DECEMBER 2013 VOL. 2, ISSUE 12

Garden City Times

“It was impossible

Garden City Toastmasters to get a conversation

going, everybody Est. 1952 was talking too much.” – Yogi Berra Toastmasters International Club # 1102 Editor’s Note Kathleen Orth Area 57 – Division L – District 86 December is a time to reconnect, using your media of choice. December 9 th is National Card Day. This year, my cards were in the mail in time for them to In this issue… be delivered by Christmas! More greetings and messages went out via email. • Club Executive, page 4 The tradition of sending messages at Christmas has a • District 86 Spring Conference long history, which predates the introduction of the first Notice, page 4 Christmas card in England in 1843. Numerous internet • Editor’s Note, page 1 sources refer to a letter, written by an (unidentified) English Admiral in 1699, which included the words • Garden City Toastmasters “Merry Christmas and a Happy .” Penny Christmas Dinner, pages 2 & 3 postage and Christmas cards made it easier to send holiday greetings. Who gets the most letters at • Meeting Date & Time, page 4 Christmas? Santa Claus! Post employees began • Meeting Location, page 4 answering letters to Santa Claus in 1974, and in 1983 the post office established a program to respond to the • Worth a Look, page 4 letters, along with an address: Santa Claus, North Pole, H0H 0H0, Canada. Santa receives upwards of one million letters each Christmas, and all letters are answered. Christmas and New Year’s Day are times when many world figures release annual messages. In 1932, delivered the first royal Christmas message via radio. Sir John Reith, head of the BBC, suggested the message as a way to introduce the Empire (later the World) News Service. In 1957, Queen Elizabeth II gave the first televised message. Other monarchs adopted this practice, and many politicians and church leaders deliver Christmas messages, while others prefer New Year’s. The Governor-General, the Lieutenant- Governors, and mayors in cities across the country hold levees on New Year’s Day. Garden City Time s is a publication of Garden Whether by print or electronic media, in person, on air, City Toastmasters, St. Catharines, Ontario. or on TV, Christmas and New Year’s are special times when we reconnect. Merry Christmas and a Happy Toastmasters International Club # 1102. New Year! Kathleen

Page 1 DECEMBER 2013 VOL. 2, ISSUE 12 Garden City Times

Garden City Toastmasters celebrate the Christmas season with a festive dinner at JJ Kapps restaurant.

Above, from the left: Marina Nava, Rick Bubnick, Kim Bubnick, Lee-Anne Lane, Eric Smith, Lynn Perry

Left: Charlotte King and friend Joe Coers, Alison and Wayne Buchkowski, Joe Vanderkooi, Peter Fielding

Left: Orest Nahacziwec, Ed Renkema, Sandra Booker, Caleb Booker, Sara Jordan, Lili DeJong

Page 2 DECEMBER 2013 VOL. 2, ISSUE 12 Garden City Times

Left: Garden City Toastmaster Kathleen Orth, with brother Robert and sister Karen Orth

Garden City Toastmasters’ newest members Caleb Booker, Sandra Booker, and Margarita Isaza

Below: First row, from the left: Eric Smith, Lee-Anne Lane, Kathleen Orth, Lili DeJong, Peter Fielding (sitting), Marina Nava, Charlotte King, Sara Jordan

Lynn Petty, Sandra Booker, Joe Vanderkooi, Caleb Booker, Margarita Isaza, Rick and Kim Bubnick, Wayne Buchkowski, Orest Nahacziwec, Ed Renkema

Page 3 DECEMBER 2013 VOL. 2, ISSUE 12 Garden City Times

Worth a Look Tuesday Toasters (Club #3004, District 63, Region 5, located in Kingsport, Tennessee) has this clever Christmas-inspired version of the role of the Ah Counter posted on its site. See http://www.tuesdaytoasters.org/special-events/05- Christmas/tm_carols.html

The Ah-Counter Song (sung to the tune of "Santa Claus is Coming to Town") You better not "um" Club Executive (2013-2014) You better not "so" President: Orest Nahacziwec You better not "ah" Sergeant-at-Arms: Lynn Perry And please don't "you know" The Ah-Counter is coming to town VP Education: Tammy DeRocco He's making a list VP Membership: Marina Nava And checking it twice VP Public Relations: Charlotte King He's going to give you Some needed advice Treasurer: Rick Bubnick The Ah-Counter is coming to town Secretary: Kathleen Orth He hears you when you're speaking Immediate Past President: David Marsh He knows what sounds you make He doesn't miss a filler word So be good for goodness sake! You better not make Garden City Toastmasters A grammar mistake Because he is the MEETING LOCATION Grammarian too The Ah-Counter is coming to town! September to June: St. Catharines Public Library 54 Church Street St. Catharines, Ontario L2R 5M7 Simply, Leadership!

July & August: To be determined District 86 Spring Conference April 4-6, 2014 MEETING DATE & TIME Tuesday, from 7:00 to 9:00 pm. Delta Meadowvale

Mississauga [email protected] http://www.gctoastmasters.com/ http://gctoastmasters.wordpress.com/ Garden City Times is the newsletter of Garden City

“The mission of a Toastmasters Club is to provide Toastmasters, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. Toastmasters International Club # 1102. Garden City Times appears a mutually supportive and positive learning monthly, and includes photos, club news, calendar of events, environment in which every individual member milestones, and other features. Members are welcome to has the opportunity to develop communication submit stories, updates, and photos. Items of interest may be skills, which in turn foster self-confidence and sent to the Editor. personal growth.” Editor: Kathleen Orth, [email protected]

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