Toastmaster, Iris Grim, chose to bump elbows in lieu of shaking hands due to a virus that had robbed her of her voice and had her feeling poorly.  Rather than request another TM to handle the evening’s program, she softly led the evening.  In the future, we hope that Iris will save her health and voice by e-mailing some equally faithful member to stand in for her.  In spite of, or because of our voiceless TM, we had a very orderly and punctual meeting.

President Cindy Cannon was first up to present her speech, “Claire.”  Cindy introduced us to her 99 year old grandmother whom she had visited in a nursing home.  (She died the day after she reached her goal of 100 years of age.)  Grandmother Claire had an 8^th grade education, was married to a plumber who gave her an allowance, and, because she lived across the street from the Franklin Mint, she invested her allowance becoming a multimillionaire.  Cindy found her old, bent, and suffering from severe dementia.  We met a menagerie of home residents and received information on dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.  It was a sad verbal visual to see these once productive, contributing people wandering alone and communicating via their private memories.  Cindy took us there. 

Shea Ellison came up next to practice his keynote presentation for a creative marketing conference.  We learned this would be an Interactive two track seminar, Track 1 Creative Marketing Tool Box and Track 2 Social Media 101.  Attendees were welcome to switch back and forth between sessions as well as use phones and IPods to twitter and post reactions and ideas.  Shea narrowed the marketing landscape to three consumer questions.  1.  Do I need any product?  2.  Do I need this particular product?  3.  Should I buy the product?  Among the top ten marketing trends Shea introduced the impact of the Baby Boomers on positioning your product.  He touched on niche marketing, product innovation and value innovation.  He also defined and touched on Social Marketing.  Polls indicate that consumers make most purchasing decisions based on word-of-mouth recommendations.  This was Shea’s first opportunity to present this material to an audience and he’d requested our frank and famous feedback.  Here’s wishing you great success, Shea!

Our seven minute break seemed to be more talk than eating.  Could that be because we ate prior to the start of the meeting or were  we compensating for our voiceless Toastmaster?         

 Ericka Butler closed the evening with her speech, “Well-Being:  Are you thriving or surviving.”  Ericka introduced us to the four categories of wellbeing:  Social, Financial, Community, Physical, and Career.  We learned, via a Gallop survey, that 66% of those polled felt they were doing well in one category while only 7% felt they were doing well in all five categories. Based on the book, “Wellbeing-The Five Essential Elements” we learned that the lack of career wellbeing could have a domino effect, impacting the health of the other four categories.  Ericka explained that it is “All about you!”  You can improve the health of your career by changing what you can control;  removing barriers; identifying where your career is lacking; finding your strengths; until you move into that 7% group who are satisfied with all five essential elements of wellbeing.   Ericka with your energy and joy, you have to be in that 7%. 

Our evaluation team under GE Kelly Vandever gave well observed reports.  President Cindy Cannon reminded us of club elections on June 6^st.  She has candidates for all offices but that of President.  Tom Nixon will chair the election of officers. PLEASE NOTE: WE WILL NOT MEET MAY 30 DUE TO THE MEMORIAL DAY HOLIDAY.  Wonderful news, Rui Li is returning to club in June.  She has been missed.  Please see our web site for the upcoming meeting assignments.  Get well quickly, Iris!

Tom Nixon, our Toastmaster for the evening, chose the theme:  “Rules: Can’t live with ‘em, can’t live with ‘em.”  (Nope, it is not a typo.)  Example #1 involved Tom, as a  youth minister, and youths playing a shoe pile game.  Point proved. 

Steve Cohn used his 15 minutes to keep us all spell bound with “I Believe there is Hope.”  He jogged our memories by telling us that it was 14 years ago this month that the movie, Schindler’s List, ran for three hours on television, commercial free.  There was one silent intermission with just the logo of the Ford Motor Co. on the screen.  Steve introduced us to Oscar Schindler, his character, or lack thereof, his wheeling and dealing and how he came to give up his entire fortune.  Oh, yes, and to come to be buried in Israel.  Steve brought us from Poland to the United States, introducing us to Henry Ford and his passionate hatred for the Jews.  Ford published and distributed Semitic pamphlets, refused to hire Jews and then told us how it was rumored that Henry Ford had a stroke in 1945 while watching the liberation of the death camps.  In 1997 Stephen Spielberg asked Ford Motor Company to sponsor “Schindler’s List.”  It was an opportunity to right a wrong, to realize that words have meaning, and finally to come to the conclusion, that there is hope.  Amen, Steve. 

