2/20/17 Meeting

Eagles,

Tonight’s meeting, led by Toastmaster Tom Corrigan, showcased the greatness of our club and our members!

Many clubs have told us that they are challenged to find one or two speakers for their meetings while their members take on multiple functionary roles. At tonight’s meeting, Eagle Toastmasters filled the agenda on very short notice thanks to the depth and experience of our membership.

Two of our more experienced Eagles stepped up. Kate Kelly and Joseph Oddie. Joseph notified us of a last minute conflict which provided others the opportunity to sign up….and sign up they did! Sandra Centorino and Deb Haggett stepped up and signed up! Tonight’s meeting blossomed into an educational/multi-media experience!

Speaker #1, Kate Kelly, gave us an overview of Microsoft One Note via computer and overhead projector. She showed us several interesting applications of the often overlooked Microsoft icon that is on our computer. (Hint: it looks like a notebook). Congratulations to Kate as tonight’s speech completed her Competent Communicator’s milestone.

Speaker #2, Sandra Centorino, gave a Facebook Live demo using her iPad tethered to her cell phone. If you are Sandy’s Facebook friend, you can see what she did by looking at her feed. If you’re not a friend of Sandy, well……send her a request!

Speaker #3, Deb Haggett, used a prerecorded video on a video monitor. Ironically, “video Deb” was the only speaker that observed the timer cards hoisted by our Timer, Jaime Fisher.

Thanks to our other functionaries not mentioned above……Paula Erardi - our Grammarian, Robin Corrigan – Quote of the Day and General Evaluator, Brad Leete – our Jokemaster that told us about the talking, lying dog, and Peter Penev – Ah Counter. Yours truly served as the Topic Master and Evaluator. Allie Centorino and Jaime Fisher served as Evaluators as well…….It is always refreshing when our newer members serve as Evaluators as they offer fresh insights.

Our next meeting will be the Speech and Table Topic Contest on March 6^th…….We have a signup sheet for the contest (we have open roles and would love to see more contestants) as well as a food signup sheet (note that the club will provide pizza as our main dish).

Please be on the lookout for more messages on the speech contest!

Tony Centorino

Eagle Secretary

2/6/17 Meeting

Eagles,

Tonight’s Super Meeting was our third in four weeks with 22 members, 2 of which joined this evening! Paula Erardi, tonight’s Toastmaster, presided over an action packed meeting.

Welcome to Jeannette Bronsord and Peter Penev, our newest members!

Tom Corrigan, our Topics Master encouraged all members, newbies and seasoned members alike, to create new sports using combinations of equipment that ranged from pool cues, playing cards, and boxing gloves among other things. The goal was to replace the Super Bowl with a new sporting event…….Or maybe Tom was just trying to empty his garage of sporting goods collected over the years. Let me just say that the Super Bowl is safe – for now!

Robin Corrigan was our Humorist for the evening, and Joseph Oddie served as our Quotemaster.

Kate Kelly, Speaker #1, overcame her fear of needles to give blood. Her speech persuaded us to do the same. Joseph Oddie, Speaker #2, told us the parable of the Frog and the Scorpion, teaching us a life lesson along the way.

With only two schedule speeches, we had an opportunity to add a couple of items to the agenda. Sandra Centorino requested help on some speech ideas for a Keynote Speaker Project that she is considering. True to our Eagle Values, Sandra received a lot of Super advice.

Thom Knowlton, generously shared his DVD with the time remaining to show us a speech from World Champion Mohammed Qahtani…..Thank you, Thom!

Special thanks to the functionaries not mentioned above….Robin Corrigan as Evaluator #1 and Tony Centorino as Evaluator #2 and Grammarian. Heather McKelvie served as our Ah Counter, Deb Haggett, our Timer, and Amy Demas as our General Evaluator.

Some Housekeeping…..

Our Club Speech Contest will take place on March 6^th. Please sign onto the Eagle Website if you are interested in competing in Table Topics and/or International. If you are not competing, please consider signing up for a functionary role, which is also available for the taking!

Our next meeting is on February 20^th. Tom Corrigan will be our Toastmaster. Please go onto www.EagleToastmaster.com and sign up for something!

Tony Centorino

Eagle Secretary

1/30/17 Meeting

Eagles,

Last night was a special “off week” meeting. As Tom Corrigan, our General Evaluator said, “This was a typical meeting. We all learned something and had a lot of fun, which we do on cold winter nights and warm summer evenings”.

