Schoenberg was asked about dentistry lingo – the word
indentulous.  He took 1 min coming up with the wrong answer. Whereas
he said in means making an indent, it means no teeth.

Mike Schoenberg, as General Evaluator, then conducted the evaluation
portion of the meeting.
1.    Frank Mayers evaluated Pete Madland’s speech. (4:00)
2.    James Hogan evaluated Lynda Bennett’s presentation. (2:36)
3.    Sharon Hanson evaluated Kirby Johnson’s speech (3:35)
4.    George Leiter indicated thateverybody who spoke used the word of
the day.
5.    The Timer (Carmen Simonet) reported time usage as indicated in the
report above.
6.    Mike Schoenberg summed up the meeting as the general evaluator.

The meeting was closed at 7:35 p. m. and a short business meeting
ensued.

There were five items in our business meeting:
1.    James reviewed the club schedule for Feb 9.
2.    TELI is Feb 11. See http://www.d6tm.org to register in advance for lunch
($35). You can register for the education sessions only at the event
($10).
3.    James reminded us of an Area-wide Poster Posting Contest.
4.    The Area speech contest is March 3. Our club contest, if needed to
be held, will be prior to that event.
5.    Pete Madland received a Toastmaster pin from Viking TM for
delivering his first speech.

The business meeting adjourned 7:50 p. m.

Submitted by Mike Schoenberg, Club Secretary, February 10, 2012.

Sharon Hanson, Toastmaster, convened our meeting at 6:30 p. m. with an introduction to the subject of kindness.

The meeting theme was Kindness.

Word of the Day was recumbent.

Members in attendance: Frank Mayers, Mike Schoenberg, James Hogan, Carmen Simonet, Dana Hays, George Leiter and Sharon Hanson.

Three guests were in attendance: Anabel Madden De Juan-Gomez, Harvey Johnson, and Rick Heller.

Meeting Roles
Toastmaster/Exhortation: Sharon Hanson
General Evaluator: Dana Hays
Word of the Day: Mike Schoenberg
Timer/Vote Counter: James Hogan
Ah counter: Carmen Simonet
Grammarian: Mike Schoenberg
Joke Master: None
Table Topics Master: James Hogan
Speaker 1: George Leiter
Evaluator 1: Craig Ostrom
Speaker 2: Robin Veal
Evaluator 2: Frank Mayers
Harkmaster: None

Role adjustments for the meeting were made at the beginning of the meeting. After the Toastmaster opened the meeting, she called on Dana Hays, the General Evaluator. The General Evaluator called on all role takers to introduce themselves and explained their roles. Control of the meeting was passed back to the Toastmaster (Sharon Hanson), who introduced the day’s first speaker (George Leiter).

George Leiter’s presentation was called Learning outside of the classroom. The time for the speech took about 8 minutes of the requested 6 to 8 minutes.

In his talk George Leiter used his experience of learning how to sky dive, that is to jump out of an airplane, to talk about (and show with body motions) learning outside the classroom. He related his experience to patterning, a learning process first explained by Piaget. It involves training and conditioning by repeated practice.

Next Sharon called on Robin Veal. She presented a speech called Values and Leadership from the Leadership Excellence Series The speech and discussion took 15:40 min:sec of the asked for 10 to 15 minutes.

Robin started by defining values: fundamental beliefs and ideas held by an individual or organization. They are hard to change but will affect how the group or individual will make decisions, level of risk they will take, and how they value facts. For example, in Toastmasters the values are:
1. Integrity
2. Dedication to excellence
3. Service to the members
4. Respect for the Individual.
Robin noted that “by acting on your values, they will become a compass for you.”

Anabel, Harvey, and Carmen shared how their values affect their business and personal actions

James Hogan led the Table Topics session. Three people answered questions.
1. Craig was asked: How are the Chinese manipulating their currency? (1:52 min:sec)
2. Mike was asked about which was his favorite Mark Twain book. (0:20 min:sec).
3. Frank was asked about performing acts of kindness. (Time missed)
4. Harvey was asked about random acts of kindness. (2:07 min:sec)
Harvey and Frank had the winning table topics responses.

Dana Hays, as General Evaluator, then conducted the evaluation portion of the meeting.
1. Craig Ostrom evaluated George Leiter’s speech. (2:30)
2. Frank Mayer’s evaluated Robin Veals’s presentation. (3:00)
3. Mike Schoenberg indicated that Craig, Frank, and Sharon used the word of the day.
4. The ah-counter delivered her report.
5. The Timer (James Hogan) reported time usage as indicated in the report above.
6. Dana Hays summed up the meeting as the general evaluator. She liked the meeting.
7. Anabel, the visiting Area Governor, also liked the meeting.
8. Rick Heller, attending his third meeting as a guests, reported he has yet to visit another club but seems comfortable at ours.

The meeting was closed at 7:45 p. m. and a short business meeting ensued.

Submitted by Mike Schoenberg, Club Secretary, February 22, 2012.

Mike Schoenberg and James Hogan set the room up prior to the meeting. Frank Mayers manned the front doors to greet both Toastmasters and guests.

James Hogan, Acting as Sergeant-at-Arms, convened our meeting at 6:35 p. m.

The meeting theme was Dentists.

Word of the Day was dubious.

Members in attendance: Frank Mayers, Mike Schoenberg, James Hogan, Carmen Simonet, Lynda Bennett, George Leiter and Sharon Hanson.

Two guests were in attendance: Pete Madland (from Vikings) and Rick Heller.

