Challenging, Inspiring and Improving

Tonight was a special meeting for all of the above reasons: Following Colin, our toastmaster for the evening, opening the meeting, we began with a remembrance for our lovely friend and fellow toastmaster Tracey who had continually inspired us at past meetings through taking us on a journey of her achievements. She will be sadly missed but never forgotten.

Old friends and new: A warm welcome was extended to our guests Mona, Sue, Ruth, Johno and Sarah.

Programmed on the agenda tonight were two speeches, table topics and an education session.

In the duty hot seats were:

• Graeme - General Evaluator
• Kate - Grammarian
• Timekeepers - Netta & Wayne 

Kate and Graeme

Introduced by Chris, Peter was first to take the floor with his very informative speech, from the Advanced Communicator's manual on global warming.Peter challenged us to think, plan and act on our efforts to reduce climate change and to avoid our generation being known as the "greenhouse generation" for spoiling our beautiful world for our children and their children,  and their children's children.

Our second speaker of the evening was James. Introduced by Robyn, James spoke candidly about his youth and what helped shape him into the person we know, pointing out that the choices we make paves the road we take.

Evaluating tonight's speakers were Chris & Robyn who both praised the speakers on the structure of their speeches, transitioning seamlessly through their introductions, body and conclusions.

Robyn

Tonight's Table Topics was hosted by Paul with a topic of nothing in particular, speakers chose from a selection of unseen topics "out of the hat". Covering topics from school memories of times forgotten (and kids), hot air balloon city sightseeing, family favourites to recycling our evening's table topic speakers all managed to speak freely on their surprise topic for up to two minutes (some managing more and had to be reminded that their time was up!!)

Colin

Dee

Sue

Table Topic Evaluators Amy and Duncan

Ian was "pause perfect" with his educational on Impromptu speaking strategies and had even prepared a handout for us detailing his top 10 tips.

James won the evening's Best Speaker award.

Robyn won the evening's Best Evaluator award.

Sue won the evening's Best Table Topics award.

Dee