Speakers' Clubs & Toastmasters International: Harrovian Speakers Newsletter Meeting 16 Feb Gargantuan Spontaneous

Harrovian Speakers Newsletter

edited by

Angela Lansbury B A Hons CL ACG

Gargantuan Spontaneous Meeting

on Monday 16 Feb 2015 at Glebe Hall, Glebe Road, Stanmore Middx.

A Jolly Welcome

President Indra Sikdar ATMS AL opened the meeting asking if we had yet read the Toastmasters Magazine in which an article described how three Toastmasters Clubs helped people overcome stammering. In the UK, our club with this aim is the Kings Club. He said that Toastmasters Clubs helped overcome all kinds of barriers to successful public speaking by giving speakers confidence.

He then welcomed our Toastmaster of the evening, Thulasi Arunthavanthan, a bundle of beaming joy, whose name he reminded means Basil, as we had heard in her Icebreaker Speech One at a previous meeting.

Thulasi’s theme for the meeting was spontaneity. Because she had only volunteered to be toastmaster of the meeting the same day in response to an email, she had had no time to email everybody and gather replies about a theme. So she asked each person as she welcomed them onto the stage or before they left the stage to comment on what they did spontaneously.

Grammarian Seema introduced word of the evening: Gargantuan. She was also called upon literally late in the day, and unable to prepare a typewritten or calligraphy in large letters.

What can the rest of us learn? I must remember to keep a felt tip pen in my bag. You never know when you might need it for yourself or to help somebody else. Lorna, absent for half term, once produced a pen to help me. Not by chance. She said she always carried a felt tip pen, in case she needed one, because she is a teacher (of EFL).

Fun With Topics

Table Topics master Karen Carter, tall, cool, calm and collected, as well as tall and elegant and warm, was Topics Master and explained the purpose of topics or impromptu speeches.

She gave useful tips she had looked up on the internet for successful topics mini speeches.

Go with your first idea.

Her first topic was what do you think of this, producing a small framed picture by artists Klimpt, and Ruth Vishnick was spontaneously and perhaps unintentional funny, thinking aloud, asking, ‘Which was up?’ Her personal experience was visiting the Tate Modern. She said she preferred pictures which show easy to identify scenes. She named her favourite artists, including Holbein, praised a picture of Henry VIII which showed the man’s character. She also liked skill. Her punchline was, ‘My son could have painted something like this picture when he was aged three.’

Karen’s next question was, ‘What would you do if you found a suitcase of money?’ She called Warren Sheng, who prides himself on his money-saving. Warren said he’d never found a suitcase of money, but you could often find dropped pennies in the gutter. A useful tip if we are ever desperate for a penny.

Karen’s third question, what would you do in a power cut, was a topic which she called Thulasi to answer. Thulasi’s personal experience was of frequent power cuts in a foreign country, where you spent your time sitting with family talking, and learned how to cope by using firewood, oil and batteries - and rationing their use.

Karen’s fourth topic was, which animal which you have not owned would you have liked? She asked for a volunteer speaker from the three guests who had declined to speak when she asked before the meeting. Genty bravely took the stage space and said he’d admired kittens and would love to have cat, not a dog, which his family had had, because of its unpleasant smell, but definitely a cat.

Karen said she had recently learned to ski, so her final challenging question was, which dangerous sport would you try if there was no risk? Gosbert said he had considered skiing, but two colleagues who had had skiing holidays had both returned with broken bones. So he would attempt bungee jumping.

Topics Feedback

As topics evaluator I (Angela Lansbury) commended Ruth on tactfully explaining why she did not like the painting owned by the topics master, a tricky thing to do, and I commended the topics master for reassuring the audience by saying she agreed with Ruth.

I commended Warren for dealing with the pros and cons of the subject, he never found large sums of money, but he often found small coins. He also gave us practical tips on finding lost coins, where to look.

I praised Thulasi for also giving us a personal story, and useful information about problem solving.

Jayanti, like previous topics speakers, told a personal story. He also demonstrated the power of using positive words, enthusing how he loved cats.

Gosbert introduced emotion, using the word terror, then pausing - stunning the room to silence with anxious anticipation.

