Kelly Roland and Bill Self

Kelly Roland presents 2011 Postprandial Toastmaster of the Year award to Bill Self

The Postprandial Toastmaster of the Year Award is presented annually to a member exemplifies the qualities of a model club member and contributes to the overall vibrancy and success of the Postprandial Toastmasters Club.

Members, who actively participate through the delivery of formal speeches, perform meeting roles throughout the year, and give service to the club through leadership roles, are nominated and presented for consideration to receive the award.

This year’s recipient is Bill Self. Bill was nominated by Paul German who most eloquently spoke

 Bill’s praises. Bill was the VP of Membership for 2010 and continues to be one of the club’s most sought after mentors.

Congratulations Bill!

2011 Communication Achievement Award Presentation

This award is presented annually, “To a member of the Rochester community who has distinguished himself or herself as a leader or spokesperson for a worthy cause, who through, word and deed, epitomizes exceptional accomplishment within his or her field of endeavor.”

Prior to becoming the Superintendent, Adele was a school administrator for 17 years. As an educator, Adele has a background as a music teacher. In her acceptance speech, Adele spoke of the importance of “playing to one’s strengths.” She also shared stories of her experiences in becoming a leader. Adele showed us that by exhibiting leadership skills to problematic students, and their parents, she has been able to be a model leader for her staff.

Thanks to Dr. Matt Buffan for this excellent nomination and Congratulations to Adele Bovard, the 2011 Postprandial Communication Achievement Award recipient

You are not alone! Here are time-tested tips on how to overcome your fear of public speaking.

Despite actor George Jessel’s assertion that “The human brain starts working the moment you’re born and never stops until you stand up to speak in public,” there are many things you can do to make your presentations less nerve-wracking. In this article from the Toastmaster magazine, Joanne McCabe shares her own story of getting her butterflies to fly in formation. Here are some of her recommendations:

• Don’t procrastinate!
• Always look for a speech topic
• Choose a topic you care about
• Organize your speech in a logical sequence
• Create an attention-grabbing opening
• Rehearse!
• Visualize success
• Know your equipment needs
• Familiarize yourself with the setting
• Wear comfortable and professional-looking clothes
• Concentrate on the message; not the audience
• No matter how nervous you may feel, don’t tell the audience!
• Use visuals and stories relevant to your topic
• Speak clearly and audibly
• Stay in Toastmasters!

Courtesy: Toastmasters International

In tough economic times, it’s important to make yourself as valuable as possible – whether you’re holding down a job or seeking employment. Here’s a hard truth:  In most companies, leaders are generally considered more valuable than those who follow. They’re paid more, allowed to plan their own schedules and given a larger share of responsibility.

Given that, what would you do to redefine yourself as a leader?

You could walk into any bookstore and purchase dozens of books on leadership, but they won’t build your confidence. To master a new skill, you must practice it. That includes leadership skills, from conflict resolution to time management. It’s better to market yourself as someone who not only knows about these skills, but has also put them into practice.

You could hire a leadership coach, but how would you practice what you learn? And what about the expense?

The fact is you need all of the above and more – without wasting time or going broke. The best solution is the Toastmasters leadership education track, beginning with the Competent Leadership manual.

The Benefits of Club Meeting Roles

Toastmasters clubs are typically highly energized meetings where participants learn leadership in a safe and fun environment. They do this by assuming meeting roles and practicing their leadership skills in front of fellow members who constructively evaluate their performance every time they take a role. Once you join Toastmasters and try these roles, you, too, can develop your abilities without fear. Moreover, you can build specific skills with each role you perform.

Take, for example, the role of timer. The timer is responsible for keeping the meeting on schedule. In this role, you use a stopwatch, a timing device and a record sheet to help speakers stay within their assigned time limits. The timer develops an awareness of how effective speeches are constructed. If the speaker only has 30 seconds left, you notice how a speech might be tightened or expanded to fill the time limit. This way, when it’s your turn to give a speech, you already know how to get to the point and control your content. This is an invaluable skill for any business leader!

