Which is your book title?

TOASTMASTER SESION OF  06/04/2016

If this article was the first chapter of a book, the title of today would be

“Inspiring with Toastmaster.” By Sean.  

It was his first experience as Toastmaster and our sweety Sean prepared a very nice theme about what would be the title of the book about your life. It has been very inspiring and funny theme fitting in my opinion 100% with Toasmaster spirits.

The Technical team was composed by Miguel, Marc and Rayanne who remind us how important is to count and be aware of all the aha words in our improving process .

Jelena, our president, started inspiring by sharing with us how a good speaker can keep your attention during 2 hours.

First speaker:

Cristina started her third speech of manual communication book with a very motivating speech about Urban Walking. This is a real sport invented in L.A in 2004. She invited us to connect with all the benefits of this huge International movement:

It’s a healthy activity, good for cardio vascular system but also reduce anxiety, stress and depression. With Urban walking you know new places of city where you leave and it’s very cheap. Finally Cristina invited us to participate in Barcelona barnatresc walk event.

Second speaker:

Paul, a veteran Toastmaster speaker shared with us how is organized Toastmaster Club committee” through a very funny and very famous International Toast master radio show. Juan Miguel as radio show man brought a lot of humor added to Paul’s charisma. This team was just amazing.

 If Toastmarter committee was a restaurant what would be the organization?

There is the one who likes the interaction and the one who are shy.  

The shy part: 

Secretary: The President presides at meetings of the Club, 

Treasurer is responsible for Club financial policies, procedures and controls.

President: The President presides at meetings of the Club, 

The one who likes interaction

Vice president of education: Plans and directs club programs which meet the educational needs of the Club members

Vice president of public relation: Develops and directs programs that inform individual members and the general public about Toastmasters International and about Club activities.

Vice president Membership: Plans and directs programs to retain and increase club membership which is the Toastmaster head hunter. 

Paul invited his radio audience to be part of committee, and when a listener from Italy asked: how can we become president? 

Paul answered :

Be patient, go step by step and start with easer roles.  

I think that this is a very good tip to apply to all aspect to our life. 

Hugo the “dancing machine” evaluator of Cristina speech caught the audience public attention with a very detailed, constructive and organized evaluation.

Laia as Paul speech evaluator gave us Carpediem emotion with her smile. She repeated very clearly Paul’s speech objectives inviting him (and us) to play with vocal variability and insisted with the importance a good call to action adding an emotional argument at the end of the speech.

Record of table topic “volunteers”

¿If you are the main character of the book what would be your story?

As Table topic Master, Beatriz enjoyed a lot, choosing in the public 6 volunteers of table topics speeches. She also remembered us 3 tips to make the best improvisation possible: In 30seconds think about:  

1.     The introduction

2.     The body

3.     The conclusion

Isabel, Maria, Cacha, Juan Miguel, Steve, Morgane share with us their special and funny improvisation stories.

I keep in mind, the secret to live with an Idiot, is to stay at work of Juan Miguel, and “Be normal is not being normal” for Morgane.

 

General evaluation made by Mariyana  reminded us that

“Practice is the muscle of your brain.”

Jelena, closed the session with this sentence I loved.

“Is not about the mistake but about the spirit”

“¿Cómo seducir a un hombre/mujer?”

Sesión en español, 23/03/2016

El pasado miércoles 23 de marzo asistimos a una nueva y brillante sesión de toastmasters titulada “¿Cómo seducir a un hombre/mujer?” Fiel a los preceptos de Toastmasters, la sesión contó un inicio inesperado, un cuerpo estructurado y un final apoteósico.

El inicio lo protagonizó nuestra risueña presidenta de BCN TM Club Jelena.

De manera inesperada, Jelena fue sometida al siguiente table topic minutos antes del comienzo de la sesión. Puesta en escena: (i) la sala habitual no estará disponible, (ii) los utensilios del toastmasters tampoco lo estarán y (iii) los asistentes a la sesión no están avisados y ya están en camino. La sesión debe comenzar puntual a las 20.00. Tienes 30 segundos para pensar como resolverlo desde ya. …Tic-tac, tic-tac….

Y vaya si lo resolvió. Como una campeona, con la ayuda de Ramón (sargento de armas), Laia y Emilie (guardiana del tiempo).

A las 20.00 todos estábamos en la nueva sala y con un nuevo sistema alerta para controlar el tiempo basado en improvisadas tarjetas de colores. Fue entonces cuando Ramón dio comienzo oficial a la sesión Toastmasters.

La seductora Rayane fue la maestra de ceremonias (toastmaster) de la sesión “¿Cómo seducir a un hombre/mujer?” Con sus armas de seducción consiguió sonsacar a los participantes 11 trucos para seducir, que María contara un chiste y que una servidora esté escribiendo este post. Ahí es nada.

