Toastmasters Club

Today is an exciting day for our toastmasters club.

Attendance has dwindled as of late, and there has been a lack of truly excited commitment. Seeing the writing on the wall, and not wanting our long standing club to fold we’ve talked, we’ve emailed and group replied ad nauseum. We’ve taken pulse and we have made a decision.

Our noon club will now conduct the meeting from 12:10 to 12:50 instead of 12 to 1. This cuts the program slightly, and forces everyone to appreciate brevity. No small challenge when one is public speaking.

As always, we are guest friendly so, if you are free today, we will be at ABC restaurant for our lunch meeting.

Lord Tennyson Charge

At Toastmasters today i was working from a brand new manual. My speech today was an interpretive poetry reading. It's just a good thing it wasn't an interpretive dance, that might have been uncomfortable.

"This poem was written to memorialize a suicidal charge by light cavalry over open terrain by British forces in the Battle of Balaclava (Ukraine) in the Crimean War (1854-56). 247 men of the 637 in the charge were killed or wounded. Britain entered the war, which was fought by Russia against Turkey, Britain and France, because Russia sought to control the Dardanelles. Russian control of the Dardanelles threatened British sea routes." - National Center

/it's probably important to note that the Battle of Balaclava was in Ukraine, not "The Ukraine"... would you say "The" Canada?
//don't mind me, i just watched an episode of Corner Gas where Oscar was on that exact rant about pronouncing "the" Ukraine. Heh.

Alfred Lord Tennysonis known for writing The Charge of the Light Brigade (and not nearly as well known for wild wild hair)

"Half a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
"Forward, the Light Brigade!
Charge for the guns!" he said:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.

"Forward, the Light Brigade!"
Was there a man dismayed?
Not though the soldier knew
Some one had blundered:
Their's not to make reply,
Their's not to reason why,
Their's but to do and die:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.

Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
Volleyed and thundered;
Stormed at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell
Rode the six hundred.

Flashed all their sabres bare,
Flashed as they turned in air
Sabring the gunners there,
Charging an army, while
All the world wondered:
Plunged in the battery-smoke
Right through the line they broke;
Cossack and Russian
Reeled from the sabre-stroke
Shattered and sundered.
Then they rode back, but not,
Not the six hundred.

Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon behind them
Volleyed and thundered;
Stormed at with shot and shell,
While horse and hero fell,
They that had fought so well
Came through the jaws of Death
Back from the mouth of Hell,
All that was left of them,
Left of six hundred.

When can their glory fade?
O the wild charge they made!
All the world wondered.
Honour the charge they made!
Honour the Light Brigade,
Noble six hundred!"

/worth the read!
//Now you're even more cultured... you can thank me later.

Rotary Classification & Housing

i woke up painfully early this morning. Tuesday morning breakfasts are Sunrise Rotary time. Unlike other Tuesday morning meetings, today i gave my classification speech. Unlike Toastmasters first speech, which is an Ice Breaker of 3 to 5 minutes, the Rotary Classification speech is 10-15 minutes of me, and my classification, or my career & history. I didn't dwell on me for too long, and instead, after a brief history of CCL got directly into housing. Housing & Africa, two things dear to my heart. It was a small turn out, likely due to the weather, but it went well enough.
Good times.

into my discussion of housing i worked a story of homes built for the Masaii people... and i took the opportunity to highlight a fantastic Rotary initiative; Shelterbox... Well worth the research, and well worth the support.

Robot Versus Pirate Versus Ninja

Yesterday i innocently posted the Ninja Parade video.
Immediately i received a comment of the ever popular "Ninja vs Pirate" conversation.
A conversation i've posted on this blog at least once before, June 2006: Ninja Versus Pirate.

Seeing as that is where this conversation is going, and how this topic is descending... i might as well throw some fuel on the fire:

Popular Mechanics is running an article right now titled Robot Boats Hunt Pirates. The article is easily as interesting as it sounds, maybe more so.

/i am reminded of last weeks Toastmasters meeting, where J.K. explained to us during his table topic the secret training process of ninja's, as it related to his small children. You would have enjoyed being there, i did.

2007 Market Award

The Medicine Hat & District Chamber of Commerce held their Small Business Awards Gala tonight.
The Medicine Hat News were proud sponsors of the 2007 Marketing Award.
Cancarb was the other nominee. I suspect it was a tight race for the judges... in the end tho, Classic Communities was called on as the winner of this prestigious 2007 award.
I had the opportunity to accept the award, smile for the photo opp and say a few words tonight at the banquet. That was fun. It went well enough. i didn't slur my words... and all the butterflies flew in formation. That helps a lot: Thanks Toastmasters!

Toastmasters & Jif

I attended our Toastmasters meeting today. I've been away from meetings, all summer i suppose, and it was good to get back.

I had the opportunity to serve as the Sgt. at Arms for todays meeting, and i brought the toast as well (and in my most puny, i ordered toast for lunch as well... served with a healthy helping of Jif)

/mmm Jif

Public Speaking Volunteer

A year ago i listed a brief profile of myself on a Volunteer Community site that was begun to serve as an aggregate selection of folks willing to Public Speak in Southeast Alberta.

No takers yet. I haven't fielded one call, that i recall.

What should i change?

