http://sbbtm31.toastmastersclubs.org/

Saturday Brunch Bunch, 1464 Diamond Hill Rd, Cumberland, RI (2025)

07/27/2025

Mark your calendars for our next meeting August 9th https://sbbtm31.toastmastersclubs.org/

We have a guest speaker, District 31's World Championship of Public Speaking Semi-Finalist Faye LaCasse

Faye LaCasse has been a Toastmaster since 2015. She joined the Copley Square Toastmasters in Boston, Massachusetts to overcome her lifelong fear of public speaking. Today, Faye is a member of the Northshore Toastmasters in her hometown of Peabody and has served in a variety of roles including President, Vice President of Education, and Vice President of Membership. Her previous speaking awards include 2015 Division D Humorous Speech Contest and 2025 District 31 International Speech Contest. She currently works as Senior Director of Omnichannel Marketing at Learning Ally, a nonprofit that serves the needs of individuals with reading deficits, including dyslexia.

08/19/2022

Free virtual event!

Craig Valentine, a World Championship of Public Speaking winner will be delivering this free virtual workshop on better storytelling. Register below for the Zoom link

https://nsanm.org/event/august-nsa-nm-chapter-meeting-2022/?mc_cid=31c6f504c2&mc_eid=667be27f34&fbclid=IwAR0OXae2B57Tyl1_Dhsk0cwvCmPTQmUXxWkhVlPCouUAWXDl7JsviNkpJ9Q

08/12/2022

Join us this Saturday, 8/13 at 9:30am EST for some fun and networking with Saturday Brunch Bunch! Reach out for Zoom link

Maureen Plesh

07/09/2022

Welcome to Saturday Brunch Bunch first meeting of the year! We welcome our new president, Shannon. The meeting stimulated our senses and provided lively and fun discussions. Our meeting was shortened to table topics with no prepared speakers. John led us to talk about our 5 senses, where each person talked about experiencing a sense. You could close your eyes and feel it too.

John also opened the meeting with an inspiration quote DO IT NOW, don’t put it off till later. Ann Mary was our Toastmaster of the day and she kept the meeting moving, encouraging each of us as we did different roles. Sue quote was a good reminder to be kind and generous. Doing things for others makes ourselves feel good.

John lead us in Table topics:
Ann-Mary went first with Sight. She enjoys her early summer morning walks through her neighborhood. In an otherwise urban neighborhood, she loves the colorful gardens.

Shreya got taste. She loves food! She is mostly vegetarian, but she loves seeking out new flavors and dishes. Her goal is to make a blood orange marmalade.

Sue went next talking about hearing. She loves music. In fact, music brought her and her husband together. Her tastes are very eclectic and even enjoys Christmas music in July.

Shannon talked about touch. She loves the feel of fresh grass, as lying in the grass is the best way to watch the night sky. She loves the first time putting on a new hoodie, and the first touch of a fuzzy blanket.

Finally, was Maureen with smell. Her two favorite smells are some scented candle which always bring her back to simpler times. She is reminded of Christmas: gingerbread, cookies, fresh cut trees, and bread. They help her relax and take her to a different place.

Maureen won table topics with smell of scented candles, but it was close.

We had two walk-in visitors. Boo made an appearance, and John wife stopped to smile and say hi.

It was a good meeting. Everyone got a chance to speak. Our next meeting is July 23. Hope you will be there.

06/11/2022

The Brunch Bunch has a propensity to create a great morning. Our word of the day to mean "a natural inclination or preference towards."

We had two great prepared speakers this morning. First was Sean DaSilva with his speech "Pretend to Perfection." Do we all have stories about team building exercises where you're asked to imagine a specific scenario? It might be more beneficial than you think! Can you picture yourself in front of the largest audience possible?

Second was our Mr. Nice Guy, George Manoogian who regaled us about his "very stupid idea" to hike up Mt. Washington and the adventures which followed. Make sure you have your important rations of soda and booze.

Next was Table Topics by George Manoogian
John R spoke about how lucky we are in the US that we can speak our mind and we can protest peacefully.

