October 2009 Schedule

	7-October	14-October	21-October	28-October
Toastmaster	Kaiser, Max	McAliney, Dee	Reichardt, Kevin	(see page 2)
Table Topics	Winheim, Steve	Hendrickson, Carl	King, Mary Ann
Speaker 1	Ruzicka, Jim	Shields, Dick	Van Winkle, Rob
Speaker 2	Sapienza, Barb	Sowers, Judy	Welshon, David
Speaker 3	Schaper, Jim	Stewart, Brent	Willard, Gina
Speaker 4	Scott, Nilsa	Terrific, Tom	Wilson, Kevin
Evaluator 1	Busch, Karen	Dickemper, Sue	Flamm, Alicia
Evaluator 2	Clair, Don	Dobrich, Michael	Flick, Steve
Evaluator 3	Collier, Bill	Embree, Carol	Gissel, Erin
Evaluator 4	Denton, Kathy	Fawcett, Diane	Grega, Cynthia
General Evaluator	Kutell, Adam	Bettag, Jack	Denton, Kathy
Grammarian	Zemann, Laura	Hamm, Steve	Fawcett, Diane
Camera	Stewart, Brent	Wilson, Kevin	Schaper, Jim
Invocator	Gissel, Erin	Flick, Steve	Hamm, Steve
Timekeeper	Monti, Petrina	Roling, Mark	Kirby, Alan
Vote Counter	Beck, Karl	Monti, Petrina	Sowers, Judy
“Ah” Counter	Welshon, David	Willard, Gina	Dickemper, Sue
Jokemaster	Van Winkle, Rob	Brandt, Howard	Shields, Dick
Hot Seat	Brandt, Howard	Ullrich, Rich	Ruzicka, Jim
Greeter	Embree, Carol	Reichardt, Kevin	Stewart, Brent

Toastmaster contacts:  Speakers, Invocator, Topic Master, Joke Master, Hot Seat, Greeter and GE.General Evaluator contacts:  Evaluators, Grammarian, Timer, Vote Counter, Ah Counter and Camera Operator. If you cannot fulfill an assignment, it is YOUR responsibility to find a replacement.

South County Toastmasters Schedule – October 2009

	28-October
Toastmaster	Ruzicka, Jim
Invocator	Fawcett, Diane
Speaker 1	Winheim, Steve
Speaker 2	Zemann, Karen
Speaker 3	Beck, Karl
Speaker 4	Bettag, Jack
Speaker 5	Brandt, Howard
Speaker 6	Busch, Karen
Speaker 7	Clair, Don
Speaker 8	Collier, Bill
Speaker 9	Denton, Kathy
Speaker 10	EducationalSpeaker
Evaluator 1	Hamm, Steve
Evaluator 2	Hendrickson, Carl
Evaluator 3	Kaiser, Max
Evaluator 4	King, Mary Ann
Evaluator 5	Kirby, Alan
Evaluator 6	Kutell, Adam
Evaluator 7	McAliney, Dee
Evaluator 8	Monti, Petrina
Evaluator 9	Reichardt, Kevin
Evaluator 10	Roling, Mark
Timekeeper	Scott, Nilsa
Camera
Vote Counter	Sapienza, Barb
Jokemaster	Dobrich, Mike
Greeter	Flamm, Alicia

Meeting Minutes – September 16 2009

Regular Meeting Minutes of South County Toastmasters Club # 1957

Theme:  none

Meeting Date: Wednesday September 16, 2009

Called To Order At: 7:00 pm CDT
Location: 107-C (Right-side)

Presiding Officer: Rich Ullrich, President

Toastmaster: Steve Winheim
General Evaluator: Kevin Wilson

Time Keeper:     Kathy Denton
Ah Counter:     Sue Dickemper
Vote Counter:     Mike Dobrich
Grammarian:     Howard Brandt      “Aplomb”
Invocator:     Dick Shields
Camera Operator: Gina Willard
Table Topics:     Karl Beck
Joke Master     Jack Bettag
Hot Seat:     Jack Bettag
Greeter:         Rich Ullrich

The minutes from the Sept 9th meeting was revised during the meeting, accepted as sent revised

OFFICERS’ REPORTS:

President:

VP of Education: Kevin Wilson explained somewhat about the Full-Circle Award and that some of the details as far as completion time frame still need to clarified.

