Swamp TALK

Okefenokee Toastmasters Club #8269, District 14, Area 11B

Volume 4 Issue 4 April 2012

Chartered in 1991

Mission: The mission of a Toastmasters club is to provide a mutually supportive and positive learning environment in which every individual member has the opportunity to develop oral communication and leadership skills, which in turn foster self-confidence and personal growth. Meetings: We meet every Wednesday morning at 7:00am at Quality Inn, 1725 Memorial Drive, Waycross. Click here for map. Membership: Open to anyone 18 years old and over.
Spotlight on Division Speech Contest What powerful 5 to7 minute speeches we heard at the Georgia Toastmasters Division Speech contest held in Waycross on March 24th! Kirk Fowler from Valdosta told us how companies could do better by doing good for their employees and customers. Hasani X from Savannah said we were spending too much time worrying about the future instead of enjoying the here and now. Mark Stall, also from Savannah, ended his speech with a quote, One good word is worth a thousand pictures.

. Officers for Okefenokee

Toastmasters 2011-2012 President: Bud Montero VP Education: Kathy Odam VP Membership: John Conger VP Public Relations: Janice Williams Treasurer: Addie Crews Sergeant of Arms: Larry Kearson
Important Dates
April 30May 5, 2012: Toastmasters Week in Georgia. May 4-5, 2012: Spring Conference, The Leaders Network, Georgia Tech Hotel & Conference Center, Atlanta, Ga. August 15-18, 2012: Start planning for next years International Convention. It will be in Orlando, Florida

GRAMMARIANS CORNER

Leadership Tip: Read More!

...if you want to improve your station in life, as well as the lives around you read more. The greatest leaders throughout history have been nothing short of relentless in their pursuit of knowledge. I believe Michelangelo said it best when he uttered the words Ancora Imparo which when translated from the Italian means I am still learning. By the way, his first public use of this phrase was noted to have been on his 87th birthday. Source:http://linkd.in/w83mNt

Satire uses sarcasm and irony to poke fun at humanity our weaknesses, vices, and shortcomings. The intent could be to shame society into improving itself or to protest and expose some folly. It has become a part of political comedy, for example, The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. A parody, also called a spoof, is used to make fun or mock someone or something by imitating them in a funny or satirical way.
Source: http://examples.yourdictionary.com/ satire-examples.html

How to Recruit New Members

1. Wear your Toastmasters Pin. 2. Never cancel a meeting. 3. Meet at a good location. 4. Promote humor in speeches. 5. Practice selling Toastmasters at meetings. 6. Hold meetings at Senior Centers. 7. Sponsor a needy individual. 8. Host sample or demo meetings.
Read more: http://www.d4tm.org/Documents/116_Recr uit.pdf

Connect with Us
L to R: Larry Kearson, Table Topics Contestant with Bud Montero, Contest Master and President of the Okefenokee Toastmasters Club at Quality Inn, Waycross, March 24th.
Toastmasters Speech Contests Toastmasters from clubs in Albany, Savannah, Valdosta, and Waycross gathered in Waycross on Saturday, March 24th at Quality Inn, to support their representatives competing in the International Speech and Table Topics contests at the Division level. There were five very dynamic contestants for the International Speech contest. The winner was Anthony Clements from Albany who spoke on the topic, How to Get Anything You Want. Second place winner was Emera Smith from Pooler whose title was, That Next Step. The Table Topics section of the contest required contestants to think quickly and respond off the cuff to the question, If you were President of the USA, what is the first thing on your agenda that you would do and why? Larry Kearson ably represented the Okefenokee Toastmasters Club; however, the winner was Benita Kitchen from Albany. The winners from these two Division level contests will compete at the District level on May 4th and 5th at the Georgia Toastmasters Spring conference in Atlanta, Georgia.

Follow Okefenokee Toastmasters on Twitter: http://twitter.com/oketoast View Okefenokee Toastmasters website: http://okefenokee.toastmastersclubs.org Browse the Virtual Toastmasters Museum: http://bit.ly/ukFQb4

Quality Meetings = Quality Clubs

Table Topics Tips 1. Dont say, Im not good at this! 2. Treat it like a mini-speech. 3. Buy some time, ask for the question to be repeated. 4. Keep up with current world events. 5. Make the topic fit. 6. Be imaginative. 7. Practice every day. Read more: http://bit.ly/rDrCCp

CHARTER MEMBERS: John Penland (Sponsor), Andrew Slocum, Joe Gant, Harry D. Dixon, Jr., Carolyn Morton (Akins), Phil Wysong, C.J. Broome, Paul OCain, James C. Bunch, W.F. Stephens, Jeanette Stipe, Tom Strickland, Fred Barber, John Karew, Reuben Flanders, E. Nash Williams, Jerri Davis, Doris Germano, Andy Spivey, Audrey West, and Margaret Park. Edited by Janice Williams