Organising Voting For A New Committee at Harrovian Speakers Club

President Seema, left, presents award to Angela Lansbury, right.

How and Why I Volunteered
1 I asked for a role in order to complete my Competent Leader manual and President Seema of Harrovians said I could Chair (organise) the Committee Election/Contest.
2 President picks meeting date, last one before handover, and allocates ten minutes in a busy programme of four speeches.
3 I am already down that day to do timer. I mistakenly think I can do both roles.

Organising the voting in of the new committee involved more than standing up and saying one sentence of introduction. A week of emails, each day a query from me to the president or from the president to me, and three replies, and a conclusion; each day involving up to half a dozen people with all the committee or all the members copied at each stage or at the end.

1 I list the committee posts and current holders.
2 I ask exiting post holders if they wanted to stay on? One wants to switch roles. I ask all if they want to switch to a new role?
3 I find out which posts had no takers so that anybody wanting to be on the committee could be asked if they would take the vacant role.
4 I tell current committee members we are obliged to advertise all posts to all.
5 I email all members to ask for volunteers to fill all vacant roles or all taken roles. Follow up email to all members asking if they were interested in joining committee, either taking on a vacant role, competing for a position, or being a helper.

Paperwork and Props
6 President asks me if I need any props, paperwork such as ballot paper.
7 I ask for a flip chart; then decide a projected list of candidates on screen would look more professional. I decide in case the computer fails I still need a back up of flip chart. I express doubt whether I can print the ballot papers or slide and ask if the President or VPE or another committee members can help. President says they are all busy and I should email everybody.
8 I email all members asking for help.

Martina (left)

9 Martina, a relatively new member who I would not have thought of asking, volunteers to do both essential tasks, print ballot papers and make a slide.

10 Assorted emails between us about whether we need ballot slips for all candidates - no just those posts where we have to vote for two.
11 On second thoughts must list all posts in case two new people pop on the night, standing for a vacant post, or an extra candidate from the floor stands for a post which already has a mandate.
12 President asks if I would like to announce candidates and speak at start of meeting, then re-appear at end with results.
Debate about where in the programme the Checking whether we needed to allow time for competing candidates Emailing date of committee contest date to all and asking VPE to allow time.

Angela Lansbury, CL, ACG.

What reading or creating a newsletter can do for your club and you

I am compiling a newsletter. Warren Sheng started a humorous account of Harrovian Speakers' meetings called What an Evening which was emailed to members. 

Pinky Tanna started emailing Harrovians members a monthly Newsletter, in two columns, with a banner headline. She inlcuded articles by herself, the President and the VPE and/or past president -  one or two other members who had time to send her snippets.

The History And Future Of Newsletters  - What Editing Newsletters Can Do For You

Sending out a newsletter takes time. It is a service to members, so that those who attended can relive the enjoyment, and see photos of themselves. Those who missed the meeting still get value from their membership by finding out what they missed. They are able to send compliments or congratulate friends and friends-to-be. Creating or continuing a newsletter for your club is a way of publicising yourself.

The newsletter draft newsletter is usually sent to Presiden who then forwards it to the committee to check names, facts, dates, eliminate or anything considered necessary.  Then it is forwarded to the members, or they are given a website link.

You can take over a newsletter from an ongoing editor just once whilst they are on holiday to get practice and see how it is done. If you have the time and inclination to write and edit it several times you can get a credit for it as a project in your Toastmasters' Leadership manual.

Angela Lansbury CL ATMG

Author of Wedding Speeches and Toasts (Ward Lock / Cassell); Quick Quotations (Lulu); Who Said What When (Lulu). 

Harrovians January and February News: Speeches, Harrow Mayor and Contests 2015

This newsletter covers the speeches at Meetings on Jan 5 and 19 and the forthcoming contests Feb 2nd attended by Harrow's mayor.


Jan 5 What an Evening!



Jan 19 What an Evening!

Speech by President Indra Sikdar, titled, Do you think immigration to the UK is a good or bad thing?

Seema Menon on Climatic Change and Greener Planet
Seema ended with a positive message, Let's protect our earth.

Thulasi Arunthavanathan

Lorna Burns on conversing with ease.
One of her useful tips was use open-ended questions.

Karen Carter offered me a useful insight on positive thinking and being warm and encouraging and not alienating people. Social workers are told never to use the word bad.
































President Indra Sikdar presents ribbons to award winning speakers and evaluators.

Committee Meeting
Held at the home of President Indra Sikdar.
Ruth Vishnick produced biscuits in a doggie biscuit tin. All members are invited to the next committee meeting(s). Please come along to see what the committee does and you might be inspired to assist and shadow a committee member. This will help you to be confident about standing for a committee role and helping the club prosper this year or next. Committee meetings are held at a member's home and the food and drink is on a pot luck basis so if you have special diets just bring what you would like to eat and share and show.

Ruth Vishnick is a former president of Harrovians. She has given speeches on running a tea shop, making scones, and the pleasures of having a dog.

Club Officer Training
Harrovians members who attended:

Indra Sikdar
Angela Lansbury
Seema Menon
Warren Sheng

 Seema with slides at Club Officer Training

Warren Sheng at Club Officers Training at the site of sister club HOD which meets on the first and third Thursdays each month. More pictures of this event on Facebook.

International Contest - what an evening!
Takes place Monday Feb 2nd attended by the Mayor of Harrow.
You will hear planned speeches by several experienced speakers - they need to have completed at least six speeches from the manual. Then for the second contest a target speaker delivers a speech and each of the evaluators has to analyse the speech giving the good aspects and suggesting improvements.

The Mayor of Harrow
VIP, guest of honour, will be this year's mayor of Harrow. The Mayor for the municipal year 2014/15 is The Worshipful The Mayor, Councillor Ajay Maru.
For more details about the mayor see the council website.
http://www.harrow.gov.uk/info/200033/elections_and_representatives/21/the_mayor_of_harrow

So you can feel at ease meeting our illustrious mayor, here is his photo. He is wearing his badge of office - and a red coat!

Angela Lansbury is a past president or HARROVIANS and with the help of Indra Sikdar has compiled the first copy of the History of Harrovians speakers club, illustrated with photos of founder members Indra, Imke, Kayode, the Harrow & Wealdstone pub with the supposed Weald Stone marking the boundary of Harrow Wealdstone, and the heritage plaque, and many more previous well known members, such as Alan McMahon, now Toastmasters Area Governor and highlights of events - such as being locked out of venues, performing speeches on street corners and parks. Price of paperback £10. It can also be downloaded.

Angela Lansbury BA Hons, CC ACG, is the author of twenty books including two paperbacks which may interest you: Quick Quotations for speakers and writers; Who Said What When? quotations for every day of the year, Jan 1 to Dec 31.

Post being updated with more text and photos. Come back later.