Meeting location on October 26th

We are meeting in Skybridge C (our old room) today.

See  you there!

Coming up: The Leadership '11 Conference, November 5th

 

The Leadership '11 conference is scheduled for Saturday, November 5^th at 8:00 am. The conference link describes the program events, speakers, food selections, registration, etc.  Note that October 25^th is the date for maximum registration savings.

Also, at last week’s downtown Division Speech Contest Glenn Bridger of the Sunrise TM club won first place Table Topics.  Glen will be competing at the upcoming District 7 Leadership '11 Conference on November 5th and would really appreciate Area 71 support.

Just one more reason to attend the District 7 Leadership '11 Conference!

Mezzanine 5

Tomorrow’s meeting will be in Mezzanine 5 – the middle floor between the Bridge and the Plaza. 

See you tomorrow!

Our new member, Bianca Eskelson, says hi!

Fellow Toastmasters, my name is Bianca Eskelson and I work as a Research Associate for OSU’s College
of Forestry. You may wonder what I am doing in Portland. Well, I followed my husband up here and
work remotely, which has advantages and disadvantages. I joined Toastmasters in June 2009 because
I have to give many presentations and teach classes as part of my job and I was looking for a way to
practice my public speaking skills in a friendly environment. Actually, joining Toastmasters was a New
Year’s resolution and it took me six months to finally attend a meeting. In my free time I enjoy baking,
gardening, hiking, playing music, and judo. Although I love the Pacific Northwest and even enjoy the
rain, I do miss good bread and good chocolate!

Tip of the Week: What makes a good Thought of the Day?

One of the best things about our club is the huge variety of backgrounds and experiences we bring to each week’s meeting. It is that huge pool of perspectives that make the Thought of the Day work very well on its own merits. 
Here are a couple of sideboards for the speaker to use in preparing the Thought of the Day – write and rehearse the speech so it is 1-2 minutes long, and try to tie the speech to the meeting’s theme.  Prepare for the Thought of the Day as if it was a “mini” regular speech – write, rehearse, edit, etc.  The result will be a thoughtful and entertaining short speech that both you and the club will benefit from.

Our new member, Robert Scott, says hi!

“This is Robert Scott,” is how I now answer my “work phone.”  I have never had a work phone until recently, at least not dedicated to me.  I never needed one because my past employment included production and operations, manufacturing, hospitality, even sales, but nothing that required true professional communication.  Things have changed since I graduated law school and passed the Oregon bar.  I am now in the stage of building my legal practice and learning how to be a good lawyer, neither of which, I have come to learn, are taught in law school.  

I am exceedingly fortunate to work for Immix Law Group PC, unquestionably the greatest law firm in the world.  We are a boutique firm that specializes in serving entrepreneurs, investors, and small and growth-stage businesses.  Immix is the perfect fit for me as I am entrepreneurial by nature, having started my first business at age twenty.  The most important part of my job is helping our clients navigate business and legal pitfalls, thereby leaving them free to focus on the important things, like running a company.  To do my job well, I must clearly, concisely, and confidently communicate with our clients and other professionals.  I am hoping that Toastmasters can help me become a better speaker, a better listener, and thus a better advocate and adviser.  

During the few rare hours I am away from work, I enjoy relaxing with my wife and friends, which often includes kayaking, camping, fishing, weightlifting, or golf.

Tip of the Week: What Is That Leadership Manual???

You know that Leadership Manual you received with your Communications Manual after you joined Electric Toaster (you received it for free if you joined in the last year)?  Have you looked through it lately?  Even if you don’t intend to work through the Leadership Track of Toastmasters, the Competent Leader Manual is a great way to sharpen your skills in listening, evaluation, and group leadership.  Please bring your CL Manual to every meeting and work in one of the projects – most of them are the daily roles that we fill, such as serving as Timer, Grammarian, or Toastmaster.  Give your manual to the person sitting next to you to evaluate your work that day – it only takes a couple of minutes!  And as an incentive, in an undisclosed a near-future meeting, I will give a special treat to everyone in attendance with a CL Manual!

Leadership '11, registration is now open

Note from Lisa F. Hutton, Leadership ’11 Marketing:

 

The D7 Fall Conference, Leadership '11, registration is now open. Toastmaster members can register by October 24th, for only $85!

The conference is November 4th and 5th at the Oregon Convention Center. For more information and to register, go to www.OregonLeaders.com