Tag Archives: Vancore Toastmasters
Shuffling the deck
It’s good to do a different job now and then. People get slow and sleepy in the same role for too long; they need a new challenge to wake them up and make them stretch. You see this principle in … Continue reading
Judging the Judges
If you’re training food critics, you probably send them to Tojo’s, not McDonald’s. Critics rise to the level of the quality of what’s served to them. (In theory.) If you’re holding an evaluation contest — as VanCore did this week … Continue reading
To all the hopeless romantics…
This week, before giving the toast, Dylan made a confession: “I am a hopeless romantic.” He was about to jet off to Toronto to visit his girlfriend for a couple of weeks. He had arranged the plane ticket so that … Continue reading
Two Words: Stage Time
From the department of mixed metaphors: This week Megan knocked her “Icebreaker” out of the park. Megan’s a new-ish member but not a new member. She’s been in the club for a few months. Many of us were eagerly awaiting … Continue reading
Freedom Fighters
There are many teachers among the VanCore member pool, and Kate’s one of them. Lately Kate has been teaching the British philosopher John Stuart Mill, who has strong opinions on liberty. Mill raises fascinating questions about how much freedom the … Continue reading
Note: This Week We Meet Down the Street
VanCore members, guests and assorted curious looky-loos are reminded that we’re meeting in a temporary location this week. It’s the Eclipse Boardroom, on the 2nd floor of 1055 W. Hastings Street. That’s about two blocks northwest of our usual digs. … Continue reading
L’chaim! (“To life!”)
We all have our crutches — all of us, no matter how experienced a speaker we are. Past-president Susan’s crutch is a sometimes overdependence on notes. But Susan didn’t look at her notes even once during this week’s great speech. … Continue reading
Next Meeting at Murchie’s: Coffee’s On Us
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 … Continue reading
Say it Like You Mean It: Eunoia
Not all Toastmasters clubs include a “Word of the Day” on their weekly agendas, but VanCore does, and it’s hard now to imagine a meeting without it. There have been some obvious words, some silly ones, and some crazily obscure … Continue reading
VanCore Toastmasters 