Dear Blue Tongue members, intending members and guests,
The last meeting (Meeting #122) was held on Wednesday the 27th May and chaired by Mark. Jorgen took on the timing assignment and Geoff presented a ’challenging’ word of the day – Detest. We were encouraged to use it throughout the evening.
We had 2 visitors at the meeting – Kamal (work colleague of Daniel) and Manish.
Geoff’’s Table Topics session was well prepared and tested us all. The table topics were evaluated by Mat and Daniel.
We then had a brief recess.
Mark took on the Toast assignment and spoke of Swine Flu and the media. A toast was raised to those passengers in quarantine on board the cruise-ship ‘Pacific Dawn’.
Elke welcomed our visitors – asking both Kamal and Manish how they found out about our Toastmasters club.
Elke, then, took on the Toastmaster assignment and introduced:
Jason who delivered his Ice Breaker speech on experiences he found moving to Australia (from Hong Kong) and his work experience.
Mat presented his second speech about some time management techniques he has found very useful.
Daniel evaluated Jason, being very supportive and constructive in his assessment.
Geoff evaluated Mat and also delivered a constructive review of Mat’s presentation.
It was time for the Blue Tongue Toastmasters Executive elections for 2009 (hosted by Elke). These are the people who will be leading the club through the upcoming Toastmasters year (commencing 1st July 2009).
Congratulations to the following members:
President – Dale Hurley
VP education – Mark Ransom
VP membership – Elke van Ewyk
VP Public Relations – Jorgen Christensen
Secretary – Jason Chan
Treasurer – Mark Ransom
Sergeant at Arms – Jason Chan.
Jason was back on at the podium delivering the ‘Did You Listen’ assignment. There a number of relevant questions prepared – we were tested.
Geoff delivered his ‘My Word’ assignment as well as evaluating our use of filler words such as Ums & Ahs.
Jorgen collated his timing report and presented this to the meeting attendees.
Our visitors were asked for their comments and both Kamal and Manish provided their thoughts to the meeting.
The final evaluation was by Dale (President – elect) who presented a General Evaluation.
The meeting was closed by Mark at 7:41 pm.
__________________________________________________________________
The next meeting for Blue Tongue Toastmasters will be held on Wednesday the 10th of June 2009 at 5:45pm, Level 13, 601 Pacific Highway, St Leonards.
I have attached below a draft agenda for the meeting. Please let me know by COB Tuesday the 9th of June, if:
a) You will be attending the meeting or send your apologies
b) Would like to present any other assignment – I am looking for members to take on the following meeting assignments:
Sergeant at Arms
Timer
Chairman
Evaluators for table topics (2)
Evaluator for speech (2)
Did You Listen
Toastmaster
Best regards,
Mark Ransom
VP Education
Blue Tongue Toastmasters
Blue Tongue Toastmasters Meeting 27th May
June 11th, 2009Blue Tongue Toastmasters Meeting 15th April and Draft Agenda for next meeting on 29th April 2009
April 23rd, 2009Dear Blue Tongue members, intending members and guests,
The last meeting (Meeting #119) was held on Wednesday the 15th April and chaired by Mark. Daniel took on the timing assignment and Dale presented an impromptu (i.e. at very short notice) Word of the Day “Foot” encouraging us to use it througout the evening.
We had 1 visitor at the meeting – Mark, who later handed in his completed new memberhip form.
I want to extend a warm welcome to Blue Tongue Toastmasters newest members: Ying, Damien & Mat. Your new member kits are on their way.
Dale’s Table Topics session was focused a passion of Dale’s – the internet. The individual table topics all tested us and the session was very well prepared and presented by Dale. Geoff and Mark evaluated the the speakers.
After our break Mark lead a discussion on oppotunities to better promote the Blue Tongue Toastmasters club (this is one of the assignments for the Competent Leader award). Some fantastic ideas were discussed by those at the meeting and some of us have a little bit of homework for the next meeting.
Elke took on the Toastmaster assignment and introduced Mat who delivered his Icebreaker telling us of sibling rivalry and bungy jumping. A very entertaining 1st speech. Mat was evaluated by Jorgen who provided contructive comments. Our second speaker was also delivering their Icebreaker – Geoff. Geoff related to us assembled some of his personal history and then one of his passions Kayaking and a recent charity-raising trip he organised. Geoff was evaluated by Elke. The last of the prepared speeches was Mark, who as part of his Advanced Manual (Interpretive Reading) presented an excerpt from Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Important of Being Earnest’. Contrustive and fair evaluation was provide by all attendees (led by Elke).
