Can't make it to a meeting?

 It's a smart idea to let someone know. In particular, the toastmaster of the meeting and the club secretary.

If you are scheduled for an opportunity, the toastmaster can find a replacement. If you are not on the schedule, the toastmaster then knows you will not be available to fill the shoes of someone else who won't be there.

Then there's the matter of being eligible to vote in business meetings.

If it is necessary for a member to be absent from the Club meeting, please notify the Club Secretary, Brenda Daniels DTM, by email in order for the absence to be "excused". This excused absence will not affect the member's voting privileges at Club Business Meetings.

Dec 15: "Canada"

Former member Sandra Price with Brenda Daniels

Bob Titiryn opened the meeting dedicated to his native country with a dryly witty monologue about Canadian weather and national character. Remember this: Canadians DO NOT wear toboggans on their heads, because in Canada a toboggan is a sled, not a hat.

Our two quite entertaining speakers, S. M. and Rodney King, found plenty of humor in the subjects of running a restaurant and redeeming an inappropriate gift card. Mack Mercer and visiting former member Sandra Price gave evaluations that would be worth the price of admission if we charged it.

Jodie Sanders continued the Canadian theme in Table Topics, where Parker Arndt revealed his wish to be a sled dog in the upcoming Winter Olympics and Pat Quick described her thrilling battle against terrorists at the same event. (She was either a Mountie or a cheerleader, we're not sure which.) Two intrepid visitors, Shawn and Basil, also gave their best efforts for Canada in Table Topics.

We had some yummy chocolate cake to celebrate Parker's upcoming 18th birthday, when he will finally be legal as far as Toastmasters is concerned.

Jodie Sanders

Pat serves the birthday cake

Christmas party on Sunday!

It's at Mi Cocina Restaurant, Hulen Street and I-30, on Sunday, December 20th. Plan to get there around 3:30 pm. (The restaurant does not officially open until 5:00 pm.)

We will play a little table topics game, have a White Elephant Christmas gift exchange and then have dinner. The White Elephant/Chinese Gift Exchange rules are: bring a gift that you find at home or that you purchase for less than $10. We will draw numbers, as many as we have attending. The first person chooses a wrapped gift. Person #2 can take that gift or open a new one. This continues until all gifts have been opened. A gift can be "stolen" only three times. 

Everyone will pay for their own dinner and this way we don't have to cook it or clean it... just have fun!

Pat Quick and Brenda Daniels

Dec 1: "Youth Leadership" leads the way

Veteran Toastmaster Mac Mercer was our able Toastmaster but youth held the spotlight. The Best Speaker ribbon was won by 16-year-old Austin Starnes. His mother Kenna Starnes took the prize for Best Table Topic.

Austin won the speech contest in the Afterburners' fall Youth Leadership program. Participants in this program believed they also were winners because of the basic speaking skills they gained.

Other prepared speeches included a humorous sales pitch by Mac Mercer (he was doing double duty) and an interesting speech by Theresa Eller about her relative Joseph Conrad.

Tom Brents

Nov 24: Turkey and Table Topics

Last Tuesday night we had a wonderful feast sitting down, but still all present also spoke on their feet.This preholiday meeting was relaxed but everyone there got to answer a table topic.

 
A sampling of the answers included Pat's sympathy for both the Pilgrims and the Indians, George's thanks for his Afterburners friends, and Hunter's defense of Black Friday, and ranged from Brenda's moving recollection about her mother's last Thanksgiving to Tom's frivolous whining about birthdays. A good time was had by all.

Tom Brents