Bright and shiney award

There is only one word for our club – FANTASTICABULOUS (lucky there is no grammarian around!)

There is humour, great speaking, teaching, and as one of our fabulous guests said : “You have a lovely way of presenting communication.”  As always a fun-filled evening.

Evadne set us to order and effeciently opened the meeting. Then our smiling president welcomed all and set the wheels for a great evening in motion.

Tim Wagner had a theme that was definitely not soccer! It was about tourists – shame!  He kept us glad that we were locals and not gullible tourists!

After telling us that tourists thought that there were elephants roaming the streets, he proceeded to explain all the functions and structures of the evening. I am sure the guests appreciated it. And with the wet winter Cape rain hurtling down outside, we began the speeches.

ADELIN NDUWAYO did his CC1 and introduced himself with flair! His evaluator was our very own SARGE – Evadne. His title was MY HISTORY AND AMBITION. A very funny speaker who explained he was a linguist through sheer number of countries he had been in! And his ambition was to be president of Burundi. One of his great jokes was that he was looking for a J O B (which stands for Just Over Broke!)  An important message from the speech – : Take any idea and keep pressing it – and people will accept anything.  A great opening speech ADELIN.

"President" Adelin delivered his ice-breaker

Next was RICHARD PERKINS who spoke about ALL ABOUT ME in his “Ice Breaker” Evaluated by Money man Mr Strachan. Richard was introducing himself – again~!  An advanced speaker of many speeches, he is going through the beginning process to hone his skills. In his speech he talked about attendingf 13 High schools – he was well schooled! And he joined the Navy – referring to it as PUDDLES OF WATER! There was the tale of girlfriend number 1 of …. 13!? He processed milk at Clover and enjoyed the creamy fruits of sucess with milkshakes! And now he is a teacher – brave man wielding red pens!  A great speech and we learned even more about you – thank you RICHARD!

Last but not least was PULENG doing her CC3 (Getting to the point) With her title WHERE IS TECHNOLOGY GOING IN THE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM. Her evaluator evaluator was Our President Ana.  In 1901 a man fell asleep and dreamed he was in the 21st century. He was amazed to see technology – the travel system, money – using plastic cards! Even child birth was easier – you could choose how to have the birth or the sex of the child. The only thing that had not caught up to technology was the education system. If we are to educate youngsters in the 21st century in a way they understand, we have to use the technological tools available.  Thank you Phuleng for a very thought provoking speech.

Then after some tasty snacks, the evaluators did an excellent job of giving points of encouragement and points of improvement. The level of evaluations in our club is very high – keep up the good work!

Then the turn of Craig to Turn the tables on us at Table Topics. His topic was Places.

First speaker was TOM (me) who was asked where he was born and if he would like to return there. I said that on a point of order I was born in my moms tummy and would not like to return there. Then I said I was born in JHB and was now definitely a Capetonian and proud of it!

Next was GERDA who had the choice to live anywhere – and she chose not only to be president of but also own – VENUS! Creating the rules – of love! And creating hotels and resorts. Sounds like a fun place to see!

Then ADELIN who decided he wanted to visit RUSSIA because there was great vodka, muscular women to carry your bags and … bears?  Scary!

TIM told about his worst holiday experience when he was 14 in West Africa where small bush fires lit the way on the runway and there was a very unique self-help baggage retrieval system! And then he had a banana split – literally!

EVADNE was asked she would never like to go to. OUDTSHOORN – Sun is too hot there, and nothing changes. The pictures of the place from years before are still the same!

And finally PULENG spoke about her best holiday experience – a picnic holiday – which is only 1 day in her culture – where she fed men and made faces while looking for soul mates using a borrowed car!

Finally Ana implored us all to think about serving on the committee as we have positions still unclaimed!

Congrats to the Winners

Best Speaker: Puleng!
Best Evaluator : Evadne!
Best Table Topic: Puleng!

Remember next month our next new committee will be induced … er … inducted!  Be there!

Puleng receives her well-deserved awards from Ana

Thanks to Tom Bowman for the review, and Craig Strachan for the photos.

Speeches

Fellow Toastmasters showcased their skills in their speeches

Greg Marsh‘s icebreaker was like an advanced speech.   You are a hard act to follow Greg – I still have to do mine.

Jaco Strydom demystified the intricate world of high finance.  I now understand more about share indices.

Andries Viljoen figuratively cut up a cow and showed us pictures of the cooked beef.   The excellent visual aids accurately supported the content.

