ARPB Toastmasters Club #8933

A Select Distinguished Club



Where fun loving people learn & help each other 

achieve their goals! 

Our hybrid-style meetings are SO CONVENIENT!

We meet in person, but we also stream online.

People have been able to attend from all over the country - even all over the world - online, but the in-person experience is absolutely the best!

For the best experience, join us IN PERSON in September when we come back, and come to

Keller Plaza Apartments

Community Room

5321 Telegraph Avenue

(North) Oakland, CA 94609

Come and enjoy the incomparable ARPB Toastmasters experience!

For the best experience, be our guest in person ...

In person attendees can see those attending online via the television screen on the wall.

Online attendees can see those in the room, as well as other online attendees (if they have their screen set for gallery view)

...or if you can't make it in person, be our guest online!

Come enjoy the ARPB Toastmasters experience however you prefer - just come!

Here are the A B C Ds of our Zoom login information:

A. Go to Zoom.us

B. Click "Join Meeting"

C. Enter Meeting ID: 862 0004 1201

D. Password will be required!

(To obtain the password call (877) 260-8357 ext. 807)

Whether we're meeting in person or online, our objectives are the same:

We support each other with love and encouragement as we improve our communication and leadership skills in a caring, extended-family type environment! 

In our club we believe...

About #CellPhoneCourtesyMonth - July

Our phones have become an integral part of our lives. We schedule events, organize shopping lists, order birthday presents, and communicate all from this one, small device. Do we even make a phone call any more?

Phone courtesy has always been in fashion, but when they became smart, it seems we lost a few brain cells. The month strives to bring polite phone usage back in style.

When we put the people around us before our mobile devices, we strengthen our relationships. Our phones are a tool and shouldn't get in the way of the more important things in our lives. Here are 7 easy rules for good cell phone etiquette:

Have Some Courtesy

1. Silence the phone whenever you're spending time with anyone. That includes work, a meal, meeting or with family. If you are attending a performance of any kind, turn the phone off. There are exceptions to this rule for medical professionals or other expectant emergency situations.

2. Hidden phones are forgotten phones. We pay attention to the people in the room, the performance, or the meeting. It's also a signal to the people we are with that they are important to us.

3. Step away if you do need to take a call. No one needs to hear your conversation while trying to enjoy a meal for two.

4. Shhh! Monitor the volume of your voice. Even when you step away, voices carry.

5. Pause before sending emails, texts, or social media posts. Consider the content, especially if it is posted in haste. Sometimes the need to ask will be all the answers you need before deleting the comment or text. Ask yourself the following questions before sending:

• Will I regret sending this later?
• Am I angry?
• Will this hurt someone?
• Is this appropriate?
• Will this affect my job or relationship?

6. Don't use your phone and drive. Many states prohibit cellular use or limit it to hands-free only. Any message can wait until you arrive at your destination. If it truly is urgent, pull to a safe stopping area to receive the message or call.

7. Don't let your mobile device become a social hindrance. We often look to our phone for social engagement when we don't know what else to do. Meet new people when you are in a new circle of people and begin networking with the people near you. Expand your social circle face to face and broaden the world around you.

(Article compliments of National Day Calendar)

Fun Facts about July

About ARPB Toastmasters...

ARPB Toastmasters Club #8933 was founded over 30 years ago by Mr. Ernest Clark, who at the time was President of Associated Real Property Brokers (ARPB), the local branch of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB). NAREB is an organization that was begun in 1947 by Black Real Estate Professionals who wanted to have uniform standards for good practices & ethics in their real estate businesses. Since people of color were prohibited from joining the National Association of Realtors (NAR), these real estate professionals started their own organization, which still exists today and is responsible for most of the fair housing legislation that has been passed in our country.

Mr. Clark, founder of ARPB Toastmasters believed real estate professionals in the organization needed to optimize their communications and leadership skills to best be able to serve their clients. He saw the programs and skills training offered by Toastmasters, International, as the perfect way to gain these skills, and so he obtained a charter to establish a club within the ARPB organization.

Over time, ARPB Toastmasters evolved from being a club primarily for real estate professionals, to being a club that serves the entire community. Our membership is now comprised of not only those from the real estate community, but also many other professions, as well as retirees and homemakers, and we welcome any one who wants to improve their communication and leadership skills in a fun, supportive, and culturally diverse atmosphere. We continue our tradition of excellence.We were designated as a President's Distinguished Club in years 2022 and 2023 - the highest possible achievement for Toastmasters clubs worldwide - and this year we are a Select Distinguished Club!

