Hello Again, here is another summary of our meetings at Seattle Sunrise Toastmaster. This is a combination of the month’s meeting thus far and hereby known as the Mid-July Summary. Tom, our President, opens every meeting with enthusiasm; customarily introducing themes for the meetings. July 2’s theme was “Beginnings,” a hint to the changing of the officer guard for Seattle Sunrisers. July 9’s theme was “Temptations,” a creative topic where many included the theme their speeches and extemporaneous discussions. July 16’s theme was “Madness,” yet another creative topic where many incorporated the theme their speeches and extemporaneous discussions, too, and perhaps hinting to the absent of those officers that make these meetings happen. Officers were at a training event held in Shoreline’s Conference Center on 16 July. Read more ›
Testimonials for 2015-2016 Sunrise Officers
SCOTT C: Though Scott was not an officer, he changed my life with the way he welcomed and befriended me while I was a guest, like a warm breeze, a ray of sunshine. He made me realize how much positive influence one can have on a stranger by getting out the seat, walking up and becoming his/her friend. Scott has become my role model because I hope to spread his positive energy to others.
SEARGENT AT ARMS TOM B & PRESTON K: They say the early bird catches the early worm. Here at Sunrise we are very lucky to have two of the earliest and greatest birdies anywhere! Thank You Tom and Preston for not hitting the snooze button on Saturdays and lugging all that crap around week after week. You’re a great tag-team team if there ever was one.
VP MEMBERSHIP NICOLE S: I will always remember Nicole S’s heart-felt smile when she helped me become a member of this club. I remember the terror of keeping up with new member kits, prospect emails, and using Dropbox without deleting everything which I swear I only did once. And then I remember the bright, sunny morning when Nicole Swedeburg told me she’d be happy to serve as VP of membership.
VP PR MARTI M: Marti is always a pro. Handling both the PR and the mentoring program, she helps makes the club what it is by getting the word out, welcoming and training new members, and being a well of information. Thank you, Marti!
TREASURER AANYA: Aanya is the most pleasant person to give money to. Who wouldn’t want to pay Aanya. I remember asking her if I could pay for a full year to avoid her having to ask me every 6 months. She paused, then gave an emphatic – YES. 6 months later I had forgotten that I had paid for the full year and tried to pay her again. That is how good she is. And she makes it so easy. Aanya, what do I owe you?
VP EDUCATION NICOLE C: Nicole has been so cheerful and organized in scheduling all of us for roles during the year. She stepped forward to assume the role when we urgently needed a replacement after David went off to China, making for a seamless transition. She always responds to my emails about availability; I don’t understand how she finds the time to give that level of personalized support to all our members.
SECRETARY ANDY K: Andy’s meticulous note-taking and lyrical write-ups are two of the key elements that uphold the high standards of Sunrise. Reading his summaries has been a joy as well as an inspiration to me – I started taking actions to improve my listening, note-taking and writing skills. Thank you Andy, I am very grateful to know you.
PRESIDENT PETER F: Thank you Peter, for your endless energy and terrific work in livening up our meetings and spiriting up members. You are a vibrant leader with a warm heart.
Gratitude: Seattle Sunrise Toastmaster June 25 Meeting Summary
Rites of Passage: Seattle Sunrise Toastmasters June 16 summary
Ken B. was our Toastmaster this week. It was his first time and he did a great job. He said that taking on the role was in its own way a rite of passage because while he’s a comfortable, confident speaker, it was something scary and new. Welcome to the echelon of past Toastmasters, Ken! It gets easier each time.
Our first speaker was one of our newest members, Yanyan B., who gave her CC Project 1 Icebreaker, “Childhood in a Rural Village.” She gave a vivid description of her upbringing on a peasant farm in the village of Golden Star in Ganzhou, Jiangxi Province in Southern China. She talked about the hardships she suffered as a young child, such as having to hand carry 30 containers of water from a distant river to irrigate her family’s fields. She then told of how she eventually was able to leave it behind for university and eventual emigration to the United States, closing with a touching remembrance of those in her family she regretted having to leave behind. A wonderful speech, Yanyan, and, as I said, a tough one to follow.
Which is what I did with my Storytelling advanced communication Project 3 speech, “Ugly Americans.” I described a trip I took with my best friend in 2003 to Southeast Asia, seven months after the invasion of Iraq and a week after the CIA announced what most of the world seemed to already know: that Iraq had no WMDs and thus the pretense for the war had been founded on lies and misinformation from the start. Despite travel advisories for Americans going abroad, we went and were the best ambassadors we could be, and also typically we made many errors in judgment. Adventures were had and my speech discussed some of our experiences over our 10-day stay. (FYI, if anyone is interested in reading it, I can send you the full travelogue I wrote during the trip.)
