CONCORD WEST TOASTMASTERS MEETING No: 1106 – Tuesday 14th June 2011

INAUGURAL DEBATE

Debate Toastmaster Natasha introducing the Affirmative Team (Left) and Negative Team (Right)

In the (rare) absence of our S@A Daniel, Kymberly called the meeting to order and handed over to Club President Brett for his Welcome and the meeting over to the Chairman for the First Session Philip.

Apologies were received from Paul V and we Welcomed Visitors Edmond and Sandra.

Vicki read the Reading of the Mission of the Club and Grammarian Paul M presented the Word of the Day. The Word ‘Ingenuous’ was presented to the members for strategic inclusion during the meeting.

Chairman Philip then asked for Introductions with a theme of; “Recent Successes” which provided scope for a variety of close and personal revelations.

VPE Chris took us through a fairly significant Agenda Update while Bernard took on the task of Leadership Manual Evaluations.

District Governor Philip Bendeich then made a special presentation to the Club for the District 70 Print Media Award for 2011 (See separate posting).

Toastmaster for the First Session was Natasha who outlined the guidelines for the Debate and introduced the Topic – ‘Ignorance is Bliss’ and the combatants. For the Affirmative: Josh, Vicki and Glen H, while the Negative team were: Brett, Chris and Peter C.

Overall there were some splendid arguments presented by both sides, personal and analytical. Participants had met prior to the meeting in order to refine their positions and some detailed research was also evident in their deliveries.

All participants kept to time and followed the guidelines of a debate making for a thoroughly entertaining and informative session, which amply demonstrated the objectives encouraged by Toastmasters. An excellent showcase for what they have achieved in their involvement in our Club across a variety of months and years of membership.

We went to the Break while the 2 Evaluators and the Toastmaster retired to consider both their evaluations and the winner of the evening’s debate.

Kymberley called us to Order again and Natasha resumed the roll of Toastmaster for the Second Session.

John had the task of providing an Evaluation for the Affirmative Team and the individual Affirmative speakers, and was followed by Kymberley providing an Evaluation for the Negative team and speakers, while avoiding revealing the outcome.

Natasha then presented the Winning Awards to the Negative Team while outlining some of the key issues that got them across the line.

Overall an excellent evening and full credit must go to our VPM Natasha for all the organisational effort that she put into such splendid inaugural Debate.

President Brett then conducted a follow-up Election for outstanding Executive positions for 2011-12. It was announced that Paul M had chosen to fill the role of Sergeant-of-Arms leaving the role of Club Treasurer vacant. Nominations were then received and seconded for Sam as Treasurer. The role of Vice President Marketing/PR remains vacant at this stage.

The current VPPR John is most willing to assist anyone who would be keen to consider this role and you can contact him to ask any questions you might have about the role.

The evening concluded with the standard Evaluations from Ums and Ahs (Sam), Grammarian (Paul M), Big Ears (Megan standing in for Katrina who had to leave early) and Timers Report (Sandra in collaboration with Dai Fei). The General Evaluation was presented by Paul C and Forward Planning by Chris.

Our Guests were invited to make an observation of the evening and President Brett delivered his Closing remarks.

(LtoR) Toastmaster Natasha with the winning Negative Team, Peter C, Chris and Brett

UPCOMING EVENTS

Saturday 25^th June – District Changeover; Liverpool Catholic Club

Tuesday 28th June – Next Meeting

Tuesday 12^th July – Executive Change Over Evening

CONCORD WEST TAKES OUT A DISTRICT 70 AWARD

Vice President Marketing & Public Relations John being presented with the 

2011 District Print Media Award by District Governor Philip Bendeich.

Concord West Toastmasters has taken out the 2011 District Award for the Best Print Media for our recent Club Brochure. This Award announced at the recent District 70 Conference is awarded to the best Print Media produced by any one of the over 350 Clubs across eastern NSW from New England in the north to the Riverina in the south.

The principles behind the production of this Brochure were 3 fold;

Firstly to provide information about the format and structure of an ‘average’ Toastmaster’s meeting to take away any perceived ‘mystery’ that might surround a our meeting for those people interested but unsure about what constitutes Toastmaster membership.

