Message from the Outgoing President

Nine speeches and two years ago, I joined Parsons Toastmasters Club 2151.

Today, I am proud to announce that we have achieved President’s Distinguished Status for 2012-2013, woohoo!!!, which was my goal when I became your president.

Of course, YOU [members] were the ones who achieved this goal by getting your CC, CL, and advanced leader awards, officers getting trained, submitting dues on time (yay, Viola!), and ALL the new members who came and joined.

This is only the third time we have accomplished the goal of earning President's Distinguished Status during the life of the club which began in 1974.  In 2008, we did not even get a designation because the club had less than the required 20 charter strength members. And now, here we are ending the term with top honors, awards and a strong member base.

I look forward to seeing you all in the upcoming Toastmaster year (2013-2014), when our new president Shannon O’Connell will certainly bring some much needed dignity back to the role of Toastmasters President.

- Bill Harmon, 2012-2013 Club President

A New Term Starts In July

The next meeting will be held on July 2^nd at the normal location (100 W Walnut Str. Pasadena) from noon to 1 p.m.  Join in on welcoming the new club term and the new club President, Shannon O’Connell.  Outgoing President, Bill Harmon, was recently awarded  the “Area B2 Toastmaster of the Year” (a district-wide honor) for his service to the Parsons Club, the surrounding area clubs and the district.  Michelle Bender, also a board officer at club and district level, was awarded the “Area Governor of the Year” honor.  We encourage you to join  a meeting and learn more about the award winning club.

HBR Tip: Brush Up on Your Grammar

People may view your language as a reflection of your competence. If you make a lot of writing mistakes or have grammatical errors when speaking, you may come across as uneducated or lazy. Since practicing grammar, as we once did in grade school, is not part of our daily routine, take it upon yourself to brush up on the rules once in a while. Consult guides on grammar and usage, such as Strunk and White's Elements of Style. Ask knowledgeable colleagues to proofread your material and to explain their corrections. Pay attention to what talented writers inside and outside the organization do. Read first-rate nonfiction, which will help you cultivate an appreciation of the skills you're trying to acquire. Check out what the Harvard Business Review wrote for ways to improve your grammar. No time to read? Try listening to podcast and audio books. I recommend the Grammar Girl podcast.  

Source: HBR

This Weeks Theme: Superstitions

Please join us June 4 in the CPS conference room (located on the 2nd floor of the Parsons Building) from 12 to 1pm. The Toastmaster will be Sowmya Venkat and the theme will be "Superstitions". All past and current members as well as guests are welcome to attend. Parking is free with validation. Please email ToastmastersClub.Parsons@parsons.com if you would like more information on this weeks event.

A New Term Brings In New Club Officers

Congratulations to the newly elected club officers, who will be led by Shannon O’Connell, the incoming Club President! Thank you to our current President Bill Harmon, who has led the club during the past 6 months. Under Bill's leadership, Parsons Toastmasters has received recognition from Toastmasters International and Select Distinguished Club status. 

Thank you for your service to the Club Bill!

Persuasive Presentation Tip: Make Your Slides Memorable

When you present data, people in your audience don't have time to pour through the numbers. They need to quickly understand by glancing at the slide, reading the title, and looking at the basics of the visuals. Don't make it hard for them by making your slides complex. Start by asking, "What would I like people to remember about the data?" Give that point visual emphasis. If you're projecting a chart about sales trends over five years but talking specifically about how sales are consistently low in the first quarter, show the first-quarter bar in a bright color and other bars in a neutral tone, like gray. Deemphasize grid lines, borders, axes, and labels — you'll provide that kind of context when you speak — and use contrast (color, size, or position) to draw the viewer's eye to the meaning.

Source: HBR Guide to Persuasive Presentations

Club Mission Statement Has Been Revised

The mission of the toastmasters club is to: Provide a supportive and positive learning experience in which members are empowered to develop communication and leadership skills, resulting in greater self-confidence and personal growth.

Parsons Toastmasters Gives Back to the Community

Parsons TM members (from left to right) Viola Tawil, Bill Harmon, Rose Abbott, Krystal Rose and Mike Berry joined the Parsons Corporation-Sponsored Big Sunday project at Millard Canyon on May 4, 2013. The group collaborated on a stream restoration effort in the canyon which is located in the Arroyo Seco foothills.

There Must Be Something In the Water

A flurry of new members have joined Parsons Toastmasters Club this month. Pictured here is VP of Membership Rose Abbott with newest club members  Nan Huang, Roman Reyes, Fang "Rachel" Fang, Rodney Walker, Jennifer Miller and Michael Berry. Parsons Toastmasters welcomes you all. Your upcoming speeches are highly anticpated.

Special Guest Speaker, 2008 Olympic Beijing Bronze Medalist Tasha Danver, will be at A.C.T.S Toastmasters Club May 21

THE ADVANCED COMMUNICATION/LEADERSHIP TRAINING AND SPEAKERS BUREAU 

A.C.T.S.  TOASTMASTERS CLUB

Cordially invites you and your friends, to the 

Silver Anniversary Celebration of ACTS Toastmasters Club.

Celebrating the Club.

Celebrating the Member.

Tuesday, May 21 2013

6:00PM

Kaiser Permanente - Walnut Center

393 E. Walnut St - Conference Room 1D

Pasadena Ca. 91188

Featuring as Guest Speaker: 2008 Olympic Beijing Bronze Medalist

Tasha Danver.

