The Sunday morning Leadership
Breakfast session was highly interactive. Mary Margaret led her audience
with questions so ideas could be shared and information brought back to
the clubs. Mary’s questions are in bold print. - Julie Schreul, ATM-G, AL.
Who has the best club?
The response was a unanimous "mine."
Why do you think it is the best?
Because it is the best for you.
What gives your club personality?
The people, attitudes, the ambiance, the warmth,
organization, etc.
Why are people joining your club?
Because they are friendly, organized, professional,
warm, enthusiastic, energetic, caring and nurturing, etc.
Why do they stay?
Same reasons as above with the addition of follow
up.
Describe your club atmosphere in three adjectives:
Friendly. Enthusiastic.Traditional. Professional.
Dedicated. Warm. Fun. Encouraging
Why did you join?
I joined because I liked the people.
What makes your club different?
> We start with a toast.
> When we have guests, we ask them to participate.
> We ask guests what they enjoyed.
> Diversity of age groups and Toastmaster tenure.
> We have secret greeters.
> We are in a leader’s club. We have 20-30
minute speeches, in depth detailed evaluations by all. We have a flip chart
schedule for the next 5 week’s sessions.
> We have an advanced club that meets monthly
for two hours. We have six speeches, editorial (planned) and rebuttal (extemporaneous)
activities.
> Another advanced club has round table
evaluations for each speech.
> We meet monthly, have dinner first, have fun,
usually four speeches. 20+ members. You don’t need to be a good cook to
be a member.
> We have a Toastmaster minute (60 seconds each
speaker) at the beginning of our weekly meetings where we share our Toastmaster/communication
successes from the last week.
>We have brag sessions.
> We have the Induction of new members immediately
after their Ice Breaker speech.
>We open with the pledge, invocation and sing
a song.
> When someone uses the word of the day, we knock
on the table.
> "Listener of the day" asks questions of the
members at the end of the meeting about the meeting activities.
> "Post Toasties" meet after the club meeting
socially. It’s a good time of bonding and building friendships.
> Another club has terminology: "pre-toastie means
not yet joined and a "post-toastie means not attended in a while.
> Spark plug award is given to the person who
added something special, funny, etc. to the meeting. The past week’s winner
awards it to the present week’s winner once the club votes on who is most
deserving.
> Signs placed in front of the three speakers
and evaluators indicating who is performing that function that morning.
It saves time and alerts the Table Topics Master so they won’t get called
on to speak.
> Ah Award is a No Bell award. (good pun intended)
> Ah Award is a three to six inch tongue depressor.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Mary Margaret closed by encouraging us all to feel the pride in our clubs.
As Ralph Smedley stated: "people learn best during a time of enjoyment."very
part.
Mary Margaret Dockendorff's presentation
was recorded and reported by
Julie Schreul, ATM-G, AL
Spring
Conference Front Page | Mary
Margaret Dockendorff
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