Welcome to CTI Techtalkers! We are an open Toastmasters club that is committed to helping our members achieve their communication and leadership goals. We offer encouragement and support, a mentoring program and lots of fun while learning. Guests are welcome.

Meetings are held every Wednesday from 12 noon to 1 pm at 3553-31st St NW, Calgary, AB. Our club meets all year.

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)


Weds May 30th. Another of our weekly Toastmaster sessions.
Word of the day: Facetious

 In attendance:
Simon Jackson: Grammarian and Ah Counter; Mahdia Ibrahim Speaker #1; Jolanta Westergard: Speech Evaluator #1; Darlene Davies, DTM: Speaker #2; Julie Wright: Speech Evaluator #2; David Zhao, CC: Toastmaster; Kim Beckett: TT Master; Helen Eng: TT Evaluator, and General Evaluator; Lora Johnston: Timer;  Our Guests: Janet


And I saddle up my horse
And I ride into the city
I make a lot of noise
Cause the girls
They are so pretty
Riding up and down Broadway
On my old stud Leroy
And the girls say
Save a horse, ride a cowboy.
Everybody says
Save a horse, Ride a cowboy


If Buddha is correct in the Dharma when he says "What we think, we become" then we are all Cowboys here in Calgary. 2012 is the 100 year anniversary of the Calgary Stampede and Darlene reminded us in her speech that whilst it may have evolved, from the long tassels of yesteryear to the shiny sparkles of modern day, the Stampede is a quintessential Calgary experience.

Darlene is our DTM, and founder member. She was also one of 4 native Calgarians at the meeting today, and her insights into the years of the street party and the square dancing helped lend a fantastic historic flavour to something all of us in town know as a true Calgary passion.

And on the subject of passion, our own 'Flux Capacitor in Human Form', Madhia Ibrahim, led a high energy analysis in the other speech looking at whether it could be accurate or not that "fear of public speaking ranked right up their with fear of death'. Sounds exaggerated...lacks empirical data...Mr Sulu, you have the Bridge. 

Kim "Reiki" Beckett led us in a group of table topics. I got "Would I go to the moon or a desert island?", Our Guest Janet took "What music defines you?", Jolanta spoke about Dandelions on the food chain and Julie on Calgary's new city slogan "Be part of the Energy"...oh so pun-tastic...

And, the winner: Send Simon to the Moon...or the speech, (I should be less facetious apparently).

Calgary 2012 is also celebrating Calgary as a city of Culture. With the official song:

Sweet...Sweet City Woman....

Sing, Dance, Ride your horse, don't take your boyfriend, and most of all:

Remember to move in the space, focus on the topic, or that other sweet city evaluator Helen Eng will come get you with her six gun...

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Always an excitement missed at CTI if we didn't attend.
(blogger is asking me to prove I am not a robot!!)

Val said...

I loved reading up on what I missed. Great blogging Simon!!

Val said...

sad to have missed the meeting. Byt the sounds of it, it was another great one!! super blogging, Simon