Portland Progressives Toastmasters Club

Experience the Glitz and Glamour of the Convention in Las Vegas

2015-06-04T03:03:00.004-07:00

Experience the Glitz and Glamour of the Convention in Las Vegas

Get ready to go to Las Vegas, register for the 2015 Toastmasters International Convention. Held August 12-15, this spectacular event features world-class speakers such as keynote speaker Patricia Fripp and Nobel Peace Prize winner and Golden Gavel recipient Muhammad Yunus.

District 7's Libra Forde will be competing in the International Speech Contest.

May News from Toastmasters International

2015-05-05T15:41:00.001-07:00

Nominate an Outstanding Toastmaster

Each year, the International President chooses several Presidential Citation recipients and presents each with an award during the International Convention. If you know a member who has made significant contributions to the organization, nominate him or her by May 31.

Be Inspired by World-Class International Speakers at the Convention

The 2015 Toastmasters International Convention will be held August 12–15 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Register today to save $100. Attendees will:

Listen to high-caliber speakers, including Toastmasters International’s 2015 Golden Gavel recipient Muhammad Yunus, who won the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize
Experience the excitement and fanfare of opening ceremonies
Connect with other members from around the globe
Witness the 2015 World Championship of Public Speaking
Celebrate 90 years of Toastmasters history

Member Services Can Help

Missing materials: If you haven't received your New Member Kit, education award, supply order or the Toastmaster magazine, email the Tracking team.
Extra magazines: If you belong to more than one club, chances are you receive extra copies of the Toastmaster magazine each month. To request fewer copies, email the Membership team. You may also request to "go paperless" if you read the magazine online or on your tablet.

News from Toastmasters International

2015-04-07T14:43:00.003-07:00

Connect with Other Members from Around the Globe

The 2015 Toastmasters International Convention will be held August 12–15 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Experience the excitement and fanfare of opening ceremonies, be inspired by world-class international speakers, witness the 2015 World Championship of Public Speaking, and celebrate 90 years of Toastmasters history. Register today for early-bird pricing.

New Titles for District Leaders Effective in July

2015–2016 incoming district leaders will be the first to carry the new updated titles. Read more.

Read the Toastmaster Magazine on Your Tablet

In addition to reading the magazine’s print edition, members can access the monthly publication on the go on select tablets. The Toastmaster Magazine tablet app features exclusive content, interactive features and more photos. Members can choose to opt out of the hard copy if they wish. Read more.

February Board Meeting Minutes

The Board of Directors met February 19–21, 2015. During that time, the District Administrative Bylaws and two policies were modified. View the changes and read the discussions from the meeting.

2015–2017 International Director Candidates

The 2014–2015 International Leadership Committee has nominated international director candidates for the 2015–2017 term. Review the candidates who will be voted on at the August 2015 Annual Business Meeting.

Cast Your Vote for Proposal A

Delegates attending the International Convention will have the opportunity to cast their club's vote regarding Proposal A: Amendments to the Bylaws of Toastmasters International. The Board of Directors recommends voting in favor of Proposal A. Review the proposal for more information.

Need Help?

View answers to frequently asked questions, or visit the Contact Us webpage. The Member Services team at World Headquarters can assist you 6 a.m.–7 p.m. Pacific Time.

News from Toastmasters International

2015-03-03T09:36:00.000-08:00

Learning Master Spotlight

Learning Masters play a vital role in the revitalized education program by:

Sharing their Toastmasters learning experiences.
Providing input about what they would like to see in the revitalized program.
Validating assumptions of learning ideas and tools as the project progresses.

Learn more about them and their Toastmasters experiences.

Toastmasters Website Updates

More changes have been applied to the redesigned website. The Find a Club tool now lists up to 200 clubs at a time in one scrolling list (on mobile devices you will page through results). You can view results within as little as a 2-mile (about 3 km) radius and see club meeting locations and times at a glance.

Member feedback is a key reason these improvements are being made. We appreciate your comments and review them regularly. Please email us your feedback.