VP of Membership:

VP of Public Relations:

Treasurer:
Secretary:
Sergeant of Arms:
Officer at Large:

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

Speaker bureau: Carl Hendrickson mentioned that he recently gave a speech to the local AARP on the legislative session wrap-up.  Also Max Kaiser was due to give an upcoming speech on Chouteau.

MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE:
NOMINATING COMMITTEE:
MARKETING COMMITTEE:
SCHEDULING COMMITTEE:
FILL-IN SPEECH COMMITTEE:

OLD BUSINESS:
Rich Ullrich announced details of our club members (Erin Gissel and Jim Ruzicka) victories in the recent area contest. He also announced that  October 24 will be the next level of contests for Erin and Jim, at the division level.  He announced that the governor needs volunteers for the Oct 24 contetst.  He also announced the District 8 conference will be held in Clayton in November.
Rich Ullrich asked for input regarding youth leadership and announced that we might need to move that program to Winter.

NEW BUSINESS:
New member David Welshon was inducted into the club.  Welcome, Dave!

Howard Brandt checked online regarding the Distinguished Club Plan in the T.I. website.  He did not find any record of our progress.  Later in the week, emails revealed that our governors have not submitted our progress details yet because they are constantly receiving corrections from other clubs in the area.  A hard deadline was set for final corrections for Sept 23 to be submitted to T.I., so we should see credit given to our club then.

CORRESPONDENCE & ANNOUNCEMENTS:
By email from Rich Ullrich:
FALL CONFERENCE

MOTIV-8 TODAY TO CRE-8 A BETTER TOMORROW
OFFICERS, PLEASE SEND THIS TO ALL YOUR CLUB MEMBERS

WHEN:  NOVEMBER 20TH and 21ST
WHERE:  CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL, CLAYTON , MO
WHO:  ALL TOASTMASTERS and their spouses/significant others, friends and/or grown children

Mark your calendars today!!!

WANTED:  ALL CLUBS IN DISTRICT 8- WE ARE LOOKING FOR CLUBS TO PUT TOGETHER THEME BASKETS TO BE AUCTIONED OFF BY SILENT AUCTION AT THE CONFERENCE.  BE AS CREATIVE AS YOU LIKE!!

More will be forthcoming in the next few months.  If you have never been to a Spring/Fall Conference or it has been a long time, now is your time!!!

Kat Mokriakow
Division B Governor
2009 Fall Conference Public Relations Chair

Mike Dobrich announced that he is so-far missing renewal dues from only six of the members.

GUESTS:
Tony Carron
Brenda McNaughton
Neville McNaughton
Andy Doty
Barry Hammond

ATTENDANCE:
Karl Beck
Jack Bettag
Howard Brandt
Bill Collier
Kathy Denton
Sue Dickemper
Mike Dobrich
Carole Embree
Diane Fawcett
Carl Hendrickson
Max Kaiser
Adam Kutell
Petrina Monti
Jim Ruzicka
Dick Shields
Brent Stewart
Rich Ullrich
David Welshon
Rob VanWinkle
Gina Willard
Kevin Wilson
Steve Winheim

(Total: _22_ plus 5 guests)

SPEAKERS & EVALUATORS:

Speaker 1: Carole Embree
Speaker 2: Rob VanWinkle
Speaker 3: Brent Stewart
Speaker 4: Howard Brandt

Evaluator 1: Dick Shields
Evaluator 2: Max Kaiser
Evaluator 3: Bill Collier
Evaluator 4: Carl Hendrickson

AWARDS:

Most Improved: Carole Embree
Best Evaluator: Bill Collier
Best Table Topics: Jim Ruzicka
Best Speaker: Carole Embree

OTHER:

Rating for the meeting: 9.0
Meeting adjourned at 8:58 pm CDT

Respectively Submitted, Adam Kutell: Secretary.

—————————————-
http://www.TurboBase.com – Online Club Management
—————————————-

New Member – Dave Welshon

David Welshon is single and  lives in Festus. He has a degree in mechanical engineering from the Washington University/University of Missouri-St. Louis joint program.  His interests and hobbies include computing, embedded electronics, working out, reading, politics and science.  He lists his goals and reasons for joining SCTM to improve his leadership skills, communication skills and to sharpen his job interviewing skills. He is currently doing contract work for Briem Engineering and is seeking full time, permanent employment.

