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BAC to the Future Toastmasters Club
BAC to the Future
Club 982013 • Area 12 • Division A • District 18
Bank of America
655 Papermill Rd, Newark, DE 19711
 
 

2009- A Fresh Start

 

As we begin 2009, I wanted to look back at 2008 and forward to where our club is headed this year.  I feel comfortable stating that 2008 provided a unique set of challenges for everyone in our club, whether it was on a personal or professional level.  Even with those challenges, we have so much to be proud of; a few being:

 

  • Mike Futty again representing our club in the International Speaking contest
  • JR Rosas demonstrating his exceptional talents in the Division A Table Topics contest
  • Gary Newby won the annual club level Evaluators contest
  • JR Rosas again demonstrated his speaking skills, winning the club level Humorous speech contest
  • I was proud to represent the club in the annual Bank of America Speaking Competition

 

We continued to grow and add new members, which is vital for our club’s continued success.  What pleases me even more is seeing our newest members taking roles and giving speeches immediately.  I love the enthusiasm and want to see it continue. 

 

We faced some challenges in 2008 as well, most notably with meeting attendance.  As an officer team, we reached out to find out why attendance dropped off and made adjustments; we reduced our meetings from two hours to one and met with management to help get them supporting the club.   My hope is that these adjustments will help give everyone the ability to attend club meetings and participate.

 

Moving forward in 2009, there is a great opportunity for you, the club members, to step up and give speeches, perform meeting roles and take those critical next steps toward achieving your Competent Communicator and Competent Leader awards.  We have a wealth of talent that rises to the top each year and represents our club well, whether it’s internally at Bank of America or in Toastmasters International competitions. I see absolutely no reason why we can’t expand our successes in the coming year and look forward to the great things we will achieve together!
 
 
-Pat

 JR Rosas Wins Division A Table Topics Contest!

 

April 12, 2008: In one of the most intense Division contests held in many years, BAC to the Future took home TWO trophies! The District 18, Division A International Speech and Table Topics Contests were held today with the top competitors from 26 Toastmasters clubs vying for the two titles and a chance to compete at the District level.

John Cashman, Renee Kyte, JR Rosas, Mike Futty, and Jani Ubhayaratne

When asked the Table Topic Question “If you could change the sound of your phone to something other than a ring, what would it be?” JR Rosas answered using two of his many character voices and, by the time he finished, had the entire audience rolling on the floor laughing as he joked and sang a Marilyn Monroe song. It was truly a stellar performance worthy of an Academy Award! Great Job JR! Making JR’s feat even more impressive was the level of competition he was up against coupled with the fact he is one of BAC to the Future’s newest members! Awesome Job JR! We can't want to see what JR does at the District 18 competition!

 

Mike Futty competed in the International Speech Competition with the speech “Free Prize Inside!” He compared people to boxes of Crackerjacks- having free prizes inside that need only to be uncovered. Mike placed third among seven great speakers.

 

Congratulations to JR Rosas and Mike Futty on their wins!

 

BAC to the Future Wins Again!

March 31, 2007: Competition was held today between the top District 18, Division A area contest winners. Mike Futty placed first presenting his Mike Receiving His Trophyspeech “Change the World” where he challenged fellow Toastmasters to change the world using their talents. This was no easy task for a newly chartered club, particularly considering the seasoned and very talented competitors he was up against. Division A represents 23 area clubs.

Ask Mike what he attributes his success to and he’ll tell you two things helped him- a topic he is passionate about and the support of his family and fellow BAC to the Future teammates. “The feedback I received from my speeches was invaluable; it allowed me to fine-tune my content and delivery. I contined to receive feedback right up to the beginning of the competition.”

Even if you aren’t competing, there is a tremendous to learn by attending the competitions. Watching speakers with such variety of style provides a learning experience you can’t get elsewhere. Sitting there, you gain the full experience of how they engage and entertain the crowd.

Mike will be moving on to the District 18 International Speech contest to be held during the District 18 Spring Conference on April 13th and 14th in Timonium, MD where he will be competing against the top talent from over 100 district clubs. Wish him luck!

Area 12 Toastmasters Speech Contest

March 22, 2007:Our club had a strong presence with three teammates competing at the Area 12 International Speech contest in Elkton, MD. Christine Grisham and Mike Futty competed in the speech contest and placed 2nd (Mike) and 3rd (Christine). Lauri Wiker, stepping in to compete at the last minute, competed in the Table Topics portion and finished 4th. Those present from other clubs were amazed that a just-chartered club and its members were so strong in the competition.

Our club members did GREAT and represented our club to the highest degree. Congratulations to all of them for competing and placing!! With Mike achieving 2nd place, he will move on to the Division A contest to compete to get to the next level. Good luck Mike!