We had 18 members, including our two newest members, Brad Leete and Jacqueline Fuller. Welcome, Brad and Jacqueline! We also had a guest, Peter Penev, who participated at the suggestion of his fiancé. We also had cameo appearances from Sam Scale, Teddy Treadmill, and Ash “call me Ashley” Smokerson.

Kate Kelly served as our Toastmaster for the evening, which featured a full agenda.

Sandra Centorino led a Table Topics “Let’s Make a Deal Style”……She allowed the contestants, I mean members, to choose between the topic in hand or select the topic behind door #2. Our newest member, writer Brad Leete, participated as well.

Speaker #1 was Your Truly, who gave a speech about New Year’s resolutions and keeping the media honest. Speaker #2, President Amy Demas, completed her Competent Communicator with a warm speech that showcased the different types of Toastmasters we have at Eagle.  Speaker #3, Heather McKelvie, gave a speech out of the Story Teller’s advance manual. She told us a folk tale called “The Blue Light”.

Last but not least, was Speaker #4, Joseph Oddie, who gave an advanced manual speech on how to inform. He informed us on how to evaluate speeches using the PET method.

Special thanks to our functionaries……Humorist - Ute Brinkmann, Grammarian – Allie Centorino,  Ah Counter – Robin Corrigan, Timer – Richard Freeman, and our evaluators, Joseph Oddie, Thom Knowlton, Robin Corrigan, and Deb Haggett.

Our next meeting is next week, February  6. Please log into www.EagleToastmasters.com and sign up for something!

Have a great week!

Tony

Eagle Secretary

1/16/17 Meeting

Eagles,

It was great for us to get “back in the saddle” for our first meeting at the Parks and Rec. Ute Brinkmann served as our Toastmaster for a New Year’s Day theme. Our meeting also celebrated Martin King Jr…….In the word of our Grammarian, Allie Centorino, celebrating New Years and MLK Day on the same day was “Efficient”!

As has been our tradition, Ute opened up the meeting with a toast of effervescent beverages. Heather McKelvie (welcome back!) provided us a quote from Dr. King. Ian Brooks shared a humorous story that referenced how to bury and keep a treasure simultaneously. Robin Corrigan provided us interesting Table Topics using props!

We also had two guests this evening…..Susan (President of Valley Shore Toastmasters) and Brad. Thank you, Susan and Brad…..We hope to see you at a future meeting.

Tonight’s speeches were apropos for the occasion. Tony Centorino gave a speech about Diversity. Joseph Oddie gave a speech about overcoming adversity (“you receive what you believe”). Chris Gaffney achieved his CC this evening with a speech about hope (“Hope is a natural resource”)….Congratulations, Chris!

Special thanks to all of the functionaries mentioned above as well as Kate Kelly (General Evaluator), Tom Corrigan, Robin Corrigan, and Amy Demas (evaluators), Maryanne Shirshac (Ah Counter), and Paula Erardi (Timer).

Our next meeting is on January 30^th (a “bonus meeting” if you will). Kate Kelly will be our Toastmaster, and  we have plenty of open roles! Please sign up early and often!

See you all on January 30^th!

Tony

11/21 Meeting

Eagles,

Tonight’s meeting gave us a reason to be Thankful as we head into Thanksgiving. Sandra Centorino, our Toastmaster, led a round robin asking each Eagle to express what they were thankful for. It was great for us to take pause to express our gratitude to each other.

Ute Brinkmann, served as our Humorist, with a twist. She shared a lesson she learned from Ed Tate, the 2000 World Champion of Public Speaking. Allie Centorino, led a Thanksgiving themed Table Topic…..Chris Gaffney took on the challenging topic of what the Pilgrims and Native Americans discussed at the Thanksgiving table (the weather). Jaime Fischer and Paula Erardi took on a Table Topic as well……what I found remarkable was how they walked to the front of the lecturn and grabbed our attention!

Paula Erardi served as our Quote Master, and provided a poignant quote that acknowledged we have many blessings.

Yours Truly gave a speech about Jeremiah Denton, a Navy Rear Admiral that fought so we could maintain our way of life….an Election Day/Veteran’s Day theme. Tom Corrigan gave a speech about our shrinking attention span (we’re down to 8 seconds). Robin Corrigan gave a “colorful” speech with vivid props.

