Preston Persuaders

Tonight, Toastmaster Mike made us consider dilemmas in life, and Chris chose the perfect word of the day, quandary. Here's what we learned from our 4 speakers:

Mark encouraged us to make the most of our web experience by making sure our web browser (chrome, explorere, firefox, etc.) stays updated. This will also help safeguard us against hackers because we'll have the latest security fixes. Mark (a web designer) highly recommends the Google Chrome browser. You can check your browser and update it at WhatBrowser.com. 

Sanju gave us a fascinating history of Bollywood, the film industry of India. They are known for their song and dance numbers, but did you know early themes centered around religion? 

Brian led us all to consider those key moments in life when we choose to make the best of a situation...or not. One of his life-changing moments happened in college when his family moved to Nebraska, leaving him to stay in New Jersey. His living situation and level of comfort changed, but he decided to make the best of an unexpected situation. We all have those moments when we can choose - look on the bright side, or wallow?

Shiny shared the entertaining and meaningful story of how her relationship with her mom is changing as they grow older. She encouraged us all to savor the time with our parents. If they require more care and attention as they age, remember how they cared for you as a child. We wish you well on your trip to Taiwan to see your mom, Shiny!

We were pleased to have 9 guests tonight! Thank you to Mare vi, Marie, and all the members of the ESL meetup group! We loved having you join us, and you're welcome back anytime! We also want to wish Mike's nephew, Rahul, a fun and enjoyable college adventure in Phoenix! 

Kudos to Sofia for performing the role of General Evaluator for the first time! Great job!!!!

Join us next week for another great meeting of Preston Persuaders! Guests are always welcome.

Ribbon Winners

Best Speaker: Shiny
Best Evaluator: Hugh
Best of the Big 3: Mike
Best Table Topics Speaker: Ed
5-Star Helper: Sarah
Sparkplug: Shiny

This week's theme was U.S. Immigration, and Toastmaster Rick shared informative statistics to give us another side of the issue than we may typically see in the media. Our Taple Topics participants found creative ways to incorporate the word of the day, repatriation, into their speed-dating question topics (thanks for that fun topic, Mickey!), and we learned yogic breathing, win-win negotiation skills, and how to use a microphone like a pro from the scheduled speakers. 

Durai demonstrated several yogic breathing techniques to reduce stress and improve health. You can learn more about some of the techniques Durai mentioned at DoYogaWithMe.com.

Lisa taught us how to prepare for and execute a win-win negotiation. Her tips were to know what you want ahead of time, know what the other person wants and some objections they may have so you can be prepared to address their concerns and offer compromises, and know at what point you will withdrawl from the negotiation - know your bottom line. 

Melanie shared the proper way to adjust a microphone stand, how to hold the microphone, and some additional things to consider when you're speaking using a mic. Some of her helpful hints are to hold the mic with your fingertips, at an angle as if it is an extension of your chin, and from 1 to 3 finger-widths away from your face. You can practice your mic technique by videotaping your speech while holding a hairbrush. Notice if you drop the mic down at any point or forget to hold it in front of your mouth when you turn your head.

Congratulations to Chris J. for serving as General Evaluator for the first time! You did an awesome job! And of course, thank you to all of our members and guests who helped make the meeting fun, friendly, and informative. It's always a great way to spend Monday evening!

Ribbon Winners

Best Speaker: Melanie
Best Evaluator: Brian
Best of the Big 3: Mickey
Best Table Topics Speaker: Janak
5-Star Helper: Susan
Sparkplug: Janak

What's your B.H.A.G. (be-hag)? This week's theme was goal-setting. Allison taught us about setting Big Hairy Audacious Goals, inspired by the book Built to Last, by Jim Collins. A goal needs to have four qualities to be considered a B.H.A.G.:

Aligned - It's true to your values and who you are
Audacious - Initially, it seems impossible
Articulate - The stated goal should be easy to understand
Arduous - It requires a different thought pattern to accomplish

To prevent feeling overwhelmed, focus on one tiny step at a time, and celebrate your smaller accomplishments along the way.

In other news, kudos to Susan (Invocator), Durai (General Evaluator), and Chris (Table Topics Master), who were first-timers in their roles and did an awesome job!

Our Area Governor, Dell, joined us to perform our officer induction ceremony. Congratulations to our new officers, and thank you for stepping up to serve our club!

It was another great meeting at Preston Persuaders! I hope you have the conation (Word of the Day) to make Preston Persuaders a bright spot in every week!

Ribbon Winners

Best Speaker: Allison
Best Evaluator: Sanju
Best of the Big 3: Mark
Best Table Topics Speaker: Shiny
5-Star Helper: Mickey
Sparkplug: Melanie

We had another fantastic meeting last night, led by our Toastmaster, Ed! We learned about water conservation, heard hilarious table topics with the prompt, "If I were a [aquatic animal] I would...", and enjoyed a panel discussion led by Bahman that highlighted the cultural diversity in our club. With representatives from the Arab countries, Mexico, India, United States, Iran, and China, we learned about different customs and cultural differences in a unique and informative way.

The Word of the Day (WOTD) was aqueous, which fit in perfectly with our water theme, and the fun and celebration continued as the Toastmaster of the Year and Rookie of the Year received their trophies! Join us next Monday for another fun and educational Preston Persuaders meeting!

Ribbon Winners

Best Speaker: Bahman D.
Best Evaluator: Mickey B.
Best of the Big 3: Brian T.
Best Table Topics Speaker: Dean E.
5-Star Helper: Hugh D.
Sparkplug: Tim (guest)