[Ottawa_users] [OT] Geography Awareness Week at Carleton Toastmasters

[Julien Lamarche]

For those who wish to improve their public speaking skills,  Carleton
Toastmasters is a great way to do so.

Plus, this weeks theme is "Geographic Info Systems Day – Geography
Awareness Week".  The opening question and table topics are usually
related to the theme, although the rest of the meeting is not bound by
it.   I willl be chairing and I hope to show some maps I made with
QGIS to show the possibilities with open source GIS.

Herzberg Laboratories, 5th Floor, room 5345.  Doors open at 6:45,
event starts at 7 pm.

---------- Message transféré ----------
De : "Toastmasters Club 9482 on behalf of Carole Love"
<server at toastmastersclubs.org>
Date : 17 nov. 2013 09:57
Objet : RE: Carleton TM - Summary November 13 - Agenda Nov. 20 Theme:
Geography Awareness Week - Evaluators needed - Open Roles
À : "members-9482 at toastmastersclubs.org" <julien.lamarche at gmail.com>

To the Carleton Toastmasters and Friends:




On Wednesday November 20 there will be a Carleton Toastmasters meeting
in Herzberg Laboratories, 5th Floor, room 5345. Feel free arrive at
6:45 p.m. to socialize or ask questions.



On Thursday November 21 there’s a Tall Tales Contest put on by
Parliament Hill and Creativity+ Toastmasters in the auditorium of the
Ottawa Public Library, 120 Metcalfe Street. If you’re free on Thursday
evening, do come out to support Andrew who will be a contestant. Plan
to arrive at 6:15 p.m. Contest begins at 6:30 p.m.



November 20 Theme: Geographic Info Systems Day – Geography Awareness Week

Chair:          OPEN

Toast:          OPEN

Word:          John McTeer

Quote:         Sridhar Callikan

Joke                Jaime Horn

Table Topics   Meng Yao

Speaker #1:    John McTeer #2 - confirmed

Speaker #2     Andrew Depedro #3 - confirmed

Eval. #1        OPEN

Eval. #2        Phuong Hoang

GE:            OPEN

Timer:         OPEN

Grammarian: OPEN

Storyteller#1 Sridhar Callikan

Storyteller#2 Ahmad Biniaz

Quizmaster:  Martin Diegel



November 27: Theme: Movember

Chair: Colleen Rhodes, GE Julien Lamarche

December 4: Theme: How music affects people

Chair: Beverly Zawada, Table Topics: Andrew D. (tentative), GE:
Shirley McKey – other roles OPEN



If you would like to assume a role at a meeting, e-mail me at clove at magma.ca.

Advise if you want to use the projector or if you are unable to do a
scheduled role.



Guests are welcome to try toast, word, quote, timer, grammarian, joke,
quizmaster, storyteller or closing thought roles, if available.
Meeting planners appreciate plans can change.

Please ask to have your manual signed at the back as you complete
speech projects.



Highlights from November 13 – Theme: World Kindness Day is November 13

With the new banner on display, Meng Yao opened the meeting and
welcomed Julien Lamarche, the meeting Chair.



During the introductions, Julien asked attendees to think of an act of
kindness - received or offered. When one first came to Canada and was
unfamiliar with the buses, she was happy when a young person pulled
the bell and pressed the bar so she could exit the bus. One fatigued
due to little sleep tried to use his hand to wipe his face; he very
much appreciated a kind lady’s offer of a tissue. After a leaf-raking
session at a senior’s residence one was invited to have a bowl of hot
soup. One appreciated a barber offering a discount for a haircut. One
appreciates friends speaking in a kindly manner, even those with
differing views; all can strive to achieve agreement. One discovered
on a bus she didn’t have her pass; the kindly driver let her on and
gave her a day pass so she could bus it home safely. Another missed
her stop at Carleton; after checking with his supervisor the kindly
driver drove her back to the university. One member was invited to
play cards; he returned the favour by inviting his friend over to
share food from M&M. One offered a bagel meal to a homeless man; a
kindly police officer helped a friend find lost keys so she could get
home safely. The supervisor of one has demonstrated much kindness to
him; the supervisor also helped a friend in financial difficulties
obtain a scholarship. A newcomer to residence life was shown kindness
by being toured around the campus. One paid for coffee for someone
whose credit card didn’t work. Another member pays for coffee
turnabout with a the friend; each appreciates the small kindness. One
appreciated a meal shared in the garden with neighbours; he also
appreciated a friend fixing a vacuum cleaner. A colleague missed a
workplace celebration to attend a tough French class; the member’s
kindness was to bring her a piece of cake from the missed event. An
understanding workplace manager allowed a struggling student time off;
her act of kindness was to turn in a U-pass found on the ground so the
owner could later retrieve it.



