WSO TableTopics Contest: 6 or us

Witty Storytellers Online club Table Topic Contest with 6 contestants

--- Handicapped, I was surprised to win the 3rd price ---

The contest won by Wendy Smiley, Contestant nr 1 : 

her choice was to participate to the contest!

--- and so well told ---

The Table Topic question for all was "The Choice"

Great Contest Chair, our President, Graham Cairn

Changing places in Gallery view (or speaker view)

Speaker, with Gallery on the left

Speaker with gallery on the top

Another change of places - depending the speaker and the evaluator : one can just slide a video up and down, left and right (of all are allowed, not just those with video on).

 

Zoom : Move people in Gallery view

 I discovered, through a video, and then, experimenting, that In zoom gallery view, I can place each, one by one, higher or lower, even change place in a row. 

But after deciding I want to see only those with their video on, I got this message:

With non-video participants hidden, an option in the Videos, I was not allowed any more to move them. 

Use blue!

 

Blue background is used by many who know, and also good for those with white hair, and white letters on blue are read easier.

It symbolizes trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intelligence, faith, truth, and heaven. Blue is considered beneficial to the mind and body. It slows human metabolism and produces a calming effect. Blue is strongly associated with tranquility and calmness.

this is my new background found as I looked for "blue" on Google

And another example of blue, as the "Risk of a second fracture" caught my eyes. White bones on blue. Alas I did got a second fracture on my left feet after I broke left bones and feet, about 2 y later.

Different blue backgrounds different occasions, many shades of blue.

So do use blue, it does works! It also works with blue tea-shirt used, as I do. Or, at least, a blue mask and background with blue sky behind me. 

The next step

A path has about 15 projects, at minimum; a lot more if you add to them more "elective" projects then the minimum required.

That is a lot. Depending our time, availability and interest plus the number of clubs we are member, we can go through them slowly or faster. 

Don't think about it all at once.

Take one Level, one Project and one task at a time.

I love to be able to begin a new path, be again at Level 1, have the same required tasks, do them differently then before. I may begin and try to think again with a beginners mind, but in fact I am no more at the level I was end March 2017 as I first begun, or even last year.

I changed. My knowledge changed, the path opened too, access to path changed.

Each time we got questions in the Pathways Discussion Forum, I measure how much I learned, and as I read answers to them, how well some are able to express themselves to answer.

Beginning, Humor Contest and the two Anaka's stories

Lewisham Speakers club first online contest begins: I was chief judge The Anaka's are new toastmasters, happily married couple from Nigeria and Great Britain. Liked both their stories, even with the timing and hesitations before beginning.

Julie "Free" & Warmups

Alas, 90 seconds hesitation in the middle of my speech. 

I should have:

1. Let the post I wanted to show on screen and verify again it is there

2. I should not have changed its initial title, then found it faster

3. Keep spoking while I was looking...

But perhaps, even so, the almost 8 minutes are not for nothing, and in plus, I left - at the beginning - the meeting opening, Fernando sg arms and Donovan as 4th Nov. president, as Toastmaster of the Day, as Warmup leader : "who inspires you?" answered by all present.

My first paths, VC, PM, LD

This picture posted 3 years ago: it took me 7 month to finish the first two path, Visionary Communication first, then Presentation Mastery. Leadership development was already on the way. 

The Motivational Strategy, begun in 2018 took a lot longer for me, but mostly because I did all Level 3 Elective projects, all but one Level 4 electives too, and more then one from Level 5. 

To this list, of course I add today the Embracing Humor path, also finishing, like the Presentation Mastery with a longer, keynote like speech. It does teach us about the importance of personal storytelling, different beginnings or ends, depending on the audience.

Some other paths, ask for 6 month at least in a committee or some other leadership role in a voluntary organisation: take a bit more time. One of those, I am beginning now, I am Secretary in 2 Toastmasters clubs anyway. One can lead from the top but also from the bottom. Dynamic Leadership, is a great path that I begin now second time. 

Three paths I do not recommend for beginners are those finishing with High Performance Leadership. Those take the most time and work, need a team plus a committee to survey and counseling. 

You can find more detailed prescriptions on my other posts, look between my most read ones... for example the one beginning with Welcome.