R I Toastmasters Camcorder

R I Toastmasters is looking into buying a camcorder to record member speeches so that VHS tapes or DVD discs could be made for members to take home.

The members would be able to replay their speeches at home and make their own evaluations of the speeches and improve details of posture, habits, eye contact, pronunciation, pacing, gestures and so on.

Members could also use the camcorder to rehearse their speeches at home and improve their technique.

The issue with the camcorder is what format to use that would be most useful to members:

VHS tapes which would play back in a VCR on home television as everyone viewed movies at home in the 1990's.

DVD discs which would play back on a DVD player on home television as currently used for movie release.

 

Please respond by email with answers to BOTH of the following questions:

I have a VCR tape player at home connected to my television that I still use. YES or NO

I have a DVD disc player at home connected to my television that I currently use. YES or NO

 

Robert Gray

Treasurer

nyarchitect@msn.com

 

Meeting minutes from 12/13/04

Fellow Toastmasters,

On December 13 a small but hardy group of Toastmasters met in the Rivercross community room. We were joined by 3 guests. Marlene Flom called the meeting to order promptly at 8:00 pm. Jennifer Cali was a warm and welcoming Toastmaster. She also wore a second hat as Wordmaster, and challenged us to use the word Shanghai (to kidnap or conscript into service) during the evening.

Sue Brown's Table Topics was based on Dickens' opening line from A Tale of Two Cities: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. She challenged respondents to speak about various aspects of that phrase and book.

It is fitting that at a meeting that fell between Thanksgiving and Christmas the subjects of our two prepared speeches were Thanksgiving and Christmas. Thomas Morf described the traditional visit of St. Nicholas to his native village in Switzerland. Marie-Claire Bordes won best speaker of the evening for her speech of thanksgiving in which she recited a poem she had written after finishing a sculpture.

Evaluations were given by Arlene Stock and Jill Burk.

The next meeting will be the second Monday of January in the Rivercross community room. The second meeting in January will be a dinner meeting which will be held in the Rivercross Community room. It will be catered. The price will be announced. Volunteers for the program committee are welcome.

As you can see from this schedule, there will not be another meeting for the rest of the year. Best wishes to all for a happy and healthy holiday season!

Respectfully submitted,
Jill Burk
Secretary