(Submitted on behalf of Barb McIntyre)
The Area Contest last night was a resounding success! Pat did an amazing job organizing and pulling everything together. Tammy Preuss, our Area 54 Governor, was Pat’s cohort in putting the contest on but she was essentially taken out of the game by work (the launch of iphone 5). Pat was able to fill all the roles and fill all the seats with supportive enthusiastic people. It was a great atmosphere!
Walk in the door and you see the smiling face of our own Melissa Barns, greeter. Making sure no one got in or out without proper credentials was James Collins, and keeping everyone on track with all those times, and all those lights…Linda Whittlesey! Once you had a chance to drink all this in, you looked back to see a spread like I have never seen at a Toastmasters event before, Erik Granquest was not only a Table Topics contestant, but he also took on the role of ‘Master of Snacks’. Snack is not the proper word for it, feast is more like it, and he mastered it!
When people had time to get munchies and a chance to meet and greet, it was time for the Toastmaster, Jim Sultan (yes Pat’s husband), to brief the contestants, and for Chief Judge, Judy Robertson, to brief the ballot counters and judges. Pat was able to get all five judges from outside our club!
Eric was hilarious! The Table Topics question was, What do you think was the single most important invention of the last 100 years? Eric answered with very little hesitation, ‘The child leash!’ It was so unexpected and very funny.
Yvonne stepped into her speech from the moment she walked on the stage! She was alive and engaging. She took all the feedback we had given her and used what worked for her, and did it ever work! I wish we had it on You Tube. She had the room laughing.
So…just like they do at the contest…the last thing on the list is…
Table Topics Contest- Erik Granquist 2nd Place. Round of applause.
Humorous Speech Contest- Yvonne O’Leary 1st Place. Round of applause.
Yvonne will move on to the Division Contest, Thursday October 18th, at 5:30 at the Redmond Library. Let’s all plan to be there to support Yvonne and the Division as a whole.
I feel lucky to be a member of Canyon Park Echoes! Barb McIntyre
Canyon Park Echoes Toastmasters 