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.