International Contest Night

On Thursday the 17th of March 2011, Camberley Speakers held their annual International Speech Contest and International Evaluation Contest, with the winners going forward to the next stages of the competition, and possible qualification for the finals of these competitions in the United Kingdom and then the United States.   

We had a fun-packed evening, with many of our regular members in attendance, some new guests, and also many visitors from other clubs, without whom the meeting would not have been possible. They included Alan Donegan (Area Governor) our Chief Judge for the evening, Gordon Piggott (Division "H" Governor) our Target Speaker for the evening, and others who helped as Speech and Evaluation judges, Ushers, Timekeepers, Break Masters, and all the other roles that help to make such meetings run smoothly.  

The meeting was introduced by Christina, the club's past President and the acting President for the evening. Briefings were then given by Maria James in her capacity as the Speech Contest Chair, and by Alan Donegan as the Chief Judge.  

1) The International Speech Contest (duration 5-7 minutes) there were five contestants for this event, who spoke in the following order:

SPEAKER                                        SPEECH TITLE

Gary Jenkins                                   Three lessons

Martin Berry                                     Did you ever?

Bob Nisbet                                       Scams

Sarah Williamson Green               Relief from the shackles of fear

Harry Fish                                        Music to the ears 

The speeches were followed by a short break for tea, coffee and biscuits, whilst preparations were made for the second half of the meeting. 

The meeting resumed after the break with briefings by Sarah Williamson Green as the Evaluation Contest Chair and by Alan Donegan as the Chief Judge. 

The Target Speaker for the International Evaluation Contest was Gordon Piggott, who gave an amusing speech entitled "What's so special about chocolate?"  

At this point there was a five minute break whilst the Evaluation Contest participants left the room to make preparations for the contest, and in the meantime Quang Le did a "Cool Down" session, with a mental "pass the parcel" going round the audience. 

2) The International Evaluation Contest then got under way, with four contestants for this event, who spoke in the following order: 

Harry Fish

Maria James

Martin Berry

Gary Jenkins 

After the Evaluation speeches, the judges went outside the room to deliberate, and a further "Cool Down" session was run, this time by Natalie Kay, with a focus on "Holidays from Hell" that people from the audience had experienced. 

Awards Presentation:

Gordon and Alan then called all contestants to receive their participation certificates, and gave out the awards as follows: 

Speech Contest: 1^st Bob Nisbet, 2^nd Sarah Williamson Green, 3^rd Martin Berry.

Evaluation Contest: 1^st Gary Jenkins, 2^nd Martin Berry. 

Christina rounded off the meeting by thanking everyone who participated, as speakers, as judges, and as the audience, for making it a most enjoyable occasion.

Many then went to the Four Horseshoes for light refreshments and informal discussions, and to drink a toast to St Patrick!  

Next meeting: Thursday 7th of April 2011, commencing 7.30 p.m. at the normal venue.

Subsequent meeting: Thursday 21st of April, is a DIFFERENT VENUE, PLEASE NOTE! St Michael's church will be using the hall on this date, but we have arranged to use the function room at Camberley Rugby Club for that evening, details will follow soon. 

Club's Newsletter: This newsletter will also be posted onto the website which you can access without a password. If you'd like to include additional information which is relevant to Toastmasters, do let me (Harry) know. 

New members: Please welcome our most recent joiner at Camberley Speakers, Atulya Verma. Do give him any assistance he may require on his journey with Toastmasters. If you would like to know more about joining, please read the final page of this letter. 

Members' badges: Natalie Kay has created a badge template to help new members and regular visitors to be easily identifiable. Please let either of us know if you need a badge: ndkay@hotmail.co.uk  

Members' manuals: In return for paying a joining fee, new members are enrolled on the Toastmasters International system, issued with a PIN, and receive their first two manuals, the Competent Communicator manual, and the Competent Leadership manual. Do bring these with you to our meetings, and ensure that whenever you carry out a role, you find a fellow member to evaluate your efforts, and have this recorded in your manuals.

 Other news:

1) Subscriptions: How time flies! Every six months we renew our memberships to be part of Toastmasters International, and for a small outlay, get lots of fun in return. Most of you will have received the reminder from our Treasurer, Chris Ayscough, but by way of a further reminder, please see the attachment being sent out with this newsletter.  

Club's atmosphere: Our objective is to help members to develop their public speaking abilities in a friendly and supportive environment. If you have a problem in attending because you need a lift, do say so, somebody may be able to help. If you have a meeting role, but need to cancel, please inform us ASAP, so that the agenda can be revised. We have enthusiastic members, at Camberley and elsewhere, who are willing to take on roles at short notice, and a hard-working VPE (Quang) who is prepared to juggle the agenda as required, to ensure that "It will be alright on the night." 

Many hands make light work: A club like ours relies on volunteers. If you would like to play your part in running the club, even taking on a small role, please contact our President, Martin Berry on: berry-martin1@sky.com   or 01252-650001.   

I hope to see you at the next meeting. Happy Toastmastering All! 

Harry Fish CC - (VPPR, Camberley Speakers)

Phones: 01276-35164 and 07860-201387

E-mail: harryfish@thinkpositive.co.uk  

(See below for membership page)...............>>>>>>>>>

THE MEMBERSHIP PAGE  

Club Membership: We welcome guests to our growing club. If you like what we do at Camberley Speakers, why not bring a guest or two with you next time, and they can see for themselves? If you would like to know more about joining, please ask a committee member at the next meeting, or e-mail me or Martin Berry for details.  

Some FAQs to guide new joiners: 

- How much does it cost? - Membership is renewed every six months, in April and October, and currently costs £39 twice-yearly. This covers the hire of the hall and other expenses. When you first join there is also a "one off" fee which is currently £16, to cover your registration onto the Toastmasters International system as a member, and to pay for your first two manuals. 

- What do you get when you join the club? - As outlined above, your membership is acknowledged by Toastmasters Head Office in California, and you will receive your first two manuals, which have been designed to guide you through your first 10 speeches, and the other challenges you may choose to meet within the club, such as carrying out speech evaluations for others, and taking part in various parts of running your club, which will be acknowledged by your fellow members. Don't forget to bring the manuals to each meeting, where you can be given credit for any roles you perform. 

- Is there any help to get started? - Many of those joining Toastmasters for the first time experience a mixture of excitement and anxiety about what lies ahead. Fear not, you are in good company, we have all been through it! Be assured you are amongst friends who are there to help you, if help is required. Your Competent Communication manual will show you the outline themes for your first 10 speeches, and gives a fair amount of guidance in writing. If you would also like some face-to-face assistance from a more experienced speaker, there are many within Camberley Speakers who are willing to give up some of their time to do this.  

If you decide to join..........Welcome to the world of Toastmasters!