And Tim Wagner’s advanced assignment of “The End” was a speech of many, many diverse skills.   I loved the brevity of his personal eulogy and the motivational component running throughout.   It remains a wow for me.

Learning slot

Craig Strachan eloquently explained the purpose of the Education Slot at our meetings. It is a learning workshop enabling new members to understand & learn how a Toastmasters meeting is run & to provide a “going back to basics” for old members.

The topic for this meeting was Meeting Roles, which covered all the roles, requirements and skills of each role. The roles are summarized here.    More info is found in the Communication manual.

The Toastmaster is the MC for the meeting who needs to apply the essential, critical skills of how to run a meeting.

The Sergeant at Arms performs logistical and administrative functions, ensuring that the meeting runs smoothly.

The various Speakers cover topics to illustrate the required skills for their respective levels.

The Evaluators provides constructive feedback based on the demonstrated skills.

The Table Topics Master evaluates the skills of thinking on one’s feet, being creative, entertaining and talking within an allotted time. The purpose of table topics is to get people up on their feet & talking.

The General Evaluator gives feedback on how we are doing

The Timekeeper controls the time allocated for speakers by pressing the coloured lights indicating the time left to speak.

The Grammarian evaluates if the desired message was clearly understood by the audience, paying careful attention to use of word choice, metaphors, grammar and intonation.

My personal impressions

Learning the roles & rules gives one the opportunity to enjoy all the speakers, their own presentation styles and wide skills base.

I was initially distracted by the procedures especially at the October 2009 meeting where all the processes happened in reverse!   Thomas Bowman even wore his jacket back to front!   But after this education slot my fog index is much lower as a new member.

Education slots should occur more frequently.   These are the valuable building blocks to effective & competent communication & leadership.

Fellow Toastmasters please continue to share of yourselves in the very human manner in which you are doing.

Thank you to Sandra Arendse for this meeting review. Looking forward to your Ice breaker!

Enjoy – I am sure this will be useful.

Our intrepid contestants: Tom, Gerda, Tim and Vanessa

The contest was smoothly run and well organized by Evajdne Kortje, our experienced and, as Lois Strachan put it (Peninsula’s secretary and much more) “someone who makes things happen”.

It was a clear case of practice makes perfect as the contestants have greatly improved from previous presentations, not just in their normal club prepared speeches but in previous contests. So well done!

Congratulations to our winner, Tim Wagner, who won the International Prepared part of the competition with his Think Bike and who will be representing Peninsula on the Area D3 competition on the 8^th of April, Thomas Bowman was second with his Step Into Action speech, a personal tale of courage despite the fear and Vanessa Clark followed in a third position with her You can change your Stars and.

Tim Wagner is congratulated by Evadne Kortje

The Impromptu part of the contest was a tie… yes, all the contestants actually won! (Did I say they had greatly improved?). As it is required in an instance such as this, the Tiebreaker judge’s ballot was counted and the winner was Vanessa Clark, who will be representing us on the 8^th April in the Area D3 competition.

Under the word Revolution, Thomas decided to throw caution to the wind and asked a lady in a bus out. To his surprise she said yes and the encounter revolutionized his reality for ever. Then we had Vanessa Clark in second position, who explained to us that you can revolve your thinking about potentially chaotic events and regard them instead as positive and live changing. The choice is yours! Finally, Gerda van der Merwe was third and she told us about her current exciting 3-week celebration of this voluntarily-retrenched, 30-year-old-to-be lady, who is more-than-grateful to life for bringing a challenge she silently has been wishing for… in the form of chaos and revolution!

Vanessa being congratulated by Evadne

And the contest continued… Did you know that the Titanic was one of three sister ships? (I thought it was one of its kind!) And did you know that indeed it was not thought to be unsinkable? (I did!).

If you wanted to know these and numerous other details about the Titanic true story, you would have been in the right place at the Evaluation part of the contest, which was headed by Francois Rossouw with his demo speech: putting the story straight of the 15^th April 1912, The sinking of the Titanic.

The evaluators said it: captivating (Tim Wagner, winner), enthralling (Thomas Bowman, 2nd), informative and funny (Gerda van der Merwe) although Vanessa Clark (3rd) had a sinking feeling when the speech started… but considered Francois’ remark “what went down that day” an unforgivable pun!

