SSttaayyiinngg iinn FFooccuuss -...

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Staying in Focus November 2014 Page 1 3333G8 Volume 3, Issue 11 Contents Page Kahlil Gibran on Talking 1 President’s Message 2 Editor’s Eloquence 2 Grammar Definitions 3 HD Contest Photos 4 Pronunciation Errors (cont’d) 5 How to Spell ‘Potato’ 5 Knowing What Not to Do 6 Soramimis 7 Four More Rhetorical Devices 7 Words Change 8 Meeting Photos 16 th October 9 OK to Break the Rules 10 Every Cloud…. 10 Letters to the Editor 11 Everyone’s Invited! 12 Forward Planner/Events 12 Speechcraft Dates 13 District Personnel 13 FOCUS: Advancing speakers through learning, innovation and fun: by pushing, prodding and poking individuals beyond their comfort zone and through interactive workshops, to expand their speaking ability And then a scholar said, Speak of Talking. And he answered, saying: You talk when you cease to be at peace with your thoughts; And when you can no longer dwell in the solitude of your heart you live in your lips, and sound is a diversion and a pastime. And in much of your talking, thinking is half murdered. For thought is a bird of space, that in a cage of words may indeed unfold its wings but cannot fly. There are those among you who seek the talkative through fear of being alone. The silence of aloneness reveals to their eyes their naked selves and they would escape. And there are those who talk, and without knowledge or forethought reveal a truth which they themselves do not understand. And there are those who have the truth within them, but they tell it not in words. In the bosom of such as these the spirit dwells in rhythmic silence. When you meet your friend on the roadside or in the market-place, let the spirit in you move your lips and direct your tongue. Let the voice within your voice speak to the ear of his ear; For his soul will keep the truth of your heart as the taste of the wine is remembered. When the colour is forgotten and the vessel is no more. S S t t a a y yi i n n g g i i n n F F o o c c u u s s Focus Advanced Toastmasters Club News and Events November 2014 Club 2173599, Area 34, District 70 The Prophet Kahlil Gibran On Talking

Transcript of SSttaayyiinngg iinn FFooccuuss -...

Staying in Focus November 2014 Page 1

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Volume 3, Issue 11 Contents

Page

Kahlil Gibran on Talking 1

President’s Message 2

Editor’s Eloquence 2

Grammar Definitions 3

HD Contest Photos 4

Pronunciation Errors (cont’d) 5

How to Spell ‘Potato’ 5

Knowing What Not to Do 6

Soramimis 7

Four More Rhetorical Devices 7

Words Change 8

Meeting Photos 16th

October 9

OK to Break the Rules 10

Every Cloud…. 10

Letters to the Editor 11

Everyone’s Invited! 12

Forward Planner/Events 12

Speechcraft Dates 13

District Personnel 13

FOCUS: Advancing speakers through learning, innovation and fun: by pushing, prodding and poking

individuals beyond their comfort zone and through interactive workshops, to expand their speaking ability

And then a scholar said, Speak of Talking.

And he answered, saying:

You talk when you cease to be at peace with your thoughts;

And when you can no longer dwell in the solitude of your heart you live in your lips, and sound is a diversion and a pastime.

And in much of your talking, thinking is half murdered.

For thought is a bird of space, that in a cage of words may indeed unfold its wings but cannot fly.

There are those among you who seek the talkative through fear of being alone.

The silence of aloneness reveals to their eyes their naked selves and they would escape.

And there are those who talk, and without knowledge or forethought reveal a truth which they themselves do not understand.

And there are those who have the truth within them, but they tell it not in words.

In the bosom of such as these the spirit dwells in rhythmic silence.

When you meet your friend on the roadside or in the market-place, let the spirit in you move your lips and direct your tongue.

Let the voice within your voice speak to the ear of his ear;

For his soul will keep the truth of your heart as the taste of the wine is remembered.

When the colour is forgotten and the vessel is no more.

