LEGALLY SPEAKING TOASTMASTER FEBRUARY, 2012

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Legally Speaking Toastmaster Newsletter February 2012

I joined Legally Speaking Toastmasters in October, 2008. It was simple curiosity that prompted me to sit in as a guest at a meeting, one lunch hour. There were no more than five or six members present at the time, and it was obvious that they needed and wanted some new fresh faces to join with them. While my face was neither

new nor fresh, I felt an urge to help, and I think they sensed that I’d have no problem talking. And I haven’t stopped since; talking, I mean. Of course, in Toastmasters that’s a help in itself.! Before joining the firm, I had completed a long career in R&D and engineering management with a major oil company. In that capacity and over time, I did a lot of verbal communicating including public speaking to audiences not just in this country but in many parts of the world. That gave me not only experience as a speaker, but a lot of experiences to speak about. Enough yarns in fact to help me earn my Competent Communicator Award from Toastmasters International, last May.  Word of the Day: Desultory. That’s a Toastmasters inside joke, folks...

Continues in Page 3 under Larry Art

Felicitous /fəˈlisitəs/Adjective:

1. Well chosen or suited to the circumstances.2. Pleasing and fortunate.

Persnickety /pərˈsnikətē/Adjective:

1. Placing too much emphasis on trivial or minor details; fussy.

2. Requiring a particularly precise or careful approach.

Paradox \ˈper-ə-ˌdäks, ˈpa-rə-\1. A tenet contrary to received opinion2a : a statement that is seemingly contradictory or opposed to common sense and yet is perhaps true2b : a self-contradictory statement that at first seems true2c : an argument that apparently derives self-contradictory conclusions by valid deduction from acceptable premises3: one (as a person, situation, or action) having seemingly contradictory qualities or phases

Louche/lo ͞oSH/Adjective:Disreputable or sordid in a rakish or appealing way: "the louche world of the theater".

Newsletter for Toastmaster Club #631066

OfficersPresident Naomi ScottVice President of Education LaToya CraftVice President of Membership David KrapeVice President of Public Relations Yiow-Jun Joe ChuangSecretary Shelia JohnsonTreasurer Barrick StaffordSergeant at Arms Lam Chui

InformationsWe meet every Wednesday from

12:00 PM to 1:00 PM

Meeting location and other info can be found on our main website:http://tiny.cc/lstmdir

Our blog site http://tiny.cc/lstm

Toastmasters Internationalhttp://www.toastmasters.org

Word of the Day in Review

Member of the Month: Larry BurkePainter extraordinaire and Toastmasters for 4 years and counting

Issue 01

LEGALLY SPEAKING TOASTMASTER FEBRUARY, 2012

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EMINEM AND TOASTMASTERSLook, if you had one shot, one opportunity

To seize everything you ever wanted-One moment Would you capture it or just let it slip?

His palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy There's vomit on his sweater already, mom's spaghetti

He's nervous, but on the surface he looks calm and ready.

Look, while Eminem’s 8 Mile might be the song you sing out loud in the shower, let’s take a break from that vocal exercise and examine the actual lyrics should we?! Personally I am a Toastmaster newbie, I’ve joined for less than a year, even though my Ice Breaker was already behind me, I could remember it as if it was only yesterday. I used to be what Eminem stated in the lyrics: my palms were sweaty, my knees were weak, arms were heavy, I felt like I was running out of breath, to the point that I could simply pass out from where I was sitting at.! It was at that point of my life that I’ve decided to take action, do something about it; panicking to the point that I feel like I need to do something about it, this is not the way to live for the rest of my life.

! In honesty, everybody gets nervous when they speak in front of people, what makes them better at this than you are? They just have a lot more practice than you and I and have their anxiety under control, wouldn’t you like to get there someday? It’s never too late to start. The only person that controls your destiny is YOU!

Find a Toastmaster club near you to check out todayhttp://www.toastmasters.org/

I joined Toastmasters January of 2011. I have been the current President of Legally speaking since 2011. Our club is diverse in gender, backgrounds and ages which makes it fun. The members are steadily improving. Toastmasters has certainly improved my confidence! I love having an audience to listen to me speak about my passions. I was born in a different Country. I have 2 sons, Noah and Elijah. I have a Rottweiler named Queeny. I love fashion and I love people. I've worked at the same law firm for 13 years and hope to start my own business soon. Stay tuned....

Panicking to the point that I feel like I need to do something about it,

this is not the way to live for the rest of my life.Naomi Scott TM

President

Meet Some of Our Members

Did you know?

