Page 37 - 2018 December

exhort others, to use not only his here-to-fore practice, and proclaim 24hours a day.
unused vocal talents, but that of appropriate Yes, my fellow Toastmasters. I took the little
body movement and gestures. He’d put it all clay figures from Provence and set them up in
together—yes, granted by a miracle—but don’t the Creche display. Mary and Joseph are there,

we see such miracles today in our Toastmasters waiting until Christmas Eve. But my favorite
clubs? (I trust that this was a rhetorical question!) figure who stands so prominently in that manger,
He brought the villagers together and shared who hours before was the village idiot, now with
with them his knowledge, his experience, and his his hands raised high, eloquently proclaiming

awed reaction. I’m sure there wasn’t a timer, or the event. Who is he? Ravi, of course, the first
grammarian, or that it was a 5-7-minute manual Toastmaster. Cherish the gift of public speaking,
speech, but this was the very first Toastmaster of gathering others to our clubs, and most of
and Toastmasters meeting. While telling others all, to speaking clearly, with conviction and

of the greatest gift from above, he allowed others purpose. That’s how we can use the gift called
to share in his and their experience vocally. Toastmasters—a gift that keeps on giving year
The old fisherman? He related the story of his round.
fishing and the fish that asked to be caught and Have I told you about . . . ? Nah—I’ll keep

presented at the manger as a gift. The man on a that for another month. Happy Holidays fellow
donkey? His tale included the donkey who told Toastmasters!
him to go and see for himself the miracle. The
village dog? He too was vocal in his

proclamation at the birth.
Fellow Toastmasters. We have been
given a gift we all can share in. The
miracles are almost common-place,

yet they happen weekly. And don’t
we love to see a member who, like
Ravi, put the words and presentation
all together? Don’t we gather together

to see and hear this modern miracle?
This happens every day, seven days
a week in our clubs. Today, with the
Pathways program, we can learn,

VOICES! |DECEMBER 2018 37