George reflected on his high school graduation. His father didn't want to attend, but it was one of George's proudest moments.

Sean is a proud father of 3 and can't wait to see what (if anything!) that his family has waiting for him on Fathers Day.

Finally was Susan Wright Lecht who just wants a nice, tall, glass of Dells lemonade for a summer treat.

Congratulations to Sean for winning Table Topics this morning!

Our next meeting is 6/25, our final meeting of the Toastmaster year! Reach out for the Zoom link!

12/22/2021

Reminder: there is no meeting this Saturday, 12/25. Our next meeting is 1/8.

May you and your family enjoy a warm and blessed holiday season. See you in the new year

12/11/2021

It is with great serendipity that our Bunch can gather on a gloomy rainy day. Our word of the day meaning the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way. We're thankful and lucky to see you all!

We had two prepared speakers this morning. The first was by Maureen Plesh with her Engaging Humor speech "Finding Humor in Difficult Situations." She shared three stories of how she found a positive spin in very stressful situations. What's so funny about getting locked out of the house, children fighting, or your daughter being very far away? We were laughing right along with you, great speech.

Second was an Icebreaker by Zach titled "An Opportunity to Improve." He is our newest member and it enthusiastically hitting the ground running. As a UX designer, he talks to a lot of clients for work. Though he practices presentations he sees the opportunity Toastmasters will give for him to do even better. His job is very important to him, and he is embodying our motto: step up and be better! Thank you for sharing your job and goals with us we're thrilled to have you!

Next was our Christmas themed Table Topics by John. In person he would give everyone and envelope containing the question. He showed us his festive envelopes on Zoom instead.

First was Louisa Caswell who talked about her favorite family tradition of picking a date to get a live tree. Everyone is very busy this time of year, between work and sports, but they always make room to squeeze in the outing. Tomorrow is that day!

Next was Ann-Mary. As a child, she had a lot of dolls. In fact, she's receive one for Christmas and her birthday and it was exciting to anticipate which new one she would get. Her favorite one was a bald headed doll she named Ann-Mary Jr. But she also remembers one that was as tall as she was! While she has her childhood teddy bear, the rest of the dolls are MIA.

Following was Zach. Growing up, he was surrounded by snowmobiles and bikes. His favorite Christmas gift was a sled he receives. He's grateful as this helped nurture the hobby he keeps to this day.

Next was Maureen Plesh. If she had the opportunity to talk to Santa to thank him for one gift, it would be the gift of setting up and watching her kids excitedly experience the magic of Christmas that morning. Between decorating the entire living room and sharing a meal, it's an experience she'll never forget.

Then came Sean DaSilva who spoke about all the wonderful sights and sounds of the holiday. Fresh trees, Christmas lights, and sitting back and taking it all in. This year his goal is to enjoy the holiday and not get caught up in the stress that comes with it.

Next was Mike who checked his spreadsheets twice, and concluded that he was more nice than naughty this year. He hopes Santa's numbers match up with his, as he used up all the coal, he got last year. His Christmas wish is for Santa to help him transform into a better person.

Finally was Shannon. She's not big into Christmas music, but It's A Jazzy Christmas is a great compilation of music. She recalled the Christmas where her and her friend had nothing to do, so they went to the movies and saw Cats. She was so bored she fell asleep in 20 minutes and even her friend commented that watching her sleep was more interesting than the movie. 0/10 would not recommend.

Congratulations to Sean DaSilvafor winning Table Topics!

Thank you to everyone who made it to our meeting this chilly December morning. Reminder: THERE IS NO MEETING 12/25. We will be resuming 1/8/22. Reach out for the Zoom link, we hope to see you there!

11/27/2021

What would your day look like if it were care free? The word of the day meaning: free from anxiety/light hearted. What would the world look like if you lived in a carefree manner?

We had two great prepared speakers this morning. And they prepared us to cry!

First was Sherri Raftery practicing for her Ph.D defense "Fostering Youth Mentorship Programs in Higher Education." As a child of adopted parents, she knows first-hand the struggles and disadvantages that children in foster care are faced with trying to navigate high school and beyond. Best of luck to you Monday when you defend your thesis!

