The prodigal Toastmaster

Sometimes people go through phases during their lives where they step back and take a break from their regular routine. After serving as Club President, I decided to take a breather from Toastmasters. The reasons for my sabbatical have more to do with events in my personal and professional life rather than with the Royal Speakeasy Toastmasters Club.

After attending today's meeting, I realized two things. Firstly, our club meetings are as enjoyable as ever. Secondly, even as I spoke, I realized I was already a little rusty when it came to my turn to provide an evaluation during Table Topics. Public speaking is a skill that can be maintained and improved only through practice.

If you are a former member of Toastmasters - why not drop by again? You'll be warmly greeted by familiar faces and new faces. Most importantly, you'll be pleasantly surprised to note that there is always something to be learned at a Toastmasters meeting.

Powerful punch

Yesterday's meeting featured a table topics master who carefully crafted her session. The theme of the day was Planning for Success. Neera built her table topics questions around words that she considered essential when planning for success. Persistence. Focus. Concentration. Leadership. Risk. Instead of asking safe questions such as "What does success mean to you?", Neera wove her table topics around her key words. This led to interesting scenarios such as the following which was linked to Risk: "You are a known financial fraudster. You are in front of a judge. You want to demonstrate your innocence. What do you say to make your case?" Needless to say, Toastmasters needed to think on their feet more than ever before! Many members voiced their appreciation of this level of difficulty. Let's not shy away from a good challenge!

Moments of truth

Yesterday our club hosted a make-up session for club officials who could not attend the leadership training held in January.

During this session, Nick spoke to us about Moments of truth and Toastmasters. One moment of truth he shared with us was about speech contests. There is an air of familiarity and friendship that develop over time among club members. Members can still be quite nervous about delivering a speech but there is also a comfort level within the club. A speech contest offers the Toastmaster a different experience. The venue is different, the audience size has increased by 200% and for the most part, the faces are unfamiliar. A contest is a great litmus test for one's public speaking skills which can sometimes stagnate at the club level.

Contest success

Today's meeting featured the International Contest. Our club had two contestants who each delivered great speeches. Following the announcement of the winner, Tony, a seasoned speaker, offered some advice to the club on what to consider when competing at the district level. He mentioned that the choice of subject was absolutely crucial. There is a certain level of comfort at the club level, but speakers must consider a particularly engaging topic when addressing a large audience. Tony underscored how delivery can make or break a speech, no matter how interesting the topic. It is important to establish a connection with the audience early on. Finally, Tony reminded the club that speakers who move on to the next level must remember that microphones will be used. This might be a new experience for a club member since we never use them during our meetings. Microphones not only amplify our words, they also amplify any habits we might have, such as clucking tongues. Good luck to those competing at the district level!

Helping Others

Today's theme was Helping Others, a very topical subject considering the disaster that has ravaged Haiti. Helping others is also a fundamental value shared by Toastmasters around the world. Members appreciate that each meeting is akin to a learning lab, allowing them to experiment past their comfort zone without risking ridicule. Instant evaluations of speeches provides with valuable, on-the-spot constructive feedback. We all strive to help fellow members develop their speaking skills because every single one of us will eventually be asked to stand before the group and speak.

Never to say the word "sorry" when delivering a speech

This week's nugget was brought to us by Nick.  Nick reminded members never to say the word "sorry" when delivering a speech.  Speakers sometimes say "sorry" when their mind goes blank, if they have misunderstood a table topic question or if they happen to cough or sneeze when presenting.  Apologizing brings unwarranted attention to the circumstances you are trying to dissimulate. Simply pause, gather your thoughts or ask for the question to be repeated and move on.  Saying "excuse me" is appropriate if you have dropped something or coughed, but there is never any need to say you are sorry.