An Average Night at Sandgate Toastmasters - 12th August 2025

Embracing the “It’s OK to be Average” Spirit 

Sandgate Toastmasters’ August 12th Meeting Recap

By Scarlett Benham

Jonathon - Toastmaster

Last night at Sandgate Toastmasters, we gathered under a theme that was refreshingly honest and delightfully freeing: “It’s OK to be Average.” From the moment the doors opened at 6:45 pm, there was a warm buzz in the air — part anticipation, part curiosity, and entirely the friendly energy that makes our club feel like home.

A Warm Welcome & New Beginnings

Sergeant at Arms TJ set the tone, calling the meeting to order before handing over to President Chris, who not only officially opened proceedings but also had the pleasure of inducting our newest members and welcoming our guests. It’s always a special moment when fresh faces join our ranks, and the applause (and smiles) made it clear they were warmly welcomed.

Words, Wisdom & Witty Banter

Erin - Toast to Small Wins

Toastmaster for the evening, Jonathon, guided us through the program with charm, humour, and fun facts. Gail, our Secretary, provided updates to keep us on track with program changes, before (new member) Erin lifted our spirits with a toast that felt like a mini pep talk for the soul, toasting to "small wins!".

Word Master Jillian introduced a new word for the evening, 'idiosyncrasy', encouraging members to weave it into their contributions. Round Robin Master Eoin kept us on our toes with his question, "In a world where it's OK to be average, what was a time when you defied expectation?". The Round Robin is a crowd favourite, giving everyone a quick, fun way to flex their improv skills while sparking connections right from the start of the evening.

The Speeches – Knowledge, Storytelling & Handling the Unexpected

The prepared speeches were as varied as they were engaging, with the meeting featuring 2 longer speeches by Helen and Chris that were centred around engaging with the audience through a Q&A session. 

Chris kicked things off with Playing with Fire, an Innovative Planning project where he not only shared his expertise but also fielded an impromptu Q&A session with ease. Audience members couldn't get enough of Chris's presentation on his work as a firefighter with questions ranging from "what is the craziest experience you've had?", to debate on electric vehicles, and an answer to one of life's biggest questions, "how many cats have you rescued?", the answer - far too many, and often they're not friendly about it!

Arun - Presenting his Speech

Arun then shone with a marvellous last-minute presentation on "Challenge Your Lengths". Talking on his experiences growing up in Delhi and his steps on how to step outside your comfort zone:

Step 1. Have a vision

Step 2. Create a plan of action

Step 3. Have courage and resilience

Helen had the challenge of managing a “difficult audience” during her Presentation Mastery project called Home Lending Guide, with her impromptu Q&A session being handled with poise and care. Her quick thinking was nothing short of inspiring, and a great lesson for all of us - Helen's number 1 tip to young people looking to enter the property market - "build your credit score early!". 

Constructive Feedback & Celebrations

Our evaluators, TJ and Trish, delivered thoughtful feedback that was both encouraging and insightful. The evening’s rhythm was kept perfectly in check by Timer Scarlett, who made sure every segment stayed on track.

Trish - Evaluator

And, as always, we had the famed Sandgate supper, with mouth-watering savouries from Marlene and sweets (plus milk!) from Scarlett — a social highlight that sparks some of the best conversations of the night.

Quickfire Fun – Table Topics

After the break, Carmy led a lively Table Topics session with three thought-provoking prompts that had everyone laughing, reflecting, or both. The quick-thinking brilliance from our speakers - Gail, Jillian, and Erin reminded us why off-the-cuff speaking is such an invaluable skill. Their topics: 

"If the average is neither good nor bad, do you consider yourself to be average?" - Gail

"What would an average day be for you?" - Jillian

"To your community or friends, you may be average, but what exceptional qualities do you possess?" - Erin

Wrapping Up on a High

Erin and Chris - Award Winners

Marlene skillfully conducted the evening's general evaluation, providing insightful commentary on the evening's proceedings. The evening closed with awards, raffle draws, and heartfelt thanks from President Chris. Most Improved went to our new member Erin, while Chris had the honour of presenting himself with the award for Best Speech. Members left with smiles, new ideas, and perhaps a little more confidence in embracing “average” — because sometimes, being yourself without the pressure to overachieve is exactly what makes you shine.

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Next Meeting: Tuesday, 26th August 2025 – 7:00 pm
Where: Sandgate Parish Hall, Sacred Heart Primary School

Theme: TBA (but you know it’s going to be good)

Whether you’re a seasoned speaker or just curious about what Toastmasters is all about, join us for an evening of learning, laughter, and community. You might just surprise yourself.

