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District 71 Newsletter February/ March 2011

Contents: District 71 is honoured to have Pat Johnson DTM International President attend the May conference in Windsor where she will be deliver a keynote address.

Seeing International Presidents of Toastmasters at your District Conference is a rare event. Their attendance is on a strict rotation across the Districts around the world. Luckily it is our turn this May. Pat will give us a highly topical keynote speech about leadership. Across the world we hear the cry for leaders in all walks of life. Her belief is leaders are developed, not born, and that leadership increases with practice and awareness. She will discuss some of the essential foundational qualities she believes everyone needs to develop into effective and influential leaders. Pat is a seasoned executive who has been a leader in the corporate, government, and not-for-profit and self-employed-business worlds. She is an international speaker and communications trainer, skilled in strategic planning, career development and conflict resolution. (read more about her http://www.toastmasters.org/ToastmastersMagazine/ToastmasterArchive/2010/September_1/Pat%20Johnson%20DTM.aspx Pat Johnson will deliver her keynote speech “What leaders are made of” at 2pm on 6th May.

P.1. International President Comes to D71 P.2/4 District 71 Executive P.5 Conference News P.6 Stage Time Opportunity P7. Harry Dhillon & the BBC P.8 Contests by the ‘Chair’ P.9 Compete to Win P.10/11 Gerry French on ‘Why compete’ P.11 HPL Idea P.12/13 2010 Champion Jane Cameron P.14/15 Look for the benefit P.16/17 Internal P.R. P.18/19 Journeys End P.19/20 Prince’s Trust P. 21 Royal Cinema P. 22 Leadership @ Ipswich P. 23. Cover From the Editor: This edition has some timely articles as clubs approach contest season. I hope you will be inspired to make the journey to the Spring Conference in Windsor where I hope I will see you. This is your once in a lifetime opportunity to meet our International President at D71. See the conference website for booking information www.aspringodyssey.com See page 5 for details of another great conference events. Lucia Hughes DTM D71 PR Officer

Message from your District Governor - Teresa Dukes, DTM What a great January and February we have had. Training has been carried out with everyone in the District from the Club Officers to Division and Area Governors to the Executive officers. We are now ready to tackle the goals for the last four months of the year! Working as One Big Team we can be assured that we are connected to everyone! Are you fully connected from the member all the way to Toastmasters International? Are you still holding your piece of the string? One BIG TEAM

With everyone working together as the ‘Inspire with Passion’ District Team we are guaranteed to be as successful as we set out at the beginning of our year! We started our year ranked 16th in world - help us reach where we want to be by the end – FIRST! 100% Distinguished We have set all our clubs the challenge to be DISTINGUISHED by the end of the Toastmasters’ year.

That means you accomplish 5 out of 10 of our Distinguished Club Programme Goals and maintain a membership of 20+. This helps keep our clubs healthy and sustainable! We have also challenged you to go one step further by adding 2 more goals to the 5 and reach SELECT DISTINGUISHED by 15th April 2011. The first 30 clubs to accomplish this award will receive a FREE copy of the 2010 World Championship of Public Speaking Final DVD. Where is your club? 3-4 New Clubs per Division This is your chance as a leader to pass on your knowledge and skills to help ensure that we are spreading this fantastic Educational and Leadership programme to as many people who want to improve their skills in these areas. Is there potential for YOU to start a new club? Looking forward to hearing about your success! Teresa Dukes, DTM District Governor

Education and Training:

Jim Hegarty [Lieutenant Governor Education & Training ] We are now entering the most exciting and most fruitful time of the whole toastmasters’ year. There are still four of the most productive months of this year available to us. Together, we can to make a difference for our Members, our Clubs, our Areas, our Divisions and our District. By the end of February, our Club Officers, our Area Governors, our Division Governors and our District Executive Officers will have received training on two occasions this toastmasters’ year, namely, in the period July – August 2010 and in the period January – February 2011. The attendance at these training sessions has been exceptionally high, bordering on the 100% mark. It is not surprising then that all of the officers concerned are approaching the tasks ahead with both confidence and enthusiasm. With regard to Communication and Leadership Awards, it is now time to ‘harvest’, or more accurately, to record our CCs, ACs, CLs and our ALs at WHQ. As soon as the

members have reached these milestones, the recording should be initiated at once. Delaying this recording can lead to errors, such as, -no recording is done at all. This can even lead to the loss of valued club members. When the Certificate of Achievement has arrived it should be presented to the member in the formal setting of a club meeting. This procedure celebrates the success of the member and serves as an

exemplar for the other club members to follow. There are also Awards for Excellence in Team-Leadership at Club, Area and Division levels. A Club, an Area or a Division can achieve awards as follows: Distinguished Club, Area or Division, or Select Distinguished Club, Area or Division, or President’s Distinguished Club, Area or Division. The Spring Conference is being held in London from Friday 6th – Sunday 8th May. The title of the Conference is 2011 Spring Odyssey venue the Beaumont Estate Old Windsor. Visit www.aspringodyssey.com for further information. Conferences provide great opportunities for members to attend Workshops, which are focused on Communication and Leadership issues, and which are delivered by experienced toastmasters. There will be an opportunity to hear 8 gifted speakers, 4 from the United Kingdom and 4 from Ireland, as they compete in the International Speech Contest. There will also be an Evaluation Contest and, once again, there will be 8 competitors. There will be a need for 16 Judges for each contest, and in addition, there will be 2 timers, 2 tellers, 2 counters. Why not take up a leadership challenge/opportunity and volunteer to play an important role in the running of an international event. See you in London in May.

