How to Apologize Like a Celebrity... How to Apologize Like a Celebrity History’s Most Important Speeches Announcing the 2010 Golden Gavel Recipient Beauty, Poise and Speaking Skills

www.toastmasters.org How to Apologize Like a Celebrity

History’sMost

ImportantSpeeches

Announcingthe 2010

Golden GavelRecipient

Beauty,Poise andSpeakingSkills

®

May 2010

2 TOASTMASTER May 2010

V I E W P O I N TPublisher

EditorAssociate Editors

Editorial AssistantGraphic Design

Daniel Rex

Suzanne Frey

Beth BlackPaul Sterman

Katie De Boer

Sue Campbell

International President

Senior Vice President

Second Vice President

Third Vice President

Immediate Past President

Executive Director

Secretary-Teasurer

Gary Schmidt, DTMClackamas, Oregon

Pat Johnson, DTMVictoria, British Columbia, Canada

Michael R. Notaro, DTMAlameda, California

John Lau, DTMKuching, Malaysia

Jana Barnhill, DTM, ASLubbock, Texas

Daniel RexMission Viejo, California

Sally Newell CohenMission Viejo, California

Lyle Appleyard, DTMStonewall, Manitoba, Canada

Sal Asad, DTMRichmond, Virginia

Theo Black, DTMWayzata, Minnesota

Ken Cawley, DTMSan Jose, California

Pamela Christopher, DTMUnion Grove, North Carolina

Susan Dalati, DTMManotick, Ontario, Canada

Kristal DiCarlo, DTMWestlake, Ohio

Emmy Hager, DTMAuburn, Washington

Ron Kirchgessner, DTMGreenwood, Indiana

Pamela McCown, DTMPasadena, Texas

Earleen Norris, DTMTruckee, California

Keith Ostergard, DTMBeijing, China

Michael V. Raffety, DTMChicago, Illinois

Mary G. Russell, DTMTemple City, California

Poh Kim Siong, DTMSingapore

Heath Suddleson, DTMPotomac, Maryland

Tim Swearingen, DTMChandler, Arizona

Annelie Weber, DTMNew Windsor, Maryland

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2009-2010 OFFICERS

2009-2010 DIRECTORS

TOASTMASTERS INTERNATIONALP.O. Box 9052 • Mission Viejo, CA 92690 U.S.A.

949-858-8255 • Fax: 949-858-1207Voicemail: 949-835-1300

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Gary Schmidt, DTMInternational President

� Susan. Nancy. Dorothy. Gavin. Those are the names of four Toastmasterswho were invaluable to my personal development. What did they do? Theysimply encouraged me to take leadership roles in Toastmasters. They plantedseeds of encouragement. What subsequently blossomed has made all the difference in my life.

This is the time of year when we elect officers to serve in every level ofleadership in our organization. Are you stepping up to the plate to serve as anofficer in your club or district? You should. I believe that your Toastmasterscareer is incomplete until you have served as both club president and areagovernor. Those are two of the most life-changing roles in Toastmasters.

As a club president, you will learn to motivate volunteers, operate withina budget, organize people and projects, and help improve your club mem-bers’ lives. As an area governor, you will do all that and more by educatingand inspiring members of multiple clubs to succeed and overcome challenges.The best part of both these roles is that you will see the immediate impactof your contributions. It’s a phenomenal experience to watch a new memberdeliver an Ice Breaker, encourage a member to hang on just a bit longer toearn a Competent Communicator award, or celebrate the achievements ofyour team when you earn Distinguished Club or Distinguished Area status.

You also become a better communicator. As a club president or area governor, you have more opportunities to speak on diverse occasions, suchas leading a business meeting, chairing an area council meeting or trainingother officers. I love to tell those prospective area governors who initiallydecline the role because they want to compete in speech contests, that theywill have more opportunities to speak as an area governor. That practicewill help them when they compete in speech contests the following year.

Every leadership role I undertook in Toastmasters has made me a bettercommunicator, a stronger leader and a more well-rounded person. I owemy career and increased responsibilities at work to the leadership lessons Ilearned in Toastmasters. Isn’t it time for you to start your leadership journey,or to progress to the next level of your leadership development?

As for those four Toastmasters: Thank you, Susan Lannis, Nancy McCarthy,Dorothy Cottingham and Gavin Blakey. Your belief in me has transformedme into the person I am today.

Your journey of leadership begins now!

What EveryToastmasterMust Do

TOASTMASTER May 2010 3

TABLE OF CONTENTS

The Toastmasters Vision:Toastmasters International empowers people to achieve their full potential and realizetheir dreams. Through our member clubs, people throughout the world can improve

their communication and leadership skills, and find the courage to change.

The Toastmasters Mission:Toastmasters International is the leading movement devoted to making

effective oral communication a worldwide reality.

Through its member clubs, Toastmasters International helps men and womenlearn the arts of speaking, listening and thinking – vital skills that

promote self-actualization, enhance leadership potential, foster humanunderstanding, and contribute to the betterment of mankind.

It is basic to this mission that Toastmasters International continuallyexpand its worldwide network of clubs thereby offering ever-greater numbers

of people the opportunity to benefit from its programs.

History’s MostImportant SpeechesFrom Pericles to Mandela, orators’words echo through the ages.By William H. Stevenson, III

PAGE 8

The Best-KeptNetworking SecretsFrom holding office to visitingthe International Convention –Toastmasters offers opportunitiesfor networking and fun.By Heather O’Neill

PAGE 16

Beauty, Poise and . . .Speaking Skills!Beauty pageant winners from aroundthe world credit Toastmasters withhelping them win their titles.By Katie De Boer

PAGE 24

& 2 Viewpoint: What Every Toastmaster Must Do By International President Gary Schmidt, DTM

4 Letters to the Editor

5 My Turn: How to Apologize Like a Celebrity How not to say you are sorry. By Chris Witt

6 Profile: Engineering a First-Rate Club Northrop Grumman corporate club

consistently produces leaders and results. By Paul Sterman

12 William Safire: Language Legend Late speechwriter and columnist

leaves a towering legacy. By Eugene Finerman

14 Looking at Language: Avoid ClichésLike the Plague

Eschew hackneyed phrases infavor of inventive expression.

By Craig Harrison, DTM

19 Announcing Toastmasters’2010 Golden Gavel Recipient

Recognizing Carolyn Kepcher as a businessleader, writer and television personality.

20 Rx for Better Health: Toastmasters Research links health maintenance

to club membership. By Theodore Lustig, DTM

23 How To: The Power of a Winning Voice How to hit the right notes when speaking. By Eve Cappello, Ph.D., DTM

28 For the Novice: My Time is Your Time The time limits you learned in Toastmasters

hold value in your professional life. By Merrill J. Davies, ACG

30 Funny You Should Say That! I’m Not Impressed The perils of making a good first impression. By John Cadley

ARTICLESDEPARTMENTS

FEATURES

May 2010Volume 76, No. 5

On the Cover: Nicole Flint, Miss South Africa 2009.Photo by Peter Morey


LETTERS

you Toastmasters, for taking a hugestress in my life and turning it intoa very enjoyable hobby.Mike Haine • Cowichan Toastmasters • Duncan, B.C., Canada

Storytellers Need Feedback TooRegarding “The Glory of the Story”(March) by Craig Harrison, I wish tocommend Craig for his comparisonof Toastmasters to storytellers andthe best features of each organization.Having been a member of both astorytelling guild and Toastmasters,I have often contemplated what oneorganization can offer the other.

To clarify one point: Our guildmeetings are also a safe place formembers to practice stories andreceive feedback. When a storytelleris working on a new piece, perhaps astory he or she has written, we offerappreciation and feedback accordingto the storyteller’s requests on thatparticular day. Storytellers might asklisteners to look for specific points,just as we do at Toastmasters. Weshare how the story affected us aslisteners, ways to make it more effec-tive and best audiences for the story.Carolyn Wilker,ACS, CL • Energetics ToastmastersWaterloo, Ontario, Canada

page reminds me of my middleschool newsletter.

Bring back John Cadley’s pageon humor!Ted Fuller, CTM • Walnut Creek Sunrise Club • Walnut Creek, California

Help for the Table Topics ChallengeCraig Harrison’s article “Turning theTable on Table Topics” (February) isa gem of reference material and hopefor those of us who struggle with theimpromptu side of a Toastmastersmeeting. I plan to pick one strategyat a time in future meetings, so Ican eventually practice all of them.This is a copy of the Toastmastermagazine I will not give away!Celia Berrell, ACB • Mount Sheridan Toastmasters ClubCairns, Queensland, Australia

A Hidden PassionLast June, after many years of des -pising public speaking, I joinedToastmasters. In less than a year,I have completed much of theCompetent Communication manualand found it to be quite exciting.

I now get the same thrill out ofpublic speaking as I do out of anyhigh-speed sport. Toastmasters hasuncovered a hidden passion. Thank

Surgical Speaking StrategiesThe January issue arrived at a perfecttime in my life. Your special issue ofCommunicating with Medical Provi -ders was most helpful as I was inthe process of dealing with doctorsand specialists prior to surgery inearly February. I found “A Visitto the Doctor” by Florence Ferreiraparticularly informative.

I have also used this ongoingmedical experience as the inspirationfor Project #1 in the Special OccasionSpeeches manual – Mastering theToast. The assignment was a greatopportunity for me to thank Toast -masters International as well as themembers in my home club. Thankyou, Toastmasters! Diann Redden, ACS • Dryden Toastmasters • Dryden, Ontario, Canada

“The Traveling Toastmaster”Wanders Too FarI enjoyed the interesting, helpful features in the March issue, withone exception. The Postcards pagefeaturing “The Traveling Toast -master” doesn’t do much to enhancemy speaking, listening and leader-ship abilities. They’re nice-lookingfolks with pleasant smiles, but the

Do you have something to say? Write it in 200 wordsor less, sign it with your name, address and clubaffiliation and send it to [email protected].

Important Notice to All Members

Preparing for Single Sign-On at www.toastmasters.orgThe way members log in at www.toastmasters.org will change when the Toastmasters Web site is upgraded

in July 2010.

� Each member will need their own individual e-mail address updated in their profile at www.toastmasters.org.This e-mail address cannot be shared with another member.

� Club and district officers will no longer be required to have a separate login to conduct club and district business. Your single member login will give you access to everything you need.

Members with a complete profile at www.toastmasters.org will be able to conduct business, purchase products at member-only prices and enjoy other online membership benefits. Those who share e-mail accountswith another member will not be able to log in to the Toastmasters Web site after June 30, 2010.

Simply log in at www.toastmasters.org/login, access “My Profile” and make sure your e-mail address andother information is complete and accurate.

By Chris Witt MY TURN

May 2010 TOASTMASTER 5

How to Apologize Like a Celebrity� Professional athletes, late-nighttalk show hosts, financial gurus,corporate and theme park execu-tives, celebrities and – surprise, surprise – politicians are once againin the news for acting badly. Andthey’re offering apologies.

