神奈川県もようやく緊急事態宣言が解除され、来月からは少しずつ元通りの生活に戻ります。
湘南TMCはFプレイスの会場が使えるようになってから、オンラインのよさを取り入れたハイブリッド例会を開催する予定です。

ハイブリッド例会は、WIFI設備の整った会場を手配してZOOM会議を開催し、オンライン参加者と会場を双方向でつなぐ例会のこと。一番参加しやすい形に向けて、準備をすすめています。

以下、英語で例会報告をします。

Doors opened as usual at 14:00. As usual there was a brief online workshop to practice different ZOOM functions.

President called meeting to order at 14:20. Word Master announced Today’s word of the day: prominent. The word of the day is the word to be used intensively during the meeting.

Control was passed to today’s meeting moderator TM E.M. who led the Educational Session. Supporters were: Grammarian TM A. T, Vote Counter TM M. H. and Timer. TM T. U. We thanked Guest T. S and A. T.

(The photo of President and TM M.H She was awarded a record-making double awards: Best Table topics award and TMOD award. Congratulations !!)

Prepared Speech Session

1st Speaker was TM M. H.: Her speech titled, “Can you feel life energy from electric devices”. She like animals and plants because she can feel life energy. But she was hired to IT company because of employment ice age, she experienced work in software development and sales division. After that, she can say “I can feel energy from electric devices” 

2nd Speaker was TM T. K.: His speech titled, “Researching for Taiga drama”. He was interested in NHK Taiga Drama. Taiga drama started in 1963. He explained some popular fine works and the history of Taiga drama. He said “He want to enjoy the background and people through Taiga drama.  

At the Evaluation Session, TM M. H evaluated first speech, and TM T. O. evaluated second speech, pointing out areas that are commendable as well as these for improvements.

Table topic! This program is to answer to the given topic questions in the form of a 2-minute speech. Table Topics master, TM Y. U has to make 10 questions. It was difficult work.

He asked something affected by the new corona virus.

#1 How do you feel Spring and Summer National High-school Baseball Championship?

#2 Please state your opinion of various sports championship cancelled.

#3 What do you think about Tokyo Olympics Game postponed for next year?

#4 Please introduce your enjoyment while sports activities stopped.

#5 What are you going to do while restaurants closed?

#6 What do you think about pachinko parlors closed? 

#7 What make you complain about separating your family structures?

#8 Please tell us something unexpected happened to you.

General Evaluator, TM K. K told us 2point.

#1 Two evaluators suggested good advices for speakers.

#2 One member tried to access to online, but he could not. So, after meeting, instructor TMM. H followed him.

Today’s TMOD Award went to TM M. H.
for the congratulations she entered Pathways icebreaker.  

Best table topics Award went to TM M. H.
Her speech was made on Question 8 on good phrases.
E. M

 

オンライン例会も今回で5回目、会を重ねるごとに会員もオンライン環境に慣れ、楽しく過ごせるようになりました。また今回は毎年行われる任期が一年の会長選挙が行われ、なんと、初めてのオンライン選挙を行いました。若干の不安はありましたが、実際に行ってみると問題もなくスムーズな進行となり、挙手投票も画面ですぐ確認ができました。今回、米国のシリコンバレーとディストリクトからお迎えしたトーストマスター会員のゲストのお二人にも、きっと楽しんで頂けたと思います。。

最近ではオンライン例会とオンサイト例会を組み合わせた会をハイブリッド例会というそうです。コロナ禍が終息した後も、この形が定着しそうな予感がします。自宅待機を契機に、いろいろ可能性が広がっている昨今です。

私たちの例会はいつでも見学可能です。詳しくは【見学をお申込み】をどうぞご覧ください！！
例会内容は、以下英語でご紹介します。

Doors opened as usual at 14:00. As usual there was a brief online workshop to practice different ZOOM functions.

President called meeting to order at 14:20. Word Master announced Today’s word of the day: surprisingly. The word of the day is the word to be used intensively during the meeting.

No surprise that the Presidential election took place as scheduled. It started with an endorsement speech by Current President TM E.M. followed by the speech by the candidate M.H. The result of voting was a unanimous approval. This portion of the meeting was moderated by the Presidential Nominating Committee Chair O.

