A Night to Remember

Phillip Silas, CC

When I first experienced a Toastmasters meeting, I'll be honest, I really didn't know what to expect.  I didn't know very much about what they represented, but I didn't feel any intimidation whatsoever. 

 

My wife and I were greeted warmly by all of the members, assuring us we were at home.  Everyone raved over my wife's name (Antoinette) and added that my name (Phillip) was just as ravishing.

 

The room was not confining, and the set up had an audience/stage-like appearance. The meeting was prayed over and we pledged allegiance to the flag.  We were given name tags and asked how we heard about Afterburners Toastmasters.  We were also asked if we wanted to participate in something called "Table Topics" to which I replied, "Yes" thinking it was no big deal. 

 

The Toastmaster of the evening followed the agenda exactly. The speakers were entertaining, and the comments about them were just as good. I was a bit distracted by the passing of little notes or comment slips between speakers, but tried to maintain my concentration.

 

When we finally got to "Table Topics" I thought "Well, I guess I finally get a chance to show off like everybody else!" The Table Topics Master kept meeting my eyes but didn't say a word to me until after his second question. I now know that he was giving me the opportunity to hear more seasoned Toastmasters answer the questions so I could decide to bail out if I wanted at the last minute! I don't remember the exact question, but I do know it was about politics, which was perfect for me because I am well-versed in this area.  I'll just say this about my response: I think I invented the words "ah" and "uh" because the Ah Counter said I used too many to count!

 

The following week, my wife and I joined Afterburners, and my "ahs" and "uhs" have decreased significantly as I've become a more confident speaker. The story continues once a week on Tuesdays at 7 pm in the Tarrant County Extension Building located at 200 Taylor Street in Fort Worth. We meet on the 5th Floor in the Lonestar A & B Room. Join us and see if Afterburners could be your new Toastmasters home!

Have You Been to an Afterburners Club Meeting Lately?

Steven Timmons, CC/ALB

If you have been missing the Afterburners Club meeting for a while or have only been coming on occasion, you are missing a great deal. Afterburners has a great combination of Advanced Speeches from any number of the Advanced Communication Manuals as well as Competent Communicator Speeches and Special Modules from the Leadership Excellence Series and Successful Club Series.

When you attend an Afterburners Club meeting, you really cannot be sure what you are in for except that you can rest assured that you will have a great time and be well entertained. You could be front row center to a concert given by our own Steven “Jukebox Hero” Thorn as the Toastmaster opening the show. The themes at Afterburners range from the tried and true to the highly unusual prompting of our Toastmasters and Topicsmasters.  

Steven “Jukebox Hero” Thorn

We've had many great speeches including “The Competent Stripper” presented by Jim Hummel. My eyes! My eyes! “The Look” was presented by Antoinette Silas, who completed her first Competent Communicator Award and inspired us to achieve our goals and find our long lost waistline. “What Memorial Day Means to Me” was presented by David Thorn who also completed his Competent Communicator Award with an inspirational and first hand account of those that have given their all to keep this country great. Last but not least, we had a fantastic reading by Tammy Bailey of one of her favorites stories, “The Jackasses and I”.

Afterburners also has a great series of Table Topics Speakers standing up to the challenging questions posed by our fantastic Topicsmaster, Pat Quick, discussing what I am sure is one of her favorite subjects “Diamonds Galore”. Bill Erwin rose to the challenge as he discussed that he is a “Diamond in the Rough” when it comes to Spanish and yet he strives to understand the many facets of the language in order to flawlessly shine one day in the future.

Then came the evaluation portion of our meeting led by Setma Maddox,a fantastic General Evaluator. We have the best Evaluators around who support our speakers with positive affirmations for their speaking abilities as well as brilliant suggestions to improve. George Arndt and Gary Chiu to name just a few have presented brilliantly as well as provided feedback that both inspires and entertains, ensuring our growth as a club of great speakers.

Consider saving some money by attending our next Afterburners Club meeting. You would have to pay about $10.00 to go to the movies and you cannot be assured that you will even enjoy it anymore. By coming to our club meeting, you will be with great friends and have a wonderful time. By coming to our February 14th meeting, you will have the best excuse to avoid paying those inflated restaurant prices as we embrace the theme “Have a Heart” led by our Toastmaster Rose Timmons.

Monthly Membership Dues for Toastmasters International  $6.00
Monthly Membership Dues for Afterburners  $2.00
A Night at a Afterburners Club Meeting  Priceless