Even with the best of intentionswe all, at times, do or say thingsthat fall short of our own standardsand that hurt other people’s feel-ings. So learning how to apologizeis an essential life skill. Your clubmight want to devote an entiremeeting or, at least a Table Topicssession, to exploring the right wayto say “I’m sorry.”

As a starting point for your dis -cus sions, consider the many waysit can be done badly, and you’llsoon under stand the basics – whatnot to say. Here is a list – based ona few recent public examples –of the five most common wayscelebrities apologize:

Blame the Other Person Start by saying how sorry you are.Then shift the focus from your actionsto the other person’s reactions: “I’msorry that you were offended by whatI did or said.” Make it sound as ifthe other person’s thin-skinned sen-sibilities, outdated notions of fairnessand decency, or failure to under-stand what you really meant – notyour misdeeds – are the real culprits.

This common ploy lets you soundlike you’re apologizing withoutrequiring you to express culpabilityor regret. If you’re clever enough, youmay even get people to apologizeto you. “I’m sorry,” they might say.“Maybe I was being overly sensitive.”

Offer an Excuse If you can’t blame someone else,you can always blame extenuatingcircumstances.

If people keep bringing up yourmisconduct, you can sigh as if tosuggest it’s rude of them to harp onsomething that happened so longago. Offer a quasi-apology – “I’msure we’re all sorry that thingsturned out the way they did” – andsuggest that there are more impor-tant issues at hand and shouldn’twe be getting on with things.

Hide Your FeelingsIf you feel remorse, regret or evenguilt because of what you’ve done –people with a conscience oftendo – make sure no one knows it.

Make an apology the way sincerepeople do. Tell people you’re sorry.Accept responsibility. Offer to makeamends. Ask for understanding andforgiveness. But, like some celebri-ties, make it sound as if you don’tbelieve a word you’re saying. Ifpossible, read from a script. Speak ina monotone. Avoid eye contact. Andnever reveal a heartfelt emotion.

If you follow these five simpleguidelines, people may complain thatyou haven’t apologized at all. Theymay even feel more offended thanbefore. But hey, what’ more impor-tant? Maintaining your influence, fameand financial standing – as celebritiesdo – or making things right?

Now that you’ve seen how cele -brities do it, your club will surelydiscover some more appropriatewords and actions. Try it in TableTopics. You may not win an Oscarfor your performance, but you’llreceive something far more impor-tant: Forgiveness.

Chris Witt, author of Real LeadersDon’t Do PowerPoint, is anexecutive speech coach based inSan Diego. You can reach him atchris@wittcom. com or read his blogat www.lifeafterpowerpoint.com.

In Southern California, where Ilive, it’s common to blame an arrayof problems – arriving late, standingsomeone up, being generally rude –on traffic. But no matter where youlive, you can point the finger at anynumber of situations beyond yourcontrol: the weather, the economy,the fickleness of computers, the sorrystate of the world we live in or thestress of having too much to do.

If, for example, someone criti-cizes you for missing a deadline,say with a put-upon sigh, “My com-puter crashed – must have been avirus – and it took the guys in ITforever to fix it.” Not only have youshifted people’s attention away fromyour failure to something you can’tpossibly be held accountable for,you’ve also made yourself the victim.

Use the Passive VoiceToastmasters’ Competent Com muni -cation manual advocates using clearand powerful English. To accom-plish this, you should avoid thepassive voice. But the passive voiceis key to apologizing like a celebri-ty. Say, “Mistakes were made,” not“I made a mistake.” Say, “There wasan error of judgment,” not “I waswrong.” Say, “Regrettably, thingsturned out not at all as were antici-pated,” not “I regret having donethings that caused so much troubleand hard feelings.”

Delay as Long as PossibleYou may feel inclined – decentpeople often do – to offer an apol-ogy the moment you realize you’vedone something wrong. Avoid theurge. Avoid saying anything at all.Wait and see how things play out.Maybe people will forget aboutwhat you did, or maybe someoneelse will do something even worse.Then you’re off the hook.

T


PROFILE By Paul Sterman

Engineering a First-Rate Clubaircraft, satellites and nuclear sub-marines. Its aerospace divisionalone is a $10 billion business.

Corporate club members paytheir own dues, but Northrop offersfinancial assistance for Toastmasters-related items. “Toastmasters clubsoffer employees a way to developcommunication and organizationalskills, which we see as useful in theworkplace,” says Jim Hart, managerof external affairs for Northrop’saerospace division.

Club members agree that suchparticipation pays dividends in theircareers. Many kinds of engineerswork at the aerospace plant, andthey grapple with complex technicalissues: aging aircraft, flight software,spacecraft designs and hydraulicsystems, for example. When talkingto managers, colleagues or clients,they need to express themselveseffectively. Yet club presidentMayur Patel notes that engineersare often so deeply immersed intheir technical training and researchthat they overlook developing clear-communication skills.

“Toastmasters helps bridge thatgap by providing opportunities tospeak and to experience leader-ship,” says Patel, who started asan engineer at Northrop but is nowa project manager. “If you have agreat solution to a technical prob-lem but you don’t have the com -munication skills to get it across,you’re going to be at a loss.”

“The reason many people join isbecause they need to make techni-cal presentations at work and have

By nature, engineers tend tobe highly disciplined and task-oriented individuals, and those

who work for Northrop GrummanCorporation – the second-largestdefense contractor in the UnitedStates – are among the most accom-plished in their industry. It shouldcome as no surprise, then, that theNorthrop Grumman Toastmasters hasbeen extremely successful in achiev-ing its goals and producing leaders.

The club is located at Northrop’saerospace-systems facility in ElSegundo, California. The defensecontractor sponsors 20 corporateclubs in the United States, but theEl Segundo club stands out in manyways. It is 57 years old and has produced numerous district leadersover the years, including six districtgovernors. One, Marsha James Davis,also served on Toastmasters’ Inter -national Board of Directors from1999 to 2001.

In addition, the 45-member clubhas earned President’s Distinguishedstatus four of the past six years andSelect Distinguished the other two.

“Its part of the aerospace cultureto plan things out and set goals,”says Michael Jue, DTM, a past dis-trict governor and member of theEl Segundo club. “The thing aboutour club being made up largely ofaerospace engineers is that there’sa certain amount of stability.”

Jue is a prime example: He’s beena member for 32 years. Davis alsopoints to the club’s culture: “Themajority of members are very struc-tured individuals, so that lends itself

to a tremendous amount of consis-tency – people you can count on.”

Davis worked at Northrop from1985 to 2000, primarily as a budgetanalyst. When she started, she wasadmittedly shy and hesitant ingroup settings. A senior memberin her department once told Davis:“You know what you’re doing –why don’t you speak up more?”After joining the corporate club,her confidence improved markedly.

“When I started taking on leadership roles, like club officerpositions, area, division and districtgovernor, that’s when [my confi-dence] really kicked in,” she says.“I found myself speaking up morein business meetings. Then I gota promotion and started makingmore presentations to managementand customers.”

Davis is a Distinguished Toast -master and now works for TecoloteResearch, Inc., as a principal analystand earned-value management spe-cialist, but she still attends occasionalNorthrop Grumman club meetingsto stay connected. She says her timein the group changed her life – notonly professionally, but personallyas well: It was a fellow Northropclub member who introduced Davisto her husband, Glen Davis, DTM.

Why Club Membership Pays OffNorthrop Grumman was founded in1939, and now employs about 120,000people worldwide. Head quartered inLos Angeles, it has government andcommercial clients, and developsmilitary tools, including unman ned

Northrop Grumman corporate clubconsistently produces leaders and results.


difficulties,” adds Jue, who retiredfrom Northrop last year after a 35-year career.

Patel says Toastmasters traininggave him the confidence to deliverspeeches outside of work, aswell. Earlier this year, he gave apresentation on risk-managementprocesses to a local branch of theNational Sojourners (a MasonicVeterans group).

“It felt great – that feeling of satisfaction from being able to pro-vide value and benefit to others,”says Patel.

Speaking at the Shipyard Wade Miner, DTM, is a ComputationalFluid Dynamics engineer for North -rop Grumman Shipbuilding, whichemploys 20,000 people, in NewportNews, Virginia. He says the skillsthat shipyard engineers hone inToastmasters are vital in their workdesigning ships for the U.S. Navy,the unit’s main client.

“When there’s a meeting betweenour people and one of the Navyorganizations, our engineers needto be able to communicate compe-tently and clearly,” says Miner, president of the corporate club AtThe Helm. “They need to be able to com municate with confidence. Somefuture decisions can easily dependon how well they communicate.”

Miner’s own Toastmasters storyis particularly powerful. As a young

This corporate club is open tothe public, with almost half itsmembers coming from outside thecompany. Northrop employeessay it’s great to have such diverseperspectives brought in by memberssuch as Darrell Winfrey, the hostof a jazz radio show, and NateChittick, a former National FootballLeague player who now works as afinancial advisor for Morgan StanleySmith Barney.

“In the business world, commu-nication is such a big part of every-thing,” says Chittick, who played forthe Super Bowl-winning St. LouisRams in 1999. When he was a proathlete, he adds, he sometimes gavespeeches to community organiza-tions. Now the Northrop club helpskeep the former football champ inspeaking shape: “public speaking islike a muscle – you have to keepusing it.”

As for Patel, he says serving asa club officer taught him a greatdeal about leadership, whichhelps him as a project manager.“It’s taught me a lot about howto relate to people of differentage groups and backgrounds,” hesays. “In a volunteer organization,you also learn about what getspeople motivated.”

Paul Sterman is a Toastmaster inOrange, California, and an associateeditor of the Toastmaster magazine.

T

man, he had a severe stutteringproblem. In 1977, when Miner started working for the U.S. NavalResearch Laboratory in Washington,D.C., he joined an in-house Toast -masters club: the now-defunctThomas Edison Toastmasters.

“Over 20 years’ experience inToastmasters, I gradually gained afluency that, back in high school,I could only dream about,” he saidin a recent telephone interview.“Before I joined Toastmasters, Icould not have held a conversationlike the one we are having now.”

Miner eventually moved toVirginia and started working atNorthrop Shipbuilding. In 2004 hehelped start its first Toastmastersclub, called Spear and Gear. Thefollowing year, he was instrumentalin chartering the At the Helm club.

More Job BenefitsEngineers aren’t the only employeeswho benefit from the NorthropToastmasters groups. Hoa Hoang,who handles applications supportand training in the business devel-opment department, joined theNorthrop Grumman club in ElSegundo club two years ago, afterattending its annual Speechcraftprogram.

“The club has helped me bemore comfortable when I do thetraining and give presentations,”she notes.

