Looking After Ourselves and Our Planet

 Our president, Bobby Buckley, opened the meeting and referred to three well-known icons who have recently passed away - Kris Kristofferson, Maggie Smith, and Mary O’Rourke all rest in peace.

Michael Cronin, as MC for the evening, conducted the meeting with his usual ease and charm.

Amanda Conway gave a very confident presentation of a charming poem, ‘My Favourite Place To Be’.

Well-being of the individual and of our planet were themes running through Thursday’s meeting. In her speech, ‘Just An Email’, Rachel Liston shared her positive and enlightening experience of working under the guidance of a mentor, in spite of her initial reservations.

Paul Corcoran described his absolute delight in acquiring his ‘new best friend’ in his speech, ‘A New Journal’. He certainly convinced many in the audience of the joys and benefits of keeping a journal.

In his enthralling speech, Don McSweeney introduced us to the model of ‘The Doughnut’. The area between the two rings of the doughnut is considered a safe and just place for humanity and the planet to live. Living within these boundaries, all people’s basic social needs would be met and the safety of our planet would be secured. Right now, this model seems to offer us the best hope of a healthy future.

Helsa Giles, Brendan Foley, and Marie Fitzpatrick all gave positive and insightful evaluations of the respective speeches.

In a lively and very enjoyable topics session, Noel O’Connor posed questions about native plants that are under threat in Ireland, prejudices about drivers of electric cars, and opinions on what is an ideal holiday. Some aspired to an ecologically ethical holiday with Manchán by train, while others looked forward to braving the Greenways! Many opinions were exchanged in a respectful and often humorous way.

We left the meeting with plenty of food for thought and the prospect of the next meeting to look forward to on the 17th of October. This should be a very entertaining evening with a contest of Humorous Speeches and Table Topics.

Everyone Welcome!

Toastmaster: Michael Cronin, President: Bobby Buckley, Topicsmaster: Noel O'Connor

Evaluators: Helsa Giles and Marie Fitzpatrick.

Speakers: Paul Corcoran, Rachel Liston, and Don McSweeney

Indian Summer at Speakeasy

"Confidence building, leadership skills, and goal setting were just 3 of the gifts I acquired in Toastmasters." This was how Margaret O'Regan described her journey through Toastmasters in a wonderful speech at last week's Speakeasy Toastmasters meeting.

"Just so you know" was an inspiring recollection of how Speakeasy has helped Margaret in many aspects of life. From dipping the toe in the water by presenting an occasional speech to becoming immersed in various leadership roles, Margaret reflected on how Toastmasters can be a positive experience.

She also reflected on the charisma of former Club President, Jeremiah Ronayne, and how his influence shone brightly during the recent marathon cycle from Malin Head to Mizen in his memory, which has been a spectacular fundraiser for Marymount Hospice in Cork.

Michael Cronin has a reputation for humour, and his speech "The Heart of the Matter" did not disappoint in that regard. He spoke of his fascination with advertising and marketing, referencing the famous adverts for Harp with Sally O'Brien, Barry's Tea and the Train Set, and the Wonderbra billboard campaign of the mid-nineties. He has wondered if there is a market in North Cork for Rolex watches because of the recent billboard displays in Mallow. Currently, he has become enthralled by the Bon Secours campaign announcing its open-heart surgery programme. He wonders if making such a programme so readily available will encourage people to throw caution to the wind in terms of lifestyle and diet because a trip to the Bons is so convenient.

Trevor O'Sullivan gave us "A Tale of the Unexpected from LinkedIn." Having joined the ranks of the self-employed, Trevor decided to build his social media presence on LinkedIn. This site is designed as a networking opportunity for businesspeople to advertise their expertise. And then, he waited and waited for enquiries to flood in. Alas, nothing happened! But eventually, just as he was losing all hope, a "digital marketer" contacted him, offering all sorts of options for "creating content," which came with a hefty price tag! In life, you get out what you put in, but on LinkedIn, no such guarantees exist!

In the poetry corner, Jillian Harris presented a thoughtful and enjoyable poem called "Kitchen." It described the usual items you may find in the kitchen—the pots, pans, ladles, the beetroot and turmeric, and the well-used table. But the child is now grown, and the nest is empty—a reflection on the inevitable passing of time.

All speeches were comprehensively evaluated by the team of Claire O'Connell, Bobby Buckley, and Don McSweeney. "Evaluate to motivate" is the motto we apply to feedback we give our members. In this instance, humour was very much in vogue in the appraisal of the speakers.

Noel, Margaret, and Brendan - our cycle crew

Top Table: Toastmaster Rachel Liston, President Bobby Buckley, Topicsmaster Helsa Giles

Speakers: Trevor O'Sullivan, Margaret O'Regan, and Michael Cronin

Evaluators: Don McSweeney,  Claire O'Connell, and Bobby Buckley