Why Enter An Area Contest?

Why Enter A Club Or Area Contest?

Advantages of Competing

Kavita opened the contest warmly by outlining the advantages of entering contests. 

You can enter your club contest after completing six speeches. If you need another speaking slot - visit another club. Visiting another club, and entering a contest, is a challenge, speaking to a larger audience in a new venue. Enter a club contest to learn how to do better. Alternatively, help out in another capacity such as timer of judge and see what you need to look for in a good speech. 

If you are only a supporter in the audience, it's a great help to fill in the judging criteria if these are printed on the back of the agenda. See if you can guess what the judges will decide. Listening to the evaluation contest helps you judge speeches, including your own. Give everybody practice at speaking and roles and judging. Network with members of other clubs. Get a sense of achievement. Gain points in the Competent Leader Manuals or Pathways for members. Introduce your club venue and members to others. You can involve your family in Toastmasters. Spouses who would not attend meeting may be persuaded to support members in contests.

Area Contests

Even if you are not in the top two winners of a club contest, sometimes a winner is unable to attend and you will be able to take their place. 

Even if you don't win, you gain a certificate of participation. So what, you may think, until you meet somebody else who says: You are so brave - I could never enter a competition!

2 Compliments to those who took part! 

Speech Contest Contestants

 Angela Lansbury - The Business of America Is Business - subtitled Sell Yourself

Angela Lansbury in cowgirl hat for International Speech Contest. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Kamlesh Chandarana - Come, Take A Walk With Me

Peter Jacques - Dead Expensive - title changed to Write A Guidebook

Rebecca Carrera - Juicy Mountain

Sovel Cunningham - Puberty in Reverse 

Steffy Samuel - What Do You Want To Be?

First place winner, Rebecca, told us about her trip (to Turkey) on a juice diet for a week; she recommended we do the same.

Second place winner Steffy Samuel listed three people who were told they would never be a success: Einstein; J K Rowling; and an actor who ignored discouragement and became a major film star. They were all examples of what Steffy's mother had assured her - "You can be anything you want!" 

Third place winner Peter Jacques told us about the challenges of being the executor of a will, including the registrar of deaths who would demanded cash, but would not give a receipt for the £20+ required for four or more death certificates. (Yet the government now wants us all to insist on receipts!)

Kamlesh Chandarana started by flopping exhausted into a chair, as he had done after a marathon walk to raise money for charity. He also showed us walking shoes and a walking stick with a pointed end to help you climb uphill. He ended by inviting us to join him on a walk.

I might take him up on that. We could use the time in rehearsing our next speeches.

Sovel Cunningham bravely told us the symptoms of menopause, including hot flushes, losing hair and gaining hair, stressful body changes of ageing, which she likened to the stresses of 'Puberty In Reverse'.

In my speech entitled: 'The Business of America is Business - What's Your Business?' I described American persistent techniques for selling, including the hotel receptionist trying to find the would-be hotel guests' business, so that she could offer him a business discount. He unhelpfully said his business was a secret, so she gave him the 'secret discount'. As usual, my speech title and content were continually being updated.

Contestants in Speech Evaluation Contest

The test speaker was American Bret Hollywood. He is a specialist in speech training and NLP,

Bret's speech started with a BANG! He recalled how he landed noisily and heavily on an aircraft carrier at the start of his period in the US services. The VIP who greeted Bret called him what became his nickname, Sunshine. At the end of the speech, Bret was the VIP meeting a new recruit, but Bret was a VIP called Sunshine.

Evaluators
Evaluators were: Coralie Francis, who wanted to hear how he Bret got his real name, (Bret Hollywood) not just his nickname (Sunshine).

Gill Ornstein, said the speaker 'owned the stage' and was relaxed.

Kamlesh Chandarana commended the speaker's body language;

Siobhan McCall, wore beautiful high-heeled shoes with red undersoles which so entranced me that her elegance eclipsed my memory of what she said; She suggested: The middle section of his speech needed as much impact as the intro and conclusion. They had a lot of punch that the tone of the middle didn't. 