Still in Europe, Iris Grimm delivered a powerful talk on “Health Care – the German Way.”  She stated that the health of its citizens determines the wealth of nations.  Iris reminded us of how our club member, Jon, suffered needlessly for 18 months needing back surgery, but having no insurance.  She said the US government forces us to insure our automobiles, but not our bodies.  Her conclusion was that we are in dire need of health care reform in the U.S. She said we should look to Germany and the successful system they have in place.  Germany’s National Health Care Insurance consists of two types of coverage, Public and Private.  About 80% of the German people receive insurance through the public plan.  There is mobility between the Public and Private Plans.  The Public Plan is financed at 15.5% of wages with half of the cost  born by the employer.  Iris delivered a very passionate plea for health care reform in the United States.

Yes, in spite of a 15-20 minute speech and two 10 to 12 minute speeches, we took a seven minute break.  Who can resist when Manola Robison is Snack Master. 

 Our Final speaker, Cindy Light, spoke on “What Can We Learn from China?”  She gave us a brief and personal snap shot of China in 1976 when Chairman Mao Tse-Tung died.  The universities had been closed for 10 years and people had no hope but to be factory workers and stay poor.   Dun Shao Pin became the reformer-leader of China.  Cindy explains leaving her position as a college professor to be part of the creative business awaking of China.  We learned of the creation of two Special Economic Zones (SEZ) where foreigners were allowed to come in and use the land.  She told of working to streamline the special approval stamps from 25 different departments, making a six month process into one of two weeks.  In this position, she  issued over 3,000 business licenses.   Today there are 16 such zones where creativity, hard work, and risk are bringing an economic awaking to China.  Cindy feels the United States needs to be awakened.  That we can, through the use of money, creativity, hard work, tax incentives, and risk, wake up our economically sleeping country.  

General Evaluator, Mimi Williams, called the program an evening of educational excellence.  Introductions; excellent: speaker preparation; excellent: evaluations; excellent:  mind improvement; excellent.  She did suggest that we avoid speaker dialog with the evaluators.

President Cindy Cannon provided us with a list of tentative candidates for all 2011-2012 SRT offices but President and Secretary.   We need to wake up and fill these COZ (Club Opportunity Zones.)!  SRT needs you to throw your hat in those vacant zones so e-mail her now, heck, make it a phone call!

Mimi Williams successfully debuted as SRT Toast Master for the evening.  Her theme, “Are You Funnier than a Ninth Grader?” had us up front delivering jokes like we were at a comedy club.  Mimi’s own samples kept the meeting light-hearted and enjoyable, though our attendance was shamefully down

Merrilee Morris came to the lectern first to deliver her talk, “Listening with Your Eyes.”  Early man survived by reading body language and facial expressions.  As oral language evolved, these survival skills diminished.  Our ability to listen with our eyes has simply gone dormant.  She gave a brief history of Physiognomy which is the science of face reading.  Dr. Paul Ekman’s research in the ‘60’s resulted in the development of FACS (Facial Action Coding System).  We learned we have forty-five facial muscles with which we can create 10,000 facial configurations (FACS).  We also learned how FACS is used today.  Merrilee encouraged us to awaken this dormant skill and start listening with our eyes. 

 “Diversity Speech –Take Two” saw Craig Keyworth incorporating evaluation suggestions into his speech of last week, “A Majority of All.” This is the introduction to a talk he will be delivering at ADP as part of their diversity program.  Although the organization and material remained much the same as last week, his segways between topics were much smoother.  Craig’s delivery was also more animated and polished. Craig is well on his way to a meaningful forty minute diversity message.   

