The 813th Hornsby District Toastmasters Club meeting was one of those meetings where you learn so much, are so impressed with the performances of your fellow members and are so encouraged to improve yourself that you find it almost impossible to sleep afterwards – so there! Speechfests are always enjoyable meetings, this one even more than usual with the amazing array of presentations we were treated to.
Our chairman for the evening was Brad and he ensured an exciting, brisk meeting, all the while demonstrating the qualities of a true showman. Eric certainly made our guests feel welcome, as evidenced by the fact that 2 of our guests joined immediately: Peter and Trish. Our other visitors were Sudharkar, Frayda, Lucie, Terry and John-Paul, all of whom expressed an interest in returning as visitors or joining soon.
Alok’s toast to the forgotten Olympians who aim for the Olympics but do not win was touching and beautiful. Our word of the day came from Andrew and I was in a conundrum as to how to use it effectively – though several people showed me how. As our Toastmaster, Ethleen was organized and welcoming; every speaker she introduced to the stage was encouraged to feel comfortable and relaxed.
The speeches were kicked off with a special award presentation to Brian and Jeanette in recognition of their incredible commitment to Youth Leadership over the last four consecutive years (you can find the photo commemorating this on the home page). We then moved into the first three speeches of the evening:
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Iris gave her Ice Breaker (first speech) entitled My Childhood in Sand & Water and the wonderfully evocative imagery she described was reason enough to applaud her efforts, not to mention how much fun I had listening to this speech.
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Jagath’s practical demonstrative speech on Origami had us all trying to make boats while he enlightened us about the world of paper-folding. This delightful speech was also a milestone for Jagath as he is now halfway through his Competent Communication manual.
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When Don takes the stage, you don’t know what to expect but you do know it will be entertaining. Funny in the 60s was no exception to this rule and this hilarious and nostalgic reflection of changing humour and changing eras was a joy to behold.
The first four speech evaluators were Roslyn, Sophia, Anthony and David who displayed strong analytical skills, warmth, enthusiasm and at times amusing takes on the speeches they were examining. Brian’s general evaluation rounded off the first half of the meeting in a thorough fashion and left me hungry for more.
As we punctually returned from the break Ethleen promptly pushed ahead with the last three speeches of the night:
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Carole’s thought-provoking exploration of Fear struck a chord within me immediately as she discussed fear of heights – one of my personal phobias. Carole’s topics are consistently fascinating and engaging and she is also to be congratulated for reaching the halfway mark in her Competent Communication manual.
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Nilmini reminded us in her impassioned presentation For love of water why water is vital, and an aptly chosen quote in her powerpoint presentation summarised her thoughts: “thousands have lived without love, but none without water”.
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Jeanette’s after dinner presentation from an advanced communication manual was given in preparation for Meryl’s Wedding and I adored the air of merriment and cheer she created during this speech.
The evaluators for these speeches were Claire, Vlad and Kathleen (me).I must say that Claire and Vlad were impressive as they employed a precise and highly analytical approach which worked wonders for their effectiveness as evaluators. Each time we reach this part of the meeting I feel sad, as I know we are nearly finished. However, Andrew brought a spark to his grammarian’s report that took my mind of this and then Roslyn’s exact rundown of the ums/ahs and filler words reminded me of the benefits of diversity in our club. Each member has a different style and this is one of our club’s true strengths.
Then Donrita arrived on the scene and her rousing report breathed life and fresh air into the timer’s role – an amazing achievement when one considers the dry timers’ reports I’ve seen in the past. Ella presented the general evaluation of the second half of the meeting and was insightful and amusing as per her usual standards.
An invigorating meeting with much to recommend it, I am eagerly awaiting the 814th meeting which will focus on impromptu communication as well as featuring a special Skillbuilder on the Competent Leadership manual. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again: our club is awesome beyond belief!