2015–2016 International Officer Candidates

The 2014–2015 International Leadership Committee (ILC) has nominated international officer candidates for the 2015–2016 term, which will be voted on at the August 2015 Annual Business Meeting. To review the list of nominated international officer candidates, click here.

Feb. 19th, 2015

2015-02-27T09:34:00.002-08:00

We had an outstanding meeting Feb. 19^th. Our Toastmaster Russell spoke about “Divorce” and its characteristics. It made us feel like not getting divorced. We had 3 speakers. Sandra spoke on extra ordinary productivity and how to be more effective. We should focus first on areas that are important. We should spend 10 minutes daily on planning as well as allocate time for weekly planning. Edie educated us speaking on the many contributions and benefits mosses and lichen provide, such as modifying earth’s atmosphere. She provided a great deal of visual and hands on examples. Colleen played her violin and dressed the part for her Ice Breaker speech. We learned a great deal about her life. Lydia was our Table Topics Master provided members with opportunities to speak extemporaneously. Lydia also brought wonderful Chinese treats. We had great evaluators: Christine and especially Bill and Kathleen! Karen did a wonderful rap up and evaluation of our meeting. Two contests are coming up. Our next lineups looks intriguing!

Fun meeting Feb. 12, 2015

2015-02-13T17:36:00.000-08:00

Edie was the beginning toastmaster until the official toastmaster arrived. We had two speakers. Jim made a hot speech on this last Wednesday’s rally which was about Healthcare for all Oregon. His contingent got to speak to every single legislator. Lydia spoke about how we can decide that Friday the 13^th is a good day and spoke of get ready for valentines day. Kathleen was her evaluator. Russell really shined during table topics using quotes from different people on sex. He would say a quote from a famous person on sex and you had to respond to it. This was an excellent Table Topics subject. Eddi really outdid herself as a snack master. Bringing decorations for Valentines Day and bringing foods for different types of diets. She has little valentines cards for everyone. We had 4 guests who really love the program. Thanks to Kathleen’s for submitting this entry!

The next meeting is going to be exceptional because Bill will be flying in from Tempe, Arizona! You don’t want to miss this one!

Feb. 5th meeting!

2015-02-12T14:19:00.000-08:00

Ellen Ino stepped in as toastmaster at the last minute and did an admirable job befitting her vast experience as a toastmaster. She ably carried through the existing theme of “Reflections”.

Karen Semprevivo spoke about “Radon gas in Portland, Oregon: Are you in danger of exposure?” Her lively talk featured a slide presentation focusing on the hidden danger of radon gas, how it got to Portland in the first place, and how to get your dwelling checked.

Ann Kroetch once again spoke on the benefits of being a toastmaster in “Look for the best in people.” I enjoy the way Ann continues to use Toastmasters in her speeches showing us how it can improve our lives. Chuck Melikian told us about “The end of the day philosophy.” He gave us the goal of trying to live our lives so that when we reflect on our day at its end we are satisfied that we did good for others and ourselves. I especially enjoyed Chuck's personal examples and how they told us more about him.

Jim Robison's table topics session levered the theme of reflections beautifully. He asked who had certain characteristics or history and picked from among them. It lead to a series of personal, thoughtful table topics. The highlight was a table topic by a second-time guest, Prajwahl.

Lydia Hoover lead the evaluations as general evaluator. She gave her own thoughts on the three speeches during her general evaluation and said she thought it was an excellent meeting.

The evaluators were Henry Exerjian (Karen), Brinn Hemmingson (Ann), and Russell Pike (Chuck). Each demonstrated their skill at highlighting the strengths of their evaluated speech, gently making a suggestion for improvement, and encouraging the speaker to higher speaking achievement.

Christine Seed was grammarian. Her word of the day, the royal “we”, created a thoughtful dialog. It was used several times during the meeting.

Edie Gillis once again made us think and this time as listener made us laugh from time to time as well. Her questions really challenged us remember what we had heard throughout the meeting.

Colleen Seckler was timer, which was her first meeting role. She gave a thorough report that demonstrated she is learning to speak succinctly. She was also snack master – yum.

Much thanks to Russell for keeping us posted!