What to Do with a 12 Minute Speech

I had a fellow Toastmaster give me a call and asked me what to do with her 12 minute speech when the manual calls for a 5 to 7 minute speech. I gave her three options:

1. Cut, Cut, Cut.
While we’d all like to think that everything we’ve written is earth-shattering and “A” material, in reality a lot of it can be cut. Learning how to edit your material and turn a 12 minute speech into a 6 minute speech takes a lot of work and editing, but in the end it’s a great learning process. One of the saying I like is this, “There’s no such thing as good writing, only good re-writing.”

2. Divide your 12 minute speech into two 6 minute speeches.
If you have too much material, divide it and make two speeches out of it. On speech number two you may need to have an introduction which explains what is going on to the audience.

3. Contact the Toastmaster and see if they are missing a speaker for the night. Possibly, you can take their time also.

Every speaker needs to be cognizant of the audience and their time and needs. There are many times I’ve had to cut my programs to fit into the time constraints of the company or organization. The audience will appreciate it.

Writing Workshop – Patricia Corrigan

Patricia Corrigan in the past has done a great writing program for SCTM and is now offering a new writing workshop. Here are the details:

CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP

WHERE: St. Anthony’s Medical Center campus

WHEN: 7 to 9:30 p.m. starting Sept. 30 for six weeks (Dates: Sept. 30, Oct. 7, Oct. 14, Oct. 21, Oct. 28, Nov. 4)

HOW MUCH: $210  (Former students get a 10 percent discount!)

REGISTER: 314-525-4002 or 800-554-9550

Class size is limited – call now!

Meeting Minutes – September 9 2009

Regular Meeting Minutes of South County Toastmasters Club # 1957

Theme:  Disasters, Natural and Man-made

Meeting Date: Wednesday September 9, 2009

Called To Order At: 7:00 pm CDT
Location: 107-C (Right-side)

Presiding Officer: Rich Ullrich, President

Toastmaster: Adam Kutell
General Evaluator: Nilsa Scott

Time Keeper:     Barb Sapienza
Ah Counter:     Brent Stewart
Vote Counter:     Alan Kirby
Grammarian:     Judy Sowers      “Disaster”
Invocator:     Rich Ullrich
Camera Operator: Petrina Monti
Table Topics:     Carl Hendrickson
Joke Master     Jim Ruzicka
Hot Seat:     Kevin Reichardt
Greeter:         Mark Roling

The minutes from Sept 2nd meeting was accepted as sent via e-mail to all members.

OFFICERS’ REPORTS:

President:

VP of Education: Kevin Wilson talked about the Full-Circle Award and will be sending an email to all that are close to achieving it.

VP of Membership:

VP of Public Relations:

Treasurer:  Mike Dobrich asked members to please pay dues ASAP before next week’s meeting or mail renewal checks to his house.
Secretary:
Sergeant of Arms:
Officer at Large:

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE:
NOMINATING COMMITTEE:
MARKETING COMMITTEE:
SCHEDULING COMMITTEE:
FILL-IN SPEECH COMMITTEE:

OLD BUSINESS:
The area contest is scheduled for Sept 12th, 9:30am at the Oak Bend Branch library.

NEW BUSINESS:
New member Laura Zemann was inducted as a new member.  Welcome, Laura!

CORRESPONDENCE & ANNOUNCEMENTS:
By email (9/9/09)  from Max Kaiser:
MAX KAISER, JR. made three half-hour long presentation speeches and gave twelve historic church tours entitled, “Historic Churches of Old St. Louis—Their Art, History and Architecture”  for the 2009 Annual National Convention of the SVDeP Society on September 3-4-5, 2009.

GUESTS:
Laureen Wilder
Tony (Last name TBA)

ATTENDANCE:
Jack Bettag
Howard Brandt
Karen Busch
Don Clair
Bill Collier
Kathy Denton
Sue Dickemper
Mike Dobrich
Carole Embree
Erin Gissel
Carl Hendrickson
Alan Kirby
Adam Kutell
Petrina Monti
Kevin Reichardt
Mark Roling
Jim Ruzicka
Barb Sapienza
Nilsa Scott
Judy Sowers
Brent Stewart
Tom Terrific
Rich Ullrich
Rob VanWinkle
Gina Willard
Kevin Wilson
Laura Zemann

(Total: _27_ plus 3 guests)

SPEAKERS & EVALUATORS:

Speaker 1: Bill Collier
Speaker 2: Mike Dobrich
Speaker 3: Sue Dickemper
Speaker 4: Kathy Denton

Evaluator 1: Tom Terrific
Evaluator 2: Karen Busch
Evaluator 3: Erin Gissel
Evaluator 4: Mark Roling

AWARDS:

Most Improved: Sue Dickemper
Best Evaluator: Karen Busch
Best Table Topics: Gina Willard
Best Speaker: Sue Dickemper

OTHER:

Rating for the meeting: 9.0
Meeting adjourned at 9:04 PM CDT

Respectively Submitted, Adam Kutell: Secretary.
Special thanks to Kevin Reichardt for recording these minutes.

