Meeting 912 "Speechfest"

Liz We with Flame

President Liz We has returned from her trip overseas and got acquainted with Robert's new guide dog, Flame.

It was almost a full house with only one member absent (Missed you, Trish!) We also had three guests, Karen, Norm and Hollie.

In the wake of  White Ribbon Day promoting the elimination of violence against women, Jim proposed a toast to women - that they be strong & respected & safe - and what ever age they choose to be.(not his exact words.)

Round Robin Master John S asked what word do we avoid using because we find it difficult to say or to pronounce. Some of the words mentioned were facade, pronunciation, aficionado, relevant, patina, castle, leverage, fruition, vocabulary, etc. 

Annette

Toastmaster of the evening was Annette. In keeping with the theme, she interspersed helpful speech making tips between segments, eg. How to choose a speech topic - keep a file of interesting information and ideas. 
Don't attempt to speak about topics you are not interested in.
Make eye contest, hold a person's gaze for a moment. Make the audience feel you are speaking directly to them.
Leave hands at your side when not gesturing.

Sharyn

Sharyn had some theme related Table Topics for Jim, Jonathon and Marlene.
What is the best topic for a speech?
How do you think of a subject for a speech?
How have you gained confidence since joining Toastmasters?

Jim

Jonathon

Dave asked Terry, Del & John S, "What is the most inspiring speech you have heard?"
Who is the best speaker you have heard or are aware of?
Which famous speech from history would you like to have heard?

Del

John S

The Table Topics were evaluated by Ron and Peter.

Ron

Peter

Bev

Bev presented her Ice Breaker speech, and we enjoyed her humour as she recounted some amusing incidents she had encountered in her work.

Her speech was evaluated by Liz Wo.

Liz Wo

Inge

Inge, in her second speech, gave us some interest tips on Dog Ownership.

It was evaluated by Nicole.

Nicole

Nick

Nick delivered his second speech. He spoke about the use of Mobile phones and the decline of real conversation. His speech was evaluated by Maureen.

Maureen

Amanda

Amanda's speech was "Facing Fear with Hot Coals."  - an animated account of her experience in fire walking. It was evaluated by Terry.

Terry

John  T's moving speech was about "Depression - the Illness that Doesn't Speak it's Name."

It was evaluated by Jonathon.

John T

Robert's raffle was a voucher for the Coffee Club and was won by Amanda.

Robert & Amanda

The General Evaluation was conducted by Leesa.

Leesa

Awards for the evening were presented to Nick (Personal Best,) Jonathon (Best Evaluation,) Marlene (Be Table Topic,) Amanda (Best Speech,) and Annette (Best Contribution.)

Winners 26th November 2013