This is a Free Toastmasters Event. Appetizers, Beverages and Anniversary Cake.

3 Elements of Great Communication

To make it in any job, you need to be able to convey ideas clearly and effectively. There are three things the best communicators employ to deliver their message:
 

• Credibility. Prove your authority by demonstrating technical expertise in a specific area, which helps convince people that you know what you're talking about. If you can’t do that, display integrity and character, which convinces them that you're not going to lie to them.
• Emotional connection. People need to believe that what you're saying will matter to them. Connect by giving them your undivided attention and linking your message to something they care about.
• Logic. All the authority and empathy in the world won't help you if people don't understand your basic idea or how you came to your conclusions. Make a clear argument that people can follow and use data and analysis to back up your points.

Source: http://hbr.org/tip/2013/04/26/3-elements-of-great-communication

Meeting April 10: An Especially Entertaining Meeting

This weeks' meeting was especially fun. The meeting was led by Toastmaster (and President) Bill Harmon who, as always, is entertaining and full of surprises. We had two prepared speeches and movie themed table topic questions. To make things interesting, the table topic master, Rose Abbott, engaged members in a non-conventional way, which really keep the speakers and the audience on their toes. There were three guests and three new members. We hope that you can attend our next meeting. There is no telling what will happen. 

Meeting Today: Theme is "April Fool-ish"

We hope you can make it to Parsons Toastmasters today. We have a packed meeting today with two prepared speeches, table topics and a fun theme, "April Fool-ish".  Be prepared for some interesting responses to table topics. As always, the meeting starts promptly at 12 PM at 100 W. Walnut street 91124. We will be in the Velasquez room. Parking is free.  

Upcoming Event: Bring a Friend

Parsons Toastmasters' International Speech Contest

Congratulations to Kim Acedo on winning the Parsons International Speech Contest today!  She will represent our club at the Area B2-B3-B4 Contest on March 2^nd at Kaiser Permanente (393 E. Walnut Street, Rm. 1D).  Cost is $7 and breakfast/registration begins at 8:00 am with contest scheduled to begin at 9:00 am.  It would be great if as many of us as possible could be there to lend Kim our support.  Congratulations also to our second place contestant, Charlene Love! 

International Speech Contest Contestants:

Tina Lenert – Her speech entitled “Fairy Dust” was about special moments and friends in our lives, and how we all have something important to share with each other. She gave an example of her friend Joanie who encouraged Tina to join Toastmasters.

Kim Acedo – Her speech entitled “Would You Sell Your Dog” was about how belief is so important.  She gave an example of Sylvester Stallone who believed in himself and eventually became successful, even though he had to sell his dog (but was able to buy the dog back).

Charlene Love – Her speech entitled “Pick up the Pieces” gave a personal story of how she overcame adversity and gained a sense of self-worth.  She used a jigsaw puzzle as a metaphor for how she “picked up the pieces” and got her life back on track.

(Tina left, Kim middle & Charlene right)

Welcome to Kim Acedo

Congratulations to Parsons Toastmasters' Newest Member Kim Acedo (seen here with VP of Membership, Rose Abbott). Kim is a veteran toastmaster who recently joined club 2151. We are excited to have Kim who offers advance speaking skills and a positive and supportive attitude outlook. Welcome to Kim and we look forward to your participation.

New Toastmaster Member Steve Feng

Congratulations to Parsons Toastmasters' Newest Member Steve Feng (seen here with VP of Membership, Rose Abbott). Steve has already started working through his competent leader manual by taking on various roles during club meetings. We look forward to hearing his "Ice Breaker" speech.

Tip:Keep Your Audience Engaged By Sharing the Stage

Audiences can find monologues boring. They're less willing to sit for an hour while a single speaker drones on. The key to getting and holding their attention is having new things continually happen. You can keep your presentation lively by doing two things:

• Bring in other presenters. You can invite insight from other experts and have them join you on stage or by video (but remember, it is your presentation so don't let the other presenter steal the spot light). You can also look for your audience members to participate by having them ask or answer questions. Bring them up to the stage or have them stand to speak.  
• Be Visually Appealing. Alternate between slides and other media (but not so much to where the audience is confused or overwhelmed). Hang posters and exhibits on the wall (but not too many to where they are distracting). Use video to inject humor, boost credibility through testimonials, or clarify concepts with animated infographics.

Tip was adapted from the HBR Guide to Persuasive Presentations.

Record Breaking Meeting

Parsons Toastmasters received eight guests at this week's meeting, breaking our personal record of the most "First Time" guest at one meeting. The theme was "Stress Can Be a Good Thing". Our own President Bill Harmon was the Toastmaster of the day leading the meetings' activities. Member Tina Lenert presented her 9th prepared Speech and we had a number of members and guest particpate in a fun session of Table Topics.

Reminder: Our International Speaker and Table Topics Contests are coming up soon. Please inquiry to find out more on how you can join or attend the contests.

Meeting: Tuesday Jan 15, 2013

The meeting room had a great turn out with15 members and two guests. We had a new member initiation ceremony for Sowmya Venkat, two prepared speeches and several table topics participants. The theme of the day was "Going One Step Beyond" which was a very fitting theme as members and guests pushed themselves to step outside of their comfort zone and practice their public speaking skills. Speeches were presented by our President Bill Harmon and member Vanna Vuong. Thank you to all those who participated in the evaluation team which was lead by Joyce Brew. Don't forget to sign up for roles and guests are always welcome to visit and see why we are a distinguished club.