Following our six minute break, we returned to our seats eager to hear our VP of Membership, Keith Schroder.  In “Are You Ready to Advance?” Keith explained how he became involved in our advanced club, notable members he had met and learned from and essentially described our club as a Who’s Who in Toast Masters.  Keith gave us this information through a new acronym, EAT.   E= Evaluations.  Keith gave an explanation of the club’s unique evaluation process.  A= Associations.  In Speakers Roundtable, Keith listed the notable professionals and the accomplishments and expertise they bring to the club and share.   And lastly the T= Treats.  Not a surprise, because we meet through supper hour and if anyone faints, it will be from hunger and not stage fright!  I believe we should all adopt Keith’s speech and go club hopping. 

Mimi kept everything on track as did GE Cindy Cannon, in spite of the shortage of members.  Rave reviews for Mimi!  Cindy announced the schedule for next week and we adjourned for the evening.

Arriving early for our first club meeting in May definitely had its advantages.  Manola Robison, our break master, had a heaping plate of Wow Cookies, guacamole dip, corn chips, cheese, crackers, and lots of bottled water.  Members and an early guest enjoyed a pre-meeting break!   Richard Kirby, Sergeant at Arms, gaveled us to our chairs and introduced our President, Cindy Cannon.  Deborah Hill served as our program guide for the evening.  She spoke briefly on how we are all connected in spirit.

Our first speaker, Craig Keyworth, titled his speech, “A Majority of All.” Craig presented his introduction to a talk on Toast Masters he will be delivering at ADP as part of their diversity program.   As Craig saw it, it is appropriate and fitting that Toast Masters is part of a diversity program.  TMs is one of the most diverse organizations in existence.  His talk encompassed explaining what Toast Masters is, what it does, and how it does it.  All ages, genders, socio-economic levels and races are valued in a TM Club.  Craig states that it is this diversity that makes our meetings educational, interesting, memorable,  and enjoyable.  It is through respect for others, listening and valuing each other that we grow and bond not only as club members, but individuals.  Craig has a wonderful diversity message for ADP from Toast Masters.

Deborah shared the difficulty of skiing in Utah snow that had become slushy.  A song on her headphones convinced her to call it a day.

Talk about being connected in spirit, Mimi Williams tied right in to Deborah’s theme for the evening.  Mimi immediately reeled us in to, ”What Would You Do?” by asking how many of us knew who Ted Bundy was.   A Utah police man pulled him over for a routine traffic stop.  Nothing was wrong, but the officer had a feeling in the pit of his stomach.  This feeling led to a search of the car and the discovery of Ted Bundy’s torture tools.  Mimi wondered how many lives that gut feeling saved.  She then went on to discuss feelings that come from the gut, from instinct, and from intuition.  She related firefighter rescue experiences, and two personal experiences to support her point.  Life is a mystery and she encouraged us to develop and pay attention to our instincts, our intuition, and our gut feelings.  Someday we just may save a life.

Break came and we all dashed back to shamelessly devour more cookies, dip, chips and cheese.   Paper plates bending, we returned to our seats for our final speaker of the evening.

“Unheralded Philosophers – Part Deux” brought Richard Kirby front and center.  Richard takes it upon himself to honor modern day philosophers deserving of recognition.  In a previous speech he had elevated Yogi Berra to this lofty rank.  Tonight, with massive fanfare and a flip of a page, there was his unheralded philosopher, Dilbert’s dog, Dogbert.  As evidence that Dogbert deserved this elevated philosophical position, Richard regaled us with Dogbert’s sage advice.  He had two rules regarding customer service, 1.  The customer is always right.  2.  Punish them for their arrogance.  We even got advice on interpersonal communications skills.  Richard in closing seemed to suggest that Dogbert should be running for president; that he could trump the Donald.

Deborah next called on her evaluation team, headed by Steve Cohn.  Videographer Ericka Butler’s report stole the show.  Deborah then closed with another example of how we are connected in spirit.  President Cindy called on our three visitors for comments and then handled the evening’s business.  We all looked for doggy bags and headed back to Manola’s  table.