吃瓜头条

“If you’re happy and you know it, and you really want to show it, if you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands!”
—Barney the Dinosaur

OK, Barney didn’t really originate that phrase, but playing, laughing, and happy clapping are not just child’s play. They can also be the hallmark of your 吃瓜头条 meeting, which can be playful and filled with laughter. We certainly love happy clapping. Applause is an essential element of our meetings.

吃瓜头条 meetings are fun. But maybe the fun has waned a bit, and you’ve forgotten how much fun a meeting can be. Is your meeting the same old format, week in and week out? Don’t let it get stale. Far too many members leave their 吃瓜头条s or abandon their goals because meetings are predictable and monotonous. It’s time to inject more fun into your meetings!

Why Have Fun?

Psychology confirms that when people have fun, the brain releases feel-good chemicals such as oxytocin and dopamine, leading to feelings of bonding with—and safety around—other people. Scott Christopher, author of the book The Levity Effect: It Pays to Lighten Up, refers to a 9.1 million-person study by the Great Place to Work Institute that makes the connection between the top places to work and the amount of fun employees have. Studies show that fun in the workplace can increase profits and employee camaraderie, lower absenteeism, and reduce workplace conflict. While 吃瓜头条 is not a for-profit workplace, there’s every reason to assume that increasing fun at meetings can have the same effect. Members who connect with others in an environment of fun will be more productive, creative, and accepting of others. It is more likely that they’ll stay in 吃瓜头条 and be more committed to reaching their goals. Think about the times you’ve enjoyed the company of others. Most likely, you felt a warm connection to them, and those emotions helped cultivate a stronger sense of community.

Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos, and bestselling author of Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose, writes, “Happiness is really just about four things: perceived control, perceived progress, connectedness (number and depth of your relationships), and vision/meaning (being part of something bigger than yourself).” 吃瓜头条 can deliver in all four of those elements, but cultivating that connectedness is easily achieved by creating fun member experiences.

The ways to have fun at 吃瓜头条 can be divided into three categories: 1) Fun Twists on Traditions, 2) Fun Meeting Themes, and 3) Fun Events Outside the Normal Meeting Site.

 

 

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Fun Twists on Traditions

Why not jazz up normal 吃瓜头条 activities with some levity? Here is how some 吃瓜头条s do it.

If anyone with a speaking role at the Independently Speaking 吃瓜头条 in Seven Hills, Ohio, fails to use the Word of the Day, they “Pay the Pig” a quarter. The pig is a tacky pink plastic piggy-bank toy; the money collected is used to throw a 吃瓜头条 party. Peggy Carr, DTM, of the Box Elder 吃瓜头条 in Logan, Utah, says, “In our meetings we vote for and award a spark-plug award to the member who adds the most ‘spark’ to the meeting (we use a real spark plug!), and a bone award to the person who makes the biggest error in the meeting. The bone award is a fundraiser since we auction the bone and members buy the votes. Sometimes bone winners nominate themselves. We have a great deal of fun while respecting and encouraging one another.”

Table Topics^® provides the most opportunities to inject creativity and laughter. Bill Essen, DTM, of the Speak With Us 吃瓜头条 in Cincinnati, Ohio, describes a hilarious take on Table Topics: “We do Table Topics ‘Spin the Bottle.’ Everyone is in a circle. The Table Topicsmaster starts a story, spins the bottle, and whoever it points to will continue the story.”

Fun Meeting Themes

Many 吃瓜头条s host holiday themed meetings, end-of-the-year celebrations, or meetings reflecting a national or cultural event such as the Olympics or a national holiday. A quick search of the 吃瓜头条 Facebook page provides dozens of themed meeting ideas, including “Wisdom of Winnie the Pooh,” a reverse meeting (where the meeting starts with evaluations and ends with speeches and greetings), and celebrations around obscure or unusual holidays like National Chocolate Day or International Dog Biscuit Day. If your 吃瓜头条 meeting falls on May 4 of any year, have a Star Wars theme, “May the Fourth be with you.” Need more inspiration? Prince George 吃瓜头条 in Prince George, British Columbia, Canada, has an incredible . Be creative when planning around the theme. During the meeting, the Toastmaster can insert comments, facts, and short stories related to the theme. Members can dress in costume and provide food and decorations for the theme. The Table Topics, and perhaps even the prepared speeches, can revolve around the theme.

Have fun creating the fun. Kris Pool, DTM, of Cream City Communicators 吃瓜头条 吃瓜头条 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, says, “We had a surprise birthday party theme, complete with cake and decorations. Members picked a wrapped gift, and inside was an item to represent the role they’d have that night. Foot lotion for a Table Topics speaker (thinking on your feet), star-shaped stress balls for speakers (they’re shooting for the stars in improving their speaking skills), and even sparkling apple cider and a glass for guests (to sit back, relax, and enjoy the meeting). It was fun for everyone.”