SSStttaaayyyiiinnnggg iiinnn FFFooocccuuusss Focus Advanced Toastmasters

Club News and Events – November 2014

Club 2173599, Area 34, District 70

The Prophet Kahlil Gibran

On Talking

Staying in Focus November 2014 Page 2

Focus Advanced

Toastmasters 2014/2015 Committee

President: Valerie Close, ACS

VP Education: Naomi Rosenthal, DTM

VP Membership: Laurel Holterman, DTM

VP Public Relations: Alison Lavick, DTM

Secretary: Vacant

Treasurer: Cheryl Keane DTM

Sergeant-At-Arms: Greg Holterman CC

Webmaster: Greg Holterman CC

Newsletter Editor:

Anne Keeling, ACG, ALB

Philologist:

Phil Keeling, ACG, ALB

Focus meetings:

3rd and 5th Thursdays

each month (except December)

6:45pm for 7.00pm at Roseville Memorial Club, 64 Pacific Highway, Roseville

Optional to socialize and/or eat in the bistro from 6pm

Focus Advanced Toastmasters PO Box 117 Willoughby NSW 2068

Club Mission We provide a supportive and positive learning experience in which members are empowered to develop communication and leadership skills, resulting in greater self- confidence and personal growth.

A Word from Our President On the Toastmasters International website it lists the organisation’s values as; Integrity; Respect; Service; Excellence.

If I rearrange these I get the acronym RISE, an appropriate one for Toastmasters. As individuals we rise to the challenge of improving our speaking and leadership abilities, and the Toastmasters organisation gives us the opportunity and tools to rise.

A recent example of this is our Club Humorous Speech and Table Topics Contest. A number of our members rose to the challenge by becoming contestants. In our Table Topics Contest, Alison, Anne, Chris, Kenneth, Margaret and Rob were a fine representation of the standard of our club. Chris was our winner, Anne was runner-up and Kenneth won third place.

Our Club Humorous Contest gave us a Master Class in humorous speaking with Alison, Chris, Kenneth and Margaret each giving wonderful speeches. Kenneth was our winner, Chris was runner-up and Alison won third place.

I am proud of each one of these members and they should be proud of their own effort. Their speeches and act of presenting reflected each of the values of Toastmasters.

Each time we meet, whether it’s at a club meeting, contest, seminar, Speechcraft or conference, it’s an opportunity to exemplify respect, integrity, service and excellence, and RISE to the values of Toastmasters. And when we rise, we succeed.

Valerie Close, President

Editor’s Eloquence If you've ever cried over a particularly poignant verse read at a wedding or funeral, there's a good chance you’ve heard the words of Kahlil Gibran. The Lebanese-born poet, artist and philosopher, who spent most of his short life in the U.S. (he died at 48), penned some of the most popular verses of all time but little is known about him outside the land of his birth.

The Prophet has sold an estimated 100 million copies and been

translated into 40 languages since it first hit bookshelves in 1923. This is a remarkable feat, considering these sales have been almost entirely thanks to word of mouth. Even today, The Prophet, a collection of 26

prose poems in the voice of a fictitious wise man called Almustafa, sells more than 1,000 copies a year in Australia, a figure considered very strong for such an old title.

However, there is more to Gibran than The Prophet. He wrote 17 books,

in English and in Arabic, and is thought to be the third-highest-selling poet of all time, behind Shakespeare and Lao-Tzu. He was also a prolific artist who studied painting in Paris and held numerous exhibitions.

He wrote that "out of trouble and perplexity and happy anguish comes poetry that eases the heart”. Many believe this uplifting tone to his writing is at the heart of his popularity.

Sometimes, we can search far and wide for our speech inspiration, or alternately we can go within and find it. Our “voice” emerges from our thoughts to form our words and actions, encouraging us to speak the truth from our hearts.

Anne Keeling, Editor

Staying in Focus November 2014 Page 3

Created by Alison Lavick, DTM (More next month)

ALLEGORY: Figurative treatment of one subject under the guise of another.

ALLITERATION: Commencing two or more words with the same letter. “Prior preparation prevents poor performance”.

BATHOS: Ludicrous descent from the elevated to the commonplace. Insincere pathos, overdone

sentimentality.

CLICHÉ: Trite, stereotyped expression. “Trials and tribulations”, “strike while the iron is hot”.

COLLOQUIALISMS: Use of slang, vulgar or taboo words. “G'day”.

DIDACTIC: Instructive, inclined to lecture too much.

