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Volume 07/04 December 07

CONTENTS

Season's Greeting .......................................................................................................................... 2 Education & Training – Who is eligible for old CL! ................................................................... 3 Marketing Review – Changing People’s Lives............................................................................. 4 Public Relations with the Media ................................................................................................... 5 CONGRATULATIONS! .............................................................................................................. 6 Glasgow Toastmasters and Scotland celebrate its first DTM...................................................... 7 District 71 Conference - Harrogate - 9th - 11th November 2007 ................................................ 8 The Travelling Toastmaster........................................................................................................ 11 Stand Up for Cottonwood Speakers! .......................................................................................... 12 Roscrea Speakers Club Celebrate with Charter Dinner ........................................................... 13 Area 18 Hike in Glendalough November 2007........................................................................... 13 Maidenhead Speakers Club - Youth Leadership Programme .................................................. 14 Recognition is such an important part of Toastmasters!........................................................... 15 Toastmasters Voices to be Heard in Wales ................................................................................ 16 Oh yes it is – The Area 7 Pantomime Competition. ................................................................... 17 Around the Clubs ........................................................................................................................ 18 The Educational Experience – A Story from Harrogate ........................................................... 19 District 71 Spring Conference – Killarney, Co Kerry, Ireland ................................................. 20 2007-2008 Marketing and Club Growth .................................................................................... 21 How Speechcraft Can Strengthen Your Club ............................................................................ 22 An Anecdote on the Value of Toastmasters ............................................................................... 23 Background of the 'N.Z.I.C.A Bank Speakers' .......................................................................... 23 Sing A-Long with Berkhamsted! ................................................................................................ 24

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Season's Greeting This is the time of year when we take a break from our regular activities and that includes Toastmasters. We return refreshed and ready for the New Year or as in the case of Toastmasters we return for the second half of the year. It is also a time to consider New Year resolutions. Hope springs eternal, however unsuccessful we have been in the past! Perhaps for Toastmasters, the Toastmasters Promise which we took on joining the club will serve as a useful check list: As a member of Toastmasters International and my club I promise:

To attend club meetings regularly To prepare all of my speech and leadership projects to the best of my ability, basing them on projects from the Communication and Leadership Manuals To prepare for and fulfil meeting assignments To provide fellow members with helpful constructive evaluations To help the club maintain the positive friendly environment necessary for all members to learn and grow To serve as an officer when called upon to do so To treat my fellow club members and our guests with respect and courtesy To bring guests to club meetings so they can see the benefits Toastmasters membership offers To adhere to the guidelines and rules of all Toastmasters educational and recognition programmes To maintain honest and ethical standards during the conduct of all Toastmasters activities, As People building people we have opportunities in all the elements of the promise to mentor our fellow Toastmasters and have the joy of seeing these mentees grow and develop. Personal contact and word of mouth are so powerful that it makes sense to use this most influential tool for the benefit of all with whom we come in contact.

I wish all Toastmasters and their loved ones a joyful and peaceful holiday and a successful 2008.

Mary Murtagh, District Governor

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Education & Training – Who is eligible for old CL!

I sent out a blanket email at the beginning of December warning everyone that time was running out for members who wished to complete their Old style CL. Apart from a typing error in my first email which did not help matters, it seems that there was still confusion over who can and cannot get recognition for the Old CL.

So I called Toastmasters International several times and I now have the exact details of who is eligible.

Question number 1: Who qualifies for the Old CL? Answer: Everyone

Question number 2: Can I apply for the new AL bronze instead of the Old CL? Answer: No you cannot. If you are working the old system then you have to apply for the old CL. This will still be recognised as an AL bronze when you apply for your AL silver after completing all the tasks required.

Question number 3: I already have one or more of the old CL’s, can I do another one and apply for the new AL bronze?

Answer: No you cannot. The answer to question 2 also applies here. Question number 4: I have just finished my new CL, do I have to apply for the old CL as that still applies until June 2008?

Answer: No you do not. If you are a member working on the new system, you apply for the new CL which is done on-line.

Question number 5: I joined and received the two manuals (the new Competent Communicator and Competent Leader manual) but I decided to work on the old CL and have completed all the requirements, can I put in for the old CL? Answer: Yes you can.

Question number 6: I tried to apply for my old CL (new AL bronze) online but it would not go through. It kept telling me I had not completed my CC or my CL. What am I doing wrong?

Answer: You cannot apply for the old CL online. You must scan the completed form and email it to World HQ or Fax it through. In either case I would suggest trying to complete and send it in well before the end of June as I can see a huge backlog occurring. If you decide to post it, make sure you send it before the end of June so that it is postmarked. Without any exception, if they receive an application through the post and it is postmarked after the end of June it will not be awarded. Question number 7: Where do I get the forms from to apply for the Old CL?

Answer: You can download them from the WHQ website and the D71 websites: (http://www.toastmasters.org/Members/MemberExperience/EducationalProgram/ALApp.aspx)

(http://d71.org/kb.php?mode=article&k=121) You can ask your VPE of your Club as they may well have a copy. If all that fails, then contact me and I will try to help.

Please, if you have any other questions or problems either email me at gary.sander@tiscali.co.uk or call me on 01842 814679.

Gary Sander DTM, Lieutenant Governor of Education and Training.

