Tandem Toastmasters Newswire
October 1993

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                               Happy Halloween!

Table of Contents

Newswire Masthead (General Information)

Welcome to the October 1993 edition of Tandem Toastmasters Newswire, the on-line newsletter of the Tandem Toastmasters club. This newswire is intended to inform and inspire both club members and potential club members.

If you are an "inspired" nonmember and would like to experience a Tandem Toastmasters meeting firsthand, please come to a meeting -- as often as you want -- as a guest. We will ask you to introduce yourself and ask for your comments at the end of the meeting. We might invite you to participate in Table Topics (the impromptu part of our meeting). We will not pressure you to participate or to join the club.

Tandem Toastmasters meets Wednesdays, NOON to 1:00 PM, in room 2004 of building 201. Building 201 is at 10501 North Tantau Ave. (between Pruneridge Rd. and Vallco Parkway). Room 2004 is upstairs in the main hall -- look for the sign that says "Tandem Toastmasters meets here." Watch third class mail for our weekly agendas (but note that they are subject to change).

Tandem Toastmasters is part of Toastmasters International. In the Toastmasters International organization, Tandem Toastmasters is club #4658, in Area 6, Division G, District 4, and Region 2.

Give NEWSWIRE INPUT to Sheila Moore, Vice President of Public Relations, by e-mail (MOORE_SHEILA), "snail mail" (Loc. 252-30), or phone (285-5234).

For MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION, contact Tom Lawson, Vice President of Membership, by e-mail (CHEN_FRANK), "snail mail" (Loc. 201-01), or phone (285-4194).

To send E-MAIL to the Tandem Toastmasters club and interested persons, address it to LAWSON_THOMAS.TM-DL @TSII. To send e-mail to Tandem Toastmasters club members only, address it to LAWSON_THOMAS.TM-MEMBERS @TSII.

For a list of NETVIEWABLE FILES related to Tandem Toastmasters, see \PRUNE.$FACE.TM.README. Send any corrections to Sheila Moore.

Two Seconds in Division G Contest

Our area, G6, came in second in both Division G contests on October 22 at the Radisson Haus Inn in Sunnyvale. Ned Buratovich of Macintalkers won second place in the Evaluation Contest and Tandem's Tom Lawson won second place in the Humorous Speech Contest. First place in the Evaluation Contest went to Ed Paluch of Area G3, and Bruce Hayek of Area G4 took first place in the Humorous Speech Contest. For a complete report on the contest, see Evaluation Contest and Humorous Speech Contest.

The following Tandem Toastmasters members participated in the contest:

*	"Publicity" meant posting 10-15 fliers at DeAnza College, Sunnyvale City Hall, Sunnyvale Library, Santa Clara City Hall, and Cupertino Library.

Two New CTMs and Two New Half-CTMs

We have two new CTMs and two new half-CTMs -- does that make 3 new CTMs? :-) Our new CTMs are Jo Ann Cobb and Renee Harris; our new half-CTMs are Ann Hsu andScott Townsend.

Upcoming Events

"Bring a Friend" Day on October 3

(Reprinted e-mail message from VP Membership Tom Lawson)

Hi,

The best form of advertising for our club is you! I came to a meeting because a friend asked me to. This week, let's make the meeting bring a friend day. Ask those curious co-workers; nervous, knee-knocking, no-way-can-I-give-a-speech neighbors; and listless, lackluster leaders to come to the meeting. Let's fill the room with those we know, sort of know, and would like to know better! Bring a friend!

Cheers,
Tom

Homecoming Day on October 10

October 10 is "Homecoming Day." We are inviting as many Tandem TM alumni as we can find to our 11-10 meeting to share their stories about the "good old days" at Tandem Toastmasters. The list of Tandem TM alumni is netviewable at \PRUNE.$FACE.TM.ALUMNI. If you know of an alumnus or alumna is missing from the list, please tell Sandy Allen or Sheila Moore.

Guest Speaker Victor Ditingo to Speak on October 17

On October 17, guest speaker Victor Ditingo from Tandem in Phoenix will tell us how to enter the world of professional speaking -- that is, how to get paid for public speaking. Victor also has a course that you can buy. Contact DITINGO_VICTOR for more information.

Election of Club Officers for January-June 1994

Our December 8 meeting will be devoted to the election of club officers for the January to June 1994 term. If you would like to run for office, contact Betty Snedaker. Here are brief descriptions of the offices:

If you have questions about an office, here are two ways to get answers:

• Contact the person who currently holds the office (listed under "Tandem Toastmasters Board Members").