Why you should go to the District Council Meeting

At 11am on Saturday 7 May, we will hold the next District 71 Council Meeting during the Spring Odyssey Conference in Old Windsor.

Until I became an Area Governor in 2006, even though I had been an enthusiastic Toastmaster for some five years, I had no idea about District Council meetings or what they had to do with me. Then my eyes were opened and I have been attending them every since! In a packed one to two hours, held twice a year at the District Conference, formally chaired by the District Governor, the meetings cover all sorts of aspects of running Toastmasters in the UK and Ireland. We discuss and vote

on:

● Motions put forward by members ● The budget for running the District ● How to rearrange (realign) our Areas and Divisions as we grow ● All the work the elected District Executive do to support clubs and members ● What’s going on in the eight Divisions ● Elections for the District Executive and Division Governors roles for the following year (May only) ● Where the next Conferences will be held

and much more besides. Anyone can attend the Council Meetings – whether a Toastmaster or not – but only members of the Council can vote. They are:

● All Club Presidents and VPEs (if they can’t attend, they can appoint a member of their club to carry their proxy vote using the form at http://d71.org/docs/D71Docs/ProxySprint2011.pdf )

● Area Governors ● Division Governors ● The District Governor, Lt Gov Education and Training, Lt Gov Marketing and Public Relations

Officer, District Secretary, Treasurer and Parliamentarian The meetings make me feel I am part of something special, much bigger than my club and I understand what goes on behind the scenes to make District 71 the very special organisation that I am proud to belong to. I thoroughly recommend attending Council meetings as part of your Toastmasters’ journeys. See you in Old Windsor? Sandra Lawes - District Secretary 2010/11

A Must for Toastmasters - District 71 Conference May 6th 7th 8th, 2011: Iain Duthie International President Pat Johnson will be in attendance at the Spring Odyssey ConfernceThe venue for this conference is a former boys school which has been splendidly refurbished and sits in 40 acres of landscaped countryside. It is only a short distance from historic Windsor and the river Thames.

Options available from the ‘Other Options’ list!

* Guided walking tour of Windsor (for those not required at the District council meeting). * Airport pick up (Heathrow, Stanstead & Gatwick)

• The professionally produced Conference DVD, which will contain • International Speech Contest & Speech Evaluation Contest Pat Johnson’s Keynote workshop & Jim

Key’s Sunday morning workshop

You can also register your interest in attending a joint Anglo/ Irish meeting the evening of Thursday 5th May as well as taking part in a golf day on Friday 6th.

World Champion of Public Speaking Jim Key, will be delivering two workshops as part of the weekend. • The first will be at 5.15pm on Friday 6th May: “Speak Better, Quicker”. Come along and learn how to

approach the process of constructing and delivering highly effective speeches. • Jim’s second workshop, on Sunday 8th May at 9am will be “Hitting the Mark: The Quest for Excellence”.

Jim will share the rewarding lessons about excellence he learned on his journey to the championship - lessons that apply to you. This workshop will include his Championship presentation, "Never Too Late". Absorb his tips on how you can be even more successful in your personal pursuit of excellence.

Additional Event on offer As an additional event, after the conference ends, Jim Key is offering a 3-hour Master Class programme, Sunday 8th May (2pm – 5pm). This will be limited to 50 people - a rare, more intimate opportunity to learn from a champion. Education Workshops or (Lessons)

08:45 - 09:30 Alan Donegan "Have the audience rolling in the aisles" Angie Key "Pump them up! How to engage with your audience" Eddie O'Hanlon & Karolina Gwinner "Get Online! Attract a new generation of Toastmasters" 09:45 - 10:30 Paul Carroll "Persuade with Power! Applying debate skills to get your point across" Tina Sibley "When the Lion is Hiding - Find Your Courage" John Kelly "6 Steps to club success. Guaranteed!" 12:45 - 13:30 - Lunch and Learn with Professor Bob Ferguson "Aliens" [limited to 120 pupils due to room size] 14:00 - 15:00 Saturday: Keynote Speech - Pat Johnson, International President "What Leaders are made of"

For lots more information and bookings www.aspringodyssey.com

World Stories Project Toastmasters’ members throughout the world communicate millions of words each year.

Toastmaster members continuously seek challenges to enhance their communication skills. However, there are times when some members feel that only a few of their skills shine outside of their clubs. When an opportunity comes to use your skills, it should be taken on courageously.