We encourage you to come and check us out for yourself!

When you join the ARPB Toastmasters family, the public speaking indigestion will just melt away!

ARPB Toastmasters is the place to obtain the skills and confidence you need to reach your goals, and our online meetings make it easy to do so, too,!

ARPB Toastmasters is the right place for ALL of the above! Since 1924, more than 4 million people around the world have become more confident speakers and leaders because of their participation in Toastmasters. Our club has been thriving for nearly 28 years, and there is no more friendly, more supportive atmosphere to overcome public speaking fears, hone your communication skills, or just fellowship with fun loving people, than the ARPB Toastmasters meeting.   

We are a small, growing club that welcomes everyone, regardless of profession, affiliation, (or lack thereof!)

Our regular weekly ARPB Toastmasters meetings are on Wednesdays, beginning at 6:00pm and ending at 7:30pm , allowing our members to wind down, relax, have a good time, network, meet their public speaking and leadership objectives, and still have family time! 

Congratulations to our officers for 2024-2025!

At our meeting on June 5, 2024, we elected our club's new Executive Board for the coming year. These officers will took office on July 1, 2024 and will serve through June 30, 2025. These officers are:

President:

Bryant Johnson

VP Education:

Lia Bolden

VP Membership:

Sirries Smith

VP Public Relations:

Karen Davis

Treasurer:

Debo Sarkar

Secretary:

April Ferguson

Sargent at Arms:

Leah Amos

VP Pathways:

Wessen Tsehai

Congratulations on your election to lead the best club in the Bay Area!

Contentious (pronounced "kun-TEN(t)-shus") (adj)

Definition: likely to cause disagreement or argument

Sentence usage: Although she is very pleasant in person, she has a tendency to become quite contentious in online discussions.

Perdurable (pronounced "per-DOO-ruh-buhl") (v)

Definition: Enduring continuously; imperishable

Sentence usage: The speaking and leadership skills we learn inToastmasters are perdurable.

Executive board meeting in September is scheduled for 9/4/2024 on Zoom.

OFFICERS! If you were unable to attend TLI, you MUST attend a make up training! Currently scheduled make up sessions are as follows:

Divisions C & D Make Up: 7/29 7:30-9pm

Divisions A & B Make Up: 8/19 6:30-8pm

You can attend any makeup session for any division or district. For registration details, go to

https://d57tm.org/calendar/

Members - Please schedule your speeches & sign up to fill the roles at future meetings. Thanks to Debo Sarkar for making it easy and convenient to do so with a Google sheet! Please complete the speeches scheduled for your selected path, rather than pocket speeches, so we can earn points to become a distinguished club again. To schedule yourself, click here!

Members - Please be sure we have your updated membership information on our club website: www.arpbToastmasters.com

If you have never logged in there before, there are instructions for logging in the first time. Then click on "private member directory" , upload your picture and check to be sure your bio and contact information are updated. Thank you!

Have you checked out the D-57 You Tube channel yet? Our District 57 PR Team Video Chair, Hans Thoma, has really stepped up the district's visibility with a slew of new edits of recent, and even some classic reels from District 57 events. Watch the endless speeches, meeting proceedings, and master classes for being a better Toastmaster and getting the most out of Toastmasters. D-57 playlists include Speech Contest videos, Meeting proceedings, Training videos, Candidate statements, Officer Trainings, Masterclass videos, and more. Subscribe to the District 57 Toastmasters Youtube Channel when you enter the channel HERE.

Celebrate the Incoming District 57 Officers at the D-57 End of Year Gala 7/27/2024! This will be a hybrid celebration. Details and information for joining online TBD. Stay tuned!

Toastmasters International Convention

is happening in Anaheim, CA this year (8/14-17)!!

There is even a special 1 day pass available. To register, click here

Other District 57 Toastmasters events:  

There are other events for District 57. To see the calendar, and register to attend D-57 events, click here.

We're looking forward to seeing you at our next meeting in September!

Sincerely,

Bryant Johnson, Club President

Visit our website!    https://www.arpbtoastmasters.com