by Erik Schneider | Mar 20, 2024 | Staff
AM Lockport Toastmasters is hosting its second spring Open House on Thursday April 4, from 7:00 – 8:30 a.m. at the Lockport Family YMCA at 5833 Snyder Drive in Lockport. Guests are welcome to join.
If you can’t attend in person but still want to join, we have a Zoom link that you can virtually be at the meeting. Please visit amlockporttm.org to click on the Zoom link.
Here’s a synopsis of how the meetings are run, as described by AM Lockport Distinguished Toastmaster Margo Sue Bittner:
- Public speaking is more than standing up and talking. New members are invited to sharpen their listening skills first. They may be asked to listen for “ahs” and “ums”. Another role is grammarian, which involves listening for impressive language usage and also common mistakes that detract from the speech. Another person will bring a word of the day and listen to hear who has used it throughout the meeting.
- The public speaking roles fall into three categories. The first involves preparing a quote of the day or a jest. Second is extemporaneous speaking. The Table Topics master will ask a question, giving the person called upon the chance to answer the questions, change the question or be creative. Finally, there is the prepared speaking portion of the meeting.
- Toastmaster International has a series of paths to help members learn the various parts of public speaking. Many new members selection the Presentation Mastery path, which includes the basic tools you need to be a proficient public speaker. Other paths include Engaging Humor, Effective Leadership, and Persuasive Influence.
- To help speakers improve, Toastmasters has developed an evaluation system. Each speaker is paired with someone who will explain the best parts of the speech, give some hints to improve and end with other positives. This sandwich approach is very encouraging.
- Running the meeting includes two people: the toastmaster of the day and the general evaluator. The toastmaster selects a theme, checks in with the role holders and runs the meeting. The general evaluator analyses all aspects of the meeting to help everyone improve.
Longtime member and co-founder Dave Licata is fond of saying, “Toastmasters doesn’t get rid of your butterflies. We just help them fly in formation.” Each person who comes can grow at his or her own pace.
Questions: Please contact Erik Schneider – VP of Public Relations at 716-986-5304 or at schnei28@canisius.edu
Submitted by: Erik Schneider ’25, housekeeping foreman, Facilities Management
by Erik Schneider | Nov 15, 2023 | Staff
Mark your calendars for these holiday performances by singer, musician, performer and recording artists Nan Hoffman, accompanied by Joe Tumino, Kathy DeLoughry. Performances will take place at various locations around the community. The full list of holiday performances, dates and locations can be found by clicking here.
Submitted by: Erik Schneider ’25 – Housekeeping Foreman – Facilities
by Erik Schneider | Nov 1, 2023 | Faculty
This Saturday, November 4, 2023, All Saint Parish is hosting its annual Autumn Splendor and Chicken Chowder Sale from 10:00 .m. – 3:00 p.m. The church is located at 76 Church Street in Lockport. Chicken chowder will be available for eat-in or take away by the quart/gallon. Many new vendors as well as old favorites will be on hand. There will also be a basket raffle and a chance to win a $500 Visa gift card.
Visit the website for more information.
Submitted by: Erik Schneider ’25 , Housekeeping Foreman, Facilities
by Erik Schneider | May 12, 2023 | Faculty
Please join AM Lockport Toastmasters as they host their annual Spring Hybrid Open House on Thursday May 25th from 7-8:30am at the Lockport Family YMCA -5833 Snyder Drive in Lockport. Come and learn on how you can improve your public speaking, communication, and leadership skills. AM Lockport Toastmasters has been a Toastmasters Club for almost 40 Years.
How AM Lockport Toastmasters Meeting runs: The Toastmaster of the Day picks a theme for the meeting and members of the club helps out with roles they are assigned. We have member who gives a inspirational quote or message to begin the meeting, there’s a Word Master – picks the word associated with the theme, Grammarian – reports on both exceptional and poor uses of grammar, and Ah Master – counts ums, ahs, pregnant pauses and the use of other filler words, Quote Master – picks a quote to share with members and guests, Jester – selects a joke or funny story to share with members at 
the beginning of the meeting, Timer – keeps the time for both table topics and prepared speakers as well as evaluators and reports times, Quiz Master – Quizzes members on details learned throughout the meeting, Table Topics – impromptu speaking, The Table Topics master calls upon several members to deliver 1:30-2 minute talks on a topic announced right before the member is chosen, we also have three speakers who gives a prepared speech on their topic from our Pathways program manual and the evaluators give them feedback on how well the speech was delivered and improvements for future speeches, and our General Evaluator gives his/her report and evaluates the Toastmaster and the evaluators.
Guests are always welcome to join. For the Zoom link if you can’t attend in person, the link is on the homepage at amlockporttm.org
If you have any questions, please contact Erik Schneider at schnei28@canisius.edu.
Submitted by: Erik Schneider ’25 – Humanities Major/AM Lockport Toastmasters VP of Public Relations