DOUBLE NEGATIVES: 2 negatives = 1 positive “/ didn't not want to go”, “It is not unnecessary”, “Don't not buy it”, “It is not uncommon”.

EUPHEMISM: Substitution of a mild, indirect or vague expression, for a harsh one. “He passed over”.

EXCLAMATION: Cry out suddenly, loudly and vehemently in surprise, protest or strong emotion.

HYPERBOLE: Exaggeration, excess, an extravagant statement used for effect.

IRONY: Literal meaning is the opposite of that given. “You look wonderful [but I don't really think you do].”

IMAGERY: Description, illustration or likeness of things - verbal pictures. “Awkward like a cow walking on ice”.

ONOMATOPOEIA: A word imitates the sound associated with the thing designated. “mopoke”, “ding a ling”.

METAPHOR: A phrase suggesting a resemblance to something it is not. “Time is a measuring rod”.

MIXED METAPHOR: Two or more metaphors produce an incongruous assembly of ideas. “The king put the ship of state on its feet”.

THE CAT'S PAJAMAS

This colloquialism first surfaced in the 1920s to describe something or someone superlatively good or top-notch and has retained its meaning for almost a hundred years. Alternative sources suggest that the phrase may come from an early nineteenth-century English tailor E. B. Katz, who apparently made the finest silk pajamas, though there is little evidence to prove this is true.

"The cat's whiskers" and "the bee's knees" are phrases with similar meaning. In the 1920s, people played with phrases that linked animals to humans, and so we find "the kipper's knickers," "the snake's hips," "the elephant's instep" and so on.

Staying in Focus November 2014 Page 4

19th

October 2014

Humorous Speech

Table Topics

Focus Advanced Contestants (Area 34)

Third Place Pauline Gilchrist

First Place Chris Davitt

Second Place

Brett Death

Second Place Adam Johnston

First Place Jeanine Sciacca

Third Place

Lyndal Eager-Tucker

Alison Lavick

Chris Daly

Staying in Focus November 2014 Page 5

More pronunciation errors that made the English language what it is today David Shariatmadari, The Guardian UK (continued from last month)

WHEN "L" GOES DARK A dark "L", in linguistic jargon, is one pronounced with the back of the tongue raised. In English, it is found after vowels, as in the words full or pole. This tongue raising can go so far that the "l" ends up sounding like a "w". People frown on this in non-standard dialects such as cockney ("the ol' bill"). But the "l" in folk, talk and walk used to be pronounced. Now almost everyone uses a "w" instead - we effectively say fowk, tawk and wawk. This process is called VELARISATION.

CH-CH-CH-CHANGES

Your grandmother might not like the way you pronounce tune. She might place a delicate "y" sound before the vowel, saying tyune where you would say chune. The same goes for other words like tutor or duke. But this process, called AFFRICATION, is happening, like it or not. Within a single generation it

has pretty much become standard English.

WHAT THE FOLK?

Borrowing from other languages can give rise to an entirely understandable and utterly charming kind of mistake. With little or no knowledge of the foreign tongue, we go for an approximation that makes some kind of sense in terms of both sound and meaning. This is FOLK ETYMOLOGY. Examples include crayfish, from the French écrevisse (not a fish but a kind of lobster); sparrow grass as a variant for asparagus in some English dialects; muskrat (conveniently musky, and a rodent, but named because of the Algonquin word muscascus meaning red); and female, which isn't a derivative of male at all, but comes from old French femelle, meaning woman.

SPELLING IT LIKE IT IS

As we've mentioned, English spelling can be a pain. That is mainly because our language underwent some seismic sound changes after the written forms of many words had been more or less settled. But just to confuse matters, spelling can reassert itself, with speakers taking their cue from the arrangement of letters on the page rather than what they hear. This is called SPELLING PRONUNCIATION. In Norwegian, "sk" is pronounced "sh". So early English-speaking adopters of skiing actually went shiing. Once the rest of us started reading about it in magazines we just said it how it looked. Influenced by spelling, some Americans are apparently starting to pronounce the "l" in words like balm and psalm

(something which actually reflects a much earlier pronunciation).

