Open House in February & Expectations of our politicians


Monday January 27, 2014 at Saint John Toastmasters we had table topics (impromptu speaking practice) on our expectations of our political leaders.  Questions included 'if someone seeking election appeared on your door step asking for a vote, what would you say you expect from him or her,' 'do we expect politicians to display a higher moral standard,' and 'is being in a drunken stupor a good excuse for anything (sadly this is topical in late 2013 and early 2014)'.  People managed their time and answers well.  Quite a lot of passion. 

Table topics change from week to week and can be light topics or more meaty topics.  We're not trying to stump members, just giving them opportunities to manage their butterflies and offer a good response and commentary for one to two minutes. 

We also had two speeches last night.  One practicing organizational techniques was about a specific family reunion and family reunions in general.  A second practicing the use of visual aids and/or props was about para-gliding. 

In February we're having an open house month inviting people in to see and experience what happens at a Toastmasters meeting.  Every Monday 6pm-8pm downstairs in room 002 at St Macs high school on Sydney Street.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Golf Skills, Public Speaking Skills and Leadership Skills

A friend of mine has invited me to a round of golf this week.   So now I want to get to a driving range and see if I can find my golf swing again, because when we play I’d like to have a respectable round and not be whacking the ball from one side of the fairway to another. I used to be a pretty good golfer scoring in the low to mid 80s quite consistently.   However, I haven’t played in three years and in the past ten years I’ve played perhaps six times. My issue is that I remember being a pretty good golfer and when I visit the course this week, I expect to play like I used to play.   I know that isn’t reasonable, but that’s the way I think.   I expect to perform like I used to perform when I golfed a couple of times each week. How does that relate to public speaking and leadership skills? It relates directly. Golf, public speaking, and leadership are all skills.   Skills require practice. The best athletes in the world practice basic skills regular...
Read more

Toastmasters Clubs Adapting During Times Of Social Distancing

In April 2020 people are living through a pandemic as the COVID-19 virus has spread around the world.  The virus spreads quickly with human contact, so many people are living with rules or strong guidance to practice social distancing, or physical distancing. I have seen and prefer the terminology physical distancing with social connecting.  This guidance means people should maintain physical distance from those other than those in your household, and holding no large gatherings, which in some locations means no more than two people. People are limiting the occasions when they leave their homes, and when they do so, must work to maintain two metres of distance between themselves and others. As a result of these physical distancing measures many businesses have closed, hopefully temporarily, or changed their methods of operation. Restaurants and coffee shops are take out only, for example, if they have remained open. Toastmasters clubs have adapted as well. We ...
Read more

Three Speeches - Saint John Toastmasters Monday January 6 2014

Saint John Toastmasters Monday January 6 2014 Tonight we had three speeches, two from experienced members, and one from a member who joined in December.    Members can join at any point of the year as the program is self-paced. It is rewarding to see new members begin to develop their skills and confidence.  The speeches were about selecting a topic for a speech, about a survey of video games, and one on a couple of leadership stories and lessons. We meet each Monday now through to mid-June at St Macs with the exception of holidays.   Also if schools are closed for weather, our meeting is cancelled. http://saintjohn.toastmastersclubs.org/directions.html
Read more