Typical Zoom Meeting Schedule

Start- 8:00 AM
Our president will begin the meeting, and ask if there were any outside speeches. From there we go over any business we need to take care of, and the president will turn the meeting over to the Toastmaster of the day.

The Toastmaster will introduce the rolls of the day: grammarian, Table Topics Master, timer, general evaluator, and speech evaluator. They will then announce the day's speaker, with a short introduction.

The speaker will present their speech, and will be evaluated by a speech evaluator. If the speaker is giving a speech for their Path, the evaluation will be specific to their Pathway. For example, if their project is "Researching and Presenting", the evaluation will comment on the type of research done and whether it was presented in a format that everyone could access.

The timer will give the length of the speech before the meeting is turned over to the Table Topics Master. Table topics is when random members will be called on to speak on a topic such as "Please make a commercial about shoes" or "Tell us story about when you have been on vacation, and a problem arose".

To end the meeting, each roll will review what they were looking for that day. Grammarian will report on umms and interesting words. Table topics will present the award to the best impromptu one minute speech. Timer will state how long everyone spoke for, especially the speaker and speech evaluators. Lastly, the general evaluator will say how everyone who wasn't evaluated did, such as how timely the Toastmaster was and how transitions between rolls were.

The president will then take over to give the schedule for next week, and conclude the meeting.
End- 8:50 AM

Pathways Virtual Academy

Yaquina Toastmasters is back!

In response to coronavirus restrictions, the local group is now meeting online.

In the process, the Newport club has reclaimed a sense of community from the safety of their own homes.

“I’m delighted to see familiar faces pop up on my screen each week,” says, Larry Lehnerz, club president. “Before joining Toastmasters, I thought I’d hear a lot of dry business speeches. But, in our club, it’s mostly storytelling. People talk about what matters in their lives. That’s what I’ve missed with social distancing.”

Toastmasters International is a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing public speaking and leadership expertise. Two members working to enhance career and business skills have recently achieved significant recognitions for their hard work.

Lauralee Norris earned a coveted Advanced Communicator Gold recognition. Norris, a Newport High graduate, college student and young professional, is one of the youngest Toastmasters ever to have achieved this lofty goal.

Christa Colway, of NOAA Fisheries, recently achieved the Advanced Leadership and Advanced Communicator Bronze awards. These awards recognize her leadership, voice and vision in shaping local and regional clubs.

“Lauralee and Christa are the superstars of our club. We are immensely proud of them,” says Lehnerz.

Lehnerz, who is retired, adds that the meetings are not just for those on a career path. They are also a great place for retirees to share their stories. “It’s a way to look back at the important events of our lives or to laugh at the fun memories. It’s also an opportunity to share the wisdom we’ve accrued over the years.”

Members speak on subjects as varied as hobbies, memories, pets, volunteer work, career, social justice, you name it. Subject matter is limited only by interest and imagination.

Newcomers fit right into the group because meetings focus more on practice and support rather than professional performance.

Each meeting includes prepared speeches and shorter, unrehearsed “Table Topics” speeches. The purpose of various speaking opportunities is to develop ease in front of an audience.

“While practicing speaking skills is central to the program, the community building aspect is what keeps me coming back,” says Lehnerz.

He adds that this is the perfect time to join. “There’s no preparation, no driving, not even a need to dress up. Just zoom in to join the fun.”

Yaquina Toastmasters meet every Tuesday at 8 a.m. Please contact Yaquina Toastmasters at ybtoastmasters@gmail.com. A member will provide instructions for logging in. 

Thank you to our Outgoing Officers

(Left to Right) Lee Ritzman, Dave Coffman, Larry Lehnerz

Thank you to our Presidents Dave Coffman and Larry Lehnerz for serving as President of Yaquina Toastmasters this year!

Thank you to Immediate Past President and Vice President Christa Colway for your service at Yaquina Toastmasters this year!

Brian presenting Christa with an Award

Thank you Brian Norris for serving as this year's Vice President of Membership for Yaquina Toastmasters!

Thank you Kathleen Ritzman for serving as this year's Vice President of Public Relations for Yaquina Toastmasters!

Thank you Brian Haggerty for serving as this year's Secretary for Yaquina Toastmasters!

Left to Right Diane and Laurie Weitkamp

Thank you Laurie Weitkamp for serving as this year's Treasurer for Yaquina Toastmasters!

Lee Ritzman and Laurie Weitkamp

Thank you Lee Ritzman for serving as this year's Sergeant at Arms for Yaquina Toastmasters!

What do the Club Officers Do?

There are seven officer roles in a club to help with running the club. These officers are elected either every year, or every six months by the club. Some of the officers will volunteer, and some will be volunteered.

The first role is the President, who opens the meeting every morning. They are in charge of operation and supervision of the club. At the beginning of the meeting, they will present any news that needs to be dealt with, and then turn over the meeting to the Toastmaster of the day. Generally the President will work with all of the officers, but the Vice President of Education will be their closest officer,

Vice President of Education is in charge of scheduling and confirming the roles are filled before the meeting. They also help members to be on track for awards such as the Competent Communicator. The Vice President of Education will work with the President often, as well as the Vice President of both Membership and Relations to help gain more members and set up schedules.

The Vice President of Membership helps to conduct membership building programs. They help to give membership material to new members and applications to join for potential members. This officer will work with the Vice President of Relations often as well as the Treasurer.

The last Vice President is of Public Relations. This president is in charge of promoting the club, and the membership programs. They are in charge of keeping an online presence and keeping the members up to date on events and meetings. The Vice President of Relations and of Membership will work together often, as well as with the Secretary.

The Secretary helps to keep a roster of members and keep the files for the club. They also need to keep the minutes for records. During the year, the Secretary will work with the Treasurer and Vice President of Public Relations to keep the members engaged, and up to date.

The Treasurer will keep the bank account and make sure to collect dues so that we can maintain our memberships. They work with Membership to collect the dues of a new member and the application for that member, This officer also works closely with the Secretary.

Sergeant at Arms helps to maintain the club equipment and supplies. They will set up the room so it is ready for the meeting, with the tracking charts out for members to record their achievements. This officer is also in charge of the guests so that the president will know how many guests have visited and who they are for the meeting. The Sergeant at Arms works with the Secretary and Vice President of Membership.

The Role of Sergeant at Arms

Sergeant at Arms helps to maintain the club equipment and supplies. They will set up the room so it is ready for the meeting, with the tracking charts out for members to record their achievements. This officer is also in charge of the guests so that the president will know how many guests have visited and who they are for the meeting. The Sergeant at Arms works with the Secretary and Vice President of Membership.

Role of the Treasurer

The Treasurer will keep the bank account and make sure to collect dues so that we can maintain our memberships. They work with Membership to collect the dues of a new member and the application for that member, This officer also works closely with the Secretary.