Business Meeting

Jim Akers presiding

Toastmaster David Rafanowicz read into the record the following important e-mail from member Don Lemcool, who is serving our nation aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt somewhere out at sea:

“Hello from the deep blue sea! It’s been a very arduous five months now and things are just beginning!  I’m sure all of you are aware of the world situation going on right now.  Heck, I bet there have been Table Topics discussed about it! (ha!)

As Toastmaster Ron Johnson can attest, it’s nonstop out here.  We are all ready and willing to perform our jobs in whatever way our President deems. That being said, it’s very hard to leave our lives behind.  We do so certainly not because of the money, but because we love our country and what it stands for.  Somebody has to be a beacon for what is right in this world, and for many, many years that somebody has been the United States. We all know and accept that.

I miss all of you and the fellowship shared every Saturday morning.  Can’t wait to get back and start honing my speaking skills!  I know you’ll keep all of us out here in your prayers, and believe me, it’s appreciated.  Keep up the great work on the website so I can stay relatively current.”

Go Don! We, the members of Toast of Jax Toastmasters, will keep you and your shipmates in our thoughts and in our prayers. Godspeed.

Toastmaster Rafanowicz also reported that today was the 365th day of the Club web site and moved that the club fund it for another year. The motion was duly seconded and approved after discussion.

President Jim Akers announced that Club’s post office box yielded a significant contribution this week from a donor who wishes to remain anonymous.

Vice President Membership Millie Tannen presented the membership application of Hank Heinold for consideration. A motion to accept the application was made, seconded and discussed. Welcome new member Hank Heinold. (Hank’s e-mail address will be Hank@ToastofJax.org

President Akers recognized the birthday of member Betty Gambill and the assembled group once again proved without equivocation that its speaking skills are far more developed than its singing abilities. Happy Birthday Betty!

Regular Club Meeting

Toastmaster

Richard Welty (What a wonderful day)

Word of the Day

Ecstatic (adj) 1.  delighted: showing or feeling great pleasure or delight; 2.  dominated by emotion: completely dominated by an intense emotion 

Ribbon for best use: Mandy Janish

Table Topics

Graeme Matthews (An intellectual exercise –a.k.a. questions you’ll probably never be asked)

Ron Johnson

Explain the role of primodalism in the birth of a nation (1:43)

Mandy Janish

Compare current cloning to Mendeleev in WWII (0:46)

Jeanie Hardwick

Compare the 1980s with Regan/Thatcher to today with Bush/Blair (1:41)

Jim Akers

Contrast today’s genetically altered pigs to altered genes in Russian athletes in the 1980’s (2:04) (Best)

Millie Tannen

Explain the role of the space shuttle in current society and compare to Columbus’ early voyager (1:43)

Speakers

Mel Epley

President for a Day (By Some Accounts, We Had an Interim President Who Sat for One Day – Or Perhaps the Country Ran for a Day without One?) (5:48)

David Rafanowicz

Search and Seizure (A Constitutional Primer on the Fourth Amendment) (10:15)

Jackie Pease

Huge Smile and High Pitched Squeak (Tales of Airplane Travel Seated Next to a Delightful Passenger) (7:16)

Gail Antoine

Icebreaker - Something About Gail (This is My Life – and I Have Had Fun Doing It) (5:52) (Best)

Evalumaster

Steve Lazar (Meeting substantially overtime for a variety of reasons. Need to be more mindful of the schedule and move it along.)

Evaluators

Charlie Derrick (3:13)

Ulrich Leinhase (2:50) (Best)

Danny Pritchard (2:36)

Nandu Shah (2:46)

Educational

Betty Gambill – Know Your Audience

Miscellaneous

Guest Comments

Josephine North – Just moved here - will come again.

Bonnie Collins- Ecstatic to be here – look forward to returning – neighbor of  Toastmaster Beverly Farnell.

Paul Luthra- Also ecstatic to be here – on business trip from San Jose, California. Participated in Toastmasters five years in the 1980’s – achieved ATM level – shooting today for the “Best Guest” award – found us on the internet.

Jeanie Hardwick- Another “ecstatic to be here” visitor– officer in the Lillian Bradley Toastmasters club, which is about to launch a Youth Leadership Program.

Joke Meister

Ron Johnson  (The Graceful Grizzly!)

An atheist was taking a walk through the woods, admiring all that the “accident of evolution” had created. “What majestic trees! What a powerful river! What beautiful animals!” he said to himself.

As he walked alongside the river he heard a rustling in the bushes behind him. He turned to look and saw a 7-foot grizzly charging towards him. He ran as fast as he could up the path. He looked over his shoulder and saw that the bear was closing in on him. He ran even faster, so scared that tears were coming to his eyes. He looked over his shoulder again and the bear was even closer. His heart was pumping frantically and he tried to run faster still. He tripped and fell to the ground. He rolled over to pick himself up, but saw the bear... right on top of him... reaching for him with the left paw and raising his right paw to strike him.

At that instant the atheist cried out “Oh my God!....”

Suddenly, time stopped. The bear froze in motion. The forest was ever so silent. Even the river ceased to move. As a brilliant ray of light emerged from the sky and shone upon the man, a powerful voice spoke to him, “You have denied my existence for all of these years; you teach others that I do not exist and you credit creation to a cosmic accident. Do you expect me to help you out of this predicament? Am I to count you now as a believer?”

The atheist blinked directly into the light. “It would be hypocritical of me to convert to a Christian after all these years, but could you instead make the bear a Christian?”

“Very well,” said the voice from above. The bright light disappeared. All of a sudden, life resumed around the man. The river ran again. The forest became alive once more with the gentle sounds of nature.

The bear stirred. Slowly, he lowered his right paw, brought both paws together, bowed his head and graciously spoke: “Lord, for this food which I am about to receive, I am truly thankful.”

Announcements

Steve Lazar reported on progress of the Speechcraft at the Eugene Butler school and thanked volunteers.

David Rafanowicz – Tuiren Bratina, one of the UNF professors involved in the Eugene Butler Speechcraft, published on the Internet a comprehensive narrative, a sound feed and pictures from the first meeting. Click <here> for lots of exciting details.

Attendance   19 members and 4 guests

Presiding Officer Jim Akers adjourned the meeting with a decidedly Presidential flourish at approximately 9:38 a.m. (A new record that should stand for many, many months.)

Another great meeting and a good time was had by all!

Danny Pritchard reporting

David J. Rafanowicz, Editor