Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Speak Easy members visit to COPE

Thursday 29th 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 1st 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 , 22nd 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.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

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 29th 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

Monday, May 12, 2008

Conference Time, Party Time

From Inverness in Scotland to Castletownbere, from Eastbourn in the south east of England to Sligo, and just about anywhere in between, Toastmasters descended on Killarney for the semi-annual conference which was held last weekend.

It was the first time ever that this conference was held in Killarney and was a major achievement for Killarney Toastmasters Club who were the conference hosts.

What can one say about a weekend that had it all? Good food, great friends. A weekend packed with workshops and contests during the day and in the evening singing, dancing, a banquet and craic until the small hours and breakfast while looking out at the majestic Tomies and Purple Mountain on the far side of Lough Leane as deer grazed in the field just across from our hotel, The Gleneagle. And of course the weather…. warm and sunny.

So, what can one say about the weekend? perfect, just perfect.

A toastmasters club spend will many, many months organizing such a conference and to bring over 300 delegates to such an event (and to see that they all get home again) takes huge organizational and leadership skills.

But learning and putting these skills into practice are part of the toastmaster ethos and are on par with public speaking skills which toastmasters international are famous for.

Speak Easy Toastmasters hosted such a conference back in 2001 and is still fondly remembered by conference goers.

Our next conference will take place at the Ormond Hotel, Kilkenny City on November 7-9th

But this week it is back to club business with our meeting as usual on May 15 with the usual mix of speeches, evaluations and topics.

So why not call in and say hello, you will be most welcome and rest assured that guests are never asked to speak at a toastmasters meeting

If you would like to find out more about Speak Easy Toastmasters and Toastmasters International just visit our constantly updated website at www.speakeasytoastmasters.com where you will find information about all aspects of Toastmasters and also a page of questions and answers where you will find an answer to any questions you may have.

Also, you may contact our club PRO on 086 6054784.

Monday, May 05, 2008

Get Your Motor Running

Thursday, May 1’st saw another brilliant meeting of the Speak Easy Toastmasters Club in the Hibernian Hotel, Mallow.

Indeed it was a special night as the club were hosting the Area Final of the Tall Tales Contest and toastmasters from The Galtees Club in Mitchelstown and Fermoy Toastmasters joined Speak Easy members for an evening of, well, tall tales.

And the tales were indeed tall with a speech from Oliver Reilly from Fermoy Toastmasters entitled, “The Diagnosis”. Dick Lyons from The Galtees Club gave us a speech entitled, “The Real Story Behind the Peace Process” and from Angela Sheehan from Speak Easy, “Get Your Motor Running”.

The judges really had to work hard to choose a winner from the above speeches but in the end it was Speak Easy’s own Angela Sheehan who was declared the winner.

Congratulations, Angela.

As well as giving us an exhibition on crafting and delivering a tall tale, the speakers showed us how they have benefited from their Toastmaster training.

The meeting was presided over by Toastmasters International Area 17 (North Cork) Governor, Pat Duggan and joining him at the top table was Toastmaster/Contest Chair and President of Fermoy Toastmasters, Michael Sheehan.

Topicsmaster for the evening was Sean Corcoran who got many more tall tales during the topics session from those present.

Chief Judge for the contest was Maire Corbett, President of The Galtees Toastmasters and timers were Eamon Rea (The Galtees) and Cáit Murry (Speak Easy)

After the break we were treated to an interpretive reading project speech by John Dillon which was evaluated by Tony O’Regan.

This weekend, as far as Toastmasters are concerned its all roads lead to Killarney, where the Toastmasters District 71 Spring Conference will be held in the Gleneagle Hotel.

Toastmasters from all over Ireland and he UK will be attending for a weekend of contests, workshops and election of officers, not to mention singing, dancing, meeting up with old friends, making new ones and general merry making.

The next meeting of Speak Easy Toastmasters takes place in the Hibernian Hotel, Mallow on Thursday, May 15th at 8pm and you are invited.

Speak Easy Toastmasters are delighted to welcome guests to our meetings so why not come along and see what we are about.

Rest assured, as our guest, you will not be asked to speak.

If you have any questions on any aspect of Toastmasters International or Speak Easy Toastmasters, why not log on to our website at www.speakeasytoastmasters.com where you will find a comprehensive question and answer (Q&A) section.

If you have missed out on any of our weekly notes, you will find them archived in our continuously updated blog http://speakeasytm.blogspot.com/ which is also accessible through our website.

Don’t forget, our next meeting on May 15’th. Looking forward to meeting you. Further information from our PRO , Sean on 086 6054784