The London Speaker

Develop your Speaking & Leadership Skills with Toastmasters Youth Leadership Program

From Andrew P Bennett DTM, District 91 YLP Adviser

Toastmasters Youth Leadership Program is an excellent opportunity for you and your club members to gain extra experience as both speakers and leaders as you encourage young people in their communication skills.

Will your club be sponsoring a Youth Leadership Program during this Toastmasters year and will you consider gaining valuable experience as the Coordinator ?

The overwhelmingly positive response of District 91 Toastmasters who have led a YLP has been a joy and we have had excellent feedback from schools and youth groups we have worked with. The enthusiasm of the young people participants is infectious.

Do feel free to contact me with your questions and most importantly to give news as your Youth Leadership Program progresses.

I lo forward to hearing from you.  

You can read more about Youth Leadership at: https://www.toastmasters.org/education/youth-leadership-program

And http://d91toastmasters.org.uk/category/youth-leadership-program-toastmasters-uk/

Youth Leadership & Gavel ClubUpdate

From Andrew P Bennett DTM District 91 Youth Leadership Adviser

Fellow Toastmasters as we begin a new Toastmasters year I want to thank all who have contributed to our Youth Leadership Program and Gavel Club work. Here is a short update on the latest news .... even more excitement to follow in the coming months!

 

Merchant Taylors Prep School Gavel Club has continued for a second year under the guidance of Toastmaster Raphael Kopel ( Watford Speakers. )  30 boys between the ages of 9 and 13 take part on a regular basis. Favourite football clubs are high on the list of subjects to speak about, also school subjects both favourites and not so favourite! Table Topics Session are lively and Raphael is really impressed with with some of the boys who display fine leadership skills as well as developing as speakers.

Toastmaster Patrick Ebbs ( Epsom Speakers) has just completed a second Youth Leadership Program at Glyn School. He has had the pleasure of watching the number of participants grow from the 12 initially in the group. Both Head Boy and Head Girl have participated this year. This is a YLP specifically for the Sixth Form and Patrick tells me it is great watching the young people transform from nervous to confident speakers' ready for the big bad world.'  

Epsom Speakers has also provided a Toastmaster Evaluator at every meeting of the Reeds School Public Speaking Club for the last 10 years and Patrick currently coordinates this on behalf of the club. An additional YLP is to be be coordinated by Toastmaster Charlie Warshawski this autumn. Congratulations Epsom Speakers on 10 years of sharing public speaking and leadership skills with young people and thank you!

Northern Lights Speakers Toastmasters Rona Harding and Jan Winnick have been running two Youth Leadership Programs on alternate Thursdays and Fridays at St Anne's School in Palmers Green to cope with the demand and enthusiasm of the girls. They are now looking forward to their YLP Certificate Giving Celebration in mid July and will report back to us all on the event. We look forward to celebrating with them.

Finally City Limits Speakers will return to the Social Mobility Foundation this summer where a team of Toastmasters headed by Catherine Casale, Marc Lottig & David Salamons will deliver a Youth Leadership Program following on from last year's success.

A new Toastmasters year is a great time for considering when you and your club will coordinate / sponsor a Youth Leadership Program. Feel free to contact me click to email

Public Speaking - London

Sat 6 April Division K Spring Conference including Contests Register here:https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/division-k-spring-conference-2019-tickets-52941334958 Sat 13 April 10am-3:45pm Division C Contests + Storytelling workshops. St Botolph's without Aldersgate , Aldersgate Street London EC1A 4EU Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sharing-your-stories-tickets-56994715729 3-5 May DISTRICT 91 CONFERENCE https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/d91-conference-2019-tickets-54447745673    Beckenham Communicators is now meeting 2nd and 4th Thursday 7.15pm  https://www.beckenhamspeakers.co.uk/ Barking Toastmasters is now meeting 1st and 3rd Saturday am. Find out more at https://barkingtoastmasters.wordpress.com/ Winchmore Hill Speakers is now meeting on Mondays find out more at https://winchmorehillspeakers.org.uk/  Manor House Speakers (N4) is now meeting 2nd/4th/5th Wednesdays More below

If you're a member of a Toastmasters International speaking club based in and around London or if you're interested in public speaking in the capital - you are in the right place.

Thinking of joining one of our clubs? Links to our clubs websites are listed in the side bar. You're very welcome to visit for free to see what we're all about. You'll find useful tips on public speaking and leadership here. And information on upcoming events we hope you'll want to attend.

If you are a member of a London club, this site will highlight ideas from neighbouring Toastmasters clubs that may be of benefit to you and your club. You will also learn about your fellow members, find useful resources, pick up tips and hear about upcoming events on the Toastmasters calendar.

If you are from a club outside London, Hullo! You'll find plenty here for you too. Please just join in and let us know the great events happening in your part of the world.