• Attend the lunch-time "life of a TM officer" round table that Sandy Allen and Frank Chen are hosting on Thursday, October 11 in the Loc. 200 cafeteria. (Lunch time = noon to 1:00 PM)

Membership

New and Returning

Lori Ng, a new member as of the end of October, must be new to Tandem as well, as she is not yet in TELE.

Bryan Bajema (pronounced BUY-im-a, as in "Buy 'im a beer") has returned to us.

Lost

In August, we lost Marcia Ludwig, our club's 1992 Toastmaster of the Year. Sorry for the omission in the August newswire. In October, we lost Bill Flanders and Rich Ladd.

New Secretary

Sandy Allen volunteered to replace Rich Ladd as our Secretary. She is trying to bring the records up to date, so if you have any old agendas from meetings earlier this term (which started January 1993), please send them to Sandy.

New Names for Netviewable Contest Report Files

The netviewable contest report files used to be called DIVISION, DISTRICT, and REGION, after the contest levels. After reporting a second Division contest (the one on October 22), I realized I had to change the naming scheme. From now on, \PRUNE.$FACE.TM.CONmmyy is the report on the contest held on month mm of year yy. The contest report files currently netviewable on \PRUNE.$FACE.TM are:

For a complete list of netviewable files on \PRUNE.$FACE.TM, see\PRUNE.$FACE.TM.README.

Highlights of September Meetings

My apologies for the holes in the September 1-15 information. I was on sabbatical and we had no Secretary at the time.

Sheila (VP of PR, Newswire Editor)

September 1 Meeting

* Used Word of the Day

September 8 Meeting

September 15 Meeting

* Used Word of the Day

September 22 Meeting

* Used Word of the Day

September 29 Meeting

* Used Word of the Day

Highlights of October Meetings

October 6 Meeting --
Special Open Meeting with Jimmy as Speaker

* Used Word of the Day

October 13 Meeting

* Used Word of the Day

October 20 Meeting

* Used Word of the Day

October 27 Meeting

* Used Word of the Day

Minutes of September 24 Toastmasters Board Meeting

Open Meeting With Jimmy T. on October 6

Tom will try to contact Jimmy and get him to confirm that he will speak at our Oct. 6 meeting. If Jimmy confirms it, then we will take the following responsibilities for the Oct. 6 meeting:

• Reserving room & obtaining microphone: Frank
• Sending out e-mail invitation & putting up fliers: Tom
• Being sure the room is set up on Oct. 6: Jeff
• Refreshments: Sheila
• Presiding Officer: Ann Hsu (previously scheduled)
• Toastmaster: Robin Maybury (previously scheduled)
• Table Topics Master: None scheduled

Drop Requirement for Mandatory Attendance?

Because Tandem is no longer subsidizing Tandem TM, we will drop the requirement that members attend a certain number of meetings per pay period (heck, it's their money ... ). We will still take attendance at meetings, however; attendance is a factor in choosing TM of the Year. Tom will announce this policy change on e-mail, Sheila will repeat it in the Oct. newswire.

Last Semi Dues Paid by the Club

Two new members (one of whom was laid off immediately after joining) already paid $3 dues before Tandem quit subsidizing us. We decided not to ask them for the additional $17 membership fee and $?? one-time new member fee. We'll "blow it off" :-) -- that is, pay it from the treasury.

Membership Renewal Status

Business Cards

Sheila will add the number of the Tandem switchboard and the instruction "TELE TOASTMASTERS" to the business card and give it to the other officers to review (to be sure the instructions are clear).

New Member Processing

When the Treasurer (Frank) receives a new member's check, he will tell the VP Membership (Tom), and the VP Membership will announce the new member to the club on e-mail. The VP Public Relations (Sheila) will include a short bio of the new member in the next newswire.

New Club Secretary

Sandy Allen volunteered to replace Rich Ladd as Secretary.

Sergeant at Arms for October

Frank volunteered to be Sergeant at Arms for October.

Minutes of October 29 Toastmasters Board Meeting

Hard Copies of Newswire

Rather than having the club pay to send hard copies of the newswire to members who do not have access to e-mail, Sheila will bring a few hard copies of the latest newswire to each meeting, where members who are not on e-mail can pick them up.

Alumni Meeting (aka Homecoming Day)

Sandy has been calling "off-TELE" alumni and inviting them, with some help from Betty Snedaker. Sheila has contacted "on-TELE" alumni by e- mail and three have replied. Sheila will send the "on-TELE" alumni a second message, asking them to RSVP so we'll how much to buy for refreshments. Sandy and Sheila will tell the other officers if they need help contacting people.

Special Meeting Where Audience Questions Speaker

Speeches after which the audience questions the speaker are covered in one of the advanced manuals, so we won't have a special meeting to include this type of speech in our program.