El cuerpo técnico estuvo formado por Emilie (guardiana del tiempo), Marc (contador de muletillas) e Isabel (evaluadora gramatical). De manera muy discreta, Emilie consiguió que los oradores fueran conscientes del tiempo empleado en sus discursos y que no lo sobrepasaran. A consecuencia de ello, el resto nos quedamos con las ganas de conocer su talento como palmera. Con Marc, nos dimos cuenta de un vicio muy común y muy feo al hablar, el “…nnnt…” Si no os ha quedado claro no le preguntéis. Afortunadamente para él, no lo sabe hacer y mejor que no lo aprenda. Preguntadme a mi que no lo sé escribir pero lo hago muy bien, sin pensar. Por su parte, Isabel proporcionó la palabra estrella de la sesión “coquetear” y creedme, no dejó de coquetear con las palabras en todas sus evaluaciones. Tremenda, qué hábil.

Los discursos y los discursos improvisados fueron realizados por toastmasters noveles y veteranos. Juan hizo su primer discurso “Contracorriente” y Olga su discurso número 60 “El futuro es de los valientes”. Pero antes de iniciar los discursos, Paul y Jorge (evaluadores) recordaron los objetivos que debía alcanzar cada orador con su discurso. Este recordatorio nos vino muy bien al resto de asistentes para poder escribir nuestros comentarios a sus discursos. 

Laia presentó su discurso educacional “Evaluaciones para crecer”. En menos de 2 minutos ya sedujo y persuadió a la audiencia. A través de ejemplos cercanos, de la invitación a la participación y de una amplia sonrisa, Laia logró comunicar la información y los procedimientos para elaborar una evaluación constructiva y dinámica. 

Seguidamente, Sean condujo el discurso improvisado. Con su natural simpatía puso a prueba las armas de seducción de Miguel y de Nacho. Dicho sea de paso, ambos salieron muy airosos de la situación.

El final de la sesión fue protagonizado por el discurso de Ramón.

Ramón nos regaló una original y divertida evaluación de la sesión en verso. Una autentica y detallada crónica de la sesión que fue ovacionada con un largo aplauso y numerosas sonrisas.  

Ante tal derroche de talento, humor y agudeza, esta aprendiz de blogger se quita el sombrero y se despide de este post con la transcripción del discurso de Ramón que tan amablemente ha cedido para que lo disfrutéis. No os lo perdáis!!!

Discurso de evaluación general. Sesión TM 23/03/2016

Autor: Ramón Matabosch Grifoll

Tengo que evaluar

una sesión singular:

Dos discursos y un educacional

han hecho de hoy  un día especial.

Por esta razón, en verso

voy a hacer la evaluación,

poniendo a prueba

mi capacidad de seducción

Inicio la evaluación general

y la voy a hacer como un mariscal

Al sargento de armas

dirijo mis primeras proclamas

A pesar del cambio de sala,

a las ocho estábamos

preparados para la batalla.

Con todos los inconvenientes,

la sesión ha sido convincente.

Un área de mejora:

Los powerpoint deben enviarse,

Dios mediante, unos días antes.

Felicidades Rayane,

Has sido una gran toastmaster,

conduciendo la sesión del día

con eficacia y alegría.

Tu elegancia y distinción

han dado brillo a una sesión

llena de seducción.

Hablaré de los discursos

no sea que nos hayan dado algún disgusto

Juan ha hecho su rompehielos a contracorriente,

y nos ha dejado a todos

con la sonrisa entre los dientes.

Si bien más que un “Erasmus”, creo

a Praga fue a buscar un “orgasmus”

Entre transexuales y profetas

Olga ha cumplido sus objetivos,

dejándonos a todos la mar de sorprendidos

Laia nos ha enseñado a evaluar,

y  sus consejos

seguro nos van a ayudar:

Si usamos una plantilla,

haremos una evaluación de maravilla

¿Qué decir de las evaluaciones?

Que no se hacen para tocar los cojones...

Se hacen para ayudar, y

para que el orador pueda mejorar

Paul ha sido incisivo,

y no sé si Juan

seguirá siendo su amigo

Olga, por Jorge se ha dejado evaluar,

nuestro medico particular,

y más que una evaluación

parecía una autopsia por su precisión

Sólo comentar o mejor recordar,

que no os olvidéis del público al evaluar,

pues evaluar no deja de ser un discurso

y a todos nos interesa su curso.

Sean ha preparado los discursos improvisados,

con poco tiempo lo ha explicado,

y los participantes muy bien

lo han desarrollado:

Algún participante parecía

más un veterano que un principiante

Pero siempre hay cosas a mejorar...

Por favor, esperar para entrar

a que los aplausos empiecen a sonar

no sea que vuestro ardor

despiste al orador.

