h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

With standard British aplomb, y'all took me to task rapidly for not putting in a journal entry. It was done so kindly, not like the American "Where are you?" Well here I am. I am trained as a librarian, now working in a call center and teaching Chinese History as an adjunct in the local community college.
I am a member of Toastmasters Intl. and you can learn more about me from my website
www.geocities.com/michaelcharton

I'll be getting a new, more professional website after the first of the year.
I moved to Tucson May 23rd, 2003 and love it. I will try and work on some other things about the city for the Hitchhikers Guide. I saw some of the responses. I'll write up entries on Mexicans and Indians and bars. (For the Indians, I have a Tohono O'Oodham friend, so that helps).
My hobbies are research, baseball, technology, hiking and writing. I may take up bow hunting (I already fish). I can't have a gun in the house. My better half says emphatically, NO!
I may think of more, as time goes on. Thanx, y'all!

Traveller in Time on his head
"Welcome back, you sem to have been quite some time offline, Good to see you are writing

Hmm, librarian reminds me of U182827, also a Toastmaster."

Much obliged. I'll check out the fellow Toastmaster you told me about.

Steady on, TiT - I'm not quite a Toastmaster yet! I'm in the process of helping birth a new Toastmasters Club where I live, though.

How long have you been doing it, MrT?

Traveller in Time trying to comprehed toasting
"So you are a toast apprentice? Or would that be toast dough?"

You have to do 10 assessed speeches to be an Accredited Toastmaster (or ATM as they say), and so far I haven't done any. None that have been assess, anyway.

I like the idea of toast dough, though!

I've been a Toastmaster since January, 1991. Always something new to practice and learn. Where are you trying to form the club? Is it at work or a community club?
Mr T? I am going to have to get myself a Mohawk haircut now and all sorts of chains around my neck (Now I am dating myself)LOL!

Let me know if you have any questions about starting a club.
Mike AKA Mr.T

Ah, a Toast apprentice! LOL! I scared a newbie in my club in Tucson with saying I would have to prick their finger Mafia style and burn the picture of the saint. In a New York club, people would have laughed at the silliness of it. Not here.

A Toast apprentice? First, you start with the dough, then you bake the bread, then you choose your toaster and how toasted you want to be.
My father says, we need to enter the 21st Century and change the name of the organization from Toastmasters to Microwavers.

Almost 14 years in the organization. Either that means I am advanced or I am a slow learner and keep getting left back.
Mike AKA Mr. T

The first ten speeches get you a CTM Competent Toastmaster. ATM's are then Bronze, Silver and Gold. Each ATM Manual has five speeches. The ATM Manuals specialize. For example, one manual is speeches for Sales People. One is a storytelling manual etc. You have to do two manuals for each ATM. You can't do the same two over and over again.
My meeting is tomorrow night. I am General Evaluator. I get to evaluate the entire meeting. Then again, I am from Brooklyn. This is a little like letting the fox in the hen house.
Mike AKA Mr. T

Hi Mike/Mr.T

I work in Greenwich, London and the club will be here. There wasn't one within easy reach, and the toastmasters site said 'if there isn't one nearby, consider starting one' - so I did. I'm getting help from local toastmasters clubs and I've visited three so far.

I'm reasonably used to speaking in public, but more as a facilitator than as a speaker. I'm reasonably competent, although I could be a lot better. I don't get that much practice, these days.

I've been to London, but don't really know Greenwich. Where do you work? Is this going to be a club strictly for the folks who work there? What sort of work do you do?
If you have 20 people, you can charter at once with help from the District.
If you are a facilitator, then being Toastmaster and putting things together should go well for you. The speaking comes with practice.
Let me know if there is anything I can help you with.
Mr T...

I work for the local authority. I think the intention is that they will pay the exenses of employees, but that people in the borough can join too. I went to a meeting in Croydon, which had members who live in my borough, who would be delighted to come locally, as the journey there is horrendous. It took me almost two hours to get there because of the traffic and it's only 12 miles or so away.

I work in accident prevention. I also teach a qigong class every Thursday, so I get plenty of speaking practice, although this kind of stuff is very different from the Toastmaster type of speech.

Have you seen these, by the way? A2520884 and A2498510

Thanks, I will take a look at those other two links. Well I hope you can work out getting those other folks to come. I would not drive in London, I've seen the traffic. It is not the driving on the other side that bothers me (I drove in South Africa). I hope your club takes off.

When you say accident prevention are you an engineer or in insurance to prevent accidents?

Mike AKA Mr. T. (I need to go get some sleep)zzzzzzzzz

You get used to driving in London - it's a bit more cut-throat than in other parts of the country. Mind you, I imagine driving in New York is pretty similar. The worst thing is being stuck in heavy traffic for ages.

Am I an engineer or in insurance? Neither! It's mostly education, training and publicity work.

Thanks for the good wishes. I'll let you know how things pan out.