Friday, May 21, 2010

Toastmaster Awards

The 2009-2010 season for Speakeasy Toastmasters is drawing to a close and the final meeting of the year, to which all are welcome, will be held on the 27th May, at our usual venue, the Hibernian Hotel, Mallow, commencing at 8:00pm. This year, a number of our members will be achieving educational awards, based on the number of manual speeches delivered. The Competent Communicator award is bestowed on Toastmasters who complete the basic manual of ten speeches. Subsequent educational awards are based on completing advanced manuals, with five speeches in each manual. The Advanced Communicator Bronze is awarded for completing two advanced manuals, the Advanced Communicator Silver is awarded for completing a further two advanced manuals and the Advanced Communicator Gold is achieved when another pair of advanced manuals are completed.

Organizational achievements are acknowledged by leadership awards. The Competent Leader award recognizes members who have performed meeting duties, such as timekeeper, the Advanced Leader Bronze recognizes Toastmasters who have served on the Club Committee while the Advanced Leader Gold recognizes Toastmasters who have taken up leadership positions outside of their club. Toastmasters who achieve both the Advanced Communicator Gold and Advanced Leader Gold are eligible for the Distinguished Toastmaster Award (DTM). Former and current members of Speakeasy Toastmasters who achieved the DTM include Joe O’ Connor, Matt Lawlee and Pat Sexton. Further details about the club are available from our website, www.speakeasytoastmasters.com, which features a blog containing our press release archive, or from Ray at 086-3675706.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Speak Easy's AGM

Speakeasy Toastmasters held their regular fortnightly meeting and the club AGM on the 13th of May.
Delivering speeches were Bridget Breen, who completed stage 2 of the Competent Communicator manual, and Declan Curtis who completed Stage 7 of the same manual. Mary Moynihan evaluated Bridget while Joe Hassett evaluated
Declan. The officers for the meeting were Ray Ryan, Toastmaster, Tony O' Regan Topicsmaster, Cait Murray General Evaluator, Noel O' Connor Timekeeper and Marie Fitzpatrick Grammarian.

Following the meeting the Cllub AGM was held and the following committee was elected for 2010-11.
Margaret O' Regan President.
Tony O' Regan,Education Vice President,
Jean Sayers, Vice President Public Relations
Mary Moynihan, Vice President Membership
Cait Murray, Secretary,
Noel O' Connor, Treasurer.
Liam Flynn, Mary McCarthy & Joesphine O' Sullivan-Linehan, Sergeants at Arms.


Speakeasy Toastmasters will hold their final meeting of the 2009-10 season on May 27th, at the Hibernian Hotel, Mallow, 8;OOpm. Members of the public are welcome to attend and will not be asked to speak, Details about the club are available from our website, www.speakeasytoastmasters.com, which features a blog or from Ray at 086-3675706.
Finally, Speakeasy Toastmasters wishes to express our sympathies to the family of the late Pat Owens, who was an invaluable ally of the club in its early years.

Sunday, May 09, 2010

Speak Easy's AGM next Thursday night

Speakeasy Toastmasters will meet on May 13th, at the Hibernian Hotel, Mallow, commencing at 8:00pm. After the regular meeting the Club AGM will be held and the 2010-2011 committee elected. In addition to the President, the other officer roles are Vice-President Education, who draws up the progamme of speakers for each meeting, Vice-President Public Relations, Vice-President Membership, Treasurer,Secretary and finally the Sergeants at Arms who set up the meeting room.

The final meeting of the year will be held on the 27th May. Members of the public are welcome to attend our meetings and will not be asked to speak. Further details about the club are available from our website, www.speakeasytoastmasters.com, which features a blog containing our press release archive, or from Ray at 086-3675706.

Tuesday, May 04, 2010

Communication and Leadership with Speakeasy

Members of Speakeasy Toastmasters have extended the opportunities provided by Toastmasters, the development of communication and leadership skills, beyond our organization. Toastmaster member Jerry Mulcahy established the Nice ‘n Easy Club at the COPE foundation in Quartertown. Members of the Nice ‘n Easy Club have delivered speeches at Speakeasy Toastmasters for many years.

Former club President Mary Buckley inaugurated the Speakeasy Toastmasters Schools Public Speaking Competition. Held each November, teams representing various secondary schools throughout North Cork have taken part.

The contribution made by members of Speakeasy Toastmasters to Mallow has been recognized by the Sports and Leisure Council. Pat Sexton, Matt Lawlee, Jeremiah Roynane and Michael Cronin have received awards from the Sports and Leisure Council.

Our next meeting will be held on May 13th, at the Hibernian Hotel, Mallow, commencing at 8:00pm. Members of the public are welcome to attend our meetings and will not be asked to speak. Further details about the club are available from our website, www.speakeasytoastmasters.com, which features a blog containing our press release archive, or from Ray ay 086-3675706.

Gardai swoop on meeting.

Gardai swoop on meeting.

There was a very strong Garda presence at the clubs last meeting. Four non-uniformed members of the force from Cork City sat in on and took control of part of the meeting. However everything was above board as they members of the Guardians Club in Cork city and the Speakeasy Club was delighted to host a joint meeting with them.

One of their members acted as topicsmaster for the evening and as nobody decided to exercise their right to remain silent, he got a great response to his entertaining topics. Also one of their members gave an excellent speech about dreams that had the audience enthralled.

From Speakeasy, Anne Buckley gave an excellently written speech about her memories about her time in Irish college and it struck a chord with many in the audience. Angela Sheehan followed with a very strong speech regarding the problem of litter and how if everybody did their share of cleaning up great improvements could be achieved for all to enjoy. Finally Sean Corcoran shared a very entertaining folk tale entitled ‘The Wise Washerwomen of Mungret’ which had us all laughing out loud.

The Speakeasy clubs next meeting will take place on this Thursday 13th May. The meeting will begin at 8pm and finish at 10pm and takes place in Club Xperience in the Hibernian Hotel. Everybody is welcome and guests will not be asked to speak.