Meet our new members - Canning Vale Toastmasters

Canning Vale Toastmasters Club Newsletter
December 2015
From the Editor
Meet our new members
Akash Kashyap
Paul Highwood
To our new members:
Welcome to Canning Vale Toastmasters and congratulations on
taking that first step in your Toastmasters journey. Every member
is willing to help you at any time and we will all support you with
your progress towards your goals.
To make the most of your membership, be sure to read page 2 in
your Competent Communicator Manual, especially A Toastmasters Promise. We all look forward to watching you become the
speaker and leader you want to be.
December is the month
where we wind down for a
well deserved rest over the
festive
season.
This
doesn’t mean it isn't a busy
month. This month we had
3 fun meetings and two
new members joined our
ranks.
We hope you had a safe
and happy Christmas,
enjoyed with family and
friends and here’s wishing
you a fabulous new year
for 2016. May your dreams
and goals come to fruition.
This edition is to help with
those withdrawals and see
you over until January
19th, when we meet again.
Enjoy!
Robyn
In This Issue
Merry Christmas to all our happy gift recipients

Roll of Honour

Let There be Light!

A Word from the
President

Upcoming Events

Tip of the Month

Member Musings
Roll of Honour
Our Newest Advanced Leader Bronze
AWARD
ALB
MEMBER
Michele Naidu
DATE ACHIEVED
December 5th
A Few Words from the President
Let’s Shed Some Intense Light on Toastmasters Acronyms
Let’s take a closer look at those acronyms. Now that you know what the acronym
stands for, this will show you the requirements for each award.
Communication Track
CC — Competent Communicator - Completed The Competent Communication Manual
ACB — Advanced Communicator Bronze - Completed Competent Communicator
Award and completed two manuals from the Advanced Communication Series
ACS — Advanced Communicator Silver - Completed Advanced Communicator Bronze
Award and completed two additional manuals from the Advanced Communication
Series, plus conducted two presentations from The Better Speaker Series and/or The
Successful Club Series
ACG — Advanced Communicator Gold - Completed Advanced Communicator Silver
Award and completed two additional manuals from the Advanced Communication
Series, plus conducted a presentation form the Success/Leadership Series, Success/
Communication Series or Youth Leadership, as well as Coached a new member with
their first three speech projects
Leadership Track
CL — Competent Leader - Completed The Competent Leadership Manual
ALB — Advanced Leader Bronze - Achieved Competent Leader Award, Completed
Competent Communicator Award, served at least six months as a club officer and
participated in the preparation of the Club Success Plan plus participated in district
sponsored Club Officer Training whilst serving in this role and conducted any two
presentations from the Successful Club Series and/or The Leadership Excellence Series
ALS — Advanced Leader Silver - Achieved Advanced Leader Bronze Award, served a
complete term as a District Officer, Completed a High Performance Leadership Program and served successfully as a Club Sponsor, Mentor or
Coach
DTM — Distinguished Toastmaster - Achieved Advanced Communicator
Gold Award and achieved Advanced Leader Silver Award
Woodstock Hippy
If you jump, your family will feel
like you
Meeting 374
The hippy girls were sharing
peace, love and flowers with
us all tonight where we remembered Woodstock and
learned about “The Forgotten
Anzac”, John Monash, The
Value of Reflection and how to
Diffuse Verbal Criticism from
our speech presenters.
Table Topics from Marcus
took us on an early holiday
and our evaluators gave excellent feedback to not only the
member they were evaluating,
but to us all.
Mark’s questions caught us
out a couple of times, showing
we need to brush up on our
listening skills. His highlight of
the night was Luke’s first
evaluation which was of his
Mentor, Jenny. Tough gig, but
it’s always challenging the
first time and Luke was up to
the task.
Did you get your $100 note? If
you did, you will find our forgotten Anzac on it. Check one
out soon, if you find one.
This sign at
train stations,
reduced
suicides by
20% last year.
When I open
my text book,
I fall into the
abyss of
boredom
Eloyise is a
storyteller
& a poet!
My headphones
are more
precious to me
than my child
sometimes
Between
Oktoberfest &
Hippy Night,
you’re keeping us
on a constant
chemical high
Woodstock Trivia
Woodstock, the most famous music festival in rock 'n' roll history, took place 46 years ago on August 15-18,
1969. Any decent flower child worth their name was there to protest against the Vietnam war abroad and racial tension at home.
