December 3, 2025

This week’s meeting brought warmth, reflection, and powerful storytelling—all wrapped around our seasonal theme: Winter Is Coming. Our Toastmaster of the Day, Ramya, introduced this evocative theme by drawing from Game of Thrones. While the phrase symbolized looming hardship in the show, Ramya encouraged us to see winter as a metaphor for life’s inevitable cycles of change—inviting us to embrace transitions rather than resist them.

The word of the day was:

Rigor (n.) – extreme thoroughness, accuracy, or discipline.

One of the evening’s highlights was our Leader Profile, presented by Lily, who shared the remarkable story of Sarah Josepha Hale—the woman who made Thanksgiving a national holiday. While the first Thanksgiving dates back to 1621, it was Hale’s 17 years of persistent letter-writing to five U.S. presidents that finally convinced Abraham Lincoln to declare it a national observance. Lily also delighted us with lesser-known facts: Hale was America’s first female magazine editor and the author of Mary Had a Little Lamb. Her legacy was a beautiful reminder of how perseverance can shape a nation.

Our prepared speech came from Akila, who delivered the poignant and thought-provoking talk, “A Coming of Perspective Story.” Drawing on her experience as a former math tutor, she reflected on how she once equated discipline, rigor, and quiet diligence with academic promise. Her perspective shifted years later when she saw a former “troublemaker” classmate thriving as a fitness coach, gym owner, and model. Her message was powerful: Everyone has a story. Everyone has potential. Mentorship isn’t about creating replicas of ourselves—it’s about seeing people through the right lens.

Special thanks to our Table Topics Master, Dawn, who guided us through thoughtful prompts about crossroads, intuition, and navigating change. Members shared heartfelt reflections on career pivots and discovering personal strengths through unexpected transitions.

And of course, appreciation to all role takers for helping the meeting run with clarity and yes… rigor.

See you at our next meeting!