Townsend Toastmasters (SoMa)

  Themed "If your life were a movie...", last Monday’s club meeting featured our highly anticipated annual story contest. Current president Jane McKean faced off against former president Anne McCarthy in a captivating showdown. Jane dazzled the audience with "Coral Story," a vivid and informative tale enriched by her expertise as a docent at the Academy of Science. Anne, on the other hand, touched hearts with "A Stitch in Time," a deeply personal journey of emotional highs and lows, culminating in a poignant reflection on her mother’s love symbolized by a beloved blanket. The audience, both in person and online, was riveted, making it a tight race. Jane claimed Best Delivery (8:6), while Anne secured Best Plot Twist (5:7) and Best Audience Connection (5:7). In between speeches, members and guests shared their own life stories and imagined movie genres, making for a lively, fun, and rewarding experience. By the end, it was clear — both Jane and Anne wer...

We invite you, our valued members and guests, to take part in an exciting opportunity to share your unique story and discover the power of storytelling. Whether you're looking to improve your professional communication or simply enjoy the fun of storytelling, this contest is a chance to challenge yourself, grow, and inspire others. As the saying goes, "Rise to the challenge, tell your tale, and watch your story set sail!" Step up and let your voice be heard, and who knows—your story could be the spark that ignites someone else's creativity. Not only will you gain valuable skills for both personal and professional growth, but we’ll also have a special gift at the end of the meeting for the winner! So, take the leap, embrace the challenge, and join us for an unforgettable storytelling experience. The meeting will be hosted hybrid as usual on Monday 12pm - 1pm, at the Adobe Building, 601 Townsend, San Francisco. All are welcome! If you plan to join the meeting or contes...

  Today's meeting was successfully led by Toastmaster Frida Gutierrez, themed "Gratefulness".  We want to congrats Thanh Thao Nguyen on giving her 1st speech: A Journey out of the comfort zone! Her personal stories, thoughtfully paired with impactful visuals and motivational quotes, left us deeply moved. Angela Yang hosted the Table Topics session, featuring reflective themes around Thanksgiving and the speech content. Everyone, including our guest Kelsey, had a chance to practice their impromptu speaking skills. Kelsey shared, 'I told myself, never underestimate yourself,' a sentiment that resonated deeply with Thao's speech. We are fortunate to have such a supportive group at Townsend Toastmasters!  Happy Thanksgiving Everyone ~~~

 Welcome Ryan Liu to our Club!  1. Tell us one thing special about yourself: I used to think I was special but then realized I’m not. And I'm okay with that as that’s what makes me who I am. 2. Why did you join the club? I enjoy connecting with people and can use some improvement in my communication skills. Expressing ourselves is not only about being heard, but also about inviting meaningful conversations. 3. What’s your motto in life/ favorite quote: One of my favorite quotes is, 'The purpose of life is to live it,' by Eleanor Roosevelt.

 Welcome Edward Abrams To the Club!  1) Tell us one thing special about yourself. I have been involved in fitness for over 50 years.    2) Why did you join the club?  To assist me with grammar and articulation with my pursuit in a career as a Voice Over artist.   3) What’s your motto in life/ favorite quote? Bible quote from Proverbs 3:5,6 Tru st in the LORD with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Welcome Thao To the Club!   1) Tell us one thing special about yourself. I’m a full-time working mom who moved to the U.S. to pursue an MBA and a career path at the intersection of tech innovation and making a meaningful impact, all while raising my daughter alone abroad. 2) Why did you join the club?  I joined the club to enhance my communication skills and connect with others who believe in self-development.  3) What’s your motto in life/ favorite quote? I believe that "growth begins at the end of your comfort zone"—it's not easy, but by bravely stepping through the fear zone, you enter an exciting phase of learning and ultimately reach the rewarding growth zone.