The idea for the festival came from band manager Michael Lang and Artie Kornfeld, a songwriter turned record
company executive. They wanted to raise money to build a recording studio in Woodstock, upstate New York, a
haven for artists including Bob Dylan, The Band and Van Morrison.
The organisers played down the numbers they anticipated, telling the
authorities they expected 50,000, while selling 186,000 tickets in advance
(costing six dollars for each day) and planning for 200,000. In the end 500,000
attended. Another million had to turn back because of traffic. It was originally
advertised as 'A Weekend in the Country.'
About two dozen ticket booths should have been in place to charge $24 admission, but they were never installed because of the crush of festival-goers.
Attempts to get people to pay were abandoned on day one, the fences were
torn down and Woodstock was declared a free event.
Beatniks, hippies, flower children and rock legends gathered together not in Woodstock, but in the little town of
Bethel, rural New York State. There was no suitable site in Woodstock, so organisers opted for Wallkill, 40 miles
away, but residents blocked their plans, so dairy farmer Max Yasgur stepped in to offer his alfalfa field, in the neighbouring hamlet of Bethel. A deal was struck for $75,000.
With storm clouds approaching, the crowd was urged: 'Let's think hard to get rid of the rain.' A chant went up: 'No
rain, no rain, no rain.' But it didn't stop the deluge and in three hours, five inches of rain fell and the festival became
a mudfest. Joan Baez famously sang 'We shall overcome' during a full-on thunderstorm. During the downpour there
were fears some artists would get electrocuted. Alvin Lee, of Ten Years After, was warned of the risk as it was still
raining when his turn came to go on. 'Oh come on, if I get electrocuted at Woodstock we'll sell lots of records,' he
said.
As an unknown and unproven business concern, the organisers, Woodstock Ventures, had to pay inflated sums to
get the top rockers to sign up. Jefferson Airplane were the first, paid $12,000, double their usual fee. Even hippy
band The Grateful Dead demanded cash in hand before they would play, as did Janis Joplin and The Who.
Off-duty police officers were banned from providing security, so a New Mexico commune known as the Hog Farm
were hired to form a 'Please Force.' The Hog Farmers were led by Wavy Gravy, a toothless former beatnik comic,
who put on a Smokey-the-Bear suit and warned troublemakers they would be doused in fizzy water or hit with custard pies. As well as forming the Please Force, The Hog Farm were in charge of catering, ordering in bushels of
brown rice, buying 160,000 paper plates, forks, knives and spoons and 30,000 paper cups. They fed between
160,000-190,000 people at the Hog Farm Free Kitchen, 5,000 at a time.
The performance of The Star-Spangled Banner by Jimi Hendrix that closed Woodstock was described by the rock
critic from the New York Post as 'the single greatest moment of the Sixties'. Yet it was witnessed by just a fraction
of the crowd. Most had gone home by the time Hendrix came on stage, at 9am on a Monday morning.
Organisers at Woodstock Ventures were at least $1.3m in debt afterwards. It took more than a decade for backers
to recoup money, through audio and recording rights.
Meeting 375
Lead by our Toastmaster,
Rena, this was the meeting
where Dennis admitted that
on the weekend, he had lost
his virginity, on a 1 night
stand no less ………..........
his camping virginity.
Sheldon inspired us to
“Back yourself” in his Tonic
and our Table Topics from
Jenny had us reminiscing
about the year that was.
Prem told us that his most
challenging speech was
about
Gay
Marriage,
Chandana
remembered
Vanessa’s
humorous
speech and Elena was
prompted to take action by
Luke’s speech about his
brother trekking around
Australia to raise awareness
and funds for PTSD sufferers.
We had lots of laughs with
Theatre Sports and once
again were privileged to
witness
an
Icebreaker
speech. This time by Jim.
We capped off the night by
electing our new club
officers who will lead our
club from January 1 until
July 31, 2016. They are;
President—Vanessa, VPE—
Mark,
VPM—Dennis,
VPPR—Robyn, Treasurer—
Elena, Secretary—Matthew,
SAA—Ronnie. Congratulations to all and good luck in
your role.
Thanks for telling us
about being a 25 year
old virgin , Dennis.
We all want to hear
about that because
“Sex Sells”!
When I was a kid, there
was no air conditioning. If
we were hot at night, we all
dragged our mattresses out
on to the back lawn.
Community Spirit
During November we noticed
that
the
Canning
Vale
College Student Councillors
