The mission of Toastmasters is to provide a mutually supportive and positive learning environment in which every member has the opportunity to develop communication and leadership skills, which in turn foster self-confidence and personal growth.	Copyright 2001 Toastmasters International	The Encinitas /Solana Beach Toastmasters club meets every Thursday at 7:00 PM at Villa Encinitas, Second Floor, 504 S. El Camino Real, Encinitas, California.  Guest are always welcome.  Please stop by!
For more information, please see: Toastmasters International (www.toastmasters.org) or District Five (www.d5toastmasters.addr.com/index.html) homepages.		For more information, contact our President Leonard Reese (760) 942-2049 [email protected], or visit our NEW web site at www.esbtoastmasters.org.

Hello everyone,     I am on a high right now! I just got back from the International Toastmasters Convention and all I can say is WOW!!!!! The competition was incredible. The judging was superior. I am buzzing with energy, hope, and pride over the convention. Energy: because the level of speaking was so inspiring!  Hope: because I know I still have growing and learning to do. Pride: because our club had eight members at the convention. The looks on the faces of the first timers as they watched the competitors was amazing.     We are already planning a road trip to next year's convention! Everyone wants to go, and I hope more of our club members go next year. It will be in San Antonio, Texas. As a Texas boy myself, let me tell you, the food will be delicious, the river walk will be alive with music, and we will be partying! Plus, the convention will be incredible. Let's all go!!!!             Leonard Reese P.S. Read Larry Knight's article, "A Standing Ovation" on the convention below.

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The club welcomes Lisa Perrecone.  Lisa says, "I've known about Toastmasters as long as I can remember.  My best friend's mother was very involved as I was growing up.  I heard about the Solana Beach/Encinitas Club through the internet. The time slot worked for me. I stayed because I felt safe and everyone was very nice.  Toastmasters has always been on my to do list.  I've always known that sometime in my life I would actually take the first step and join.  I have a buddy that I meet with once a week and we challenge each other to reach our potential, set goals for ourselves and hold each other acccountable, like coaches for each other.   I have taken steps to reach my goal of becoming a challenge day facilitator. The next training was in August and he asked me, 'Yeah, so what are you doing right now, while you're waiting? What more could you be doing?' I answered him, 'Well, I could join Toastmasters and practice being 'on and in front of people.'  Someone once said, 'It's good to be on the right path, but if you just stand there, you're going to get run over.'  So there you have it."     Lisa runs a Financial Planning office in Del Mar called Finance 500.  She and her husband also own the Encinitas Subway Sandwich shop on El Camino Real.     For recreation, Lisa enjoys houseboating on Lake Powell, jet and water skiing, and windsurfing.  She loves the beach and is learning to surf.  Her busy life also includes cooking, playing soccer, snow skiing, and playing with her family.     She wants her fellow club members to know, "I really appreciate being warmly welcomed into the club and look forward to getting to know you. I think it was Eleanor Roosevelt who said, 'You should always do something that scares you.'  Public speaking scares me."

The club also welcomes Robin J. Tarr.  Robin already gave her icebreaker speech on August 30.       Veronica Baker, Development Director of the North Coast Repertory Theatre, introduced Robin to Encinitas/Solana Beach Toastmasters.  Robin's father was a active member of a Toastmasters club in Flagstaff, Arizona in the 1950s.        Robin says, "After attending my first meeting in August, I knew that I wanted and needed to improve my skills in speechwriting, speech delivery, listening, leadership and interaction with a room filled with strangers."        Robin mentioned "Son number two" in her Ice-Breaker Speech on August 30.  What she did not tell us in the speech, however, was that Jonathan Tarr died in a tragic auto accident on July 2, 1998.  He was only seventeen years old and would have been a senior in high school.  Since then, Robin has become the President (and voice) of the Jonathan Tarr Foundation, 501C(3), as well as the Pacific Islander Festival Association (PIFA) 501C(3)/Jonathan Tarr Memorial Scholarships.        Robin says, "Jonathan did not live long enough to fulfill his dreams, but his spirit lives on through the scholarships and soccer sponsorships awarded to the youth of San Diego County.  This past June, we awarded nine scholarships representing six school districts in San Diego County to graduating high school seniors."

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"Ouch"; "Caught in a Coconut"; "Let's Go Kill a Cobra"; "On the Other Side of Fear".  These were some of the titles of the speeches performed in the Toastmasters 70th World Speaking Competition held recently at the Anaheim Hilton.  I say performed, because the nine contestants certainly did more than just give speeches.  They used every public speaking skill and technique that is taught in Toastmasters and raised them to the 'nth degree.     They practiced and knew their speeches so well that they didn't have to think about what they were going to say.  They were focused on projecting dynamic energy and demonstrating that their inspirational messages were genuine and from the heart.    The contestants were from different parts of the world and made up of men, women, old, and young; one was even in a wheelchair. They were all dressed impeccably, and came under close scrutiny with the two giant projector screens on either side of the huge Hilton auditorium.  They used a lot of clever humor in their speeches, and had the 2000 plus audience laughing throughout.     It goes without saying that I was impressed and had a wonderful time.  (I might even sign up for that wagon train headin' to San Antone next year.)  Everything in Anaheim that was connected with Toastmasters was first class, and as a "first timer," made me realize what a quality organization Toastmasters is.  Also, seeing all those Toastmasters from all over the world was both inspiring and motivating.     And of course, the speeches……..and just think, they all started somewhere, sometime, with an icebreaker.