🌟 Exciting News! 🌟  We’re thrilled to introduce our Officer Team for the term ending June 30, 2025! 🎉 Jane McKean will serve as our President! 🎉 We’re looking forward to a year filled with collective learning, growth and support! Here’s to another fantastic year ahead! 🚀 Title 7/1/24 - 6/30/25 7/1/23 - 6/30/24 President Jane McKean Anne McCarthy VP of Education Akshay Gangam Akshay Gangam VP of Membership Jane McKean Jane McKean VP of Public Relations Feifei Feng Feifei Feng Treasurer Scott Hendrickson        Scott Hendrickson Secretary Robert Walsh           Peter Goodlin Sergeant at Arms Robert Walsh Akshay Gangam VP Mentorship Akshay Gangam Peter Goodlin

We are excited to formally announce a Townsend Toastmasters story contest! The contest will take place instead of our usual Monday meeting on October 30 . The theme is "Pumpkin spice and everything nice -- and spooky. "   Feel free to use the theme just to get you thinking - we welcome your creativity and unique approach to whatever story you would like to share. If you would like to participate, please prepare a story on the theme that is five minutes or less and sign up at our quarterly schedule, or email  tt-membership@googlegroups.com as a guest speaker.   If you need any inspiration, this   playlist  of themed stories from The Moth is a great place to start. This is a contest, so we will vote for a winner! And there may even be prizes :)

We are very excited to have  Ana Guillén  formally join our club recently! Ana also delivered her inspiring ice-breaker speech titled 'Mile 25' today! In her speech, she vividly shared the unique experience of training for and completing The San Francisco Marathon. She expressed how such an experience has influenced her professional life by challenging herself and preparing for the unplanned. She inspired us by asking: "What mile 25 moment is on the horizon for you? And what will you do to train for it?"   About Ana Ana is a marketing executive at the intersection of technology and content. Beyond marketing, she is passionate about youth culture, the creator economy, and emerging technologies. Off the clock, you’ll find her on a yoga mat, out for a run, or listening to an audiobook. Why I joined the club: "One of my objectives for 2023 is to improve my verbal communication. How clear and concise can I become? I joined Townsend Toastmasters to fin...

As we reflect on the past year, we are thrilled to share the highlights of our successful journey from July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023. Under the inspiring leadership of President Scott Hendrickson, we welcomed new members, transitioned to self-pay dues, and successfully introduced hybrid meetings at our stunning Adobe building headquarters. Our achievements would not have been possible without the dedication of our club officers from the previous term. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to each of them. At the same time, we warmly welcome the new and returning officers who will lead us for the next twelve months. Title 7/1/22 - 6/30/23 7/1/23 - 6/30/24 President  Scott Hendrickson Anne McCarthy VP of Education Jennifer Kuang Akshay Gangam VP of Membership Jane McKean Jane McKean VP of Public Relations Anne McCarthy Feifei Feng Treasurer Scott Hendrickson Scott Hendrickson Secretary Jenny Jongjan Peter Goodlin Sergeant at Arms Akshay Gangam Akshay Gangam VP Mentorship Peter Goodlin P...

 Hybrid Meetings in session Our club has switched to Hybrid Meetings where we support both in person and virtual meetings at the same time. This will give the members flexibility to attend in the way that's convenient for them.

 Townsend Toastmasters Club Contest 2022 Be there to support Anne and Malcolm. Give them your applause and cheer for them. Both of them will represent our club to compete for the next level - Area speech contests.

2021 Toastmasters International Convention World Champion of Public Speaking   Winner: Verity Price " A Great Read " 2nd place: Nitay-Yair Levi " Advice for Life" 3rd place Roger Caesar " Is It in You? "

Happy National Book Lovers Day! Another wonderful meeting with an excellent theme of National Book Lovers Day. Here is a list of books recommended by our members in the meeting today. How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk by Adele Faber How to Talk So Teens Will Listen & Listen So Teens Will Talk by Adele Faber Together by Vivek H Murthy (The healing power of human connection in a sometimes lonely world) Barack Obama Speeches by Barack Obama (There are 85 speeches which would be a great reference for the Pathways level 5 project) Leonardo da Vinci by Walter Isaacson Artemis by Andy Weir Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis (Stop believing the lies about who you are so you can become who you were meant to be) Girl, Stop Apologizing by Rachel Hollis Dollars and Sense by Dan Ariely (How we misthink money and how to spend smarter) Becoming by Michelle Obama Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life by William Finnegan (Winner of 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Autobiog...

