"Helping YOU Take Center Stage"!

IMAGINE ME…ON TV?? Well, I am on TV every month when I join Fellow Toastmaster, Past District 31 Governor, Victor Carbone, (Uncle Vic), who is the Host and Producer of “Toastmaster the Television Show” at the Local Cable Station in Revere, Massachusetts. You too can be a Toastmaster guest with Victor Carbone - send him an email at VACINC60@aol.com There are many benefits to “Toastmasters The Television Show”. Just to name a few; I am getting valuable experience in front of the Camera, learning how to deliver different manual speeches for credit, receiving verbal and written evaluations from Uncle Vic, incorporating the “word of the Day” into the show, improving my impromptu speaking skills with Table Topics, getting a free copy of the episode along with a certificate, enjoying some laughs in the studio with Uncle Vic, MA (Vic’s mother), other guests and of course the cameramen, Rick and Joe. What’s even better is I feel like a local celebrity when people in my surrounding Nort...

Don't Rain On My Parade!! DON'T RAIN ON MY PARADE !! Like a great speech all Parades must have a Beginning, Middle and End! While I was watching the Wakefield "Forth of July Parade" that my daughter's 4-H Float was in I began comparing the parade to writing and delivering a speech. I was realizing how important it is to have a beginning, a middle and an end and following through (!). BEGINNING - OPENING The Forth of July Parade DID deliver a great beginning!! - The police cars lead the way with their flashing blue lights, followed by the large, red fire trucks with their loud sirens from MANY surrounding north shore towns and cities, the middle aged town selectman waving and smiling to the crowd as they were praying for more votes and of course the grand marshals gallopping by while riding on their gorgeous clydesdale horses. BODY - CONTENT The Forth of July Parade did deliver a great body!! As the parade progresses and you have your body - your content - the ba...

THE 4H CLUB !! http://www.mass4h.org/index.html The 4 H's are the Pledge, Creed, and Motto I Pledge...My Head to clearer thinking, My Heart to greater loyalty, My Hands to larger service, and, My Health for better living, for My Club, my Community, my Country, and my World. My daughter Sabrina is a member of the 4-H Club - "In 4-H, youth learn life skills that they need to be successful, both as children and as adults. These skills include communication, decision-making, problem solving, sharing and conflict resolution skills". I first learned about 4-H when I was invited to be a judge for the youth visual presentations because I am a member of the District 31 Toastmasters International and I have exprience and writing, delivering and giving speeches. http://www.toastmasters.org/ http://www.district31.org/ I really appreciate that the 4-H children are involved in community service and have public speaking opportunities. Sabrina is in the 4-H "Massachusetts Mani...

LESSONS I LEARN JUST FROM BEING SABRINA’S MOM... Now why is it that I can’t take my OWN “MOM ADVICE”? The giving advice NOT the getting advice. The advice that I give as a "MOM" to my nine-year-old daughter Sabrina Denise Raftery. Sabrina came in the house very upset from playing outside with her little buddy Ashley. Sabrina and Ashley are both entering fourth grade (different schools Sabrina attends a private Catholic School), same age, same body types - thin and tall, same long brown hair, same brown eyes (although Sabrina’s eyes change to green in the light), same clothing styles, and they even like the same boys - well twin boys – Sabrina likes Jacob (Jake) and Ashley likes Noah. Sabrina disappointedly announces “ASHLEY DOESN’T LIKE ME ANYMORE” (!) as if this was the end of her world – well for her it was - at that moment... In my mind I am half gritting my teeth and half chuckling while I am saying to myself “Oh, here we go again”. I’ve heard this many times before and I...