A word from President Dan

Lots of things happening.

You will soon be receiving your newsletters sent to you by our web site.

We had our monthly executive meeting last Wednesday.

We are organizing for the November 6 Table Topics Contest and the Halloween Costume meeting on October 30th.

Regarding the Halloween meeting, we are encouraging everyone to – as a bare minimum – wear something scary or weird…. This meeting will be a lot of fun. We have a bunch of budding comedians, so this is the perfect time to polish your funny bones.

Nick Iliopoulos will be the Toastmaster that evening. I am sure he will come up with a scary theme.

Regarding the Table Topics Contest, this is a fantastic time to have fun and to challenge ourselves. WE WANT COMPETITORS! Therefore, our request is to make your decision as to are you going to compete or not, by this coming Wednesday meeting. Let me know as soon as you have decided, one way or another. What would be totally cool is if everyone participates. In which case we would invite outside Toastmasters to be judges and vote counters.

We can’t properly plan the Contests until we know who the contestants are. It would be so totally cool if everyone participates, if not a contestant then to volunteer as judges, vote counter or Contest Sergeant at Arms, to escort the contestants into the room.

The way the contest works, is all contestants leave the room. They are brought into the room one at a time, and are introduced and given the topic they are to speak on. Everyone is given the same topic, which is why all contestants leave the room.

Would everyone make a note of change in email address for Joe Lin. His new address is joethegeotech@gmail.com.

We need a volunteer to join our Sergeant at Arm’s Pamela Norbraten social committee. Standard protocol in Toastmasters is that the Sergeant at Arms heads the social committee.  We are looking for volunteers to write for the newsletter. Submit articles to Terry Lynch terrylynch@rogers.com.

Our new web site is coming along great. Todd Morgan is making some awesome improvements. You will soon be able to log onto the toastmasterswhitbypros.org site to check your role schedule for the next 6 weeks. Whenever we make a change to our source document, the web site automatically updates. The weekly agenda will soon be on line as well … it will also be a live document that you can check roles with.

We will continue to have printed agendas ready for our meetings. Your dedicated team of volunteers are working hard to apple polish our club and it shows. I am grateful to everyone in the club, we have fantastic members and we are coming together building solid friendships and working hard to be the best we can be. Everyone happily takes on whatever role they are assigned. Everyone lets me know if there is a change of plans and they can not make a meeting, that is so helpful in ensuring our meetings run smoothly.

Now that Toastmasters has confirmed that our charter documents were submitted in order, it is just a matter of time, until we receive our charter. Sometime after October 11th. At that time you will receive your membership numbers and will have full access to the Toastmasters International web site.

Dan
dan.white@taxauditsolutions.com

A word from Vice President, Education, Julie

Hi Folks,

Introduction to Club Business

During the club executive committee meeting held October 3, 2019 several items of new business were raised. The executive considered best practices in the management of agenda roles and accommodating members schedules, upcoming toastmaster speech contest opportunities and ensuring the best possible club experience for all members. Club business is delivered at each business session of the regular meeting by:

1. Committee Reports
2. Old Business
3. New business

One Item of New Business that the executive will raise at the next club meeting is:

New Business

Voting during regular club meetings for best table topics, best speaker and best evaluator. This format was dropped or held in abeyance, a state of temporary disuse or suspension several weeks ago. This was an informal trial to experience the difference in a meeting without voting. The executive committee considered that some members may like to see an aspect of regular recognition incorporated in each meeting. The committee has prepared a Motion to bring forward for the club to consider with respect to this item.

The following are the details of the motion:

Motion:

Toastmasters Whitby Pros shall hold the voting of best speaker and best evaluator in abeyance. The club shall vote for best table topics speaker at each regular meeting until further consideration.

In order to adopt or change the way we do things affecting all members we need to follow the Toastmasters International Constitution. We are required to govern ourselves by applying Robert’s Rules of Parliamentary Procedure. The Club will be exploring Robert’s Rules and Parliamentary Procedure in Action as part of regular Club education presentations. Education in this area will provide all club members with the ability to have their voice heard by participating in the business session of each meeting. In the interim, below is a quick reference of what to expect at the upcoming business session on October 9, 2019.

Robert’s Quick Rules

• The member will raise the motion and read it out.
• Another member must 2nd the Motion.
• The Chair will ask the member to speak to their motion.
• The member discusses details of the motion and why they want it to pass.
• The chair calls for others to speak to the motion – any member may rise and speak to the motion for or against it and why.
• A member calls for the vote.
• All members vote for or against the motion.
• The motion is adopted if 50% +1 of membership have agreed.
• The Chairman controls the process and all members address the Chairman before speaking.

In the coming weeks the executive committee will be working on a number of administrative motions to be brought together for the club to consider. Members may submit feedback at any time by sending your thoughts or contributions in writing by e-mail to our Club President – Dan White.

Educational Speech Opportunities:

There are 5 modules in the Parliamentary Procedure in Action educational series. There are many other excellent education series available to be presented to the club. Any member that would like to complete an educational speech that will qualify for your Pathways level 1 and beyond please contact Julie Gil VP Education to get your name on the list to be scheduled. Mentorship will be provided to assist members with Toastmasters developed content and technology requirements.

There are two (2) New Business items that the executive agreed to bring forward by motion for a vote. The second item was regarding whether the club would participate in Toastmasters International October Open House. This is where we spend time to organize and conduct a meeting specifically designed to invite the public as part of TI observed practices. The executive will present a Motion not to have a special open house this year.

Bits and pieces from Terry Lynch, editor

About the Hallowe’en Meeting October 30:
Be sure to figure out what costume, be it the whole shabang costume, or a minimal image change…. be it ever so little or ever so big, lets plan to have extra fun that evening.

New Website:
Soon, thanks to Todd Morgan, our new website will be in place and will also host an online version of the newsletter.

Please let me have your contributions!
In order to keep the newsletter relevant and be of value to our members, please let me have any feedback/input/comments that you would care to contribute. This is vital to generating the synergies that we need to continue to grow both individually and as a group.

Theme for October 9th Meeting: “Bloom where you are planted”

Cheers,
Terry
terrylynch@rogers.com
(416) 315-1787