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Marketing Review – Changing People’s Lives What a crazy few weeks. Two Division finals – one UK and one Ireland, two Charter Dinners, one UK and one Ireland, a District Conference, several meetings of my own Club (Killaloe-Ballina) and a nostalgic visit back to the club where my Toastmasters journey began over 13 years ago. Of course I cannot forget a visit to Berkhamsted for a Workshop where members of the Berkhamsted and Aylesbury clubs made me so welcome that I felt part of the club and actually had a song written about me! I have thoroughly enjoyed every one of those visits and have constantly had my belief in the value of Toastmasters reinforced. Listening to a young lady in Bedford relate her difficulties with shyness and how she gained the courage to speak through Toastmasters reminded me of why we must continue to grow and give more opportunities to people like her to find their voice. I have been welcomed and I have learned from each of those experiences. Above all I have been humbled by the dedication and hard work of those involved in starting, maintaining and leading those Clubs both in the UK and Ireland. They deserve our support, encouragement and praise. There can be few things more rewarding than coming back many years later to see the club you started still thriving and giving more opportunities to people to learn communication and leadership skills which may change their lives. If you are a President or EVP of a Club why not offer your help to some of those new clubs? Why not pledge to supply them with a speaker or evaluator every few meetings? The experience will benefit the members of both clubs and ensure that you too have played a small part in helping to grow the organisation and put something back in. Don’t assume that just because a club has chartered it no longer needs your help – if anything it may need it even more. Toastmasters can and does change peoples lives – some more than others. In many ways I know I am speaking to the converted. My plea is that you give something back. I realise that not everyone is able to give the commitment needed to start a new club – but perhaps even more important than finding people to start clubs is the task of finding people to support and help with them in the early years. So go along to a new Club and offer to be an evaluator or a speaker. If there’s a weak or struggling club in your area why not give them some moral support and maybe even organise a joint meeting or a workshop with them. Be pro-active and don’t wait to be asked to help. Take what you’ve learned from the organisation and try to put some of that knowledge to good use. I still recall my first club meeting in the Thomond Club and how I almost didn’t join. Being back there brought back so many memories and made me so grateful that I had taken what for me was a big and scary step at the time. We sometimes don’t realise the importance of the journeys we set out on until many years later. It certainly changed my life – has it changed yours?

Joe Gibbs – Lieutenant Governor Marketing

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Public Relations with the Media Have you been asked to give a media interview lately? Were you prepared for this experience? Were you scared to death? Would you like some hints and tips on how to make this work first time? Well, I’ve been doing some reading and came across a really good article from The Media Coach e-magazine I subscribe to. (http://www.mediacoach.co.uk/free_email_newsletter.htm) Here are a few things to remember if you are asked to represent your club with the media:

1- You are the expert. You have been asked because you are the supposed expert on this topic; therefore, you are expected to be able to answer whatever is thrown at you. However, as we know, this is not always the case as we cannot be expected to know everything and that is why we have a team around us. Make sure you have a run-through with your team members before heading to the interview. 2- You need to sound like an expert. You need to be able to answer basic questions about your club and the organisation. Make sure you know your facts and figures regarding your club and the history of the Toastmasters International Organisation. Brush up on the Educational Programme so you can explain it clearly and succinctly. Be aware of the processes that are in place to start new clubs. Be aware of up coming events and activities within your area and the District. You can find a lot of this information and more on the Toastmasters International website at: http://www.toastmasters.org/FunctionalMenuCategories/CompanyInformation/History.aspx 3- You should know what you are talking about. A great way to do this is to have a ‘Backgrounder’ which basically is a one-page summary that covers all the information you need to ‘sound’ like an expert. You and your team could pull this together from the information above and have it available to those being called upon for media interviews. 4- Keep your backgrounder up to date. This can be accomplished by reviewing it every three months. If a major event occurs then update it immediately. Make sure that every person who is likely to speak to the press has a copy or post it on your website for people to draw upon.

5- Consistency is just as important as accuracy. Make sure that everyone is singing from the same hymn sheet. If one member is giving out a different message to other spokespeople, that will become a story in itself. Let’s be consistent! Have a fabulous Holiday Season and I look forward to hearing from you all in the new year about the events and activities you have been involved in! Keep those stories coming in and sharing your experiences.

Teresa Dukes, District Public Relations Officer

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WHAT HAPPENED THIS AUTUMN!

CONGRATULATIONS!

We are all aiming for some distant target or other. There are members of Toastmasters who have set their sights on the highest accolade attainable within Toastmasters, that of Distinguished Toastmaster. This target is one of the most difficult to reach because of the challenges set by Toastmasters International. Not only do members have to present a minimum of forty speeches through the Communication track, they also have to complete the Leadership track, which includes holding Office within their Club and holding a position within the District (Area Governor or perhaps Division Governor). They have to be a Sponsor or Mentor to a new Club or successfully serve as a Club Coach for an existing Club that needs some help to get back on track. The other “bigy”, as some people put it, is the High Performance Leadership manual. This involves finding a project, within or outside of Toastmasters, to plan it out and with the help of a Guidance Committee follow it through to its conclusion. It is thought that it can take around five years of work to gain a DTM, it took me nine years, some others may never make it because not all of the challenges set are easy to achieve but if you ask any of the members who have been there and done that “was it worth it” I guarantee all of them will reply with a resounding “YES”.

Below is a list of SIX members who have achieved that high goal of Distinguished Toastmaster, so I ask you to please join me in congratulating all of them on this fantastic achievement.

On the 5th July 2007 John Cronin of the Lucan Club in Dublin made DTM. In the same month on the 23rd Tom Russell of the Thurles Club in Thurles made DTM. On the 13th August 2007 Joe McDonnell of the Tralee Club in Tralee made DTM. Also on the 16th of this month Sue Sander of Speakers without Borders club in Weeting made DTM. On the 11th September 2007 John Patrick Brady of the Maynooth Toastmasters Club made DTM. On the 12th November 2007 Kevin Bradley of Speakers without Borders Club in Weeting made DTM. Gary Sander, DTM, Lieutenant Governor of Education and Training

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Glasgow Toastmasters and Scotland celebrate its first DTM (TI confirmation pending)

The song December 1963 starts out with that memorable line “Oh what a night” Well it was not December 1963, but November 2007 and Yes “Oh what a night.” It was the night that Scotland would have its first and very own DTM.

No she had not Done Too Many speeches. She arrived to a special night of celebration in the Area Governors helicopter, which had only recently been generously funded by the District Council. Not because she lives so far away, but because it seemed the only sensible way to get her past the crowds that were anticipated to come and see her.

There were Presidents from every club in the realm of Scotland. Their senior advisors of Education and Finance supported them. Many former Area Governors were in attendance and a multitude of guests. President Rautenbach and his entourage had arranged a special evening showcasing speeches at all levels: Icebreaker, CC10, ACB, ACS and ACG. Immediate Past Area Governor Merkx was considered to be the safe pair of hand to preside over this memorable night. He displayed great control over time and great economy of words saying what had to be said and not one word more. Our special member completed her memorable ACG speech, which as always was inspirational, and included many of the members of the audience. Our very Distinguished Guest from that Southern Kingdom Former District Governor Thompson superbly evaluated this. Then our special member was presented with some Gold. That was a worthy tribute to someone who was the founding President of our Club, Our Area Governor and most recently our Division Governor. As she was presented with gold and flowers, President MacLure from our Capital City

played the pipes giving it a truly Scottish flavour.