Toastmasters.org Updates

2015-02-03T11:53:00.000-08:00

Toastmasters.org Updates

Our redesigned website launched in December. Since then, the following updates have been implemented or are in progress:

Website FAQs offer tutorials to aid in navigating the site.
The Find a Club Advanced Search tool helps users locate clubs by country or district, and you can export the results to a spreadsheet. Find it in the Leadership Central section under Club Officer Tools and District Leaders Tools, which are available after logging in.
The Search function provides results for both products and content. You may choose to view either.
Enhancements to both the Search and Shop functions will be made throughout the first quarter of 2015.

Member feedback is a key reason these improvements are being made. We appreciate your comments and review them regularly. Please email us your feedback.

Fantastic meeting January 29th, 2015

2015-02-02T19:41:00.001-08:00

Our meeting's turnout was fantastic! Sandra spoke sincerely of gratitude and her experience with toastmasters. Henry had a power point presentation speaking on how we can get more Democratic votes by educating voters among other strategies. Kevin's table topic involved picking a saying such as "You can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear” or “as lucky as a 3 dollar bill” and speak about it. . Kathleen was our illustrious Toastmasters spoke about health care, climate change; Health conscience Karen got Gluten free crackers and popcorn! Karen also informed us that the evaluation contest will be March 5 and March 12 will be the speech contest. We are certainly looking forward to this Thursday's meeting!

We had a very educational entertaining meeting this Thursday January 15, 2015.

2015-01-16T19:52:00.001-08:00

We had 3 awesome very different speeches. Jim was the toastmaster. Lydia talked about the Chinese new year with enthusiasm. Edi gave her a tough very specific evaluation, which Lydia appreciated as she learns how she can improve. Tamar’s speech spoke about how clothing for babies begin shaping how they perceive themselves. Boys clothing were action oriented, while girls had flowers, and other cute things. During the summer girls wear revealing things. She had great visual aids. Kevin gave a speech on a homeless person he knows. He spoke of wanting to get him free dental care and problems he encountered such as drug use. He spoke of the challenges homeless people had. Table topics Master Rob asked interview questions. Cheryl and Kathleen participated. The two guests that came were impressed. We look forward to another exciting meeting coming up next Thursday!

Don't miss today's, January 8, 2025 meeting!

2015-01-08T09:22:00.002-08:00

Jim, one of our long time founding members, will be our presiding officer. We have an awesome lineup today, January 8, 2015! Lydia will be our Toastmaster; Karen will be speaking on “How to Say It”; Edie will be working on improving her vocal variety. Kevin will be our General Evaluator; Christine and Russell will be our evaluators; Sandra will be our grammarian and, Jim our listener! As of 9 am Portland time, according to the agenda, we still have an opportunity for someone to practice their Table Topics Master skills, Timer skills, and a few positions such as my favorite - being a Snack Master!! Please check the agenda before all opportunities are taken.. There will be our Monthly Club Officer Meeting following our regular meeting where among other issues the Toastmaster Leadership institute on January 17 will be discussed.

Intriguing presentations! 12-18-14

2014-12-22T16:48:00.000-08:00

Due to last minute substitutions, Jim served as Toastmaster.

Edie served as Grammarian; as well as presenting a speech, and she provided us with "agent provocateur" as the word of the day.

We heard three great speeches.

Tamar presented "The Wage Gap, True or Myth?". Tamar is expecting another child in May, so she decided to investigate some of the issues of a working mother earning an income, along with her working husband, and how incomes of men and women compare. There is no question that the incomes of women are lower than the incomes of men. The question is determining why. She found several very informative studies that evaluated this, examining differences in types of jobs, differences in education levels, differences in years of on the job experience and other factors. Taking into account all the identified factors, there is still a large gap between men's and women's pay that is not explained.

Edie then gave us a speech about police brutality, which included her own proposal for how best to reduce it. She proposes that police maintain multiple methods of visible identification, which anyone on the receiving end could quickly recognize, and that if these requirements for identification are not fully maintained, their funding be cut off.

