TDK Talks Takes on TLI
Terry Kozlyk from Silver Springs has released a new podcast on his TDKTalksTM.com site about the Toastmasters Learning Institute which occurred on Jan 30/10 in downtown Calgary. Click on the picture to jump to his podcast site. The TLI interviews begin around 5:29.
Terry is a member of the Silver Springs club. Be sure to visit Silver Springs tonight to participate in their 85 Stories session!
Microphone Mechanics Workshop from MVP
Do you know how to handle an uni-directional cordless microphone? Do you even know what one is? Do you know how to properly handle a soundcheck with a lapel microphone? These questions — and many others — will be answered at the “Microphone Mechanics” workshop hosted by the MVP Advanced Toastmasters Club.
MVP Advanced Toastmasters is presenting a special Microphone Mechanics workshop on Thursday, February 25, 2010.
This session will help to familiarize participants with various types of microphones, what should be done for a soundcheck, and microphone “do’s and don’ts”. Having more understanding of these microphone mechanics will help you with aspects such as feeling more at ease when being mic’d for a contest, using a mic attached to a podium/lectern, and working with a hand-held mic.
The workshop presenter is Distinguished Toastmaster, Rowena Romero-Carlson. Before joining Toastmasters in 1991, Rowena worked in the broadcasting industry. With post-secondary education in Communications, she specialized in radio, working for stations in Saskatoon, Yorkon, and Kindersley, Saskatchewan. After leaving radio, Rowena continued to work publicly with microphones as a Karaoke Hostess. These experiences have armed Rowena with extensive knowledge of how to work with microphones.
For over 15 years, Rowena has helped fellow Toastmasters during soundchecks and was the convention/conference sound technician for several District-42 events.
Topics to be presented include:
- Covering the three most common “styles” of microphones that Toastmasters (and presenters in general really) would encounter: Corded (either attached to a lectern/podium or hand-held), Cordless, and Lapels.
- Understanding the most common “types” — omni-directional, uni-directional, and bi-directional.
- Tips on how to conduct a thorough soundcheck.
- Tips on me how to do a proper stage/venue check.
- How to avoid “Popping your P’s and Spitting your S’s.”
- General “Do’s and Don’ts” when working with microphones (such as what you should/shouldn’t wear when wearing lapels).
- If time permits, there will be some “hands-on” opportunities to feel/see the mics.
Rowena is a Humorous Speech Contest winner and two-time International Contest winner at the District level; the Region-IV Runner-Up in 2002; and the Region-IV Champion in 2005. She is only one of seven people from District-42 to have competed on the World Stage, and to date, is the only female from Alberta/Saskatchewan to have done so.
Cost will be $5 per person. Registration at 630 pm, event starts at 700 pm. To register, email Gerda Timm at gerda.timm@fluor.com. Please register by Wednesday, February 24, 2010.
6:30 PM Registration
7:00 – 9:00 PM Presentation
Sundance 4 Building
55 Sunpark Plaza SE
Maximum Seating: 70
Toastmasters Learning Institute – I believe!
On January 30, 2010, Area G10 hosted a successful Toastmasters Learning Institute. Over 200 local Toastmasters came out to enjoy a great day of education, networking and inspiration. Keep posted for more content from the day.
Toastmasters Learning Institute Schedule
The schedule for the upcoming Toastmasters Learning Institute (TLI) on Saturday, Jan 30/10, at the Shell Training Centre at Calgary Place, 330 – 5th Avenue SW has been released.
Registration Starts @ 8:00AM
Opening Ceremonies and Keynote Presentation start @ 9:00AM SHARP!
Location: Shell Training Rooms, 11th floor, Calgary Place Tower 1
(use elevators adjacent to the Security Desk)
Calgary Place, 330 – 5th Avenue SW (enter from the 5th Avenue entrance)
PARKING: on street, James Short Parkade, Eau Claire Market (surface and underground), Westin Hotel
How much will it cost?
DO YOU BELIEVE? Attending this year’s TLI is FREE! Yes, a FULL DAY of Toastmasters education, training, networking, re-connecting, and fun . . at NO CHARGE AT ALL!
Attending any/all of the training sessions is FREE .. the only cost is the lunch (optional). You can choose the OPTIONAL Greek buffet lunch by OPA! for $15/person, but if you want to slip out for lunch elsewhere or brown-bag it, that’s fine too.
As we are concerned about giving accurate numbers to our caterer, we need to close off lunch registration on the 28th .. so please register now so we can plan the day!