New Member Laura Zemann

Laura Zemann lives in Imperial, MO with her husband, Mark.  She has a BS in Business Administration.  She learned about SCTM via the internet.  Her interests and hobbies include golf, sewing and computers. The reason and goals for becoming a SCTM members are to help her with computer application training and seminars.

Club Survey Videos

Bill Collier’s report on the club survey is done in two parts.

PART 1

PART 2

Club Survey 2009

Club Survey – July 2009

31 collected surveys

Club Meetings A S NI

Questions: (followed by members’ comments)

#1 Is the business meeting conducted quickly and efficiently? 15    14    2

• Presider often deficient in parliamentary procedure
• Business meeting is covered quickly, but could sometimes be covered more efficiently.  Some leaders/club members aren’t fully understanding of meeting etiquette and/or rules of order.  Some education in this area may help.
• Business meetings may need to be slower.

#2 Are programs interesting and varied? 25     5    1

• VP Education could establish a theme night for all rather than leaving it to the discretion of the Toastmaster.
• I think our club is very open and accepting, which allows others to inject their creativity into their meeting roles.
• I like the themes we have had.  Toastmaster sets the tone, and with the diverse group we have, our meetings are always interesting.

#3 Are speakers, evaluators and other meeting participants

reminded of their responsibilities well in advance? 23    8     0

• Is it necessary?  Where is our responsibility?
• Occasionally, the Toastmaster or GE forgets to timely contact the meeting participants
• I wish we did not need the reminders.
• Through monthly schedules, thanks to VP of Education

#4 Are speeches well-prepared and based on manual projects? 17    14    0

• Occasionally, there are weak speeches, but generally they display preparation and practice.
• All speeches are well prepared, but not all are based on manual projects.  Members should feel free to pursue the projects they feel will best further their own development.
• Most speeches are well prepared.  Sometimes the manuals aren’t followed.

#5 Are evaluations positive, helpful and constructive? 21    8     2

• This is a very supportive group.  Everyone delivers their feedback with the hope that they are helping the speaker to grow.
• Sometimes, but there is occasionally an evaluation that comes across too negative.
• Suggestions for improvement are not always given in the evaluation.

#6 Is everyone given an opportunity to participate in the program? 18     8    5

• I like the fact that the VP of Education asks members for what roles and when they would like to be scheduled.
• Sometimes the Table Topics Master misses members who don’t have a role.
• A few members have recently monopolized the speaking role.
• The Table Topics Master should bring in those with no speaking role.  Often, the TT Master fails to call on those members and they do not get to participate.
• The Table Topics Master should be aware of those who do not have a role.

#7 Are officers effective in their roles as leaders? 17    14   0

• Sometimes officers are handed the materials without knowing what is expected of them.
• All of our officers are doing their best, but some may benefit from being mentored by members who have been in their role previously.
• Overall I think everyone does a nice job, but some are better than others. Having been an officer, I found that being a member came second to being an officer – not enough time to devote to both and be effective.  I found myself having to focus more on being the officer and fulfilling those duties rather than being an participating member.

#8 Do officers report on the club’s progress in the Distinguished

Club Program? 5    16    8

• I’m not sure where we stand alot of the time.
• I’m not sure what this means and I was an officer last term.
• I have heard officers report some, but don’t know if they do it as often as needed. A visual aid or a section of the website could be used as a good means to keep track for all to see
• Officers could do more often.
• More frequent reports would help avoid coming up short at the end of the Toastmaster year in June.

#9 Do members understand how they play a part in the Distinguished

Club Program? 3    14    12

• Not all members have a clear picture of the program and how they play a part.  VPE or another member could give a presentation on the program at least once a year or have a handout to give new members as they  join.
• I am a new member and I do not understand how I play a part.  It would be good to provide some education to new members on this topic.
• I think there can be more education about this program.  Would be beneficial to all members.

#10 Is there a friendly atmosphere during the meeting? 30     1     0

• Always
• Absolutely.  I have felt very welcome and have been given a lot of immediate opportunities to assume different roles during club meetings.
• I can always count on leaving having laughed more than a couple of times.
• This is one of our best qualities.

