From Lynne Cantor, Area 47 Governor
Men in drag, Snow White (four of them), and half a dozen fairies are not what you would expect at a Toastmasters meeting. But this was no ordinary meeting, this was District 71’s conference, and what a conference.
I was to discover last weekend the energy, dedication and encouragement that makes up District 71. The workshops were short, to the point and informative. The variety left you wanting more.
There were many opportunities to network, make new friends and laugh. The first of which was the pantomime themed fancy dress dinner on Friday night, hence the men in drag etc. The costumes created much amusement, the brass band some of the best rousing music I have heard in years and the camaraderie made you realise why you want to be Toastmaster.
More merriment was to follow as each evening the Irish contingent led the craic, the opportunity to tell stories, fables and jokes well into the early hours of the morning.
The formality of the Council meetings highlighted the importance of what Toastmasters sets out to achieve. In contrast the emotion behind the Hall of Fame session demonstrated how everyone is truly valued for their efforts.
The true stars of the show though were the District 71 finals of the Table Topics and the Humorous Speech Contests. Not just because of the incredibly high standard but also for the detailed organisation and planning that had gone into making them possible. Each session had 16 judges and we usual groan at having to find 6!
The speeches were entertaining, the laughter infectious and the winners well deserving. And just like a happy ending in a pantomime we were particularly proud that our very own Bob Ferguson got the number one spot for his humorous speech, ‘Chips with everything’.
The weekend ended all too soon, and we got into our carriages and went our separate ways, until next time (Sligo, May 2010). Hope to see you there!
