"Spring Training - what do you do to get ready for Spring?"

Meeting Officials:
Call to Order/Welcome/First Speaker - Bill Forristall, ATM-B, CL
Inspirational Quote of the Day - Jon Evans
Toastmaster - Gwen Whipple
Timer - Sheila George
Grammarian - Charlie Peters
Ah Counter - Michael Brooks
Second Speaker - Elinor Schott
Evaluator for Speaker 2 - Jim Raley
Table Topics Master - Kimberly Hunt
General Evaluator - Wendy Byerly-Purdy

Quote of the Day:

"If we had no winter, spring would not be so pleasant. If we did nto sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome." - Anne Bradstreet (British poet, 1612 - 1672)

Word of the Day:

Cultivate: v. To Improve by care, training or study; refine, give one's attention to. Ex: He cultivated a stronger sense of well-being.

An educational presentation "Evaluate to Motivate" was given by Bill Forristall, ATM-B, CL. The presentation educated us on why we evaluate speeches and how to give effective evaluations.

Evaluation benefit speakers by:
-providing immediate feedback
-offering methods of improvement
-building self-esteem

How to evaluate effectively:
1. Show interest
2. Talk to the speaker before the speech
3. Personalize your language
4. Evaluate the speech - not the person (avoid "you should", use "I feel" type phrases)
5. Promote self-esteem

When you can't think of anything, think of how you would've done it.

After the educational presentation, Elinor Schott gave her excellent speech "Music to Live By" (Speech #3, Get to the Point, The Communication and Leadership Manual).