But back to the gold, you see on the gold there was an inscription. Would you like to know what it said? I though you might. It read Toastmasters International, Jane Cameron, DTM. Now the whole world knows! With that Jane thanked all who had travelled so far to be there: even the gentleman from Hong Kong. Then it was time for a glass of wine or three!

Oh what a night!

Jim Davidson, Area 30 Governor

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District 71 Conference - Harrogate - 9th - 11th November 2007

The Highlights Well it's over and done. Those who were there know what a great time was had by one and all. Those who weren't there, well you missed out on a superb weekend. The Conference opened with a 1st Timers gathering where we all got to know each other better. Mind you if a bunch of Toastmasters couldn't talk, then there isn't much hope for the rest is there? The Conference is a mixture of learning and enjoyment. The learning is mainly through the Education sessions, and the first one was Friday afternoon, where we were given some insights into dealing with 'Conflict', particularly within committees and clubs. Funny that my suggestions of just say 'Shut up' and the use of a Baseball bat weren't thought good practice!! Friday evening over 170 delegates gathered for the Toasties & Ghosties Fancy Dress Banquet. Along with Mary Murtagh, District 71 Governor, we welcomed the delegates to the Conference. I mentioned that Yorkshire people have been described as Scottish people with the generosity taken out, but this weekend we intended to prove this wrong.

It was amazing how many delegates made an effort, to the point where I didn't even recognise some of my closest friends!! After a hot buffet meal we were entertained by the Yorkshire Ceroc Group - an amalgam of jive, cha cha and other Latin dances. They dragged us all onto the dance floor to have a go - some better than others. After that there was disco dancing and the 'Craic' until the wee small hours. Dancing on the largest 'sprung' dance floor in Yorkshire was interesting - a bit like being on the North Sea ferry half way to Rotterdam!!

Some of us had to be up early the next morning for a District committee meeting - 8.00 am!!! A number of interesting points were raised and will be fed back to clubs as relevant. I also got talking to some members of Tube Talk club down in London who were wearing T shirts with a spoof on 'Ghostbusters'. I asked if I could send it on to others and Iain Duthie their PPTTIPP (President prior to the Immediate Past President) has confirmed it is OK. Only thing to note is that it can be used only if no profit is made.

In the morning there were two further Education slots. The first was on how to maximise the membership of your club, hosted by Jan Collings who had started the first club in Wales this year, and got to charter status (20 members) in 7 weeks! Really entertaining and thought provoking. Next we had Andrew Brammer, a past winner of the Humorous Speaking competition on using stories in your speeches. Personally I found this session awesome. Andrew is a superb speaker, as we later found out later as the 'warm up' for the Humorous Speaking competition. His tips for how to use stories has made me go back to basics for a presentation I'm doing in December.

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We then had the serious part of the Conference - the Council meeting. We were 'treated' to the reports from the 8 Divisions that make up District 71 and a presentation of this year's budget. Marina Gallagher, the District Treasurer, made a difficult subject very simple to understand - some achievement. Intentions to bid for Conferences in 2009 were also asked for.

After lunch we were entertained by the Keynote speaker, Simon Bucknall, a past winner of the International Speech contest. He was highly entertaining with his stories based around 'Sex, Politics & Religion'. Excellent entertainment. Next we had the Humorous Speaking contest, with warm up from Andrew Brammer telling the tale of the Club from Hell and his Area Governor visit there. Such amazing descriptions and characterisations - you had to be there to get the full effect.

I have to say all the speakers were excellent and had us in stitches. We had tales of trying to become an actor, trying to book in on Ryanair, being given a 7 day pass with personal trainer at the local gym, trips to China and a disco for one.

But I was really pleased that the winner was Bev Avis-Dakin from Division E (our Division) with her tales of the murky world of internet dating - wonderful. The evening event was a black tie dinner and dance, although some delegates didn't seem to understand what that meant - casual shirt, jeans and open neck!!! Over 210 delegates attended and of course being in Yorkshire we were treated to Roast Beef & Yorkshire Pudding. The entertainment was form an excellent dance band and disco, and again went on until the early hours - including again the 'Craic'. I had another early start as Contest Chair for the Table Topics briefing the contestants. The contestants were asked to speak on the topic of 'Remember When...' and we had an amazing range of topics - some serious, some not.

Th e contest was won by John Kelly from Ireland who really did have an amazing stage presence. I must just mention at this point the Master of Ceremonies for the weekend - Phil Heath - Immediate Past Area Governor. He was superb, he was entertaining and he was in control - except when I was Contest Chair for the Table Topics - lots of hand waving for me to wind up! Phil and I were described as like being the Ugly Sisters at the local pantomime the way we carried on Sunday morning!

Bev Avis-Dakin in red!

John Kelly – 2nd from the left.

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Finally there was the 2 minute silence for those we remember, and then the Hall of Fame. This is where the District, Divisions, Areas and Clubs are recognised for their achievements in 2006/07. Our Area Governor, Phil Heath, was only one of four Area Governors to achieve the highest level in 2006/07 - well done Phil.

And then before we knew it, the Conference was offer. It was time to say goodbye to old friends and to new friends made this weekend. There promises to meet again at the next Conference - yes we have got the bug. We are already looking at how we get to Killarney in May 2008 - maybe take a week's holiday or just fly from Manchester to Kerry for about £25-£40 each way! I'd never been to a Conference before and wasn't sure what to expect, but I was truly amazed. The warmth of the welcome, the friendliness of all the Toastmasters and the enjoyment we had from the moment we arrive to the moment we left was amazing. All I can say is going to Conference is something special. Maybe giving up a weekend seemed too

much, but what you get back is so so much more, and will be there with you forever.

I hope this sows a seed of desire with some of you to come to future Conference in the years ahead - you won't regret it. Finally I wish to record my thanks to the organisers, in particular Jo Haskins of Thamesdown Speakers, but also to those members of Area 15 who were more than willing to help out as was needed. The Conference was so much better because of that and they had a so much better time as well - I know they told me.

