Discipline and Commitment

Hello Everyone -  On the marvellously warm spring evening of May 21st, Laurie Stapleton ably chaired our meeting (her first time as chair!) and chose "Discipline Yourself" and "Commitment" as the theme and word of the meeting respectively.  Laurie pointed out that discipline is critical to success and it takes commitment to be disciplined.  We all need that reminder from time to time. 

We were delighted to welcome three guests this evening; Andrew from Bolton, Svetlana from Caledon and Elena from Bolton.  Andrew participated in Table Topics  Way to go Andrew!  We hope to see all three again as we have a history of turning guests into members. 

Table Topics Master Eva Britton asked us to respond to telemarketers who always seem to call at supper time.  Members had imaginary phone conversations with people selling windows and doors, credit card companies pitching promotions and Boris the mover.   Tom Wildfang won the ribbon in this portion of the program. 

There were three announcements this evening.  Brendan Dineen brought a flyer publicizing the District 86 fall conference, to be held November 13-15 at Blue Mountain Inn in Collingwood.  Toastmasters conferences are fun filled learning experiences so do attend if you possibly can.  Register early to take advantage of the early bird registration fee. 

Speaking of learning, Eva Britton announced two upcoming officer training opportunities on June 6 and June 19.  Check out the District 86 website for more details.  These sessions are not just for club officers.  If you thinking of taking on an executive role in future, attending a training session will give you an idea of what each role requires.  The fee for these sessions is minimal.  Check out the website for more information, www.toastmasters86.org.

Lorraine Van Wagner encouraged members to take advantage of the Bolton Farmers Market, set to begin on June 18 on the grounds of the community centre.  Bring along your reusable bags and coolers and scoop up some locally grown food. 

We heard two speeches this evening.  Jim DeCarolis paid tribute to our four legged friends and family members in a speech entitled, "Give Pets a Chance".  Jim brought our attention to the plight of unwanted, abused and abandoned animals noting they are "as vulnerable as a poorly bound book".  Jim' speech contained some interesting statistics.  Did you know that 33% of dogs are purebred whereas only 3% of cats are? 

Eric Solowka, in his fourth icebreaker speech, paid  tribute to his late father in a presentation entitled "Tools of the Hand".  Despite some significant disadvantages, Eric's dad had the courage to pursue goals and the will to create and build a company.  He made things happen. 

Thanks to Sergeant at Arms Terence Canastraro who set up the room even though work prevented him from staying for the meeting.  Tom Wildfang has set a new standard as quizmaster with his use of multiple choice questions.  It keeps us actively listening and on our toes. 

Our next meeting, June 4th, will consist of three mini meetings designed to give people a chance to experience roles perhaps they haven't tried before.  Be sure to bring along your CL (Competent Leader) manuals.

See you all on June 4th.  Cheers - Lorraine Van Wagner, Webmaster