Wh Y Not Toastmasters Club

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1 Wh Y Not Club Need information??????? Check out the Member Downloads on the website for: Protocol information Forms Evaluator tips Introduction information Go to our website, log in, click Member Downloads located on the left sidebar. Or call an officer! We are ready to assist in your Toastmaster journey! Inside this issue: Cafe 1 Birthdays 2 Volume 1, Issue 1 Wh Y Not World Café by Cheryl Adams I didn t want to miss any part of the first Wh y Not World Café event scheduled for 6:30 PM on Tuesday, December 11, 2012, at the Miller Library, so I made sure of my early arrival. Audrey McLendon, Vice President of Membership, had already completed the appropriate room set-up for the function. The tables and chairs were arranged to facilitate good conversation among groups of three participants. The pastel colored sheets of paper lying on the table; the soothing background music; and tasty snacks altogether created an atmosphere fit for generating even more productive and healthy discourse. Therefore, I was not surprised that the room was abuzz with chatter from the January 2013 voices of about twelve attendees from at least three different clubs as became acquainted with each other during the discussions. The objective of this special meeting was to improve the whole club experience for all through sharing their knowledge and exchanging suggestions and ideas. Audrey s professionalism in promoting and managing this World Café was quite evident. She made sure to publicize the event and disclose what participants can expect prior to the day of the affair, and led us in navigating the process of the World Café brainstorming model. Due to the relevant and appropriately tailored questions, participants were able to connect with each other seam- lessly. Audrey provided four thought-provoking questions for discussion and presented a different one at the beginning of each of the four rounds. The introduction of a musical interlude indicated the conclusion of each session and signaled participants to move to another table so as to maximize interaction among attendees and make the exchanges more dynamic. Each table had one note taker who participated in the discussions but not in the rotation to other tables since the scribe s additional role was to update new group arrivals of what had previously transpired. Responses to the four different questions over the four rounds generated engaging conversations among the who ultimately made helpful con- Officers 3 Cafe Member Spotlight 4

2 Page 2 Wh Y Not Club The Wh Y Not Club has volunteers that will assist you with speeches, protocol, ideas and general questions. The buddies are your cheerleaders and will assist when you would like an assist, nudge, helpful hints or a cheerleader waiting on the sideline until the need arises, your choice. If you have any questions, please call Audrey McLendon at Who s Your Buddy? Roberto Ortiz Buddy to: David Lowe, Rue Stewart Ben Gugliotta Buddy to: Larry Eastman, Andrew Lin, Linda Ward Audrey McLendon Buddy to: Cheryl Adams, Paul Kaplan, Irena Stewart, Helen Eastman Annette Baker Buddy to: Tina Dike, Brenda McChriston Elaine Applegate-Buddy to: Angela Johnson Crowe, Katie Kennedy Aimee Ayers Buddy to: Andrea Schumacher, Virgyl Mason, A.C. Brown Cheryl Adams Buddy to: Earnestine Thomas, Christy Conklin, Audrey McLendon Paul Kaplan Buddy to Thom Pham Café I came away impressed with the entire World Café concept. (Cont. from page 1) The final question is especially notable due to its comprehensive and inclusive nature as it asked each table to report out one key insight that would help the club to improve the experience of all members. The reports depicted a majority belief among participants that specific guidance must be given to newer members to enable a more enjoyable and safe experience at building competent communication and leadership skills through the organizations' activities. I came away impressed with the entire World Café concept and more particularly this event because it was well organized, managed, and attended. My takeaway has been a learning experience in many ways and I suspect will yield results yet to unfold. I look forward to more of these experiences which can result in a brighter future for the Wh'y' Not club and its members. I commend and thank Audrey for this undertaking and the same wishes go to others who have contributed to the success of this special meeting. Celebrate BIRTHDAYS! January March Tina Dike and Cheryl Adams at the Café. January (The month of NEW BEGINNINGS) 25- Annette Baker February (The LOVE month) 1- Paul Kaplan March (Here comes SPRING) 10- A.C Brown (one of our newest members) 13- Audrey McLendon 19- Virgyl Mason 21- Aimee Ayers 25- Andrea Schumacher Happy Birthday ALL!