Michael J. Clarke, Area 15 Governor - Toastmasters International

Harrogate Team

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The Travelling Toastmaster In my opinion one of the best ways of enhancing your toastmaster experience is by breaking away from the comfort of your regular club and visiting as many other clubs as you possibly can. These 34 words formed the beginning of the speech I delivered on Wednesday 21st November 2007 to complete my 10th and final speech of the Competent Communicator Programme. If you ask the members of Canary Wharf Communicators (my home club) they will tell you that I class myself as a nomadic Toastmaster and that I have an Evangelic attitude on this subject and never miss an opportunity to tell them to travel. During the recent Humorous Speech and Table Topics Contest, I found myself standing in at late notice as the Contest Chair for the “Conference Famous” Tube Talk Toastmasters and during my introduction described myself as a Toastieholic. In fact during a 4 week period I attended 5 club contests (2 as Contest Chair, 1 as Chief Judge, 2 as judge), 4 area Contests (1 Contest Chair, 3 Judge) and 1 Divisional Final (as Timer). I firmly believe in practising what I preach! The main reason why I believe all Toastmasters need to visit other clubs, and where ever possible speak as well, is that after a few prepared speeches, answering several table topics and taking on some of the functionary roles at your own club, most of your public speaking fear factors have dissipated and because you have spoken in the same environment whilst learning the tricks of the speaking trade you start to become familiar with the audience, they become your friends and the speaking in public “edge” vanishes completely. To truly know how good an orator you have become and to learn additional skills from other toastmasters you need to hit the road. The most wonderful thing about travelling is that you can learn something new at every club you visit. If you are visiting a club why not offer your own services and experience, to the club you are attending! Contact the VPE beforehand and say I would like to come along to your next meeting and would be willing to help out in anyway I can. Become a topics evaluator or a speech evaluator or why not go the whole 9 yards and offer your services as a General Evaluator. I do not believe a single club in District 71 would turn down the opportunity to have an outsider give the General Evaluation.

I have been able to share my own toastmaster knowledge with the clubs I have visited by serving as GE or speech evaluator. In my experience the clubs gain tremendous benefit from having a fresh pair of eyes and ears evaluating them, I personally gained experience by speaking to an audience of strangers, which can be a daunting prospect and my own club benefits as I take back any good ideas that I see or hear. There is a further benefit to be gained by visiting other clubs and taking on the GE role as you can use it for credit towards the new CL award. The GE elements and requirements of Project’s 2 and 3 are particularly suited to the wondering Toastie.

It never ceases to amaze me just how different yet similar all the clubs are or how much you can learn by listening to new speakers and evaluators. I have probably gained more knowledge and ideas during the contest season than at any time during the two and half years that I have been a toastmaster. This being most obvious when I had the opportunity to be the “mystery” speaker for an Evaluation Contest earlier this year. The rewards of receiving multiple evaluations for your efforts are a truly enlightening experience; if you get the chance accept it.

I would positively encourage you all to get out and about visiting as many clubs and competitions as you possibly can, offering your services along the way and enhancing your toastmaster experience.

Rory Marriott CC CL, VP Education, Canary Wharf Communicators

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Stand Up for Cottonwood Speakers! Bournemouth-based Cottonwood Speakers is renowned for its lively Wednesday evenings and one of its members, Keith Hart, has used his new found skills in public speaking to start a career in stand up comedy, at the age of 51!

Whilst Keith was working his way towards achieving his Competent Communicator status, something that took place in June 2007. He was also attending Comedy Workshops run by Gill Edwards at the Komedia Club in Brighton. “Initially” said Keith, “I joined the Comedy Workshop to hone my writing skills and to find my inner comic. I had always been happy re-telling jokes and humorous stories I had heard from colleagues or over the Internet, and weaving them into my speeches (both at Cottonwood and elsewhere). The Workshop helped me locate and work with the inner spark that adds the authenticity that makes any speech that much better.”

Since then Keith has performed his comedy gig at various locations in Dorset, with the largest audience being nearly 200 people when the first live comedy event was held at The Exchange in Sturminster, Newton in November 2007. Although that sounds daunting, Keith is always more worried about the writing than he is the performing: “I am sure that the experience and practice I have had at Cottonwood, learning from my fellow Toastmasters at every opportunity, is a big factor in my lack of stage nerves” says Keith. “I am confident that I can get my message across, and remember my set, and if everything doesn’t go exactly to plan I know I can cope with whatever happens, although I have not yet had to deal with serious heckling of course, as this is frowned upon at Cottonwood, as I am sure it is at all other Toastmaster Clubs!” Keith’s material is rather different to most other comedians on the circuit as it contains no swearing or sexually explicit material, and reflects his everyday world - being over 50 years old in this technological age, and facing the challenges involved in parenting and grand-parenting.

“It takes me a long time to write new material and the gestation period from an initial idea through the various stages of trying to make it work (i.e. make it funny) in the stand up format, can take weeks of meticulous planning – and then I throw the script away and tell it in my own words on the night.

And that’s where the Toastmasters training helps me enormously. I don’t think I would have this confidence and lack of performance anxiety if I had not had the experience of letting my confidence and skills grow within the safe and supportive haven of Cottonwood Speakers – it has given me the ability to trust that everything will all be alright on the night. I love doing stand up – it has all the challenge and fun of being a Toastmaster, with the added advantage that every time I appear I have one simple objective – to make the audience laugh!

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Roscrea Speakers Club Celebrate with Charter Dinner

TIME TO CELEBRATE! Rocrea put in the paperwork and all was been confirmed that they are an official club with Toastmasters International! The dinner was held in Racket Hall, Roscrea on December 1st.

Attendees included current

Area Governor - Bridget Hanley, past Area Governor and founding Member - Sean Dwan and representing the District Executive – Joe Gibbs Lt Governor Marketing. The evening was presided over by Larry Lyons, President of Roscrea Toastmasters.

Area 18 Hike in Glendalough November 2007 Area 18 took to the hills on Sunday 25th November 2007. We had members from all the Clubs in the Area as well as one from Hellfire – but as he is the husband of the Area Governor he was made welcome too!

Our group of 11 walked for about 4 hours (10-11 kilometres) through the beautiful Spinc and Glenealo Valley in Glendalough, Co. Wicklow. This walk takes you

around by the Lower and Upper Lakes in this spectacular area of Glendalough. We took the route where we had the hardest climb first – up by the board walks.

We stopped to take in the view many times and also stopped for lunch near the bridge where we turned to come back on the other side of the lakes. When we arrived back to the car park we had a leisurely cup of coffee in the local hotel before heading back to Dublin. Here we had a table booked for a meal in O’Dwyer’s in Kilmacud to round off what was a great day – lots of fresh air, exercise and good company!