También sería interesante

que la palabra del día

la usáramos con más alegría

Nada más amigos,

espero que os haya agradado esta evaluación

donde he utilizado mis armas de seducción.

Os dejaría con nuestra Presidenta,

que está la mar de contenta...

pero hoy, con su autorización,

cierro yo mismo la sesión.

(Blogger: Cristina)

“The Truth Is Out There”

I don’t know why, but I always admired people who give (or gave) great speeches, such as Steve Jobs or Martin Luther King.

There’s some kind of magnetism on them, difficult to describe.

As a blogger (yes, I am), I have several blogger friends here in Barcelona. One of them, a social skills expert, recommended me to go to Toastmasters.

When I first came to the Club, I didn’t think there was also the possibility to have meetings in English, in order to be able to give speeches in the language of Shakespeare.

There had been so many months since I was not talking to people in this language, and I think the best way to learn is to practise, not Reading, listening or writing (the three of them help, of course).

Before I atended the first meeting, I was thinking something like: “ok this is one of these silly things people do to spend some time out from home, but not really worth it”.

After the meeting I was totally shocked. It was exactly what I was looking for!

The meetings were funny, and I learned a lot on the first meeting.

I discovered that the truth was not as I thought.

Actually, like in the TV show “The-X Files” that was the topic of last Wednesday’s meeting “The Truth Is Out There”.

1.- Introduction

Jelena Vetockina, our president, started the sesion very inspiring, as usual. He said ‘choose people who make you better person”, quote which I absolutely agree.

Olga Coscodan was the Toastmaster this time and described the program in a very particular way. She was afraid of Table Topics last week, but assumed from no won that it’s a very good way to learn though. The Theme was, as I said: “The Truth is Out There”. How would you life be is you were abducted by aliens? Have you ever though so? That one was funny J

Actually, like Olga said, the subject of abductions is quite interesting in countries such as Germany or USA, since a lot of people believe in aliens.

The Technical team was composed by Jorge Egea, Miguel Escobar and Emilie Jacquetton.

2.- Speakers

The first speech of the night was Sean Palit’s “Building Castels in the Sand”. I fully agree with Sean when he said passions is overrates and exagerates. Society and Media has brainwashed us in that sense. The meaning of passion has evolved (lathin “endure/suffer”).

When we were kids, we were excited to build castles in the sand, even though they could be destroyed by the sea water, the wind, etc. We united energy, effort and commitment just by the unconditional love we put in the action of building it. As adults, we give up easily so it’s different. We shouls recover the passion for living as kids once had. Let’s make the world the best castle in the sand!

In my opinion, Sean gave a very good speech and succed in his goals.

The second speech was from Rayanne, “Scared in the Mountains”. This was a very interesting and frightning true story from Rayanne when she was on holidays at Pucayacu, Ecuador.

Fog, breakings not functioning, a car passing along…

They just had the front light of the car but they couldn’t see anything…

They didn’t even know where the precipice was.

A story full of fear and confussion…

Finally the fog disappeared and a car told them that they needed to stay until the breakings get cooler (they were so hot they didn’t function).

3 lessons for the audience: be careful with the breaks, also with the mountain roads, and beware of the time you want to get somewhere if you don’t know the place.

The third speech was Jelena’s “Meeting in the nutritionist conference”. It was one of those interesting speeches due to the deepth of its content.

First, Jelena mentioned Mychael Hyatt, saying that a conversation should be like a game of ping pong, giving and receiving. You wait for the ball over the net, then you hit it back to the persono n the other side.

She also talked about 5 strategies to become better conversationalist:

1.- Listen with your heart

2.- Be aware of how much you are talking

3.- Hit the ball back over the net

4.- Ask follow-up questions

5.- Provide positive feedback

I think the most important strategy is the first one, although it doesn’t imply the fact of talking. But in order to improve your communication skills, there’s no doubt that you have to really listen, not faking it.

The second part of the speech was a role-play with Isabel Montero, when they simulated to be strangers and meet in a conference, initiating the conversation to find a place and using open-ended questions. The talk was quite long and they had time enough to talk about topics related with nutrition, veganism, health and even Feng Shui at the end.

3.- Evaluation & Table Topics

Marc Majoral, Beatriz Garcia and Paul Conde were the evaluators of the three speechesm giving positive feedback to the speakers and also some things to improve.

Hugo Perez, as the Table Topic Master, introduced the volunteers. The topic of the night was ‘Extreme Sports’ such as downhill running, running with hills and Major League Combat with juggling. The ones who dared to be the volunteers were Amros, Juan Rubio and Maria.

The three of them did it funtastic!

At the end of the session, Jelena received from Rayanne her first ribbon advanced speech and announced the Toastmasters contest in April, which will take place in Alicante.

Finally, the meeting was over and as usual we ended up havind a beer at the bar, See you next week! J

(Meeting of the 16th of March- Blogger: Edu)