Another important leadership role of a typical Toastmasters meeting is that of the Toastmaster. The Toastmaster gains real-life experience as host at the meeting and as event planner before the meeting. You work with other volunteers to organize a gathering with panache. In job interviews, anyone who has participated in this role can explain the specifics of coordinating and moderating a special event with confidence and know-how. You’ll easily convince a prospective employer that it’s not just something you’ve read about – it’s something you have successfully accomplished.

If you want to be appreciated for your communication skills as a leader, then taking on the role of grammarian is a perfect fit. You not only increase your vocabulary as you discover, practice and explain new words to your club; you also develop your sense of language – noticing what works and what doesn’t. Companies want and need clear communicators. That could be you.

Speaking clearly, of course, relies on thinking clearly. And there’s no better way to develop critical-thinking skills than by taking on the role of general evaluator. With practice in this role, you soon walk into a club meeting alert and ready to take notes on the meeting’s triumphs and challenges. You also learn how to present your report clearly to the group. This role helps you nurture the habit of continually seeking to improve your meetings, your experiences and yourself. With constant improvements come greater successes. As the general evaluator, you take on leadership duties, guiding the speech evaluators to their goals.

Dr. Ralph Smedley, the founder of Toastmasters International, once said, “We learn best in times of enjoyment.” That still stands today, and when you build those valuable leadership skills in Toastmasters, you’ll reap even greater rewards in your career. So, volunteer, have fun and discover the leader inside you!

Source: Toastmasters International

Hufsmith Pictured With Her Mother

Speaking confidently and proficiently in a public setting is a prime reason many members join Toastmasters.  One of the other main benefits of Toastmasters is the development of leadership skills.

We’d like to highlight the accomplishments of one member who has recently assumed a leadership role in another organization.  Barbara Hufsmith is a long standing Postprandial member and was recently elevated to the rank of Rear Commodore in the Rochester Yacht Club.  The Rear Commodore serves as a Flag Officer, part of the leadership team for the club.  It’s common for the Commodore of the Club (analogous to a club President in non-Yachting circles) to have served as both a Rear Commodore and Vice Commodore.   We hope this is a sign of good things to come for Barbara.

Established in 1877, the Rochester Yacht Club has a strong reputation in our community and is chartered to provide and encourage interest and instruction in areas of yachts and yachting, seamanship, racing and the traditions of yachting.

When Barbara is not serving at the RYC, she is self-employed as a Certified Public Accountant at Hufsmith & Associates, CPA’s.  Congratulations from all of us at Postprandial to Barbara!

As members of a Rochester-based club, we sometimes find ourselves focused on day-to-day club issues, forgetting that we’re part of a larger international organization with a rich history.  Toastmasters International was founded by Ralph Smedley in the basement of a YMCA building in Santa Ana, California, just south of Los Angeles.  He felt that young patrons of the YMCA would benefit from, “Training in the art of public speaking and presiding over meetings.”  What began as a small effort has evolved into an international organization that has helped countless people improve their speaking and leadership abilities.

As part of the 85th Anniversary of Toastmasters, a California-based local news program called, Real Orange produced a story about the organization and includes some great video footage of the now abandoned YMCA and an interview with Daniel Rex, Executive Director of Toastmasters International.

In case you don’t have a trip to California planned in the near future, this video is a great way to see where it all began.

The District 65 Conference will be held on November 12—13, 2010 at the

Rochester Plaza Hotel

Early Bird Registration (by 10/22/10) for the full conference is $99. (After 10/22/10, $115).  Partial registration for events is also available.

For full details and the registration form | Toastmasters Fall District Conference

The prospect of speaking in public causes fear in many people.  Allowing fear to prevent you from speaking in public can stymie potential career advancement or the ability to promote your business.

One way to beat speaking anxiety is to join Toastmasters . This non-profit organization, founded in 1924, offers a first-rate educational program for speaking and leading with confidence. Toastmasters has helped millions of people overcome their public speaking jitters.  You can join the organization through a local club, such as Postprandial, where you’ll find friendly people who have “been there.”

Confidence alone does not make someone a good speaker. Polished speaking skills come from knowing your subject matter, preparing and organizing the material, and practicing your delivery. Toastmasters will give you a supportive atmosphere where you can put these skills to work.  Whether you are just starting out, or are a seasoned speaker, here are some quick tips to help improve your future speeches and reduce your anxiety level.