Meeting Roles

1. Toastmaster/Exhortation: George Leiter
2. General Evaluator: Mike Schoenberg
3. Word of the Day: George Leiter
4. Timer/Vote Counter: Carmen Simonet
5. Ah counter None
6. Grammarian: George Leiter
7. Joke Master: None
8. Table Topics Master: Sharon Hanson
9. Speaker 1: Pete Madland
10. Evaluator 1: Frank Mayers
11. Speaker 2: Lynda Bennett
12. Evaluator 2: James Hogan
13. Speaker 3: Kirby Johnson
14. Evaluator 3: Sharon Hanson
15. Harkmaster: None

Role adjustments for the meeting were were made at the beginning of the meeting. After the Acting Sargent-At-Arms opened the meeting, he called on George Leiter as the Toastmaster. Who introduced the General Evaluator, Mike Schoenberg. The General Evaluator called on all role takers to introduce themselves and explained their roles. Control of the meeting was passed back to the Toastmaster (George Leiter), who introduced the day’s first speaker (Pete Madland).

Pete’s presentation, his icebreaker, was called My Calling. The time for the speech was 6:15 min:sec for the requested 4 to 6 minutes.

Pete indicated that he had a desire/duty to protect and serve others from a young age: four to be exact, when he stood between that demon and his mother. He noted that the demon rode on a red fire truck in a parade. In 2006 he pursued an armed robber through the woods before tasering him. For reasons he did not relate to us, he left law enforcement to become a sheet metal worker. An incident in Canada on a bus led him to talk to his co-workers. This conversation has led him to commit to being a cop again.

Next George called on Lynda Bennett. She presented a speech called Does Dong Good Pay? The speech took 8:13 min:sec of the asked for 5 to 7 minutes.

Lynda called herself a social investor. Her speech concerned the return-on-investment (ROI) for supplying “supportive” housing for single adults, families, and (especially) unaccompanied youth.

The money for this service comes from three sources: taxes, other non-profits, and direct contributions. And the cost is high: about $10,000 per year for a single adult and $15,000 for an unaccompanied youth. There are also auxiliary costs for mental health services, income support, and food support.

But the ROI is almost immediate. Where “supportive” housing is available, crime conviction rate have been shown to drop to 14 percent from 48 percent, saving $16,000 in the first year. Also, those using this service can earn increased wages. When all is said and done, the ROIs for single adults are $1.10 for $1.00 invested, for families $1.41 for $1.00 invested, and for unaccompanied youths up to $7.10 for $1.00 invested.

(Or as the Midas Man says, “You can pay me now, or you can pay me later.”)

Lastly (but not least), George called on Kirby Johnson. His speech, Celebrating Diversity, You Betcha, was from the Competent Communicator Manual, Project 9 – Persuade with Power. He requested 5-7 minutes and took 9:59 min:sec.

Kirby started by discussing Marlin Luther King and his life long quest to rid the world of prejudice and celebrate diversity. Kirby reminded us that prejudice was the result of baseless reasons and preconceived notions. He invited us to take advantage of relieving ourselves of the shackles of our prejudices.

His speech was an effort to persuade us to partake in one of the bounties of the briny deep – lutefisk. He even promised to escort us to a properly prepared lutefisk dinner, with lutefisk that had firm and flakey flesh.

To reduce our prejudices about this uniquely prepared treat, Kirby described the life cycle (or pathway) of lutefisk preparation: air dying, rehydration through soaking in cold water, luting (soaking in a lye solution to break down the protien), and more soakings to remove the lye solution.

He then proceeded to answer our objections to particular characteristics of lutefisk. Finally, he announced that he was heading to the White Castle on Rice Street to do further research for his next speech.

Sharon Hanson led the Table Topics session. Three people answered questions.

1. James Hogan was asked why a chicken would be a better dentistry mascot that a beaver. (2:10 min:sec) James had the winning table topics response.
2. Sharon pointed out that ashes and honey were used as a dentifrice in the Middle Ages. George Leiter was asked what advances in dental hygiene would be made by 2212. (1:12 min:sec).
3. Mike Schoenberg was asked about dentistry lingo – the word indentulous. He took 1 min coming up with the wrong answer. Whereas he said in means making an indent, it means no teeth.

Mike Schoenberg, as General Evaluator, then conducted the evaluation portion of the meeting.

1. Frank Mayers evaluated Pete Madland’s speech. (4:00)
2. James Hogan evaluated Lynda Bennett’s presentation. (2:36)
3. Sharon Hanson evaluated Kirby Johnson’s speech (3:35)
4. George Leiter indicated thateverybody who spoke used the word of the day.
5. The Timer (Carmen Simonet) reported time usage as indicated in the report above.
6. Mike Schoenberg summed up the meeting as the general evaluator.

The meeting was closed at 7:35 p. m. and a short business meeting ensued.
Submitted by Mike Schoenberg, Club Secretary, February 10, 2012.

James Hogan with Pastor Nirmala Reinschmidt at Zion Lutheran Church

At Metropolitan Toastmasters, we think we have a great thing going, and we’re eager to share it with others — the more the merrier! To that end, our club president James Hogan recently spoke at Zion Lutheran Church. You can seem him above with Pastor Nirmala Reinschmidt while fellow churchgoers enjoy lutefisk in the background. (I kid.) You don’t have to wait for us to come to you, though. Please feel free to join us for our open house next Thursday, October 13th at 6:30 PM. It is encouraged but not mandatory to register here or contact us directly so that we can plan for the appropriate number of people. Hope to see you there!