Date & Time: 14:00-16:00 / February 18, 2023
Venue: Hatoba Kaikan + On-line
Attendee & Guests:19 members including 7 on-line members and 3 guests

It was a warm day with the scent of plum blossoms and just felt the spring.
I was lightly walking towards the meeting.
梅の香りも漂い今日はまさに春を感じる暖かい日になり、足取りも軽やかに例会に向かいまにした。

The regular meeting started with President S’s calm and natural “Call-to-Order” declaration, and there were three guest introductions.
例会はプレジデントSさんの穏やかな開始宣言で始まり、3人のゲスト紹介がありました。

TMOD is an experienced member, TM T.
He began by explaining the two important roles of TMOD.
One is to conduct the meeting along the agenda.
The other is to work up role takers.
The meeting theme is “Sweets”. Because of February, Valentine month.
He talked thoughtfully, ”I got a lot of chocolates when I was a student. All is Giri-Choco ???”
His helpers, Grammarian, Ah Counter, Vote, Timer were explained their roles smoothly.

TMODは経験豊かなTM Tさん。TMODの大切な２つの役割説明から始め、２月はバレンタインなので例会テーマは”sweets“
彼は「私は学生時代にたくさんのチョコレートをもらいました・・・義理チョコだったか？」と考え深げに話した。
TMODのヘルパーはなめらかに役割説明をしました。

The Word of the Day is TM A.
She introduced the word “affectionate” meaning the word synonymous with sweet.
Her answer of the theme: her little daughter debuted to give a choco to a cute boy.

今日の言葉はTM A さん：
例会テーマがsweets”なので同じ意味の“affectionate” を紹介。
彼女のテーマ回答はお子さんが今年初チョコデビューした話。
Let’s move on the educational session carpeted with sweet scented words, “sweets and affectionate”
さぁ、今日は“sweets”＆”affectionate”の甘い言葉の絨毯が引き詰められた例会です。

Table Topic Session:
Topic master was TM M saying that it was the first time to take this role.
　Today’s questions were about culture and customs concerned about Japan.
Those questions were often asked him from foreigners.

1. Why do Japanese apologize very often ?
TM T: He himself taught his kids to say “Gomen-nasai”.or “Sumimasen”..
Apologize is like Japanese culture to discipline themselves.

2. What is the difference between temples and shrines ?
TM N: Shrines have Komainu at the entrance.
There is a clearly difference of the ways of worship.

3. Which do you like, Japanese-style wedding or western-style wedding ?
Mr. S (guest): He performed a western-style wedding at her request.
He seemed to recall his own wedding.

4. Why do most Japanese go back hometown during summer vocation ?
TM I: Summer vocation is in Bon Festival, so that many Japanese went back their hometown to visit ancestor’s grave and to meet their old parents and old friends.

5. In some Japanese high schools, students are not allowed to bring their smartphones.
What do you think about this?
Mr. O (guest): Students’ job learns some subjects from their teachers.
But he thought they could check their email in break time.
I myself couldn’t explain clearly to questions about Japanese culture and customs.
TM M gave good questions to us.

Table Topic （即興スピーチ）
　トピックマスターはTM M：この役は初めて受けた。今日の質問は日本の文化・慣習についてです。質問は外国の人から良く聞かれたものです。

1.日本人はなぜしょっちゅう“すみません・ごめんなさい”と謝るのでしょうか。
TM T：私自身子供たちに“ごめんなさい”と言いなさいと言ってきました。
　　　これは秩序を保つ日本の文化なのではないでしょうか。

2.お寺と神社の違いは何でしょうか
TM N: 詳しくは知りませんが神社の入り口には狛犬がいます。
　　　　礼拝の仕方が違います。

3. あなたは日本式の結婚式かウエスタン式のかどちらが好きですか。
ゲストのSさん：私は結婚式を彼女の希望でウエスタン式であげました。
　　　　　　　　　ご自分の結婚式を思い出しているように見えました。

４．なぜ多くの日本人は夏休みに田舎に帰るのですか。
　　TM I:夏休みはお盆の時期で大勢の人が帰省します。そして先祖のお墓参りや年老いた両親や昔の友達と旧交を温めます。

５．日本のある高校ではスマートホンを学校に持ち込み禁止にしています、あなたはこの事をどう思いますか。
　　ゲストのOさん：学生の務めは先生から教科を学ぶことです、しかし休憩時間にはメールチェックなどできるとよいのに。

今日のトピックを聞いて私自身、日本文化や習慣をはっきりと説明できないことに気づきました。よい質問でした。

Prepared speech session（準備スピーチ）
1st speaker was TM T.
The speech title was “closing the Gender Gap is another 100 years away”
He started to talk about his daughter to choose her job after graduation and she finally chose a teacher’s road as gender equality.
He indicated various situation and circumstances about the gender gap and closed it would disappear in another 100 years.