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Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sandgatetoastmasters

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/toastmasters_sandgate/

Meeting 1180 "Holidays" + Debate

The fifth Tuesday in a month is an opportunity to do something different at our meeting. Because the debate that we had at the last 5th week meeting was such fun, we held another one this time.

It was a small meeting this week, with many members away. Sergeant at Arms TJ called the meeting to order and handed control to President Chris. 

Arun was Toastmaster for the evening.

Chris

       

Arun

John proposed the toast, and Helen presented the word of the evening, "Departure." 

Round Robin Master Paul invited all to tell about a holiday.

Paul, as Debate Master introduced the Debate topic, " Is hosting the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane worth the cost?"

Peter and Chris were on the Affirmative team, with Chris doubling up as second and third speaker. (A bit irregular for a debate, but it was just a fun meeting!)

Peter

        

Chris

John, Marlene and Helen were on the Negative team.

  

John

Marlene

    

Helen

Adjudicators Gail, Arun and TJ declared that the Negative team had won by a small margin.

Marlene presented a raffle consisting of 2 "Whodunnit" books and a book on Public Speaking, and a box of chocolates. It was won by Paul.

Supper was supplied by TJ.

TJ had prepared some holiday themed Table Topics for Peter, Marlene Helen, Jill and Thomas.

1 "Worst holiday experience." Peter.

2. "Your ultimate holiday." Marlene

3. "Do like to plan a holiday or wing it?" Helen
4. "Family holiday traditions." Jill

5. "What is your next holiday destination and why?" Thomas.

Jill was voted best Table Topic speaker. The Table Topics were evaluated by Chris.

The meeting finished early at 9.10 pm.

Next meeting Tuesday 12th August.

Club Officer Training at Nundah  Saturday 9th August.  

Winter is Coming to Sandgate Toastmasters

 A Winter’s Night of Warmth, Wisdom, and Wit

Sandgate Toastmasters Meeting #1180

John - Toastmaster of the Year

On Tuesday, 22nd July 2025, the Sandgate Parish Hall in Sacred Heart Primary School was alive with laughter, learning, and leadership as members gathered for Sandgate Toastmasters’ 1180th meeting. Despite the winter chill outside, the atmosphere inside was anything but cold. This themed meeting, simply titled Winter, brought a vibrant mix of speeches, impromptu fun, and thoughtful evaluations.

Kicking Off with Camaraderie

At 7:00 pm sharp, Sergeant at Arms Scarlett called the meeting to order, welcoming guests and members alike. President Chris followed with opening remarks and distributed recent achievement awards - Toastmaster of the Year to John, setting a tone of encouragement and celebration. 

Our Toastmaster Steering the Night

Paul - Wordmaster

Jonathon - Toast

The meeting was then handed over to Toastmaster of the evening, John, who kept the night flowing smoothly with warmth and humour. Vice President of Education Peter delivered a brief update on program changes before handing the spotlight over to a lineup of role-holders who added flair and flavour to the agenda. 

Jonathon offered a thoughtful toast to warm hearts and to Toastmasters, and Paul, our Word Master, introduced the word - and action - of the night, 'Winter' (with a shiver). The always-popular Round Robin, led by Marlene, gave everyone a chance to speak (even if just for 20 seconds), warming up our vocal cords and minds alike. The question "What is the coldest you've ever been?".  We heard from all members and guests all about exotic, icy adventures, to frosty morning school runs. 

Prepared Speeches with Impact

We heard four prepared speeches from our talented members:

• Scarlett delivered a dynamic piece as part of the Motivational Strategies Pathway called 'Why Care? Self Care'.

  

  Scarlett

• Amy shared insights in her speech on 'Is Self Development a Trap?', sharing personal experience with self-help and the trap of trying to achieve perfection. 

  

  Amy

• Maddy took us on a humorous journey with her presentation on her Base Camp Communication Journey.

  

  Maddy

• Arun rounded out the lineup with a thought-provoking talk called 'Lead or Follow', which saw him reflect on his journey understanding his leadership style.

  

  Arun

Evaluation Excellence

Following the speeches, evaluations were presented by Helen, Peter, Christiane, and Paul. Each evaluation was packed with encouragement and actionable advice — a cornerstone of the Toastmasters learning experience. Evaluators provided structured feedback, showcasing Toastmasters’ commitment to supportive, constructive growth.

Helen

Peter

Christiane

Paul

Fun, Food, and Further Growth

Gail - Raffle Master

Between segments, Timer Helen kept us on track with time reports, and raffle master Gail brought an extra dose of fun with a cozy bunch of raffles! Supper was served by Scarlett (savoury), offering a perfect mid-meeting chance to mingle and refuel.

