Check here for the latest club information and updates.
Join us on this Monday for a Zoom Open House. It's a fun, casual event, where guests can ask questions, meet members and get a feel for the unique Toastmasters culture. This Monday, there will be an Ice Breaker speech, which introduces a new member and the launch of our Summer Series of workshops. For questions or to RSVP, email rocktoastmasters@gmail.com .
Henry Heller is a member of the Carlsbad / Oceanside Toastmasters. He recently attended a meeting on our San Marcos campus and talked about his love of improv. He always wanted to be part of an improv group and so he's started his own. Then, he used the improv shows to help others. It's a comedy show. It's a food drive. IT'S BOTH!!! The event this year will be held on Monday, November 18, 2019 at the Broadway Theater in Vista, 7 - 9pm. If you have questions or would like to buy tickets, please contact Henry at 760-522-7341.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/happy-healthy-holidays-tickets-72386781813
Left to Right: Yvette (Toastmasters International Speech), Jennifer (Table Topics), and Sonia who awarded the ribbons.
Join us this Thursday for Leadership Night at San Marcos Rock & Roll Toastmasters. Get to know our featured speaker, Alan Geraci, who is running for San Marcos City Council. Come meet the group and learn how to hone your public speaking skills. Hope to see you there. Everyone is welcome at the Hub! Doors open 6:30 pm, program starts 6:45 pm.
"I spent my early years trying not to stand out and was more intent just trying to fit in. I was quiet and reserved. It may have been cultural, but it was evident my lack of communication skill would not serve me well in my adult life. In college I was content sitting in a lab by myself staring into a microscope. It wasn’t until I entered the working world that I realized my lack of communication skills was hindering my advancement.
After joining the Toastmasters organization, I was able to come out of my shell and learn the communication skills that changed my life. A friend encouraged me to enter speech contests. Over the years, through the contest venue, I’ve become a better public speaker and found some success in contests. The main benefit was the skills learned gave me confidence that not only improved my communication from a stage, but more importantly, improved my communication on a personal level with family, friends, and colleagues.
Distinguished Toastmaster Award, 2011
World Championship of Public Speaking Semifinalist, 2011
District 5 International Speech Contest, 2007 – 1st
Region 12 International Speech Contest 2007 – 3rd
District 5 Humorous Speech Contest 2007 – 1st
District 5 International Speech Contest 2008 – 2nd
fDistrict 5 International Speech Contest 2009 – 3rd
District 5 Humorous Speech Contest 2010 – 1st
District 5 International Speech Contest 2011 – 1st
District 5 Humorous Speech Contest 2012 – 3rd
District 5 Evaluation Contest – 2012 Finalist
District 5 International Speech Contest 2013 -2nd
District 5 International Speech Contest 2015 – 2nd
District 5 International Speech Contest 2016 – 3rd
For the complete bio, click the link below.
http://academyforpublicspeaking.com/about-our-instructors
AUGUST 2019
We are happy to announce our plans to create a new club on the San Marcos campus. We have received many inquiries about expanding the club to the different campuses. Based on the positive feedback, we are moving forward with plans for the San Marcos club. Please join us for the Club Development meeting. For questions, email Lisa: rocktoastmasters@gmail.com.
July 2019
Please join us for this special event that will focus on great introductions and dynamic openings. All are welcome!!! We will start promptly at 6:30 p.m. If you have any questions, please contact us: rocktoastmasters@gmail.com.
JUNE 2019
NOTICE - We have been informed that the building will be closed on June 24th. Therefore, the Special coaching session is being rescheduled to early July and we will post the new date soon. 
Are you interested in learning how to do effective speech openings and dynamic introductions? Then join us for an interactive coaching session at our June 24th meeting. Our guest speaker coaches graduate students to improve their speech performance and competitive speaking skills. You always hear that you should start your speech with a great opening. “It sets the tone for your whole speech!” However, most people can’t tell you how to do it. At this meeting, you will hear tips on how to write dynamic openings and introductions. The main event is an interactive coaching session.