The children’s charity, KidsOut (www.KidsOut.org.uk) has a project suitable for Toastmasters at all levels of expertise. Vale Speakers Club member, Niz Smith is employed by KidsOut. Two years ago, Niz and a co-worker had modified several children stories to fit within a 5 – 7 minute time frame. The stories were to be created for the benefit of disadvantaged children. These stories could be heard by accessing the KidsOut website. Niz needed the stories to be recorded for the website.

Niz approached the VP of Education, Rose Marie Calder. The opportunity to use the clubs’ skills to read the stories to be recorded was a project Vale Speakers Club took on with great enthusiasm. The stories use many TM skills. Other TM clubs’ members participated. The project was a success for both TM members and KidsOut. Several organisations, including Costa’ Coffee, realized the positive impact of a story telling concept and has offered their support for the World Stories Project. KidsOut is the only charity in the UK dedicated to bringing fun and happiness into the lives of disadvantaged children.

What TM skills are required? An interest in working for a community project. The ability to use the skills which have been acquired – i.e. vocal variety, entertainment, projection of voice, etc. and Creativity

Overview of the World Stories Project and its goals.

Children of these nationalities generally do not have access to stories in their mother tongue. Creating a series of stories will be a method for children and their families, to relate to their native culture and to their new environment, improving literacy, inclusion and, of course, offering a bit of fun.

The 20 most commonly spoken non-English languages by school children in the UK (not including the Republic of Ireland) are: Akan/Twi-Fante, Albanian/Shqip, Arabic, Chinese, Bengali, French, Gujurati, Hindi, Panjabi Pashto/Pakhto, Persian/Farsi, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Somali , Tagalog/Filipino, Tamil, Turkish, Urdu and Yoruba

This project is seeking assistance of TM members, especially members who are comfortable in one of the above languages.

● The project is to creation of 5 stories in each of the above languages for a total of 100 stories. The story is to be approximately 1,500 words. A writers’ pack has been developed for participants.

● Once the story has been selected, it will be translated into the native language AND an English version for a

total of 200 stories. (100 original stories and 100 translations)

● Volunteers are needed to record the stories which will be edited professionally. After editing the stories, they will be placed on the KidsOut website. The stories will be read in both England and the native language i.e. Turkish

● The project will include biographic information of the volunteers who have assisted.

The Vale Speakers Club is located in Leighton Buzzard, Area 4, in Division ‘G’. TM members interested in the guidelines

and writers package for the World Stories Project please contact: Rose Marie Calder Vale Speakers Club Vice-President of Education rms2954_vol@hotmail.com District 71 would like you to be aware this is not a recognised Toastmasters

International programme but one that Toastmasters can participate in to develop and improve on their skills in this area.

Martin Luther Kings once said “Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole path, just take the first step.”

I took the first step in fear. Gripping and in total fear. When I first attended the Trojan Speakers Club in Ealing, London as a guest over 3 years ago I was so paralysed by nerves that I nearly walked out during the "Guest Introductions".

Today I am the President of the Club.

The path that led me here has changed me beyond my wildest dreams. Why? Because I have a stammer - a very obvious and sometimes a very severe one. As a result, I have spent most of my life running and hiding. Joining Toastmasters is my way of emerging from my cave and facing the dragons outside.

But it hasn't always been an easy journey. As recently as 18 months ago, I would hide in the toilets and wait for the meeting to start before reappearing in case I was assigned a difficult role at the last minute. But the Toastmasters formula is a very successful and effective one, and gently guided me out of my shell. I liken it to the escalators on the underground stations.

If we simply step onto the escalator, then we are carried upwards. And so, by simply attending meetings and pushing ourselves a little further each time means that we grow that little bit more. With this growth comes self-belief. And then the fog of fear starts to clear and opportunities which didn't seem to exist before, suddenly become visible. One such opportunity for me has been the chance to 'come out' completely about my stammer.

The movie “The Kings Speech” has done wonders for the stammering community. It has raised awareness. It has highlighted the corrosive impact this embarrassing disability has on stammerers. It has made it acceptable to talk openly about stammering. The BBC, in their quest to write an article about the movie, wanted to interview a real-life stammerer who was also a public speaker. They approached the British Stammering

Association. The BSA, with whom I am actively involved, passed the request onto me, and a day later, a BBC cameraman appeared at our club meeting to film the proceedings.

Showing this four minute clip on the BBC website has been the latest in the numerous steps along the path Toastmasters has helped me forge. Without Toastmasters, I would still be languishing in my cave. I would still be weighted down by negative emotions of inadequacy and helplessness. Toastmasters has been an incredible personal development programme for me. It has changed the way I talk. It has changed the way I walk. The shoulders no longer droop, and the open body language says "talk to me". But the path doesn't end here. In fact, it will never end. I will stay on this personal development path as long as I live because it has given me so much. Sometimes I think about how far Toastmasters has helped me to come. From once being paralysed with fear, I cannot now imagine life without public speaking. Harry Dhillon. President London Trojans