3Northrop GrummanToastmasters enjoy aholiday party at DelucaTrattoria Restau rantin El Segundo, Calif.Michael Jue (far left) isa 32-year club member.


Speeches

History’s

Most Impo

susan b. anthonyPericlesMahatma Gandhi

From Pericles to Mandela, orators’words echo through the ages.

By William H. Stevenson, III

Author Terry Golway faced a daunting

task: He needed to identify the 50

best speeches of all time for a new

book. He pored over dramatic orations,

given by all sorts of public figures, such

as Mahatma Gandhi.

Gandhi, of course, was the Indian leader whofamously preached non-violent resistance to British rulein his quest for India’s independence. The people actedon his call for mass civil disobedience, but despite hisemphasis on nonviolence, fighting did break out in several cities, and Gandhi was put on trial.

In a speech on March 18, 1922, Gandhi acceptedresponsibility for the bloodshed. Though he anguishedover the possibility of such crimes, he had to preach disobedience, he told the judges. His heartfelt words,delivered extemporaneously, elevated his cause to analmost-religious level:

Thinking over these things deeply and sleepingover them night after night, it is impossible forme to dissociate myself from the diabolical

crimes of Chauri Chaura or the mad outragesof Bombay. . . . I knew that I was playing withfire. I ran the risk and if I was set free I wouldstill do the same. . . . I wanted to avoid violence.Non violence is the first article of my faith. It isalso the last article of my creed. But I had tomake my choice. I had either to submit to a system which I considered had done anirreparable harm to my country, or incur therisk of the mad fury of my people bursting forthwhen they understood the truth from my lips.

Gandhi’s words were stirring – their impact, epic.His willingness to become a martyr to the cause ofIndian independence, and to his principles, influencedmany other nonviolent “freedom fighters” throughout theyears, such as Martin Luther King Jr.

History is full of memorable speeches. Golway makesa case for the greatest of these in Words that Ringthrough Time: The Fifty Most Important Speeches inHistory and How They Changed Our World. He looks atwhich speeches made a huge impact on their audienceand still affect us today.

Gandhi, for example, demonstrated how a man’s wordsand spirit unified a country, says Golway: “Gandhi had


“Gandhi had no armies at

his command, and yet he

mobilized tens of millions, and

his words still do so today.”

rtant

King Albert John F. Kennedy

no armies at his command, and yet he mobilized tens ofmillions, and his words still do so today.”

Great Speeches Share TraitsThe book’s collected speeches span a time from the daysof Moses to Barack Obama’s recent U.S. presidentialcampaign. As different as these selections are, they allshare two characteristics.

First, the speaker connects his listeners to somethinggreater than themselves – often an idea or an ideal suchas democracy, justice or freedom. One theme that occursagain and again is self-determination. Sometimes that’sexpressed as a person’s desire to be an equal member ofsociety (Susan B. Anthony advocating for women’s rightto vote), sometimes as the desire of a people to be anindependent nation.

A second characteristic is eloquent simplicity, wordsthat everyone can relate to. King Albert of Belgium, forexample, gave a radio address to his countrymen in1914, just as World War I was beginning. “Everywhere inFlanders and Wallonia, in the towns and in the country-side, one single feeling binds all hearts together: thesense of patriotism,” he said, simply and eloquently.

Golway’s selections show how speakers throughout theages have crafted their addresses for maximum impact.

A Greek Orator InspiresIn the year 430 B.C., the Athenian leader Pericles gave afuneral oration honoring soldiers who died in the ongoing


war with Sparta. Rather than give a showy speech lacedwith melodrama and heated descriptions of battle, hebegan by saying the deeds of the fallen spoke morepowerfully than any words. Pericles didn’t thrill his audience with battle scenes. He didn’t give them theIliad, updated. Instead of speaking of the men whofought, he spoke of the ideals they fought for. Theydied for Athens, the greatest state in Greece. And whywas it great? Because Athens was a democracy and hada spirit of freedom and openness:

The administration is in the hands of the manyand not of the few .. .when a citizen is in anyway distinguished, he is preferred to the publicservice, not as a matter of privilege, but as areward of merit. Neither is poverty an obstacle,but a man may benefit his country whatever theobscurity of his condition.

Pericles urged his listeners to rededicate themselves tothe struggle at hand – as citizens of a police state ruledby an oligarchy – and reminded them that the fallen soldiers would have the greatest memorial of all, one“graven not on stone, but in the hearts of men.” In thisquiet but moving oration, Pericles elevated the living aswell as the dead by reminding them of cherished ideals.

Speaking Out for Women’s Suffrage In 1872, Susan B. Anthony was arrested by a UnitedStates Deputy Marshal. Her offense? Voting in an election.Two weeks earlier, she had cast a ballot in the presiden-tial election, in defiance of a law that allowed only mento do so. Before her trial she embarked on a speakingtour to justify her actions. She made her case a symbolfor something greater, “the disfranchisement of oneentire half of the people.” Anthony referenced a sacreddocument in the eyes of 19th-century Americans – theUnited States Constitution:

It was we, the people, not we the white male citizens; nor yet we, the male citizens; but we,the whole people, who formed the Union .. . Andit is downright mockery to talk to women of theirenjoyment of the blessings of liberty while theyare denied the use of the only means of securingthem – the ballot.

Anthony then cited the dictionary definition of theword citizen: “Webster, Worchester and Bouvier alldefine a ‘citizen’ to be a person in the United States,entitled to vote and hold office. The only question leftto be settled now is: Are women persons?”

While her parsing of Webster might be questioned,Anthony’s point was clear and simple: Women are people,and, thus, should have the same rights as men. Her wordsgreatly inspired her followers and gave hope to the mod-

ern women’s suffrage movement. It would take almostanother 50 years, but when the 19th amendment waspassed in June 1919, American women finally had theright to vote. Anthony’s words helped keep the dreamalive throughout the time it took to reach that goal.

A King’s Powerful AppealThe coming of the 20th century brought technologicaladvances that enabled a speaker to reach an audiencebeyond the power of his voice. In August 1914, KingAlbert of Belgium went on the radio to speak to millions.World War I had just started and the German army waspreparing to pour across the Belgian border in its rushtoward France. “Albert sought to rally his countrymenagainst an overpowering aggressor, knowing full wellthat the odds were against Belgium,” says author Golway.

He had no easy task, since Belgium was a mosaic ofethnic groups, some speaking Dutch, some French, andothers speaking additional languages. How could he drawthem together? In his address the king subtly appealedto all Belgians to put aside their differences and focuson something greater than themselves – their country:

Everywhere in Flanders and Wallonia, in thetowns and in the countryside, one single feelingbinds all hearts together: the sense of patriotism.One single vision fills all minds: that of our inde-pendence endangered. One single duty imposesitself on our wills: the duty of stubborn resistance... I have faith in our destinies; a country whichis defending itself conquers the respect of all;such a country does not perish!

Note the repeated use of simple but powerful wordsconveying unity and inclusiveness: one single feeling,one single vision, one single duty, all hearts, our wills.The Belgian people responded to their sovereign’sappeal with such spirit that “Little Belgium’s” resistancehas been a byword for courage ever since.

Kennedy and the Berlin WallJust as King Albert and Mahatma Gandhi sought to unifytheir countries with their speeches, John F. Kennedywanted to reunify East and West Germany under a freegovernment when he gave his famous Berlin Wall speechin 1963. “John Kennedy’s speech in Berlin is one of myfavorites,” says Golway, “because we hear the voice ofpure outrage. The Berlin Wall, Kennedy said, was a perfect symbol of the difference between West and East,between freedom and totalitarianism.” With the infamouswall as a backdrop, Kennedy discarded his preparedspeech and spoke from the heart:

There are many people in the world who reallydon’t understand, or say they don’t, what is the


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great issue between the free world and theCommunist world. Let them come to Berlin!. . .All free men, wherever they may live, are citizensof Berlin, and, therefore, as a free man, I takepride in the words, “Ich bin ein Berliner.”

Kennedy’s German may not have been perfect, buteveryone understood his meaning: “I am a Berliner.Your struggle is mine.”

Mandela’s Milestone AddressNelson Mandela’s 1994 inaugural speech as president ofSouth Africa was an extraordinary event. Although he hadbeen imprisoned for 27 years in the cause of equality inSouth Africa, Mandela spoke without bitterness, soundingthe same theme that Pericles spoke of so many years before– the desire of all people to have a fair chance in life:

We shall build the society in which all SouthAfricans, both black and white, will be able towalk tall, without any fear in their hearts, assuredof their inalienable right to human dignity –a rainbow nation at peace with itself and theworld . . . Never, never, and never again shall itbe that this beautiful land will again experience

the oppression of one by another and suffer theindignity of being the skunk of the world.

Mandela’s ideas are elevated but his words are com-monplace, even earthy. Will there ever come a time whenthey are not understood, or when they fail to inspire?

“Nelson Mandela’s inaugural address was one ofthose rare ceremonial occasions that are the stuff ofhistory,” says Golway. “The world will remember hisinauguration as a milestone toward the creation of anew and hopefully more just global society. His speechwas a testimonial to the power of determination,patience and forgiveness.”

No doubt there will be as many great speeches in thenext 2,500 years as there were in the last. And thespeakers who deliver them will likely follow the sameformula of expressing a lofty ideal in down-to-earth lan-guage. No matter how their speeches are phrased, onething is clear: Their words will be heard, hearts will findresolve and history will change course as a result.

William H. Stevenson, III, is a freelance writer inHunts ville, Alabama. He has been a member of threeToastmasters clubs in the Huntsville area. Contacthim at [email protected].


By Eugene Finerman

“Bill gave me some of the bestprofessional advice that I ever re -ceived: ‘Write what you experienceand see,’” Noonan recalls in an inter-view with the Toastmaster magazine.“He felt that those who are livinghistory (and everyone who worksat the White House is living history)have a responsibility to record itas accurately, as truly, as possible –to not let it go, and disappear intoanecdotes told late at night.”

Safire’s prodding paid off, saysNoonan, grateful for the encourage-ment and support.

“He urged me to write, eachday, a thought or two. I told himit was a great idea but I didn’t havetime; I got home from the office at10 p.m., and I was tired. He said,‘Just a sentence, anyone can dothat!’ I agreed anyone could, andtried. What he knew is that nowriter writes just a sentence. By getting me to agree to write one,he was getting me to agree to apage or two or three. Because ofthis I didn’t ‘lose’ my White House,

Obituaries described William Safire as an author,

lexicographer, speechwriter, pundit and maven. He

would have relished those words, not simply as a tribute to

him but as a display of the rich diversity of the English lan-

guage. Safire could have told you the derivation of each word.

read column he wrote for the NewYork Times Magazine for 30 years,made him one of the world’s best-known arbiters of English vocabu-lary and language usage.

Safire was also a Pulitzer Prize-winning political columnist for theNew York Times, a noted speech-writer for United States presidentRichard M. Nixon and a high-profilepublic relations man before that.

