Empowerment!

Another Thursday night and another fascinating night of inspiration, motivation and information at a Speakeasy Toastmasters Meeting. With a speech programme of 4 speeches, there was an abundance of worthy ideas and "food for thought".

In the week that commemorated Martin Luther King, it was appropriate that Susan Hegarty addressed the subject of leadership. "Lead the way to a better future" looked at the different types of leadership - be it the political leaders or the lycra clad Operation Transformation to the unsung leaders in voluntary organisations who change people's lives. She contrasted the different types of leadership situations she experienced in school and in the workplace from the rules obsessed bureaucratic model to the to the altruistic, democratic, innovative and empowering.

Empowerment was a central theme of Rachel Liston's speech - "Hooked". Asking herself the question - "How difficult could it be?" - she embarked on acquiring the skill of crochet.In short, crochet is about finding a hook and put it all together. Like learning any new skill, it requires curiosity, enthusiasm, persistence and a desired goal. The persistence paid off with the finished article and a meaningful new skill. Other benefits included mindfulness - of being in the moment with total focus required. Learning any new skill, be it crochet or communication is empowering and rewarding with the benefits far outweighing the effort involved.

Anne Marie Lehane outlined the challenging and empowering subject of "Health and Wellness at Work" Setting up staff wellness committees can reap huge dividends, especially in the health care sector. Encouraging staff to "wear the wellness cap" empowers staff to enhance their working environment and improve the quality of their working life. This in turn helps to improve the quality of care that hospital staff provide to patients. Staff involvement in such initiatives "maximises us and minimises them".

Michael Buckley had plenty "Food for Thought" in a detailed presentation on the significance of food combining. Citing the research of Dr. Howard Hay, Michael explained how the combination of protein and carbohydrates in one meal is both a counter productive and an inefficient way of eating as the food is not absorbed properly. By eating proteins and carbohydrates in separate sittings, the health benefits are many - it helps maintain our ideal weight, slows down aging, reduces the need for supplements. And all this can be achieved with less dieting and a reduction in strenuous exercise. It seems like a less humiliating form of Operation Transformation. In short, we take control of our diet which is another form of empowerment. 

In Toastmasters, there is huge emphasis placed on encouraging all participants to realise their full potential as communicators. Each speaker is designated an evaluator whose role is to provide honest feedback, delivered in a positive manner. This encourages and motivates the speaker to grow more confident and accomplished in their presentations. The evaluations of the aforementioned speakers were provided by Jillian Harris, Marie Fitzpatrick, Verna Byrne and Michael Cronin who provided comprehensive feedback that was sensitive to the speakers' needs. 

At the Meeting's conclusion, awards were presented to Rachel Liston - Best Speaker and Michael Cronin - Best Evaluation.

The Speakeasy Toastmasters Season continues with our next Meeting on Thursday, 6th Feb in The Hibernian Hotel Mallow at 8.00PM. If you are looking for a good night's entertainment or if you are looking to acquire a new and empowering skill, or if you seek a distraction from the General Election, why not pay us a visit. You will be warmly welcomed and guests are never obliged to speak unless they wish to do so.

For more information on this club, please check out our website speakeasytoastmasters.com or on Facebook. 

Speak Easy Toastmasters Club meets on alternate Thursday Nights of each month, September to May at 8.00 PM Sharp in The Hibernian Hotel, Mallow: Speak Easy Toastmasters was founded in April 1993 speakeasytoastmasters.com

Off the cuff with substance and style

Off the cuff with substance and style

The famous American author, Mark Twain remarked that"It takes me two weeks to prepare an impromptu speech". However entertaining Twain's remark may be, it doesn't help those who find themselves put "on the spot" and asked to speak without notes or a script.Usually, it results in finding ourselves tongue tied. 

Most people have privately said "I wish I had thought of that" when reflecting on some conversation or off the cuff presentation. In Toastmasters, we assist our members to deal with those impromptu situations and get their point across. In fact, we help remove the embarrassment and replace it with empower. And, some fun can ensue. 

Last week's Speakeasy Toastmasters meeting witnessed a hugely enjoyable and enlightening Topics Session. Ably conducted by Susan Hegarty, this session encouraged wonderful impromptu contributions. "If you could start your own business and didn't have to worry about money, what would it be?" This question inspired some flights of fancy. One contributer spoke of her love of fashion and of opening a clothes shop. Another spoke of opening a hut in Killarney and selling trinkets and customised poetry to gullible tourists!

Holiday plans were addressed by another speaker who spoke about realising his long term dream of visiting two meccas of American music - Memphis, the home of the Blues and of Elvis and Nashville, the home of Country Music. 

Operation transformation and an illuminating discussion on diets brought New Year's resolutions into focus. Yes, those biscuits and sugar laden desserts are fattening. Dolly Parton's words of wisdom were invoked - "You wish to lose weight, then take your head out of the slop-bucket!" Favourite words of wisdom were revealed. For Bridie O'Connell, it was "brevity is the soul of wit". Anne O'Donovan's mantra was "do nothing and say nothing and you will never be criticised. And, you won't achieve anything". 

Other topics to elicit meaningful responses were "What makes you laugh? " and "Are you a morning or night person? ". A discussion on old fashioned books versus kindle brought fascinating reactions. To one member, the illuminated Kindle screen helped her rediscover the joy of reading while others loved the feel and the smell of a book. And then there was the other category - the lovers of the audio book and the beauty of having words spoken to them. 

A Topics Session provides an opportunity to acquire and hone our inter - personal communication skills. It helps us prepare for those real life situations where we are required to speak without preparation and be coherent. It can also be a journey, where we walk for two minutes in someone else's shoes and be enthralled at the diverse nature of personal opinions.It embodies the mantra of Toastmasters - "We learn most in moments of enjoyment".

If you haven't witnessed a Speakeasy meeting or if you wish to sharpen your communication skills, why not pay us a visit? You will meet real people, not social media trolls. You, too can learn in moments of enjoyment. 

The next Speakeasy Toastmasters meeting will take place in The Hibernian Hotel Mallow on Thursday, 23rd January at 8.00PM. Guests are always welcome and are never compelled to speak unless they wish to do so. 

For more information on this club, please check out our website speakeasytoastmasters.com or on Facebook.