Business Meeting

Jim Akers presiding

Toastmaster Richard Welty introduced guest Ramin Mahmoodi from Orange Park and Toastmaster Shauib Karim introduced Guest Ajayi Adewale.

President Akers reminded the club that next week will be the Battle of the BIG DOGS! And asked all members to attend and bring along a guest. Four of the club’s top speakers and top Evaluators will square off to settle, once and for all, who’s the biggest dog of the BIG DOGS. Be there or miss the excitement. A copy of a flyer with additional details is available <here>.  

President Jim Akers recognized and thanked Toastmasters Beverly Farnell and Ron Johnson for their active participation in the Speechcraft educational program at Eugene Butler Middle School. Beverly and Ron were absent from the April 5 meeting where other participants received were likewise recognized.

President Akers also congratulated VP Public Relations Beverly Farnell for her article in The Sunshiner, a bi-monthly publication of Toastmasters District 47, send to all Toastmaster members in Florida and the Bahamas. The article features our Toast of Jax  club, our community service accomplishments and our commitment to having fun. You can read the excellent article <here>.

Regular Club Meeting

Toastmaster

Jim Domenico (Ah, baseball season is here!)

Word of the Day

Jargon - Unintelligible language. Specialized vocabulary used by those in the same line of work.

Ribbon for best use: Davis Loop

Table Topics

Charlie Derrick (Questions on the Space Shuttle)

Jim Akers

There have been two shuttles down in 109 missions. Do you think they should fly again? (2:00)

Mel Epley

Do you think manned space flight is dead? (1:20)

Kamlish Fadia

Should we rethink our role in the International Space Station? (2:08)

Jackie Pease

Should the country invest in a newer Space Shuttle model? (1:45) (Best)

Yurania Causey

If you could design the new space shuttle model, how would you design it? (1:31)

Speakers

Hank Heinold

Only The Rich Pay Taxes (But We’re All Considered Rich by Definition) (7:44)

Ron Johnson

Sickle Cell – A Little Know Disease (A Personal Story of Community Involvement) (7:30)

Davis Loop

Just Another Boring Day on the Day Shift. (An Exciting High Speed Chase Taking Out Another Perp! – Legal Tales from the Street) (7:19) (Best)

Shauib Karim

How to Be a Distinguished Club (From the Successful Club Series) (11:00) Congratulations to Shauib on achieving his Competent Leader status.

Evalumaster

Richard Welty

Evaluators

Betty Gambill (3:08)

Danny Pritchard (2:06)

Beverly Farnell (2:11)

Grant McManus (3:13) (Best)

Educational

Ulrich Leinhase – Speaking of Speaking

Miscellaneous

Guest Comments

Ajayi Adewale – Originally from Nigeria. Has been a member of the DOT Toastmasters club. Learned a lot from from the experienced Toastmasters at Toast of Jax. Enjoyed it.

Ramin Mahmoodi – Used to be a Toastmaster in another city several years ago. Thoroughly enjoyed the meeting. Commends us on having a great club. Would like to join the club.

Joke Meister

Mel Epley – Some Things are Useful and . . .

A quote attributed to H. Ross Perot, "Going to war without France is akin to going hunting without your accordion!" 

Announcements

President Akers congratulated Toastmaster Shauib Karim on achieving the Competent Leader level. Go Shauib.

President Akers also appealed to all members to attend The Battle of the Big Dogs Event next week and to bring along a guest.

But Akers announced that Toastmaster Beverly Farnell' will be unable to attend the Big Dog Event next week due to her birthday, whereupon the group broke into a spontaneous rendition of Happy Birthday to You, proving once again that while Toastmasters may have developed the group’s communication skills there’s good reason why none of us have quit our day jobs to pursue musical careers as vocalists.

Toastmaster Milo Holt had news from Toastmaster Dave Jackson, after the two spoke earlier in the week. Jackson would love to come back to Jacksonville, but the required medical technology is superior in Virginia. He remains with us in spirit and looks forward to reading Members News & Notes every week..

VP Education & Training Danny Pritchard announced that Toastmaster Ulrich Leinhase will participate in the Division Contest for Table Topics next Friday evening and encouraged members to attend and shown support for Ulrich. Details are available <here>.

Attendance   22 members and 2 guests

Presiding Officer Jim Akers adjourned the meeting with a decidedly Presidential flourish at approximately 9:21 a.m.

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

Yurania Causey reporting

David J. Rafanowicz, Editor