Pat Cowley, Area 18 Governor

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Maidenhead Speakers Club - Youth Leadership Programme There is both a feeling of relief and accomplishment that it is over. The last major element of ATM Gold for me had been the Youth Leadership Programme. On the evening of Thursday, 29th November, in Slough Town Hall a “show your skills” event was held. This enabled the young candidates to demonstrate to Youth leaders, friends, family and members of Maidenhead Speakers what they could do after the eight week course.

I was supported by Ellen O’Farrell, member at Maidenhead Speakers and employee of Slough Borough Council, throughout the Programme and we both considered it to be a success. There were doubts early on that it would progress let alone succeed. Prior to the start of the Programme an evening was set aside to provide information and answer questions about the Programme content. Only a handful attended and none of them have been seen since! Thankfully after a few weeks the group settled and nine youngsters committed to attending each week and earning their Certificates.

There were some key lessons to be learned in hosting this Programme:

• Managing teenagers is more demanding than the usual collection of Toastmasters.

• Distractions occur easily, accepting advice is difficult and preparing speeches more than 15 minutes in advance of delivery is rare.

• It takes patience, energy and perseverance to make any progress.

• Apart from individual attributes the other vital ingredients were Club support, a good venue (thanks to Ellen and Slough Borough Council) and recognition by the youngsters of their development.

A few participants have suggested that they may attend a meeting at Maidenhead Speakers; a fascination with the skills of public speaking has been stimulated.

My relief is tempered with a sense of loss now that Thursday evenings are empty again. Based upon the comments and pleasure of our group at the final evening accomplishment was the common feeling of us all.

Ian Rees, Maidenhead Speakers

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Recognition is such an important part of Toastmasters! At the December 2007 meeting of Anglia Communicators, the members will be having their Christmas dinner, and their club awards ceremony / party which has become a tradition. The club is quick to praise its members, and believes strongly in the commitment that the membership should be a rewarding experience. Among the awards they give out, will be The Founders Award, voted on by the club members and sponsored by the club's founders, Bill and Jane Bliss, and The Atkin Award for the most improved evaluator. This trophy has been kindly donated by Kate Atkin AC (winner of the District 71 Evaluation contest, 2007)), who is one of the club’s greatest ambassadors. At the 'Toasties & Ghosties' Conference held at Harrogate in November, Kate represented the club yet again, this time in the Table Topics competition.

Besides these, and the other awards the club will be celebrating, it will be a time for the members to look back at a fantastic year. Each member has, in some way, achieved either a club goal, or a personal goal. Club goals achieved range from the ice-breaker speech that has 'finally been done' to ACB's, ACS's and CL's being attained. Anglia Communicators are working on the final stages of achieving their Select Distinguished Club Award, and it is only with the dedication, commitment and teamwork that the club members have with each other, that this will be attained.

With nine new members this year, the club is growing at a fantastic pace and creating and achieving new heights. New members mean not only new challenges, new things to learn and new goals, but also new friends.

Each member has achieved inside the club, but as an individual, have achieved just as much. Some members have achieved new qualifications, moved jobs, moved houses, and taken on new challenges with renewed confidence, and others, like our treasurer Frank, have taken on the most challenging role of all - parenthood! This is a club of individuals who each joined a world-wide organisation for their own reasons, but have proved that with the right support for their quest for self development, with positive helpful evaluations, and a friendly supportive atmosphere, not only can the Toastmasters membership be a rewarding and fulfilling experience, but it can improve and help in every aspect of life.

The members of Anglia Communicators would like to wish all fellow Toastmasters best wishes for the festive season, and may 2008 be a good year for us all!

Jacqui Grobler [Jacqui.Grobler@rouncymedia.co.uk], PR for Anglia Communicators

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Toastmasters Voices to be Heard in Wales At the end of the last Toastmaster year the first Toastmaster club in Wales was formed. Thanks to a fantastic effort by the then Area 22 Governor, Jan Collings, the club was able to charter within a matter of only 3 months. The club, called Voice of Wales, meets in Usk at a wonderful venue called the Sessions House, once the local courthouse. In fact, the club have even held meetings in the beautifully preserved court room. What an opportunity to do a Perry Mason speech from the barristers’ benches, or a Judge John Deed. The club is thriving with a very enthusiastic and committed membership and committee led by Jan herself as Club President. In fact, at the Area Humorous Speech and Table Topics Contest the Club put forward two competitors of a very high standard.

On 20 November 2007 there came the day of the Charter Dinner. A superb evening was had by all, at a beautiful hotel close to Usk we all enjoyed a lovely 3 course dinner. Marie Evans from Thamesdown Speakers ran an entertaining “Miss Marple” murder mystery table topics session to keep us all on our toes and amused between courses. Whilst Nigel Griffiths of Voice of Wales Speakers added a truly welsh flavour to the evening as Master of Ceremonies. We had Toastmaster VIP guests galore on the top table with, Immediate Past District Governor Nick Benning; Past District Governor Linda Molloy; Division E Governor Judi Malan and not to mention myself as Area 22 Governor - perhaps not quite so VIP. After the excellent meal, Nick Benning, Linda Molloy, Judi Malan and myself exercised our Toastmaster skills in after dinner speaking and somehow we all had something to present to Jan, including her President's regalia of office, careful planning I think! Luckily this time Jan was wearing a dress which matched the regalia ribbon, unlike at the Harrogate Conference, where Jan decided the ribbon colour would clash with her outfit, well a lady must get her outfit accessories matching even if they do include Toastmaster regalia - just kidding Jan! Then to finish off the evening Gareth McHale of Northavon Speakers gave his Area Humorous Speech Contest winning speech and Five Cram from Voice of Wales gave his Area Contest humorous speech. In all, a fantastic evening was had by all, even though Jan thought it was only 11 pm when in fact we finally rolled home at midnight, a clear sign Jan too had a well deserved enjoyably evening. I can't finish this article without a quote from Jan herself, she says "As a club we were honoured that no less than 4 District Officers attended our Charter evening as well as 8 visiting Toastmasters from neighbouring clubs. It was an inspiration for our members to see the bigger Toastmasters picture, and I just know they will grow from that experience. Hopefully the "Voice of Wales" will be the start of a few more "choirs” - after all, if Wales can't sing the praises of Toastmasters - who can??”

So well done to all at Voice of Wales and I am sure they are just the first of many Welsh Toastmaster's clubs - there certainly is a welcome in the hillside to all Toastmasters.