一番目のスピーカーはTM Tさん：娘さんの卒業後の仕事選択の話と娘さんは男女対等の職種として教師の道を選んだ話から始めた。
ジェンダーギャップの状況と環境の話をいろいろ挙げ、この問題が解決するにはもう１００年は・・・

Recently gender problems are becoming a social issue.
最近はジェンダー問題がホットな社会問題になっていますね。

2nd speaker was TM O: This was his first speech in our club, Ice Break speech.
The speech title was “Another challenge”
Started with a story of his backpack trip to the U.S. for about 2 months by a stand-by ticket just before graduation.
He used the projector to show photos, a ticket and some certificate from that time.
In his picture at that time, he said the word, “before & after”. That made us a big laugh.
At the closing, he said he wanted to improve English and “never too late” , and then entered this club.

2番目のスピーカーはTM Oさん：初めてのスピーチ、自己紹介です。
学校卒業まえバックパックでしかもキャンセル待ち切符でアメリカを旅行した話。
プロジェクターを使用し、当時の自分の写真では“before & after”と会場を笑わせました。
スピーチの終わりに英語を改善したい、“決して遅くない“　だからこのクラブに入会しました。

What a strong message, “never too late!!!”
He used the word of the day, ”affectionate” during delivering his speech and really looked confident. He did a wonderful speech introducing himself.

決して遅くない”とはなんと強いメッセージでしょう。
Oさんは初スピーチにプロジェクターを使用し、今日の言葉、“affectionate”も使い堂々とした態度で素晴らしい初スピーチをされました。

3rd speaker was TM A:
The speech title was “ I deserve it “
Her first voice, “Show me your wrist, Oh! Older members wear a watch !”
The audience laughed a lot. Then she went on talking the next word, “I’m going to quit my job, so I challenged to take some test for a next job.
On the day of the test, it was not allowed to bring your smartphone.
She struggled to get a watch before entering the exam hall but she failed.
So that she was restless and had difficulty concentrating on the exam.
She didn’t receive the result of the test but I’m prepared.

３番目のスピーカーはTM Aさん：
第一声、「あなたの腕を高く上げて見せてください。
おぉ、比較的年取ってるメンバーが腕時計をはめている」会場は大笑い！
次の言葉は、「私今の仕事をやめようと考えています。それであるテストを受けました。
試験会場にはスマーフォン持ち込み禁止なので当日腕時計を買おうと探し回りましたができませんでした。
時間は迫るし時計は手に入らず、落ち着いて試験を受けることが難しかった。
試験結果はまだ届いてませんが覚悟はしています。

She always told a touching story through her own experience.
At the opening, she started with a question that made us a laugh and grabbed our attention.
Then started a serious story struggling to get a watch and challenging the test.
True-to-life speech with gestures was marvelous.

Aさんのスピーチはいつも自分の経験を通した話で感動を与えます。
質問で始め、笑いを誘い・私たちの関心を掴み、ジェスチャーを交えた真に迫るスピーチでした。

4th speaker was TM M: This was his last speech in our club because of graduation.
The speech title was “Hi, Bing!“.
He introduced what Bing was, and chatted with Bing, artificial intelligence.
He asked Bing what his communication style was, and started, “Question-and-Answer session” with Bing. Lastly he got the answer that hit him exactly.

4番目のスピーカーはTM Mさん：この春卒業でMさんの最後のスピーチ。
“Bing”を説明し、AIのBingに「私のコミュニケーション-スタイルは？」と聞き、質疑応答していくと最後にはまさに自分を言い当てている回答が得られた。

I didn’t know “Bing”, AI-search engine and was interested in Bing.
After the meeting I asked members how to search it and gained one new knowledge for getting smarter.

私はAIビンを知らなかったので例会後メンバーにいろいろ聞きました。新しい知識を一つ獲得。

Evaluation session:
General evaluator was TM N:
His answer to the theme was “I got a valentine’s chocolate from his vital partner, rather enemy. But she might be my type”
There were 4 evaluators, TM I, TM S, TM T, TM T.
Each evaluator positively and constructively described the strengths and improvements of the Speech to the prepared speaker.
Evaluation session(論評)

GE（総合論評）はTM Nさん。
Nさんのテーマへの答え：仕事上の強力な、むしろ敵のようなパートナーからチョコをもらった・・・う～ん私のタイプかも。
今日の論評者は４名、それぞれの論評者は明確にそして建設的なコメントをスピーカーに述べていました。

In this meeting, all role takers talked about their sweets and many speakers used the word “affectionate”.
Today’s regular meeting was adjourned in a sweet atmosphere.
例会ではスウィーツに関するいろいろな話が聞け、そして今日の言葉“affectionate”もたくさん使われ甘い香りに包まれた例会でした。