Saturday, May 13, 2006
Tri-County Toastmasters Adds New Member
The Tri-County Toastmasters club met on Thursday 5-4-06 at the Virden Area Community Center. Club members present at Thursday’s meeting were: Les Apps, Dr. Todd Austin, Rev. Ron Grimes, Liz Mollett from Auburn, Jackie Rakers, Alan Saeger and Billy Watkins. One guest, John Davidson was also present. Davidson officially became a club member at Thursday’s meeting. President Grimes announced that the new slate of club officers will be elected at the next meeting.
Ron Grimes served as the master of ceremonies of thursday’s meeting. Billy Watkins conducted the impromptu speaking portion of the program, during which each participant was given a different question. Each question was based on a potential crisis in a different career or field (ranging from bicycle repairman to vending machine supply person), which made for some entertaining one to two minute responses. Todd Austin presented the word-of-the-week which was ‘abnegate’ meaning to give up or deny.
The evening’s first prepared speaker was Les Apps. His informative talk was entitled "Thoughts and Memories", and was a project from the basic Toastmasters manual. The second prepared speaker was Jackie Rakers. Her basic manual speech aptly titled "Stress", pointed out how 90 % of all illnesses are stress-related. Rakers also gave the audience ideas and routines for coping with daily stress.
The Toastmasters club will next meet on Thursday May 18, 2006 at 6:30 p.m. at the Community Center at 105 West Jackson Street in Virden. The scheduled speakers for next meeting are Jim Blankenship from New Berlin and John Davidson. "Guests and new members are always welcome to attend our club meetings, which are devoted to helping area residents from all walks of life to improve both their communication and leadership skills in a friendly environment" states club public relations officer Todd Austin. For more information about the Toastmasters program, please call Austin at 965-3100.
Ron Grimes served as the master of ceremonies of thursday’s meeting. Billy Watkins conducted the impromptu speaking portion of the program, during which each participant was given a different question. Each question was based on a potential crisis in a different career or field (ranging from bicycle repairman to vending machine supply person), which made for some entertaining one to two minute responses. Todd Austin presented the word-of-the-week which was ‘abnegate’ meaning to give up or deny.
The evening’s first prepared speaker was Les Apps. His informative talk was entitled "Thoughts and Memories", and was a project from the basic Toastmasters manual. The second prepared speaker was Jackie Rakers. Her basic manual speech aptly titled "Stress", pointed out how 90 % of all illnesses are stress-related. Rakers also gave the audience ideas and routines for coping with daily stress.
The Toastmasters club will next meet on Thursday May 18, 2006 at 6:30 p.m. at the Community Center at 105 West Jackson Street in Virden. The scheduled speakers for next meeting are Jim Blankenship from New Berlin and John Davidson. "Guests and new members are always welcome to attend our club meetings, which are devoted to helping area residents from all walks of life to improve both their communication and leadership skills in a friendly environment" states club public relations officer Todd Austin. For more information about the Toastmasters program, please call Austin at 965-3100.
PHOTO # 1 CAPTION:
Les Apps (left) and Jackie Rakers were the featured speakers at Thursday’s Tri-County Toastmasters meeting.
PHOTO # 2 CAPTION:
Current club president Ron Grimes (right) welcomed John Davidson from AG Buy Co. in Carlinville, as the Tri-County club’s newest member at Thursday’s Toastmasters meeting in Virden.
// posted by Jim @ 6:39 AM 