#11 Does the club use committees to involve/engage members and

get important club work accomplished? 17     9     4

• It would be beneficial to form one or two more committees that would benefit members, i.e. a social committee since our meetings are very structured and don’t allow time for visiting.
• It appears that people are always willing to volunteer to help fill a need or accomplish a project.
• We do not have many committees.
• I would be cautious about forming a lot of committees.  It takes away from the main reason why people want to be in Toastmasters.  Additional committees require additional time and that takes away from time for preparing speeches and other TM meeting roles.

#12 Do you like the idea of dividing into 2 groups for speeches? YES 9  NO 16  Maybe 5

• Dividing into two groups would be acceptable if we did it once a month or once in a while.  I would hate to miss out on seeing everyone’s speeches all of the time, as I feel there is something to learn from each speaker.
• I’d prefer not to do this, but if necessary would nothave a big problem with it.
• Yes, but not on a regular basis.  Perhaps one meeting a month.
• If members need more speaking opportunities, it’s okay.  We’ve done it in the past.
• Yes, but only for specialized programs, i.e. Speechcraft.
• No, I don’t think this would be beneficial to the SCTM group.  It would take away from the cohesiveness of the group.  I enjoy hearing everyone’s speeches.  Splitting into two groups would have a negative impact on the gorup.  I would be in favor of a speech-a-thon every 2 months for those who don’t feel they are being scheduled to speak often enough.
• If necessary, to accommodate all who want to give speeches.

#13 What other improvements can be made during our meetings?

• May need variable speaking techniques
• Hold Speak-a-thon meetings occasionally
• Shorten Table Topics to fit in a 5th speech
• Do a “Backwards” meeting, conduct meeting from end to beginning
• Meetings are fine
• Have special programs, i.e., Tall Tales Contest, Ghost Story Contest
• Three speakers per meeting is enough so we don’t run past 9:00
• Need to add an award for “Best Gestures” given out at end of each meeting with other awards
• Would like a “Humor” Counter, as Grammarian counts word of the evening to keep track and report on humor used in speeches
• Grammarian could give out candy for each person who used the word of the evening, paid for by the Crayon quarters.
• Would prefer room be set up in a horseshoe formation if at all possible
• Have a Waiting List of those who could have a speech prepared to fill in for last minute cancellations
• Members should return to the professional dress code, has become too casual, i.e. Presidents Karl and Rich set a good example in their wearing suits.
• Meetings are handled well.
• Need to mix longer speeches with shorter speeches somehow.
• Handle business portion of meeting and motions more smoothly
• Improve website accessibility and functionality
• The work needs to be divided more evenly among all the members.  It seems some of the members are willing to do alot of work while others slide by.
• Evaluations need to have more constructive criticism.
• Shorten business meeting and the new member induction.
• Members who are camera operators during the meeting should be reminded to watch the video by Tom Terrific on how to operate the camera.
• Develop a fair system of making role assignments – Require all members to perform all assignments, not just a select few roles.
• Have VP-Education meet with new members to discuss how Toastmasters can help to improve their speaking skills, find out what each member wants to get out of the club and then assist in developing a plan to help the members achieve goals.
• Members should not split up for the purpose of getting in more speeches.  Members should remain together for the camaraderie and networking.

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Membership Questions

12 surveys blank

6 surveys – Contact members who have been absent for several meetings to find out why, and encourage to return.

3 surveys – Mentor needs to make frequent, personal contact with new member to help new member fit in and make sure their goals are being met.

2 surveys – Doing a good job

2 surveys – Make sure all active members have the opportunity to reach their goals/make presentations.

2 surveys – Contact guests to welcome them and ask them to come back

1 survey -Currently we focus alot on new members;but not enough on active members – this is why we lose members.

1 survey – More excitement is needed

1 survey – Even though we lose members, we regenerate ourselves.

1 survey – Need to use the talent of tenured members for their experience and leadership abilities – officers need to be a mix of newer and more tenured members.

Meeting Roles

14 surveys blank

6 surveys – Make sure everyone is assigned all the roles as equally as possible. Roles should be equally rotated among all members.

4 surveys – Each member needs to understand how to fulfill their assigned role – either through a periodic educational presentation, or by the Toastmaster/GE reviewing role duties with members, or the member should read up on their role’s duties.

2 surveys – We are doing a good job.

2 surveys – Members need to have input on the roles they want/need for the month. Have members sign up for the roles they want.

