At a recent Afterburners meeting, several speakers wore hats. You might think it was because we needed some shade and relief from the triple digit weather we've been experiencing. However, it was in honor of our theme: A Toastmaster Wears Many Hats. This theme was selected to illustrate that as a member of Toastmasters you literally wear many hats and can fill any number of roles during a meeting.Our Immediate Past President, Tammy Bailey led the way as the Toastmaster of the Evening. George Arndt followed with a "Roadmap" to the successful preparation for the role of Toastmaster. Ron Baker explained the importance of punctuality and the role of the Timer. Bill Erwin wittingly reminded us that the Ah-Counter watches out for the use of crutch words such as ah, er, um, you know, and so.
Dámaris Thorn, was next in the line-up. She described the role of the Grammarian by asking the question, "Is it important to know English grammar good?" Steven Timmons explained that as the Listener, critical listening skills are tantamount to becoming an effective communicator. I reminded everyone to cast their vote during my piece on the Vote Counter. LaShawn Carter reviewed the role of Table Topics Master by informing everyone that they have nothing to fear when called upon for Table Topics because "Table Topics Are Your Friend".
In her "Recipe to Success" Brenda Daniels, aka Paula Deen showed us that the General Evaluator needs good listening, thinking, and speaking skills. Paula...I mean Brenda also shared the secret ingredient for her mouth watering fudge. Sorry if you missed it. What happens at the Afterburners Club meeting, stays at the Afterburners Club meeting. To round out the role of Evaluator, Joyce King did a terrific job of explaining how to effectively evaluate a speech, all while keeping a watchful eye on the timing light.
As a new member to Toastmasters you may wonder about all of the acronyms we use. Mike Kelly deciphered the "alphabet soup" in his presentation, "The Road to Becoming a DTM". Our former Division A Governor, Pat Quick explained how to have a successful club meeting. Ryan Gallagher explained the role of the "Hot Seat". Don't worry, you won't burn your biscuits. It simply means you may be called upon at the last minute to fill any opportunity, including the role of speaker. The key is to have a speech prepared and to be ready to go at all times.
In spite of a recent health scare, our President, Jodie Sanders was on hand to rally the troops and bring our meeting to a close. Our meeting was a rousing success...as usual.
Rose Timmons
