Talk of the Club (April-May 2011)
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Transcript of Talk of the Club (April-May 2011)
Launching a successful Toastmasters club does not happen
by accident. Only through the investment of mentors who
have donated their time to teach us the ropes has Toastmas-
ters@SDCC thrived as a very young club. We owe much of
our success to Larry Pawl, 15 year Toastmasters veteran. He
invested much energy and experience in our club leadership,
meetings, and members.
Last Monday, April 25th, Larry bid farewell to our club with a
passionate and emotional speech, urging us to “leave a lega-
cy.” In an economy like today’s, he reminded us, many people
are looking for jobs and need the skills Toastmasters can pro-
vide. Larry, we are going to miss your humor, enthusiasm,
and passion. Thank you for your investment in us! We
hope you visit us often!
Thank you, Dr. Larry Pawl!
alk of the Club dedicates this issue to our
beloved member, Amanda Graham, who will be
graduating from San Diego Christian College with
a degree in Musical Performance on May 7th. Amanda has
added so much joy and class to Toastmasters@SDCC. Alt-
hough she is the youngest member of our club, her extensive
stage experience (performing in musical theatre and as a fea-
tured soloist), her poise and confidence, as well as her maturi-
ty and love for the Lord have elevated the caliber of our
meetings. Not only is she a great speaker, but her input dur-
ing speech evaluations always gives her fellow Toastmasters
encouragement and valuable for improvement.
Amanda’s immediate plans after graduation includes
her mission’s trip to Israel with SDCC’s Vision music and dra-
ma team. Amanda is still raising her support; if you want to
contribute, mail your check to Vision Israel 2011, Dept. of
Music, San Diego Christian College, 2100 Greenfield Dr.,
El Cajon, CA 92011.
oftheClub Talk From the President
4
...Continued from page 1
Kent Gerhan is the club’s mentor and a big
reason why our young club is doing so well. He is also a seasoned Toastmaster and an evaluator extraordinaire! Not only has he won almost every “Best Evaluator” ribbon, but his evaluations always move us to the next level of speaking excellence.
In his honor, we include these words by his favor-ite writer— as we reserve a regular spot on “Talk of the Club” for his upcoming contributions. Kent, we want to learn more from you!
“Has this world been so kind to you that you
should leave with regret? There are better things
ahead than any we leave behind.”
“I gave in, and admitted that God was God.”
~ C.S. Lewis
Join Amanda's Celebration!
Mentor Spotlight
Amanda We Are So Proud of You!
May the Lord continue to rule in your heart and bless
your steps. We can’t wait to see how He will grow you
and use you for His Glory even more! (John 15:5).
I imagine that it must be hard to
visit or join a club full of
strangers, but new visitors will
not find a friendlier club than
Toastmasters@SDCC. It offers a
warm and friendly atmosphere
week after week. We pray be-
fore the meeting and greet
newcomers with excitement
and enthusiasm. By the time
they leave, guest will feel
blessed by our uniquely Chris-
tian club and an amazing group
of Toastmasters who are here
to grow and help others do the
same.
But our Toastmasters are also
fierce competitors—they speak
with passion to win a “Best
Speaker,” “Best Table Topic,” or
“Best Evaluator” ribbon for the
evening. Yet there are no sore
losers here, only men and wom-
en who want to improve even
more. Come join us!
Sam Keckler
a bimonthly look at Toastmasters@SDCC
Join us Mondays
5:30 – 7:00 PM
San Diego Christian College
Room 12
2100 Greenfield Drive
El Cajon, CA 92019
SDCC.edu/Toastmasters
Contact Us
619-590-2175
April-May
2011
Sam Keckler’s speech, “We Have to Fight,”
convinced us to be prepared to “Fight” for God! He was a regular David against Goliath!
Diane Szuch challenged us to ponder about
Our Whisper In Time and what we will do with the short time we have on earth.
Linda Blackburn presented an edge-of-your-
seat, dramatic speech, illustrating the story of an abused woman in “Sands of Time.”
Ann Williams challenged us to “Live in the
present with the great I AM.” Wow!
Diane won the “Best Speaker” in a close race!
She represented Toastmastersers@SDCC beauti-fully at the Area 15 Speech Contest on April 9th on the campus of San Diego Christian College.
We recently held a club speech contest to select the best speaker to represent us at Area 15
Speech Contest. Our four contestants delivered four impressive and passionate speeches:
Passion >>>
Calendar Special Focus >>>
Meet Maria Keckler
Peggy Leslie...
This funny lady was the Table Topics Master one evening. She had us finish the lines she doled out to help get ideas for her new mystery novel! Maybe she’ll share the book royalties with her club when it becomes a bestseller.
Ann Williams...
Reminded us that for Christians, Heaven is spelled H-O-M-E.
KUDOS, Dave Jones!
David Jones organized and led our club’s
speech and Table Topics contest. He did
an amazing job, putting together and
hosting a first class contest that gave the
club the “authentic” Toastmasters compe-
tition experience. A huge “Thank You,”
David, form all of us!
Did you know? >>>
Pat Johnson, Toastmasters International President,
said that strong evaluations are the gift we give
each other as Toastmasters. “As we listen intently,
we develop critical thinking skills.”
