Category Archives: Guests
What’s The Most Valuable Commodity? Stage Time!
What’s the most valuable commodity in the world? Diamond? Gold? Palladium? A Toastmaster might answer: None of the above. The most valuable commodity in the world is … stage time. When you get it, you jump. Whether your presentation is … Continue reading
Icebreaker: What Great Stories are About
Great stories are all about the “telling detail,” a specific little observation or description or scrap of dialogue that SELLS it. Lori gave her icebreaker speech at the last meeting. Around 20 years ago, Lori told us, she found herself … Continue reading
Getting out of our comfort zone
Every year for the last two Wednesdays of January, and occasionally throughout the year, we get to try out different venues when our usual location is unavailable. This is a wonderful opportunity for members and guests to experience what it’s … Continue reading
Pathways – New Education Program at Toastmasters!
Embark on a journey of personal and professional development through Pathways, Toastmasters’ new education program! Pathways is designed to help you build the skills you need to communicate and lead. It is comprised of 10 paths that teach more than … Continue reading
Vancore Toastmasters Summer Social
Remember how as a kid you marvelled: Isn’t it lucky that there’s exactly the right amount of news in the world to fit in the newspaper? Now an adult you marvel: Isn’t it lucky that there are exactly the right … Continue reading
Elocution and stuff
Rikk Wilde’s business card says he says Chevys– and he does. But what he also sells, roundabout, is Toastmasters Memberships. Three weeks ago nobody had heard of the General Motors zone manager from Kansas City. Now everybody’s heard of him … Continue reading
Why Did the Chicken Join Vancore?
What must it be like to be on one of those improv shows like Whose Line is it Anyway? You’re fed an idea and you have to go somewhere funny with it right now. Spectacular fun for the audience when … Continue reading
Steal this Table Topics Idea
VanCore president Kate has a drill she does with her ESL students to keep their language skills sharp. It goes like this: “Talk to me about bananas.” Off the student will go, on the subject of bananas, but fifteen or … Continue reading
So I Says To This Guy, Eh…
The weirdest role at any Toastmasters meeting has to be that of the “um” and “ah” counter. It’s an important job – because speakers tent not to hear their own verbal tics, so it’s valuable to be presented with the … Continue reading
A Tree in the Forest
What do you make of a guy beginning a speech with his measurements? Who does that? Maybe he’s hoping you’ll hire him to do underwear modeling. Or he’s not feeling well and has decided to order a pine casket just … Continue reading
VanCore Toastmasters 