Control was passed to today’s meeting moderator TM M.H. who led the Educational Session. Supporters were: Grammarian TM K. K, Vote Counter TM M.H. and Timer. TM E. M. We thanked Guest H.M visiting from the U.S. for taking the role of general evaluator at this point

Prepared Speech Session

1st Speaker was TM Y. U. With his speech titled, “The steady activities are rewarded,” he talked his various efforts to maintain the health operation of a life-support NPO he is in charge of management. We learned a lot from his practical tips on management.

2nd Speaker was TM T. O.: His speech titled,”What I am doing during my walking” was on the healthy habit he started after his retirement – walking that takes almost 3 hours. We were impressed by the various exercise activities he does while the walking. We learned of his secret why he always looks fit!

At the Evaluation Session, TM K. K evaluated first speech, and TM E.M. evaluated second speech, pointing out areas that are commendable as well as these for improvements.

Two people have arrived to be in time for the next session: table topic! This program is to answer to the given topic questions in the form of a 2-minute speech. We have managed to assign at least one topic question to all attendees. It is a big challenge not only to the members who are attending but also to the topic master who need create these questions.

Questions this time created by Topics master TM M.Y were:
#1 After an announcement of a state of emergency, people have been staying home surprisingly for a month.
How have you been doing for a month?

#2 I didn’t go anywhere during Golden week this year.
How did you spend GW last year? Or do you have any special memories of GW?

#3 At the supermarket, there are no flour, no butter and no pancake mix.
Some people started enjoying “cooking” to spend a lot of time. Do you have anything to start to kill time under covid-19?

#4 I read an article about the influence of infection in the newspaper.
It said “The plague（ペスト）brought the Renaissance and the capitalist economy.
What do you think the covid-19 will bring the change of our life like “telework” or “online lessons”?

#5 There’re two sides of thing, a bad side and a good side. What do you think the covid-19 has good sides?
For example, I heard that in India, people can look at the Himalayas clearly in the clear blue sky now, thanks to the covid-19.
#6 My friend told me that the people in the western often use the phrase “Every cloud has a silver lining.” in the conversation and on SNS recently. Do you have the good phrases, wise saying or motto?

#7 I want travel abroad when this bad situation is over. What do you want to do after that?

#8 The second Sunday in May is Mother’s Day. Please tell us the memories of the day.

#9 What is the best present of Mother’s Day so far?

General Evaluation is the time to wrap up the meeting and the role of general evaluation was performed by Guest Toastmaster H.M. Among various evaluation she made on the meeting including positive aspects of the club, she commented that – at online meeting – the pass of control is rather difficult to identify, so it would help to say at the end of your speech, “ back to (TMOD for example) .” Word of the day and grammarian’s report were done during the session.

Today’s TMOD Award went to TM T.O.
for the role he played on the Presidential Election.

Best table topics Award went to TM H.M.
Her speech was made on Question 6 on good phrases.
Her answer:
Life is full of accepting.

M.H

早いもので第4回目のオンライン例会となりました。
「習うより慣れよ」で、参加の皆さんは余裕をもって例会を楽しまれているようになりました。

いろいろな事情で、オンサイト例会には参加できなかったメンバーの方々が参加されることにもなり、オンライン例会の効果絶大と言えます。

難聴に悩む世代には、オンサイトよりもオンラインの方が聞き取り易いという声もあるようです。外出自粛はいつまで続くのでしょうか。
5月末までは藤沢公民館は閉鎖ですので、少なくもあと2回はオンライン例会となります。
私たちの例会はいつでも見学可能です。詳しくは【見学をお申込み】をどうぞご覧ください！！

例会内容は、以下英語でご紹介します。

The meeting started at 14:20 as usual with the voice of the president.
Word of the Day “vis-à-vis” was introduced by Grammarian TM T. U.
It means “face to face”, and used such as: “They sat vis-à-vis at the table.”