Meng Yao brought as Word, "Benevolent", an adjective meaning kind,
compassionate and charitable. An example of its use: "The benevolent
woman gave generously to the Children's Wish Foundation." The noun
form is benevolence. (The Word was chosen by Shirley McKey who was
unable to attend. Thank you Shirley. Get well soon.)

Kindness is a subjective and there are different ways to define a kind
act. One may think of kindness as a life experience grounded in
empathy and considering another’s needs. Irene Kakai proposed a Toast:
To kindness.



Sridhar Callikan brought as Quote the words of Morrie Schwartz: “The
most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to
let it come in.” Schwartz was the subject of Mitch Albom’s book
Tuesdays With Morrie. The book is about life lessons former sociology
professor Schwartz shared in fourteen Tuesday visits. Schwartz died
from ALS, a debilitating, incurable disease.



Andrew Depedro was Jokemaster. Senator Patrick Brazeau was met at the
gates of the underworld by Lucifer, pleaded guilty to crimes related
to his expenses, and was sentences to roast eternally in fire. Mike
Duffy, another senator, similarly pleaded guilty and Lucifer sentenced
him to eternal life married to Shania Twain. On being queried about
the different sentences, Lucifer’s response was that who was he to
question Shania Twain’s punishment.



Ahmad Biniaz served as Table Topics Master a fourth time in a row. In
1998 the World Kindness Movement, WKM, established November 13 as
World Kindness Day; Ahmad thought it important that not only
individuals but also countries try to be kind to each other. Andrew
Depedro believes random acts of kindness can spread and build
community spirit. The examples in the introductions were in line with
the spirit of World Kindness Day. While some say religion and politics
are the source of wars, Irene Kakai felt economic issues were often
major factors leading to conflict. Most religions say people should be
kind to one another. Sridhar Callikan noted Canadians were helping
people in the Philippines struck by the recent typhoon. Those in the
third world need educational opportunities to build strong healthy
families; more trade would also help. John McTeer felt that people
should show kindness to the poor from the heart.



As his first project from the Entertaining Speakers manual, Phuong
Hoang told a story “Romantic and failed. Whyyyyy?????”. In grade 12
Phuong had a crush on a cute girl in his class. He tried to make her
like him, for example by staring at her. Phuong felt he must do more
to raise her interest and win her heart. He talked things over with a
friend. March 8, International Women’s Day, is special in Vietnam;
women are praised and many are offered flowers. Flowers are romantic.
Many fellows hand a girl flowers; as something special Phuong arranged
for flowers to be sent to the girl’s home. He ordered three roses. Why
not a dozen? He could not afford more. To pay for this huge act of
love, for the roses and delivery, Phuong went to school with an empty
stomach for five mornings. Those three roses involved real sacrifice.
Phuong had seen enthusiastic responses to flowers in Hollywood movies
and hoped to receive a similar reward. The day after his gift the
young lady paid him no attention. Phuong’s more sophisticated
acquaintance later explained that three roses meant, “I love you” and
hope we will be happy forever after. Customarily one would say this
after meeting a young lady along with friends, calling her three or
four times, and getting to know her. Phuong of course had not done
these things. Those three roses had implied he wanted to be her
husband. While Phuong did not get the girl and wondered why at the
time – it did create the opportunity for an entertaining story for
today.



Thank you Beverly Zawada for serving as Speech Evaluator; thank you
Colleen Rhodes for serving as General Evaluator for the first time,
thank you Alfonso Campanella for serving as Grammarian, thank you
Sridhar Callikan for serving as Timer, and thank you John McTeer for
serving as Quizmaster. Colleen performed her role in a confident
manner and noted guests were greeted by the Sergeant at Arms and
executive members.



Julien Lamarche adjourned the meeting.



News items:



Andrew Depedro is a contestant in the Tall Tales Contest in the
auditorium of the Ottawa Public Library, 120 Metcalfe Street on
November 21 being put on by Parliament Hill and Creativity+
Toastmasters. Guests welcome! The two clubs are looking to fill that
200 seat auditorium. If you’re free on Thursday evening, do come out
to support Andrew. Please arrive at 6:15 p.m. Contest to begin at 6:30
p.m.



Discuss dues with Meng Yao, club Treasurer. (Cheques payable to
Carleton Toastmasters Club.)



Toastmasters Tips on Video

Tips cover how to offer a toast, find topics, face a job interview,
know your audience, use humour in speeches, avoid speaking mistakes,
use gestures and body language, offer feedback, manage your fear and
keep the audience engaged. www.toastmasters.org/videos



Facebook group: carleton toastmasters (all lower case).



Carole Love, VP Education

clove at magma.ca

vped-9482 at toastmastersclubs.org