Peggy Noonan, a Wall StreetJournal columnist who achievedfame as a speechwriter for RonaldReagan and George H.W. Bush,praises Safire’s abundant contribu-tions, calling him a “giant” in theworld of media and politics. Hewas also a generous mentor andfriend, she says.

Late speechwriterand columnist leavesa towering legacy

Author is from Latin, lexicographeris Greek, speechwriter is Anglo-Saxon – a dialect of German,pundit is Hindi and maven isYiddish. Safire loved English for itsvitality, earthiness, expansivenessand humor. People loved him forthe very same qualities.

Toastmasters, in particular,admired his eloquence. Anyone whohas struggled to write a speech thatarticulates exactly what it should –with wit, precision, style and poetry– understands the value of thisman’s accomplishments

The erudite New York native,who died last September at age79, wielded enormous influence inthe communications arena. “OnLanguage,” the witty and widely

William Safire:

LanguageLegend


(Continued on page 27)

I kept it; I recorded it to the bestof my ability.”

In his language column, Safirewrote with wisdom and humorabout linguistic trends, grammarissues, political rhetoric and theendless permutations of words andphrases. He delved into subjectsranging from “blargon” (blog jargon)to the grammatical nuances of thephrase “enough already!”

Other columns were etymologicalexcavations, with Safire digging intothe origins of slang and the historyof words as basic as “soap.” Heonce tracked the evolution of theword galumph, tracing it back toits birth as “galumpher” in LewisCarroll’s Alice in Wonderland. Everwonder about the word canoodle?Safire’s sleuthing found it may berelated to the German dumplingcalled “Knoedel.”

“I am a language maven, a wordwith a range of senses, from ‘afi-cionado’ to ‘enthusiast’ to ‘scholar’to ‘connoisseur,” Safire once wrote.

Even football was fair game.When the Rolling Stones performedat the halftime show of the 2006Super Bowl, Safire took the famousfrontman Mick Jagger to task forusing bad grammar. Introducingtheir hit “Satisfaction,” Jagger said tothe crowd, “Everything comes to hewho waits.” Here was another half-time malfunction, noted Safire – thistime verbal. The columnist’s profes-sorial explanation of Jagger’s error:“Because he is the subjective caseof the third-person male pronoun,it cannot be the object of the pre -position to. The pronoun must bethe objective case him.”

Got that? Imagine having William Safire

as your club’s grammarian. It nodoubt would have been an educa-tional experience.

Safire first came to Americannational prominence in the late1950s, when he was an executive ata New York public relations agency.

administration as a speechwriter.Ironically, in the five years heserved as a White House speech-writer, Safire is best rememberedfor a punch line. Assigned the roleof the administration’s partisandefender, Vice President SpiroAgnew denounced critics as“nattering nabobs of negativism.”

That unique phrase, so distinct fromthe usual political rhetoric, made asensation. It reflects Safire’s flair forlanguage as well as his love of

In 1959, the United States and theSoviet Union enjoyed a thaw in theCold War, and the powers sponsoredcultural exchanges. That year the“American National Exhibit” came toMoscow and Safire was there, over-seeing the model-home exhibit pro-duced by his client – a home-con-struction company. Then-U.S. Vice

President Richard Nixon hosted theevent’s opening ceremonies, andthe guest of honor was the SovietPremier Nikita Khrushchev; the twoleaders might have browsed pastthe model home but Safire thoughtof a way to make them the inadver-tent promoters of his client.

The exhibit had planned for asmooth, one-way flow of traffic.Safire made a slight alteration, rear-ranging the cordons so that touristswere coming from both directionsand blocking the access of Nixonand Khrushchev. Along with theirinterpreters and other dignitaries,they were trapped inside the model’skitchen. One thing led to another,and somehow Nixon and Khrushchevended up pointedly discussingnuclear weapons. This episodefamously became known as the“kitchen debate.“ It included amemorable photograph – whichSafire had slyly set up – of Nixonpoking his finger into Khrushchev’schest. That image solidified Nixon’scredentials as a man who could standup to the Soviets. The vice presi-dent had to admire the savvy publi-cist who manipulated the encounter.William Safire had won a new client.

When Nixon became U.S. presi-dent in 1968, Safire joined the

A Sampleof SafireOne of Safire’s most famous

columns was his “Rules forWriters,” in which he listed18 rules by cannily demon -strating what not to do. Hereare a few examples:

� “A writer must not shiftyour point of view.”

� “And don’t start a sentencewith a conjunction. (Remem -ber, too, a preposition is aterrible word to end a sentence with.)”

� “Don’t overuse exclamationmarks!!”

� “Writing carefully, danglingparticiples must be avoided.”

� “Take the bull by the handand avoid mixing metaphors.”

“His 13,000 columns and many

books established him as one of

the world’s leading commentators

on the English language.”


LOOKING AT LANGUAGE By Craig Harrison, DTM

Avoid Clichés Like the Plague descriptions. Your readers and lis-teners will appreciate it.

Opening SalvosPerhaps the most common clichéheard in Toastmasters is the speechopener “Mr./Madam Toastmaster,fellow Toastmasters and most wel-come guests.” Yet have you evernoticed that none of the contestantsin the World Championship ofPublic Speaking starts his or herspeech this way? It’s not that theydon’t use this line, and they clearlymean no disrespect to the audienceand judges, but they avoid mud-dling up their speech opening witha sentence so common and bland.Why would they?

While some would argue themerits of beginning each speechwith the customary “Mr./MadamToastmaster, fellow Toastmastersand most welcome guests,” Ibelieve strongly that each speechshould begin not with a cliché(especially one that only applies toToastmasters audiences) but with aunique statement, exclamation orquestion specific to that speech.You can easily follow up, after yourspeech’s first sentence, or its firstparagraph, with some sort of greet-ing. Don’t miss the opportunity toopen your speech powerfully with atailor-made statement.

Can You Do the Twist?Let’s face it: Clichés are common. Inplace of clichés, be creative in yourwriting and speaking. Be inventive.Eschew the mundane.

The judicious use of clichés,those stereotypical expressionswe hear so often, can be

effective, both in speech and inprint. When used appropriately,clichés are a form of shorthand thatcan get listeners to nod knowinglywhile furthering the intended courseof action. Yet excessive reliance onclichés can be fatal to speeches andstories, and should be avoidedwhenever possible.

A cliché, by definition, is a trite,commonplace expression – a sen-tence or phrase usually conveyinga popular or common thought oridea. But the very fact that it hasbecome a cliché, through popularuse – and overuse – suggests thatthe phrase has lost originality andingenuity and, thus, impact.

Using a cliché is like taking afamiliar shortcut. At times, it canreassure listeners or allow you toexpress yourself without thinkingtoo much. Yet it shows a lack ofimagination and robs the languageof interesting word combinationsand fresh descriptions. The dangeris that this path will lead you tostale thinking. My advice: Avoidclichés . . . like the plague!

Day-To-Day ClichésEvery culture and language has itsclichés. Many embody universaltruths. Some come from farming,sports, business or the politicalarena. Others come from the influences of foreign cultures.Consider the following:

� No use crying over spilled milk� Old as dirt� I wasn’t born yesterday� What goes around comes around� Yada, yada, yada� Moving forward� At the end of the day� It’s déjà vu all over again� It’s like putting lipstick on a pig� When all is said and done� Laughing all the way to the bank� It’s now or never� Tried and true� It’s a slam dunk� No man left behind� That goes without saying� Talk is cheap� Where there’s smoke, there’s fire

If I Had a Nickel …By attending Toastmasters meet-ings regularly, you’re likelyexposed to a separate set ofclichés. Examples:

� Without further ado� Put your hands together for� This speaker needs no

introduction� And so on and so forth� Think outside the box� In the final analysis� In conclusion

To which I respond:

Get Thee to a ThesaurusDon’t be lazy. Replace these over -used phrases. A good first step isconsulting a thesaurus for appro- priate alter natives. Seek precisionin your speeches and stories.Focus on specificity in your

Eschew hackneyed phrases infavor of inventive expression.


6 Download a blank Cliché Bingochart at: http://tinyurl.com/yjxdr8j

Among the great joys of theEnglish language are the creativeways in which sentences can befashioned. Take pride in mixing andmatching words to create new,evocative combinations that enrichyour stories, speeches and essays.If nothing else, modify the cliché.

For example, at a recent meetingof the LaughLovers club in Oakland,California, I began my speech withthe salutation “Good evening, ladiesand Laughlovers!” Because it was atwist on a standard cliché (ladiesand gentlemen), it garnered a laugh.You, too, can surprise and delightyour audiences by employing twiststo common clichés and create freshword sequences that are simultane-ously familiar and different.

Cliché BingoBring this Cliché Bingo sheet toyour next club meeting. See how

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many of these clichés you hear duringthe meeting – but don’t yell “Bingo!”aloud. For advanced credit, expandthis table to 4” x 4” or 5” x 5.”

Craig Harrison, DTM, of Berkeley, California, is a member of several Toast -masters clubs. He is a professional speaker and founder of Expressions ofExcellence. Contact him via www.ExpressionsOfExcellence.com.

Mr./MadamToastmaster, fellow

Toastmasters & mostwelcome guests

Put your handstogether for

This speaker needsno introduction

Without further ado Think outsidethe box

And so onand so forth

In thefinal analysis And in conclusion

TOASTMASTERSINTERNATIONAL®


The Best-Kept Ne From holding office tovisiting the InternationalConvention – Toastmastersoffers opportunities fornetworking and fun.

By Heather O’Neill

Shhh. Come closer. Don’t tell, but I’m about to expose

the biggest secret in Toastmasters. For a lot of

Toastmasters, membership is about getting over the

fear of public speaking. For some, it’s about reducing ahs

and ums. For others, it’s about improving their ability to

manage a team or lead a meeting. While it’s important, of course, tolearn all of those things, almost all Toastmasters will tell you that oppor-tunities for networking are also important. The relationships you build


etworking Secrets

unique opportunity to grow and get to know so manydifferent people.”

Writer Anais Nin said, “Each contact with a humanbeing is so rare, so precious, one should preserve it.”Remember each smile, extended hand or words of wis-dom from a mentor. And remember that life is cyclical.Sometimes you receive the words of encouragement andsometimes you give them. Most Toastmasters will tellyou that they found the biggest gift when giving backto a person, their club or the organization as a whole.Networking is mentoring, giving back, learning, growingand building relationships in all capacities. It’s extremelybeneficial in all aspects of our lives – and yet somewhatdaunting to execute. Here are some easy steps you cantake to improve your networking skills.

Some Fine TipsI learned a great deal from Debra Fine, professionalspeaker and bestselling author of The Fine Art of SmallTalk: How to Start a Conversation, Keep it Going, BuildRapport and Leave a Positive Impression. Fine offersmany helpful tips, but one jewel that stood out for mewas, “Assume the burden of other people’s comfort.”

