Rise and Shine at Our Annual Changeover Dinner

Meeting 1178     

    There’s something special about a changeover night; the perfect mix of celebration, reflection, and new beginnings. On June 24th, the Sandgate Toastmasters gathered at the RSL Sub-branch for our 2025 Changeover Dinner, themed “Rise and Shine!”. As we said thank you to our outgoing leaders and welcomed in a new executive team, the room was filled with energy, laughter, and a shared commitment to growth.

Helen

    Outgoing President Helen opened the evening with warmth and grace, reflecting on the year’s milestones and heartfelt moments. Her speech was a reminder of how far our club has come, and how every member contributes to our collective success. Helen’s dedication to creating a supportive and empowering space will leave a lasting legacy. Helen then thanked the outgoing executive for their year of hard work and dedication and shared her joy about the club achieving the president's distinguished award for the 6th time in a row!

    

    Later in the evening, Helen also took us by surprise with an impromptu “Who Am I?” game that had the whole room guessing   (and second-guessing) until the final clue revealed the answer: Simone Biles.

    Toastmaster Jonathon expertly, steered the evening with charisma, while Will offered a heartfelt toast to Toastmasters International.

Will

Jonathon

Eoin

    To kick off the fun, Sergeant-at-Arms Narelle ran a spicy round-robin with the prompt: “If you were a condiment or spice, what would you be?” Answers ranged from the sweet and dependable (vanilla, cinnamon) to the bold and mysterious (chilli, anise)—a fitting reflection of the colourful characters in the room.

    Table Topics Master Eoin then served up a pizza and change-over-themed session that brought out great stories:

    Will didn’t hesitate when asked “What’s the worst pizza topping you’ve ever had?”—it’s seafood, hands down.

    Scarlett shared a BBQ disaster-turned-success story after being forced to make pizza without an oven (tip: don’t forget the baking paper).

    Gail reflected on a significant turning point in her life—her decision to become a teacher during university. When asked “If you were President of the USA for a day, what would you do?”, Narelle replied with a laugh that she’d never take the job in the first place, and would promptly pass it on! 

Jonathon took a thoughtful approach to the question “Have you ever misclassified anything?”, sharing a childhood story about learning to meet uncertainty with confidence.

Gail

Scarlett

Will

 

    The evening also celebrated those who went above and beyond this year. Toastmaster of the Year was awarded to John, for his consistent participation and positive presence throughout the year. 

    Most Improved Toastmaster, voted by peers, was awarded to Narelle for her can-do attitude, willingness to step up, and engaging speeches and educational contributions.

Narelle - Most Improved 2024/2025

Area Director David

    We were fortunate to hear from Area Director David Boyle. David formally dismissed the 2024/2025 Executive Team with words of appreciation, encouraging them to be proud of all they’d accomplished. He then 

welcomed the incoming team with warmth and optimism before sharing insights from his time as Area Director in a thoughtful Q&A led by Toastmaster Jonathon. Fittingly, David ended the night on a high note with him winning one of our raffle prizes! We extend our sincere thanks for his ongoing dedication and presence at the meeting.

    Any night with pizza is already a win. But when you throw in two raffle prizes (a full breakfast spread complete with streaky bacon and a Coffee Club voucher), spirits are bound to be sky-high. Congrats to Will and special guest

David Boyle for their lucky wins and a massive 

thank you to Chris for supplying a fabulous 

raffle. 

Outgoing Executive Officers

New Executive Officers

    

    With heartfelt applause, we welcomed our 2025/2026 Executive Team, led by Incoming President Chris Horne, who shared a positive vision for the year ahead. With this team’s energy and dedication, we’re excited to keep rising and shining together.

Meet Your New Executive: 

President – Chris 

VP Education – Peter 

VP Membership – Eoin 

VP Public Relations – Scarlett 

Secretary – Gail 

Treasurer – Will 

Sergeant-at-Arms – TJ

   Jonathon returned with more light-hearted and thoughtful table topic questions:

    What are some strategies you can use when you're day hasn't gotten off to the best start? Well, Heidi, one of our guests, shared that when mornings are tough, she finds motivation in her next holiday and always something to look forward to.

    Chris, known for his deep love of coffee, was asked if his coffee could talk what would it say, to which he quipped that his morning brew never sticks around long enough to say anything.

    Eoin explored "If he could rise and shine anywhere, where would it be?" and described an ideal work-free relax at his in-laws’ well-stocked house in Cairns.  

    In answer to the age-old question "Is breakfast really the most important meal of the day?", Peter declared breakfast to be the most important meal of the day, largely because it’s the perfect excuse to raid the fridge for all the best things, including half a frozen cheesecake, icecream (with cream) and crackers and dip.

    TJ was asked what her ideal morning routine would be, to which she divulged that she savours her peaceful morning routine before her kids are up. with a quiet coffee on the train, but skips breakfast altogether (sorry, Peter!).

    And when asked what he’d do if “rising and shining” were optional, Arun said he’d trade it for travel and hobbies any day.

Heidi

Eoin

Chris

    As Dolly Parton once said, “If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one.” Whether you're stepping into a new role or preparing for your first speech, Sandgate Toastmasters continues to be a place to find your voice and build a new path with confidence.

    Here’s to a bright and brilliant 2025/2026!

    Thank you to all our guests and our members for making a truly special changeover dinner, and we look forward to our next meeting on the 8th of July 2025.