Karen then provided us humor by Roasting Russell Pike as "Russell The Romantic Rascal". Karen told us that she is wondering how many times Russell will tell her that he met "the one" only to later say she was not "the one".

We look forward to next years enlightening, entertaining, educational presentations! Merry Christmas, happy New Year and seasons greetings!

12-10-14 presentations!

2014-12-15T19:13:00.004-08:00

Russell gave his closing arguments for us the Jury to show that Neanderthals were a kinder gentler being than those who survived evolution. Kathleen gave a speech on how building a reservoir of self-appreciation can add to your ability to give both positive feedback and self-improvement feedback. Giving and receiving appreciation is progressive work because it contradicts our $ driven society. Kathleen also engaged us in an activity where we gave ourselves appreciation and then used that same energy to exchange appreciation with a partner." Lydia gave a fascinating speech! We had a wonderful table topic session as well. We look forward to this coming Thursday’s presenters, table topics, and evaluators!

A review of our cosy meeting 12-4-14

2014-12-09T07:38:00.000-08:00

Jim opened the meeting right at 6:30. It was fitting that Toastmaster Russell Pike's theme for the evening was “I'll never stop the rain by complaining.” During the meeting he surprised everyone when he related that Portland get more rain on more days than – Seattle.

First Speaker Edie Gillis gave a speech called, “In The Elevator.” We learned that subjecting a captive audience to a sales pitch in an elevator just turns people off. She said, Don't sell, connect.” A good elevator talk is more like dialog and a dance. She made great use of a hand-held flip chart and made us laugh. Way to go, Edie!

Second Speaker Kevin Seed spoke on “Reading a Label.” He handed out chemical labels and drew on his expertise as a landscaper to unlock their mysteries. He said there were two things to know about chemical labels. First, the label is a law. Second, read the label. He said that if there is no FDA number on the label to tell someone immediately. Another great speech, Kevin!

Table Topics Master Henry Exerjian gave members Brinn Hemmingson, Jim Robison, and Edie Gillis and long-time member and current guest Sandra Wolicki (she is re-joining Portland Progressives) their choice of politics, law enforcement, and justice. We learned that Brinn was a criminal justice major in college. She said she had been in funny, loud protests without violence and that protesters that destroy property need to be stopped. Sandra thought that body camera were generally good, but that we should analyze the costs and benefits. Edie spoke out for more police accountability and that the D.A. is looking for prosecutions and not justice. Jim talked about why the Democrats lost and said that money taking over the entire conversation during election season is bad.

Jim lead the evaluation session.

Kathleen Clarke evaluated Edie's speech. Kathleen liked Edie's focus on meaning and emotion. She also praised Edie's creativity and especially the choreographed foot stomping introduction. Kathleen said that Edie easily met her project requirements by demonstrating “how to say it” with short, distinctive words. Kathleen suggested that Edie should slow down a bit.

Even though Sandra was a guest, she stepped up to evaluate Kevin. Sandra told us that Kevin had chosen a great topic for his “how to say it speech”. She liked the catchy start and the repetition of the two points. She liked his final recap and suggested that he end with a quote. Sandra encouraged him to do more speeches.

Brinn was grammarian. Five people used the word of the day, “exigency.” She pointed out our verbal highlights and the few uses of filler words. Christine Seed lead a short, punchy listener session that had us on our mental toes. Peter Liu handled the timer activity flawlessly and gave a crisp report.

Jim told us that he enjoyed the meeting and that it was generally a good meeting. He focused on our need for storage of equipment, a second guest book, and signage. Without the storage, these were missing since Sgt. at Arms Chuck Melikian had them and was unable to attend the meeting.

It was a great meeting on a rainy day. We look forward to our next wonderful meeting coming up this Thursday! You don't want to miss it!

News from Toastmasters International for December

2014-12-02T17:29:00.001-08:00

The Redesigned Website Is Here!

Toastmasters International’s redesigned website was engineered with your user experience in mind. It offers a sleek design, easier navigation, mobile-friendly access, an improved shopping experience and more resources than ever before. Leadership Central gives you quick access to all the management tools you need. Please note: You will need to log in to view Leadership Central webpages.