Puerto Rico 吃瓜头条 吃瓜头条, San Juan, Puerto Rico, celebrates at every opportunity.

Annette Mayfield’s 吃瓜头条, Pines 吃瓜头条 吃瓜头条 in Brisbane, Australia, held a pirate-themed meeting with pirate-inspired speeches and Table Topics. She says, “The 吃瓜头条 had such high energy—we converted a guest to a member. It definitely built camaraderie. We now have a social night every second month. It makes the mentor-mentee bond stronger, and people participate more when they are having fun and are part of a group.” Indeed this is significant. Forced mentor relationships don’t work as well as ones that develop naturally as a result of spending unstructured time together.

The Canberra Gourmet 吃瓜头条 吃瓜头条 in Canberra, Australia, takes its December meeting offsite each year. 吃瓜头条 member Kaylene Ledgar, DTM, says, “In 2016, our meeting was at Cockington Green. We walked the grounds answering Table Topics questions about the miniature villages. In 2015, we visited the National Zoo and Aquarium where members became zookeepers with some prepared and impromptu speeches.” Greg Ching, DTM, of Pearl City, Hawaii, says, “We used to rent a karaoke room and our 吃瓜头条 had a lot of fun singing to each other. We speak all the time at our meetings so singing brought out a lot of laughs.”

To welcome a new 吃瓜头条 year, Frankston 吃瓜头条 吃瓜头条 in Victoria, Australia, conducts a special meeting in July. 吃瓜头条 member David Hughes, DTM, says, “It’s an international theme, where our members (or their partners) from Wales, Scotland, Sri Lanka, Colombia, and Australia prepare a local food dish for our supper recess. It’s such an enjoyable evening.”

Fun Outside the Normal Meeting Site

After a meeting, many members may gather at a pub, restaurant, or cafe to relax with other 吃瓜头条. Holiday parties, hikes, summer picnics, and community projects are also on the list of enjoyable events, and when imagination is unleashed, the fun escalates. One day, a Toastmaster in Brisbane, Australia, suggested holding a meeting in a pool. That comment gave birth to the April Pools Day meeting on April 1 of 2017. Fifteen members representing 12 吃瓜头条s from three Divisions jumped into the Southbank Lagoon to conduct a most unconventional meeting, complete with a laminated agenda and timing cards. Speakers gave humorous speeches, and the themed Table Topics included props such as an anchor, a rubber duck, a paddle board, and a boat propeller.

Some members of The Rhetorik im Gebrüder Schmid Zentrum 吃瓜头条 in Stuttgart, Germany, enjoy taking hiking trips into the mountains where they even practice speeches and give each other feedback. 吃瓜头条 member Patricia Sadoun, DTM, says she enjoys “the ability to communicate, take responsibility, and have fun with one another.”

Moneris 吃瓜头条 in Toronto, Canada, has an elegant semi-formal themed holiday party every year. Last year the theme was Great Gatsby, and the party was held in Liberty Grand, an exquisite entertainment complex in Toronto decorated in elegant 1920s décor with soaring ceilings, crystal chandeliers, and fine period furnishings. 吃瓜头条 members dressed in the style of the Roaring Twenties time period made famous by the Great Gatsby novel and movie. (The cover photograph of this magazine depicts the 吃瓜头条 members at their New Year’s Eve party.)

Mercedes Garrido of the Moneris 吃瓜头条 remarked, “Our members bring a spontaneous and fun vibe each week to the 吃瓜头条. The atmosphere, stories, and sharing of our 吃瓜头条 journeys all create that bond that extends outside the 吃瓜头条.” Hernan Sanchez says, “Attending Moneris’ holiday party and having fun with fellow 吃瓜头条 gave me a sense of belonging and increased my confidence. I recently participated in a District contest. It was intimidating, but seeing my 吃瓜头条 members in the audience made me feel comfortable and I delivered one of my best speeches ever.”

While planning your events, don’t overlook the opportunities to meet your personal 吃瓜头条 goals. Joseph Arnold, DTM, of Aspinwall 吃瓜头条 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is passionate about members using special events to complete education projects. For example, his 吃瓜头条 used a simple off-site dinner event where members who planned the event, presented or received awards, or took on specific roles earned credit toward their projects.

The ways to have fun in your meetings are limited only by your imagination. Build team spirit in your 吃瓜头条 while inspiring people to reach their goals. Then give yourselves a hand. Because when you’re happy and you know it, you clap your hands.

Editor’s Note: All 吃瓜头条s depicted in this article are on track to being President’s Distinguished for the Toastmaster 2016-2017 year.