Special thanks to all of our functionaries not mentioned above…Richard Freeman (Timer), Amy Demas (Ah Counter), Kate Kelly (Grammarian/Evaluator), Chris Gaffney (Evaluator), Thom Knowlton (Evaluator), and Deb Haggett (General Evaluator).

We had two guests turn into members this evening! Jaime Fischer and Christie Groben! I am thankful for our new members!

Our next meeting will take place at the Joseph Oddie's abode on December 5^th at 7:15. Please bring a wrapped toy valued at $10….We will have a little fun with the wrapped gifts before we donate them to the Master’s Manna.

  

Have a Happy and Safe Thanksgiving Holiday! See you on December 5^th!

Tony Centorino

Eagle Secretary

11/7 Meeting

Eagles,

Tonight’s meeting was a special “Election Eve” edition.

Joseph Oddie, our Toastmaster, opened up with a humorous story from Winston Churchill. Maryanne Shirshac, quoted Abraham Lincoln. Yours Truly conducted a Table Topics with an Election Day theme where our Toastmasters and guests took on the challenging issues of our day.

In the great debate of Batman vs Superman, Maryanne provided a compelling case for Batman. Kate Kelly provided an equally compelling case for Superman. It is a tremendous testament to our club that our members can agree to disagree on the most contentious of issues!

Maryanne also gave her Icebreaker speech this evening…..a very impressive first speech where we all got to learn why she joined Toastmasters. Maryanne’s speech included a touching tribute to her Grandfather, who was a story teller. Maryanne showed all of us that it is now “her time” to be a story teller!

Richard Freeman gave a speech to convince us on how to address the chronic drought that we are increasingly experience across the US and in Connecticut. Richard convinced us to take action using facts and visual images.

Special thanks to all of our functionaries not mentioned above…..Deb Haggett, our Ah Counter, Ian Brooks, our Timer, Ute Brinkmann, our Grammarian, Kate Kelly, and our Evaluators – Sandra Centorino and Yours Truly!

Some housekeeping items…..

·         Amy Demas will be competing in the District Evaluation Contest Finals on 11/19 at UMass in Amherst Mass. This contest will take place in the morning….Please consider attending. I will send you some details in the near future.

·         Our next meeting is on November 21^st. Sandra Centorino will be our Toastmaster…..Please sign up for something at www.eagletoastmasters.com.

·         We will have a special meeting at the Joseph Oddie Compound on Monday 12/5….This will be our last meeting of 2016. More details to follow.

Finally, if you want to send an email to our entire club, you can use the email address members@eagletoastmasters.com from the email account that is registered in Eagle Toastmasters.

I look forward to seeing all of you on 11/19!

Tony Centorino

Eagle Secretary

October 17th Meeting

Eagles,

Tonight, we “Got Our Eagle On” with 22 members, 5 guests, and 3 very interesting speeches, with Yours Truly as the Toastmaster…..Please allow me to elucidate.

Tom Corrigan opened up the evening with a humorous story about a restaurant with “no atmosphere”. Robin Corrigan led a Table Topics, bearing gifts of pencils. Jaime Fisher, one of our guests, stole the show with her table topic about “knocking on wood”. She earned her pencil indeed! Steph Centorino, a member soon to be guest, also joined in the fun with a table topic about “going the extra mile”.

Kate Kelly, Speaker #1, encouraged us to “use the phone, when in doubt”. Sandy Centorino, Speaker #2, gave a motivational speech to “Show up, Step up and Speak up” as Eagles. Deb Haggett gave a persuasive speech about an online alternative to an expensive college education.

Special thanks to our functionaries……Robin Corrigan, Joseph Oddie, and Paula Erardi were our speech evaluators. Chris Gaffney our timer, Joseph Oddie our Grammarian, Val Hamilton as our Timer, and……Deb Haggett as our General Evaluator!

Special Programming Note: Amy Demas will be competing in the Division round in the evaluation contest. The contest will take place on 10/27 at Eversource at 107 Selden St, Berlin CT. Contest starts at 6:30. Please consider attending an entertaining evening and root for Amy!

Our next meeting is in 3 weeks (first Monday of November…..Election Day Eve) on November 7^th. Please log onto www.eagletoastmasters.com and sign up for something!

Tony Centorino

Eagle Secretary