Who Will be Contest Chair Is there a role in toastmasters that encompasses being a host (or ‘toastmaster’) for a very important event, as well as delivering an opening speech, conducting live interviews, and observing meticulous guidelines throughout? And by the way, the audience will consist of the highest-ranking officials and most accomplished speakers and dignitaries from Ireland and the UK, as well as hundreds of toastmasters and guests. It sounds easy, right? Let me take you back to early September 2010 in the heart of Dublin. A small group of toastmaster addicts are meeting to organise the upcoming District Conference; “Inspire”. Every role during the three day event must be filled, and we nearly make it but for one task; the Table Topics Contest Chair. A fight breaks out in my head between the crazy guy who loves to try new things, and the over-protective one that keeps me from stepping in front of a bus or giving my wallet away to strangers. Thanks to Toastmasters I’ve learned to temper the latter and face the challenge. “Okay I’m in”. I have successfully left my comfort zone. In fact I’m way outside it; it’s down somewhere in Bolivia by now. Finally the day arrives… It’s a big crowd, three hundred maybe? I’m not sure how to feel about that so I make the decision to love it, and I open the contest. I warm the crowd for ten minutes, and they are most delightful. This is Toastmasters after all. One by one I call the contestants to the stage and announce the topic; “What will be your gift to humanity?” The contestants proceed to amaze me with their performances, and the judges leave the room. Now the interviews…..... This is the scariest bit for me. I had prepared some questions, sure, but I cannot know what the responses will be, and these are the finest spontaneous speakers in the District. The eventual winner, David Jones, demonstrates how termites communicate by sniffing me in the ear. What a blast, literally! I can safely say that a contest winner had never sniffed me live on stage, and may never again. That sums up Toastmasters for me, great humour coupled with learning new things. Would I recommend being a Contest Chair at a District final? “Inspiring” is not a word that begins to cover it. In fact, no word can. Just do it!

Eddie O’Hanlon

Dublin Club

COMPETE AND WIN..!

It’s speech contest time again. Are you going to compete? The rewards are worth it. Last May I reached my first District 71

International Speech Contest Final at the District Conference in Sligo. My aim was to win a title, a trophy and a trip (to California) as it turned out, I DIDN’T! The other Erick with his “RED BICYCLE” won them. When I reflect on attending that conference and competing in the contest I realise how much I did win. Let me show you what I mean.

My first win was in the feedback I received from Darren LaCroix, the 2001 World Champion of Public Speaking. Darren gave me some wonderful feedback on my speech. He saw areas for

improvement that neither I nor anyone else who had heard my speech previously had even considered.

My second win was the change that occurred in my thinking about speaking. Until that contest I spoke from a place of fear, a fear of failure, a fear of making a mistake, a fear of looking foolish in front of others. Speaking with those fears meant I was focussed on myself and not on the audience. That changed at this District Contest Final. For the first time ever I gave a speech that was focussed solely on the audience.

My biggest win was the connection I made during the speech. In my speech

“LIFE’S TOO SHORT” I told a story about a friend who had died at the age of 45. On the Saturday night when the contest was over, two people approached me to say “Thank you”. They told me how they had lost someone dear to them the previous year and that my story had touched their hearts. This is why we speak, isn’t it?

I didn’t win a trophy, a title or anything else starting with the letter “T” last May

but I did win. One of the best ways to attend a District Conference is as a competitor in one of the finals. Winning a title and a trophy would be great (and should always be an aim) but they won’t be the only things you win

If you want to know more about my experience of competing at the District level International speech contest, please contact me at....

Eric Fitzpatrick...clansasta1@hotmail.com

For anyone who is undecided about attending the forthcoming conference, one of the many reasons to attend Windsor this coming May is that another world champion, Jim Key (2003), will be there. There really is so much to learn from these champions

Why Enter the Speech Contests If you are considering entering a speech contest it is always worth asking your self the question, why? Why do I want to compete against my fellow members for the coveted title of Club champion, Area champion, Division champion or even District champion? I have participated in speech contests since 2002 and I have never considered myself to be in competition with anyone…except myself! When I enter a contest I ask myself “What is the very best I can do?” My objective is not primarily aimed at winning the contest but rather to explore how well I can apply all I have learned in Toastmasters to produce my best presentation. Can I keep rising above the standards I have set for myself? Can I discipline myself to keep learning? Can I keep asking “how can I make it better ‘? I can only ever do my best. Sometimes it is good enough to win and sometimes it is not. The question is…is this the best I can do? I have often taken this attitude outside of Toastmasters. At work or at home if I am engaged in some task, particularly if it is a task I might consider tedious like cleaning the fridge or ironing, I ask myself “how can I do the best possible job”? I then focus on the task as if it is the most important task in the world. Often I discover it actually becomes enjoyable…almost like a meditation exercise! If you are still hell bent on entering a speech contest, here is the approach I have used in the past. It may or may not work for you.

Each time I produce a draft copy I read over it a few times and ask myself “How can I make it better”? The answer may not come for a week. That is why you need to give yourself lots of time. Sometimes the answer may involve starting again from scratch! Are you prepared to do that? When I reach a point where I am satisfied with what I have written, I learn it off word for word. People wonder if that will make your presentation sound scripted or stilted but even the greatest performers in Hollywood only start

performing when they are thoroughly familiar with there lines. It is only when you are thoroughly familiar with your lines that you can begin to concentrate on your delivery, your timing, your gestures etc. Your presentation is a performance, a live performance. You do not have the luxury of editing. When you take to the stage, you get only one chance to shine so you had better be prepared. It is said that life is not about the destination but rather the journey. A speech contest does not have to be about claiming the trophy at the finishing line but about the experience gained along the way. What have you learned about yourself from the experience of preparing for a contest?