Second was our president Sean DaSilva who gave a very persona and impassioned speech "A Mother's Promise." Sean told the story of his mother's recent passing. And her promise to him that she'll give him a sign that after her passing that there is hope and things will be ok. He was skeptical as he never saw such a sign from previously passed loved ones, but got his loud and clear at the burial. Not a dry eye in the audience, Sean.

Thank you to both of our prepared speakers this morning!

Next was Table Topics led by Shannon. The theme was winter, since she almost broke her neck on the ice leaving her apartment this morning.

First was John, who talked about how winter was very different for children than it was for adults. For adults, it's about preparation. For children, it's about fun and snow days.

Next was Ann-Mary who talked about living in Michigan in 1975 where she first felt Lake Effect Snow. It put New England winters into a different perspective! Ice is much worse than snow.

Following was Sherri who shared many fun snowy memories, including a childhood sledding injury! She likes the snow more than the cold, but you won't see her on the mountains these days.

Next was our guest Zach who enjoys watching the winter Olympics, including snowboarding, skiing, and other freestyle events. He likes that this is the first time summer and winter Olympics will be this close together.

Following was Sean who admits that he's no poet, but if he had to choose he would write about snow (over ice or frost). He lives vicariously through the joy his children find over snow and forget what a pain winter is as an adult.

Finally our other guest Roger Swenson went to say his favorite thing to do in winter was to keep warm. The goal is to stay out of the cold and be warm and cozy.

Congratulations to Zach for winning Table Topics this morning!

Our next and final meeting of 2021 is December 11. Reach out for the Zoom link to join us. Many blessing to you and your family this holiday season!

10/24/2021

What an enchanting morning at the Saturday Brunch Bunch. Our word of the day to mean placed under a spell, or seeming to have a magical quality.

Our delightfully spooky SAA started us off and set the tone for the magic of fall and for this holiday.

We had two prepared speakers. Louisa went first with her speech "Sisters." While growing up with siblings is not without bickering, there's truly nothing like it. She told us stories from her childhood, back when streetlights meant to come home. They had each other and their endless imagination.

Second was Shannon who spoke about the research that goes into starting a Podcast. After being a podcast interviewee she wanted to try this Level 4 project even though it was outside of her comfort zone. She learned a lot from the software just to get started, to finding and bringing out the best in guests. Great information.

Next was Table Topics led by Louisa.

Ann-Mary went first saying her top 5 personal values are honesty, integrity, perspective, fairness, and compassion. She feels very strongly when she doesn't see these in herself or others.

Next was our esteemed guest Kristy. The last time she truly stopped to hear her breath was during online exercise classes when lockdown began. Life has gotten in the way lately, but she hopes to reconnect.

Another guest, Ruby, followed. If she could give one message it would be that love should be a part of our lives in as many ways as we can imagine. In a perfect would we would be surrounded by love.

Maureen followed and admitted she doesn't regret a lot. She wishes to travel more, and lives vicariously through her daughter on Facebook. She wants to visit Europe and Russia someday.

Louisa then called on herself to answer what major changes has she experienced. And her list was a doozy. 80lb weight loss, breast cancer (survivor), and graduating college. What a whirlwind. In the end, change is the only constant.

Another welcomed guest Junko went next stating that money can't buy intangible things like love and joy. You appreciate them as you live them through your life, you can't buy them.

Next was Sean, who admitted that if he could live a day and wipe it out completely, it would be things he can't say in Toastmasters. However, he is deathly afraid of rollercoasters and heights, as he feels out of control. He would do one of each.

Finally Shannon reflected that life is short. We don't think about what will happen tomorrow. We know life is short, but we don't live like it is. All we know is waking up every morning, until we don't.

Congratulations to Ruby for winning Table Topics!!

Thank you to our welcomed guests, our Area Director Kristy, and our two newest Toastmasters Ruby and Junko. We hope to see you at future meetings.

Our next meeting is 11/13. Reach out for the zoom link!

10/10/2021

Don't fret, the Brunch Bunch has everything under control! Our word of the day meaning "to become worried or concerned."

