Join fellow Toastmasters from Division E for the International and Table Topics Contest on Saturday, March 11 at Carnival Cruise Lines Headquarters. (see details below)
President Mike Molina will compete with his club and area winning speech, “Extraordinarily Ordinary.”
Date: Saturday, March 11, 2017
Time: 1:30 PM – 4:00 PM
Where: Carnival Cruise Lines
3655 NW 87th Ave
Doral, FL 33178
Congratulations to current president, Mike Molina, on his first place win at the Area 55 International Speech and Table Topics Contest.
His speech, Extraordinarily Ordinary, beat out contestants from 3 other area clubs.
Congratulations also to Sergeant at Arms and club founder, Jim Hartnett, for representing Miracle Mile Toastmasters in the Table Topics Contest.
Thanks to Club Treasurer, Christian Mesa and member, Jane Arango, for stepping up as Timers during the competition and VPPR, Elena Cobo, for acting as Ballot Counter.
Mike will go on to compete at the Division level on Saturday, March 11. See details below and make plans to come out and show your support!
What: Division E International And Table Topics Contest
Where: Carnival Cruise Lines
3655 NW 87th Ave
Doral, FL 33178
When: Saturday, March 11, 2017
Time: 1:30 PM – 4:00 PM
Cristian Stenstrom was Toastmaster of the day, leading a great meeting with a theme of “waiting for winter”. He longs for cooler weather this time of year, but living in Miami cool weather does not come around often. Fortunately, he is able to get away to ski in the mountains from time to time.
Our first speaker, Jim Hartnett, graciously volunteered to speak off-the-cuff because the scheduled speaker was unable to make it. Jim shared with us remembrances of the Biltmore before it was the “BILTMORE.” On December 7, 1941, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, starting WWII. Jim was 10 years old. During the period following our entry into WWII, the Biltmore was turned into a hospital where wounded soldiers, mostly 17-18 years old, arrived daily and were tended to with the best of care. Jim and his friends volunteered and were assigned to work the 2 bowling lanes used for rehabilitation. They were also assigned to keep track of planes flying overhead.
Speaker Two was Anna Kay Lue delivering a wonderful icebreaker. Anna Kay was born in Miami to Chinese parents. She told us her upbringing was defined by three bits of advice from her parents: 1) children should be seen and not heard, 2) eat everything on your plate, and 3) be a doctor. As a consequence she was shy as a child and only spoke when necessary. Her mother is the best cook she knows, which made it was easy to eat all her food. She started pre-med but it was not what she wanted. She graduated from college and went into web design. Her brother became a doctor so even if she didn’t become one it helps to take advice from a doctor, especially if that doctor is your brother.
The Table Topics Master was Virginia Wolber who had challenging questions.
1) Sharon Patish told us her favorite time of year is autumn, not much of it in Miami. Speaking of seasons reminded her of a time long ago when it snowed in Miami. The snow disappeared before it hit the ground.
2) Lina Draney shared with us her most memorable Christmas in 1976 when she spent the night at a friend’s house. Lina had never seen snow before. That night there was dancing and food and then bedtime. She was later awoken by her friend’s mother and led to the window and there was snow everywhere. What impressed her most was how everything was so silent.
3) Chris Wolfe shared his mission statement. Chris said it changes every year but what remains constant is that it should ensure a balance between one’s personal, family and business life.
4) Cristian Stenstrom told us his favorite winter sport is skiing, which he often gets to practice in Europe.
5) Luisa Herran told us what season most resembles her. She started out by saying it was not winter because even if it looks so lovely in postcards with the snow, it turns out to be a mess when the snow melts and people get depressed and commit suicide. However, she can definitely identify with spring which is about renewal and getting rid of the old.
6) Jane de Cardenas told us her most memorable holiday presents are the ones made by her children because they are so very precious to her.
7) Chris Nolte said he and his wife no longer exchange gifts for Xmas. They have opted to share experiences instead, which is a relief to him because she already has too many purses. He is thinking of a weekend away or longer depending on his budget.
8) Nick Zwemer has developed winter sporting skills and it is not skiing which he tried when he was younger with his brother but couldn’t quite master. However, he has developed skills in snowboarding.
9) Tu Duong told us if he could change careers he would be an engineer. He specialized in physics, but wanted to be an economist. However, his nature is more of an engineer than a business person
1st place: Chris Nolte
2nd place: Lina Draney
3rd place: Chris Wolfe
The Master Evaluator was Tu Duong who gave a great evaluation of the meeting followed by evaluations of the speeches.
Evaluator 1, Chris Wolfe indicated that Jim Hartnett’s speech was a great demonstration of impromptu speaking. Good structure, good opening, excellent voice. Suggestion for improvement: conclusion was somewhat weak. Remember to tell the audience the purpose of your speech when closing.