And if you really wanted to know: yes, everything that happened in the Titanic movie did indeed happen that day! (Including the steamy scene in the car? We’ll never know!) But if you want to know why they chose the wrong steel to make the ship, steel that instead of becoming malleable in the cold, frozen sea waters, would become brittle, please ask Francois. I am sure he will be more than happy to repeat his speech!

Finally, thank you to the newest Peninsula members, Diana Kraak for being our Tally Counter and to Sandra Arendse for being one of our judges (together with Francois and Lois), roles that they took on courageously for the first time and at a really short notice.

And this is what makes our club meetings a success: everyone contributions… despite the fear.

Thanks to Ana Garcia for the review and Craig Strachan for the photos.

Thanks to Gerda van der Merwe for this visual meeting review!

And if the number of guests who joined up there and then are anything to go by, it looks like Peninsula members will be sticking to their New Year’s resolutions – well the ones to do with improving their presentation and leadership skills in any case.

It was also great to hear three Ice breakers on the evening – I look forward to many more presentations from these speakers.

Remember though, it’s never to late to make a resolution In fact, today is as good a day as any, so why not join us at our next meeting, on Thursday 22 February.

To get you in the mood, here are some pics taken at the January meeting.

Solveig delivers her inspiring Icebreaker speech

Tim delivers yet another excellent evaluation

Ana pays attention

Time keeper Hans also pays attention

Meeting review: Vanessa Clark

Photos: Craig Strachan

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, Calif., Jan. 18, 2010 – It’s the new year and you’ve made your annual list of resolutions. Perhaps you’re trying to eat healthier. Or spend less time in front of the TV. Or maybe you’d like to boost your career. Toastmasters International, a thriving organization with 250,000 members in 106 countries, can help you develop the communication and leadership skills needed to reach this goal.

To get promoted, you may need to become a better presenter and more confident team leader. You may need the ability to talk and answer questions off the cuff. If you want to land a good position, you’ll need job interviewing skills. All these skills can be learned in the supportive setting of a local Toastmasters meeting.

When Oregon resident Gary Schmidt joined Toastmasters, he was an unemployed college graduate who, in his own words, performed poorly in job interviews. He had difficulty expressing himself effectively. Toastmasters training helped him so much that after only six weeks, he was offered a job on the staff of then-United States Senator Mark Hatfield of Oregon. He worked for Senator Hatfield and then for U.S. Senator Gordon Smith, also of Oregon – all while advancing his communication and leadership skills as a Toastmaster. Today, Schmidt is the organization’s International President.

“I credit Toastmasters for my continued personal growth and development, which has led to job promotions and increased responsibilities at work,” Schmidt says.

Many more people have enjoyed career boosts with the help of Toastmasters:

• When Ann Maxfield applied for the job of e-Learning Coordinator at Hormel Foods Corporation in Minnesota, one of the requirements was being able to speak in front of large groups. Her experience as a Toastmaster was pivotal to her getting the job. “I hit a home run in the job world, and Toastmasters played a huge role in that success,” says Maxfield.

• When Jim Bresler changed jobs at Microsoft, from being software engineer to program manager, he had to interact more with customers and assume a managerial role with colleagues. “I think talking confidently to co-workers is very important, and Toastmasters helped me a lot with that,” says Bresler.

• The impromptu-speaking skills that Kealah Parkinson learned in Toastmasters helped her ace an on-the-spot job interview, earning her an opportunity to teach a class for job hunters at a regional adult education center.

If your goal in 2010 is to grow professionally, Peninsula Toastmasters club, which meets at The Tafelberg Tavern on the last Thursday of the month at 5.45 pm can help you achieve it.  Membership is an investment that can pay off in career advancement.

About Toastmasters

Toastmasters International is a nonprofit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of clubs. The organization currently has 250,000 members in 12,000 clubs in 106 countries. Since its founding 85 years ago in October 1924, the organization has helped more than four million men and women give presentations with poise and confidence. For information about local Toastmasters clubs, please visit www.toastmasters.org.

Peninsula Toastmasters, Meeting review  - 26 November:  It’s a lovely Thursday evening.  I am attending the meeting as a panelist on Ana Garcia’s assignment.  The meeting can be described as intimate, yet productive.  I think I count around ten people in the room, which bodes well for the recess as there would be food for more than that and I am starving!

