Noel O’Connor acted as our Toastmaster for our last meeting of 2024 last Thursday. To open, Paul Murphy treated us to a poem he composed himself, entitled ‘Toastmasters’!
In his speech, ‘A Tune for the Road’, Bobby Buckley gave us an insight into a method he has developed for sparking inspiration for speeches. He walks a familiar route with a favourite song playing on a loop. As he allows ‘the beat to take him along’, he keeps an open mind and observes what is around him. And hey presto, he is sometimes surprised by an idea that culminates in a speech! The challenge? ‘Can we all produce a walking speech?’
‘How I Got into Heaven’ was the intriguing title of Michael Cronin’s speech. Michael was in fine jocose form as he related his yarn as the last of three desperate men seeking to justify their admittance to Heaven by St Peter. Space does not permit me to elaborate on how Michael found himself naked in a fridge being flung from a fifteenth-storey apartment balcony!
Pat Sexton bemoaned his decision to go AWOL from school for a day in his speech, ‘Things that Happen While You are Planting Your Potatoes’. ‘After enduring years of boredom’ at a local secondary school, Pat claimed that there was more excitement in that one day than in the four years preceding it. This was a school tale in which he feels justice was served.
Claire O’Connell certainly challenged members with her original topics. ‘Who was your best friend when you were 21?’ evoked some emotional responses, while ‘What is your least favourite TV programme?’ aroused passionate ones, ranging from ‘Love Island’ to ‘Wheeler Dealers’.
‘What celebrity would you like to be married to?’ warranted a careful reply from a married member. ‘Could you produce a tasty dish with a mixture of vegetables and fruit?’ and ‘The use of AI in educational assignments’ also elicited varying responses.
Thanks to everyone who contributed to making it a very lively and entertaining meeting. We look forward to our next meeting on Thursday, January 9th. Why not make it part of your New Year’s resolutions? Come along to one of our meetings. You will be made very welcome and will not have to say a word unless you want to.
 |
Paul Murphy (poem), Bobby Buckley, Michael Cronin, and Pat Sexton (speeches) |
 |
The evaluators: Donal Jones, Brendan Foley, and Trevor O'Sullivan |
 |
Toastmaster Noel O'Connor, Topicsmaster Claire O'Connell, and President Bobby Buckley |
No comments:
Post a Comment