Evaluator 2, Alexander Moreira commented that Anna Kay gave a great icebreaker; it was very personal. The speech was well structured, great opening, and humor. It is difficult to bring humor in when doing an icebreaker. Room for improvement: voice projection (speak louder) and slow down. Also get rid of notes.
We closed by welcoming 3rd time guest, Paul Massard and 1st time guest and Tu’s wife, Hang Tran. Hope to see you in our next meeting.
THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED AT OUR LAST MEETING….
Our Toastmaster for the day was Sharon Patish who did an excellent job as TM. The theme of the meeting was LISTENING.
The 1st speaker was Jorge de Cardenas who honored us with his Ice Breaker. He opened by saying he would be sharing 3 things about himself. 1) He had no direction. We learned from Jorge that he was a B student throughout H.S. and only studied once for a test. He had no direction but fortunately due to an older brother there came a turning point. One day his brother pointed out that if he did not study he would wind up working for a fast food place. If he was fine with it then be it, otherwise he needed an education. As a result, Jorge enrolled in MDC and got all As. 2) Family: when he met his wife Jane he thought she was beautiful. They started dating but shortly thereafter he was transferred to Venezuela so they broke up. When he returned, he called her but she was seeing someone else. Jorge continued to insist and she finally said yes. He is glad he was so persistent because they have now been happily married for 17 years and have 3 children. 3) Business: Jorge graduated with a degree in Accounting. He went to work for an Auditor and learned about different industries and how the businesses are run. Jorge was particularly interested in Hedge Funds and saw an opportunity to calculate profit and loss and be transparent for a business that is difficult to understand for most. He started his own business in the field and today the company has 140 employees and $22 billion in assets under administration.
The 2nd speaker was Jody Johnson who showed us how to get into our flow and create wealth. Successful entrepeneurs focus where they are strong and unsuccessful entrepeneurs want to do everything on their own. This is why it is important to know your strengths and weaknesses. Jody presented the method to determine one’s wealth profile depending on one’s personality. There are several traits, creator/supporter/deal maker/trader/accumulator/lord/mechanic/. It is important to know what your strengths are in order to make your business successful but it is also equally important knowing your employees strengths. Jody gave the example of a client who had the LORD trait. He had no experience in the business but had the ability to see the company had 21% waste and was able to reduce wasteto 1%. Jody finished by referring us to the handouts and encouraging us to take the wealth dynamics test.
Jason Hesch was the Table Topics Master who had a unique way for contestants to LISTEN. Jason had us listen to musical themes and speak about what the melody reminded us.
1) Nick Zwemer said the theme reminded him of dinosaurs however, it was the Back to the Future theme.
2) Gonzalo Sanabria had no idea about the theme but said it reminded him of his state of mind in the morning. He has scrambled thoughts and is not always sure whether he should heed his own advice; his mind is always playing tricks on him.
3) Jane de Cardenas was not sure about the theme but said the song made her bouncy and happy and not grouchy like she feels in the morning
4) Sharon Patish thought the music was before her time, perhaps from the 40s during WWII. For a minute she thought it was something about cooking and was hoping they would throw in a recipe.
5) Alexandre Moreira said the theme reminded him of the 50s, NYC and Frank Sinatra. He was recently in NYC and was amazed being in Grand Central Station and how pleasures in life can be very small.
6) Felix Lorenzo congratulated Jason on his idea. He said he had no idea of the theme but coming from Cuba all you need are 2 hands to make noise. He listens to all types of music but never misses the opportunity to play salsa then you will see everyone dancing.
7) Ghislaine Demombynes said it was incredible how music changes your mood. She always works in silence but this reminds her how positive listening to music can be.
1st Place: Felix Lorenzo
2nd Place: Alex Moreira
3rd Place: Nick Zwemer
Master Evaluator: Lina Draney gave a thorough and positive evaluation of the meeting
Evaluator 1: Chris Wolfe evaluated Jorge de Cardenas’ Ice Breaker. Chris liked that the speech was broken into 3 parts and how Jorge explained this from the start. Good hand gestures, volume and fluctuation, likeable guy. Improvements: ums and ahs can be replaced by silence. Remove hand from pockets. Do not turn to back wall. Outstanding Ice Breaker. Jorge is a diamond in the rough.
Evaluator 2: Tu Duong evaluated Jody Johnson’s speech. He liked that she started with a question to the audience. She has a soft, clear voice and was well prepared. Jody always brings something new and makes a complex topic simple by giving a clear message. Improve: topic too long for such a short meeting.
Our President and Toastmaster, Sharon Patish welcomed new members Arlene Amitrigala and Jane de Cardenas.
Miracle Mile Toastmasters Club 