COT TRAINING AND PATHWAYS

At COT training in Singapore, Saturday afternoon 2019, Jan 12.
Venue ITE.

Anand showed us the old system and the New Pathways.
He showed the advantages and disadvantages of both systems at each level. Then he asked us to vote.

Later we had Q and A.

It emerged that older members were unable or unwilling to transfer to the new Pathways.

Younger newer members were left without guidance and evaluators.

I was shocked to learn that
1 Toastmasters international knows that older members will leave.

2 This does not bother them. They have invested millions in the new system. Every other business from banking to tax is going online. Toastmasters is keeping up with the trend and expects its leaders and members to do the same.

The solution seems to be for the older and younger members to pair up for what I call mutual mentoring. The youngsters help with the tehcnical online website matters. The oldtimers evaluate creation of speeches and performances of speeches.

Venue
Buses stop outside, about 3 stops from the MRT station, not Am Mo Kio but Yio Chu Kang. First you see the bus station outside the MRT you leave, then the tower of the Grassroots Community club. Then the large building of Nanyang college, with ads all over the front.  Then the futuristi curved white ITE building. I went to get off but the driver told me to stay on to the next stop which was outside the ITE front door.

Leaving you have to cross the overhead bridge to the other side of the road.

Food
Inside are a food court (mosts stall not open on Sunday before lunch time). I got chicken rice. Signs said two prices, for ITE people, or visitors.

Usual food. I looked at sandwiches in the convenience store.

Supermarket next door had pineapple tarts and Yusheng for Chinese New Year.

Timing
I had arrived early.

The Toastmaster was late. He phoned to say so.

The ITE has two campuses so the directions systems might send you to the wrong one.

This delayed me.
Luckily I was still one of the first to arrive.

Timer
I was timer, jointly with a senior person.

Gave me time to ask for the lights - none - and cards.

The chairs have pull-out ledges, no adjustable, crush you in and papers slide off.

I needed clipboard (I left mine at home - too much weight to carry.).

Learned locals say clip-bod and don't understand board.

Organizers should bring a box of bits including the cards, clipboards and pencils. HOD in London meets in a room with a cupboard, in which these are easily to hand.

I asked about using meetup for several groups at the same venue, or same Area. The responder suggested joint meetings, of all clubs in area (as done at area contests) which then share the advertising on Meetup.

Afterwards I chatted to my mentor. He pointed out that I was moving from giving speeches to training. Although training can be one to three hours, instead of just 7 minutes to 30 minutes or at most an hours, training is not necessarily more tiring because you are getting the audience to be involved which is how they learn better, They could be in pairs or groups. You must give them questionnaires, or quizzes as well as acting out activities and discussions.