Legally Speaking Toastmaster Club was

established on 01/12/2004

I joined Toastmasters in the June of 2011. I am about to give my 3rd speech and hopefully have 5 speeches done before my 1 year as a Toastmasters member. Not only do I want to have more speeches completed; I am also looking forward to compete in contest(s) for my club. The club that I am in is very diverse, ranging from different ages, ethnicities, and backgrounds. I love to speak and also love to hear others when they are speaking or giving speeches. I look forward to our club expanding with new members because the more, the merrier.

Lam Chui TMSergeant at Arms

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Larry Art (continues from Page 1)

! There is no doubt that the most pleasure I get in participating in TM is in listening to and observing the new fresh faces, who have since joined, as they overcome whatever fears or concerns they may have about public speaking, and then hone their skills. ! That is not to suggest that I haven’t gotten tangible benefits from the TM experience. For one thing, I have not been comfortable always, nor particularly competent, in my role as Evaluator. I may not be alone in failing to appreciate how very important the evaluation process is to the speaker. It’s the source of encouragement, of counsel and guidance to the speaker, not to mention the benefit it can provide to the Evaluator in respect of critical listening and leadership skills. Think how important an appraisal is in a business context. Whether making the appraisal or receiving it, I’m sure that we would want it to be as carefully considered and skillfully made as possible. ! One of the roles I especially relish is that of Grammarian. That may be a reflection of my age which dates to a time when folks were more concerned with what once was called proper English. I don’t think there is much risk in my saying that there was a bit more interest in the quality of what was being said than in the quantity now represented by myriad expressions of “social media”     ! As Grammarian, I get to introduce a Word of the Day. For me, it’s like showing a coin or stamp collection because I am a collector of words. I might mention that I am a painter, a serious one. I paint pictures in oil on canvas. They get exhibited, occasionally they are bought.  Sometimes I think of myself

as an image maker.. And in that regard, I might think of words as I would of paint. It’s a nice thought in any case. ! As for my painting “style”- the first question asked- I usually answer: pleasing, I hope. Some works are clearly rooted in Impressionism, but by no means all. Indeed what people have referred to as my signature style is more abstract than anything we would view as impressionist. However, I always have a clearly discernible subject.  For fun and to satisfy the pigeon-holing need of some viewers, I have called it, equivocal expressionism.

 ! Something else which I hear almost reflexively when someone learns that I paint is:  “You must find that to be so relaxing”. While I am likely to say yes in reply, I can’t help but think of the words of the 19th Century French symbolist painter, Odilon Redon: What distinguishes the artist from the dilettante? Only the pain the artist feels.The dilettante looks only for pleasure in art. ! I consider myself very fortunate to have a comfortable balance between right and left brain. A contributing factor, once

again, may be the time and circumstance.! I was graduated from Columbia College and University in New York with Degrees in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at a time when it was an absolute requirement to pass courses in Fine Arts and in Music irrespective of your major field of study. I’m sure that has served me in many ways; the most obvious to me is that I am never bored. My friends have pointed that I never really left the oil business; I just switched from mineral to linseed.They also note that I still talk as much as ever. ! You don’t think that’s why I joined Toastmasters, do you? 

- Larry Burke

I can’t help but think of the words of the 19th Century French symbolist painter, Odilon Redon: What distinguishes the artist from the dilettante? Only the pain the artist feels.

The dilettante looks only for pleasure in art.

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Send your articles, experiences, anecdotes, tips, ideas, suggestions, testimonials along with a high resolution of yourself to:

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Event CalendarWed February 15, 20121st Table Topic Contest

Wed February 22, 2012Naomi Scott’‘s Speech

Wed February 29, 2012 Jason LeBoeuf’s Speech Wed March 07, 2012Julie Bunell’s Speech

Want to experience The Awesomeness?

Get in touch with our VP MembershipDavid Krape

davidk@ndexteamwest.com

The Comic ZoneThis is the section where you can show the world how funny/witty/intelligent you are!

Comic is a great medium to express yourself and communicating with others just like how we express ourselves in Toastmasters.

All you have to do is to have an idea, something to say, Microsoft paint or even pencil and paper drawing would work.

So what are you waiting for!?Start illustrating and send it to LegallyspeakingTM@gmail.com

Courtesy of http://tw.gs/P2s0a

Courtesy of http://tw.gs/P2s0a

COMING IN NEXT MONTH’S ISSUE

• 5 “Fun”d raising ideas.

• How to control your anxiety when

delivering your speech.

• 3 easy ways to improve your life.

• Your submissions.

• And many many more...