had a very worthwhile
initiative to collect food
donations for families in our
community who may not
have enough food during the
Christmas period. In the
library where we meet, there
was a sign explaining the
initiative and a box to leave
the donations in.
We were so impressed that
these young people had
taken on such a huge and
meaningful task, that we
immediately
wanted
to
contribute and show them
how much we think of their
commitment
to
the
community.
Over two meetings, members
brought along donations
from their own cupboards or
bought items they thought
would help these families
and on December 1st we left
a surprise for them.
We received two emails from
members of the staff thanking us for our contribution. I
have included them for you
to read.
Thank you for once again
showing our club member’s
wonderful Community Spirit!
TO THE STUDENT COUNCILLORS,
STUDENTS AND STAFF
OF
CANNING VALE COLLEGE
A BOOST FOR YOUR FOOD HAMPER DONATION
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR THOUGHTFUL INITIATIVE
& COMPLIMENTS
CANNING VALE TOASTMASTERS CLUB
Hi guys,
I have just seen the hampers you left in the Library .
You guys are great!, Although I don't have anything to do with it - Thanks
for your Donation!
That was awesome!
Lauretta
Dear Mark & Robyn,
On behalf of CVC, we would like to thank you and the members of
Toastmasters for your kind donation to our hamper, an initiative by
our student councillors. It has been a great success and as a result
of this many needy families will be able to celebrate Christmas.
We have passed on all our collection of goodies to Life City Church
who said they have approximately 70 families requesting assistance
at this time.
Thank you once again and have a very Merry Christmas and Happy
New Year.
Kind regards
Christine McInerney
Associate Principal Student Services
Canning Vale College
Meeting 376
Christmas Meeting
HO HO HO, Jolly Christmas
was the theme of this
meeting, of course!
Our Toastmaster, Ronnie,
kept us on track throughout
the night, Michele advised us
that “You are good enough”
in her Inspiration, whilst
Table Topics saw the cushion
and the beach house lights as
the most swapped items.
Jenny was so excited to
receive her colouring book
that she screamed in delight
as did Liam when he opened
his gift to find a water blaster.
TJ, our guest of guest,
Matthew, received shaving
cream, however, sadly he
doesn’t shave yet. Chandana
ended up with the Orgasmatron, Mark was happy with his
glass candy jar and Fiona’s
daughter, Caitlin, grabbed the
teddy bear. Rena finally
ended up with the beach
house lights.
We had much fun jumping on
a tour bus with Jenny as the
tour guide and Mark as the
driver as we travelled to
Consulate Court, Thornlie to
witness the award winning
street of Christmas lights.
Chandana gave us a briefing
about his war on journalists
and the Media Mafia.
It was great to have Josh
back as a guest to tell us all
about his first few months in
Navy Officer training.
The wheels on
the bus go round
and round
In usual
Canning Vale
tradition, the
supper and
fellowship after
the meeting
was delicious!
Christmas Meeting
The coveted beach house
lights
I’ve been
framed
I’m not
sure I “do”
Tuscan
Seasoning!
This hat suits me
because it’s an Elf
hat. Elves make
presents and we
know that all
presents are made
in China!
Upcoming Events
First Meeting of 2016
The first meeting for 2016 will be held outdoors to enjoy the balmy
summer evening and to have a casual meeting enabling us to get
back into the swing of Toastmasters. This is also a chance to build
your skills in speaking whilst competing with outdoor noises. It will
be warm, so bring your fold up chair, esky filled with drinks and a
plate of Christmas leftovers to share.
When: Tuesday January 19th, 2016
Where: Sanctuary Waters Park, Alexandria Blvd., Canning Vale
Club Officer Training
There will be 3 opportunities to attend Club Officer Training
during February. If you are a club officer and didn’t attend the
session in December, this is another opportunity for you.
When: Saturday February 13th, 1.30pm—5.30pm
Thursday February 18th, 6pm—10pm
Sunday February 21st, 1.30pm—5.30pm
Where: The Innovation Centre, Technology Park, Bentley
Speech Contests
Our Club International and Evaluation Speech Contests and the
Area Final will all be held early in the new year. You need to have
completed at least six speeches from the Competent Communication Manual to compete in the International Speech contest. If you
would like to compete or perform a contest Chair role in any of
these contests, Please advise Prem ASAP.
When: International - Tuesday February 16, 2016
Evaluation - Tuesday February 23, 2016
Area Finals - Tuesday March 1, 2016
