🦸⚡GGTM Turns 90 — and Unleashes Its Superpower

Club President Shubham Saloni opened the evening with a warm welcome and set the tone for a milestone evening — tonight marked part of GGTM's month-long 90th anniversary celebration, with a shortened meeting followed by a members-only social hour to toast nine decades of voices, growth, and community.

To kick things off, Shubham posed a fitting question to the room: “What small habit is your superpower?” From patience (Dennis) to quick thinking (Marta) and resilience (Sarah), the answers revealed something deeper — our superpower aren't flashy. They're built in the small moments we show up.

And who better to carry that torch into the evening than a Toastmaster stepping into the role for the very first time? Please welcome Ryan Davis — first time in the chair, and he didn't come to play it safe.

Ryan brought us back to being seven years old — capes on, jumping off the couch, certain we could be anything. As we grow older, the definition of superpower shifts. Less about flight, more about the ability to build. Resilience — getting up when the world has beaten us down. Empathy — truly seeing other people. Curiosity — staying genuinely interested. The real question isn't what superpower you want. It's which ones you already have. When we stop trying to fly like someone else and start living in our own skin — that's when we become formidable.

A question most people overlook became a doorway to something deeper. Sheila’s speech explored how “How are you?” can transform from a routine greeting into a genuine connection.

With emotional shifts, vivid storytelling, and growing confidence, she showed us:
💬 It’s not about the words—it’s about the connection.

In June 2016, Jay took a two-month sabbatical to Costa Rica — over his father's protests. What started as a serene ATV ride along the coast turned harrowing: a narrowing road, a fallen tree, a tipped ATV, and Jay walking through mud, injured and alone. Then a hut appeared on the horizon. The strangers inside — one of them carrying a machete — didn't hesitate to help him right the ATV and send him on his way, refusing to accept a single dollar. Jay closed by reading an email he sent his father shortly after: a thank-you for the man he raised him to be. The message he left us with: don't wait. Say something to the people who matter to you, while you can.

💬 If you were half the man I am, you'd be very short!

Table Topics Master Shubham Saloni brought a fresh twist to the segment—this wasn’t your usual Table Topics, it was teamwork in action. One-word-at-a-time storytelling pushed creativity, adaptability, and collaboration to the limit.

Vedant came in as an ordinary listener — despite having heard the speech three times — and still felt the goosebumps. Eyes across the room were glued to the stage, a powerful sign. He praised Sheila's expressive storytelling and dynamic vocal shifts from somber to elated. Suggestions: a slight volume bump, sharper transitions, and a beat of silence after the "3, 2, 1" countdown for maximum impact.

Alex praised the title "Life and Death" for doing the heavy lifting before Jay even opened his mouth. The Costa Rica story was vivid and funny — a rare combination.
Suggestions: trim the mechanical details of the accident to keep the emotional core tight, vary vocal pace and pitch more with the gravity of the subject, and consider a surprise reveal to land the ending with even more punch.

• ⏱ Timer (Luzee): Vedant & Jay both ran over

• 🔤 Ah-Counter (Omar): 15 filler words — or so Omar says...

• 📖 Grammarian (Ryan): “Resilience” spotted — Sheila & Ryan

• 🗳️ Ballot Counter (Albert)

• 📸 Photographer (Mike): Capturing GGTM history in real time

A big thank you to Helen Fream, our Note Taker and Pop Quiz Master, for keeping score all evening. Think you were paying attention?

• 🚀 What was the teleportation service delivering? Food

• ✈️ How many buttons help if a plane is crashing? 2

•  🔪 What was one of the men from the hut carrying? A machete

🏆 Best Prepared Speech: Jay Yamamoto
🏆 Best Evaluator: Alex Wu
🏆 Best Table Topics: Valeriy Vislobokov & Alex Wu — best duo

Sheila gave GGTM a preview of her Division C International Speech Contest entry at Wednesday's meeting — one last round of feedback before the big day. The room was locked in from start to finish, and evaluator Vedant, hearing it for the third time, still felt the goosebumps. The audience's eyes never left her. That's when you know a speech is ready.

On Sunday, she took that same speech to the Division C stage — and came home with 2nd place.

For a club celebrating 90 years of voices that dared to speak up, Sheila's achievement is a reminder of what GGTM has always been about — showing up, putting in the work, and leaving everything on the stage.

Congratulations, Sheila! GGTM couldn't be prouder. 👏

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who made the April 15th meeting truly unforgettable.

To Ryan Davis, for stepping into the Toastmaster role for the first time and guiding the evening with confidence and heart. To Shubham Saloni, for opening the night with warmth and asking the question that set everything in motion — and for keeping GGTM's legacy alive as our Club President and Table Topics Master.

To our speakers — for sharing stories that made us laugh, reflect, and lean in. To our evaluators — for the thoughtful feedback that makes every speaker better. To our functionaries — for the behind-the-scenes work that keeps every meeting running smoothly.

To every member who showed up, participated, and made this evening what it was — this is your club, and nights like this are why it has lasted 90 years.

And to our guests — you chose a remarkable night to visit. GGTM has been welcoming new voices for nine decades, and we hope yours will be among them.

Ninety years of GGTM — and countless voices that made it what it is today.

📅 Next Meeting: April 22 
April isn't done with us yet — join us for our third meeting of the month as we continue celebrating GGTM's 90th anniversary.
After the meeting, we're heading to the Irish Bank — and this time, food is on us. Guests are welcome.🍻
🕕 Wednesday, April 22 | 6:00–8:00 PM
📍 San Francisco Chamber of Commerce

📅 Coming Up: April 29 
GGTM's 90th anniversary month goes out with a bang. Toastmaster Tavisan Ramesh is flipping the script — literally. Our final April meeting is a reverse meeting: the standard agenda, run completely backwards. Creative, high-energy, and unlike anything you've seen before.
The best way to experience it? Show up.
🕕 Wednesday, April 22 | 6:00–8:00 PM
📍 San Francisco Chamber of Commerce