Steffy Samuel was not placed in the evaluation contest but must have been overjoyed to come first in the other contest;

Yohan Fernando said, 'Bret gave a brave speech, so well described that it reminded me exactly of my time in the American services'. 

Contest Chairs were Ramesh, and Beauty Zindi who had briefed the International Speech speakers clearly, calmly and efficiently.  

4 Ramesh interviewed each contestant whilst we waited for the results. He recalls:

Angela Lansbury

Q: Angela, how many times have you been to the US?

A Three times. We became quite skilled in getting free flights/upgrades by volunteering to be bumped off overbooked flights at Christmas.

•             Gill Ornstein

Q: Gill, do you have any hidden skills, like Angela?

A: Skills I have learned at Toastmasters, giving speeches confidently to audiences.

•             Kamlesh Chandarana

Q: What inspired you to take up walking?

A: My wife suggested taking up walking, to work.

Q: Walking all the way to work, how far do you walk?

A: About 1.5 miles away.

•             Rebecca Carrera

Q: Rebecca, can you tell us, are you still on the juice diet?

A; Unfortunately not, the juicer is gathering dust in the loft and needs a good dusting.

I will be looking to get that back out again soon.

  

Sovel Cunningham

Q: Sovel, I am significantly older than you; can you give me and the audience some beauty tips on how to look so young?

A: Live for today, don’t stress and learn to relax.

•             Steffy Samuel

Q: Steffy, you said in your speech that you were thinking of being a Bollywood actress - have you given up or do you still have plans?

A:  I still have plans; you should never give up on your dreams!

•             Coralie Francis

Q: Coralie, you are training to be a comedian, can you give us some tips on how to be funny

A: I trained. But you just do it.You gain confidence and learn from the reaction of the audience.

•             Peter Jacques

Q: About this book of yours, Peter, how far are you from completing it?

A: The book is empty, because the young people of today don’t want to listen to you and would rather benefit from writing their own how-to guides.

•             Siobhan McCall
Q: What inspired you to want to take part in the competition? 

A: It was the opportunity to learn from the wonderful speakers and evaluators, and to test myself against such a high level of competition. By listening to the speeches and getting feedback from the other Toastmasters there, I learnt so much that I can use to enhance what I do at Harrovians. 

•             Yohan Fernando

Ramesh recalls: My questions to Bret Hollywood were :

Q: Bret it says in your Bio that you have spoken to audiences of over 30,000; I have aspirations of crowds of about 1000 which is somewhat smaller - can you tell a bit about this?

A: Bret responded with: 'I now get invited to do events of different sizes. Did anyone see the boxing match the other week?'

    Someone at the back of the audience called, 'Yes!'

Bret replied, 'That was me doing the commentating."

Q: Bret, it says here that you have done some TV; can you tell us a bit more about this?

A: I’ve done some TV, my more recent was winning Come Dine With Me.

Q: So you like cooking, great! What’s your favourite dish?

A: He said Moroccan.

Q: And one final question - does anyone in the audience have a question for Bret?

Peter Jacques requested, "Bret - do an announcement?"

Bret shouted, in increasing volume: 'Pe-TER Ja-A-QUES!'

What I really liked!

Having the judging criteria on the back of the agenda. It involves the audience and reminds speakers what the judges will be noting. If everybody is writing, not just judges, the speakers cannot instantly tell who is a judge and who isn't.

Chief judge Kevin asked the speakers to stand so he could tell they were not sitting alongside judges. (Well done, Kevin. On previous occasions I have seen the Chief Judge ask the judges to stand - giving away the anonymity of the judges.)

Recommendations:

Lessons learned:

For Organisers

Decide in advance of the event who is the presenter of certificates. 

The presenter should sign certificates neatly in advance, or, better still, have the presenter's name printed.

For Contestants

I should have practised my speech immediately before the contest, at least once, ideally twice, preferably to another member of my club, failing that, in front of the mirror with a timer in the toilet or a side room, even the back of the hall. I should have had my speech on my mobile. I should have checked how to turn off the sound of my mobile whilst keep it on to use as a camera.