My head is spinning now, so it's over to you. Which words do you mispronounce, and to which common mispronunciations do you think we should resign ourselves?

Send your response to the Editor with your suggestion! A prize will be awarded for the most creative/original submission. Closes 14th November.

Staying in Focus November 2014 Page 6

.

Knowing What Not to Do

(Continued) By Jacquelyn Smith Submitted by Amanda Keeling

Here are another four public speaking habits presenters should avoid at all costs, along with their

potential consequences and remedies: 7. Not inspiring. Even more vital to persuasion than Logos, says Aristotle, is Pathos, which includes the right-brain activities of emotions, images, stories, examples, empathy, humour, imagination, colour, sounds, touch, and rapport, Price says. "Tomes of studies show human beings typically make decisions based on emotions first (Pathos); then, we look for the facts and figures to justify it (Logos). Audience members do the same. With your words, actions, and visuals, seek first to inspire an emotion in them (joy, surprise, hope, excitement, love, empathy, vulnerability, sadness, fear, envy, guilt). Then, deliver the analysis to justify the emotion". An engaging, memorable, and persuasive presentation is balanced with both information and inspiration. "It speaks to the head and the heart, leveraging both facts and feelings," she says. 8. Lack of pauses. Many speakers have the bad habit of rushing through their content. Like a runaway train, they speed down the track out of control unable to stop and turn at critical junctures. The causes are often anxiety, adrenalin, or time constraints, Price says. "Regardless of the reason, the three times you definitely want to pause include: before and after you say something very important which you want your audience to remember; before and after you transition from one key talking point to the next; and between your opening, main body and closing." When you consciously use silence as a rhetorical device, you'll come across as more self- confident, your message will be more impactful, and your audience will remember more of what you say. 9. Not crafting a powerful opening. According to Plato, ‘The beginning is the most important part of the work.’ “Yet, it's a common bad habit for speakers to waste those precious opening seconds rambling pointlessly, telling a joke, reading an agenda, apologizing needlessly, all of which fail to grab the audience's attention and motivate them to listen," she says. “You, your message, and your audience deserve much more.” So, open with a bang. Invest the thought, time and effort to craft and memorize ‘the most important part of the work.’ For example, tell an engaging relevant story; state a startling statistic; or ask a thought-provoking question. 10. Ending with Q&A. There's a good chance you've heard a speaker end an otherwise effective presentation with an abrupt, 'That's it. Any questions?' "For the audience, it's like a firework with a wet fuse, otherwise known as a dud,'" Price says. "Your grand finale is your last chance to reinforce your key points, ensure the memorability of your message, and motivate the audience to action. Avoid the bad habit of closing on Q&A, which risks ending your presentation on a non-climatic down-in-the-weeds topic." It's fine to invite the audience's comments and questions; however, be sure to end strongly. "Craft an effective three-part closing where you deliver a strong summary; present a call-to- action; and conclude with a powerful closing statement. Develop the habit of saying last what you want your audience to remember most," she concludes. Cartoon courtesy Iain Gorry From and Alison from

Iain

Staying in Focus November 2014 Page 7

More Soramimis (or Deliberate Mondegreens) By David Astle

Sydney Morning Herald

Sorry to break the news, but the Dancing Queen cannot feel the beat of her tangerine. While Bob Marley shot the sheriff, and never sat in the sherbet. The curse is called a mondegreen, a lyric distorting between ear-drum and brain. The scourge has only grown as modern songs cram more words into tighter remixes. Even our national anthem has an alter-ego. Next time the band strikes up, try this B-side: "Australians all eat ostriches, four minus one is three; With olden royals, we're fair and loyal - our home is dirt by sea. The lambs abound on nature strips in booties stitched with care ... " To be pedantic, this offshoot is more a soramimi, or deliberate mondegreen. Soramimi is Japanese for air-ear - a creative manipulation of lyrics. For a good example, and good laugh, look for Benny Lava

and other Bollywood soramimis on Youtube.

FOUR MORE RHETORICAL DEVICES

Procatalepsis: Anticipating an objection to your case, and dealing with it in advance. For example

"Some people argue that speakers should never speak for free, since it devalues their skill. However, there are times when it make sense, as I shall now explain".