Where: Canning Vale College
Tip of the Month
Five New Year's Resolutions That Will
Change Your Life
1: Smile more. It is well known among social psychologists
now that the simple act of smiling can make you happier and
healthier, even if your smile is a forced one—so practice
more in 2016!
Smiling works for another more obvious
reason—it is contagious, literally.
2: Maintain a health and fitness regimen. The health impacts of regular physical
exercise are widely known (and very important to your success as a leader). But, in
addition to reducing stress, fighting disease and improving mood, energy and sleep,
getting regular exercise and eating healthier can also make you appear to be a better
leader. In fact, according to Harvard Business Review, healthy-looking individuals are
perceived as better leaders than even intelligent-looking people.
3: Schedule personal time. That’s right, schedule your personal time. Many of us are
used to scheduling, but for some reason only seem to do so in the context of work
(e.g., meetings, project deadlines, etc.). However, there is a growing body of evidence
suggesting that the most productive people are not actually the busiest but rather those
who prioritize their free time—for personal passions, for family, for activities completely
unrelated to their jobs.
4. Don’t commit to things you can’t do. There’s quite a bit of literature out there about
the fake-it-until-you-make-it mentality—that is, committing to things outside your comfort
zone in an effort to grow and improve. But in this case, I’m referring more to those
activities you just know you can’t do. Can’t make it to dinner with your friend next week
but prefer to say ‘maybe’ so you can delay the disappointment? Just say you can’t. Not
overextending yourself will save you time and consternation down the road, and when
you do commit, you’ll actually follow through—and become known as a person whose
word means something.
5. Use your calendar. One of the best ways to stay on top of your goals is to
schedule—relentlessly. Managing your to-do list in an online calendar will help you miss
fewer deadlines, keep you organized, and ensure that you are prioritizing your most
important tasks. Key non-work items to schedule include seeing family and friends,
reading the news and books, engaging in personal hobbies and checking personal
finances.
Don’t Just Set, Maintain
Success with resolutions, as with business objectives, isn’t
merely about setting goals but maintaining them. Come up with
your own system to periodically monitor your progress and
assess whether a change in strategy is necessary. That requires
will power, discipline and a fluctuation in mindset between living
in the moment and planning.
This is an excerpt from an article by Shane Robinson on www.forbes.com
Member Musings
A new member’s view of our Christmas Table Topics
As a new member of Toastmasters, this type of Table
Topic was very new to me, but it was festive season and
it was time for Secret Santa. Approaching the Christmas
tree I placed my gift and saw the other presents, all of
different shapes and sizes. I was looking forward to
finding out what I will open, but not the short speech
talking about the random gift I just picked.
We were all given a small piece of paper with a number
written on it. Mine was 8, which gave me some relief, at least I won’t be the first one. In the
time we were waiting for everyone to settle down and get started, I had already thought about
some things I could talk about relating to chocolates, as I was sure there was going to be
chocolates in one of those presents or something “Christmasy”. Unfortunately for me, that
number wasn’t an order and number 8 was the first drawn out of the box.
I hesitantly walked up to the Christmas tree and picked the one that looked like chocolate, that
is, a rectangular shape. Surprise, just when I thought things would go my way, it was “Nivea for
Men Shower Gel”. Completely caught of guard, I managed to make up something and say that
I have sensitive hair, which makes no sense and I’m pretty sure it isn’t even a thing. It was
good improvising practice and everyone at Toastmasters is friendly, so stuffing up didn’t
matter. I didn’t go home with the gel though,
Michele swapped my shower gel for her
Christmas themed drinking glasses, which was
really kind of her.
This was a fun experience to have at
Toastmasters, especially if you are new and
starting out, as it wasn’t as formal as our normal
meetings.
Akash Kashyap
We meet every Tuesday
@ 6.30pm
Canning Vale College Library
Dumbarton Road
Phone: 0417915464
Email: president@toastmasterscv.com
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