‘ What is the Very Best I can do?’

Once again be very clear why you are entering a contest. Gaining the respect and adulation of your peers is wonderful. Needing it and demanding it is something quite different. If you cannot handle being perceived as not being the best, then you should reconsider your participation in speech contests. It took me many years to “get” what Toastmasters is really about. One night after I had won an area contest, I was being congratulated by a group of people. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed an elderly men standing, waiting for the group to move on. When they dispersed he came forward, he gripped my hand tightly, looked me straight in the eye and with a tear in his eye, he whispered “thank you”. He turned and left. We can never appreciate what is going on in the lives of the people in front of us when we get up to speak. We have to believe that what we have to say can make a difference to someone, Entering a contest just extends the audience. If you are nervous about entering a contest maybe you might ask yourself, “Could my speech make a difference in the life of one person who hears what I have to say? I think if we look at in that light, we don’t really have a choice? Gerry French

Choosing a project for the High Performance Leadership Manual

The High Performance Leadership (HPL) manual has been sitting on my book shelf since October last year. To be honest I didn’t know what to do with it. However…. Back in August 1956 a group of men chartered the Aylesbury Toastmasters Club (now known as Aylesbury Speakers) and yes, it was a men only club at that time. Their objective was to help local men improve their skills in order to gain work during the post war years. Aylesbury Speakers is the longest running club in District 71 and it would be ludicrous to let its 55th Anniversary pass by without notice or celebration. I have

volunteered to organise a celebratory dinner in honour of the men and women who have contributed thousands of hours of their lives to the running of the club. So how do you organise such an event? To do this all by myself is impossible, fortunately Aylesbury is a strong club, with a committed executive team. There is a fantastic skill set among our members and we all work well together. But how do you bring all those skills and personalities together? When I read through the HPL manual, I realised it’s perfect to help focus me and the club in turning our vision into an amazing and historical event. So my HPL project is to organise a black tie dinner at the end of June for past and present members, with a keynote speaker or two to celebrate the extraordinary achievements of the oldest club in the UK and Ireland and preserve our place in the Toastmaster History books. Belinda King EVP Aylesbury

Evaluation Contest

Another piece in your Toastmaster Jigsaw

“Fear doesn’t exist anywhere except in the mind” said Dale Carnegie.

Sorry Dale, but the fear is in my churning stomach, dry mouth and an urge to run away from the competition stage. Why on earth had I entered this evaluation contest when I could be safe in my comfort zone in the audience?

Why take the step forward from evaluating at club meetings to entering the evaluation contest? Exactly because it is a ‘step forward’ in our development; how do we learn if we stand still or if we stay in our comfort zone? How can we fully benefit from the Toastmaster C&L programme if we don’t experience all the elements? It’s like a jigsaw with some pieces missing – you don’t get the full picture!

For several years I thought that competitions were just not for me. Then Lindy, my Club President, said, “go on – what’s the worst that can happen?” Well, I had a long list of ‘what might go wrong’ but the realisation dawned that whatever happened on the contest stage, I would benefit from the experience and another jigsaw piece would be in place. I knew that regardless of whether I forgot my words or fell over on stage there would always be a warm round of applause and encouragement from Toasties.

Do you want to know the one major factor that got me through each round of the Evaluation contest? It was the members of my Glasgow Clubs and yet they didn’t even know how they were helping! On stage I focused hard to imagine that it was them in the audience – it was a normal club meeting on a Thursday night and my role was to give an effective evaluation for a member. I try to do my best evaluation for every speaker at my club and I visualised this as I delivered my contest evaluations.

Here are some tips to encourage you to enter the evaluation contests:

Ask your Club to purchase a DVD from previous D71 evaluation contests and watch/listen to the contestants; how do they motivate the speaker, present their recommendations and summarise their evaluation?

You can’t prepare the content of your evaluation but there are techniques to help you consider the structure i.e. Sandwich, COD, GLOVE (Google these or contact me for more info)

Be aware of timing lights and the disqualification times!

Smile (when appropriate) during your evaluation; it helps you feel better and shows positive rapport with the audience, the speaker and the judges!

Deliver evaluations at other clubs; practise in an unfamiliar environment and for an unfamiliar speaker

Try not to focus on the negatives of what ‘might go wrong’

A focus on the goal of winning is good. However, my goal was “I’m not bothered about winning but I do want to deliver an effective evaluation” – that was my focus

Look at the Judging Criteria for evaluation contest and think what you need to do to get high scores

Trust in your ability – go on, give it a go!

A final tip for Clubs: my Clubs sent me a card containing 40 individual messages of support at the D71 evaluation final; this was a huge boost to my confidence. If a Club member is competing, at any stage of the contests, remember that little words of support make a big difference

If there is a gap in your Toastmaster Jigsaw, have a look for a piece called Evaluation Contests and fill-in the picture – it will look and feel great!