Secondly in using regular members of our Club in albeit candid photographs, we aim to project a balanced ‘humanity’ and ‘personality’ of our Club so that new comers can have a sense of already knowing our members.

Finally, to present our Club in a professional light, by adhering to the Toastmasters International (design) Brand and keeping the layout, clean and simple without irrelevant design tricks. In doing so we are projecting an image that avoids looking amateurish and irrelevant. It is vital that whatever collateral we send out to the general public … speaks on our behalf … in a manner that best represents our intended aims and objectives.

We were most fortunate that we could be represented at the District 70 Conference by our long-standing Club Member and former Club President Philip Bendeich who coincidently is also District 70 Governor this year.

Philip in turn was able to attend our last meeting on 14^th June 2011 and passed on the presentation to our Club Vice President of Marketing and Public Relations John who had produced the award winning Brochure.

CONCORD WEST TOASTMASTERS MEETING No: 1105 – Tuesday 24th May 2011

Club President Brett presenting Competent Communicator Awards to Chris and Glen H 

and Competent Leader Award to John at the conclusion of the evenings meeting.

S@A Daniel got us underway and handed the meeting over to Brett for his President's Opening Remarks and provided an overview of a busy night’s program and a Guest Welcome for Vicki returning for her second meeting. 

Formal apologies had been received from Kimberly.
Natasha chaired the first half of the meeting while Glenn D volunteered to read the Mission of the Club.

Grammarian Paul V introduced the Word of the day – Verdigris – challenging us to introduce this intrusting expression into the evening’s proceedings.

Introductions were accompanied by a brief account of how we may have been scammed and brought out an array of interesting and somewhat alarming personal experiences as well as some humorous anecdotes.

VPE Chris had a few complicated Agenda Updates to wade through, but pulled it together as always.

Leadership Manual Evaluations were managed by VPPR John.

Daniel was Toastmaster for the first Speech Session and introduced Peter C who delivered a Folk Tale from the Entertaining Speakers Manual #1. With an extended time frame, Peter delivered a very paced and meticulous account of one of the all time great Fawlty Towers Episodes – A Touch of Class. Peter was ably Evaluated by Bernard in his first Prepared Speech Evaluation.

The second Prepared Speech segment was Club President delivering the President‘s summary of the preceding year entitled: Moments of Truth. Although supported by a Toastmaster PowerPoint this 20-minute presentation provides the President’s overview of the year in terms of the Club’s successes and challenges. It serves as a timely report for the incoming Executive members. There is no Evaluation of this presentation.

Going to the Break overtime we reconvened after a shorten adjournment and Daniel as Chairman introduced John as the Toastmaster of the second half of the meeting which was also the final Speechcraft Session. We were joined at this point by a Visitor, Aidan.

The Final Educational – Mentoring – was delivered by Chris who outlined both the strategies and shared responsibilities in successfully mentoring.
Club President Brett then chaired the Club Executive Elections for 2011/12.
Nominated and elected unopposed where: John Club President, Kimberly Vice President Education, Bernard Vice President Membership, Secretary Glenn D and Brett automatically assumes the role of Immediate Past President. Nominations are yet to be fielded for Vice President Public Relations and Sergeant of Arms.

Brett also thanked the outgoing members of the Executive for their contribution over the past year.

Meghan then conducted her first ever Table Topics and following a well-prepared introduction took us on a cognitive journey asking speakers to choose an item at random and speak to it. The results were both intriguing and challenging. Chris and Peter presented the Evaluations with the level of experience we have come to expect from these members.

The evenings final Evaluations were the Ums and Ahs by Glenn D, Grammarian by Paul with 2 members introducing ‘Verdigris’ into their presentations. Natasha conducted the Big Ears segment and Katrina tackled the taxing roll of Timer for the first time. Glen H very capably rolled out the evening’s General Evaluation.

Forward Planning and Guests Comments were followed by formal Presentations to Chris and Glen H for achieving their Competent Communicators and John for achieving his Competent Leader.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Tuesday 14th June – The Great Debate

Tuesday 12^th July – Executive Change Over Evening