Recruiting New Officers for Next Term

Betty is heading the nominating committee. She is considering running for VP Membership herself and has a candidate for Secretary.

Frank proposed that we have an informal, informational round table for members who want to learn more about club offices. He will talk to Betty and probably send the club a message about this. Sheila will put a short description of each office in the October newswire.

The elections will be held at the December 8 meeting. The list of new officers is due at TM International by December 31.

What Does Club Pay For, What Do Members Pay For?

We didn't have a policy on this. We decided that the club will pay for pins, certificates, badges, and success/leadership modules, and members will pay for the tapes on which their speeches are recorded.

Associate Membership

We still have not decided what the policy on associate membership is. We need more information from TM International.

Sergeant at Arms for October

Sheila is It.

Other Items

Jeff will call Rich Ladd and ask if he intended to drop out or is just late with his dues.

Survey Results

Do you think we should stop awarding ribbons at weekly meetings? Why or why not?

Summary: No, 7; Yes, 3 (including Skarp). See replies for reasons.

Thanks to everyone who replied. No replies were left out. For the opinion of Mike Skarpelos, who inspired this survey, read his article, "Rethinking Ribbons," in the September newswire.

Suzanne Zazzi said:

Sheila, I feel strongly that the ribbons should be kept. Everyone is different and what makes 1 person tick does not make another person tick. For me, what made me work hard on a speech was to win and my reward was the ribbon. It was/is important for me. It's what kept me going and continuing on with speeches. Everyone needs different types of incentives, and for me, it was the ribbons. For Mike, it appears like its nothing, which is fine for Mike.

Many TMs display their ribbons all over their office. I didn't want to do that because I felt it would be overbearing. So, instead, when I got a ribbon, I would go up and down the hallways waving the ribbon and saying that "I won!". Everyone was supportive and gave me lots of smiles, handshakes, and pats on the back. It made me feel good.

I say, whatever gets someone to public speak, keep it up.

Ray Glasstone said:

I like ribbons. I thing that we should continue to recognise the better speakers. We could recycle ribbons -- the ribbons I have collected over the years do not have any sentimental value -- I've been meaning to put them back in the box! Perhaps we could have a ribbon contest -- whoever returns the most ribbons wins a prize!

One other thing which has been discussed in the past is to have the occasional ribbon-free meeting. If enough members do not like ribbons, we could schedule them to speak or evaluate on the same day, and not vote or award ribbons for that part of the meeting.

Scott Townsend said:

I agree with Mike completely!! I feel that the time spent on "ribbon processing" could be much better spent with more time for evaluations and table topics. I also feel that the best feedback we receive at Toastmasters is from the speaker evaluation forms and from the evaluators. The voting is superfluous and adds a competitive level to our club which is not needed. So ... I say down with ribbons and on to more productive things!!

That's how I see it,
Scott

Betty Snedaker said:

I am responding with my opinion to Mike's suggestion of either foregoing giving ribbons or leave it up to the TM of the day.

I can understand the abundance of ribbons that can collect and what does one do with them? I thought to myself, "if I want to be a real egomaniac, I could put them all over my cubicle wall". Right now, they are tucked away in a file I have. I've often thought about returning the ones in good shape to the box instead of having the sergeant-at-arms keep purchasing more. However, on the other hand, I am the type of individual who snatches at the carrot dangling on the stick, I like the prize at the end of the competition!

My suggestions are the following:

• Leave it up to the individual TM whether to use or not use ribbons
• Poll TM members to see what they think about ribbons

I personally feel that some kind of initiative or incentive needs to be in place at least once a month, if not weekly.

Jeff Mann said:

I think we should continue to award ribbons at weekly meetings. Most of us have a very competitive side, and the awarding of ribbons appeals to that. Sometimes this drives us to give a better speech.

More important for me is what the ribbon represents: what speech the audience liked best. Sometimes I listen to several speeches and am surprised at who the audience likes best. This causes me to think about what people like and dislike in a speech, and the difference between what we think we are communicating and what the audience is perceiving.

Frank Chen said:

I give 10 yes and ask why not to those NOs.

Chandra Srivastava said:

Thumbs down!! This is an Elementary school trick.

Sandy Allen said:

It is always rewarding to be recognized for one's achievements. I have to admit that after being in Toastmasters for 12 years that one can collect a lot of ribbons. I have hung them on my wall, saved them in plastic sleeves and even recycled them to other members in several clubs (out of necessity when we couldn't afford the ribbons or just forgot to order them)...but those that want to keep and display should be allowed to do so. Therefore, I propose we allow those that wish to recycle their ribbons may do so and help out our club budget.