The barman recognises my silhouette as I walk in through the bar.  He reaches for a tall beer glass and three Cokes, bypassing the ice bucket.  In a blur of hands as I walk by him R30 is exhanged for this heavenly mother’s milk (at least my Coke habit isn’t likely to kill me anytime soon…).  I am set for the loyal toast.

I shouldn’t be too surprised to be greeted by a blue-eyed, blonde lady speaking German to me as I sit down.  This is the German club, after all…  But no, this is none other than Jazzmin Hecht from Germany, visiting South Africa for a few months for the n-th time.  I think she must be psychic; how can she know I speak German?  Simple, really.  I am still wearing my Lufthansa ID tag. German club, German airline.  Looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, must be a duck…

Evadne comes running around the table to give me her usual warm welcome, and I go down on one knee so that I can hug her properly.  Such a friendly and happy club, this…

Donna Maclagan and her Triple Crown Award

As I’m chatting to Jazzmin I spot my vic… I mean, evaluee, Donna Mclagan walking in.  What is it that people find so intimidating about having their assignments evaluated by the Division Governor?  If you prick me, do I not bleed?  Donna is doing her “Accepting an Award” speech from the Special Occassions Speeches manual.  She has her Triple Crown Award which she will be accepting, but no one to present it!  Never fear, the Division Governor is near!  After a quick huddle with Evadne, doubling up the Sergeant at Arms role  with that of Toastmaster Of The Evening, I organise a slot to present Donna with her Triple Crown Award.  Nothing like throwing a bit of realism into the mix.

During her opening, Ana says she is looking for a volunteer to do the meeting review.  In a flash of I-don’t-know-what-the-hell-I’m-getting-myself-into-but-it-sounds-like-it-could-be-cool my seemingly springloaded sucker-hand shoots up.  I start taking some notes so that I can remember all of this for later.

Craig gives us the word of the day – Thanks, in the spirit of Thanksgiving (why do we care about American holidays when we have enough of our own…?).  He makes a valid point, that we don’t say thanks often enough.

Lois starts the C&L proceedings with a CC7 presentation called Awakened With a Kiss.  It’s about the story of the story of sleeping beauty (no typo!).  She also tells us the original version of the story.  “The prince went into the castle, found Sleeping Beauty, fell in love, and …”  HE DID WHAT?!?  I don’t shock easily, but Lois sure manages it.  I now know where Tarantino gets it from.

Funny guy Thomas Bowman

Thomas Bowman is up next.  He’s speaking from the Humorously Speaking manual.  He’s a good lad, is Thomas.  His mother told him not to jump out of an aeroplane in New Zealand.  She never said anything about throwing himself off a bridge with a rubber band attached to his ankles.  He listens to her.  Afterwards he phones her to tell her all about it.  What a guy!  He says he’s not funny.  I beg to differ.

La Presidenta Ana Garcia (who is getting married as I type this! You read it here first…) brings out the big guns to be her panelists for her panel discussion assignment from the Facilitating Discussion manual.  Lois Strachan, Immediate Past District Governor, Distinguished Toastmaster, soon to be Distinguished Toastmaster Times Two.  Craig Strachan, District Governor, Distinguished Toastmaster, hot on his wife’s heels.  And me, Division Governor and a mere Advanced Communicator Silver.  I am successful because  I surround myself with successful people, I remind myself.  The topic is starting multiple new clubs in Area D3.  The outcome:  There’s a lot of potential for new Clubs in the City Bowl area, which will fit in with the District’s goal of growth, but let’s not just start clubs for the sake of starting clubs.  Quality, rather than quantity.

The panelists: Lois Strachan, Craig Strachan and the author, Francois Rossouw

The snack break ensues, and there is a marked inprovement in the offering from the month before.  Again, I thank the gods for a small meeting.  More for me.  I give a good account of myself.

Table Topics is presented by Frau Hecht, nothing like jumping in there with both feet, Jazz!  Tonight’s is interesting.  Everybody writes down one of their secrets with their name on the top.  Jazzmin randomly picks speakers and tells him or her that, for example, someone in the audience wants to be a rock star.  The speaker has to tell us who and why.  No one gets the person right.  Everyone’s secrets remain safe.  PS, I’m the one who wants to be the aerobatics pilot!  Gut gemacht, Jazzmin!

Jazzmin Hecht puts Mapaseka Vryman through her impromptu speaking paces

The evaluations are of a good quality, as much as the speeches were of a high standard.  As the Division Governor this pleases me.  People are meeting their goals and Peninsula signs up another member.  They have a conversion rate that is right up there.

