Charter Party Photos

I’m trying a new online photo service so here is a link to the First Oakville Toastmasters Charter Party 2008 photos.

 

http://picasaweb.google.com/peterwestphotography

What I learned about playing nice

Toastmasters is so much more than just a place where nice people learn how to speak in public. Most clubs hold weekly meetings and many clubs have short business sessions as part of the agenda.

At our club, we’ve had a few newcomers who want to eliminate the business session or at least move the speaking part of the meeting to the front half of the agenda and all else to the latter half.

Aside from upsetting the flow of the meeting where the highlight of the night, the speeches, would come way too early for me, a change in the agenda might mean some folks who aren’t thinking clearly might start to leave at the break.

Not only would this be impolite but they’d miss so much of the Toastmaster experience.

I believe I’ve learned more about how to get along with people thanks to our business meetings than anything else I’ve learned after 13 years in Toastmasters.

Since we’re a group, the decisions that affect the group need to be made by the group. It’s not up to the executive to rule (as they only act as trusted servants) and it won’t work for individuals or small groups to attempt to exert their will over the rest of the club. Parliamentary procedures (and of course Robert’s Rules of Order) give us all tools to explore together the wishes of the majority while still allowing the minority to be heard. And, you don’t need to be an expert in Robert’s Rules to use them. That’s why we have a parliamentarian. Any member can ask a question of the parliamentarian (by being recognized by the chair). The question can be as basic as I want to move a motion Mr. Parliamentarian, how do I do that? (I’ve seen this actually done.)

In the case of the newcomers who want to change the agenda, I’m suggesting one of them should move a motion to review the club agenda. Then, in order to provide a venue for a full discussion, I’d move that we take the main motion off the table and strike a special committee to report back their research to the club in let’s say a month’s time.

As it stands now, it appears to me it’s not likely that most members will be interested in continuing the discussion about the agenda during regular club meetings but a report from a special committee will allow us all the opportunity to hear what’s being considered at a later date and then vote on it in an effective manner.

Now if the members of the club have no interest in forming a committee, they can vote this motion down and we will address the main motion of reviewing the agenda.