Get feedback from your supporters or others in the audience. The feedback I got included:

Practise and use more contrasting accents in your quotations. (In my speech American accents.)

Tell different stories from different parts of the stage.

End with an emphatic call to action at the end - which will help people to change their lives.

Ramesh Halai, previously assistant Area Director was voted in as the new Area Director, unopposed, despite his encouragement to members of the floor to volunteer. His amusing acceptance speech started with expressing anxiety that he had taken on a job which nobody else wanted to do!

The next contest you can attend is the Division contest. 

Where? ......

When? .............

Do you need to book? 

Kavita Dulai, our outgoing Area Governor who has been so supportive, encouraging everybody throughout her term of office, closed the meeting as she had opened it, warmly, smiling, efficiently, quickly and concisely.

Assistants included the SAA:
Timer, Simon Cooper.

Bret and others were thanked for travelling long distances and their invaluable help. Like other contest helpers, at the end Bret was rewarded with a bottle of wine. 

I don't have photos of these presentations. Next time let's ask the recipients of gifts to turn to the camera for photos.

Timer, Simon Cooper. Photo by Angela Lansbury.

Report compiled by

Angela Lansbury, ACG ALB.

Member of Harrovians and HOD (and Braddell Heights Advanced club in Singapore).
Thanks to Kavita for her outline briefing and to Ramesh for his recall of his questions.

The Joys of A Party At Black Pepper Celebrating Steve Brewer's Successfully Becoming Distinguished Toastmaster

Steve Brewer celebrating his success.

What makes you attend a party, pull or push? I missed the Watford Speaker's Club Christmas Party. Was it because the dates clashed, or simply that I had so many parties, or that nobody phone me personally? Or was the clincher the fact that I already had two wine club parties and two Speakers' Club parties and had to miss the Writer's Circle party because it clashed with another party?

When I went to the party in January celebrating Steve Brewer's success I enjoyed it so much that I regretted not attending the Watford club party the previous December and vowed that I would join them next year. What was so good about the party for Steve Brewer? Every club or event succeeds because one or two or more people devote lots of time and effort into making the event happen. Instead of seeing organising as a chore, those in charge look forward to managing the details as a preview and extension of the joy of the occasion.

Whether you are arranging a party or a wedding or a funeral, what keeps you going is the desire to see friends or family, honour somebody and have a successful event including all the elements you feel are either necessary or pluses. Let's look at the elements of a successful celebration and speech: First pick a date which suits your VIP.

Venue and Date
Choose a date when it is celebration season, or a date when no rival events take place and restaurant prices are advantageous. January was a good date. No rival events claimed our time and money. Invitations Send out invitations. Note in the original invitation or a follow up personal note or phone call why the recipient will be welcome or why the VIP is a VIP.

Partymania shop, Hatch End. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright. 

Banners and Balloons
Ask the venue to provide banners and balloons or supply them and arrive early so they are up before the arrival of the most guests and the VIP. Opposite Black Pepper restaurant in Hatch End is a party shop called Party Mania. Another party shop is in Stanmore. You will find similar ones worldwide, and if not, there's always the web, so allow a month for anything you want to order on line, with delivery from China and the Far East to Europe or America and in the opposite direction.

(A club organiser might have a box of party ware. Harrovians club used to keep Xmas items from year to the next, including banners and a Santa Claus outfit. The trick is to keep a note of who took the goods home. One year it took a week or ringing around to find out who had the old Santa Claus outfit. Sometimes a hoarder has an attic and is keen to keep items to supply to numerous clubs of which they are a member. Other times nobody wants the clutter the responsibility and nuisance of storing and labelling and transporting back and forth. It's just a question of finding which committee member or person living near the club venue wants to take home the leftover banners, and whether they are willing and able to produce them at the next event.

 Venue and Decor Menu, food and drink

 Socialising and mixing Speeches
 All went well. (Another post in my travel blog features more on the restaurant.
 (This is a Draft - saved so as no to lose it. More text and photos to be added later.