Trick or Treat?

This blog is a bit late. Scary late! Was your Halloween thrilling and fun? I hope you enjoyed some part of the spooky holiday. If you don't have that Halloween spirit, then I hope you found a safe and comfortable haven in which to hide out. But for the thrill seekers, there is always plenty of scares and adventures.

A few weeks back our VP of PR lured a bold group from the Loud and the Proud, down to Reindeer Manor, where all hell broke loose! Okay... maybe it was just a few of the undead (invoked by Vincent Price) breaking into a Thriller dance. I'm not sure if that was scary, but it was very cool, and the beginning of a fun filled night. Mark Schroeder led a team of us into Reindeer Manor, the Dungeon of Doom, and the 13th Street Morgue, for a late late night of fright! Was it a trick? Well, we all seemed to make it back safe and sound. It was a great experience. Definitely a treat! Thanks Mark!

Evauate This!

We sometimes have a tendency to think about speech evaluations as only for the speakers who are being critiqued. However, we all should remember that each time we see and hear a speech evaulation, we have an opportunity to apply the positive feedback to our own speaking skills, prepared or otherwise. We should also observe the constructive criticism and use it to correct our own poor speaking habits or at least use those points to encourage our continued improvement. Our one and only, Julie Hagen (a great representative of The Loud & The Proud) has excelled at evaluating speeches, and recently won the Area 33 Evaluation contest! The photo below shows Julie in her glory as winner, sporting her Area award!

And, The Winner Is...

We have a winner! (or winners, in this case) Last week's club contest pitted some good speeches against each other. The Humorous Speech contest brought a feisty impromtu speech by Julie Hagen to contend a lone prepared speech by Rob Giles, allowing for an actual competition in humor. After listening to a great test speech, our contending evaluators (Julie, Rob, and Mark Sims) provided constructive criticism in contest mode. The winning evaluator turned out to be Julie for providing a supportive, yet constructive evaluation for our test speaker. Kudos to all contestants and especially the winners who will move on to represent The Loud & The Proud (Dallas Singles ToastMasters, Club #2912) in the Area 33 Contests on Friday, September 7th. Please stay tuned for more information regarding the time and location of the Area Contest.

Very Funny! But Let's Think About It!

Ha ha... Very funny! Yes, indeed. This week's meeting on the 23rd is sure to provide smiles, giggles, head shaking, and hopefully a few hearty laughs. The Dallas Singles ToastMasters Club contest for Humorous Speeches will take place on Thursday, giving another break from the norm. The Evaluation Contest will also take place during this Thursday's meeting, allowing contestants to break down and give feedback on the same speech. This gives great opportunity to hear different perspectives and evaluation methods which should help us grow as both evaluators and speakers. This week should be both entertaininng and enlightening. Good luck to all participants!

Let's Start... At The Ending!

Tonight's Club Meeting brings a return to normalcy for a short while. Members who attended last week's meeting found a change of pace while shifting into reverse! We started as we normally end, and ended where we normally begin. Although, it wasn't perfect, it was perfectly entertaining! The backwards agenda brought out a brilliant bag of laughs! It allowed for quite a bit more creativity and humor, leaving some of us in stitches. It also allowed for a different perspective to remind us of items that we sometimes take for granted. Ending with the Pledge Of Allegiance and Invocation was apropos as our great country allows us to express ourselves freely. We should always remember that! Toastmasters follows suit with allowing us to use and improve our freedom of speech. We had a considerable amount of fun last week, and moving forward, I am sure tonight's meeting will provide the same as we get back on track until the Club Contest in two weeks!

A Record Number of Guests!

We had 10 (yes, 10!) guests at our last meeting, which is a record! (I think the previous record was 6 guests for one of our regular meetings.)

We love New Year's Resolutions! Let DSTM help you reach your career and life goals! Many employers reimburse the cost of your Toastmasters Membership as a training expense. Check with your employer today!