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Articulations...Talking About Philadelphia's First Toastmasters
February 2010 • VOLUME 2 ISSUE 7
Articulation is: the act of giving utterance or expression; the act or manner of articulating sounds; an articulated utterance or sound.

A Little History of Haiti
Philadelphia's First Toastmasters Invocation January 21, 2010

by Andrea Graham

Haiti, an Indian word meaning "mountains," is made up of extremely mountainous country of which only 20 percent of the territory lies below 600 feet. The highest mountain in Haiti (Chain de la Sel) is almost 9,000 feet above sea level.

Remember these African heroes that fought for what we know today as human rights? They were the first to say no to human sufferance. They fought for liberty, equality and fraternity which are listed in the Haitian flag. They went on to create the first black republic in the world.

For those of you that have not heard, the Caribbean nation of Haiti was hit by its strongest earthquake in more than 200 years, causing what is being described as "a catastrophe of major proportions". Heavy casualties are feared after numerous buildings were leveled by the 7.0 magnitude earthquake. It happened at 4:53 p.m.

It may be difficult for most of us to respond to the people of Haiti in a tangible way, I know that many aid organizations will do their utmost to raise funds and other useful items for Haiti’s people, but as Christians there is one thing we can give in abundance, and that is prayer. Let’s not ever forget that such a calamity may one day come to our own neighborhood, what then would be our response.

Will you please bow your head with me? Let us pray silently together, each one of us, according to our individual beliefs.

I ask you to pray for the victims and the families in Haiti.

Let us ask God for mercy, for comfort, for relief for those suffering from this tragic event.

Let us be a source of hope for those in need, and contentment for those who are lonely.

Let us give gratitude for our opportunity to serve our community.

Let the feelings of love, kindness, and a well directed, yet gentle spirit always be reflected in our actions.

Editor's Note: Our club is enriched and blessed by the presence and participation of two members that originally hail from Haiti, Evelt Vertile and Andrea Graham.  With regard for these members, Philadelphia’s First Toastmasters Treasurer John Fitzpatrick has made a $50 donation to the American Red Cross to support relief efforts in Haiti, after the country's devastation from the January 12 earthquake.


Meet  Michael Anderson
a Philadelphia's First Toastmaster and VP of Membership

by Michael Anderson

One of the things that encouraged me to join Toastmasters was the passing of one of my best friends and teachers, my father.  One of the things I learned from him is that life is too short.  You have to go and face your fears and “take care of business” as he put it.  And what is the biggest fear people have, even more (ironically enough) than death?
 
Public Speaking.

After his death I decided to make some changes in my life. I planned to make time for some of things I always wanted to do.  I wanted to work less, travel more, get back into playing music and do things I never had the time or courage to do.

But this road to self-discovery presented a problem.  Most of the things I wanted to do could be done alone or with family or close friends.  But public speaking by definition has to be done with other people, sometimes large groups of people you don’t know.
 
So how would I find a group of people that would actually be interested in listening to me speak and help me become a better speaker?  I did what most people do nowadays; I went online to Google and I typed in “Public Speaking” and “Philadelphia”.  The first link on the first page was the link for Philadelphia’s First Toastmasters.

After the first meeting as a guest, I was hooked.  There is a part of the meeting dedicated to what’s called “Table Topics” where members and guests are asked to talk “off the cuff” for 1-3 minutes about a simple topic.  I never thought anyone, especially people I didn’t know, could make it easier for me to get in front of a crowd and speak.  But the group seemed so genuinely friendly and supportive that I decided to stand up, get behind the podium and talk 2-3 minutes about my most memorable summer vacation.

That was 2 years ago and with the help of a mentor, a more experienced speaker within the group, I’ve done quite a few more speeches since then, and enjoyed every one of them (especially when they were over).  So if there’s anyone who always wanted to face their fears and try public speaking, I highly suggest Toastmaster’s International either as a member or a guest.  There’s more than likely a group nearby and the rewards for putting in a little effort can be enormous.
Editor's Note: Michael is far from the only one, we're told, who has enjoyed every single one of his finely crafted and emphatically delivered speeches.
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Upcoming Meetings
We 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, February 4
Thursday, February 18*

*Club Annual International Speech and Evaluation Contests -  Members who have given six speeches from the CC manual are eligible to enter the speech contest.  All members can enter the Evaluation contest.  Sign up to be a speaker and/or an evaluator by contacting Kathleen McAnaney, our VP of Education.  View the complete contest regulations.
 

Click for directions to our meetings
from YOUR LOCATION!

Put your best face forward: see our Club's business dress code for proper meeting attire.

Member News
Philadelphia's First member Herb Rheinstrom will be serving as Toastmaster for the Area 8 Contest on March 3, 2010. The contest will be held at GMAC Residential Mortgage,1100 Virginia Drive in Fort Washington. Club members are invited to attend. Contact Herb for the contest time.



Kudos, accolades and ebullient clapping for our Toastmasters who distinuished themselves at our October 1 and October 15 meetings:

January 7, 2010 Ribbons:
Table Topics: Michael Barnes (Guest)
Speaker: Darlita Stephens
Evaluator: John Fitzpatrick

January 21, 2010 Ribbons:
Table Topics: Bea Joyner
Speaker: Arthur Kruger
Evaluator: Larry Goldberg
ICEBREAKERS:
Arthur Kruger and Tom Kalup

Two terrific icebreakers = one memorable evening: New club members Arthur Kruger and Top Kalup each introduce themselves to Club 541 members and guests on January 21, 2010.

Art


  Arthur Kruger







  Tom Kalup





Crazy Hat Crew: Philadelphia's First Toastmasters (from left): Larry Goldberg,
VP of Education Kathleen McAnaney, and VP of Membership and Sheriff around these parts, Michael Anderson,  at our January 21 meeting. See more crazy hat photos on our club Facebook page.




Life is....
by  Mother Theresa



Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.

Life is beauty, admire it.

Life is a dream, realize it.

Life is a challenge, meet it.

Life is a duty, complete it.

Life is a game, play it.

Life is a promise, fulfill it.

Life is sorrow, overcome it.

Life is a song, sing it.

Life is a struggle, accept it.

Life is a tragedy, confront it.

Life is an adventure, dare it.

Life is luck, make it.

Life is too precious, do not destroy it.

Life is life, fight for it.

Opportunities
Newsletter Contributors Wanted
Submissions to our club newsletter are very much welcome. Please submit articles, photos, news, etc. by email to our VP of PR.

Brave Toastmasters Wanted
Interested in having your speech videotaped? Willing to  help generate publicity for our club by having your video posted online? Receive comments and see how others evaluate your speech. Please email your request at least 2 weeks in advance of your scheduled speech to our VP of PR.
Club Officers
July 1, 2009 - June 30, 2010
President:
Denise Rykard-Dorsey

VP Education:
Kathleen McAnaney

VP Membership:
Michael Anderson

VP Public Relations:
Ilene Hass

Treasurer:
John Fitzpatrick

Secretary:
Lyratah Barrett

Sergeant-at-arms:
Rudy Olivierre

Club Website
philadelphiafirstoastmasters.com
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