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The five partipants in the Club Humorous Speech contest on August 23 helped make this year's contest one of the best ever in the history of the club.  From Left to Right: Casey Krawiec, Kalei Awana, Belle DuCharme, Lisa Perrecone, and Greg Miller.	Congratulations to the winners of the Club Humorous Speech contest on August 23. Casey Krawiec (left) gave tips on international travel and Belle DuCharme (right) described her attempts at parrot-training.

Casey Krawiec makes a point in his winning speech on international travel during the Humorous Speech competition on August 23.

Greg Miller reminisces about his college days at Humboldt State and his friends there--with whom he was "like the three Musketeers, only closer," and how he betrayed them shamelessly when the school bully was after them.  Greg won the Table Topics contest on August 16.		Belle Du Charme describes the woes of training "Pretty Boy," a parrot who did not respond to her skillful experience working with animals.    Belle came in second in the Table Topics contest on August 16.

    Congratulations to the eight participants and the winners of the club Table Topics contest on August 16.  Table Topics is Toastmasters' impromtu speaking exercise.  Participants answer a question with no prior preparation in 45 seconds to 1 minute 15 seconds.  Greg Miller won top honors, while Belle Du Charme came in second.  Also participating were Susan Volsky, Leonard Reese, Casey Krawiec, Mark Rivest, Robert Tharp, and Paula Silverfarb.  The question was "There is a lot of excitement about cloning humans.  Who would you clone and why?" Belle and Greg also participated in the Club Humorous Speech contest on August 23; the photos above are from then.

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On July 19, Ramin Mehregan gave his tenth speech at the club to win the coveted Competent Toastmaster (CTM) Award.  The CTM acknowledges mastery of the skills in the basic manual.  Each speech in the basic manual emphasises a different aspect of speaking, such as body language, vocal variety, organization, and using props.  Now that he has completed the basic manual, Ramin is ready to begin learning advanced speaking techniques among the more than a dozen advanced manuals.      When he's not giving speeches, Ramin moonlights as a dentist. In the photo, Club President Leonard Reese (right) congratulates Ramin (left) on his achievement.

     Mark Rivest, AL, ATM-G has become the first member in the club to complete the extensive and exacting requirements for the Advanced Leader award.  This demanding award requires:
    1. Winning the Competent Leader award (requires Certified Toastmaster, or CTM--completing the ten speeches in the basic manual, serving a complete term as a club officer, and completing two speeches from the Better Club or Better Speaker series of speeches).
    2. Completing a term as a district officer.  Mark achieved this goal and then some; he was Area Governor of the Year in 1996/1997, which means he was the best Area Governor out of twenty-six Area Governors in all of District Five (San Diego and neighboring regions).  He was also Division Governor of the Year in 1997/1998 when he was the Northern Division Governor.  He also served as the District Five Lt. Governor of Marketing in 1998.
    3. Serving successfully as a club mentor, helping to start a new Toastmasters club.  Mark co-created the Carmel Valley Toastmasters club to fulfill this requirement.
    4. The final hurdle for the Advanced Leader award is completing the High Performance Leadership Program, which requires working with a guidance committee to complete a challenging leadership task.
    Because Mark has also completed the forty speeches required for Advanced Toastmaster Gold (ATM-G), once Toastmasters International officially recognizes Mark's Advanced Leader award, he can apply for Toastmaster's highest award, Distinguished Toastmaster, or DTM.  Congratulations, Mark, on your tremendous achievements!
      Mark joined our club in 1993, and has served as its Sergeant at Arms, Vice President of Membership, Vice President of Education, and President (in 1996 and 2001).

    Robert Tharp will be using his Toastmasters skills when he speaks in front of 50-60 people at a chapter meeting of DaytradersUSA, San Diego chapter on October 20th.  San Diego chapter is often limited on space and has to turn people away.  DaytradersUSA is organization of 25,000 traders. See http://www.worldwidetraders.com/chcasd.html for more information.
    Robert is also scheduled to speak for for over two hours at the Orange County Chapter on December 22, 2001. The Orange County chapter audience should have over 120 people.  The Orange County speech will be available on the web for listening so his virtual audience will total about 1500.  See http://www.worldwidetraders.com/nextmeeting.htm for further information.
    Robert says, "Toastmasters has helped me become a better speaker.  DaytradersUSA has had over seventy-five speakers and its president considers me to be one of its top five speakers."
 

     Do you have a success story or other news to share? Send it to the Speak Easy editor: [email protected].

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September 13 (Thurs)  Deadline for Semi-annual Dues ($30) to Treasurer Paula Silverfarb
September 14 (Fri) 6:00 PM  Beach Party to celebrate the club's 19th birthday
            Moonlight Beach-Encinitas - Encinitas, CA      RSVP Susan Cowan  (760-754-2110) ([email protected])
            Directions: Five Freeway, exit on Encinitas Boulevard in Encinitas; go west towards the ocean.  Moonlight beach is at the end of Encinitas Blvd.

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Please contact the editor Doug McGetchin, Club VP Public Relations ([email protected]; (858) 558-3717) if you would like to make any contribution at all to future issues of this newsletter.  I accept stories, news, upcoming events, photos, and more.  You send it, I'll print it (most likely--this is a family outfit).     Also, if you notice newspaper calendars or "things to do" columns in which I can advertise our club, please let me know about them. Finally, if you see any local newspaper articles or media about Toastmasters, please forward them to me as well.     At least one member has expressed the desire to see this newsletter also printed out on paper as well as in this electronic version.  I'm going to do a no-frills version.     If anyone wants a higher resolution picture than the ones here, please email me and I'll send one to you.  I made the photos here smaller for faster loading on the site.     Thank you to all the contributors and readers!

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