Something BIG is coming to COASTAL Connecticut ...

Toastmasters International
District 53 • Fall 2005 Conference
The Sound Speaks

Title: "Leading the Fun: A Positive Learning Experience"
When Toastmasters is fun, people want to be part of it. Don't you?
This session will be a positive learning experience because you are
going to have fun while you learn to lead. Your Toastmaster Club will
benefit enormously, because you will be able to share the fun when you
get back. If you have a specific question about how to improve your
Club, write it down and bring it with you.

Bio:  Walter is Vice President, Education for the Putnam Speaks
Toastmaster Club (4839). He has taught project management at several
major corporations and was co-chair of the District 53 Fall Conference
in 2004. His Toastmasters High Performance Leadership Project was to
build a community of Toastmaster Clubs as Division A Governor. Walter
likes to have fun, at Toastmasters, on the dance floor, or on a cruise.
He has the most fun when he is flying a hot-air balloon (which he has
been doing for the past 15 years).

Title: "Elevating Your Career"
What does it take to move your career to the next level? Whether you are going for a promotion, considering your next job, or simply taking a new look at your current role, your career path is uniquely yours. Join Ginny in learning the 3 keys to attracting a custom-fit opportunity, how to assess your most valuable skills and talents, what you can do to make it easy for others to help you, and how to turn your ideas into action.

Bio: Virginia Kravitz, Professional Life Coach, works with those who deeply desire to live their potential and experience extraordinarily fulfilling professional and personal lives. Ginny’s specialty is helping others clarify their vision, become more specific in terms of their goals, and more strategic with their time and energy. Her background includes a successful corporate career, professional training through Coach U, and participation in the International Coach Federation. She is a recognized Life Blueprint™ coach and authorized facilitator of the Now What™ career and life direction program.

Title: "Are we being the best we can be?"
Attendees will realize that bringing out the best in themselves and their organizations through planning, brainstorming and goal setting to the potential in their personal and professional lives. Objectives - Have a better understanding of what is important to each one of us, attendees will understand that taking time out for ourselves is keep to being our best, how important Toastmasters is to our professional and personal lives, how to develop goals and action plans for our club, our organizations and ourselves.

Bio: Jeff Borgio has been a member of Charter Oak Toastmasters for over three years.  He is a CTM and is serving as a club president.  Jeff has been a paramedic for 17 years and has recently worked in the finance field after completing his MBA in 1999.  He resides in East Hampton Connecticut.

Title: "Creating a Ripple Effect of Excellence in Leadership"
This session will cause attendees to be aware of their “business as usual” mindset, and to live with renewed sense of passion and positive attitudes.  Tap into their leadership potential, to strengthen communication and teambuilding skills. This session will help attendees to identify their weakness and maximize their strengths in leadership. Understanding your personal ripple effect in your family, at work and society, creating balance in your daily life, working and living with an excellent attitude, classifying leadership characteristics that are vital in today’s society, and understanding the key components of leadership (learning, loving and leading).

Bio: Deidre Boone is a high-energy training professional and motivational speaker with 16 years experience and expertise in developing successful training programs and seminars.  Ms. Boone is a keynote speaker, trainer, and seminar developer.  Before starting her own consulting business, Ms. Boone worked for Gartner Inc., an Information Technology Consulting firm where she successfully set up the corporate university.  She established numerous training programs that have increased productivity by 80 percent. “I am driven to help leaders fulfill their vision, goals and assignments to achieve great success in their lives.”

Title: "Speeches Made Simple"
Excuses on why I can not do a speech.  I don’t have time!  I can’t come up with an idea!  The speech must be perfect for me to give it, or I won’t do it.  Haven’t we all had these situations on why you can’t finish your CTM?  This presentation will give you the tools and ideas to get you and your member toastmasters past that one speech, so they can complete their CTM and go on to their ATM and most of all be long time members of Toastmasters.

Bio: Jay Discount is a car salesman at Suburban Kia and Mitsubishi in Vernon, CT.  He is also the President of J.A.D. Consulting, Inc, that writes software package call DataCap for the Inventory Services Industry.  He has been a member of Toastmasters from 1984 to today, serving at an Area Governor the past two years, and is a founding member of the Vernon Toastmasters Club.

Title: "Developing your Comfort Zone (Speaking Out of the Box)"
Attendees will be given specific examples of the differences between speaking in the controlled environment of a TM meeting as compared to speaking to large civic groups. An anecdote opens the session that reviews the first experience of a speaker before a crowd and the lessons learned which led to a career as an instructor. The basics of homework necessary to become familiar with the prospective audience, the physical preparations for the presentation, and steps necessary to properly coordinate with the host agency.

Bio: Bob's 50 plus years blend of military, Federal, and corporate specialized training, experience, and practical application of leadership and communication skills provide the foundation for his effective presentations. He established PROJECT YOU (Youth Opportunities Unlimited) as a part of his volunteering with mentoring and youth development programs, which encourages "kids of all ages" to convert life's stumbling blocks to stepping stones for the future. He is proud to have wife Beverley and four grown children as his support team. His aim is to promote communication, with emphasis on listening, learning, and enjoying what you do.

James Jorasch

Nancy Follis-Wilms

Gilda Bonanno

Title: "Using Improv Techniques to Help You Become A Better Speaker"

You hear the Table Topics question and your mind goes blank. You feel silly standing in front of the audience talking about your last fishing trip. Your speech evaluator asks for more details in your speech and more animation in your delivery. Sound familiar?
    Improv comedy techniques can help you with all of these situations as well as others that Toastmasters face. The facilitators, experienced Toastmasters and members of an improv comedy troupe that performs regularly in Manhattan and Fairfield County, will introduce and demonstrate basic techniques of improv comedy. Then you'll have a chance to practice these techniques in small and large groups.
     In this interactive and informative session, you'll learn how to become comfortable unleashing your creativity and how to use the right words to give the audience the details that will make your speech come alive. You will discover how to use your voice and body language to connect to your audience. You will walk away with practical ideas to try out the next time you give a speech or answer a Table Topics question. Whether you are a new Toastmaster or a seasoned veteran, you'll have fun as you learn ways to improve your speaking.

Bio: The World Class Indifference comedy improv group is composed of 5 Toastmasters from the Greater Stamford, Norwalk and Purdue Pharma Toastmaster clubs. These accomplished Toastmasters are known for competing at District Level competitions. The other talented members of the team are veteran improv performers and have performed as stand-up comedians in NYC and as actors in several community theatre productions. The performers will be James Jorasch ATM-S AL, Nancy Follis-Wilms DTM, Gilda Bonanno CTM, Jamie Gerelli CTM, Chris Noel-Bentley, Chris Harwood, and Dana Rossi.