What is unique about our bunch is that we don't have planned themes for our meetings, but themes tend to emerge anyway. Starting with our Quote of the Day: "decide today that you don't give up on your dreams and desires. keep pressing forward"

Our first speaker was our president Sean DaSilva with his speech GOALL. Scoring a goal is a big deal in the game of soccer just as every goal you accomplish in your life should be a big deal too. But how do you get there? Sean walked us through his methods of achievement.

Next was our guest Bill, aka James Madison, with his speech Thriving in Adversity. When the world shut down and went on Zoom, did you feel disconnected? He found a way to thrive.

Next was Table Topics led by Sean.
Louisa went first and answered that her long time dream of earning her BS is about to come true. She didn't take school seriously when she was young, but found she loved learning as an adult. She's been excelling at SNHU.

Next was John. He says the gift is patience is his strongest virtue. His dream was to work with children, and now that he's retired he has that chance! He eventually wants to work his way up into the classroom.

Bill went next and revealed that it was on a whim that he adapted the character of Madison. But now, he's developed an entire high school course with it. He teaches history while dressed as Madison, but he also teaches Comp Sci. Nothing is better than hearing how enthusiastic the students are during his lectures.

Shannon was asked who her allies in life are. She reveals that during a low part in her life she was randomly scrolling online as a distraction and was in the right place at the right time to see a woman in need. She paid for her dinner long-distance and they are friends and in each other's corner to this day.

Finally, Maureen reveals that her first reaction to most situation is to PANIC. Her next step is to take a moment and think things through. She wisely says that from a 3rd person POV, you see a situation in many lights.

Congratulations to our co-winners Louisa Caswell and Shannon Plesh for this week's Table Topics.

Our next meeting, Oct 25 is our open house. Come along, bring a guest, or sign up to give a guest speech! See you there. Stay spooky.

09/12/2021

May we never forget the lives lost on US soil on September 11th, 2001. The day that changed many lives forever. Saturday Brunch Bunch would like to take a moment of silence in remembrance for this day.

As many state, it was the tragedy that united us. The Bunch still met to be among friends and share memories. It is the antithesis of letting terror win: the Word of the Day meaning "direct opposite."

Our first speaker was Shannon Plesh who gave a speech about adopting her first cat, Boo. Her speech "Cat Tails." It was Boo who saved her, not the other way around, though there was lots of comical mischief along the way.

Second, we played the video of the 2021 World Championship of Public Speaking, Verity Price titled "A Great Read." You can watch the playback of her video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k24vGzEjePo Fun Fact: she is the first WCPS winner from South Africa.

Louisa Caswell led Table Topics and gave the general question: Tell your story of 9/11.

First was John. He was recovering from back surgery in 2001, set to return to work on 9/11. He remembers all the confusion, emotions, and uncertainty. But he also remembers how humanity came together.

Next was Ann-Mary. She was heading to a wake on 9/11 when she saw a plane "being loopy" on the drive there. Her remembers the life of her friend being bookmarked by tragedy, including dying on 9/11. She also remembers being told to "have a nice day" at the dry cleaners on the way home, which stuck with her.

Our guest L.P. volunteered next. She was in Denver, CO at the time of 9/11. Even though they were geographically removed, her entire company felt the impact. She was a new mother and remembered Mr. Rogers saying "look for the helpers."

Sean was next talking about all of the changes post-9/11. It changed many American's perspectives as it was their first exposure to terrorism that many other countries experience every day. He wishes people united even without tragedy.

Finally, our other guest Thierno volunteered. He did not live in the US at the time, and was also very young. Even though he was young, he definitely felt the emotions of the stories.

Congratulations to L.P. for winning Table Topics today!

Thank you to our evaluator Sean who got to re-evaluate Shannon's speech, and for all of the active listening roles. Thank you especially to our two guests who we hope to see in the future!

Our next meeting is 9/25, 9:30am EST. Virtual doors open at 9:00am. Reach out for the Zoom link. See you there!

07/01/2021

CONGRATULATIONS to Louisa for being awarded the D31 Pathfinder award! Your hard work certainly paid off!

Saturday Brunch Bunch

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