Say What?

Where can one go to on a Thursday night and hear highly informative speeches and fascinating facts together with a great atmosphere? Yes, you’ve guessed it, a Speak Easy Toastmasters meeting.

Last Thursday night, despite the cold and frost we had a large attendance of members and guests who were privileged to her four brilliantly researched and delivered speeches and just to put icing on the cake, one of our new members gave his first speech in the club.

President Ray Ryan as usual presided, and started us off at 8pm sharp. Mary Moynahan was Toastmaster for the night and Grant March as Topicsmaster. For both, it was their first time in the role and they brought with them, their own style and personalities.

Mary introduced our first speaker, Declan Curtis who delivered his Icebreaker speech which was entitled, “From There to Here”. The Icebreaker Speech is one that every member delivers to the club, the purpose of which is to get the member to statr speaking before an audience and also for club members to get to know the new member. A toastmaster never forgets his or her Icebreaker speech.

Following Declan was another of our newer members, Máire Welford, who delivered a marvellous and highly informative speech entitled, “Newgrange, A World Heritage Site” in which she told us the history of Newgrange and the people who built it.

Then is was the turn of Anne Buckley with her speech, “Left, Get it Right” in which she informed us, backed up with research, statistics and fascinating facts, about people who are naturally left handed.

Finally, Angela Sheehan, delivered her speech entitled, “Say What” which was a most fascinating look at cheese making. Angela told us of the history of cheese and also the modern process of cheese making.

After the break, Grant March, conducted the topics session in which the members (and only members, are asked to speak on a topic) practice their skills of speaking “off the cuff” on a variety of different topics in which they have to speak, unprepared, for two minutes.

Jerry Mulcahy was our General Evaulator for the evening and conducted the evaluation session.
This is the part of every meeting in which members receive feedback from other designated members on how they delivered their speeches and suggestions made on how they could improve.
Just as every member delivers a speech, members also get the opportunity to evaluate other members speeches. Evaluating another member’s speech is a skill in itself and is learned by practice.

The next meeting of Speak Easy Toastmasters is on February 19th and also on March 5th which will be our club heat of the International Speech and Evaluation Contests.

The Area final is being hosted by Fermoy Toastmastes on April 7th with the Division Finals on April 19th .

If you have never been to a Toastmasters meeting, why not come along to our next one and see for yourself what happens?. Don’t worry, you will not be asked to speak, guests never are, and, you can come as many times as you like as a guest.

For further information on Speak Easy Toastmasters, visit our website at www.speakeasytoastmasters.com or contact our Club PRO, Seán on 086 6054784.

Storytelling, A Toastmasters Art.

Are you fed up with all the doom and gloom reports in the media? Afraid to switch on the TV or radio for fear of hearing of more closures and job losses? Would you like to be in the company of people who think positively, and who enjoy themselves and each other company? Of course you would.

Speak Easy Toastmasters meet one a fortnight, on Thursday evenings, in the Hibernian Hotel so why not come along and see for yourself what we are about.

The Toastmasters education programmes are many and varied and our meetings are workshops rather than classrooms. The following is an example of one such toastmasters programme.

Storytelling, has been a form of communication throughout the history of mankind. It’s part of every civilisation on every continent. Early storytellers told of the deeds of their heroes; these stories were expanded over the years to include tales and fables.

The earliest known epic was “Gilgamesh” first told by the Sumerians. Later, came the Anglo Saxton tale of “Beowulf”. Storytellers related the Greek myths, which included gods with supernatural powers.

Storytelling continued during the Middle Ages, with tellers delighting their listeners with tales of war and love. In the 14th century Geoffrey Chaucer retold the stories he’d heard from a band of pilgrims travelling from London to Canterbury. Chaucer put the stories on paper in his “Canterbury Tales”.

In Ireland we have a long tradition of storytelling and tales from “Na Fianna” “Cuchullan” etc are well known to generations. We also are so lucky to have our Seanchai (which means a bearer of old lore), The late Eamon Kelly possibly being the most famous. Speak Easy Toastmasters were indeed honoured that Eamon launched the Area 17 book of speeches, “ A Taste of Toastmasters” in March 1996.

Storytelling continues to be popular. People love to hear and tell stories.
Storytelling is great entertainment, yet it has a purpose, too. We tell stories to children to introduce them to the world of literature.

In many families, tales about family history and ancestors are passed down from generation to generation through storytelling. Many public speakers tell stories as part of their presentations. They find that a well-told story will attract listener’s attention and can emphasize or illustrate a point.

Toastmasters International have a program which is very popular with members and is aptly named “Storytelling”. This program has 5 projects, “The Folk Tale”, “Lets Get Personal”, “The Moral of the Story”, “The Touching Story” and “Bringing History to Life”

Each of these projects are designed to progressively increase the Toastmasters skills in the art of Storytelling and great emphasis is placed on such skills as tempo and rhythm, bringing a story to life, keeping a story simple, introducing a twist and to arouse emotion.

So you see, in Toastmasters we have a much varied program that keeps members both entertained and constantly increasing their communication skills.
Why not come along to any of our meeting and see for yourself. You will be very welcome and don’t worry, you will not be asked to speak as guests at a Toastmasters meeting never are.

Speak Easy Toastmasters meet. tonight, February 5th and on February 19th and March 5th.

Further information from our website, www.speakeasytoastmasters.com or from Seán our PRO on 086 6054784