It can be uncomfortable to start a conversation or joina group of people. As I looked around at my fellow

with mentors, contest opponents turned friends, andnew people you meet at conventions are indispensablereasons why Toastmasters everywhere are successful andfulfilled enough to remain members for years.

I attended the 2009 Toastmasters International Con -vention in Mashantucket, Connecticut, with the intentionof doing research on networking within Toastmasters.Beyond all expectations, I made contacts with interest-ing, accomplished speakers from around the world. Notonly did I find experienced people to interview, I madea new business contact in Canada and reconnected withold friends. Opportunities abound when you open youreyes to them. You can create a strategic alliance, makea new friend or find a new job. It’s true that networkingmight take you out of your comfort zone. So what?Didn’t you prepare to leap over the boundaries of yourcomfort zone the moment you joined Toastmasters?

Give of Yourself and It Comes Back TenfoldPast District 59 Governor Odile Petillot has found networking opportunities within her home club andbeyond. Her bilingual club in Paris, The Europeans,gains an average of 16 new members each year fromall over the world, in places such as Spain, Russia,Ireland, Japan, Germany, Argentina and North America.

She enjoys learning about the new members’ countriesand cultures, but she and fellow club members also benefit from business relationships sometimes formedwith these new members.

Petillot maintains that the first step to better network-ing is to become a club officer. She elaborates: “Thehigher you go up the [leadership] ladder [in Toastmasters],the more you extend your horizon and the circle ofpotential relationships. When I was the governor ofDistrict 59, I had a team of 40 people working withme in 17 European countries – the number of countriesin our district at the time. I learned how to work with people whose methods and characteristics were very different from mine. It was a lifetime experience; Ican’t thank our organization enough for giving me this

attendees during the last International Convention, manywere talking on cell phones or reading the Conventionprogram. I realized many of those people were probablyjust trying to look busy so they could avoid the discom-fort of speaking to someone new. I’m one of the moregregarious people (some may say obnoxious or forward)and I still felt uncomfortable walking up to people I didn’t know. I could only imagine how uneasy morereserved or introverted individuals might feel.

So I decided to “assume the burden of other people’scomfort.” I began a conversation with a very nice butsomewhat nervous woman in line. She seemed startledat first but then opened up. She was a new member andhad the advantage of living within driving distance ofthe conference. How brave she was to jump feet-first

3 Dianne Boulay of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (right) talksto Past International Director Suezy Proctor, DTM, during the2008 International Convention in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.


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into a convention with thousands of people from aroundthe world!

Fine also offers tips on meeting new people and writes:“Don’t sit with someone you know.” She says we oftenuse people we know as a crutch, but we have to remem-ber that networking is about meeting new people, findingfuture resources and making connections. A few monthsago, several members of my home club attended aToastmasters Leadership Institute. As we looked for seatsin the auditorium, we naturally chose a row where wecould sit together. I thought about Ms. Fine’s words andrealized that we were missing out on a golden opportunityto meet new people. You certainly wouldn’t want to hurtanyone’s feelings by abandoning your group. However,you could arrange an agreement ahead of time by sayingsomething like, “How about we each sit at a different

table, then afterward introduce each other to the interestingnew people we met?” Who could resist that opportunity?

Think GloballyAt this same training, I learned about an internationalnetworking experience involving Toastmasters in a talkgiven by Dr. Ward Thrasher, assistant dean and MBAdirector for the University of Bridgeport, Connecticut(the sponsor for the event). Dr. Thrasher mentioned astrategic relationship that may lead to a new Toast mastersclub in China. While teaching as an adjunct professor inChina, he was approached for advice on enhancing anew program aimed at improving the doctors’ Englishcommunication at a local hospital. Of course, Dr.Thrasher included Toastmasters in his recommendations,and the hospital has considering starting a new club.

When I asked Dr. Thrasher about his advice on net-working, he said, “Networking is not an event-drivenprocess. Anyone you interact with is an opportunity. Youdon’t know what bridge is going to lead to what destina-tion.” So take those business cards with you everywhere.You might run into someone at the grocery store whowould benefit from Toastmasters. Or you might end upaffecting someone’s life halfway around the world.

Poet Alfred Lord Tennyson said, “I am a part of allthat I have met.” Every person you meet leaves a pieceof himself with you . . . and you with him. Now thatyou know the secret gem of Toastmasters – be open tonetworking within your club, at contests, conferencesand the International Convention. Step outside yourcomfort zone and take on an officer position – or simplystart a conversation.

Don’t let your networking end when you leave yourmeeting or a conference. Join a Toastmasters group onFacebook, Twitter or LinkedIn. When you join an onlinegroup, you are instantly connected to a wealth of exper-tise. You can post a question and receive responses andsuggestions from Toastmasters all over the globe. PranayJuyal, past president of Infosys Toastmasters in Bangalore,India, uses many of these applications, though LinkedInis his favorite. Whether online or in person, Juyal is cer-tain of the power of meeting others and says, “Networkingis the single most important tool I use in Toastmasters.”

So the next time you are talking to a prospective newmember, don’t just say, “You’ll grow and challenge your-self as a speaker.” Also say, “When you join Toastmasters,you’ll meet the most amazing group of people ever!

Heather O’Neill is a writer, speaker and the VPPR for theBarnum Square Toastmasters in Bethel, Connecticut. Sheis a small-business owner who has grown her businessprimarily through the power of networking. Reach herat [email protected].

Networking Tips fromConversation Expert Debra Fine:� Don’t wait to start until you need something

.. . start today. Increase your visibility now.

� Assume the burden of other people’s comfort.Come prepared with topics you can discuss andquestions to ask. If you are going to a conven-tion, you can ask attendees about exhibits theyrecommend, what they liked about a breakoutsession or the best practices of their home club.

� Learn each person’s name. If you don’t thinkyou understood it properly, repeat it – severaltimes if necessary – until you do. Taking thetime to learn and repeat a person’s name inconversation demonstrates respect.

� Don’t get too personal. Asking a tactful question like, “What keeps you busy outsideof work?” doesn’t make an assumption aboutthe person but gives them the chance todivulge what they wish about themselves.

� Respect differences. Follow the actions ofothers to build comfort, particularly when talking with people from different countries.Let them lead. Model your behavior after theirs(eye contact, handshake, etc.) to respect anycultural differences.

� Give a full response. If someone asks youa question, try not to respond with a bland“good.” Elaborate to give them somethingthey can connect with.


Carolyn Kepcherhave the faintest idea of howto get ahead or move to thenext level of their careers.”Through the company she found-

ed, WorkHerWay.com, Kepcherleads a team of more than 150 con-tributing authors and subject-matterexperts, offering advice to womenin the workplace. When faced withtough times, Kepcher recommendsto “avoid going into survival modeand focusing entirely inward.” Onthe contrary, Kepcher says this isthe time to give of yourself, “to offeryourself up to those who couldbenefit, whether it’s through volun-teering, mentorship, becoming the‘field expert’ in the local newspaperfor your profession, starting a blog,or reading and commenting in Webcommunities relevant to your work.” Kepcher developed her business

skills by creating budgets, implement-ing operational systems, negotiatingmanagement contracts and designingmarketing programs for the BeckSummit Hotel Management Group,a company that owns and operateshotels throughout the United States. As a manager of four golf clubs

for the Trump Organization, Kepcherplayed a crucial role in acquiring,developing and marketing new

properties. Known for her aggres-sive sales and operating budgets,she found success relying on herability to determine new trends inthe golf industry. Kepcher’s businesssavvy and hands-on leadership inthese and other real estate projectsled to her position as Executive VicePresident of the Trump Organizationand COO for Trump Golf Properties. A major part of her role on The

Apprentice was to explain why peo-ple were fired, but now Kepcher hastaken steps in her current positionsto help people avoid this fate. Whena change is unavoidable, she advis-es: “Sometimes you have to knowwhen to call in the troops. You havea support system out there, in theform of friends, family and col-leagues. Don’t hesitate to use it, andto pay that forward when you can.” Kepcher pays it forward by

supporting entrepreneurs in theirdreams of launching a business. Shehas part nered with Microsoft in thelaunch of new accounting softwarethat will aid startups, and she haspartnered with Microsoft andYahoo! to develop mentoring programs for entrepreneurs.

� This summer, at the 2010 Inter -national Convention in Palm Desert,California, Toastmasters Internationalwill honor Carolyn Kepcher with theprestigious Golden Gavel award forher achievements as a business leader,writer and television personality.Kepcher is widely known for her

role as an Executive Vice Presidentwith the Trump Organization, specif-ically for her five seasons on NBC’shit series, The Apprentice, presidedover by Donald Trump. When Trumphad to choose people to fire as partof The Apprentice, Kepcher’s inputhelped him make the selections. “I worked for Donald Trump for

11 years, and in that time I learnedthat it is possible for a woman tosurvive and do well in a male-dominated culture,” says Kepcher, aresident of Ridgefield, Connecticut. With her high-level insights into

corporate and career survival, Kepcheris a regular guest on national tele -vision programs such as GoodMorning America, the Today Showand the Oprah Winfrey Show. Shealso writes the weekly “Your Career”column for the New York Daily News.Her book, Carolyn 101, rose

to No. 2 on the New York Timesbest-seller list and focuses onhelping readers learn “skills suchas sizing up a situation, spottingopportunities for advancement,and anticipating your next move.”In it, Kepcher writes, “I’m oftensurprised to find very bright andwell-educated people who don’t

Announcing Toastmasters’2010 Golden Gavel Recipient:

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Carolyn Kepcher will speak at the Golden Gavel Dinner on August 13at the Toastmasters Inter na tional Convention in Palm Desert, Califor nia.Don’t miss your opportunity to learn from this extraordinary workplaceexpert. For Convention details and registration information, please visitwww.toastmasters.org/2010Convention.


“Take in two Toastmasters

meetings and call me

in the morning.”

Does this sound like anunlikely prescription fromthe doctor? Based on med-

ical and sociological research, it’sactually sound advice for improvingone’s well-being. Pick up any pieceof Toastmasters literature or visitwww.toastmasters.org and you’llfind an array membership benefits:improved communication and lead-ership skills, personal and careerenhancement, development of self-confidence, networking and cama-raderie. But what you might notfind on this list is a mention thatToastmasters membership can begood for your health!

In the first century A.D., Romanmoralist Juvenal touted the impor-tance of “a sound mind in a soundbody.” Now 2,000 years later, mod-ern medical and health-relatedresearch supports the notion that aperson’s active involvement in orga-nizations that engage the mind –such as Toastmasters International –benefits one’s health. It can posi-tively affect a variety of conditions,including stress, mild depression,heart problems and some of thedebilities of advancing age.