1 survey – Draw names for the various roles

1 survey – Have the person in the Hot Seat role also have a prepared speech for that night in case someone cancels at the last minute.

1 survey – Create a new position. This new position would evaluate other members as they perform roles. This new position would complete the Competent Leadership manual for the person being evaluated.. A separate schedule could be made for this role, not to conflict with the VPE’s schedule, but to work along with the VPE.

Mentoring

15 surveys blank

9 surveys – Make sure the mentors understand club guidelines for the role of mentor, educating the mentors as to what is expected of them. Have an educational session with mentors/new members.

3 surveys – We are doing a good job.

2 surveys – New members are also mentored by “unofficial” mentors, those with whom a new member may feel more comfortable. The new member gains different pieces of experience/advice from these unofficial mentors.

1 survey – Men should mentor men, and women should mentor women.

1 survey – Need to be more selective in fitting the right mentor with the new member.

Club Committees

20 surveys blank

3 surveys – Encourage new members to get involved in committees. Need more variety of members to be on committees.

1 survey – We have what we need.

1 survey – Use as needed.

1 survey – We have few committees, but thinks by-laws require more than we have.

1 survey – If officers are effective, few committees are necessary.

1 survey – Need an education committee to keep club on track with goals and to organize education workshops.

1 survey – Club needs each committee to have set goals and to present regular reports to club.

1 survey – We need to use caution about forming too many committees – time restraints. Takes away from reason people join TM and takes away from time to prepare speeches and perform other TM meeting roles.

1 survey – Club committees are good because it helps to improve club and members goals, assigns accountability and provides measurable results.

Promotion

15 surveys blank

6 surveys – We are doing a good job.

3 surveys – Use social networking sites on the Internet, i.e. Facebook. This would allow non-members to learn more about the group and to reach out to us if interested.

2 surveys – Have flyers/brochures. Members could give to co-workers, friends, relatives.

2 surveys – Could use more press releases. More radio and television exposure would be good.

1 survey – Get involved with charity events or trivia nights.

1 survey – Every member should bring a friend to a meeting.

1 survey – Word of mouth is the best source.

Recognition

14 surveys blank

5 surveys – Have awards presented during Toastmaster meetings to members who have reached goals. Suggested types of recognition – small recognitions as goals are reached, certificates, a display board at meetings or on website to show all members’ progress, have a party or treats to celebrate members’ accomplishments.

4 surveys – Need to have a Toastmaster of the Year award at end of TM year. Also Circle of Achievement Award.

3 surveys – Should have an Awards Night or Dinner where plaques/awards are presented for various achievements by members as well as club as a whole. Need to recognize officers’ contributions, also.

2 surveys – Can always have more awards/recognition.

2 surveys – We do a good job of this but there is room for improvement. Ways we already show recognition – applause, verbal evaluations, written evaluations, honorable mention at the end of meeting.

1 survey – Need to have an educational session explaining the various levels within TM

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Tom Terrific – Educational Activities

-

- Train members on club officer duties

- Train on CL, ACB etc. – 3,

- Evaluating,

- Camera operation – 2,

- Speaking Techniques – Vocal Variety – writing a speech, etc

- Interviewing

- Sales Presentations

- Public Affairs.

- starting your own business,

- professional speaking,

- DCP,

- Contest Judging,

- Meeting roles,

- new member training -

- books and how they should be used,

- general communication skills,

- monthly training on better speaking,

- Educational topics twice a month,

- impromptu speaking,

- storytelling,

- using humor,

- mentoring training,

- parliamentary procedure,

- Have Educational Workshops

- Need more speaking opportunities,

- We need to do a better job transitioning officers from one term to the next – 2

- Meeting with new members for training and listening to their goals.

- Recognition at end of year for attendance, contribution, outstanding TM.

- Full Circle Award.- 2

- List of speakers to fill-in

- All members perform all assignments.- 3

- Board/Website-  with Member Progress.

Misc – Don’t like lengthy business meetings -2

Note: The responses for the following three questions are in numerical order and each matching-number response is from the same member, i.e. the #3 response for each question is from the same member.

What do you like best about SCTM’s?