Jane Cameron, DTM Glasgow TM and Southside Speakers

D71 Evaluation Champion 2010

Speech Evaluation

What’s In It For Me Speech evaluations are the keystone of Toastmasters, without an evaluation there would be no point to giving a speech. When I receive an evaluation for a speech it offers me, the ‘evaluatee’, the opportunity to improve my presentation skills, my delivery and how I craft a speech. All very worthwhile but what is the value of an evaluation to the evaluator. Not a whole lot has been written about what the evaluator should get from the evaluation. I would like to explore the following points. Listen To deliver an evaluation I must listen, completely, with all my senses to catch the essence of the speech, the words that were used, and how this speech impacted on me. Listening is a function of leadership. The Competent leadership manual, in project one, describes the value of listening and the seven tips for good listening. I refer you to this manual and to project one for further reading. Be aware of the value to you as a person and as a member of toastmasters. Analyse To analyse a speech may be quite difficult. When you are asked to evaluate for the first time you may use the questions in the manual for the relevant project. This provides you with a pro forma, from which you can derive an outline of the evaluation. To improve in the analysis of a speech you will be required to do some personal study in English grammar. Alliterations, assonance, the rule of three and similés are methods of expression many speakers will use to enhance the quality of a speech. A common fault in many speeches is the ending of a sentence with a preposition. Grammar rules differ in some parts of the world so you must be aware of what is used locally. As an evaluator I must be aware of the effort that the speaker has taken to craft this speech.

Response My instincts override my conscious thought and something said in a speech may create a response that will tarnish the quality of my evaluation. What was in the speech that creates a connection with me? It enables the cognitive process within my being. I, as an individual, learn by listening, watching, experiencing and then processing the information. I must be conscious of each speech and equally conscious of the reaction created. When I listen to a speech I perceive, recognise, and reason. I must be aware at all times of what is said and done and not let my subconscious processes draw me away for the positives within the presentation. Create a Speech My evaluation forces me to create a speech with very little time. At Emerald Toastmasters, (a club for those using the advanced manuals) an evaluation is delivered immediately after the speech, thus forcing the evaluator to craft and deliver a worthwhile evaluation as a three minute speech with little or no preparation. The speaker is allowed the right to response. Personal Bias Personal bias can destroy an evaluation. During a speech an evaluator may hear something that upsets or insults him/her. Getting angry or abusive will be of no benefit to the speaker, or indeed to the evaluator. Being an evaluator requires me to put aside my bias, to overcome my prejudice and to subvert my ego. Two or three words spoken in a speech can destroy my ability to offer the best possible evaluation to the speaker. If I allow this to happen I am of no value to the speaker and certainly I will feel aggrieved for allowing my personal feelings to tarnish and otherwise excellent presentation. Had this speech been delivered at a contest, I would probably have marked the speaker down simply because he/she said something that I found offensive. All speakers deserve our best effort. I appeal to all members of Toastmasters to be aware of their bias, prejudice and egos; we are here to help each other. Listen, analyse and create an evaluation that says more about the speaker and not about you as an evaluator. PAT FOLEY DTM Division D Governor

Congratulations to Natasha Goggin (Area Gov 48) and her partner Dan on the birth of their daughter Rowan on 31st December 2010 at 9 a.m.

District 71 says ‘Thank You’ to Nick Theato who has for the past twelve years conducted numerous Youth Leadership Programmes in Nenagh and Roscrea schools. He is taking a break to give time to some of his other passions. Enjoy the change Nick.

Recent Birthdays: Gayna Cooper: Himanchu Voru: Peter Farrelly: Oscar Merkx:John Keating: John Bowden; Ola Aralepo

A Significant Birthday: Tom Russell, Thurles Club

Joe Gibbs immediate past District Governor recognised the following exceptional leaders in the Hall of Fame during The Inspire Conference in November 2010 Area Governor of the Year Narmada Guruswamy Area 43 Division Governor of the Year Hillary Briggs Division B Toastmaster of the Year Jean Cunningham Division A Division D to Celebrate at Speech and Evaluation Finals in New Ross.

: Here in the sunny southeast we have decided to have a mini conference for our Division finals in April. On Sat April 16th we will have dinner with festivities afterwards. B&B available at unbelievable prices from Mount Brandon Hotel. On the morning of April 17 Eric Fitzpatrick will give a workshop/seminar. After coffee Emerald toastmasters will have a complete agenda meeting and in the afternoon we will have our finals in the Speech and Evaluation contests hosted by Bettie Marie Burger Smit.

Further details from: Pat Foley DTM Div D Gov

Oxford Speakers Club are having a Celebration Dinner to mark the 50th anniversary of the Toastmaster’s Charter granted to the club on March 14th 1961. Oxford Speakers Club has a long, interesting and illustrious history, being the

second oldest club in the whole of the United Kingdom, and we are celebrating the Club’s anniversary in true Toastmaster’s style! Please contact, Simon Wallis for further information, see www.oxfordspeakers.co.uk.