Ray Tanaka said:

Personally, I like the ribbons, and I vote to keep them.

Karaoke Night

October 28 KARAOKE NIGHT, organized (three times!) by Tom Lawson. We finally made it to Acapulco (just the restaurant, Frank, no need to check the treasury) for dinner and singing. Three club members (Tom, Ann, and Sheila) were joined by two "Post Toasties" (Cyndi Chin-Lee and Gary Staas), Cyndi's husband Andy, and Ann's friend Oliver, a new Tandem employee fresh from UC Berkeley). Gary wrote the date of our upcoming Homecoming Day in his calendar, so we might see him again on October 10.

Clem Molony is Citizen Ambassador to China

At our October 13 meeting, Clem mentioned that Tandem was sending him to China in the Citizen Ambassador Program. I asked him to tell me more about his part in the program so that I could put it in the newswire. Here is his reply:

Thanks, Sheila,

I'm joining 225 professionals (90% U.S.) who are invited to go to China for two weeks, to be briefed by the government and scientists who are building the world's largest dam. It's on the Yangtze River, will produce 21X the electricity of Hoover Dam, and will flood the Three Gorges (considered by many to be China's "Grand Canyon" equivalent) creating a reservoir 400 miles long. After three days in Beijing for briefings and tourism, we fly to Chongqing where I board a jet-boat to cruise down through the gorges, being briefed by the dam engineers, meeting the people in towns that will be covered, seeing the dam site, then ending in Wuhan, a major industrial city. The last day and a half, I'll be in Hong Kong preparing to return (shopping). In both Beijing and Hong Kong, I'll meet with Tandem sales managers to make sure that Tandem relationships in the People's Republic of China continue to grow. It's a dream trip for me, personally and professionally.

Clem

Ann Hsu Speaks at UC Berkeley's "Women in Engineering" Conference

On Saturday, October 23rd, EVP Ann Hsu spoke at UC Berkeley's "Women in Engineering" conference at Bechtel Engineering Center on the UCB campus. The conference, which was open to the public, focused on promoting and ncouraging the study of engineering at all levels. Information sessions and workshops during the day includes (but were not limited to):

• "Gender Dynamics and Communications"

• "Creating Career and Family Options: Child Care Issues and Policy"

• "The Possibilities with an Engineering Degree"

• "Building and Maintaining Confidence: Mentors, Peer Support, & Networking"

• "Options for Women Reentering Engineering"

• "Managing for Diversity"

Ann's speech was "Possibilities with an Engineering Degree," which she also delivered at our October 20 meeting.

Jimmy's Speech

As shown in "September & October Meeting Highlights," Tandem President Jimmy Treybig was our guest speaker on October 6, hanks to Ann Hsu, who originally invited him, and Tom Lawson, who followed up while Ann was on vacation. I can't really do Jimmy's speech justice here, but a few of the things he told us were:

• He was in the lowest quartile in English at Stanford graduate school, so his speaking advice was aimed at the "ungifted."

• He takes the "Southern Baptist" approach to speaking, using emotion to move the audience.

• To get into a positive mood before speaking, he sings gospel songs.

• To avoid a monotone voice, Jimmy says, "Make it like music. "I know this sounds like BS but I really try to do it."

If you missed Jimmy's speech and aren't satisfied with the preceding inadequate notes, you can watch the videotape of it, which is in the Corporate Library. The title is "Jim Treybig's 'Speaking for the Ungifted.'"

News of Cyndi Chin-Lee and Dennise Brown

As Robin told us in a 10-25 e-mail message, Cyndi Chin-Lee has joined Oracle's Toastmasters club and hopes to take Dennise Brown with her. Cyndi is the founder of our TM club and Dennise is a former member.

Other TM Clubs at Tandem

Back in March, then-President Betty Snedaker queried DL.ALL_TANDEM in search of other Toastmasters clubs at Tandem. She found that:

• ACI in Omaha, Nebraska, meets twice a month. Tandem contact: GAVIN_LINDA
• Fault Tolerant Toastmasters in Austin, Texas, meets every Thursday from noon to 1:00 PM in room 2004 at the Austin site. Tandem contact: MCQUEEN_DENNIS. * Tandemite James Schwarz of St. Louis, Missouri, belongs to Scott Toastmasters Club #1382 and is currently Division D Governor.

We also have another TM club here in Cupertino: South Bay Speakers meets Tuesdays from 6:30 PM to 8 PM in room 1158 of building 201 (the same building as Tandem TM meets in). The longer meeting time allows longer speeches (15-20 minutes). Guests are always welcome. Currently, a Speechcraft is in progress. It started October 12 and ends December 14. For more information on South Bay Speakers, contact Frank Chen.