Great examples from TED ...

I saw this post on Guy Kawasaki's blog (click here to read it) where he evaluates one of the speakers at the 2006 TED conference. He does a great job of evaluating and he also points out some great videos of excellent speakers at www.Ted.com under the "TED Talks" section.

Check it out !

Contributed by Dave Wheeler, Division A Governor, 2006-7

Check out "The Speaking Channel"...

I came across "The Speaking Channel" website in a post by Guy Kawasaki on his blog and thought it might be of interest to other Toastmasters.

Check out "The Speaking Channel" by clicking here.

The site includes speeches by famous speakers (Rudy, Bill, Arnold and more) along with an analysis of each of their speeches. This could be very helpful for anyone who is thinking about entering the Evaluation Contest this fall. (Club deadline for contest is Sept.)

Contributed by Dave Wheeler, Division A Governor, 2006-7

Word of Mouth Basic Training -- Word of Mouth Marketing Association -- WOMMA

One way (and a very effective way) to market Toastmasters to prospective new members is through Word of Mouth (WOM) Marketing.

The link below includes a list of 43 ideas from WOM Marketing experts and while most are stated in terms of business, I'm sure you will see some that could be used in Toastmasters!

Word of Mouth Basic Training -- Word of Mouth Marketing Association -- WOMMA

Link sent in by Dave Wheeler, Division A Governor, 2006-7

Scheduled: District 53 Toastmasters Leadership Institute

FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION TO ALL TOASTMASTERS

District 53 Toastmasters Leadership Institute
When: Saturday, August 5, 2006
Registration: 8:00 AM Classes/Forums: 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM

**** PRE-REGISTRATION HIGHLY RECOMMENDED ****

Where: Rensselaer at Hartford, 275 Windsor Street - Hartford, CT
http://www.rh.edu/cwis/directions.html

Who Should Attend: Everybody!
Especially club officers since this can count toward "officer training requirements".

There is a wide range of excellent training courses provided this year - the NEW recognition programs and the NEW communication and leadership programs. For the Club Officers, we provide the essential training courses to help you understand the full responsibilities of your role and to get you started with effective methods and strategies. For the new member,
we offer courses that will put the entire Toastmasters program into perspective and allow you to get more out of the program. For the veteran Toastmaster, we offer several advanced electives (the TM 600 series) to extend your knowledge of public speaking and
effective leadership.

Got Questions? Need Registration Information?
Check the District 53 Web Page
http://www.district53toastmasters.org

Print you catalog and registration form:
http://www.district53toastmasters.org/TLI06/TLI06_cat.pdf

Early registration is encouraged so that all club officers can get the classes that they need, receive handouts and reserve a lunch.
CLICK HERE:
http://www.district53toastmasters.org/TLI06/TLI06_regform.pdf

or Contact the TLI & Training Coordinator:
Arnie Grot, DTM <ArnieG1457@aol.com>
87 Chapman Dr, Glastonbury, CT 06033-2729
Phone: (860) 633-5849 (H)

or Contact the LGET
Will Ryan, DTM <will53@shawenon.com>
297 East Rd, Alford MA 01266
Phone: (413) 528-0501

Please note that the District is absorbing 60% of the expenses for TLI by paying for the facilities and the handouts in order to encourage all club officers to attend by keeping your out of the pocket expenditure down. The District wants you and your club to succeed so that we all have a great year.

Table Topics ... as a product.

I was reading one of my favorite blogs recently ("Hello, my name is BLOG" by Scott Ginsberg) and he brought the following product to my attention:

Table Topics boxes are clear acrylic "ice cubes" that hold a stack of 138 conversation starters that will get your guests thinking and eager to talk.

They were created by Cristy Clarke who wanted to have genuine, compelling conversations at her cocktail parties. These colorful cubes let you snappily circulate the question at hand in the cube or pass cards out individually. Every box is peppered with questions ranging from the serious to the silly, for friends, families and teens.

They are offered by Uncommon Goods (click here to visit their site) and they look like they might be a good addition to a Toastmasters meeting !

Let me know what you think !

Dave Wheeler
Division A Governor
(guest blogger)

Video Talks at the TED conference ....

I have always wanted to attend TED conference and now we all have the opportunity to see a bit of what goes on there ...

Check out some of the speeches (click here).

I think you will be impressed. I particularly liked the talks by Sir Ken Robinson and Anthony Robbins.

Enjoy !

(P.S. If you are a fan of Frank Lloyd Wright's architecture, be sure to watch the commercial at the end.)