Nothing in this broad spectrumof research specifically names Toast -masters. Therefore, I’m not suggest-ing membership in Toastmasters asa substitute for necessary medicaltreatment. But the research doesindicate that socially oriented orga-nizations like ours provide settings

that can benefit a person’s health.To be sure, Toastmasters engagein stimulating and interactivetypes of activities; they meet andbecome friends with a diversegroup of people, and they learnand improve themselves in a mutually supportive environment.All of these activities can benefit amember’s sense of well-being aswell as physical health.

Let’s take this concept a step further by looking at some specifichealth problems that are endemic intoday’s society. Positive social rela-tionships often help people dealwith these issues. High among theseproblems is stress, which can helppeople be productive but is alsodebilitating in many ways.

Mark Gorkin, a Washington, D.C.,social worker, says, “A person, in

Rx for Better Health: Toastmasters

Researchlinks healthmaintenanceto clubmembership.

By Theodore Lustig, DTM


response to prolonged stress andphysical, mental or emotionalstrain, detaches from work andother meaningful relationships.”The result is lowered productivity,cynicism, and a feeling of beingdrained. Con sequently, health problems emerge.

Combat Stress with Social SupportExperts say these stress-relatedproblems can be diminished whenpeople develop a strong social support system and become involvedin activities that spark their interestand sharpen their cognitive skills.One solution, says Dr. AndyMorgan, a psychiatry professor atYale Uni versity in New Haven,Connect icut, is to seek a senseof personal accom plishment, sothat stress becomes a challengeand not a burden.

The Toastmasters program pro-vides both the environment and theopportunity to fulfill such goals.Successfully preparing and deliver-ing speeches can counteract severalbasic causes of stress: tensions gen-erated by an inability to communi-cate, lack of self-esteem, and thefeeling that one is isolated from andunsupported by other people.

Remedy for Depression and BurnoutStress is often a precursor foranother, more acute ailment:depression. This condition cantake two forms. The first, calledclinical or unipolar depression,can be life-threatening, requiringmedical treatment and extensivetherapy. The second, called milddepression, can affect energy levels,self-esteem and concentration, butis usually less debilitating and ofshorter duration. (It still, however,may involve therapy and medica-tion of some form.)

Mild depression is often triggeredby a loss, such as the death of afamily member or friend, the endof a close relationship, an illness, a

business reversal or the loss of ajob. Most therapists urge thosestruggling with mild depression toavoid isolating themselves and toengage in supportive activities thatoffer education, reassurance or confidence-building.

Again, the Toastmasters programfits the bill. Members learn a greatdeal by delivering and listening tospeeches on a wide range of sub-jects, and they develop self-esteemby building their communicationand leadership skills.

Another major result of stress –burnout – is usually job-related.Whereas most stress is a result ofevents that have a beginning, mid-dle and end, burnout is a prolongedprocess that leads to physical, mental and emotional strain.

The Rev. Dennis Kenny, who isalso a psychologist, says that whenthe values we hold in the work-place are no longer being realized,“That’s when we often hit the wall.”To mitigate burnout, one has torestore flexibility and balance inlife, says Kenny. One way to dothat, he adds, is to get involvedwith activities that challenge you,where you learn new talents andbroaden your horizons.

Stretch Yourself in ToastmastersToastmasters provides a morerelaxed environment for both theworkaholic and the burnout victim,while also offering the opportunityto learn career-enhancing communi-cation and leadership skills. Thiscan improve a person’s currentlyuntenable job situation or providethe additional skills needed to seeka job that’s a better fit.

Being an active member ofToastmasters can also help withheart problems. In 2004, a studypresented at a meeting of theAmerican Heart Association showedthat men and women who joinclubs or other groups that extendtheir circle of friends, “have signifi-cantly lower blood pressure andother heart disease risks.”

In a 2004 issue of PsychosomaticMedicine, another study reportedon women prone to heart problems.Those women who established

large social networks that includedclub memberships not only hadfewer heart-risk factors, the reportshowed, they also had survivalrates double those who did nothave such lifestyles.

The connection between groupsocial support and heart healthhas always been there, says Dr.Tim Gardner at the Hospital of theUniversity of Pennsylvania. “It wasjust a matter of looking for it,” hesays. “We need to pay more atten-tion to the behavioral aspects ofour health.”

“Our biology likes positive relationships,” adds psychologist TeresaSeeman, Ph.D., Professor of Medicineand Epidemiology who conductsgeriatric research at the UCLA Schoolof Medicine.

This is particularly true of thebrain. Cognitive skills tend to worsen as people get older, andneurologists have typically believedthis process is inevitable and affectsall mental functions, from memoryand problem-solving to spatial ori-entation and complex judgments.New research paints a less gloomypicture, however.

“Successfully preparing anddelivering speeches can counteract

several basic causes of stress.”


Keep the Brain SharpAccording to an article in ConsumerReports, recent studies have raisedthe prospect that cognitive declinecan be minimized by “stimulating,fueling and protecting the brain asit ages.” The challenged brain can

generate new circuitry that will helpit grow, adapt and sometimes evenimprove in certain areas, expertsmaintain. It may also delay theonset of Alzheimer’s disease.

Membership in Toastmastershelps boost specific cognitiveskills. The first involves language,and here Toastmasters excels, notonly in improving speaking abili-

ties, but also in adding to a per-son’s vocabulary and word usagethrough Word of the Day activi-ties at club meetings. TableTopics improves our mental agility as we tackle the challengeof impromptu speaking.

The second cognitive skillinvolves learning and memory, bothdeveloped through the preparationand presentation of speeches.Learning is aided in two ways, firstby researching facts and using themin writing your speech, and second,by becoming more knowledgablefrom listening to the speeches ofothers. Memory development comeswhen you memorize aspects of aspeech – or the entire speech itself.

The third boost comes in thearea of management skills, whenyou serve in the administration ofthe club. The mental benefitsinclude learning how to plan andorganize, as well as how to stayflexible and adapt to changing circumstances. In learning how tomanage the club, one also learnsto manage one’s self.

But don’t think your involvementcan be off-and-on if you want totruly improve, says Dr. RobertFriedland of Case Western ReserveUniversity in Cleveland, Ohio.“What’s important is that you dothese activities consistently,” saysFriedland, chief of the school’s laboratory of neurogeriatrics.“You won’t get the full benefit byinvolving yourself only occasionally.You need regular participation.”To stay well and happy, a personmust not only receive support fromthese relationships, but must givesupport as well.

In his latest book, Outliers: TheStory of Success, Malcolm Gladwelllooks at the case of a Pennsylvaniatown, Roseto, where it was discov-ered in the 1950s that virtually noone under the age of 55 had everhad a heart attack. This was a timewhen heart attacks were the princi-pal cause of death in men underage 65 and before the advent ofcholesterol-lowering drugs andor other aggressive measures tocontrol heart disease. Moreover,researchers found that many ofthese people ate diets high in fats,smoked heavily and did not engagein much exercise, all among theusual contributors to heart disease,Gladwell notes.

But the researchers also dis-covered that almost all of Roseto’sinhabitants were immigrants fromthe same area in Italy, or theirdirect descendants. When it cameto well-being, this bond apparentlytranscended any other health fac-tor, the experts concluded. Up untilthen, none of the experts had everthought about health in terms ofcommunity.

This same concept carries overinto all Toastmasters clubs. Membersare of different age and educationallevels, and come from different societal, religious, political and ethnic backgrounds. But within theclub’s confines, they meet to fulfilla common purpose: to learn communication skills together and enjoysupport from each other.

Belonging to Toastmasters makeseach member part of an inclusivecommunity. Perhaps, in the sameway as the people of Roseto, theircontinued membership providesthem protection to some degreefrom a variety of health problems.Only time will tell.

Theodore Lustig, DTM, is a memberof the Round Rock Chambermastersclub in Round Rock, Texas. He canbe reached at [email protected].

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“You won’t get the full benefit by

involving yourself only occasionally.

You need regular participation.”

By Eve Cappello, Ph.D., DTM HOW TO


The Power of a Winning Voice� “In today’s high-tech world ofsound, no other means of commu-nication surpasses the human voice,”says Dr. Morton Cooper, author ofChange Your Voice, Change YourLife. “Twenty-five percent of allAmericans use a voice too low intheir throats and 50 percent use avoice too high, nasal and thin . . .They often go through life unheardand unappreciated.”

Your voice is crucial in achievingsuccess as a speaker. As a profes-sional speech coach, I’d like tooffer some valuable techniques Iteach my clients – techniques youcan practice for just five minutesa day to make your voice healthyand strong, and give your speechesmore pizzazz.

What does your voice say aboutyou? Do you sound confident?Credible? Even if you know yoursubject and dress appropriately,your voice can turn off an audience.Here’s a simple test you can use topractice different voice sounds usingthe word hello. Look at yourself inthe mirror and say “hello” in anangry voice, then a happy voice,then a sad voice.

Notice the different sounds. Isyour voice usually too high or toolow? To bring out your best voice,it is important to move in the rightdirection. Knowing which directionto go is the key to finding yourwinning voice. Practice these tech-niques to build a credible and con-fident voice that commands audi-ence attention:

� Close your lips and hum “HappyBirthday.” You should be able tofeel a vibration around your

stage fright, reduce stress and begina song or speech confidently.

Putting Pizzazz in Your Voice Before you begin your next presen-tation, take a controlled, deep breathand give your first comment on theexhale. Your voice will come outfuller and richer – you’ll projectenergy and enthusiasm. When youproject these qualities, your audienceis excited to hear what you say.

Imagine this scene: You stepup to the lectern. You’re dressedfor success. You know exactly whatyou are going to talk about. Butyou’re still nervous. As a result,your voice may falter or maybeyou mumble or say too many ahsand ums. What can you do?

Face your audience and thinkabout using the techniques you havepracticed. Take the kind of controlled,

deep breath you’ve been preparingand open with your first sentence onthe exhale. Concentrate on what youhave to do, not on how you feel. Withconcentration, your voice will comeout stronger and you will soundmore confident. Enjoy the power ofa winning voice – it’s awesome!

Eve Cappello, Ph.D., DTM, is aspeech coach and author of eightbooks. She has more than 40 yearsof experience in voice projection –as a professional singer as well asmotivational speaker. Reach her atwww.drevetraining.com.

nose and mouth. That area isknown as the “mask.”

� Repeat the words “zim, zim” tohelp you find your mask area.

� Read a newspaper or magazinealoud, but hum the words. Thebuzz or tingle in your mask areawill tell you if you are usingyour voice correctly.

� Repeat slowly: “Really one. Reallytwo. Really three.” Control yoursound by repeating both theword “really” and the numberin the same tone of voice.

To find your winning voice, it’simportant that you practice breathingproperly. Your breath – when dulycontrolled – adds quality to yourvoice. Practice this control by inhal-ing slowly through your nose asyou inflate your stomach. Think ofinflating a balloon while breathing

in. Now say the word “hello” whileexhaling. Think of the balloon de -flating and pull in your stomach asyou speak. Notice how the soundcomes out fuller.