If you have questions about Toastmasters International please get in touch. If you have an idea for an article, or an event to publicise talk to us either in the comments or directly by email

 

Become one of the founder members of Barking Toastmasters!!

From Dudley Flynn Division C Director

Since our first meeting on 18 February Barking Toastmaster's has been steadily growing and forging its own fabulously friendly identity.  

After just a few short months we are close to getting 20 members and becoming the latest toastmasters club to be chartered.

As we approach this milestone we are appealing for all comers to come join us, sign up and help us get over the line.  

Our next two meetings are on Saturday 3 June 2017 and Saturday 17 June 2017 both at 10am at the Barking Library Centre

Please spread the word and tell everybody you know who might be interested in becoming a founder member of our club.

Please join us on Facebook / promote us by liking and sharing our events and posts. https://www.facebook.com/Barkingtoastmasters/  and https://m.facebook.com/Barkingtoastmasters/ 

The club is an open to all/ community club. 

We also have a new website.

barkingtoastmasters.wordpress.com/

 

Hosting the first Tall Tales Contest in Area 61 at Harrovian Speakers Club

From Area 61

On 30 January 2017 the Harrovian Speakers Club held the first Area level Tall Tales Contest in their venue, together with HOD and Watford Speakers. Two members from the Harrovian Speakers Club, two members from Watford Speakers, and one member from HOD competed in this unique meeting.

After a vivacious welcome from Harrovian President Jayanthiny Kangatharan, the contest chair club VPE Sushil Shah introduced the first speaker that was Pam from Watford Speakers. Pam entertained us with a story about the Watford Speakers’ Christmas socials, while fellow Watford Speaker David Collins told us how an incident he was involved in created local headlines. Gill grabbed our attention with her story concerning a domestic issue, while Meena fascinated us with a moral story involving a race for charity. Amparo had us in laughter with her story about her vacation in Vietnam. Each story was truly funnier than the previous one and brought the house down yet another time.

Sushil did a fantastic job at interviewing each contestant, and had the audience laughing with his unique way of asking questions that referred to aspects in contestants’ stories in order to find out if they were true or not.   

Afterwards Division Director Steve Brewer helped Sushil give the certificates of participation and reveal the winners of the first Tall Tales contest in Area 61: David and Pam won third and second place respectively, with Gill winning the first place.

Gill said: “When I first heard of the Tall Tales Competition I felt it, to be honest, a little superfluous, as we have the upcoming International Speech Competition. Now I see it as a valuable opportunity particularly for those who haven’t entered a competition before to do so and ‘try it out’ with this contest as it is less daunting than the National and International Contests and gives insight into what is involved, producing as high level a speech as possible, taking speaking.

Jayanthiny managed the evening well with smiling welcome and friendly encouragement. I thank all Harrovian members who were involved in making the evening as comfortable as possible and for their hard work.”

All in all, it was a very exciting and fun-filled evening. Lorna from Harrovians provided constructive feedback as General Evaluator, and praised the event as a great success overall. Not all attention was on contestants and guests such as Patrick from Harrovians were also given the opportunity to shine.  When he introduced himself during the meeting, he told his own Tall Tale, which because of its true nature created another moment of laughter for everyone at this special event.

Important dates

The meeting ended with Steve reminding members in the audience of important contest dates in the Area 61 with regard to the International Speech and Evaluation contests at club, area and division level. The Harrovian Speakers Club is now looking forward to the Area contests on 25 March 2017 when its members will be representing Harrovians at the area level International Speech Contest and Evaluation Contest, with area level contest winners representing their clubs at the Division L Contests on 8 April 2017. We are looking forward to seeing you there!

Watford Speaker David Collins winning third place in the Area level Tall Tales Contest 2017 at the Harrovian Speakers Club. Photo by Jayanthiny Kangatharan.

 

 

 

 

Watford Speaker Pam Atfield winning second place in the Area level Tall Tales Contest 2017 at the Harrovian Speakers Club. Photo by Jayanthiny Kangatharan.

 

 

 

 

HOD Speaker Gill Ornstein winning first place at the Area level Tall Tales Contest 2017 at the Harrovian Speakers Club. Photo by Jayanthiny Kangatharan.

The workshop for contestants and judges - Register now!

From Andy O'Sullivan, District Chief Judge

Tuesday 28 February 2017

If you're judging or competing in a contest, then this is the seminar for you. 

Contestants - This seminar will show you exactly what it is the judges are looking for in their voting and how every single point is awarded.

If you want to win, knowing this information is critical for your success

Judges -  Discover what judging means, how it differs from evaluations and voting for the 'Best Speaker'.  

You'll take away the skills to be an effective, fair judge with details of all the resources available to help you. 