Anacoluthon: A sudden break in the grammatical structure of a sentence. For example: "I drove up to my house, and noticed the lights were on, though I'd turned them off when I left – are you still with me here?"

Paronomasia: Punning wordplay, including homophonic or homographic puns, both of which are

included in this example: "You can tune a guitar, but you can't tuna fish. Unless of course, you play bass”.

Auxesis: Exaggeration often with sequential enhancement. Here's an example:"You found my phone? You are a gent, a prince, a god!"

This information was written by Alan Stevens, and originally appeared in "TheMediaCoach", his free weekly ezine, available at www.mediacoach.co.uk

Staying in Focus November 2014 Page 8

Twelve more words that once meant something very different

TED Guest Author

9. Naughty: Long ago, if you were naughty, you had naught or nothing. Then it came to mean evil or

immoral, and now you are just badly behaved.

10. Eerie: Before the word eerie described things that inspire fear, it used to describe people feeling

fear — as in one could feel faint and eerie.

11. Spinster: As it sounds, spinsters used to be women who spun. It referred to a legal occupation before it came to mean “unmarried woman” — and often not in the most positive ways, as opposed to a bachelor …

12. Bachelor: A bachelor was a young knight before the word came to refer to someone who had

achieved the lowest rank at a university — and it lives on in that meaning in today’s B.A. and B.S degrees. It’s been used for unmarried men since Chaucer’s day.

13. Flirt: Some 500 years ago, flirting was flicking something away or flicking open a fan or otherwise

making a brisk or jerky motion. Now it involves playing with people’s emotions (sometimes it may feel like your heart is getting jerked around in the process).

14. Guy: This word is an eponym. It comes from the name of Guy Fawkes, who was part of a failed

attempt in 1605 to blow up the Parliament building in London. Folks used to burn his effigy, a “Guy Fawkes” or a “guy,” and from there it came to refer to a frightful figure. In the U.S., it has come to refer to men in general.

15. Hussy: Believe it or not, hussy comes from the word housewife (with several sound changes,

clearly) and used to refer to the mistress of a household, not the disreputable woman it refers to today.

16. Egregious: It used to be possible for it to be a good thing to be egregious: it meant you were distinguished or eminent. But in the end, the negative meaning of the word won out, and now it means that someone or something is conspicuously bad — not conspicuously good.

17. Quell: Quelling something or someone used to mean killing it, not just subduing it.

18. Divest: 300 years ago, divesting could involve undressing as well as depriving others of their

rights or possessions. It has only recently come to refer to selling off investments.

19. Senile: Senile used to refer simply to anything related to old age, so you could have senile maturity. Now it refers specifically to those suffering from senile dementia.

20. Meat: Have you ever wondered about the expression “meat and drink”? It comes from an older

meaning of the word meat that refers to food in general — solid food of a variety of kinds (not just animal flesh), as opposed to drink.

Contributed by Laurel Holterman

Staying in Focus November 2014 Page 9

Focus Advanced Hall of Fame

Meeting

16th October 2014

Best Speaker Laurel Holterman

Graham Blandy 6th

Best Evaluator Alison Lavick

Merinda Air 3rd

Best Table Topic Naomi Rosenthal

Guest Speaker Mark Kyte

Be in Focus Award Valerie Close

Staying in Focus November 2014 Page 10

An excerpt from

Some 'Grammar Rules' it's OK to Break (sometimes) (Part 2 – continued from October newsletter) Steven Pinker: The Guardian, Friday 15 August 2014

Sent in by Alison Lavick

Very Unique They say you can't be a little bit married or a little bit pregnant and purists believe that the same is true

for certain other adjectives. One of the commonest insults to the sensibility of the purist is the expression "very unique" and other phrases in which an "absolute" or "incomparable" adjective is modified by an adverb of degree such as "more", "less", "somewhat", "quite" or "almost". The purists say something is either unique (one of a kind) or not unique, so referring to degrees of uniqueness is meaningless. Nor can one sensibly modify "absolute", "certain", "complete", "equal", "eternal", "perfect" or "the same". One may not write, for instance, that one statement is "more certain" than another, or that an apartment is "relatively perfect".