Bryan Neaves, Area 22 Governor

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Oh yes it is – The Area 7 Pantomime Competition. Something strange comes over the members in Area 7 on an annual basis. Each one is affected slightly differently, but there are common symptoms. They are all struck simultaneously, usually around the beginning of November. Then there are furtive gatherings in dark corners, additional “meetings” and in many cases clubs find at least two members start cross-dressing! This has been happening for 5 years and the responsibility lies with Toastmaster Colin Walsh - it was his idea to hold a pantomime competition about 5 years ago. The event caught the imagination of the clubs and members and has grown with the area.

Ridgeway speakers, from Abingdon, are in charge of organising this year’s competition - they arrange the refreshments and they book The Unicorn Theatre. This is a real theatre housed in a renovated 13th century barn which adds to the ambiance. With seating for just over 100 it is always packed and many are disappointed not to be able to attend.

The cast numbers vary, some times all of a clubs’ membership; sometimes just a few brave volunteers will get their turn in the spot light. There is a maximum time for the performance, this year 15 minutes, with an allowance of 1.5 minutes before disqualification! (Yes it is taken that seriously!)

Judges were chosen for their impartiality and this year we had a panel of Area Governors plus Teresa Dukes the District PRO. This team took it even more seriously than the clubs! They were found all in a huddle agreeing criteria and percentages of scores, in the same way the Speech Contest is done; we look forward to getting the template for 2008! The atmosphere builds slowly as members arrive and then the cast starts to drift to their seats in full costume, witches and wizards, caterpillars and kings, men dressed as women and ladies dressed as boys!

This year Ridgeway has the hard task of warming up the audience; followed by Spa Speakers, the winners for the last two years back to defend their crown; and finally, before the interval, Bicester take the stage and conclude the first section by landing a cream pie in the area governor’s face! The interval passes quickly and Spa’s Wicked Witch of the West insists on having her, or is it his, photo taken with Dame Marjorie Daw from Bicester. Indulgences of hot soup and cold buffet choices were taken to fill the void on this cold November evening. DVD’s of last year’s competition were on sale, but few of last years stars are asked to sign them! Then we are back! Concluding the evening Oxford and Isis, enter the fray, before all five competing clubs, in costume return to the stage. While the judges agonise over who made the worst, or is it best pun, who had the highest number of traditional elements and who at least showed some evidence of a script, the players remove their make up and costumes and nervously hang around awaiting the result.

Finally the winners are announced and it is apparent that Spa Speakers has lost their crown! The winner for 2007 was Bicester Achievers! It is a great night, it is different and it takes people outside their comfort zone, stretching them and helping them develop by doing. Thus it fits very well in the Toastmasters structure. Perhaps your area could give it a go?

Ben Jackson, Area 7 Governor

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Around the Clubs Division A: Best wishes to Beara Club who have started meetings in September and are nudging ever closer to Charter strength. We know of at least another three to four clubs being talked about for Division A so watch this space! Division B: Now for something completely different - a Polish Club has met in London for the first time in November and expectations are running high that this will result in a new Club in the next few months.

In the financial sector: Thomson Finance News is a Corporate Club which has met and is currently building up it’s membership while NZICA Bank Speakers is an early morning club who look set to shortly charter. Division C: Good luck to City West Speakers and PwC both of whom have had demo meetings and look promising for the future. Once again Division C has a number of other prospective Clubs in the wings.

Division D: The dynamic Division continues to excel and while consolidation of recent growth is high on the agenda growth is nevertheless still important. The newly formed Emerald Club seeks to provide advance speakers an opportunity to practice their skills. Division E: With East Midlands, Findhorn and Hadrians still in pre-charter and the hot news from the conference being that Harrogate is in the process of chartering things are certainly busy in Division E. Division F: Enniskerry is still in pre-charter and of course Roscrea who chartered last year have just celebrated with their charter dinner. Division G: Chelmsford and Huntingdonshire Speakers are still meeting while Div G’s success story for the year has been Berkhamsted which chartered in record time and will be the first club to benefit from the new district initiative for clubs that charter in less than three months – i.e. they will have the cost of their banner reimbursed. Also congratulations to Bedford speakers who also recently held their charter dinner following on from their success at the end of 2006/07. Division H: Camberley Communicators continues to make good progress towards chartering while Worthing PC and Sussex University Campus Clubs are also expected to charter this year. So that’s a total of 18 new clubs meeting with the expectation that at least three will have chartered by Christmas. There are others in the pipeline and although we have at least two clubs who may not survive the year we look to be on target to break the 200 club mark very shortly. If I have omitted anyone then please let me know and we’ll make sure to give you a mention in the next newsletter. Keep up the good work Joe Gibbs – D71 LG Marketing

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MORE INFORMATION FOR YOUR YEAR

The Educational Experience – A Story from Harrogate

I want to tell you a story… Once upon a time there was a Toastmaster from Norfolk who was invited to run an Educational on storytelling at the Harrogate D71 Autumn Conference. And after his experience, he was asked to put pen to paper to share with other Toastmasters what it is like to go beyond Club boundaries and put on a workshop for the District…

Well, fellow Toastmasters, it is fantastic! One of the best speaking experiences you can have, and a tremendous opportunity to pass on things you have learned over the years to others, and to give something back to this wonderful organisation of ours. I have now been lucky enough to deliver two Educational workshops at District Conferences, and I would like to very briefly share with you some ideas on how to prepare, what works well, and what to watch out for. Firstly, as with all forms of public speaking, the key is in the preparation. Prepare, prepare, prepare. Know your material so well that you could run it in your sleep. This is particularly important with regards to the timing of your presentation. For my 45 minute slot, I deliberately built in loads of space and time for audience interaction and responses, and for an easy pace that would not make the audience feel that they were being bombarded with information overload. Check out the room well in advance, the seating arrangements, the room set-up, any aids for your props, that the room temperature is comfortable etc. Also, make sure in advance that you will have people to help you set up and that there is someone to introduce you to the audience.

Remember as well that delivering a 45 minute workshop can be mentally and physically quite hard work. So, stay fit, and particularly stay off the sauce the night before! Remember that people have paid money to come to Conference to learn and to be entertained – if you have been lucky enough to be asked to run something, you owe it to your fellow Toastmasters to put on the very best job and performance that you can. During the Educational, I found that what seemed to work particularly well included: involving the audience and asking for their active participation in certain exercises, using props and visuals that were striking and that the audience would remember, and keeping it simple by only covering three main subject areas. I also used plenty of examples, so that people could actively ‘see and hear’ what I was talking about.

