A great speech often just boils down to “show and tell.”

Remember this great tradition from elementary school? Every day one kid brought something from home and gave a short presentation about it. (Four to six minutes, red light at six, watch yer ‘um’s and ‘ah’s.) It was always a highlight of the morning, whether the item under study was the kid’s mom’s priceless brooch or something the cat coughed up. Because whatever the thing was, the kid found it fascinating. And because the kid found it fascinating, so did the listeners. The enthusiasm built the connection.

Toastmasters works that way, too. At this week’s meeting, Jonathan, former VanCore president and one of the most experienced members, schlepped in his own “show and tell” prop. It looked like a wooden fence post. Or maybe a small totem poll. It was, in fact, an authentic “claim stake.” This is what miners in British Columbia used to pound in the ground to mark the territory they planned, and had the legal right, to dig.

These days prospectors don’t use claim sticks; rather their legally purchased territory is duly recorded by GPS and marked on a map. But the moment Jonathon plunked that hunk of wood on the table, his listeners were in his hands. He had staked his claim on their imagination, and from this historical touchstone he expertly led everyone up through time to the present day in a fascinating overview of how nature’s underground spoils are divvied up now.

Please note that next week only we have a different meeting place. Please DON’T come to 889 Pender as usual. We will be meeting at Murchie’s coffee house, a couple of doors east, same side of the road. Address is 825 W. Pender. That’s the north side between Hornby and Howe. VanCore will treat for warm drinks and goodies.

See you there!