New Officer Announcement

Hello Mudslingers,

Additional officers were voted into your Mudslingers Executive Committee last Thursday.

Art Leuterman as VP Membership

Nathan Rife as VP Public Relations

Patrick Tyczynski as Sergeant of Arms

Please congratulate them.

Please sign up for roles for this Thursday’s meeting, or indicate if you will not be there, so the assigning of empty roles will be easier. Hopefully we will have a full roster today.

Thanks to everyone, especially the new officers, for your contributions and support of our Toastmasters club.

Best regards,

Bethicia

President of M-I SWACO Mudslingers

Applaud for Applause

picture courtsy of  CMT

To the seasoned member, hearing applause at a Toastmasters meeting is nothing unusual. To new members and guests, it can be, well a little strange at times.  After all, applause is expected for speakers and award recipients, but for average people just walking to a podium for a minute or two in a meeting ? Isn't that a little too much?

Well, maybe you will change your opinion when you consider why we clap for the little things as well as the big things.

Reason # 1: We applaud to encourage people to keep on doing what they are doing which is becoming better speakers and role-takers. Admit it. Having people cheer you on keeps you motivated and makes you feel good.

Reason # 2: We applaud to demonstrate our "thank you" to the people  who volunteer to speak to us or conduct  roles that help our meetings be successful and enjoyable. Nothing is as disappointing as attending any type of meeting where no one participates or has anything interesting they want to share. We want the participants to know we appreciate their efforts.

Reason # 3: We hate awkward silence. Yes, we applaud to help us transition us over from one portion of the meeting to the other in a lively way. Why not?  We get a chance to invigorate ourselves through motion while one person leaves the front of the room to make room for the other to take over the meeting.

Reason #4: We applaud to keep the positive energy flowing. Come to a meeting and you will feel it in the room!

Now that you know why we applaud so much in our Toastmasters meetings, you may still find it a little crazy that we clap so much for the first few meetings.  BUT after awhile, don't be surprised when you find yourself clapping a long and liking it. It is contagious.

Heck, you may even find yourself smiling more.

submitted by Carolina Little

Keeping the Commitment: A promise to yourself

This is  an excerpt taken from the Toastmaster International Successful Club Series script. This is a summary of what the presentation will be over tomorrow.

Being a Toastmaster isn't just a matter of paying dues every six months. It takes time, commitment and effort to recieve the benefits that made you sign up in the first place. These benefits might include-but are not limited to- improved public speaking skills, leadership development and the camaraderie that exists within the Toastmasters setting. But whatever you are looking for in Toastmasters club, you'll have a far better chance of finding it if you are aware of and practice the principles which make up "A Toastmasters Promise."

This promise is not just to your fellow club members or to the organization of Toastmasters International; it is a promise to yourself.  Given the turnover rate of other promises-such as New Year's Resolutions, for example- it's probable that you won't always be letter-perfect in fulfilling each aspect. But it is a code to aspire to, and the more consistent you are in following its precepts, the more you will benefit from the Toastmasters experience.

I look forward to seeing you tomorrow to revisit A Toastmasters Promise. Tomorrow's meeting will be held in our new regularly scheduled meeting location, the Knowledge Center at noon. 

Carolina R. Little
Vice President of Education

And Away We Go!

Thanks to all you Mudslingers and guests who attended yesterday's meeting and Lunch and Learn sponsored by the Completion Technology group. It seems all had a good time! It was really nice to see fresh faces in the crowd. Guests always inspire new energy in our group.

A special thanks to Guido Rivas, V.P. of HR, Kenny Helmer, Director of Career Development and Training, and Matt Morey, our Area Governor for attending our special meeting and offering us their support and encouragement.

The theme for yesterday's meeting was appreciation. The word of the day was grateful. And I  am full of appreciation for our club and what it offers and very grateful to all  of our members for keeping our club moving forward and a joy to belong to.

Have a great weekend and remember to sign up for roles for next week's meetings!

Thursday, August 18th, Agenda

Hi, Mudslingers! Here is a schedule for tomorrow's Lunch and Learn and Meeting in the Knowledge Center located near Dock B of the Research and Engineering Building. Hope to see you at the Lunch and Learn, Meeting, or both!

Date: Thursday, August 18 Location: Knowledge Center Library


Schedule of Events


Event 1: Lunch and Learn
Time: 11:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.


Break: 12:00 p.m. to 12:10 p.m.


Event 2: Toastmaster International Meeting
Time : 12:10 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Please remember to bring your Competent Leader books with you if you would like to get credit for your role. If you forget, remember to bring it to the next meeting for a signature. If you do not have an evaluator for your role, I will evaluate you as well as sign for you.

Can hardly wait to see you there!

Educational Moment: August 4, 2011 Presentation

For those of you who could not attend this past Thursday's meeting, here is a video of the educational presentation.

This is also a great example of  using video recordings to improve presentations. From this video of my presentation, I can see that I slouch too much and I had a lot of run on sentences. I can also see that the camera did indeed add on 10 pounds!  Ugh.

The presentation was 23 minutes in length, so you may want to watch it in increments. Also, it is slow to watch at work, so I highly recommend watching in the comfort of your own home when you have nothing else better to do.

Have a great weekend, Mudslingers!

                                                   Part 1 of 2

                                              Part 2 of 2

Please feel free to add comments over my presentation and questions over the educational goals.