Going green anytime soon?

Tuesday, December 4, 2007
9 attendees
Word of the Day – Arpeggiate

What are you planning to give as a gift this holiday season? Table Topics Master Jennifer Gill (Vice President of Membership) asked various members in attendance to kick off today’s meeting. Denise Charles makes a family favorite black rum cake over a period of weeks that is to die for; Kathy Hendry described their annual family trek to San Bernardino and being asked NOT to bring gifts; and winner Melissa Rosen (member) described being able to FINALLY get the right gift for a sister who can be very picky. Congratulations Melissa on a very funny speech off the cuff!

Those in attendance were treated to speeches by two of our most dynamic speakers, Paul Burke and Gene Hargreaves. Paul lead off with an Advanced Communication Series project (Speaking to Inform) entitled “Should your next car run on moonshine?”.

Taking a cue from the title would have been misleading because the speech wasn’t humorous. Paul took us on a journey into the world of alternate fuel vehicles (Toyota Camry Hybrid pictured on the right). Composed of a factual comparison of the current cars on the market and a glimpse at what is around the corner, he laid out the financial costs of when a purchase would pay for itself. Armed with these facts, the audience then asked questions on the topic that Paul fielded and responded to. Being a member for the past two or so years, I hadn’t seen a presentation in this format which made it all the more interesting.

Our closing act today was Gene Hargreaves (Treasurer). Gene’s presentations are always on point in terms of having an emotional hook that grabs you and holds you while he spins an interesting tale. The topic today was being a coach to his and other children (entitled "I'm the Coach"). He laid out funny tips on how to deal with irate parents who’d like their child to play more or have suggestions on how you should coach. He closed by describing the feeling he gets after all these years when he sees a former player who still refers to him as “coach” - touching indeed.

Note – Tuesday’s meeting (December 11) will be the last meeting of 2007. Although we didn’t have time to organize a party, we plan to have one in 2008. Happy holidays to everyone reading this and thanks to the officers and members who have made 2007 a great year and will make 2008 an even better one for our club. Enjoy your families and friends!

A Walk in the Park

Tuesday, November 27, 2007
13 attendees

One of my favorite experiences in the work force is finding out about personal or non-essential items. By non-essential I mean details about their lives that normally wouldn’t come out during the course of our workday. Finding out that a co-worker moonlights as a nightclub singer or owns a flock of geese adds a dimension to our understanding of that person – rounds them out so to speak.

During today’s meeting we caught a glimpse into the lives of two new members to our club in the form of our featured presentations. Member doreen Morrissey delivered her icebreaker (Project 1, Competent Communicators manual). Doreen took us on a verbal journey along the path that led to her current position at Metro.

She’s currently studying to become a landscape architect and loves being outdoors. Influenced by the visionary, yet controversial parks designer Robert Moses, Growing up in New York, Doreen worked for years for the Parks and Recreation department’s pool division. Studying abroad in Japan, South America and Ireland as part of her university’s requirements, Doreen landing in Southern California working in an Art Museum and continuing studies at Cal Arts in Valencia.

Doreen quickly got over nerves and as the story unfolded utilized good hand gestures and moved well around the podium. A very good first speech indeed!

In addition, member James Tu shared the story of his battle with cancer in Project 2, Organizing Your Thoughts. James took us on a compelling journey through his battle with the disease and its potential causes as well as ways he has modified his lifestyle to address it. Griping and informative, we all left the gathering with a better understanding of the disease.

Table topics master Joe Simpson (Club President) asked Kathy Hendry (Secretary), member Jay Fisgus and Raynard Price to speak on various aspects of the holiday season.

Another great meeting; see you next week.