Geoff prepared some questions to test our listening skills. Dale delivered his ‘My Word’ assignment as well as evaluating our use of filler words such as Ums & Ahs. Daniel presented a thorough and succinct Timers report.
Elke, with our last meeting assignment provided us all feedback, through her general evaluation, of the meeting as a whole.
__________________________________________________________________
The next meeting for Blue Tongue Toastmasters will be held on Wednesday the 29th of April 2009 at 5:45pm, Level 13, 601 Pacific Highway, St Leonards.
I have attached below a draft agenda for the meeting. Please let me know by COB Tuesday the 28th of March, if:
a) You will be attending the meeting or send your apologies
b) Would like to deliver a speech
c) Would like to present any other assignment – I am looking for members to take on the following meeting assignments:
Sergeant at Arms
Timer
Speech (1)
Visitors Welcome
Evaluators for table topics (2)
Evaluator for speech (1)
Best regards,
Mark Ransom
VP Education
Blue Tongue Toastmasters
ph: 0419 767 250
Blue Tongue Toastmasters Meeting 1st April and Draft Agenda for next meeting on 15th April 2009
April 15th, 2009Dear Blue Tongue members, intending members and guests,
The last meeting (Meeting #118) was held on Wednesday the 1st April and chaired by Mark. Geoff (our newest member) took on the timing assignment and Daniel gave those attending the Word of the Day “Vivid” and encouraged us to use it througout the evening.
We had 5 visitors at the meeting – May, Mat, Ying, Damien, Kate and Grace.
I need to extend a warm welcome to Blue Tongue Toastmasters newest member, up until this meeting, Geoff Greenwood. During the meeting Ying, Mat and Damien all submitted their completed new membership forms.
Ajay’s Table Topics session was focused on wild animals with human issues. The session was well thought out and really stretched all of us in composing a coherent response. Well done Ajay. Jorgen and Elke acted as evaluators to this session to provide us constructive feedback on our performances.
After our break Mark delivered an impromptu Toast to members of the Blue Tongue Toastmasters Club. This was followed by a Visitors Welcome by Elke who asked each of our 5 visitors, in turn, to name their favourite drink and 2 reasons why they have come along to visit our club. We trust they were all feeling very welcome to the conclusion of this session.
Elke took on the Toastmaster assignment and introduced Dale who delivered his 2nd speech (2nd in 2 meetings) – on Gorilla Marketing. Dale’s speech was evaluated by Jorgen. Daniel delivered an intreging speech on Ice Hockey which was duley evaluated by Elke. Our final presenter was Mark who, as part of his educational, spoke about using Body Movement to enhance speech impact.
Damien prepared some questions to test our listening skills. Daniel delivered his ‘My Word’ assignment as well as evaluating our use of filler words such as Ums & Ahs. Geoff presented a thorough and succinct Timers report.
Very impressive was Ajay in the delivery of his General Evaluation report
__________________________________________________________________
The next meeting for Blue Tongue Toastmasters will be held on Wednesday the 15th of April 2009 at 5:45pm, Level 13, 601 Pacific Highway, St Leonards.
I have attached below a draft agenda for the meeting. Please let me know by COB Tuesday the 14th of March, if:
a) You will be attending the meeting or send your apologies
b) Would like to deliver a speech
c) Would like to present any other assignment – I am looking for members to take on the following meeting assignments:
Sergeant at Arms
Chairperson
Timer
My Word
Visitors Welcome
Evaluators for speeches
Did You Listen
Best regards,
Mark Ransom
VP Education
Blue Tongue Toastmasters Agenda BTTM – 15 April 2009
10 Tips for Public Speaking
April 5th, 2009Feeling some nervousness before giving a speech is natural and even beneficial, but too much nervousness can be detrimental.
Here are some proven tips on how to control your butterflies and give better presentations:
- Know your material. Pick a topic you are interested in. Know more about it than you include in your speech. Use humor, personal stories and conversational language – that way you won’t easily forget what to say.
- Practice. Practice. Practice! Rehearse out loud with all equipment you plan on using. Revise as necessary. Work to control filler words; Practice, pause and breathe. Practice with a timer and allow time for the unexpected.
- Know the audience. Greet some of the audience members as they arrive. It’s easier to speak to a group of friends than to strangers.
- Know the room. Arrive early, walk around the speaking area and practice using the microphone and any visual aids.