3 CLUB # A Toastmaster Promise Roberto Ortiz, President Ben Gugliotta, Vice President Education Annette Baker, Vice President Public Relations Audrey McLendon, Vice President Membership, Aimee Ayers, Treasurer Elaine Applegate, Secretary To attend club meetings regularly To prepare all of my speech and leadership To prepare for and fulfill meeting assignments To provide fellow members with helpful, constructive evaluations To help the club maintain a positive, friendly environment necessary for all members to learn and grow To serve my club as and officer when called upon to do so To treat my fellow club members and our guests with respect and courtesy To bring guests to club meetings so they can see the benefits membership offers To adhere to the guidelines and rules for all educational and recognitions programs What s Happening? We re on the Web! Upcoming Events: Club Meetings 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month, 10:30 am 12:00 pm at Glen Mar UM Church, 4701 New Cut Rd., Ellicott City, MD January 31st, 6:30 pm at Miller Library, Judges Training, contact Lisa Thompson at talent.steward@gmail.com Check out the website to find out protocol, introduction tips, role definitions and more! Log In and click on the left sidebar under Members only. February 23rd, Wh Y Not Club Open House, Bring a friend to our meeting! March 9th, Area 56 Speech Contest, contact Lisa Thompson at talent.steward@gmail.com May 4th, District 18 Meeting, Baltimore, MD, contact Ben Gugliotta at bengugliotta@hotmail.com for details Role Tip of the Day If you are the Grammarian, you choose the Word of the Day! Choose a challenging word to expand our vocabulary! Table Topics Master controls the Theme. Choose a creative Theme for the meeting as the Table Topics Master. Wh Y Not Club Thanks to Aimee Ayers, Annette Baker, Cheryl Adams and Audrey McLendon for creating the Newsletter! Special thanks to Lisa Thompson for sharing the Café pictures.

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5 Member Spotlight Roberto Ortiz, originally from Puerto Rico, is the President of the Wh Y Not Club, as well as a founding member. Although his job may keep him busy traveling around the world, he always has the club on his mind. He is dedicated and determined to see the Club reach new boundaries, including earning a Distinguished Club award by June Earning the title of Competent Communicator in June 2012 allowed Roberto to achieve his personal goal for joining the club, which was to improve his communication skills. Audrey McLendon has shared many stories about her life growing up in Fulks Run, VA. She has been a hard worker since childhood, so it is no surprise that she has jumped right in to fulfill her role as the Club s Vice President of Membership. Audrey has been working diligently to increase the club s membership, as well as retain its current members. In such a short time, she has organized the following activities: the Café - which was to obtain feedback from members about the success or lack thereof of the club, the Buddy System- which pairs experienced TM with new members to offer a helping hand, and this Newsletter. Audrey is also a founding member of the Wh Y Not Club and joined to improve her presentation and speaking skills. Aimee Ayers is a founding member of the Wh Y Not Club, as well as the founding Club President. She currently serves as the Club Treasurer. Aimee was born in Virginia, but raised in Baltimore. She joined to improve her speaking skills in front of large crowds. In June 2012 she earned the title of Competent Communicator. The speech that she enjoyed most was Speech #6: Vocal Variety because she gave renditions of various songs and pledges that we are all taught from birth to adulthood, such as the ABC song, Happy Birthday, and the Toastmaster Pledge. She warned the audience that she could not sing before she began. Aimee brings her creativity to the club through her roles as Toastmaster and Table Topics. Annette Baker is our club s Vice President of Public Relations. She is also a founding member of Wh Y Not. Annette is from Pelham, GA. She was always told that she was a good speaker and always wanted to join to become a better speaker. The opportunity to join presented itself when the Wh Y Not Club was formed as a daytime Saturday club meeting. This time slot fit Annette s schedule perfectly. Annette has completed the roles of Grammarian and Speech Evaluator with ease due to great listening and evaluating skills. By the way, I forgot to mention that Annette is a retired educator. Cheryl Adams wants to become a speaker in demand so she joined the Wh Y Not Club. Her goal is to improve her presentation skills, as well as expand her network of connections. Cheryl is diligently completing her speeches so that she can achieve the title of Competent Communicator by June Throughout her speeches she has given the club insight on her life growing up in Guyana.