To get the most out of the coaching event, we suggest you review one or two speeches before the meeting. Break down why you think the opening is good (or not so good). YouTube is a great source. I was inspired by a speech given at our June 10th meeting, when Sonia gave a Pathways speech titled “Healthy Workplace, Healthy You!" She gave an interesting and informative speech about how healthy food choices affects your life.
The next day, I did a search for great speech openings and found the speech below in the first 5 minutes. Yay! Some may think it was a coincidence but we, at the Rock, know that was probably Holy Spirit trying to get our attention. I found a 2010 TedTalk by Jamie Oliver titled “Teach Every Child About Food.” Check out the first 50 - 60 seconds of the presentation.
Here is the breakdown on why it has a great opening.
Jamie’s opening line: “Sadly, in the next 18 minutes when I do our chat, 4 Americans that are alive will be dead through the food that they eat.” It is a good opening that accomplishes several things in just 12 seconds. It’s an amazing stat that most people probably don’t know. It’s a serious topic that affects everyone. It juxtaposes a known good “food” with a bad outcome “death.” The audience will immediately start to reconsider how they think about food.
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MAY 2019
We had a great open house. I’d like to thank all the members who worked so hard to make the event successful and welcomed our guests. Good Times! As a special event, we had a Table Topics Tournament. For Table Topics, a speaker has 1-2 minutes to answer a question. We had 3 Table Topic Masters – Darren, Shellie, and David. Each TT Master selected 4 audience members to come on stage and answer a question.
Team Darren had to give a toast and honor someone for a special occasion. Team Shellie had to read a bible verse and explain its meaning. Team David gave unsolicited advice to famous people. At the end of the three rounds, the TT Master selected one team member to advance to the final championship round. All of the speakers did a great job and impressed the audience.
Although there were many excellent performances, alas, there could be only one. The final competitors are listed below.
It was a close competition and the secret judges huddled for the final results.
Finalists: Adriana did a heartwarming interpretation of a bible verse and Christine gave a fabulous commencement speech to high school graduates.
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APRIL 2019
CANCELLED - April 22, regular meeting. Our next meeting on April 22 has been cancelled because the building is closed. PLEASE NOTE that the Open House is still on for April 29th. We would love for you to join us.
TABLE TOPIC TIPS: BE CONFIDENT WHEN CALLED ON (Toastmasters Magazine - August 2016)
"To me, spontaneous speaking refers to any situation where you are asked to speak off the cuff and in the moment. The reality is that spontaneous speaking is much more prevalent than planned speaking (e.g., presentations). Think of being called on to introduce someone to others, or having your boss ask you for feedback on a new idea, or handling questions at the end of a meeting. These situations occur all of the time. As all Toastmasters know, Table Topics is a great way to practice this skill. To boost your skills, combine your Table Topics practice with the following…
TIP #1: Get out of your own way. The first thing that gets in your way when speaking off the cuff is you. Your desire to do well, to give the right answer, to have your feedback be meaningful and memorable, actually works against you. Before you speak, you likely judge what you intend to say and weigh it against your internal criteria: What I plan to say isn’t___ (fill in the blank… insightful, helpful, worthy, relevant, etc.). This pre-speaking evaluation inhibits you.
Rather than striving for greatness, dare to just accomplish the task at hand—answer the question, provide the feedback, introduce your colleague. Reduce the pressure you put on yourself and you will increase your chances of doing well. Simply put: Setting greatness as your goal gets in the way of you getting there. Of course, this is easier said than done. You are working against the muscle memory you’ve developed over the course of your life with a brain that reacts very quickly to help you solve problems. But by giving yourself permission to respond in the moment, rather than get it “right,” you can get out of your own way and speak well."
OPEN HOUSE - TABLE TOPICS. At the Open House, we are going to focus on Table Topics. “Table Topics® is a long-standing Toastmasters tradition intended to help members develop their ability to organize their thoughts quickly and respond to an impromptu question or topic.” Table Topics are fun and engaging for the entire audience. There will be food and prizes!! See you there.
OPEN HOUSE: Join us for our next open house on April 29, 2019.
