HOD Jun 2018 - Five Speeches

Problem
How do you fit five speeches into the two-hour Toastmasters Club meeting? Especially when you also want five minutes to congratulate the outgoing President Martin Doe?

Answer
You cut out what you can do without:
You limit table topics to five.
Evaluations of topics is eliminated.
The break can be cut from fifteen minutes to ten.
No language evaluator - except later as part of the newsletter. Let Evaluators comment on the language used by speakers.
The General Evaluator is kept short and concentrates on the evaluators.

If necessary, go five minutes over time at the end.

Martin Doe, outgoing President, prepares for his last meeting as HOD Toastmasters speakers' club President.

Tony Winyard, our technical expert, helps another member set up their slide show.

Dennis Newman, efficient SAA who set up the room, as well as timer and video masters, with his keen assistant for the evening, a new member.

David Phelops, Toastmaster of the Day, interviews a record number of ten visitors on why they visited, and what they thought of the meeting so far and hope to gain.

David Phelops, left, Toastmaster of the Day, congratulating table topics winner and presenting her with a ribbon.

Gill Ornstein, incoming President, presented with ribbon for best speaker by David Phelops, Toastmaster of the Day.

Satya, presented with ribbon for best evaluator.

Your photographer, Angela Lansbury, ALB ACG, doing a selfie Singapore style.

More photos can and will be added.

To attend a club in any of the countries worldwide, go to Toastmasters International find a club. Email the club.

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker, member of HOD and Harrovians speakers clubs, in London, England, UK, and member of and VPR for Braddell Heights Advanced in Singapore.

How Should You Dress For A Public Meeting - Smart or Casual?

I usually dress up for speakers' meetings. We often take photos of ourselves or others. Even if not on the programme, you are in the audience in a group photo. You win a table topic. The group wants a group photo. A photo of somebody else, such as a VIP being photographed by a newspaper photographer, shows you in the background.

You might not even notice yourself being photographed. At a meeting somebody might take a selfie of themselves alone or with their family and friends and accidentally catch you on the edge of the picture.

Whenever I forget or decide I'm too busy, or I'll change later in the day, it is a mistake. I end up missing an opportunity to show myself at my best and reflect well on the club.

 I was sitting at home not very smartly dressed at breakfast, nobody to see me I thought, when a member of the family decided to try out the focus on their camera and took some pictures of me. If I'd been wearing a new outfit I could have asked them to keep the photo. I risk them forgetting to delete the photo.

So my new year's resolution, dress every day/meeting right from the moment you get up as if your photo will appear in a national newspaper and online worldwide. Even when you are alone, you could be photographed. Some people tape over the camera on their laptop because hackers can log in remotely and take photos of you - as you scowl at mistakes, yawn, or sit in your dressing gown.

Make sure if you were photographed now, you would show your clothes, posture and smile to reflect well on yourself, those with you, and every organisation with which you are connected.