How do I sign up?
To register for this event, go to the SurveyMonkey REGISTRATION FORM.
When do I need to get there?
PROGRAM SCHEDULE
| TIME | SESSIONS |
| 7:30 AM | BREAKFAST SESSION for presenters and volunteers, workshop with Frank Adamo – Excerpts from “Prepare with your mind – Speak from your heart” |
| 8:00 AM | Registration Desk Opens |
| 8:50 AM | March in of Presenters |
| 9 – 10AM | Opening Ceremonies/ Plenary Session (everybody) – keynote address by Frank Adamo: BELIEVING IN YOURSELF – Achieving Your Dreams! |
| 10 -11AM | 3 Simultaneous Sessions:
- Listen Up! Communication is a two way street (Bob Gibbenus) - Do you believe in effective meetings? Parliamentary Procedures in Action (Myles Flag) - Do you believe in judge’s training? (Marvin Henry) |
| 11 -12 | 5 Simultaneous Club Officer Training Sessions:
- President/Charting a Course for Club Success - VP Education/Motivating Achievement - VP Membership/Attracting New Members to your Club - Sgt. At Arms - Past President |
| NOON | LUNCH - hot Greek lunch by OPA! (please register in advance, pay in CASH at the registration desk when you arrive $15/person) – those taking their lunch with them for the noon hours sessions can come in at 11:45 to grab/go! |
| 12-1 PM | 5 Simultaneous Club Officer Training Sessions (bring your lunch to the room):
- President/Charting a Course for Club Success - VP Education/Motivating Achievement - VP Public Relations - Secretary - Treasurer |
| 1-2PM | 3 Simultaneous Sessions:
- Do you believe you can be funny(er)? (Palmo Carpino) - Do you believe? The virtues Project (Donna Wheatcroft) - Making Peace With Food (Stephanie Bumstead) |
| 2-3PM | 3 Simultaneous Sessions:
- Go for the gold! Energize Your Club (Mona Cooley) - It starts and ends with you (Shahnaz Davachi) - Area and Division Governor ...and Why you want to be one! (Chuck Leblanc) |
| 3 – 3:30PM | Closing Ceremonies Plenary Session |
You can register for the Saturday Jan 30/10 TLI here.
Note that if you cannot attend the Saturday TLI, there is also a Club Officer Training session on Friday, Jan 29/10, at the Suncor building at 150 6 Avenue SW on the 17th Floor. You can register for the Friday downtown lunch-hour training on Jan 29/10 here.
Club Officer Training Opportunities
Toastmasters Clubs with trained officers are more successful clubs!
There will be two Club Officer training opportunities in January 2010.
1. The Toastmasters Learning Institute on Saturday, Jan 30/10, at the Shell Training Centre at Calgary Place, 330 – 5th Avenue SW will include Club Officer Training as part of the Educational Sessions. You can register for the Saturday Jan 30/10 TLI here. Exact schedule for sessions TBA. There will be a fine keynote speaker (Frank Adamo) as well as several great educational presenters. See the TLI page for more.
2. On Friday, Jan 29/10, there will be a lunch hour Club Officer Training session at the Suncor building at 150 6 Avenue SW on the 17th Floor. You can register for the Friday downtown lunch-hour training on Jan 29/10 here.
Online training is also available through the District. If you do the Online Training, your Area Governor will need to confirm the training. The live District-sponsored face-to-face training sessions are preferred because they provide the opportunity for officers to share experiences and ideas, network, and ask questions.
The deadline for the second round of Club Officer Training is Feb 28, 2010.
Keep Good Company – Calgary Sunrise Toastmasters
Every time I visit Calgary Sunrise, I am impressed by the vitality of the members. The room is always full of vibrant members looking forward to sharing their ideas, humor and energy. Chartered in June 1987, the Calgary Sunrise Club meets from 6:45 am to 7:45 am on Thursday mornings.
When I attended one of their meetings in mid-December 2009, the topic was the Copenhagen climate change talks. Chairperson Dagmar Viberg led the group through round-table introductions where each member shared their views about the environment and the impact of man. This was followed by an informative speech about creating speech introductions by Rogerio Verdolin and an amusing profile of Brian Keating by Kelly Leech. Like a few other clubs, Calgary Sunrise provides members with the opportunities for their presentations to be recorded for future review.
Then, members practiced impromptu speaking with Table Topics, which are especially challenging since members have only 90 seconds in which to make their points instead of the 2 minutes customary at other clubs. The theme of the Table Topics was Christmas gift-giving. Members spoke about snow, family traditions, holiday celebrations, and the theme of charity.
