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Community Corner

How to change the world?

Friends, money and power win again!  Our (leaders) just kicked the can down the road again.  How do we 'the people' fix the problem, maybe at the voting booth? But I have my doubts.

  But this blog is about how to change the future. How to instill in our children why, morals, ethics, honesty and hard work pay.

At all Toastmaster meetings www.toastmasters.org  we have what we call Table Topics.  This is a exercise in extemporaneous speaking.  The TT master will put together questions, sometimes with a program theme.

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About: Toastmasters International is a world leader in communication and leadership development. Our membership is 292,000 strong. These members improve their speaking and leadership skills by attending one of the 14,350 clubs in 122 countries that make up our global network of meeting locations. Toastmasters.org

Most Toastmaster meeting's have these parts:

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  1. Business meeting
  2. Table Topics - time 1-2 min.
  3. Prepared Speakers - average time 5-7 min.
  4. Speech evaluations- 2-3 min.

Twice a week now I take parts of this program to a 5th and  8th grade classrooms.

On Monday I asked these TT questions to my 5th graders. Many at a Toastmaster meeting would say these questions are to difficult?  

Then why ask 10 year olds?  Because I see these young minds as the future, possibly the next Steve Jobs, Albert Einstein, Winston Churchill, John F. Kennedy or Martin Luther King. 

Think about how you would answer these questions, and could you at age ten?

  1. The only sin on earth is to do things badly - John Galt.
  2. Success is more a matter of choice than circumstance - Rory Vaden.
  3. Winning is a habit; unfortunately so is losing - Vince Lombardi.
  4. Don't mistake activity with achievement - John Wooden.
  5. The true test of a character is what he does when no one is watching - John Wooden.
  6. Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there - John Wooden.
  7. You can't live a perfect day until you do something for someone who will never be able to repay you - John Wooden.

Yes, I do explain to them who these great men are.

As they started answering I looked at their teacher Cheryl Rice in amazement, have you ever had that look of a WHAT!  Not one student said, that's to hard, their answers were smart and brilliant.  Honestly I don't remember myself ever really thinking at 10 years old.

Friends, what I like about this fundamental school, is the parents care, the teacher cares, and these students care. I care.

Many of you who read this will criticize my grammar, my inability to write clear sentences.  That's ok, those who criticize will surely do it better? I mean of course, create future leaders. See what the students say: www.youthspeakingtoamerica.com.

I teach don't do things the hard way, as I did. Don't get thrown out of school at 16, with no education, no job, and no money! Then my father had the nerve to say now I had to pay rent, WHAT!

Well friends as Rory Vaden says  "The rent is due every day" , Rory is a motivational speaker, Toastmaster and runner-up in the Toastmasters International Speech contest, 2007.  His book 'Take the Stairs' is a brilliant read, and NY Times best seller.

I truly believe one day one of these young mind may lead the world, become a Toastmaster World Champion, the CEO of Apple, the next Mahatma Gandhi? Maybe just the person who say I know how to "Stop kicking the can down the Road" .

Blog: http://goo.gl/kYtLkR

But, friends to stop the 'can' it takes funding, to make 'The Big Show' a big deal it takes funding.  Giving our future leaders the chance to step up on the big stage at 'The Big Show' is a big deal. To become a leader starts now like these 10 year olds are. Helping the YSTA programs grow is a big deal!

See: 'The Big Show' on this blog or www.youthspeakingtoamerica.com.

Thanx

York 

 

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