Give up the belief that you have to be perfect. Even professional speakers occasionally make mistakes. The difference is that they don’t consider mistakes major obstacles to success. The secret is to accept that mistakes are going to happen sometimes, and to develop the ability to recover from them quickly.

Visualize the outcome you want. Visualize yourself giving that speech the way you want to. If you anticipate success, you are more likely to get it.

Prepare Positively. Stop worrying about yourself and get excited about your subject.  Practice and preparation are easier if your subject matter is important and/or enjoyable to you. If you think your material is interesting and meaningful, your audience will catch your enthusiasm and appreciate your sincerity.

Put the past behind you. Maybe your fear relates to past flops and embarrassments. Remember: All good speakers started out as not-so-good speakers. They improved because they resolved to do better the next time.

Get some rest. Plan ahead and get a good night’s sleep before your presentation.

Avoid mood-altering substances. Some people mistakenly think that drinking lots of coffee or alcohol prior to a speech will take the edge off and improve their delivery. Once these are in your bloodstream, there is little you can do about it but wait them out.  It’s best to avoid over indulging prior to a speech.

Look your best. Take some time with your appearance. Polish your shoes and comb your hair. Wear attractive, flattering, professional-looking clothing. When you look good, you feel confident.

Remember to breathe. Anxiety tightens the muscles in the chest and throat. With a restricted airway and without enough oxygen, your voice can come out as a squeak! Deep breathing, on the other hand, sends oxygen to the lungs and brain and expands the throat and chest, promoting relaxation. As you approach the platform take a deep breath and relax.

Focus on friendly faces. While speaking, maintain eye contact with your listeners. Find friendly faces and focus on them. Smiles and approving nods will give you extra encouragement.

It’s ironic that some people are more afraid of public speaking than of driving around town. Yet, when was the last time you heard of someone dying from public speaking? Fear is a natural survival mechanism. It can motivate us, or stop us in our tracks. In situations that pose a threat to life and limb, fear motivates us to be careful. On the other hand, fear is a problem when it interferes with our goals and achievements. These tips will help you progress toward confidence on the platform. Ultimately we succeed when we conduct ourselves according to the rewards we want, rather than the things we fear.

David Cay Johnston

2010 CAA Recipient

At the June 23, 2010 Annual Awards Banquet, Postprandial Toastmasters awarded the prestigious Communication Achievement Award to local author David Cay Johnston.

This award is presented annually, “To a member of the Rochester community who has distinguished himself or herself as a leader or spokesperson for a worthy cause, who through, word and deed, epitomizes exceptional accomplishment within his or her field of endeavor.”

Johnston is an investigative journalist with the New York Times who was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Beat Reporting in 2001, “For his penetrating and enterprising reporting that exposed loopholes and inequities in the U.S. tax code, which was instrumental in bringing about reforms.”

He retired from The Times in April 2008 after 13 years there and has continued his career as an author, lecturer and commentator about issues relating to equity in the tax code.

His latest book in print is Free Lunch, a national bestseller exposing massive transfers of wealth from the poor, middle class and affluent to the super rich.  He is also the author of Perfectly Legal, a national best seller on our tax system that won the 2004 Investigative Book of the Year award.  His first book was Temples of Chance, an expose of the casino industry.

His nomination for this award stated that, “Whether or not you are interested in the subject matter that Johnston writes about or agree with his point of view, it’s clear that he embodies the spirit of the Communication Achievement Award by effectively communicating his message to a variety of audiences through print, broadcast media and public speaking.  He is locally and nationally known for his work, lives in our community and would be a positive addition to our distinguished list of award recipients.”

Past recipients of this award have included Rochester Mayor Robert Duffy, Businessman Thomas Golisano, Non-Profit Executive Jean Howard and the late Andrew Langston, Owner and Chairman of WDKX radio.

Johnston’s remarks at the banquet were focused on effective communication and delivery of a person’s intended message to his or her audience. He was well received by the Postprandial audience with several members hoping for a longer speech.  As many of us know, leaving your audience asking for more is significantly better than having them wish you will stop!  Congratulations to David Cay Johnston on his award this year.