A glance at the facts of usage immediately sets off Klaxon horns. Great writers have been modifying absolute adjectives for centuries, including the framers of the American Constitution, who sought "a more perfect union". Many of the examples pass unnoticed by careful writers, including "nothing could be more certain" and "there could be no more perfect spot". Though the phrase "very unique" is universally despised, other modifications of "unique" are unobjectionable, as when Martin Luther King wrote, "I am in the rather unique position of being the son, the grandson and the great grandson of preachers".

Here is the flaw in the purists' logic. Uniqueness is not like pregnancy and marriage; it must be defined relative to some scale of measurement. I am told that all snowflakes are unique and so they may be under a microscope, but frankly, they all look the same to me. Conversely, each of the proverbial two peas in a pod is unique if you squint hard enough through a magnifying glass. Does this mean that nothing is unique, or does it mean that everything is unique? The answer is neither: the concept "unique" is meaningful only after you specify which qualities are of interest to you and which degree of resolution or grain size you're applying. Calling something "quite unique" or "very unique" implies that the item differs from the others in an unusual number of qualities, that it differs from them to an unusual degree, or both. In other words, pick any scale or cutoff you want and the item will still be unique.

This doesn't mean that you should go ahead and use "very unique". "Very" is a soggy modifier in the best of circumstances and the combination with "unique" grates on enough readers that it's wise to avoid it.

Part 3 to appear in the December issue

EVERY CLOUD HAS A SILVER LINING

In every situation, no matter how seemingly hopeless and gloomy, there is always some redeeming brightness to be found if one takes the trouble to look for it – "while there's life, there's hope."

This optimistic guidance to look on the bright side has been around since Roman times (although one Latin proverb reads, "After the sun, the clouds").

The phrase is thought to have its origins in Milton's Comus (1634): the lady, lost in the wood, resolves not to give up hope and says:

“Was I deceived or did a sable cloud

Turn forth her silver lining on the night?”

Staying in Focus November 2014 Page 11

Recent Letters to the Editor …. Anne, thanks, Love your work! David Cassey, President, Roseville Toastmasters (27th Sept)

Hi Anne, What a great newsy letter you produce, as a member of Balgowlah TM, I'm jealous of your marketing prowess...Congratulations, I love reading these productions... have to get our club onto it... Regards, Greg (27th Sept).

Hi Anne, Thanks for the latest Newsletter from Focus Advanced – as always educational and very professional. Best Regards, David Fisher DTM District 70 Governor (29th Sept) Anne, Always a pleasure! Thanks for including me - I enjoyed, but some of the language helped me enhance a proposal I am working on. Excellent! Hope you are well and happy birthday this month! Felycia Sugarman, New York (1st Oct)

Dear Focus members, Unfortunately my work commitment on Thursday evenings is to continue for a while yet. I regret offering my resignation from such a vibrant and progressive club. I was privileged to be a member since chartering and the experience has led me further than I could have imagined. I was challenged beyond my scope only to find that my confidence has soared. Now when faced with a difficult question or situation I see it as another vine for a thirsty grape. Focus is an asset to anyone wanting to discover what they are really capable of. The members are inspiring, the meetings well conducted and the content brilliant. Thank you to everyone that gave me a smile, an encouraging evaluation and belief that yes, I can do it. Sincerely, Cheryl Brown (14th Oct)

Hi Anne, Your newsletter is an educational experience in English. I love it. I read every word and file every copy. I continue to be impressed and look forward to receiving your newsletter each month. Best wishes, Jan Vecchio, DTM, Chief Ambassador Revitalized Education Program (14th Oct) Dear Anne and Phil, Our meeting on Thursday October 16 was excellent. I am sorry you missed it. Mark Kyte from Miranda Toastmasters gave an excellent educational on stagecraft. He dexterously fielded a number of questions which indicated just how interested in the topic the members were.

After highlighting the core values of Toastmasters International, Valerie Close conducted a memorable Table Topics requesting each person to speak on their core values (and the winner was Naomi Rosenthal). Several chose to speak on honesty. It was inspirational for us all. The general evaluator questioned whether it consisted of impromptu speaking when all were given notice of the topic, however a number of us agreed to disagree!