Speaking for a Cause

March 22, 2007:One BAC to the Future member, Mike Futty, had some very personal reasons for joining our club. Because of a tragic automotive accident their daughter Amanda was in, Mike and his wife Shelly ended up staying 100 miles from their home for eight months to be near Amanda during her initial fight for life and recovery in the hospital. To reduce some of the financial impact and be as close to their daughter as possible, they stayed at the Ronald McDonald House of Delaware located across the street from AI duPont Children’s Hospital.

Amanda, who wasn’t initially expected to survive, was in a deep coma for 74 days. Mike and Shelly worked with the therapists every day to increase the odds her survival and recovery. Mike asked the therapists to teach him everything they were doing and he continued working with Amanda long after they left every evening. In addition to that, Mike and Shelly read and spoke to Amanda in hope that she could hear them and keep trying to survive. Eventually, it paid off as Amanda began to recover and still continues to recover to this day, three and one-half years later. Upon leaving the hospital, the doctors credited 50% of Amanda’s miraculous survival and recovery to the additional work Mike and Shelly performed. Mike and Shelly knew that was only possible through the support and love they received from the Ronald McDonald House.

Since then, Mike and Shelly have been evangelists for the Ronald McDonald House of Delaware and have spoken to numerous groups to support them. This has included speaking to organizations, at restaurant openings, and at grant hearings. Mike joined our Toastmasters club to hone his speaking skills and have a more powerful delivery when speaking for the Ronald McDonald House.

He presented his speech to the club which provided invaluable feedback on how to improve it. Using that feedback, he presented his speech to 200 associates at a Business Operations all-hands meeting. Afterwards, Team Bank of America’s representative for the Ronald McDonald House received a flood of e-mails from people seeking to volunteer.

This evening Mike had the honor of being the keynote speaker at the Ronald McDonald House’s annual reception for its major and in-kind donors. Speaking to over 100 donors and volunteers, he delivered an emotional speech that touched the hearts of everybody to let them know how deeply they have affected the lives of thousands of people.

From tragedy, Mike has found good in experiencing the true magic of volunteering and people who care. He credits his BAC to the Future Toastmasters club experience with helping him tell his story with the style and impact it deserves.

To learn more about Toastmasters or to request Mike Futty to speak to your organization, please contact the BAC to the Future club president, Mike Gamgort.

Celebrating Our Club Charter

March 15, 2007: The BAC to the Future Toastmasters club celebrated today by holding its official charter meeting where it recognized the founding members and was presented with its official charter from Toastmasters International. We were honored with such guests as District 18 Governor Don Walton, Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM), Area 12 Governor Gene Manuel, DTM, , and our club’s mentor, President, Greater Newark Area Toastmasters Club, Carmen Lee Pow, DTM in addition to several managers and associates from Bank of America business units.

The BAC to the Future President, Mike Gamgort, opened and presided over the meeting. Amazingly without any prior coordination there was a common theme among all the speakers- breaking out of comfort zones. Renee Kyte delivered a motivational poem followed by Mike Futty’s speech “Break Out of Your Comfort Zone”. Ryan Corey and Pat Hall delivered great table topic speeches on the theme “Now That I Know”. Table topic speeches consist of speakers delivering speeches on topics they are given that moment to test their improvisational skills.

BAC to the Future Club Members

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Each founding member of the club was presented with a Charter Member certificate and final comments were given by Don Walton, DTM, Gene Manuel, DTM, and Carmen Lee Pow, DTM. Afterwards, members and guests enjoyed snacks provided by the club. This meeting marked an important milestone as chartering a club of this nature is no easy task. It took a lot of work from our President and officers as well as our club mentor, Carmen. We would like to thank those who helped our club off to a very successful start!

Charter Presentation

 

Since 1924, Toastmasters International has helped millions of men and women become more confident in front of an audience. Our network of clubs and their learn-by-doing program are sure to help you become a better speaker and leader. Why pay thousands of dollars for a seminar when you can join a Toastmasters club for a fraction of the cost and have fun in the process?


Toastmasters will give you the skills and confidence you need to effectively express yourself in any situation. Whether you are a professional, student, stay-at-home parent or retiree, Toastmasters is the most efficient, enjoyable and affordable way of gaining great communication skills. By learning to effectively formulate and express your ideas, you open an entirely new world of possibilities. You’ll be more persuasive and confident when giving presentations, and you’ll improve your one-on-one dealings with others.


Don’t worry! Everyone in a Toastmasters club was once at the level you are now. The environment is friendly and supportive, and the self-paced program allows you to build confidence with each speaking assignment. And you’ll love the applause! Constructive evaluation is the heart of the Toastmasters program. Each time you give a prepared speech, an evaluator will point out strengths and suggest improvements. At first you’ll be applauded for your effort; later you’ll be applauded for your skill.


You won’t regret it. Toastmasters currently has more than 200,000 members in 80 countries. Our club is just one of the more than 10,000 clubs located around the world. For membership meeting information, please see our membership information page.

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