- Relax. Begin by addressing the audience. It buys you time and calms your nerves. Pause, smile and count to three before saying anything. (”One one-thousand, two one-thousand, three one-thousand. Pause. Begin.) Transform nervous energy into enthusiasm.
- Visualize yourself giving your speech. Imagine yourself speaking, your voice loud, clear and confident. Visualize the audience clapping – it will boost your confidence.
- Realize that people want you to succeed. Audiences want you to be interesting, stimulating, informative and entertaining. They’re rooting for you.
- Don’t apologize for any nervousness or problem – the audience probably never noticed it.
- Concentrate on the message – not the medium. Focus your attention away from your own anxieties and concentrate on your message and your audience.
- Gain experience. Mainly, your speech should represent you – as an authority and as a person. Experience builds confidence, which is the key to effective speaking. A Toastmasters club can provide the experience you need in a safe and friendly environment.
Visit a Blue Tongue Toastmasters meeting!
Toastmasters
April 5th, 2009Toastmasters teaches you good communication skills to be a good leader
From a humble beginning in 1924 at the YMCA in Santa Ana, California, Toastmasters International has grown to become a world leader in helping people become more competent and comfortable in front of an audience. The nonprofit organisation now has nearly 235,000 members in 12,036 clubs in 106 countries, offering a proven – and enjoyable! – way to practice and hone communication and leadership skills.
Most Toastmasters meetings are comprised of approximately 20 people who meet weekly for an hour or two. Participants practice and learn skills by filling a meeting role, ranging from giving a prepared speech or an impromptu one to serving as timer, evaluator or grammarian.
Toastmasters makes learning fun
There is no instructor; instead, each speech and meeting is critiqued by a member in a positive manner, focusing on what was done right and what could be improved.
Good communicators tend to be good leaders.!
This non-profit organisation offers a proven – and enjoyable – way to practice communication and leadership skills. Here’s how it works:
- A Toastmasters meeting is a learn-by-doing workshop in which participants hone their speaking and leadership skills in a friendly atmosphere. A typical group has 20 to 40 members who meet weekly or biweekly to practice public speaking techniques. The average meeting lasts one hour.
- Members learn communication skills by working in the Competent Communication manual, a series of 10 self-paced speaking assignments designed to instill a basic foundation in public speaking. Participants learn skills related to use of humor, gestures, eye contact, speech organization and overall delivery. When finished with this manual, members can choose from 15 advanced manuals to learn skills related to specific interests.
- Members also learn leadership skills by taking on various meeting roles and serving as officers at the club and district levels, and by working in the Competent Leadership manual and the High Performance Leadership program. In our learn-by-doing approach, we don’t lecture our members about leadership skills; we give them responsibilities and ask them to lead.
- There is no instructor in a Toastmasters meeting. Instead, members evaluate one another’s presentations. This feedback process is a key part of the program’s success. Meeting participants also give impromptu talks on assigned topics, conduct meetings, serve as officers in various leadership roles and learn rules related to timing, grammar and parliamentary procedure.
Thousands of corporations sponsor in-house Toastmasters clubs. Businesses and government organisations have discovered that Toastmasters is an effective, cost-efficient means of meeting their communication training needs.
Toastmasters groups also can be found in governmental agencies, as well as in a variety of community organisations, prisons, universities, hospitals, military bases and churches.
Why Join?
April 4th, 2009Blue Tongue Toastmasters will help your public speaking
People join Blue Tongue in order to:
- Develop their public speaking skills to persuade and convince others
- Learn to put their ideas across clearly and with conviction
- Improve their self-confidence before a group of people
- Learn to think quickly and clearly under pressure
- Learn to listen effectively and critically
- Learn to supportively evaluate someone else’s presentation
- Train to become a good leader
When you join the Blue Tongue Toastmasters Club you receive a complete training kit covering all aspects of speaking and evaluation. This kit includes Communication and a Leadership manuals. This manual reflects the years of experience Toastmasters has in helping people just like you. It takes you step by step through the art of making and evaluating speeches.What specifically will you learn to do as a Toastmaster?
In the Blue Tongue Toastmasters Club you will learn by doing
In particular you learn by doing with your efforts evaluated by your fellow Club members. You will be gradually introduced to the various roles within a Toastmasters meeting. Gaining proficiency in these helps build up your skills. The exercises will teach you how to:
- Give an impromptu speech
- Give a prepared speech
- Evaluate what you hear
- Introduce speakers
- Be a more effective leader of people
- Chair and run meetings
BTTM opens up networking and mentoring opportunities
How we communicate informally at events is every bit as important, if not more so, than being in the spotlight giving a speech. Knowing how to mingle and network may be more important to our overall success in life than anything else. BTTM gives you the skills and opportunities to network and have a mentor or mentoree which will help you grow professionally.Whether you work in a corporate environment or from home, whether you are a student or retiree, Toastmasters is the most efficient, enjoyable and affordable way of gaining communication and leadership skills.
