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!