Monday, October 11, 2010
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Russell's Ramblings: October Installment
I like October. It means lengthening shadows, leaves turning oranges and red, and Halloween.
This year Halloween will be fun because we are going to have a costume meeting.
I have another reason for liking October. October means that the district convention is just around the corner. I was a bit over-awed at the first contest I went to but had only been a Toastmaster for a few weeks. It was a bit of a vindication for me since the man who beat me at the division table topics contest won the district contest.
I love watching the contests and trying to guess who will win. I judge along with the judges. Some years I am a better judge than others. I like to find somebody else at my table at the contest and see who can do better at judging. Sometimes I win this impromptu judging competition, but last year Lydia beat me soundly.
I like to meet people and do networking with people that I only see at the conventions. I try to talk to people I don't know to find out who they are and what their club is like. This is especially important to me now that I am an officer because I am always trying to learn what we can do to improve the meetings and help our members meet their educational goals.
The speakers at the convention are usually quite interesting. Most of them are great speakers but even if they aren't I can learn better techniques for opening a speech, the latest method for weaving a good story, and the like.
My favorite thing is getting a table with our members and just enough people from other clubs to spice it up. I like sharing the memories of past conventions with our members who have been to dozens of them. What really delights me, though, is to enjoy the spectacle of the contest and the other events through the wide eyes of a relative newcomer to Toastmasters and the conventions.
Maybe this time that wide-eyed newcomer will be you!
Article by Russell Pike
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