Hard to believe it, but we had yet another stellar Toastmaster meeting on March 27, 2011, adeptly guided by Keith Schroder.  I grow weary of using terms like awesome, fantastic, impressive, far out, which are all accurate descriptions of our Speakers Roundtable meetings,  but week after week, come on folks!  Let’s plan a revoltingly defective, blunder filled TM meeting one of these Mondays!  Okay?  Let’s have a little variety, diversity, and vicissitude!

Keith’s “What’s up with the Economy?” was an excellent theme for the evening.  David Flach, our first speaker, tied right into the theme with “Credit Card No-No’s.” He spoke of the major economic failures we’d experienced to date, unemployment, mortgage foreclosures, and then warned us of a third, the ‘credit bubble yet to come.  Banks are nervous.  Credit card balances are high, $10,000 average per household.  We are still experiencing a 9 ½ % unemployment rate.  Banks and credit card companies are data mining how we use our credit cards.  David’s handout of “Ten Things You Should Not Charge” along with good credit resources was a helpful tool.  Beware, these nervous banks are changing your credit limits and even denying you credit.  We are all indebted to David for this timely, useable information.  Great news, the credit bubble depressed some of us, Tom in particular!  I know, let’s have an all bad news meeting!  Okay?

What’s up with this Economy brought Deborah to the front of the room with her insightful comments.  Individuals pursue successful careers and financial power at the expense of their basic values and desires.  Following your inner values brings true happiness and real success.  Next Keith informed us that we were all Toast Master Area Governors and to please welcome our President, Cindy Cannon and her speech titled, “The Invitation.” Cindy provided us with great Toast Master statistics: 290,000 club members in 106 countries in 1100 clubs.  She then read a poem which had given her inspirational support when she was District Governor.   She became our cheerleader as she motivated us to help all our area clubs become Distinguished.  She reminded us of the four success factors, education, open a new club with a minimum of 20 members, get renewal dues collected and in on time, and a plus five member increase.  Work as a team, help each other, and know your numbers.  To that we frequently said “Yes we can!”  I know, let’s all pay our dues and bring a guest! Okay?

Then it was back to “What’s up with this Economy?” which brought guest Linda Hall to front and center.  Linda felt we were all living in the fast lane, the drive-through lane at the fast food, rushing around and that it was time to slow down and savor life.  We had a five minute break. Now that’s abuse, only five minutes to scoff down food and water and try to visit.  I know, we could have a meeting that is entirely break!  Okay?

Tom Nixon was next up and entertained us with his speech “Grand Canyon.” Tom had given this speech as a semi-impromptu on February 7, 2011 and had received excellent feedback.  Now, evaluation suggestions had been incorporated, practiced, and polished until Tom’s speech shown as brightly as any star in the canyon heavens.  Masterfully, Tom planned his family’s vacation trip to the Grand Canyon.  Incorporating the new ideas into the previous talk, he left us spell bound, looking up and staring at the stars.  .  Years later, when he reminisces with his family about their trip, they talk about the blanket of stars, not the canyon.  We are so busy looking down and around at the glitzy world.  Tom suggested we look up and see how limitless our universe is.  It was wonderful to re-experience Tom’s speech and realize first-hand the value of incorporating evaluations.    I know, let’s have a wonderful evening of re-runs!  Okay?

One final “What’s up with this Economy?” brought guest Rob Butler to the front.  He decided the bad economy was due to greed and fear, primarily fear.  Folks feeling they don’t have enough.  His solution was to scale back and live within our means.  Then it was Kelly VanDever and her evaluation team closing out the meeting.  I’ve heard of clubs having backward meetings.  Maybe we should get the evaluation of the meeting over at the very start of the meeting.  I know, let’s have an upside down meeting!  Okay?

President Cindy Cannon reminded us of the Spring Conference May 13 and 14.  Four of our club members are speaking so be sure to support them.   Congratulations to Tom Nixon and Keith Schroder who took seconds in the area Eval and TT competition on Saturday.  I know, let’s all get together and have a Toast Master meeting next Monday April 4th!   Okay?

Congratulations Keith Schroder for coming in 2nd place at the Division Table topics Contest.! Congratulations Tom Nixon for coming in 2nd place at the International Division Contest. Way to go! Thank you for supporting our club and doing a fantastic job!

T’was the first day of spring and our Toastmaster, Kelly Vandever hosted our meeting with warmth, charm, and wit.  Anomaly don’t do this, (a pun on Dwayne Smith’s word of the day) but I’m rolling the evening into a wonderful and yes, even spiritual journey.

Mimi Williams took us by the hand and led us back to New Orleans with “Just a Little Something Extra.” In her soft and charming genteel style, she introduced us to lagniappe, a little something extra that a merchant gives a customer. She told how Venturial’s Grocery, even though it was two blocks further to walk, added so much to the community with their good will, warmth and Lagniappe that they stayed in business by word of mouth advertising.  Like folks in other professions and just plain folks in daily living, there are little things we can do to help another.  We can always give a little something extra.

