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Just a quick note to say we are meeting as usual this week, on Thursday 18th November at the usual time and place: 7p.m. to 8:30p.m at The Schwab HQ Building. For more details, see the Find Us page.

We will not be having a regular meeting on Thursday, Nov. 11 in observance of Veterans Day.

But we will be having a club social after work on Wednesday, Nov. 10. Please come out for happy hours drinks and pizzas on us from 6pm – 8pm at Palomino.

And we’ll make a last toast to a member who is moving away from the area for his work / career. We’ll all miss his upbeat, friendly spirit. Please come out and say your goodbyes to Matthew Walsh.

Sierra Speakers’ Happy Hour!
No speeches, just toasts!
Cocktails, beer, wine, pizza and socializing.

FREE for members and guests*

WHERE:
Palomino Restaurant & Bar
(On The Embarcadero between Folsom & Harrison)
345 Spear Street
San Francisco, CA 94105

WHEN: 6pm – 8pm, Wednesday, Nov. 10

RSVP: president@sierraspWe will have several tables for our group. But since we can’t make reservations in the bar area or patio we need your RSVP so we know how many spaces to hold.

Even if you can’t get there at 6pm, come at 6:30 … 7pm … or whenever you can make it. But please let us know as we need an accurate count.

Hope to see you all there … even if you can only drop in for just one drink.

And please bring a friend who might be interested in joining the club.

Please RSVP to presidentsierraspeakerscom

After a major overhaul, our new web site is live! Keep an eye here for news and updates on the club and let our VP of PR (vpofprsierraspeakerscom) know if you have any feedback on the new website design…

Just a quick reminder that Club Officer Training is tonight at the Civic Center on Market Street. Be trained by the Division E All Stars and prepare yourself for the next 6 months with the tools & resources you need!

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Hello Sierra Speakers,

Thursday’s meeting was another fun one, with humorous speeches, a number of guests and funny anecdotes from our Toastmaster, Keith Hoang.

Matthew Walsh stepped in at the last minute as Sergeant at Arms, opening the meeting and introducing Keith, who did a fantastic job of keeping the tone steady and tying the elements together for a smooth flow.

Our first speaker was Magnus Johannson, who engaged us right away with several questions, including “Who has ever gotten married in Las Vegas?” That led into his own story of his Vegas wedding at a chapel conveniently located between a strip club (for the bachelor party) and a fast-food joint (for the reception). He had the audience laughing throughout. This was Magnus’ icebreaker speech and he did an amazing job!!

I gave the next speech, titled “Dancing Your Way to Success.” The speech drew on my own rocky experiences as a beginner dancer in salsa, tango and West Coast Swing, with the message that patience, perseverance and a sense of humor are the key elements in success as a blossoming dancer. This was my third speech and I used notes, which I’m sure will be an anomaly

John Angelico then delighted us with “Long Walks on the Beach,” a humorous speech based on a short story by Italian writer Italo Calvino. John took on the persona of a man strolling down a beach past a nude woman and grappling with the ethics of whether to look at her or ignore her. The speech had us all in stitches.

Michael Susko led us through a great Table Topics session with questions like how you would tactfully correct someone who got your name wrong when introducing you, and why “ahs” and “ums” are called “crutch words” when, unlike real-life crutches, they serve no useful purpose?

As general evaluator, Nori Yoshida led a strong team of evaluators that consisted of Vladimir Gostrer, Andrew Reed and Matthew Walsh.

Steve Aitkins was our timer; Christine Blanchet our grammarian; and Heather Dickson was a very thorough “ah” counter.

Thanks everyone for another great meeting!

For any aspiring dancers in the group, here is a moment of inspiration:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGA3OZc_Iu4&playnext_from=TL&videos=mmnm3FhQkC8

(A young pro couple performing a West Coast Swing routine)

Have a great weekend!

Melissa McRobbie, Club Secretary

The following are the results from our recent elections. These club offices will represent Sierra Speakers for the next 6 months term.

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Last Thursday’s meeting was a unique, unorthodox and hugely entertaining Sierra Speakers meeting at the Schwab building.

Our president, Steve Aitkins, went with an inspired format for the meeting where, instead of roles being assigned in advance, members drew roles from a hat! Those lucky enough to pick a speaking role then randomly picked speech titles from those suggested by the group, an approach that required imagination and creativity from all involved, and boy did everyone step up to task!

Vladimir Gostrer, just a week after his icebreaker speech, landed the role of Toast Master and did a superb job of running this exceptional meeting. Our Table Topics master for the evening, Iman Novin, kicked proceedings off with thought provoking and fun questions that managed to keep guests and members alike on their toes.

Then it was time for the main event of the evening, the organized (or is that impromptu?!) speeches.

Aaron McClay was up first with his philosophical pondering on why ‘Yellow is my favorite color’! Despite a tough speech title and just minutes to prepare, Aaron amused us all with stories about the yellow of cowardice, Twinkys and elusive timing signals.

Next up, we had Malani Pant with ‘Airport Experiences’. A very appropriate title for a consultant who travels frequently, Malani seemed well suited for this topic and talked on the perils of lost baggage and the resulting inappropriate attire.

Our third speaker was Shaun Abram who walked us through the upcoming California elections and pondered why so many candidates are so keen to take on the tough responsibilities that running California entails.

Our penultimate speaker was Angel Mata. Despite the ink having barely dried on Angel’s membership application and this being his first speech, Angel walked us through his goals in life and the fears that drive him, and us all. Angel hasn’t even given his ice breaker yet, but this was a great introduction of him to the club.

And finally, we had Willerie Razote, another very new member who took a gutsy step up to the speaking plate with her speech ‘Why I’m Awesome!’. She started by asking us about the last time we did something that made us think ‘Yes, I did a great job!’. Willerie’s achievements include no less than five (5!) completed marathons and she shared with us the pain and elation that comes with such accomplishments.

Overall, the standard of the speakers was very high, even ignoring the fact that each speaker had a minimum amount of time to prepare. A perfect example of how Toast Masters gets the best from everyone and prepares you for unexpected public speaking roles!

Michael Susko and Vicky Cheng made up the functionary evaluation team, supporting our General Evaluator, the always cool, calm and collected Jim Fox. The meeting was closed by our President Steve Atkins and as always, we adjourned to the local bar for the meeting after meeting.

Special thanks to our guests including Tua Palangyo, Sara Diamond and Michael Guerin. Thanks for coming and you are all welcome back any time!

Have a great week folks and keep an eye out for announcements about this week’s coming meeting…