Book your ticket at - https://judging-workshop.eventbrite.co.uk

When you attend this seminar, you'll learn the vital key components of -

• The role of a Judge
• Winning the

​ extra point

• Halo Effect
• Feeding the Underdog
• Sibling Symptom
• Sore Thumb Theory
• Second Time Syndrome 

Tuesday 28 February 2017

6.30pm - 9pm

The Shipwrights Arms, Upstairs Function Room, 88 Tooley Street, London, SE1 2TF (Close to London Bridge Station)

Book Your Ticket - https://judging-workshop.eventbrite.co.uk

Get your early bird ticket for the District Mayflower Conference

The District 91 Spring conference is taking place in Southampton.  You can book your early bird tickets until 28 February 2017.

At the conference among other events you can enjoy the District finals of the International Speech Conference when we find out who will be representing D91 UK South in on of the world-semi final in August at the International Convention(Vancouver, Canada). You will see the District final of the Evaluation Contest, and choose from an array of workshops.

Please like the Mayflower Conference Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/d91springconference/.  And if you are a club VP PR like this page and share posts on your club's Facebook page.

Find out more and register to attend the conference here: http://springconference91.org/

In Their Own Words - Youth Leadership Program

From Andrew P Bennett DTM, District 91 Youth leadership Adviser

The enthusiasm for Toastmasters Youth Leadership Program continues and I wanted to share with you some wonderful feedback we have received from participants.

This summer Toastmasters Marc Lottig and David Salomons with City Limits as sponsoring club, and support from Catherine Casale (London Olympians) ran a Youth Leadership Program at the request of The Social Mobility Foundation.

The Foundation's target age group is 16 to 17 year olds. Their aim is to 'make a practical improvement in social mobility for young people from low - income backgrounds'

Our Youth Leadership Program  was featured as part of the 'Managing My Future framework - Aspiring Professionals.' We are thrilled that 75% of the program participants gave the YLP an Excellent rating, 25% Good and no - one rated it average or below. Furthermore 100% of paticipants agreed that the program had increased their confidence in Public Speaking.

Here are some feedback comments from the young people:

' Attending the course was definitely my best decision of 2016 so far'

'' The facilitators ( YLP Coordinators) were very kind, friendly and approachable'

' Although Table Topics were terrifying they were actually really fun.'

' Thank you for giving really good feedback ...'

I enjoyed:

' meeting people who supported and motivated me.'

' meeting new people and watching them progress over the weeks too..'

Congratulations Marc , David and City Limits on another successful Youth Leadership Program . Our thanks to the Social Mobility Foundation for inviting us to take part in their framework.

If you or your club are considering undertaking Youth Leadership Program this Toastmasters' year please do contact me. Click here to email Andrew

 

Join the D91 Division C Club Growth Committee

From Graeme Phillips (Assistant Division C Director, Club Growth)

Dear London Toastmasters,

I am putting together a club growth committee for central London.  This will be a Division C sponsored initiative, in collaboration with the District 91 Club Growth Director Andy Hammond.  Toastmasters from other Divisions are very welcome to get involved.  The intention is to bring together expertise in London and expand collaboration to develop new London club opportunities.

There are various activities I believe such a committee could do in addition to the great work headed up by Andy.  A few examples below: -

1)         Consider opportunities for corporate clubs in the London area and support them.

2)         Ditto for community clubs in untapped areas of London and its periphery

3)         Put together a pool of potential club sponsors, mentors and coaches

My initial idea is that committee member terms will be around two years in length and January-December, to give continuity across annual changes of officers.  An initial idea might be for the London Divisions to nominate two committee members each, who would then nominate a leader from themselves.  My intention is to set up the committee and then take a back seat when I am able.  However, these are only ideas and all these details are up for negotiation.

If you would like to get involved or you have ideas about what the committee could accomplish, please contact me Click here to email.  If you have not yet completed project 9 of your Competent Leadership manual, there may be a chance to serve as a High-Performance Leadership Guidance Committee member and close out this project.  I look forward to being in touch.

Graeme P

London-wide Interactive COT & Networking

From Florian Bay, Division B Director

Division B and C have pooled their energies to organise an interactive Club Officer Training on Wednesday 31 August. This event will provide plenty of opportunities to network with peers from other clubs and to solve challenges together. The COT will cover the following topics:

• High-Performance club Leadership & key responsibilities
• How to make the most of the Toastmasters Educational Programme
• Measuring success with the Distinguished Club Programme

The second half will feature an interactive session on club success, with coverage of the following areas:

• Planning for success & goal setting
• Using Moments of Truth
• Sharing best practices & overcoming challenges

Tube Talk Toastmasters will be hosting this event, from 18h30 onwards in Templar House 81/87, High Holborn. Anyone wishing to attend must book their attendance in advance here.