You will become a better speaker
Toastmasters will give you the skills and confidence you need to effectively express yourself in any situation. By learning to formulate and convey your ideas, you open a new world of possibilities. You will be more persuasive and confident when giving presentations and you will improve your one-on-one dealings with others.
Your leadership skills will improve
Leadership is the art of persuading others to do what you wish. To succeed, you need to communicate, and you need to work as a team. In Toastmasters, you’ll do both. And you’ll find out how to vary your approach to suit the needs of different people, be they the audience for a speech, the committee for a fundraiser or your coworkers and managers.
When you Join you will join 235,000 other members who are wanting to succeed
Toastmaster has more than 235,000 members in 11,700 clubs in 92 countries. The meetings are organised so that everyone will have a chance to speak, should they want to. You schedule your own speaking assignments a few weeks in advance, so you’ll have plenty of time to prepare.
Speaking assignments are varied, with the first one designated as an “ice breaker” – a description of yourself and your life that lasts between five and seven minutes. You’ll be assigned a mentor to help you settle in and get through your first speaking roles. As you grow in confidence, you assignments will grow with you.
Importantly, whenever you stand up and speak, you receive encouraging, helpful feedback on how it went and how you can improve next time.
The membership is great value
While it is free to come along membership offers a range of benefits primarily teaching you to be a better speaker and leader. BTTM and Toastmasters International runs a number of courses for the members to progress from their first speech (the Icebreaker) to being a Distinguished Toastmaster. Membership is $40 (once off) + $50 each six months i.e. $90 for the first six months than $50 for each six months after that. Initially membership includes several manuals to guide you to be a more effective speaker and leader and continues to provide more advance courses as you progress over the years.
Contact Us
April 4th, 2009Mark Ransom – 0419 767 250
About Us
April 3rd, 2009Blue Tongue Toastmasters will help your public speaking
Blue Tongue Toastmasters (BTTM) is apart of the international Toastmasters organisation whose primary aim is to help you and it’s other members improve their public speaking skills. This is achieved through a number of different speaking exercises to cover the various types of situations where you will be addressing an audience. Toastmasters Clubs in Australia are the best place to improve both your communication skills and your leadership skills. Toastmasters will help you overcome any fear of public speaking while learning skills that will allow you to become more successful in whatever path in life you have chosen.
BTTM meets every second Wednesday at 5:45pm in the IBM Centre
Meetings are bi weekly on odd numbered weeks of the year e.g. week 1, 3, 5…51 of year. We meet at the IBM Centre on Level 13 Room 5 (601 Pacific Highway St Leonards, NSW). The meetings are held on Wednesdays nights at 5:45pm.
Blue Tongue is a non-profit educational organisation
Blue Tongue and Toastmasters International are non-profit educational organisations. Our members learn communication and leadership skills by practicing public speaking and working with others in a warm and friendly environment.
BTTM is a diverse group of professionals
Blue Tongue is a friendly group of professionals. Our members range from those who are just starting out their careers to members who are enjoying volunteering in the community since retiring. Our members include business owners, professionals working in the North Shore, PhDs and community leaders.
Everyone is welcome to come along and participate for free
Everyone is welcome to come along, watch, participate and join. It is completely free to come along and participate! When you come along you will be welcomed into the group of warm, kind-heart people who want to help you. It is free and there is no obligation to join so come along to the next session.
After a few sessions if you wish to join, the membership is great value
While it is free to come along membership offers a range of benefits primarily teaching you to be a better speaker and leader. BTTM and Toastmasters International runs a number of courses for the members to progress from their first speech (the Icebreaker) to being a Distinguished Toastmaster. Membership is $40 (once off) + $50 each six months i.e. $90 for the first six months than $50 for each six months after that. Initially membership includes several manuals to guide you to be a more effective speaker and leader and continues to provide more advance courses as you progress over the years.
BTTM opens up networking and mentoring opportunities
How we communicate informally at events is every bit as important, if not more so, than being in the spotlight giving a speech. Knowing how to mingle and network may be more important to our overall success in life than anything else. BTTM gives you the skills and opportunities to network and have a mentor or mentoree which will help you grow professionally.