Breathing in this way is theopposite of the way we normallybreathe. It takes a little practicebefore you can master the tech-nique so it isn’t obvious when youspeak. Taking the occasional breathlike this when you’re at the lecterncan help you overcome nervous-ness and project a winning voice.Singers and speakers use this deep-breathing exercise to overcome

How to hit the rightnotes when speaking.

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“Concentrate on what you have

to do, not on how you feel.”


Beauty,Poiseand...

Speaking Skills!

May 2010 TOASTMASTER 25Opposite page: Nicole Flint, 2009 Miss South Africa. Photo courtesy of Peter Morey

What does it take to win a beautypageant today? You might be surprised.A

Beauty pageant winners from around the worldcredit Toastmasters with helping them win their titles.

since her sister died from the disease, she’s been a pas-sionate advocate for early detection.Boothe-Grooms competed in her first pageant at age

19 and won several titles. She took a break to focus onfamily, becoming a mother of four, but returned to thepageant scene in search of opportunity and challenge.During the interviewing process she discovered that

much had changed since she last competed, and shefound it difficult to communicate her answers clearly.Fellow contestants told her about Toastmasters and shesoon joined the AT&T Middletown club in Middletown,New Jersey.She credits Table Topics with building her skills and

confidence. “It felt like someone had spoon-fed me myanswers and I was able to grab my audience’s attention,”says Boothe-Grooms about her winning responses.Boothe-Grooms now uses her pageant-title platform

to promote the importance of regular health checkups.She is also starting her own foundation to help friendsand family members of cancer patients find resourcesrelated to medical care and support.

“My experience in Toastmasters has been incredible,”says Mrs. New Jersey. “My club is extremely supportive.I am so thankful to have met such wonderful people.”

Rachael Rees,2009 Miss World,New South Wales, AustraliaRachael Rees, 21, alwaysdreamed of competing in abeauty pageant and knewpublic speaking skills werecritical in carrying out theduties of being Miss World. “When I first entered the

Miss World competition, I hada fear of public speaking,” says Rees, who discoveredthe importance of communication skills – particularlytone of voice – in such competitions. She turned to theWagga Wagga Toastmasters for help. The club in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia,

quickly became one of her strongest networks of support.From providing help on her Ice Breaker speech to lend-ing support when she took on leadership roles, members

By Katie De Boer

contestant’s communication

and leadership skills are as

important as her poise and appearance,

which is why a number of pageant contes-

tants – and winners – from around the

world are members of Toastmasters. They credit the program for helping them become confident speakersand leaders, enabling them to impress judges and servegracefully during their terms as reigning beauty queens. Ceylone Boothe-Grooms, a Toastmaster from Middle -

town, New Jersey, won the title of Mrs. New Jersey in2009. “It is true – winning the contest is dependent onhow well you can answer your interview questions,”says Boothe-Grooms. “Just like in Table Topics, thequestions are simple and off the cuff, which you arerequired to answer quickly and clearly.” A contender needs to intelligently voice opinions on

current events and controversial topics – if she wants towin. “Be educated,” says Kristen Dalton, Miss USA 2009.“You need to know what is going on in the world.” As itturns out, opinions are easy to come by, because thesewomen have plenty to say.Ultimately, for a true beauty queen it’s not about

the title, the crown or the attention; it’s about theexperience and the passion “to promote and speakabout a platform – a cause that is important to you,”says Boothe-Grooms.Here’s what a few beauty-contest winners from

around the world say about their Toastmasters training:

Ceylone Boothe-Grooms,Mrs. New JerseyUnited States, 2009Boothe-Grooms won the Mrs.New Jersey crown – all con-testants are married – at theage of 38. She entered thecompetition, in part, becauseof her interest in raisingawareness for the early detec-tion of cervical cancer. Ever


were always available to offer guidance, advice andreassurance.

She noticed a dramatic improvement in her poise underpressure. “I have become such a strong and confidentpublic speaker that I now have the ability to give a 20-minute presentation without any written [notes],” saysRees. “It is a great feeling when you can get a laughfrom your audience; you know they are enjoying theexperience as much as you are.”

Like other pageant winners, Rees has used her MissWorld platform to be a health advocate, serving as anambassador and community representative for MultipleSclerosis Australia.

This once-shy girl has chosen a career in the mediaindustry. She is a graduate of the National Institute ofDramatic Art (NIDA), a highly competitive training institute in Kingston, New South Wales, for students oftheater, film and television. Rees now says speaking offthe cuff – connecting and laughing with her audience –is her favorite part of giving a speech.

Nicole Flint,2009 Miss South Africa Nicole Flint, 21, is no strangerto Toastmasters. Her father,Ian Flint, DTM, has been amember for 26 years andserved as District 74 Governorin 1991. Ian impressed hisdaughter with the value ofToastmasters by conductingYouth Leader ship programs(YLP) at her primary school. Nicole started modeling inhigh school but realized the value of vocal projectionand joined her school’s public speaking team. She alsoparticipated in two additional YLP courses. “This expo-sure to Toastmasters improved her self-confidence, andthis, I firmly believe, made the difference in her pageantsuccesses,” says her father, a member of the Forum Clubin Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa.

Nicole agrees heartily, saying Toastmasters helpedher add the finishing touches to her professional perfor-mances. “It’s being able to understand how importantmanners are in the presenting of a speech,” she says.“I have learned that it’s the little things that make the difference between good and bad delivery.”

Nicole learned not only how to speak confidently andeffectively but discovered other valuable Toastmastersskills. “It is important to arrive on time and ensure proper preparation for all engagements,” she says.

On the heels of her Miss South Africa success lastDecember, Nicole is giving back to her community asa guest speaker at various Toastmasters events. Once

her busy schedule slows down, she plans to join a clubin the Pretoria area.

Nadia Moffett, 2010 MissNorth Carolina USA After being crowned MissNorth Carolina in November2009, Nadia Moffett expressedgratitude to Express YourselfToastmasters in Tobaccoville,North Carolina, where as amember she developed grace,eloquence, confidence and theability to articulate – all skillsnecessary to ace her personal interviews with the judges.

When she started participating in beauty pageants,Moffett realized she needed help with her speakingskills. “Rambling was my biggest downfall,” she says.“I would make a point and wouldn’t stop.” In Toast -masters, she learned to control the content of heranswers. She didn’t want to ramble, but she still wantedto say enough to connect with the judges and audience.“Something else that is really important to grasp is toknow how to let your words flow,” says Moffett. “Beconnected in your heart and how you are feeling. It isimportant to trust your instincts.”

Toastmasters training allowed her to develop theskills she needed to follow those instincts. “I was ableto confidently speak my views, thoughts and opinionson various topics with no hesitation,” she says.

As Miss North Carolina, Moffett, 25 this month, is constantly meeting, speaking and interviewing people.“Every time I put my sash on, I get to meet a wholeslew of new people . . . I’ve always been a social butterfly,but this takes it to another level.”

After graduating from college, Moffett went to workat American Express in Greensboro, North Carolina,and two years ago joined its corporate club, ExpressYourself Toastmasters. She had no idea how big of animpact Toastmasters would make on her career and personal aspirations.

Susan Mitchell, Express Yourself club president, saysMoffett “is an asset to American Express and our ExpressYourself club. Her positive attitude and willingness tohelp make her unique.”

Moffett is also co-founder of the “Make Me a Queen”foundation, dedicated to helping young women buildself-esteem. Toastmasters helped build hers. “I havegained the level of confidence needed to perform mybest as I prepared for my title, and now prepare for theMiss USA contest [in May], and as I work to be my bestin my career in corporate America,” she says.


William Safire(Continued from page 13)

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of taking me seriously. The youngare used to being patronized. Billdidn’t patronize. He had a whollyegalitarian sense that he could learnfrom everyone, whatever their ageor stage, and they could learn fromhim, too.”

Safire’s love of language beganearly. Growing up in New York,he wandered through the variousneighborhoods and overheard aworld of languages: Italian, German,Ukrainian, Chinese and Yiddish.Even in the neighborhoods whereEnglish was prevalent, the dialectoften had a distinct Irish brogue.

He wrote his “On Language” column from 1979 until a fewweeks before he died. His 13,000columns and many books estab-lished him as one of the world’sleading commentators on theEnglish language. Safire mightrue common mistakes – such as

confusing “fortuitous” with “fortu-nate” – but he was not a hide-bound traditionalist. On the contrary,Safire once wrote, “I welcome newwords, or old words used in newways, provided the result is moreprecision, added color or greaterexpressiveness.“

The gifted wordsmith, who wasa popular pundit on the Sundaymorning talk shows, also wrote anumber of books, including novelsand a memoir. One of his bookswas Lend Me Your Ears: GreatSpeeches in History. Several othersbooks were compilations of his“On Language” columns.

When Bill Safire died last fall, heleft us his love of language as hislegacy and his talent as a standard.

Eugene Finerman is a freelance writerliving in Chicago, Illinois. Reach himat www.finermanworks.com.

alliteration, which he displayedthroughout his career.

After working as a speechwriter,Safire became a tenacious and acer-bic commentator for the New YorkTimes, winning the coveted PulitzerPrize in 1978. But despite the fearhe could inspire in targets of hispolitical columns, he was knownas a warm and accessible man, par-ticularly generous to other writers.Noonan says he was a great helpwhen she started as a speechwriterin the White House.

“Bill was a generation older thanI,” she notes. “He encouraged me inthe way that is always most neededand most appreciated by the young,and that is he listened to me whenwe spoke and paid the compliment

Brittany Hoff, 2004 MissLewis County, Washington,and 2006 Miss Nampa, Idaho Brittany Ann Hoff, ACB, CL,discovered Toastmastersfrom her parents as a seniorin high school. But shewasn’t convinced to joinuntil 2004, after her firstpageant interview in LewisCounty, Washington.

The interviews at the county level lasted 30 minutes,with an additional 10 to 12 minutes for questions. “It’smore like Table Topics on fire,” says Hoff. The board hadbrought in Toastmasters from the community to “practicejudge” the interviews, Hoff says, and after the evaluationsit was apparent she needed help with her excessive rambling. “There are a lot of things I love to talk about,so I needed to learn how to keep focused.”

Like the other winning contestants, Hoff credits herToastmasters training with helping her organize herthoughts. “The most important thing is to state all thepoints you will cover in your speech and then explaineach one separately,” says Hoff. This helped her keepher answers succinct. “Typically when you see a youngcontestant who stumbles or rambles in her interview, it

is most likely because she is over-thinking her answers.I know, because I used to do the same thing.”

As Miss Lewis County, she made more than 80appearances in one year, promoting her platform of ahealthy lifestyle and the dangers of diabetes. To connectwith her audiences, she started using props and learnedto involve audience members in her presentations.