1. The people!
2. We have a great atmosphere in our club.
3. The camaraderie and positive nature of the group.
4. Supportive, friendly atmosphere, that we exercise our freedom of speech and religion.
5. High level of speaker competence, friendship, quality evaluations, opportunities aplenty for personal improvement.
6. Great people, very supportive, always have a good time at meetings.
7. The people!
8. That we follow a format, that we have a friendly, fun atmosphere, but also, professional.
9. I get something out of every meeting.
10. I am very happy with the club and enjoy coming and participating in the meetings, even after a long day at work.  I think our membership is more that adequate and do not see improvement needed.
11. Growth-change metamorphic.
12. Structure of meetings, instruction, camaraderie, community interaction.
13. This is a well-established club that has endured at a high level for 30+ years.  Must be doing something right.
14. Interesting & informative presentations.
15. Diverse group, safe environment to learn, encouraging.  Members will step in to help fill a role, professional group but fun, also.
16. The spirit of excellence.
17. Warm, friendly, encouraging atmosphere.
18. The detailed plan to become a Competent Communicator. Lots of positive feedback.  Ability to go at your own pace.  Friendly people.
19. Positive, supportive atmosphere.
20. Friendly people, good organization and preparation.
21. Positive environment, great way to improve speaking in a non-threatening way.
22. Warm, friendly atmosphere
23. Great learning lab, wonderful support, lots of quality people and speakers.
24. Positive, upbeat, encouraging, little pressure
25. High attendance and friendly atmosphere.
26. The fun and camaraderie, the way the members interact and enjoy each other’s personalities.
27. The People! Warm, encouraging and fun group of people.
28. A good club in a good location, normally well run.
29. The people! The energy!
30. I learn something every week. I have met wonderful people and feel part of a family here.

What do you like least about SCTM’s?

1. N/A
2. We should consider making changes every now and then, so everybody who attends the meetings could have the chance to participate.
3. N/A
4. The temperature in the meeting room is always very hot.
5. Over-emphasis on doing it the way we’ve always done it because, well, we’ve always done it that way, curmudgeonly friction.
6. The current facility is great in many ways & the dues are very inexpensive – what I don’t like is the restrooms are far away and the cleaning people seem to have scheduled cleaning right when we have our break. Also, I wish we had a microphone and the ability to show Power Point slides.
7. The VP-Education’s role is mainly a “scheduler”.  I believe this role should be inspiring and motivating the membership to grow and achieve individual and club goals.
8. N/A
9. It can be a little too time consuming.
10. That I work Saturdays and cannot attend contest and officer meetings on Saturdays.
11. N/A
12. Business meeting sometimes lengthy.
13. Recently, we tend to allow individual members to set personal criteria that may not be good for the overall club.
14. Failure to adequately prepare for a role.  I suggest we need to emphasize the need to study requirements of a role before undertaking it.
15. Lately, there has been some conflicting agendas being voiced in our meetings, making some members uncomfortable.
16. The transition from one officer role to another.  It could be a little smoother.
17. Wednesday nights at 7:00 – very difficult due to travel schedule.
18. The time of week – Wednesdays are hard.
19. I’m afraid the prayer turns off potential new members.
20. Overt political leanings, especially when expressed as a group opinion.
21. Time committment
22. N/A
23. N/A
24. Parking in the winter!
25. Discussion of policies.
26. The commitment to a weekly meeting (I realize one does not have to come every week)
27. As every club, there are a few members who are not reliable.  Some do not show up when they have an assigned role and do not answer emails when asked if they are going to fulfill their role.  This causes others to have to scramble at the last minute.
28. Unfairness in the jobs on the schedule.  We need to give every member equal appointments to all jobs, especially speaking.
29. I find the club’s right wing conservative members to be too outspoken on their views.
30. When I have to miss a meeting.

Including time with other clubs, how long have you been a member of Toastmasters

1. Less than two months
2. 2 1/2 years
3. 25+ years
4. 9 months
5. 4 years
6. 16 years
7. 5 years
8. 2 years
9. 2 1/2 years
10. 2 years
11. 25 year
12. 18 years
13. 25+ years
14. 30 years+
15. 2 1/2 years
16. 15 months’
17. One month + Speech Crafters
18. 1 1/2 months
19. 4 years
20. 3 years
21. 4+ years
22. 3 months
23. 13 years
24. N/A
25. 1 1/2 years
26. 5 years
27. 1 1/2 years
28. 45 years
29. 5 years
30. 8 months

Meeting Minutes – Sept. 2, 2009

Regular Meeting Minutes of South County Toastmasters Club # 1957

Theme:

Meeting Date: Wednesday September 2, 2009

Called To Order At: 7:02 pm CDT
Location: 107-C (Right-side)

Presiding Officer: Rich Ullrich, President

Toastmaster: Mike Dobrich
General Evaluator: Carl Hendrickson

Time Keeper:     Erin Gissel
Ah Counter:     Steve Flick
Vote Counter:     Sherrie McNail
Grammarian:     CaroleEmbree      “Acquiesce”
Invocator:     Steven Hamm
Camera Operator: Tom Terrific
Table Topics:     Dee McAliney
Joke Master     Diane Fawcett
Hot Seat:
Greeter:         Cynthia Grega

The minutes from August 19 (revised) and August 26 (revised) meetings were accepted as sent via e-mail to all members.