The journey continued with Steve Cohn mixing music and speaking in the “Anatomy of a Song.” We started in a Sandy Springs Chamber meeting and the need to choose someone to sing the National Anthem at a dedication.  Steve shares his dilemma in deciding to say. “I’ll do it!”  Steve decided to prepare singing the anthem by understanding the words of the poem by Francis Scott Key.  We journeyed back in history to 1814, the War of 1812 and the Battle of Baltimore where Key and Skinner were negotiating an American prisoner exchange.  He found the fear, the joy and the unbounded patriotism that led Key to write the poem.  Key then set it to a British Pub song which (according to Steve) probably necessitated a pint of ale to make the difficult notes singable.  Steve closed with his moving rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner which was definitely deserving of a standing “O.”

We paused on our spring journey for nine minutes of refreshments and visiting with one another.  Then  Kelly, our journey master, introduced club members who had odd jobs.  We met the curator of The Flea Circus Memorial Museum, Jon Schmidt, who set a benchmark in original humor.  We met Merrilee Morris who had recently been crowned “World Watermellon Carver Champion” who didn’t know a watermelon from a pumpkin.  Then it was Iris Grimm who was a tour guide on a sail boat in the Bermuda Triangle, but basically hadn’t sailed beyond the Baltic Sea.  Lastly Kelly introduced us to the ferocious Big Foot Hunter, Tom Nixon who befriended and shared Fritos with Big Foot.  What a journey, what an evening, what a crew!

President Cindy Cannon reminded us of the Spring Conference May 13 and 14.  Four of our club members are speaking so be sure to support them.  Iris reminded us that club dues must be in by March 28, 2011.  Two guests commented positively on the meeting and we reluctantly ended our evening’s journey.  Oh say, what a trip!

See the agenda for next week’s schedule.

Tonight, March 14, 2011, Keith Schroeder called our meeting to order.  President Cindy Cannon called the business portion to order, the main item on the agenda was to revisit going from weekly to bi-weekly meetings.  It was moved and seconded that we open the floor to discussion.  The discussion was lively, logical, and well spoken.  It was moved and seconded to close discussion.  Cindy called for a vote by a show of hands.  It was unanimous (with one abstention) that we continue to meet weekly.

Our Toastmaster Steve Cohn adorned our hearts, minds and funny bones with thoughts on the Ides of March.   Amid our groans, Steve introduced our first speaker, Manola Robinson.  Manola spoke on “The Power of the Positive Tense.”  She showed us that our minds were rooms, that we could open or close the window to our minds, that it was all a matter of choice.  Poorly chosen words are like toxins to our energy while well chosen words inspire and positive expectations.  Manola is a positive tense example with her wide open gestures, positive and warm smile, and her well chosen words.

Keith Schroeder suggested that his speech be rescheduled since our business meeting had cut into our club speaking time.  We took a short break, regrouped and were treated to some more Ides of March groans by Toastmaster Steve.

Up next was our positive and delightful, Cindy Light, speaking on “The Top Notch Image for Professional Speakers.”  Cindy’s power point presentation took us back to China and showed us a three year old Cindy, the age she began sewing on buttons for her grandmother.  She is now a Master Taylor and image consultant.  Her client before and after slides were proof positive  she has found the right profession.  Mimi and Manola served as models for choosing warm and cool colors.  The fashion hints were all useful.  Cindy’s speech was positive, passionate, and filled with her natural and sweet wit.

Yep, one more Ides groan following the GE reports and it was back to President Cindy for brief closing remarks.  Thank you Steve for weaving another memorable and fun Toastmaster evening together.  Thanks to both of our speakers for your interesting and well prepared presentations.  Thanks Keith for your flexibility.  Members, when you finish reading these minutes on our web site, be sure to check out this coming Monday, 3/21’s, agenda.  Oh yes, from now on, you must have a doctor’s note to miss a club meeting or function.  (Scared y’a!l didn’t I!)

Richard Kirby, as an Executive Career Consultant, helps 6-figure careerists define rewarding goals and then achieve them more rapidly than they can do on their own. He is a Certified Management Consultant (CMC) and Certified Personnel Consultant (CPC).

Richard’s passion is seeing clients, both employed and unemployed, land new work that provides a rewarding combination of income, opportunity, security, and flexibility. He has successfully mentored hundreds of executives and professionals through career transitions in a wide range of industries and professions.

Richard is a thought leader in the area of career management and speaks regularly to groups interested in employment market dynamics. This includes both employers and career seekers. He is the author of 2009’s Fast Track Your Job Search (and Career!), a modern career guide and replacement for the last century’s What Color Is Your Parachute. His book web site is www.fasttrackyourjobsearch.com.

His preparation for starting his boutique career consulting firm, Executive Impact (www.executive-impact.com), included education as an electrical engineer, over 20 years of corporate management experience, and intense training in career coaching. Richard has developed integrated programs that include personal assessments, goals definition, self-marketing plan development, resume/supporting documents optimization, career networking enhancement, job interview improvement, and other critical elements of 21st century career transition effectiveness.

Richard is active in Speaker’s Roundtable and the Institute of Management Consultants. He volunteers regularly with the Roswell United Methodist Church Job Seekers group and professional associations around Atlanta.