Two years later, in 2006, Hoff moved to Idaho. Shesoon joined another club, entered the Miss Nampa, Idaho,competition – and won. She continued to spread her mes-sage and made more than 60 appearances in six months.

Hoff, 23, will soon graduate from Boise StateUniversity and looks forward to traveling the world.

Hoff credits her Toastmasters mentors with her suc-cesses so far. “It is extremely important to have a mentorand learn how to become a mentor,” says Hoff, whoseown mentor is current District 15 Governor DaveManning. Because of his advice, she is now serving asan area governor. Hoff did not expect to come this farin Toastmasters. She says, “It has been an incrediblejourney and experience.”

Katie De Boer is the Editorial Assistant for theToastmaster magazine.

Chuck Blethen, DTM, also contributed to this article. He isthe public relations officer for District 37.

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FOR THE NOVICE


By Merrill J. Davies, ACG

My Time is Your Timeinvited several weeks or months inadvance. A phone call or e-mailconfirming the date and time can beinvaluable. It is not uncommon towrite down the wrong date or time,or learn that not every participantwas notified of a program change.

On the day of the event, arrive inplenty of time to get oriented to thelocation, set up any equipment andconsult with the program planner.If you’re using audio visuals, don’tassume that anything will be provid-ed. If you need the host to provideany equipment (even an extensioncord), or if you need the room setup in a special way, ask about it theday before. You may not be able tocheck out these needs at programtime without delaying the program.

The Program PlannerAs a program planner your job isto ensure that the program movesalong smoothly and that the needsof the audience and participantsare respect ed. Your Toastmasterstraining should have prepared youfor this. To start, you can decidebeforehand how long the programshould last and then plan the eventin such a way that it begins andends on time. You’re on the roadto success when you contact yourfirst speaker.

Determine the length of eachpresentation by the overall durationof your program and number of

One of the lessons to bepracticed in speech trainingis that of expressing a

thought within a specific time,”says the Toastmasters CompetentCommunication manual. It’s toobad many speakers have neverlearned that. My husband was onceasked to be the second speaker atan event that should have lastedabout an hour. After an hour and15 minutes, the first speaker wasstill in front of the audience. Myhusband quietly told the person incharge that he would come anothertime, packed up his projector andpresentation materials and left, wondering if he was being rude.

Whose responsibility is it tomake sure a program moves alongin a timely fashion? When the program planner and the speakerwork together, the program runssmoothly and the audience enjoysthe presentation. When one doesnot take responsibility, the programcan still work if the other one stepsin and does his or her part. Butwhen neither the program plannernor the speaker assumes responsi-bility for time management, it canbecome a disaster, as it did in myhusbands case. Let’s look at it fromboth angles:

The SpeakerIt’s an honor to be asked to speak toa group. You may have knowledge

that can benefit others. Or you mayhave been invited because of yourhumor and ability to entertain. Nomatter why you were asked, alwayskeep in mind that by attending andlistening to you, the audience is giv-ing up other activities. So respectthe audience members’ time and theother presenters on the program.

In club meetings, Toastmastersalways check the timing on speechesand the timer holds them account-able. You’ll find this practice ofwatching the clock useful in yourprofessional presentations, too.Always ask how long the speechshould last and then stay withinthose limits – better to leave themwanting more than to have themsighing! If necessary, ask your hostto give some kind of signal whenyour time limit is close. If your hostwill not give a limit, determine thebest timing for your audience’s needsand insist on adhering to it anyway.My husband asked the pastor of asmall church where he was speak-ing how long the presentationshould be, and the pastor said,“Oh, just take as long as you need!It’s okay.” If your host says that,don’t believe it; it’s not okay withthe audience, and it’s not okay withother speakers on the program.

It’s a good idea to check in withthe person who invited you to speaka few days before the speakingengagement, especially if you were

How the time limits you learnedas a club leader hold value inyour professional life.

“


presenters, and consider meals andother matters that will require time.Then, when you invite your speak-ers, be sure to tell them exactlyhow long their speeches shouldbe, so they can plan accordingly.

Also ask them to arrive at theevent early. How many times haveyou been in a meeting where theaudience is waiting for the firstspeaker to arrive? They probablyweren’t Toastmasters meetings!Discuss equipment requirementswith your speakers – remind themto set up early, and make clearwhat equipment they expect youto provide and whether you cando so. You can avoid problemsby remembering how a Sergeantat Arms helps speakers to set upfor a Toastmasters presentation.

plan to allow only a specificamount of time.

Finally, don’t be afraid to takecharge if a speaker doesn’t respecttime limits. It’s acceptable to stand,thank the presenter and tell theaudience that it’s time to moveon to the next speaker. Remem-bering skills you’ve learned as aToastmaster will help you to takecontrol of the meeting and guideyour speakers.

Different cultures and situationsrequire that programs be adaptedto meet the needs and expectationsof the audience, but in all situa-tions program planners and pre -senters must respect the fact that people have busy schedules andare often concerned about time.When my husband went to theevent I mentioned in the beginningof this article, he missed an impor-tant meeting in order to make hispresentation. If the other speakeror the program planner had usedToastmasters training and assumedresponsibility for conducting the

program in a timely manner, theincident could have been avoided.It is often said that time is money.If this is true, then we must spendone another’s time wisely andwith consideration.

Merrill J. Davies, ACG, is a memberof two clubs: the Rome Toastmastersand the Floyd Medical CenterToastmasters, both in Rome,Georgia. She is a retired Englishteacher and freelance writer. Reachher at http://.merrilldavies.com.

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If you have contacted speakersweeks or months in advance, besure to confirm the engagement aweek before the presentation. Keepin mind the way your club confirmsmeeting agendas in advance.

When the speakers arrive, it’shelpful to remember your timer’straining. Offer to work out a signalwith your speaker that is inconspic-uous and will allow time for thatperson to end the presentation grace fully. Most speakers willappreciate this. Be clear that you

“Always ask how long the speech should

last and then stay within those limits.”

FUNNY YOUSHOULD SAY THAT! By John Cadley


off me for an entire hour, not evento blink. I felt like saying, “Do youhave eyelids?” Then there’s this business of

knowing when to arrive. Obviously,arriving late for a job interview willnot make a good first impression. Itwon’t make any impression, sinceyou’re not even there yet. But fartoo many job candidates seem tothink, “If arriving late is bad, thenarriving early is good, and arrivingreally early is really good.”No, it is not. If there’s one thing

I hate, it’s getting a call from thefront desk at 9:30 a.m., saying thatmy 10 o’clock appointment hasarrived. That gives me half an hourto feel like I’m late for the inter-view. One insightful business gurusuggests that if you arrive too early,you should spend the time in therest room. No, you should not. Itwill make people wonder who youare and what you’re doing there.At the very least they’ll think you’restrange, and they might even callsecurity. Then you’ll have toexplain what you’re doing there,which will make you late for themeeting you were so early for.Coming into a job interview latewhile being introduced as “theweirdo who was loitering in themen’s room” does not make a goodfirst impression.Physical appearance and hygiene

are supposed to be important, too.Now there’s a searing insight. Oneconsultant even feels it necessary tosay – and I quote – “Always bathethe morning of the interview. Theyshouldn’t smell you coming before

� After 30 years in professional life,I don’t have to worry about makinga good first impression anymore.If they’re not impressed by now,they’re never going to be. All Iknow is I must have impressedsomebody, because they’re still giving me a paycheck. In fact, Inow conduct job interviews, mean-ing people have to make a goodfirst impression on me. Yet I’m morenervous than they are. WheneverI see someone trying to make agood initial impression, it’s a suresign he needs Toastmasters to learnhow to avoid the following:First, I’d like to shake the hand

of the person who told everybodyto use a firm handshake – not tocongratulate him but to show himhow his disciples interpret “firm.”He’d be on his knees begging formercy. Just for the record: Firmdoes not mean a bone-crunchingvice grip where I still can’t make afist an hour after the interview. AndI’m talking about men and women.Women seem to think they’ve got tosqueeze even harder just to provethey’re as tough as a man. They are,trust me. I’ve had a 5-foot femaleweighing 100 pounds get me up onthe tips of my toes with tears com-ing out of my eyes.And speaking of eyes – what’s

with eye contact? Let’s dial that oneway back, okay? A little goes a longway. I don’t need to be locked intoa laser Vulcan hypno-beam where Ifeel like I’m being X-rayed. I knowyou’re talking to me; I’m the onlyperson in the room. I met with aman once who never took his eyes

they see you.” If a person has to betold this, making a good impressionis the least of his problems.And let’s not forget body lan-

guage, which research says consti-tutes 55 percent of a first impres-sion. You’re supposed to act calm,confident and relaxed when in factyou’re as nervous as a long-tail catsitting next to a rocking chair.Have you ever seen people try

to relax when they’re not? It makesme squirm. They sit back in thechair and nonchalantly cross theirarms over their chest, which is really saying, “I feel threatened.Don’t hurt me.” They throw oneleg casually over the other – whiletheir foot is going up and downfaster than a hummingbird’s wings.And then, God help us, they smile.They’re thinking: Does he like me?I should have worn the brown suit.There’s dandruff on my shoulder.Am I getting that red nervous rashon my neck? He hates me. I’m fin-ished! I’ll never work again! Okay,now smile.”A smile like that looks like plas-

tic surgery gone bad.The irony is that all this advice –

all these drastic changes you shouldmake in your dress, speech andbehavior to be deemed sociallyacceptable – is given in the contextof, “just be yourself.” As in: Don’tbe yourself. Just be yourself. Nowonder there’s a 10 percent unem-ployment rate.

John Cadley is an advertising copy-writer in Syracuse, New York. Reachhim at [email protected].

I’m Not Impressed

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The perils of making agood first impression.

Toastmasters International

Convention 2010RegisterNow!

See you in Palm Desert!

Early-bird registration ends July 9, so make your plans today! To register, view the schedule of events andlearn more, go to www.toastmasters.org/2010Convention.

August 11-14, 2010Desert Springs JW Marriott Resort and Spa

Palm Desert, California

TOASTMASTERSINTERNATIONAL®

Discover what everyone’s talking about! Each year, nearly 2,000 Toastmasters travel to InternationalConvention to learn, share and grow.

If you haven’t yet attended a Toastmasters convention,make this the year you discover what you’ve beenmissing. Convention 2010 will be bigger and better than ever. Here’s what you can expect:

Opening ceremonies and keynote

10 communication and leadership skill-building sessions to help you grow personally and professionally

Nine International Speech Contest Semifinals

Hall of Fame Ceremony

Golden Gavel Dinner

World Championship of Public Speaking

President’s Dinner Dance

Networking with Toastmasters from all over the world

Documents

How to Apologize Like a Celebrity... How to Apologize Like a Celebrity History’s Most Important Speeches Announcing the 2010 Golden Gavel Recipient Beauty, Poise and Speaking Skills