Check out the April Toastmaster Magazine to un-
derstand how to manage your speaking anxiety!
Club Officers Sam Keckler, President
Marguerite Whitten, VP of Public Relations
Linda Blackburn, Treasurer
David Jones, Secretary
Lynn Bleyle, Sergeant of Arms
Kent Gerhan, Club Mentor
Learn about these and other leadership po-
sitions in your Competent Leadership Manu-
al. We are looking for more leaders!
Welcome to the Club! Rob Rowsell
Join the Editorial Staff Marguerite Whitten
Maria Keckler
Sam Keckler
The Editor’s Lens
2 3
May 7
Amanda Graham’s graduation. Worship
Center of Shadow Mountain Church.
10:00 AM
June 13
Toastmasters@SDCC
Fundraising auction
(see back page for details)
August 17-20
Toastmasters International Convention
Bally’s Las Vegas
Las Vegas Nevada
August 30
Eastern Division Contest
Hubbs-Sea World Research Insti-
tute; 2995 Ingraham Street, San Diego
Quick Thinking & Table Topics
Diane Szuch, Laurie Jones, Sam Keckler and
Amanda Graham all participated in our “in
club” table topics contest. Everyone re-
ceived the same “secret” question: “What is
your favorite Reality Show and why?”
Thinking on your feet is not as easy as you
may think, especially when you have only
75 seconds or less to answer a question
you’ve never heard before.
Laurie Jones walked away as the winner
with a mixture of “cooking show” fodder
and the passion she has for cooking “boiled
over.” Laurie represented our club beauti-
fully, achieving “Runner Up” ranking at the
Area 15 contest.
Where are you from? I was born in Mexico City. I moved to California
when I was sixteen, so the Mexican girl is most definitely Californian.
Tell us about your family: I’ve been married to my best friend, Sam, for
23 years. Our only daughter is a freshman at Biola University. Both of
them are the love of my life.
What are some of your life goals? As new empty nesters, Sam and I are embarking on a new chapter
of our lives, pursuing some of the dreams the Lord has placed in our hearts. One of them is launching
Vineworks Publishers, a non-profit Christian publishing house. Although it’s a huge undertaking, I’m
excited about the first project: “Stories from the Vine (StoriesFromTheVine.com),” a line of story
tracts that will allow many of God’s people to share their story in 850 words or less. I’m so excited to
help many Christians bear fruit for Christ, sharing the stories that God has entrusted with them.
Why did you become a Toastmaster? As the Director of the Ezra Center for Excellence, I’m always
looking for professional and personal development opportunities for the constituents of Christian
Unified Schools, San Diego Christian College, Southern California Seminary, Shadow Mountain
Church, and the local community. Toastmasters was a perfect fit, so when Kent Gerhan offered to
mentor a new club, SDCC jumped at the opportunity to sponsor it. I joined to get the club going and
to inspire my husband to join. Since then, I have already seen my speaking skills grow significantly.
What do you do? I’m the director of instructional technology and the Ezra Center, serving the organ-
izations I mentioned. In short, I teach teachers and help make professional development accessible.
What do you do for fun? Reading, writing, and learning new things are my brain candy. Teaching
(without grading) fires me up, so I do it as often as I can. Family time is the best fun of all!
Famous Quotes from Our Very Own Toastmasters@SDCC
“It’s wiser to be quiet some-times.” and “Everything you want to know about brakes without dying.” Jack delighting us again.
“I’m more of a Tango guy! I like reading straight ahead.” Larry on reading old books.
“I was on the road to hell for 33 years and was loving it … until I met Jesus!” Sam on living for self and changing course.
“I almost passed out when giving my Master’s Thesis, but I am thankful for that opportunity be-cause I got to meet you!” Debra
on inspiration for joining Toastmasters.
”Say things in a fresh new way, Dazzle us!” Maria, on being creative, responding to Table Topics questions.
“We need to take a leap of faith, and we need to find our own zip lines! Sharon, telling her leap of faith story.
“I love to cook… and feeding peo-
ple!” Laurie, on what she loves to
do.
“The best invention, in my opinion, is
Ms. Clairol.” Evie, with Table Topics
wit.
Member News & Nods Passionate Speakers Among Us By Marg Whitten
Many Toastmasters, including myself, have strug-
gled with confidence issues. They come up when
speaking in public, being in crowds, or interacting
with others. We may feel like we cannot do any-
thing right! Moses had these feeling too, but he
begged the Lord, “O Lord, I am just not a good
speaker…I am clumsy with words.” Exodus 4:10-
12. God wanted to use him anyway and in a
mighty way. Moses example matters because we
have a unique Christian Club. We work to devel-
op in ways that will glorify God! How exciting is
that? My prayer is that God will use our little club
here in San Diego Christian College and El Cajon
in a mighty way as we encourage one another
and bless our community…and the world. “May
the words of my mouth and the meditation of my
heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord my Rock
and my Redeemer.” Ps 19:14
We’re looking for submissions
for the June-July “Talk of the
Club.” Email them to
Visit our Facebook Page to view and
congratulate weekly winners: Best
Speaker. Best Table Topics. Best Eval-
uator. Most Improved.