"WHO DO WE COME FROM?"

This was the title of Helen's Test speech for the Club's evaluation contest on Thursday 12th November. Evaluation, as we as Toastmasters are all aware, is the KEY which UNLOCKS our potential as speakers and confident beings!


Graeme organised the Contest and Darryl took the opportunity to Chair proceedings as a project for his Competent Leader Manual. This he handled very well as a first time Chair and I am sure will learn from the experience.
For the uninitiated, in this contest, a "Test Speech" is delivered and the contestants each then have 5 minutes to prepare their evaluations with all but the first contestant (they draw for speaking order prior to the contest) then leaving the room and leaving their notes with the Sgt-at-arms (Ian).

The contestants, returning in the order of the draw, have 3 minutes to complete their oral evaluations and may stay in the room after they have done so.This is an excellent learning experience for new members and tremendous feedback for the Test Speaker.

The Test Speaker's (Helen) speech was all about tracing your family tree and the interesting things that this can turn up! Helen presented the speech really well, with good pace and a clear voice and in a very interesting manner with this rather topical subject recently. She told us about some of her long lost relations and the point of the speech, I believe, was to encourage the members to look at their forebears and this was the way that she concluded her presentation.

Five members took up the challenge of the Contest being, Jane, Russell, Linda, Barbara and Craig.
The idea of a contest is not only to find a winner but to further expand one's evaluation skills and I believe that this was achieved.

Results were; 1st; Craig (many years of experience obviously assisted here!)
                       2nd Barbara (a regular winner of our contests)
                       3rd Linda (a relatively new member who is displaying excellent all round Toastmaster skills)

The Judges were visitors from Napier Club, Sarah L and Chris assisted by our own member Wendy.

Congratulations to all who were involved, Craig now goes on to represent the Club at the Area final in March next year(Good Luck-he will need it!)

Also in attendance at the meeting for the last time prior to moving to Wellington (Upper Hutt actually) was  our recent past member Cheryl and we all join in wishing her well with her move and do hope that every thing turns up trumps for her in the Hutt. We have really enjoyed you time at Pania, Cheryl and the improvement you have shown as a speaker is really marked, do keep up the Toastmaster's experience when you have settled in the Hutt.

That's it for this week (in case you are worried about some of the comments above about Craig-dont' be- he wrote them himself!)