January 2010 • VOLUME 2 ISSUE 6
Articulation is: the act of giving utterance or expression; the act or manner of articulating sounds; an articulated utterance or sound.
Introducing Jason Gordon
a Philadelphia's First Toastmaster
by Jason Gordon
 Hi My name is Jason Gordon and I have been a member of Philadelphia's First for about a year. Being a member has truly been a transformative experience and I cherish every opportunity to speak because I know at minimum I am taking one step toward improvement.
I am orginally from Columbus, OH and I have lived here in the city of Brotherly Love for about three years.
My major interests are writing and chess. Ever since I was a young boy I have always wanted to be a novelist and chess is one of my favorite hobbies (my girlfriend says I'm addicted) that I play whenever I have free time.
The main purpose in me being a member of Philadelphia's First is to improve my speaking skills with the hope that I will become a more effective person in the world.
Richard Wright is one of my favorite novelists but I like different writers for their particular styles of writing. I especially like Toni Morrison and Nathaniel Hawthorne. These two writers have a strong sense of irony in their writing. I am currently looking for an editor for my collection of short stories that I've just recently finished.
Editor's Note: Luckily for us, Jason has been able to refrain from chess practice for a few hours each month to prepare speeches and participate in our club meetings. Can't wait to read his stories!
Opportunity 1: Go for a Promotion!
Our club's Vice President of Public Relations is seeking committee members to join the PR committee. Qualification: Must love to brainstorm. This is an opportunity to use your writing skills, photography skills, interviewing techniques and/or overall ingenuity to help promote our Club and the Toastmaster's organization by developing and implementing a Public Relations campaign. Email Ilene Hass if interested.
Opportunity 2: What do you have to say?
Rideless in Rhawnhurst? Mentorless in Mayfair? Paid presentation in Philmont? Back from a vacation break? Or taking a short break from talking? Don't be tongue tied. Share with your fellow toastmasters your obstacles, ambitions and achievements. Use our this club newsletter as a platform to inform, inspire, entertain, persuade or REQUEST. We're a good audience. Email Ilene Hass with your submission.
Opportunity 3: Cartoonists and humorists wanted!
For some, standing in front of the lecturn is no laughing matter. Do see the levity in addition to the gravity of the situation? Can you draw? Can you quip? Can you make us see the lite? Membership in Philadelphia's First Toastmasters is not required for having your submission published in our club newsletter. A sense of humor is! Contact Ilene Hass for more info.
Tis the Season: Giving the gift of Feedback!
by Ilene Hass
District 38 officers were treated to a presentation by Jack Leavitt, DTM, on the Do's and Don'ts of Evaluations during the Winter Leadership Institute on Saturday December 12. Jack's premise was that "an evaluation is a personal gift from one member to another," and as such requires that the giver care enough to provide confident, honest feedback that does not sugarcoat valid points for improvement.
Jack chastened: "Don't be NICE" in the respect that "NICE" translates into "Nothing Inside me Cares Enough" to tell the speaker what he/she needs to hear. That doesn't mean to be negative or destructive...it means provide specific, constructive suggestions for improvement, sandwiched between opening and closing positive observations.
A few of Jack's evaluation pointers are paraphrased below:
DO'S:
• Do determine the speaker's objectives, (both speech manual objectives AND personal goals for the speech).
• Do pay 100% attention in listening to the speech
• Do take lots of notes, and try to notice specific phrases, techniques, body movements and themes in the speech
• Do discuss how the speech made you feel
DON'TS:
• Don't evaluate the content of the speech in terms of whether it is something you agrees with.
• Don't evaluate the person...instead, evaluate the speech.
• Don't rewrite the speech...instead, suggest ways to improve.
• Don't undermine your evaluation by using apologetic, mollifying terms such as "I think", "kind of" or "a little"
• Don't whitewash your evaluation...instead keep in mind that the speaker joined Toastmasters to improve!
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Become a Fan of Philadelphia's First Toastmasters and join the conversation! Upcoming MeetingsWe meet the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of each month at 7PM SHARP at Philadelphia Protestant Home, 6500 Tabor Road, Philadelphia, PA 19111. Meetings run until 9PM, with a break for light refreshments. Next meetings are: Thursday, January 7
Thursday, January 21 Directions to our Meetings from YOUR LOCATION! Put your best face forward: see our Club's business dress code for proper meeting attire. Member NewsWelcome to our newest members: Amid Abney and Andrea Graham joined our club in December 2009.  Kudos, accolades and ebullient clapping for our Toastmasters who distinuished themselves at our recent meetings: December 3, 2009 Ribbons:Table Topics: B Keller (Guest) Speaker: Bea Joyner Evaluator: Lyratah Barrett ICEBREAKER: Freda Magee December 17, 2009 Bests:Most Delicious Homebaked Cookies: Darlita Stephens  Most Festively Attired: Philadelphia's First guest, Akili Lynn, hanging out with (from left:) members Theresa Kuhar and Susan Neely   What's Your Trajectory?
by Johnathan Fields
Movement isn't enough...
Action isn't enough...
Without direction.
It's not enough to take action every day. It's not enough to see movement every day. Unless those actions and that movement is TOWARD something.
Too many of us wake up and fill our days will a thousands tiny actions. We're busy from the moment we open our eyes to the moment our heads hit the pillow. Yet, when someone asks, "hey, what'd you DO today?" we can barely recall.
Because we were acting in the name of acting, of filling moments, rather than moving TOWARD something.
Greatness researchers tells us it takes a minimum of 10,000 hours or about ten years of practice to achieve greatness in any field. But simple practice, action or movement won't do. DELIBERATE practice is what's needed. And, they describe the difference between practice and deliberate practice as repeated actions where each action is done with a specified goal in mind, analyzed, corrected then repeated with the intent of getting closer to the goal.
So, a golfer who hits 5 buckets a day isn't engaging in deliberate practice, but rather just practice. Whereas, a golfer who hits 5 buckets and, with each shot aims to hit a flag 200 yards out, then analyzes and corrects each swing, IS engaging in deliberate practice.
The former golfer might hit balls for decades and see a modest movement toward her goal, toward greatness. While, a golfer who hits balls in a more deliberate manner will likely see far greater improvement, far more excellence in a far shorter period of time.
So, as you prepare to move into a new year, ask,
"Am I acting with deliberate intent, or am I just acting. Or, worse...reacting?"
Because action for the sake of action often leads keeps you eternally busy, but walking in circles. While acting with deliberate intent, where each action is designed to bring you closer to a stated goal, is far more likely to deliver greatness and success.
So, I'm curious, as you look back on 2009, what type of action has defined your year?
And, if not deliberate, how will 2010 be different?
This blog post has been reprinted with permission of Jonathan Fields, author of
Career Renegade: How To Make A Great Living Doing What You Love. Read more from Jonathan
Club OfficersJuly 1, 2009 - June 30, 2010
President: Denise Rykard-Dorsey
VP Education: Kathleen McAnaneyVP Membership: Michael AndersonVP Public Relations: Ilene HassTreasurer: John Fitzpatrick Secretary: Lyratah Barrett Sergeant-at-arms: Rudy Olivierre
Club Websitephiladelphiafirstoastmasters.com |
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