Speakers Who Taught Us Lessons From Life

Shazia Syed’s prepared speech was project No 8 from the Competent Communication (CC) manual, teaching the speaker to get comfortable with visual aids. She showed us pictures of schoolchildren in Pakistan and told us about the high numbers (25 million) of children in Pakistan who do not receive education. An organisation (Citizens’ Foundation) is funding schools and she is helping to raise money for them and would welcome your contribution. She ended on a quotation from Nelson Mandela about the power of education:

Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.

Although Shazia was on her seventh speech she says delivery a speech is something she still find nerve-wracking, but I’m sure the audience had no idea because she spoke very fluently.

Sanjay Ratnam did his Icebreaker speech, the first in the manual, simply to get you telling the audience about yourself, not much research needed. He began with a dramatic story, how he ran to catch a bus and fell under it. His mother refused to accept doctors’ verdict at the first hospital that his condition was hopeless, and their inaction. She moved him to another hospital, a private hospital, which operated on him.

Despite even the second set of doctors’ fears he would never walk nor recover physically or mentally, he recovered and went on to excel academically and in business. He said his difficulties had made him stronger and more determined to succeed. He concluded with a motivational quote from Bernice(?):

Life’s challenges are not supposed to paralyse you. They are supposed to teach you who you are.

Jay Makwana gave another Icebreaker speech. Her name Jay is short for Jaymala, which means garland of victory - and at Hindu weddings you see bride and groom swapping garlands of flowers placed around each other’s necks - and will remember Jay.

She divided her life and speech into four different decades when she developed different interests and talents, chairperson of a school debating society, then notably yoga, dancing, meditation and business skills as a procurement manager. (What’s that? I am still wondering.)

She was lucky to have been born in Kenya but when she came to England she enjoyed new opportunities and changes of country and culture and loved her education and practical development and her whole life.

Indra’s ‘speech’ was a long advanced project The Discussion Leader, using role play, getting feedback from the audience, and summarising. He was using role play to rehearse and illustrate how he will be mentoring pupils at his old school which is now co-educational.

I (Angela Lansbury) had the starring role as the shy girl he was coaching who wanted to go into running a publishing business, producing self-help books for school-leavers, whilst earning money from day one.

Indra’s various suggestions, such as work experience, were vetoed on the grounds that, ‘My Mum wants me to earn money. We need the money.’

Indra continued, unperturbed, drawing on the book Rich Dad Poor Dad. He suggested the pupil should meet some rich Dads.

I enthused about a project which would introduce me to rich men, potential husbands. I left the stage after my a spontaneous punchline, ‘Do you have a son?’

Indra’s spontaneous rejoinder was, ‘Not that I know of!’

What did I learn from this exercise? That although my speech making is improving my life’s ambition is to be on stage doing Improv. (Short for improvisation).

Evaluations of Speeches

Gosbert Chagula evaluated Shazia. His comments on the use of slides were helpful. He said that people remembered slides which should illustrate particular points. For example, turn numbers into pictures of groups of people, contrasting with numbers of places we know. To show 25 million children have no school, show I stick figure for each of the millions in the UK (56 at last count - but rising) against 25 stick figures for the millions without a school.

Amparo Villamic evaluated Sanjay. Both are recently joined members showing great enthusiasm and promise.

Jesus Parada evaluated Jay. Jesus concluded with a delightful, encouraging phrase which was noted by Grammarian Seema: You are a diamond which only needs some polish; you can be even better.

Warren evaluated Indra. Warren amusing held up the manual with the lady on the cover, saying it was ‘the Women’s Guide to Public Speaking’.

Peter Francis, President of Bloomsbury Speakers was our General Evaluator. He suggested several useful tips. He noticed that Lola had taken over the timekeepers role at the start of the meeting because Jayanthiny Kangathran was unavoidably (we presume) delayed. His suggestion to timekeepers is.

1 The timekeeper should come forward and stand on the stage. It is your chance to develop confidence in public speaking and facing an audience, which is why you come to the club.

2 His recommendation to speakers was to clear the stage.

3 Watch that you are not advancing down the aisle so that the front rows are looking at your back and cannot see or hear you properly.

Peter started his work life as an engineer but more recently has been involved in helping sports teams and individuals achieve their goals.