Table Topics & Business

The second half of the evening featured a well-run business meeting chaired by Arun, followed by Table Topics hosted by Gail. This impromptu speaking segment challenged members and guests to think on their feet with four unique prompts. 

1. What is your favourite Winter activity? 

Jonathon's response 'We don't have any real winter activities in QLD... so   probably my Saturday coffee after a surf.'

2. What is your favourite winter food? 

Marlene's answer - Soup! Easy, hearty and warming. 

3. Describe your ideal winter holiday. 

New member Erin described a range of holidays, from going to an onsen with the monkeys in Japan, traversing through Europe, and warming up in a cozy cabin with some hot chocolate in Canada. 

4. What is your go-to drink in the cold? 

TJ discussed her love for hot chocolate with all the toppings, or a steaming cup of herbal tea. 

Evaluations for the topics were led by Chris and Carmy, who provided actionable and enthusiastic feedback to our table topic participants.

Recognising Growth

Winners - Gail, Amy, Erin, Christiane

Paul returned with a report on word usage throughout the evening, and General Evaluator Jonathon offered a comprehensive review of the entire meeting, providing valuable feedback to all role holders. As the meeting drew to a close, votes were cast for best speech, table topic, evaluator, and most improved speaker. 

Winners: 

Best Speech - Amy

Most Improved - Gail

Best Table Topics - Erin

Best Evaluator - Christiane

Looking Ahead

President Chris wrapped up the evening with guest comments, final thanks, and reminders for the next meeting on Tuesday, 29th July 2025.

As always, guests are welcome to attend obligation-free. Whether you're looking to improve your public speaking, meet like-minded people, or simply enjoy a night of inspiration, Sandgate Toastmasters welcomes you warmly, even in winter.

Change of Venue this week.

 URGENT NOTICE

Our meeting this week on Tues 22nd July will be in the Sandgate Parish Hall, Sacred Heart Primary School, 92 Brighton Rd, Sandgate, Qld.

Parking is available on the street or in the church car park.

Entry to the hall is on the left-hand side from the street. There is a ramp on the right.

Visitors welcome.

Meeting 1179 "All Things Extraterrestrial"

We were thrilled to welcome three guests Erin, Lisa and Jill who braved the cold weather to visit our club.

Our new Sergeant-at-Arms TJ called the meeting to order and handed control to President Chris.

Gail, in her new Area Director role gave an update about the District Changeover Dinner which she had attended.

Toastmaster of the evening was Trish who had chosen the theme "All things Extra Terrestrial."

Gail

Trish

Paul proposed a toast to "Intelligent Life."

Word Master Gail presented the word "Vacuum" which was used frequently during the meeting.

John had a challenging Round Robin question for us - "If you were an alien, what would you look like and what would your secret power be?"

Paul

John

There were four prepared speeches. John who is working on the Persuasive Influence path, delivered a moving eulogy - "Farewell to Laurie." A shoebox served as a coffin for Laurie Keet, also known as "Rainbow" who had been a bit of a galah.

John

TJ presented a speech "The Discovery of No Dig Garden Beds." It was a project from the Leadership Development path. 

Helen, working on the Presentation Mastery path, delivered a persuasive speech "A Work in Progress."

Jonathon's inspiring speech "Playing Above the Line" was a project from the Effective Coaching path.

Helen

Jonathon

Speech Evaluators were Gail, Marlene, John & Chris.

Gail

Marlene

John

Chris

Carmy was Timekeeper.

Arun's raffle consisted of wine glasses, a bottle of wine and a set of pretty china bowls. It was won by John.

Carmy

Arun

Supper was provided by Paul.

Arun had some challenging Table Topics for Paul, Marlene, Christiane, Chris, Gail, Jonathon

Arun

Paul- "Communicating with ET"

Marlene - "Keeping ET safe."

Christiane - "Aliens around us?"

Chris - "Travel in space"

Jonathon - "ET could change our life"

Gail - "Search for ET life"

The Table Topics were evaluated by Helen and Robert.

Helen

Robert

Trish presented a short Educational Session on Debating. 

General Evaluator Christiane evaluated everything that had not already been evaluated.

Trish

Christiane

The evenings award winners were Best Speech - John, Best Evaluation - Jonathon, Best Table Topic - Chris, Jonathon & Marlene (tie) Most Improved - TJ.

Awards 8th July 2025

Next meeting 22nd July

Extra meeting (Debate) 29th July

Einbunpin Festival 27th July

Club Officer Training 9th August