Tonight was the first toastmasters meeting with the new executive in charge, and so I thought it a perfect time to write an inspirational speech on where I see our club going in the next year. Unfortunately I couldn’t memorize it all and had to use a few key point notes to jog my memory here and there and keep myself on track, so I think that took away part of the momentum that may have made my speech even more inspiring than it already was. However it was received very well and a couple of guests that were in attendance even joined the club because of it!

All things considered, I think it went very well and I managed to write it and mostly memorize it in two days. I truly think I inspired the club and that we really are going to achieve what I want us to.

Blog post on how to write an inspiring speech coming soon.

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After Michael Jackson’s sad passing, Thrill the World is going to be the biggest is has been yet. For those of you interested in joining us for the Vancouver event please email me at ttw09van[at]gmail[dot]com. More details regarding practice times and locations will be announced shortly. If you want to get a head start on learning the dance head to the Training Center.

For those of you interested in participating in Thrill the World, however are not in the Vancouver area, can check for events in your city here.

Stay tuned!

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Two nights ago was our annual Summer Awards Banquet for Toastmasters. Somebody I know made a comment about it being on a Friday night, as if it seemed stupid because people must have better things to do on a Friday night. In my opinion, this is far from the truth. I’m in a place now where I truly enjoy Toastmasters and public speaking – and the environment with the club is so warm and supportive. I look forward to our club meetings every week and it seems like craziness to miss a regular meeting nevermind the Summer Banquet. Plus, the cheesecake was amazing!

Photos from this year’s banquet can be found on the Burrard Toastmasters website.

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This week’s Toastmaster’s meeting was quite possibly the funnest one I’ve ever been to. This week I was the Table Topics Master and so I wanted to do something different and get people involved and working together as well as make it humorous. And it worked. Everybody had an amazing night and the meeting went so well.

“Today’s table topics session is a lesson in how your body language speaks and to help you see how both speaking effectively and using your body effectively works together to make you an even better public speaker.“

The exercise included two people per scenario as one person will only be speaking, and the other will only be doing the actions to go with their partner’s speaking. This helped give a more apparent demonstration of how the body speaks and how both speaking and moving have to work together in order to make a speech truly effective. Extreme hilarity ensued with the following scenarios:

• 1. You are working on street repair and discover an indecipherable item.
• 2. You are at a local dance and meet a strange, interesting character. What happens?
• 3. You are wrestling a bear at the state fair. What is the outcome?
• 4. You are rock climbing in the middle of a hot day and are suddenly swarmed by a large number of birds.
• 5. You are demonstrating Tupperware (or some other product of your choice) and describing the strange things it is useful for (not just food).

Needless to say it was difficult for some people to not use their body while speaking (using hand gestures, etc.) and for others it was difficult to not speak or make too many noises. At the end of it all my eyes were watering from laughing so hard. Definitely a great exercise that I would do again some time.

- – Rebekah

P.S. Nam (our Past President, a super cool dude) introduced me as the Table Topics Master and used hockey references to Wayne Gretzky and Sidney Crosby. NICE. I love it. You can put me up there with great achievers any day!

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I do solemnly swear that I will truly and faithfully, and to the best of my skill and knowledge, execute the powers and trusts reposed in me as BURRARD TOASTMASTERS CLUB PRESIDENT!!!!

That’s right. Club elections took place, and I will be the new Club President for Burrard Toastmasters. Because that’s just how I roll, and because I’m freakin’ awesome. I actually don’t officially become Club President until July as we go through a transitional period and a training session. The point is I’m progressing in my usual pace again, yay! That’s all I have to say about Toastmasters today.

This week’s handy links:

• • 10 useful tools for choosing the right color palette
• • 5 must know web design polishing techniques
• • 50 ways to become a better designer
• • 10 Wordpress plugins guaranteed to save you time
• • 22 CSS Button Styling Tutorials and Techniques
• • Designers predict web design trends for 2010

–Rebekah

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Toastmasters tonight was, I’m not gonna lie, a little sad. Mostly because there were very few members there. I swear more than half the club couldn’t make it to the meeting this week. Oh well, I guess this means the beginning of the summer! I did my second speech tonight, titled “Reasons to Exercise” and I’ve posted it on my speeches page for your reading pleasure. It went fairly well, actually, and the only things I wish I could have done were make it a little longer and to have memorized it rather than using notes. All in all, I’m definitely improving – yay! Next week is the club executive elections when I’ll be running for club president. Strangely enough, I’m not worried about it one bit. I’m confident I was a born leader (and I say that as modestly as possible).

– Rebekah

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