Ruthie Vishnick noted down volunteer speakers and helpers for the next meeting. Ruthie, Jay and I are car-sharing, which frees up parking spaces and enables us to chat about the meeting and get to know each other better going home and to meetings. If you wish to car-share, please contact Indra or Ruthie or any committee member.

Twenty-two people attended the Feb 16 meeting including some returning guests. President Indra closed the meeting by telling us two of the guests decided to join Harrovian Speakers’ Club. Both have filled out the joining forms, one has already paid, and the other promised to do so on line. New members, he said, will help strengthen our club.

SPEAKERS’ DIARY

Future meetings:

1 Club competition at sister club HOD, on Thursday Feb 19 2015. Time?

2 Area contest at same venue, The Bridge, opposite Harrow. Support Harrovian club winner Gosbert who is in both contests. Organizers may be looking for officiants if you want to practise assisting at a club contest (which is evaluated in your leadership manual and counts towards getting a leadership certificate - handy to have on your CV). Harrovians should have a judge in order to ensure that each club has a judge and there is no bias on the judging panel. Date? Time?

3 Next Harrovians meeting Monday March 2nd 2015.

4 Harrovians meetings on Bank Holiday Mondays which will be changed:

5 Gosbert Chagula mentioned an ‘open mic’ (sign up to speak on the night event) in London.

Spark?

6 London Speaker is a club online on Facebook and holds meetings in central London for all the London Toastmasters clubs.

7 Harrovians had a website and a Facebook page.

8 You can read forums on LinkedIn, different forums for members and would-be members.

9 If you have a role at the next meeting, Youtube and Facebook have videos of people performing your role at clubs around the world, and tips on websites, plus, of course, on the Toastmasters International website. You will also find tips on speeches and roles in the Toastmasters manuals and the handbooks given to committee members.

10 Any committee member or member of the club can advise you on a speech or role. If anybody mentors you for three speeches they get a credit in their leadership manual, so if anybody is good enough to help you with one speech, reciprocate by listening to their next speech and giving feedback, and ask if they wish to mentor you for the next two speeches and sign their manual giving them feedback on their evaluations as a mentor.

If you have anything to add, questions or comments, we can include them in a revised version of this to be placed on the internet for all our members to read. Please let us know if you wish your name or photo to be kept off the internet for security or any other reason. If we don’t hear, we assume you are happy with the text, photos - and spelling of your name!

Glossary

CC Competent Communicator (The first Ten Speeches completed from the old or new Speech manual.

CL Competent Leader.

AL Advanced Leader

ATMS Advanced Toastmaster Silver (Completing 30 speeches)

BA Hons Bachelor of Arts, Honours degree

GE General Evaluator

Improv Improvisation

Open mic (open microphone - anybody can speak, if there is time, first come first served)

Photos by Angela Lansbury and copyright Angela Lansbury, for use of Toastmasters sites only, with photo credit. Members may enquire about other photos from events shown and past events - some of which are photographed by several people. On this date I believe photos were taken only by Angela.

PHOTO TIPS

It is assumed that if you pose for a photo with a ribbon or in a group photo you are pleased to have your photo shown to other members and on the club websites. You may also appear in the background of another member as we don’t have the time and technical knowhow to crop every photo.

Sometimes we can crop and cut out a member who is glowering, or yawning. But often that leaves hands and handbags. When we photograph, as a courtesy to others, please sit up and look like a happy, smiling delighted audience, not looking bored, nor jealous that you didn’t win, not without waving arms to create blur, nor dodging in front of the camera.

Photos of previous meetings have also been taken by past president Gosbert and other people.

Note from Angela - I have just written a book entitled Our Last meeting, subtitled Newletter. I hope you enjoyed it. I can see why Warren, who is in a new job, does not have time for this currently. When his contract ends, I hope he will come back.

Newsletter compiled by Angela Lansbury and checked by Harrovian Speakers’ President Indra Sikdar.

Ribbons for performing a first, icebreaker speech were awarded to Sanjay and Jay.

Sanjay won best speaker, Ruthie won best topics speaker and Gosbert won best evaluator. But I think you will agree that all the speakers and role players were winner and we all gained a great deal of information and entertainment from every one of them. And thanks to the guests and audience members who supported us with smiles, laughter and applause.