Naples Italy
NEWSLETTER October-December 2012
A Message From Our President,
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Jasandra Brown
t gives me tremendous joy to introduce to you the first edition of the Naples Toastmasters Newsletter. Our dynamic Vice President of Publicity, Virginie Silva, had the vision for this newsletter and came to me with the idea. I have to say that this executive committee is one of the most dedicated and hardworking committees I have ever had the privilege to work with as President. To our current members I want you to know that this executive committee is dedicated to helping you grow and achieve your goals in Toastmasters. We have had quite a few new and exciting changes this year. We have a new executive committee. We are now on Facebook and have been getting inquiries since its debut. We have a website that will be online soon. We had our first humorous speech competition. I see growth everywhere I look. What I don’t see is consistent growth in membership. All clubs experience highs and lows in their membership. Toastmasters does not guarantee overnight success. Growth is gradual and steady if you attend meetings regularly, participate consistently and complete manual assignments. Persistence is the key. The members who are in it to grow, learn, and meet personal goals are the ones who stick around and reap the benefits of Toastmasters membership.
In this Issue: Words from the President Page 1 Education Corner Page 2 Pictures Page 3 Member Testimony Page 4 Welcome & Congrats Page 4 Achievements Page 4 Schedule of Events Page 5 Contact & Committee Page 5
Sometimes we fail to see the many opportunities for personal growth in Toastmasters. Toastmasters is more than giving speeches. There are opportunities to work with young people (Youth Leadership), plan and execute a conference (Conference Committees), test your leadership abilities (Club and District Officer Roles), lead a professional quality seminar (Officer training and Conference Presenter), play host to important events (Toastmaster for Area, Division, or District Contests), and mentor others to be successful (Club Coach and Mentor). There are many opportunities to stretch yourself beyond your limits like the annual speech and evaluation competitions, not to mention the many advanced speaking opportunities available in the advanced manual and Leadership Projects. If you are a member, I encourage you to continue to look for opportunities within Toastmasters to grow. If you are an inactive member, I encourage you to re-commit yourself to the personal goals you developed when you joined Toastmasters. If you are a guest, consider how Toastmasters can make a difference in your life.
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Education corner by Janet Murdoch Vice President Of Education Bring out your “Kitchen Person" would like to encourage everyone to check Many professionals force themselves into the butout the Toastmasters' Web Site : ton-down and deadly serious mold – very different from the person they are at home. But most peohttp://www.toastmasters.org/ ple would rather hear the wit and warmth of that There are wonderful articles, and specific topics to relaxed person. Noted speechwriter Peggy assist in your personal development. Noonan says, “Humor is gracious and shows respect. It shows the audience you think enough of (see article below) t hem to wan t to en te rta in t hem. ”
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Toastmasters offers us much more than an opportunity to attend meetings. Why not schedule some time on your calendar once a month to check out the web site ~ Start with just 20 minutes & you'll be glad you did! —————— From an article in the Toastmaster by Dave Zielinski. : There’s more to humor than slapstick silliness and joke telling Is that joke fresh and new enough to make ‘em laugh? How do you know it won’t offend or bore your audience? And if your best joke makes people yawn, how do you keep your chin up and your clown nose on? Perhaps you’ve had a bad joke-telling experience – the audience sighed while your joke died – and you’d just as soon remain serious the rest of your life. In an article for the Toastmaster magazine, Dave Zielinski writes that you should shake off that fear. Humor’s ability to poison a presentation is exceeded only by its capacity to lift it to another level. Club # 1932007
T h e j o k e i s o n j o k e s There’s no sin in being mildly amusing instead of eye-dabbingly funny, particularly if humor is connected to your message. Of course, you should use your judgment to avoid upsetting or offending the wrong people. Relate some gentle humor to the situation at hand, and you’ll probably be right on target. Just remember, there’s more to humor than slapstick silliness and joke telling. What’s a sorry joke-teller to do? The safest jokes you can tell are about yourself. Self-effacing humor is least likely to offend others, and also finding humor in your own life will make it fresh and appropriate to the audience. It’s important to keep track of funny things that happen in your own life, especially those that relate to the messages of your speeches. But be sure that your stories are truly your own – never pretend that someone else’s story happened to you. Someone in the audience will know you’re not being honest.
To read the complete PDF Article : http://www.toastmasters.org/humor101.aspx
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TOASTMASTERS IN ACTION Participants of the Humoristic Contest on Tuesday 15th October 2012
Peggy Baker
Derrick Smith
David Carson
Your Club was at the Market Playce Saturday 20th October 2012 Thank you to Peggy Baker for her role in organizing our participation in the "Marketplace". We also want to thank all the members who helped set up, man the tables and break down the tables. It was a beautiful day of sunshine and good weather. Although the day was slow we do see this as a good opportunity to get our name out there and let people know we exist. We may doing it again in December.
THANK YOU to all our members who participated Club # 1932007
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How to make a positive investment by Leonard Augustine Immediate Past President
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hey say you should always invest in three things. Your family, home, and self. Whenever you can invest in yourself, their is always a positive
return. Two years ago, I was looking for ways to invest in myself. I chose Toastmasters International. Toastmasters is an organization designed to help people become leaders and effective communicators. Since I've joined the Naples Toastmasters Club, I have become more confident and skilled in public speaking. I believe the Naples Toastmasters Club is one of the best clubs in Italy because it helps people build, increase, and sharpen their public speaking and presentation skills. Today, many people are asking this question. How effective are leadership skills without communication skills?
Congratulations On Your Achievement
Welcome corner by Peggy Baker Vice President Of Membership
Congratulations to: David Carson
ď ’ď€ No new members for the month of October
& Peggy Baker for completing your 5th speech, you are half way to becoming a Competent Communicator
CONGRATULATIONS TO TARA KRAUSE On her new baby girl, Kennedy Krause, born on August 3rd
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MARK YOUR CALENDAR OCTOBER
NOVEMBER Toastmasters Fall Conference in Rome November 3-4
HAPPY HALLOWEEN
Speaker Showcase/Movie & Popcorn Night On the horizon...
DECEMBER Toastmaster Meeting Tuesday 4th December 18.15 Toastmaster Meeting Tuesday 18th November 18.15 Winter Social TBD
Toastmaster Meeting Tuesday 6th November 18.15 Executive Committee TBD Happy Veterans Day Wednesday 11th November Toastmaster Meeting Tuesday 20th November 18.15
MERRY CHRISTMAS
HAPPY THANKSGIVING
Don’t Forget To Like Us on Facebook : Search Toastmasters Naples Italy
naplestoastmasters@yahoo.com
Check out our website:
http://naplestoastmasters.wix.com/toastmastersnaples Naples Italy, Executive Committee: Jasandra Brown President
Tatiana Green Secretary
Janet Murdoch Vice President Of Education
Kenisha Walker Treasurer
Peggy Baker Vice President Of Membership
John Lepkowicz Sergeant At Arms
Virginie Silva Vice President Of Public Relation
Leonard Augustine Immediate Past President
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