What didn’t work so well, as is sometimes the case, is when things happened that were largely outside of my control. In this case, it was the timings. Due to programmes running late, my Educational actually started somewhat late, and people had to be called and ushered in from the hotel foyer (at my actual due start time, the room resembled the Marie Celeste!). Then, because of another meeting having to start on time, I had to end my session bang on the button on its designated finish time. Although I had finished my prepared material, this unfortunately left no time for audience questions. However, that said, providing you have prepared well, such eventualities should be easy to deal with.

I hope this short article has given you a flavour of what it is like to run an Educational, and I would strongly recommend anyone to seek the opportunity to give it a whirl. When you are fortunate enough to have the type of totally responsive, fun and brilliant audience I had, the high and buzz you get from seeing people benefiting from what you are sharing with them is awesome. Go on, give it a try, and I guarantee that you will speak happily ever after…The End.

Andrew Brammer, DTM, Norwich Speakers Club & North Norfolk Speakers Club a.brammer@btinternet.com

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District 71 Spring Conference – Killarney, Co Kerry, Ireland It is time to start booking for the District 71 Spring conference to be held in the The Gleneagle Hotel Killarney, Muckross Road, Killarney, Co. Kerry, Ireland Co. Kerry, from 9th to 11th May 2008. The website is up and ready for your booking so visit: http://d71.org/bookevent.php?t=1824 where you will have to log-in in order to book.

Killarney, which is Ireland’s best kept town, is the tourist capital of Ireland and is the ideal location for a Toastmasters’ Conference. The hotel is situated 1mile from the town centre, on the Muckross Road within easy walking distance of the renowned Lakes of Killarney. What makes this hotel unique is its sheer range of indoor, outdoor, daytime and night time leisure pursuits. If you want to extend your stay there is a special rate for extra nights. Bring the family and enjoy a holiday to remember in the breath-taking beauty of Killarney in the month of May. Killarney Toastmasters cannot wait to be your genial hosts for the weekend. Looking after delegates’ and guests’ needs is second nature to us. The Gleneagle Hotel is a renowned conference centre so a quality conference is guaranteed. There is easy access to Killarney by major and regional Airports together with an excellent network of roads and rail services. Aer Arann and Ryanair fly into Kerry Airport from Great Britain. Kerry Airport is 14 miles from the venue. There are regular daily Aer Arran flights from Dublin to Kerry Airport. There are flights from all over Britain to Dublin, Shannon and Cork Airports. There are several train departures from Cork and Dublin daily. Bus Éireann serves Killarney from all parts of Ireland. For delegates who bring their cars the hotel provides ample free car parking facilities. The theme on Friday night is – The night of the Kerry Dance. The Kerry theme continues with fancy dress in the Green and the Gold- prizes for the most original hat and necktie in these colours. Get designing!

Black tie is optional for the Saturday night banquet. Dance the night away to the music of “Heart and Soul”.

A quality programme is being planned for the weekend, good food, good music and entertainment, interesting educational workshops, Saturday’s Speech Competition and Sunday morning’s Speech Evaluation Competition which are the highlights. Come and join the happy Toastmaster family and enjoy their good company, the fun and the after-hour craic! The basic package costs €295. See the booking form on the District 71 website.

http://d71.org/bookevent.php?t=1824

Conference Director: Bernadette Noonan, CC [ber_noonan@hotmail.com]

Evening Phone No.: 353 64 33158

Mobile Number: 353 87 7546984

Conference Bookings: Aideen O Connor [aconnor1@iolfree.ie]

Evening Phone No.: 353 (0) 64 35341

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2007-2008 Marketing and Club Growth Those of you that attended the Division/Area Governor meeting on Saturday morning in Harrogate will have already seen the additional funding we have put in place to aid Division wide Marketing and the support of new and ailing clubs. In summary we have put funding in place at division level to help with Marketing and Club Growth efforts across multiple clubs. Any Division Governor wishing to avail of this funding should submit a request to the Lieutenant Governor Marketing and the District Governor in writing outlining what the funding will be spent on and how it will be used to benefit a significant number of clubs in the area in terms of PR/Marketing and increased growth. The proposal should contain specific actions and estimates of the costs involved. All or part of the funding may be drawn down as long as details of how it will be spent is supplied. Division Governors should work through their Division Councils to identify ways to make this funding work best for their Divisions.

n Division Marketing

– 200stg/€290 contribution to Division Marketing providing detailed plan of expenditure is available.

– Approval from LGM/DG

New Clubs Funding for New Club has been increased this year and where required can be drawn down with the support of the relevant Area/Division Governor by submitting a request in writing to the LGM and the DG giving some outline as to what the funds will be used for and how they will benefit the growth of the organisation and the new club under development. Such funds must NOT be used to pay member subscriptions in any circumstances as this is strictly forbidden under TM rules. For Clubs who charter within three months of their first meeting the District is willing to re-imburse the cost of their Club Banner on submission of the receipt and subject to it chartering within the required time. If you wish to be considered for this please let me know the date of the first meeting of each new Club as it meets.

n Each New Club

– 150stg/€220 for educational/marketing expenses at startup.

– Club Banner expenses covered if Club charters < 3 months

Club Coaching A Club Coach can be appointed to a Club with 12 or fewer members. The appointment MUST be approved by the District Governor. All such request should come through the relevant Area and Division Governor and be supported by them. The coach must be appointed from outside the Club preferably from a neighboring Club, Area/Division in order to be of maximum benefit. In addition to the practical help they may be, there is a financial contribution from the District where it can be shown that it will be put to good use to help the Club get back on its feet. Again a request for such financial assistance should be accompanied by a brief overview of how the funds are intended to be used.

n Club Coach

– 150stg/€220 for educational/marketing expenses when a Club Coach is appointed

Further information on how the Club Coach program operates can be found at http://www.toastmasters.org/Members/MembershipBuilding/ClubCoach.aspx

Joe Gibbs, LG Marketing 2007/08

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How Speechcraft Can Strengthen Your Club Once upon a time in a small market town in Newbury in Berkshire, a Speakers Club was founded. It was 1983, and out of collaboration between the US Air Force base and the township of Newbury, Newbury Speakers was born. For the next twenty two years club members came and went. Then after faltering and nearly stumbling to a stand still, a renaissance occurred in 2000. At the core of this renaissance was a small group of dedicated Toastmasters who slowly rebuilt the club. Numbers grew and quality improved. Then one day, an opportunity arrived, and the small club, well … it was ready.