The theme for our second story slam was GOOD TIMES, BAD TIMES and featured six storytellers from our club  ( Jenny, Raj, Anne, Jennifer, Bernice, and Kathleen ) . We heard stories about saving a stranger's life while on a kayak, the challenges of parenthood, and even a story about a fire incident.   Anne won best story and storyteller with her  impassioned and harrowing  story about her encounter with a wild bear in nature. Congrats Anne!

  We are thrilled to announce that we are hosting a second virtual story slam! Members will compete to tell the best story around the theme “Good Times, Bad Times.” Think of it as extended table topics where you tell us a happy story marred by a tragedy or a tragic story with a redemptive ending.  Storytellers: You have 5 minutes to take the *virtual* stage and share your story. We have 6-7 participants competing to win over the audience with their tale. External club sign ups are closed for this round. Audience: You'll be one of the judges! At the end of the meeting you will all get to vote on your favorite story. You will be sent a google form link during the meeting. To Attend: There is no charge to register or attend. You must register to attend . Once you register, we'll send you a confirmation email that includes the link to tune in on November 30. We will begin promptly at a 12:05 pm that afternoon. You are welcome to bring your lunch. It's sure to be an entertaining...

Hello Townsend Toastmasters club! Join us for a special meeting this Monday where club alumni will be leading a workshop on how to take your speech evaluations and table topics to the next level. See you there!  

As someone whose job is all about public speaking, one thing I love about our club is that it’s a great place to experiment. I was able to take advantage of this when I served as Toastmaster on Feb. 1 and led a meeting that was dedicated to Table Topics.  I had the club utilize the Zoom “Annotate” feature. You can use to allow attendees to mark up images with various tools. You can add specific shapes, draw lines, select different colors etc. I had been interested in how such tools could be used with a map to talk about our experiences with different places.  I used Zoom’s screen sharing feature to display a map of San Francisco. Our Table Topics started with me picking a particular SF location and asking the speaker to give a hypothetical tour of the site. They were welcome to provide factual or fictitious information. At the end of each Table Topic, we then used Zoom’s poll feature to vote on whether we thought the speaker was telling the truth or not.  Each Ta...

Wish you could speak up in meetings with more confidence? Do you hold back and not say much because you’re worried you’ll say the wrong thing or be judged?  Join Townsend Toastmasters for this special fun event where we'll get to practice speaking on the spot, off the cuff and impromptu! It’s a safe, friendly environment to play around with answers to a topic. Come to participate, or come to watch and enjoy (and perhaps participate next time!) Here’s how to register for this no-cost event: email us at  tt-membership@googlegroups.com  or fill out this form

Just as each individual Toastmaster member has goals, so too does each club. Here’s what you helped Townsend nail this past year. President’s Distinguished Club This is Toastmasters International’s highest recognition. We've achieved the award two years in a row. The criteria, or “club goals” to attaining this award: a mix of members completing Pathways levels, membership stats, officers trained, and administrative items completed. March Madness Clubs renewing at least 75% of their base membership by April 15 receive $50 in District 4 credit (our club is in District 4). Smedley Award and Smedley Stretch Award Clubs adding 5 or more new, reinstated, or dual members between August 1 and September 30 receive the “Smedley Award” from Toastmasters International. Clubs that add 7 or more new, reinstated, or dual members during that time also receive the “Smedley Stretch” and earn $50 in District credit. Plan 4 Success  Clubs that send a copy of their completed...