Prepared Speech Session
First speaker TM K. K. delivered his speech titled “Seeing is Not Believing.” His speech was based on the project L1-3 “Researching and Presentation” from the Path “Team Collaboration.”
At the beginning he emphasized “Believing at once what you hear or see may lead you to a false conclusion.”
Then he described two anecdotes and referred to two statistics about Population Statistics and TOEIC Score which supported his speech title.

Second speaker TM E. M. his speech titled “Back of Mom.”
His speech was based on the project L2-2 “Connect with Your Audience” from the Path “Innovative Planning.”
He described the life of his beloved mother who passed away 20 years ago at the age of 81.
He mainly referred to her relationship with her husband from the eye of one of their children.
At the last he concluded “I felt relieved she was slightly living into the new century.”

Evaluation Session
TM M. H. presided at Evaluation Session.
Evaluator TM T. U. and TM Y. U. evaluated the speeches by TM K. K. and TM E. M. respectively, stating the points for improvement in a constructive manner.

Table Topics Session
TM T. O. took the role of Table Topics Master.
The theme of his first four questions was  on member’s feelings about the corona virus outbreak: 
Q1:  What is the thing that you have been paying the most careful attention to?
Q2:  How did you get masks for you and your family? How many masks do you have now?
Q3  Please tell us your opinion or idea about the size of the masks which the Central Government is now providing for all the citizens?
Q4:  Please tell us your opinion or idea about ￥100,000 that the Central Government decided to provide for all the citizens?

The second theme for the remaining was on the entrance ceremonies which weren’t held this year due to the corona virus.
Q5:  Please tell us something unforgettable about your entrance ceremony into a school or a university?
Q6:  Please tell us something unforgettable about your entrance ceremony into an organization like a company?

Award presentation
TMOD Award went to TM M. Yano.
Best Table Topics Award went to TM T. U.

by T.O.

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　2020年4月11日第525回の例会は、前回に続いて3回目の会議ソフトZOOMによるオンライン方式となりました。ZOOMは使い易いソフトで、初めてのときにはどのアイコンが何を意味するとか、使用したいショートカットがどこにあるとかに戸惑うこともありましたが、今回は早くも参加者全員14名が自由に対応して、例会はスムーズに進みました。今回は嬉しいことに、ゲストさんにもご参加頂き、楽しんでいただくことができました。
私たちの例会はいつでも見学可能です。詳しくは【見学をお申込み】をどうぞご覧ください！！

　準備されたスピーチが2件とそれに対する論評、その場で全員に個別に与えられた話題についてそれぞれ2分間の即席スピーチ(Table Topics Speech)など、予定した2時間余りを有意義に過ごすことができました。

オンライン方式は、新型コロナウィルスへの感染拡大予防のための外出・集会自粛の中の方策でしたが、期せずして、大変能率的で多忙な人も参加し易い形となりました。ZOOMについてはセキュリティの弱さも指摘されていますが、二、三の注意すべき点に配慮すれば、私たちの会には問題ないと思います。

The meeting started with the introduction of the Word of the Day: “Enchanting”, which means very pleasant or attractive, by TM E. M.

Prepared Speech Session

Two prepared speeches were “How to Overcome Dementia” (L1-2-2) by TM Y. U. and “Where have All the Toilet Paper Gone?” (L1-3) by TM M. Y.

TM Y. U. said: There are many elderly people in the society around me. Before I was worried about my dementia, I thought there would be still much to help them. That is why I’m still working for a welfare organization.

I am convinced that just doing this can overcome my dementia.

TM M. Y. pointed out: Technological Innovation has changed the way of spreading rumors. Even though we face such a situation, we should stay calm, think twice, and then act. It’s only YOU to stop “Infordemic”.

Evaluation Session

Two evaluators, TM T. O. and TM T. U presented thoughtful evaluations with certain suggestions for further improvement, respectively.

Table Topics Session

TM M. H gave various topics ranging from very abstract ones such as happiness or encouragement to concrete ones such as life style or foods stocks to the audience and each responded with a short speech full of wit and humor.

Note

Most speakers showed their faces almost full on the screen through the meeting, that is they all kept sitting close to cameras. Some could show him/herself in full length in the camera so that gestures may work well.

Awards

TMOD award was presented to TM T. S for her positive participation despite being an inactive member.