Speak Easy members visit to COPE

Thursday 29^th of May will the members of Speak Easy Toastmasters gather for their final meeting of the current toastmaster’s year.

This is the time of year for every toastmasters club in which members realise their goals for the year and in Speak Easy a number of our members will be achieving their toastmaster awards.

Clubs also have an award scheme, called the DCP or Distinguished Club Program. This program is administered by Toastmasters International and recognises clubs around the world who reach TI standards in helping their members achieve their goals.

Speak Easy Toastmasters have traditionally achieved the highest awards in this program and this year is expected to be no different.

From July 1^st the newly elected officers in toastmasters worldwide will take office, not only at club level but also at area, division, district and indeed international level.

Last Thursday , 22^nd of May, members of Speak Easy Toastmasters visited the Cope Foundation facility in Quartertown, Mallow and spent a most pleasant two hours in the company of Jerry Mullane, the staff and some of the 70 service users of the facility. Jerry took us on a tour where we saw activities from gardening to computers to art and much, much more.

The visit culminated with a beautiful lunch with members of the Nice and Easy Toastmasters Club who have delivered speeches at our Club meetings and whom we look forward to meeting again after our summer break. Why not visit the Cope Foundation’s website at www.cope-foundation.ie.

Summer is here, hopefully, and as you wind down your evening activities for those long hazy lazy days over the coming months we hope you have a great summer. Speak Easy Toastmasters will be back in the Hibernian Hotel again in early September, refreshed, relaxed and looking forward another great year of learning and honing our skills in the art of speaking, listening and leadership.

Why not consider joining Speak Easy Toastmasters in the Autumn?. But between now and then visit our website where you can find out all about toastmasters, who we are and what we do. Browse through our online photo album and put faces to the names that you have been reading about in these notes.

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

Icebreaker and AGM

How the year has flown. It seems only last week that we started off our toastmaster’s year but last Thursday night Speak Easy Toastmasters held our AGM and elected a new committee to lead and guide the club for 2008/08.

Our AGM night began with a regular toastmasters meeting with speeches, evaluations and topics with President Anne Buckley welcoming members and guests.

The meeting began with Marie Fitzpatrick as Topicsmaster keeping members on their toes with a well thought out range of topics for members to practice their speaking “off the cuff” skills.

Then Toastmaster of the evening, Tony O’Regan took us through the meeting with his usual skill and humour.

First speaker of the evening was our newest member, Cáit Murray, with a speech entitled “Work and Me”. A first speech by a member is known as an “Icebreaker” and Cáit certainly broke the ice with and informative and humorous speech.

Following Cáit, was Mary Moynahan with a speech entitled “Watch the Gum Drops” in which she gave us some fascinating facts on the history, manufacture and scourge of….chewing gum.

Finally it was the turn of John Dillon with a project from the Interpretive Reading Program. John performed a monologue and choose a piece from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, “To be, or not to be”.

General Evaluator was Pat Sexton with evaluations by, Lorretto Barry, Margaret O’Regan and Pat Duggan. Timekeeper was Joe Hassett with Sgt at Arms, Mary Moynahan.

After the tea break it was time for the AGM and after the minutes of last years AGM were read, matters arising dealt with, each of the officers of the committee gave a report to the meeting.

In her Presidents address, Anne Buckley outlined the activities of the Club over the past year including the many social activities of the club, successful contests and achievements of members and also what being President of Speak Easy Toastmasters meant to her personally. She thanked her team of committee members for their work during the previous year.

Then followed the election of the new officers for next year and they are as follows. President, Ray Ryan; Educational Vice President, Michael Cronin; Vice President Public Relations, Seán Corcoran; Vice President Membership, Pat Duggan; Secretary, Joe Hassett; Treasurer, Mary Moynahan; Sgt at Arms, Jean Sayers, Liam Flynn and Cáit Murray.

Speak Easy Toastmasters will hold their final meeting before the summer break on Thursday 29^th of May at 8pm sharp in the Hibernian Hotel so why not come along and join us for a taste of toastmasters in what promises to be a great evening of speeches, education and entertainment. You, as our guest will be very welcome indeed and remember guests are never asked to speak.

For further information on Speak Easy Toastmasters, log on to our website at www.speakeasytoastmasters.com or contact club PRO, Seán on 0866054784