Last Call for 2015 Convention Presenters

Do you have experience addressing international audiences of 400 or more? Dynamic presenters are invited to apply by December 15 to speak at the 2015 International Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada. Watch highlights of last year’s convention.

Educational, Awesome meeting!

2014-11-23T20:48:00.001-08:00

Toastmaster Kathleen advised that connecting to neighbors, friends and family is always a great resource in the challenges in winter and other emergencies. For example she gave having “soup nights” as a way to connect with neighbors. She also was grateful to 4 different neighbors who came to assist her in time of need. Russell as only Russell could fascinate us with the history of thumbtacks. Edie gave us great information on more healthy ways to communicate during family gathering. Ann gave us new pointers on ideas that could help us on our impromptu speeches. Lydia’s Table Topics was about clichés. Karen had many roles General Evaluator, Snack Master, and regular Evaluator. This coming Thursday the 27, is Thanksgiving Day and because of this our meeting will be canceled. See you December 4^th!

Meeting has been canceled!!!

2014-11-13T14:06:00.002-08:00

Today's meeting November 13, 2014 has been canceled due to challenging driving conditions. We had a terrific line up of great speakers! We are looking forward to an enjoyable, educational experience next Thursday, November 20, 2014 beginning at 6:15 pm. You don't want to miss it!

Informative, interesting, tasty, and enjoyable!

2014-11-06T22:01:00.001-08:00

We had another enjoyable meeting. Edie our Snack Master brought a plethora of healthy foods. Russell spoke on what a difference a year makes, and Karen roasted Russell! We had great table topics to speak from thanks to our table topic master, Kevin. Great evaluators: Kathleen and Lydia. Henry was an expressive General Evaluator and Jim our president and Toastmaster reminded us of how just a few votes can make the difference in the recent election. We had a meeting afterwards to talk about the progress of our club and what we can do to make it better. Our Area Governor was attending and asked if anyone wanted to be one? This coming weekend at our District Conference, Karen will be representing us in the Table Topics Contest. There will also be a humorous speech contest. Please see D7 toastmasters.org for more information.

News from Toastmasters International

2014-11-04T17:10:00.001-08:00

90th Anniversary: A Year-long Celebration

Pay tribute to the rich history and legacy of Toastmasters International and celebrate in your club or district. Visit the anniversary website for ideas and fun resources you can use through October 2015. Limited-edition T-shirts, buttons or decals also are available, so shop today.

The New Toastmasters.org

Have you seen the beta version of the website? Explore its easier navigation, interactive multimedia, a resource library and a new online store.

Call for 2015 Convention Presenters

Do you have experience addressing large international audiences of 400 or more? Dynamic presenters are invited to apply to speak at the 2015 International Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada. Apply between November 4 and December 15.

Accredited Speaker Program Deadline

Applications for the 2015 Accredited Speaker Program will be accepted January 1 through February 1, 2015. To learn more about the program, or to download an application, click here.

Latest Toastmasters News

Get breaking news about the organization in your email. Visit the Media Center, and click on "Subscribe to News Alerts" in the menu on the left.

Spooky story night!

2014-11-02T14:51:00.003-08:00

We had a magical spooky tale Halloween Meeting/Party with so many treats that it would be hard to mention. As examples: Peter brought apple pie and nuts, Ann brought cup cakes, Lydia brought yogurt pretzels, Deeana brought cookie candies, etc. We had an assortment of spooky stores: Lydia with her eerie haunted house, Kathleen with her spine chilling Black Cat tale from Poe and Chuck with his evil ominous cell phones. Enchanting Brinn the plant was an excellent Table topics master with wonderful Halloween topics to choose from. Ann, our marvelous costume judge gave many awards. Such fun such joy! Bill the pirate did an excellent job hosting in their haunted house! I will try to include a few pictures of some of the awesome costumes in the FB page Monday the 3rd.

Enjoyable, humorous meeting with many delectable treats!

