Page 6 - Voices! - September 2015

Scurvey Dogs, Scallywags, & Sea Biscuits

by James Wantz, DTM
A mentor explained Toastmasters to me with these words, “Whether you
are a bank president or a bank robber, you have to know how to say

‘Give me all your money.’” Before there were banks, gold and silver
were transported over the oceans in treasure-laden ships that were
susceptible to swashbuckling pirates. From the day I was 8 years old

on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland, I wanted to be
a pirate. I wanted to wear an eye patch, wield a cutlass, and talk
in a gravelly voice.

That dream finally came true. I became a pirate –
in a Toastmasters meeting on September 19th
the official Talk Like a Pirate day. New Horizons Toastmasters
became Piratemasters!

As Piratemaster for the meeting, I wore my eye patch, wielded
a cutlass, and talked in a gravelly voice for 90 minutes. And I
was not the only one. Most of the club dressed up in costumes
depicting all manner of pirates – from brigands to privateers,
captains and deckhands, lads and lasses alike. We ARRRRR’ed and
Ahoy’ed. We ‘shivered me timbers’ and called each other scurvy

dogs, scallywags, mateys, and sea dogs. There was pirate booty,
treasure chests, and pirate grog. Both of our speakers told pirate
tales and Table Topics became Pirate Topics. We had a blast.

When the meeting was over, several members called it the
best meeting that they had ever been to. I wholeheartedly
agreed. Our pirate-themed meeting reinvigorated our club,
changed up the normal routine, and brought out everyone’s creative side.

Good communication is paramount - whether you are a bank president, bank robber, or a pirate! If
Toastmasters is where leaders are made, who says pirates can’t be good leaders too? (New Horizons is planning
more themed meetings this year. Join in the fun, raise the spirits of your members, and show the world that
your club knows how to make learning fun!)

6 Volume 2 Issue 3 - SEPT 2015