Also, one speaker gave me an example of a mixed metaphor – as a grammarian they are so difficult to detect. Speaking of their Toastmasters journey they stated that it had ‘ebbed and flowed’. The speaker’s evaluator noted that water ebbs and flows but not journeys! In all, an inspirational and educational meeting. Sorry you weren’t there.

Alison Lavick, Speechcraft Coordinator (18th October)

Staying in Focus November 2014 Page 12

Future Events

District 70 Semi Annual Conference, 8th -10th November, Liverpool Catholic Club

Speakers Forum, 23rd November, 9:00am - 12:00pm, Bankstown Sports Club

Sunday Seminar, 23rd November, 1:00pm - 4:00pm, Bankstown Sports Club

Speakers Forum, 1st March 2015, 9:00am - 12:00pm, Bankstown Sports Club

Sunday Seminar, 1st March 2015, 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm, Bankstown Sports Club

District 70 Annual Conference, 15th-17th May 2015, Bankstown Sports Club

Speakers Forum, 21st June 2015, 9:00am - 12:00pm, Bankstown Sports Club

Sunday Seminar, 21st June 2015, 1:00pm - 4:00pm, Bankstown Sports Club

District 90 Commences, 1st July 2015

Focus Advanced Forward Planner

November 20 Easy Speak December 18 Christmas Meeting January 15 Club Meeting January 29 International Speech & Evaluation Contests February 19 Importance of Mentoring (Martin Griffiths) March 19 Speech Creation

FFooccuuss AAddvvaanncceedd CChhrriissttmmaass MMeeeettiinngg

When: 18th December 2014, 6:00pm. Where: Cromer Who: All Staying in Focus readers are welcome.

What: Short on Agenda and long on socializing. Bring a plate and a Kris Kringle. How: RSVP to Valerie Close at: [email protected] Why: Because actions speak louder than words. It’s time to celebrate friendship.

Please put this date in your diary now! Detailed invitation next issue.

Staying in Focus November 2014 Page 13

Toastmasters International Mission We empower individuals to become more effective communicators and leaders.

Values • Integrity • Respect • Service • Excellence

Envisioned Future

To be the first-choice provider of dynamic, high-value, experiential communication and leadership skills development.

Staying in Focus

The views expressed in this newsletter do not necessarily reflect the official policy of Toastmasters International nor Focus Advanced Toastmasters Club. All care is taken to check details reproduced in these pages, but no responsibility is taken for

inaccuracies.

Editor: Anne Keeling, 0418-272-564, [email protected] Publisher: Valerie Close, 0423 422 414, [email protected]

Website: www.focusadvancedtm.org.au

Beginners’ Speechcraft 2014-2015 Saturdays - Club Willoughby, 9:00am – approximately 4:00pm

Planned dates:

15th November; 29th November 2014 Chatswood Communicators & Focus Advanced 31st January; 14th February 2015 Chatswood Communicators 14th March; 28th March 2015 Focus Advanced 18th April; 2nd May 2015 Roseville 13th May; 13th June 2015 Chatswood Communicators 1st August; 15th August 2015 Chatswood Communicators 12th September; 26th September 2015 Focus Advanced 31st October; 14th November 2015 Roseville Investment $300 Contact: Alison Lavick at: [email protected], or on: 0406 99 99 44

District 70/90 Personnel 2014-2015

District 70 Governor – David White DTM Hawkesbury Division Governor – Shirley Childs ACG ALB Area 34 Governor – Marianne Moore ACG ALB Lt Governor Education and Training (North) – Bob Kirchner DTM Lt Governor Education and Training (South) – Wendy White DTM Lt Governor Marketing (North) – Michael Said ACG CL Lt Governor Marketing (South) – Rebecca Plush DTM District Secretary – Linda Said ACS ALB

Immediate Past District Governor – Joan Rinaldi DTM

Toastmasters who assist at Speechcraft are often surprised how much they learn by helping to teach others the basic techniques of speaking to an audience. The experience also equips them to become leaders or trainers themselves in the area of speechcraft, reinforcing and adding to their standing in, and contribution to their home clubs, or merely strengthening their repertoire of existing skills. If you would like to take part in a Speechcraft Course, just speak to Alison.

Staying in Focus November 2014 Page 14