2014-10-23T22:00:00.000-07:00

The October 23 meeting revealed itself to be a very enjoyable, humorous event with many delectable foods to eat! Edie did a wonderful Ice Breaker Speech, Kevin dramatically spoke on the topic “You Are What You Eat” and Ann spoke about the advantages of Toastmasters. We had bicycle related questions for impromptu speaking portion- educational, insightful evaluators as usual. We are really looking forward to our next meeting whose theme is spooky Halloween stories and fun. Costumes are welcome but not necessary, however, there will be prizes for best in various costumes, such as scariest, cutest, handmade, original, political, environmentally friendly, etc. Following are details our our upcoming Halloween event!!

Welcome to our Spooky Halloween Meeting/Party on the 30^th of October 2014 at 6:15p.m. You are invited to bring a costume, finger food snacks and drinks. 3385 SE Brooklyn St. Portland, OR. 97202. Brooklyn St. Between Clinton and Powell. We could use a bit of help preparing for the event. If you get lost don’t be frightened call 480-255-9543. 503-953-6414 “Bill” or “Kathleen”

Impressive meeting yesterday!

2014-10-17T12:46:00.000-07:00

We had a very educational meeting last night. Bill spoke on how we all benefit from a wonderful evaluation and how to be a great evaluator; Peter did an awesome Icebreaker speech in which we really got to know him much better. Kathleen, the table topics Mistress gave us questions having to do with competition. We had insightful evaluators: Brinn, a warm and poised Toastmaster as usual and Henry very motivational. We are looking forward to our next exciting meeting. Jim Robinson has been selected as Division D’s member of the month! Karen won at the division level in Table Topics contest. We are all looking forward to our next meeting with awesome speakers coming up! Don’t forget the Halloween party/meeting!

Halloween Meeting/Party

Welcome to our Spooky Halloween Meeting/Party on the 30^th of October 2014 at 6:15p.m. You are invited to bring a costume, snacks and drinks. 3385 SE Brooklyn St. Portland, OR. 97202. Brooklyn St. between Clinton and Powell. If you get lost don’t be frightened call 480-255-9543. 503-953-6414 “Bill” or “Kathleen”

Fun,humorous, and educational

2014-10-09T22:23:00.000-07:00

We had a fun packed Progressive Toastmaster’s meeting with Russell speaking on real hobbits of Flores Island, Brinn telling us an intriguing story titled “The Rich Man and the Poor Man” and Henry telling us a humorous boyhood story of him and some of his friends in Chile. Bill did an excellent job as Table Topics Master speaking on GMOs. Chuck did an excellent job being the Toastmaster. We had awesome evaluators and great snacks provided by Peter the Snack Master! Start planning for our Halloween meeting/party the 30^th of October at Bill and Kathleen’s spooky house. Bring your costume and scary stories. They have had awesome parties in the past and no doubt this one will be a night to remember!

Wonderful events coming up!

2014-10-03T09:34:00.001-07:00

We had another awesome meeting last night! Edith walked us through registering people to vote telling us how important it is to vote because some people win by only a few votes! Russell entertained us with a dramatic reading of a play “The Contract”. Kathleen entertained us in her speech titled “My Mother The Entertainer”. Lydia was our Table Topics Master asking questions relating to what we would campaign on. We had 7 visitors filling our friendly room up. We will be planning an enchanting Halloween meeting the 30^th of October. Be looking around for a costume to wear. We plan to have a small prize for various categories such as most terrifying, best political, best home made, most colorful, cutest consume, best recyclable, etc. We are looking forward to this coming week’s’ enticing presentations and fun filled events.

Another Awesome meeting!

2014-09-25T22:21:00.002-07:00

We had an awesome meeting this evening, 9-25-14! Jim gave a slide presentation on why we should have single payer health care. He convinced us by showing us various graphs reflecting how much more we pay for lower quality health care then several other countries. A great deal of money is wasted in overhead. Wonderful table topics: we spoke about the change of weather and how it affected us. The theme was the colors of autumn: red and blue. Russell the Toastmaster introduced political challenges that will be taking place. We were well represented at the District level competition by Brinn, and Russell. Karen a member of our club won first place for another club. Our wonderful Snack Master, Bill, provided delectable treats. The meeting was well attended.