How do they do it?

Champagne appears as if by magic, and we drink a toast to Ana Garcia who is getting married on Sunday, 29 November. Felicitaciones por el gran día, Ana. Que todos tus días juntos se llena de alegría, felicidad y amor! Para siempre!

Chalk up another successful meeting.  Thanks, Peninsula ROCKS!

Thanks to Francois Rossouw for this review.

The expert, the truculent, the traveller, the teacher, the toastmaster, the non-toastmaster, the saturnine, the ambivert, the quixotic, the introvert and the extrovert, the egocentric and the rest of you! You! And you!

TO THE “ABC OF SELF-CONFIDENCE”

Talking Heads Club is hosting this event, with special guests, Playing Mantis presenting:

The ABC of Self-Confidence *FUN *FUN*FUN

Can self-confidence be learned? Is there a set of skills you can master and once you have them, you will be self-confident? When you have self-confidence, do you also automatically have good self-esteem?

Learning the skills of looking self confident from outside, is a great way of starting to build your self esteem. You start outside and work inward using the ABC of self-confidence.

Playing Mantis will be using improvisation, so there is bound to be plenty of voluntary audience involvement!

This session will give you:

1.  A quick 6 point check list from A to F to help you appear confident even if you are still shaking.

2.  A tool for ‘faking it until you make it’ – and making it is guaranteed if you follow the ABC

3.  Insight into the link between outward confidence and inward self-esteem.

Playing Mantis uses storytelling and improvisation to customise leadership, team building and personal development workshops for individuals and groups who want to be more motivated, more effective, more innovative and more connected to themselves, their passion and the people around them.

This will be followed by Toastmasters delivering speeches as they would at a normal meeting.

Join us!

WHEN: Thursday, 3rd December 2009

WHERE: Tafelberg Tavern  (6 Roodehek Terrace, Off Hope Street, Gardens)

TIME: 18:00 for 18:30 until 21:30

COST: R50.00 per person (Includes light snacks)

E-mail Ana Garcia – anataggy@yahoo.co.uk if you would like to attend as a guest.

For a change, Ana and I decided to do a photo review of the evening. Enjoy!

Pre-meeting pow-wow. Mike is scratching his head already!

Sergeant-at-Arms, Kirsten Pearson, makes sure we all know where the bar is at the Tafelberg Tavern.

Toastmaster of the evening, Vanessa Clark, gets to grips with the podium.

Angela Rothbert of Table Bay Toastmasters completes her CC10 - an inspirational message to the residents of Mitchell's Plain. Congratulations!

Peninsula Toastmaster Abdul Kamaldien demonstrates his cold calling skills with guest Helene Booysen for his AC3.

Lindsay Meiheizen, from Pinelands Toastmasters, speaks off the cuff about the Sunshine House for his AC24.

Good Hope Toastmaster, Mike Fawcett had the audience gasping (with laughter and horror) during the next in his series of Upham tales, "Small boys can't fly" for his CC4.

Mavis Fawcett, timekeeper extraordinaire, tests out Peninsula Toastmasters new set of lights.

Peninsula Toastmasters' President and Area Governor, Ana Garcia, evaluates Angela's CC10.

Evadne Kortje, from Peninsula Toastmasters, capably does a double evaluation after Ana Garcia and Richard Perkins's TV interview entitled "Youth leadership in Southern Africa".

Our visitor from Phoenix, Arizona, Elaine confidently steps up to the challenge of a Table Topic slot, and explains just how she ended up waking up on Paarl Rock (in Richard's fictitious scenario.)

Evadne looking quite happy at Richard Perkins, from Grove Toastmasters, choice of Table Topics.

All still paying attention after dinner! Here are Kirsten, Jazzmin (our visitor from Germany), Elaine and Abdul.

Ah - Richard delivering his Ah report.

What a team. From left to right: Richard Perkins, Evadne Kortje, Helene, Lindsay Meiheizen, Mavis Fawcett, Angela Rothbart, Ana Garcia, Jazzmin Hecht, Vanessa Clark, Abdul Kamaldien, Kirsten Pearson, Mike Fawcett, Elaine.

Thanks for making the meeting such a fun and successful one. Between speaking and leadership credits achieved for the various clubs, as well as meeting Toastmasters from other clubs, and countries (!), this event was a huge success.

Meeting review by Ana Garcia and Vanessa Clark.