In the town was a mighty monolith. A global corporate had decided that the same market town was a prime site for its global headquarters. Sensing that the time was right, Newbury Speakers approached the monolith and in 2006 Vodafone UK agreed to trial Speechcraft to a number of personnel. The trial was a resounding success!

By March 2008, only 18 months after the initial engagement, Newbury Speakers will have: 1. Put 150 Vodafone staff through Speechcraft 2. A Vodafone Speechcraft development plan for 2008 - 09 agreed 3. A trained ‘Facilitator’ pool of at least 25 Speechcraft graduates who volunteer and are then

allocated to each Speechcraft course to provide assistance with lights / grammarian / um-ahh / table topics / logistics and eventually, evaluation.

4. In conjunction with Vodafone UK, developed a programme for maintaining quality delivery through the Speechcraft graduate Facilitator team.

5. Successfully spun off (Chartered) a new corporate club within Vodafone UK (Vodafone Speakers Club) which will have competed in the Feb/Mar 2008 Area 22 Prepared Speech and Evaluation competitions

6. and as a result of the Vodafone UK engagement, delivered a Speechcraft Pilot to Sovereign Housing... yes that’s another story!!!

It has been an amazing fairy tale adventure and yet, by slaying the occasional dragons, the intrepid and plucky Toastmasters club has benefited by:

1. Increased membership 2. Stable and progressive funding to support club initiatives 3. Additional leadership opportunities 4. Additional Speaking / Presenting opportunities 5. An increased profile within the community 6. Having another club in town!!! (How many "towns" can say that in the UK TM world)

So… can this fairy tale be your club’s as well? YES it can. The lessons we have learned along the way are valuable lessons for forming partnerships with corporate organisations. Importantly, a willingness to drive a quality delivery underpinned by encouraging, thorough and analytical evaluations has been a key success factor.

We would encourage you to actively explore how the Toastmaster Speechcraft programme can also make a difference to your club, your members, participating corporate organisations and to your community. For more information visit www.newburyspeakers.org District 71 has also asked that this story be presented at the UK and Ireland Spring 2008 conference in Killarney on the West Coast of Ireland from 9th to 11th May 2008. See you there.

Tony Henderson-Newport, VP Education, Newbury Speakers Club

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An Anecdote on the Value of Toastmasters I went for a job interview, and then the second interview asked for a 10 minute presentation. The brief was to speak as though the panel were employees in a motor car dealership. The job was to be a fundraiser/presenter with the motor trade’s benevolent fund (a charity known as BEN).

The evening before this interview just happened to be a "Toasties" meeting. As we were short of one speaker, I decided to try out my presentation on members and ask for evaluation and feedback.

I designed a useful "prop" from my notes to ensure that I did not miss any important facts and figures that I had researched about the charity and the industry. As I was not sure if there would be any equipment available to me to use at the interview, I decided to use a flip chart sheet and prepared it at the meeting. (This had the added benefit of being available for use next morning!)

The sheet just had a series of numbers down the page - such as 100, 3, and 297877. These were prompts to remind me that the organisation was formed over 100 years ago, I was going to talk about 3 case studies of how they had helped people in the industry, and the registered charity number to introduce the concept that this special organisation was a genuine charity specially for these employees and the families - and not an insurance scheme. It really was a useful way to do a complex presentation seemingly without notes but kept me on track. It worked really well as I needed signposts but the numbers did not give too much away to the audience and kept them guessing about what would come next. I got "best speaker" that evening, and landed the job next day. And later during the induction course at BEN on presentation skills for new staff, I was asked to give my presentation again. It was seen to be rather unusual and effective, in a different format from the presentations normally used. Of course I then told everyone about Toastmasters and the value and fun to be had...........and so the story continues!

Penny Clover, VPPR, Ridgeway Speakers Club

Background of the 'N.Z.I.C.A Bank Speakers' The initials N.Z.I.C.A stand for the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants. The Institute has 2,500 UK based members and is run by a committee who are responsible for overseeing the members’ professional development. Justin Ryan (President, Bank Speakers) is the current Vice Chairman of the NZICA UK Branch and saw a great opportunity to develop the communication skills of the New Zealand accountants by starting a Toastmasters Club.

Justin became a CTM many years ago through a club run with the NZICA in Auckland, New Zealand. While he hasn't been involved recently with Toastmasters he had always wanted to re-create and share the experience. The Club moved from concept to reality through the support of Freddie Daniells'. Freddie has been a great help with motivation, advising on procedures and attending each meeting to demonstrate the roles. NZICA Bank Speakers is an open and friendly club. As all the members are new we are actively looking for experienced Toastmasters to attend our meetings. We meet fortnightly on Thursday at the ABI (Association of British Insurers) in the City of London. The club is an early morning club as most of the current members have jobs that involve long working hours. So be prepared to get started at 7.15am!!! For more information on the Club please contact Justin Ryan (jryanca@hotmail.com)

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Sing A-Long with Berkhamsted!

Berkhamsted Speakers Club Sung to the tune “Clementine”

Words by Toastmaster REX TYLER ATM, CL. July 2007

What a marvellous Group of people Mutual Learning Is our goal Its enlightening Never frightening It is music for the soul

CHORUS We are speakers We have voices We have choices And we strive At Berkhamsted Club of Speakers Its just great To be alive

If your seeking Public Speaking And you shudder at the thought Sympathetic evaluations Affirmations of a sort

Leaderships on the agenda And we learn it Everyday Running meetings Giving greetings It’s a format that Does pay

Come and join us Come and join us Come and join Berkhamsted now Learn to listen Learn to glisten Learn to get Up and just wow

Get your brain box Oiled and ready Feel your confidence Just grow Mutual study Is the answer Tell your story join The flow

www.toastmasters.org www.d71.org

NEWSLETTER: Articles for inclusion in the next Newsletter can be e-mailed to the Editor, Teresa Dukes at teresa.dukes@bt.com and will be gratefully received. Don’t forget that further copies of the Newsletter (and the latest D71 News) can be downloaded easily from www.d71.org by all members.