Pauline Jude & Bob invite you to a:

New Club Launch - CAVAN TOASTMASTERS

Wednesday 9th March, 8.15pm sharp, meetings 2nd & 4th Wednesday of the month Bridge Street Centre, Bridge Street, Cavan . Contact Pauline McCabe 086 3650927 macpauline@eircom.net or Bob Gilbert 086 3391565

Trip To Las Vegas - Organiser Peter Kiernan: So far there are 10 Irish Toastmasters heading off to Vegas Via San Francisco. The cost is €1760 pp including all flights and Hotel Accommodation (at the moment) price is likely to rise for any future travellers as Flights are Heavily Booked.

Itinerary: Aug12th Depart Dublin for San Francisco via Atlanta.

4 Nights Accommodation in the Westin St Francis, Union Square San Francisco

Aug16th Depart San Francisco for Las Vegas

5 Nights Accommodation in Bally’s Las Vegas, Venue for TI Convention 2011.

Aug 21st Depart Las Vegas for Dublin via Atlanta. Arrive Dublin 22nd Aug

Peter is in the Process of organizing a Joint Meeting with a Club in San Francisco on Monday 15th August.

Aylesbury Speakers is the longest running club in Dist 71 Celebrate their 55th birthday this year. We chartered in August 1956. We are planning a birthday celebration to occur in late June. We are very proud of our history, and are very aware that this is a momentous occasion for all. We are going to hold a black tie dinner with a key note speaker or two near the end of

June 2011. Belinda King.

Journey’s End.................or maybe Just the Start?

When I joined Toastmasters I did so with only the intention of improving my public speaking and presentation skills. I started my journey without realising where it would lead me, and how many important stops I would make on the way. Journey’s, particularly long ones, are often where we meet friends, make associations, and learn. We learn often unintentionally, and in the most interesting ways. During my time with Toastmasters, I have not only had the pleasure of working through the various speech manuals and delivering educational speeches, but I have learned from being involved with the leadership of the group, working with the officers, taking part in competitions, mentoring and lots, lots more Sometimes these journeys whilst not exactly signposted when we set off, gather various signposts or at least suggestions of routes as we move along the path.

I have found during my Toastmasters life that the best and most enjoyable way to learn, and progress on my journey was helping others develop. I found myself at a point where I had just one more project to complete that important goal for me, The Advanced

Communicator Gold. This is when Pete Steele asked me if our club could help his team on The Prince’s Trust Programme! I had the pleasure of Mentoring Pete and when his email came asking if we might help the youngsters on The Prince’s Trust programme, I knew that this was exactly the sort of opportunity I needed to complete that last project. I jumped at the chance. I cannot think of a time when such a short amount of time has had so much impact on me! Once I had taken on the challenge. it was necessary to produce guidelines, and some small projects for the young team to work on. I sent a list of options they could present in the manner of The Ice Breaker project, with some recommendations of how to approach this.

We needed a team, and considering we are a relevantly young club, we are fortunate in that we have already strong speakers and more importantly have learned the valuable art of evaluating positively. We knew that we would have to be tactful, positive and honest with these young people. All those years of preparing speeches, taking part in the many and varied roles in the meetings, giving feedback and evaluations stood be in good stead for this project! With four of us including Pete we met at the centre one morning in July, and it was utterly incredible how enthusiastic these youngsters were to learn, to support and strengthen each other, and the determination they had to engage with us. From their first short Ice Breaker, listening to the feedback, the breakout sessions with our team, to their last presentation just on that morning was an absolute delight, and extremely humbling. By the end of that session, the change and improvement was astonishing. The final presentations on their Speech Day, was almost an overwhelming experience. They had started their journey to make their speech such a short time earlier, and yet they presented confidently, passionately and with integrity. For me it was the best journey’s end, for them it was maybe the beginning of a journey. I completed my last task for the Advanced Communicator Gold, and was grateful to The Prince’s Trust and their team for allowing me this opportunity. So yes, a journey’s end, and yet it has opened up a wonderful range of new opportunities, and helped me realise that the very best way to learn is to try and help others to learn. Who knows where the journey will continue to......................?

Janet Malphus AC-Gold, Toastmasters International Hamwic Speakers.

‘I hear and I forget,I see and I remember,I do and I understand’ Confucius.

This quote never really meant a great deal to me until mid 2010 when I had the great fortune to work as team leader alongside a group of young people within the ‘Prince’s Trust’ 12 week development programme. Faced with not only searching for a group of young people who fit the criteria of between the ages of 16-24 years, unemployed, in or just leaving care, educational underachievers etc, I had to search for a faint hint of confidence. This was the one thing that was missing from every young person I met. I found my team and embarked on a journey that was the most difficult but undoubtedly the most rewarding I have ever had. Throughout the twelve week programme, the team worked hard to get many qualifications. Week twelve, their final week was all about celebrating what they had achieved in

the previous three months. The one mandatory area is an individual speech in front of their friends, families, local dignitaries and officers from the emergency services. An audience of potentially one hundred or more! As a toastmaster, I could feel their anxiety to speak in public, sense their fears and glimpse their nerves. The

one area that the team were not required to learn was in my own opinion the most important of all. How to express themselves verbally to the world! I remembered once again, ‘I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand’. Confucius What if, just what if we could create a well thought out toastmaster session with the help of Hamwic Sakers into a three hour slot (time was tight) to show the youngsters how to deliver their ‘ice breakers’? I do and I understand came to mind again.