During the Table Topics, one member stated “Giving to others is a gift to yourself.” One of the opportunities members have during all Toastmasters meetings is hearing feedback from other members in the form of an oral evaluation. The prepared speeches and Table Topics were ably evaluated, and the General Evaluator provided feedback to the speech evaluators and assessed the meeting as a whole. All this in the course of one hour!
“Every family builds its own traditions over the years,” one of the Table Topics speakers said. Calgary Sunrise has built up several worthy traditions, and the club is all the stronger for it.
Calgary Sunrise (Club #6620) meets at the Ernst & Young Tower 10th Floor, 440 – 2nd Avenue SW on Thursday mornings from 6:45 am to 7:45 am.
3500 Foot Club Toastmasters – 30th Anniversary
The 3500 Foot Toastmasters are celebrating their 30th Anniversary and we would love to see a whole lot of our friends and fellow Toastmasters at the party. We are having a dinner at the Blackfoot Inn at 6:00pm on Wednesday, January 27th. Tickets are $25 and we need to know in advance so we can book a big enough room and order enough dinners. We are expecting to see a large turnout of our past members and we would love to pack the place.
The 3500 Foot Toastmasters club originally chartered on Dec 12, 1979. Happy birthday!
Metaphorical Road Map to Success
WordPress is a wonderful vehicle for discovering the Internet. For instance, the platform automatically generates links it suspects are related to topics in your posts. This year, the District has encouraged us to hold two “Road Map to Success” events to provide Calgary Toastmasters with greater perspective on how they can leverage their participation in our organization to greater professional and personal success. One of the posts that WordPress suggested was related is this allegorical map of the Road to Success, originally found on a blog called Moonbuggy, with a brief analysis on a site called Strange Maps.
You can download a PDF of the Map here.
For more information about the Fall 2009 Toastmasters Road Map to Success, click here. You will find pictures, podcasts and more. The next event will be in Spring 2010. In the meantime, look forward to the upcoming Toastmasters Learning Institute on Jan 30/10!
Youth Leadership Programs Winter 2010 Calgary Public Library
Toastmasters International has several community development programs that are designed to help the general public gain confidence through workshop-style programs where individuals can learn how to improve their public speaking, communication and leadership skills. One of the most popular is the Youth Leadership Program, which is intended for youth aged 12-17. This 8-session workshop provides youth with the opportunity to practice public speaking, evaluations, table topics (impromptu speaking), chairmanship and other skills in a warm, mutually supportive environment facilitated by volunteer Toastmasters.
Three Toastmasters Youth Leadership Programs are running in Winter 2010 (Jan – Apr) through various branches of the Calgary Public Library. You can register online for the programs through the Calgary Public Library website. The programs are running at the following branches:
| Location | Date |
| FISH CREEK | Tuesdays, Feb 16 to Apr 06 6:30 – 8:00 p.m. |
| SHAWNESSY | Saturdays, Feb 06 to Mar 27 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. |
| VILLAGE SQUARE | Saturdays, Jan 23 to Feb 27 12:30 – 2:00 p.m. |
Classes are limited to 15 participants, so if you are interested, register early! Usually the branch will set up a waiting list if the class is full. You can register at the Calgary Public Library website through their programs page – just search for “Toastmasters”.
Note that there are actually two adult Toastmasters clubs that run out of branches of the Calgary Public Library: Literally Speaking, out of the Crowfoot branch, and After Five Toastmasters, out of the central WR Castell branch downtown.
To find out more about the Youth Leadership Program, you can click on the YLP link on the main menu above. There, you can listen to podcasts (from a Youth Leadership Panel session and then from the Roadmap to Success event), read an overview of the program, examine the Resource Guide (2007) from local Toastmasters, and learn more from the Toastmasters International site. In fact, in the Toastmasters magazine there have been several great articles about Youth Leadership and its impact on the community:
We are currently designing a formal training process to help train future Youth Leadership and Speechcraft coordinators to help ease the learning curve involved in implementing one of these challenging but rewarding programs. In the fall, we will need coordinators for several programs through the library system, so we would like to get coordinators initiated into the process now. To learn more, you can check out this short article that covers some aspects that we would like to cover in the training.
If you are a Toastmaster and interested in volunteering to coordinate a Youth Leadership Program, please contact Keith Lee at (403) 606-1607 or by email at kkylee@gmail.com.













