MARILYN HAGERTY: People get accustomed to public speaking at Toastmasters
The word of the day was “tawdry.” It means gaudy, showy and cheap as an adjective. And that was sort of an ice breaker when Powerhouse Toastmasters held an open house during a regular Wednesday meeting at Minnkota Power on Mill Road.By: Marilyn Hagerty, Grand Forks Herald
The word of the day was “tawdry.”
It means gaudy, showy and cheap as an adjective. And that was sort of an ice breaker when Powerhouse Toastmasters held an open house during a regular Wednesday meeting at Minnkota Power on Mill Road.
Other Toastmasters Clubs in Grand Forks meet at the University and at MedPark. They are a help for people who are unaccustomed to public speaking but sometimes find themselves in front of an audience.
Kevin Dean, former television anchor and now director of the public information office of the city, says he likes using notes for a talk. He doesn’t recommend reading from a script.
Dean was a guest speaker for Toastmasters.
He suggests addressing an audience as if you were talking to one person — your mate or your friend. Dean says it’s OK to take questions from the audience. And it’s OK to say you don’t know the answer but that you will try to find it and get back to the questioner.
At Toastmasters, people learn to develop their own style of speaking. And Dean says it does take some practice and some rehearing. He sometimes ends a talk by saying, “Thank you.” There are some in Toastmasters who prefer not to use that.
At any rate, watching an open meeting of Toastmasters is a guide for anyone who needs to stand up and speak. And the sessions are interesting and amusing with serious and light hearted points in the program.
Ponder tailgating
The weekend arrives with tailgaters pondering what the weather will be like before the UND football game with Sioux Falls University on Saturday afternoon...And Sioux fans will be gathering Saturday at Joe Senser’s in Bloomington, Minn., before the second game with the Minnesota Gophers...The annual craft sale at the Myra Museum is set for Saturday morning...and will be followed by dozens of bazaars and luncheons at local and area churches...Holy Family bazaar will feature lefse making on site…The Miss Grand Forks Scholarship Pageant is set for Saturday evening in the Empire Arts Center...The Chester Fritz presents “If You Give a Moose a Muffin” Sunday afternoon...And the Grand Forks City Library will be setting out LEGOS Sunday afternoon for families to enjoy...While the Pride of Dakota Holiday Showcase will be running Saturday and Sunday in the Alerus...Disney Live is coming to the Ralph Engelstad Arena with two showings of “Three Classic Fairy Tales” on Sunday afternoon...And Red River High School is presenting “Back County Crimes” tonight, Saturday and Sunday afternoon.
Ask Marilyn
Q. Will people be tailgating before the Sioux football game Saturday?
A. Oh, my yes! Neither wind, nor sleet, nor snow could stop some of the dedicated tailgaters from their appointed rounds to the Alerus Center. They would rather have snow than rain.
Q. How many years has the Craft Guild been holding its Holiday Sale at the Myra Museum?
A. Saturday will be 35 years. The Guild members meet each Wednesday at the museum during the year to turn out items. People come early to snap them up.
Q. What are the best vanity license plates you have seen around here lately?
A. Well, I was most amused when I saw an old dark green Cadillac in a parking lot with the plate reading: “Tired.” Also seen were SIOUXZN and UND ONE. Then there was LOVES IT and MAIZE.
Kim and Andy
Cheerful people of the week: Kim Kieffer, Andy Schneider.
Reach Hagerty at mhagerty@gra.midco.net or (701) 772-1055
Tags: north dakota, gf and egf, marilyn hagerty, updates, columns, community, life
More from around the web
RSS Feeds