OFFICERS’ REPORTS:

President:

VP of Education:

VP of Membership: Sue Dickemper announced that she created one document from the member survey for further processing and statistics.

VP of Public Relations:

Treasurer:  Mike Dobrich announced that dues are due soon and he would like checks as soon as possible.
Secretary:
Sergeant of Arms:
Officer at Large:

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE:
NOMINATING COMMITTEE:
MARKETING COMMITTEE:  Bill Collier announced t surveys from 1 ½ months ago, data was compiled, thanked members responsible for helping, and will deliver results of the survey in the September 9th meeting as a 2-slot speaking role, about 15 minutes. He requested follow-up by officers.
SCHEDULING COMMITTEE:  Tom Terrific announced that our VP of Education is following the guidelines that came out of the committee results.
FILL-IN SPEECH COMMITTEE: Carl Hendrickson reported the following via an email to the secretary after the meeting:

I (Carl) am scheduled to give a
speech on behalf of SCTM to the local chapter of the AARP this month
(Tuesday the 15th).

Second, I announced the following have agreed to be “last minute fill-in
speakers:”

Howard Brandt – Parliamentary Procedrures and Roberts Rules
Carl Hendrickson – Mentoring
Max Kaiser – Effective Evaluation
Jim Ruzicka – the Effective Use of Humor
Barb Sapienza – Using the Competent Leadership Manual
Tom Terrific – Correct Use of SCTM Camera
Tom Terrific – How to Prepare that “Terrific” Speech
Rich Ullrich -  Club Management Plan
Brent Stewart – Public Affairs

OLD BUSINESS:

Club goals were discussed by Rich Ullrich, as reported in the meeting with Area Governor Paul Cook.
The area contest is scheduled for Sept 12th, 9:30am at the Oak Bend Branch library, and  they need assistants for contest roles.
Rich Ullrich mentioned that the Area Governor will be hosting a picnic/party right afterwards, and all are invited.

NEW BUSINESS:
Mike Dobrich motioned to reimburse Sue Dickemper for binder purchase, and the motion carried.
Tom Terrific mentioned the “Full Circle Award” reinstatement that honors members who have taken on the full list of meeting roles.
Karl Beck requested reimbursement for trophy cost from the previous week’s contest.  A motion to reimburse Karl carried.

CORRESPONDENCE & ANNOUNCEMENTS:
The division contest will be coming up in October.
The District 8 Fall contest will be held on Nov 20 and 21.
Paul Cook reiterated that he wants our membership to take part in area leadership.
Sherrie McNail announced that this meeting would be her last with SCTM because of scheduling conflicts.

GUESTS:
Brenda McNaughton
David Welshon
Laura Zemann

ATTENDANCE:
Karl Beck
Howard Brandt
Karen Busch
Don Clair
Bill Collier
Kathy Denton
Sue Dickemper
Mike Dobrich
Carole Embree
Diane Fawcett
Steve Flick
Erin Gissel
Cynthia Grega
Steve Hamm
Carl Hendrickson
Max Kaiser
Adam Kutell
Dee McAliney
Sherrie McNail
Petrina Monti
Kevin Reichardt
Dick Shields
Brent Stewart
Tom Terrific
Rich Ullrich
Gina Willard
Kevin Wilson

(Total: _27_ plus 3 guests)

SPEAKERS & EVALUATORS:

Speaker 1: Karl Beck
Speaker 2: Max Kaiser
Speaker 3: Karen Busch
Speaker 4: Don Clair

Evaluator 1: Howard Brandt
Evaluator 2: Sue Dickemper
Evaluator 3: Bill Collier
Evaluator 4: Kathy Denton

AWARDS:

Most Improved: Karen Busch
Best Evaluator: Bill Collier
Best Table Topics: Brent Stewart
Best Speaker: Don Clair

OTHER:

Rating for the meeting: 8.5
Meeting adjourned at 9:07 PM CDT

Respectively Submitted, Adam Kutell: Secretary