I've had ample opportunity to speak in public, and Toastmasters has been a big reason why i am as comfortable as i am... It would be nice to have a hit or two from this list tho...

i wonder how other members of the list are finding their response? It might just be me :)

39th Annual Congress

I spent last week in Calgary repping CCL at the Canadian Housing & Renewal Associations' 39th Annual Congress.
Congress was located on Stephens Ave at this little spot.
Of course, no trip downtown Calgary is complete without a trip or three to the Falafel King. It's that good.

The congress was good. Monte Solberg spoke with glowing support for Classic and what we are doing for attainable housing in Medicine Hat.

/Toastmasters came in real handy this weekend, i was honored to introduce the final plenary speakers. That was by far the largest (and likely well dressed) room i've addressed so far. Good times.

Final Four, CotC & Brent & Tawm

I can't find the CotC... maybe later. i do have some great pics of era to post tho. i just need a few more minutes to rip them off the digi-cam. i'll be right back. Go read something, and then come back in about 20 minutes. I know, go read Brent & Tawms blog. Good stuff.

/Brent, congrats on picking Florida over Ohio State. Great bracket selection this year.

Speechcraft with Circle T

I got good news in my email tonight. Circle T is sponsoring a 6 week Speechcraft starting March 1st. Circle T is a Toastmasters club here in Medicine Hat. Not the club i attend regularly, but a good one for sure. Speechcraft will give you the Toastmasters experience, with all the training and support, without any long term commitment. Gives you a welcome chance to test the waters, so to speak.

Click here for the Toastmasters Speechcraft brochure, ->

Or give Gail a call for info & signing up (her number is on the brochure linked above).

Looking for a fun, rewarding Toastmasters group that meets during the lunch hour? Our club, Gas City Square, meets Thursdays from 12 noon till 1pm sharp at ABC restaurant. Drop in and see, no pressure, visitors and guests are always welcome.

Immix

Toastmasters meeting today over lunch was good. Lunch was good too (denver with hotsauce). We learned a new word, not this word, but thats ok.

immix (i-MIKS) verb tr.

To mix; to blend.

[Back-formation of Middle English immixt, from Latin immixtus, past participle of immiscere (to blend), from in- (intensive prefix) + miscere (to mix). Ultimately from the Indo-European root meik- (to mix) that's also the source of mix, miscellaneous, meddle, medley, melee, promiscuous, and mustang.]

/Speaking of mixing, the blog does a lot of that. SO i will carry on.

i want this NES theme firefox ad-on for windows... (Link corrected: Thanks Jeff) i will download later. i likey.
And here is a pic of the boy from today, just in case you were thinking i had forgotten all about him.

Tohubohu

In preparation for tomorrows Toastmasters meeting, i am happy to provide an excellent option for word of the day. It's even Hebrew. (How cool is that)

"tohubohu (TOH-hoo-BO-hoo) noun

Chaos; confusion.

[From Hebrew tohu wa-bhohu, from tohu (formlessness) and bhohu (emptiness).]

And an example of the word in use, from a business magazine in 1995:
"Our problem is tohubohu. Our industry is drowning in it. But somehow, even with all the confusion and disorder, we manage to develop systems." - A.Word.A.Day

Have you ever been to a Toastmasters meeting? if so, did you want to go again? if not, that's ok... our club is the one for you. We are a little (read: LOT) left of center. It's a good time, a good group, and good productivity in regards to developing comfort and skillz in communication (& leadership). And remember, chicks dig guys with skillz. (and speaking of that, there's a movie i want to watch again, and again)

era TM

Not trade marked, tho i could give it a go. No, tonight was our local chapter Toast Masters club Christmas party. It was era's first. He loved it, but passed on the Table Topics. Seems he doesn't have that much to say quite yet. i find that hard to believe.

Whispers of Kenya & peanut farms

i haven't begun counting the days until we depart for Kenya... we are not that close, yet! Just hurridly preparing and eliciting support.

Whispers of Kenya, that is what i am hearing right now... nothing subconscious, but all extremely surreal. For example: While being a regular member of the Gas City Square ToastMasters Club in Medicine Hat i sit next to a wonderful man, Davendra Patel. During a brief conversation last week, i was extatic to hear that Davendra was born and raised in Nairobi (our destination), and has only been in Canada for a short number of years. He has regaled Harold and i with info regarding Nairobi that only a local could know. Now, we look forward to breakfast when Davendra can meet our entire team. Kenya, without even leaving Southern Alberta.

Over a brief visit with my grandmother, i was suprised to hear of our family and its history with Kenya, howbeit small. After the second war, a man on my fathers side of our family tree was released from a POW camp. As was the case (i am told) at the time, he received a decent lump sum of British Pounds. With that investment capital he travelled to Kenya and bought a Peanut Farm. Planters peanuts maybe? "Put out the good stuff". While in Kenya he proceeded to marry and raise 2 daughters. Only returning to Vancouver, Canada after 20+ years in Kenya.

Both of these events are mere coincidence regarding my decision to join AIA and travel to Kenya... even so, i can not help but smirk. Now of all times, to not only go to Kenya... but to hear of these attachments that have been unknown to me, until now. Now they are whispers of Kenya... and i do enjoy the sudden tune.