I spoke to ken Amy and Janet Malphus from Hamwic Speakers who immediately offered their support to such a fantastic cause. The process of how this was achieved will be left to the creator Janet Malphus. However, I must say that the results were magnificent. The team were outstanding. They were without doubt the most proficient speaking team of ‘Prince’s Trust’ members to have ever completed a team programme. So much so, a second and third session was delivered to other teams with Hamwic supporting Southampton Team 26, along with Solent and Arun speakers delivering a successful speech session to the Rushmoor team. In the very near future, we as Toastmasters will be supporting the ‘Prince’s Trust’ in Portsmouth along with others scheduled for 2011. By allowing ourselves support our younger community through the Prince’s Trust programme, the team don’t have to just ‘hear and forget’ or ‘see and try to remember’ because with the support and positive encouragement of every Toastmaster who is willing to give up three hours of their time, we have helped a young person to DO and UNDERSTAND. Pete Steele Hamwic Speakers. Leadership Co-ordinator

The Magic of ‘The Kings Speech’ ‘The Kings Speech’ is a multiple award winning movie which is a complete departure from conventional box office winners. With sell out audiences around the UK in particular, what is the secret ingredient of its success? There is no flash, bang, wallop, drugs or even Rock n’Roll ! There is some implied sex content. It does have deep emotion, great humour and a powerful relationship between King George 6 ( Colin Firth ) and his unconventional speech therapist. It is based on a true story which resonates with many. Prince Albert (King George 6 ) never imagined he would be King, in particular because he had a very serious stammer. The lead role of Prince Albert/King George 6 played by Colin Firth is a real Hero’s Journey. In a series of emotional and quite funny scenes, his relationship with the speech therapist goes through a roller coaster ride. He rides the waves of partial success and failure in overcoming his stammer. When King Edward 7 is forced to abdicate due to his relationship with Wallis Simpson, Prince Albert (Colin Firth) becomes King George 6. Here we have a man who has been propelled from a role of Royal obscurity to the highest worldwide profile. Then war is declared against Germany in 1939 and he has to give the war speech to the British Empire. He has become the nation’s leader and really has to face his fears in the most public way possible. The emotion portrayed when he gives the War Speech is palpable! As speakers, this film is about something most of us are familiar with – overcoming fear of public

speaking, but way beyond our worst nightmares. It is also about the massive personal growth in achieving personal confidence. I believe this film has touched the hearts of many when they recognise their own desire to be able to speak clearly and achieve greater success. This is the best possible advertisement for public speaking success ever and we can expect to see a marked improvement in membership of public speaking organisations and also an increase in speech therapy business. Jim Doyle ACB ALB President, Cambridge Speakers Club.

www.differentlight.org

Ipswich Electrifiers have teamed up with a local arts cinema showing The King’s Speech during February. Anyone inspired by the film to take that first step on the path to successful speaking is being offered three months’ free membership of the Club. The Ipswich Film Theatre specialises in independent and thought-provoking films. “As a community-based cinema,” said Jane Riley, chair of the Ipswich Film Theatre Trust, “we are very pleased to link up with the Ipswich Electrifiers, who can give such practical assistance to anyone moved by this film.”

How to rescue a whale and other Tall Tails A Platform to Practise Presentation Skills Ipswich Electrifiers Speakers’ Club have collaborated with Sixth Formers at one of Suffolk’s leading independent schools to provide a platform for them to practise their presentation skills. Ipswich School runs an International Leadership Programme, leading to the Institute of Leadership and Management level 3 certificate, and students prepared 8-10 minute speeches according to the ILM’s criteria, for evaluation by Club members. Just before Christmas, Lizzie Devenish and Grace Williams, both aged 18 delivered two fascinating talks. Lizzie was awarded Best Speaker of the evening! As a qualified marine mammal medic, she spoke about marine mammals, with the aid of Waldo, an inflatable dolphin. Grace talked about swimming teachers, a topic that drew many questions from the audience and woeful tales about childhood swimming lessons. Steve Tidball, Head of Economics and Business Studies at Ipswich School who set up the scheme gave an introductory speech to Club members. He also took part in Table Topics (which he won). “Presentations are such an important aspect of peoples’ working lives, especially as managers. Ipswich School’s two year International Leadership Programme gives sixth formers the opportunity to leave school with an internationally recognised business qualification. We are very pleased to be linking up with the Ipswich Electrifiers to give the pupils the opportunity to gain experience of speaking to an audience of professional people.” The Electrifiers offered to assist with the evaluations. “We are very keen to encourage young people setting out on their careers,” said Club President, Anthony Rush.

Toastmasters International

DISTRICT 71

Inspire with Passion Newsletter Editor Lucia Hughes DTM