D91 UK South Toastmasters Humorous Speech Contest Finals – Results

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What a contest! Our five Division Humorous Speech Champions: Sanjay Gupta (Div L), Tazud Miah (Div B), Chris Rose (Division H), Eric Skates (Div J) Malachi Talabi (Div K), gave outstanding performances. They kept us laughing while delivering very varied and beautifully crafted speeches. The contest was chaired by Chris Boden (Maidenhead Speakers) who warmed up the audience with great skill.

The results were:

First Place: Tazud Miah (Early Bird Speakers, Area 45, Division B)

Second Place: Malachi Tababi (The Speakers of Croydon, Area 35, Division K)

Third Place: Eric Skates (Wessex Speakers, Area 46, Division J)

Pictured Chris Boden, Hilary Briggs and Tazud Miah

D91 Brighton Tazud Miah with Chris Boden and Hilary Briggs

I declare this website formally launched!

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From Hilary Briggs, District Governor D91 UK South

I’m delighted to formally launch the new website we have developed for all Toastmasters within District 91 – UK South: http://d91toastmasters.org.uk/.

The purpose of the site is to:

  • Highlight news items and external media coverage across the District
  • Enable members to share knowledge and best practice – for instance briefings for contests, key dates for the District, where to find key information
  • Publicise events such as workshops, contests and socials

It is designed to complement the other three websites that are fundamental to our success:

  • The easy-Speak Club Management system (www.toastmasterclub.org) which is the District’s preferred tool for members to book their meeting roles and keep track of their progress
  • Our public-facing website (www.toastmasters.org.uk/), covering Britain and Ireland, which is focused on providing information and raising awareness about Toastmasters to non-members
  • The Toastmasters International website (www.toastmasters.org) which is used for updating your member profiles, to order supplies, to track performance across the District, to act as a font of knowledge and for Club Treasurers to pay dues

The site is the start of something new which we hope will improve communications between our members.

I’m most grateful to all the hard work behind the scenes by Tazud Miah, Dorothea Stuart and Jean Gamester in particular for enabling us to launch this site.

Please give us your feedback on the site and ideas for how you’d like to see it progress.

D91 Member Website

Martin Berry, Distinguished Toastmaster

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Martin Berry at work

Bob Nisbet DTM interviews Martin Berry DTM (Camberley Speakers, Farnham Speakers). Martin is the first person in our new District 91 (UK South) to complete both the communication and leadership tracks and become a Distinguished Toastmaster, the highest award bestowed by Toastmasters International.

Q: How long has it taken you to reach Distinguished Toastmaster?

A: I went to my first Toastmasters meeting on 4 Oct 2005. I still have the agenda! I joined about a month later and did my first ever speech on 12 Jan 2006. My DTM plaque arrived in September 2014. So about nine years.

Q: Why did you first come to a Toastmasters meeting and why did you join?

A: My friend Doug New had been raving about Toastmasters and kept nagging me to go along. I told him quite firmly I wasn’t the least bit interested in hearing a load of stuffy speeches. Eventually he made me an offer: “ If you agree to come along just one time, I’ll pick you up from your home, drive you to the meeting, buy you a pint afterwards, and then bring you back…if you don’t like it I’ll never bother you with it again.” Of course, I loved it. I never guessed the speeches would be so personal, so entertaining, educational and often funny or uplifting. It was as good as going to the theatre.

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A Toastmasters Journey – Controlling my stammer

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Brian Skelton September 2014

May 2005 I attended a 3 day course with the Starfish Project, a non – profit making organisation which helps people who stammer. Among other things I was taught a breathing technique which helps me in controlling my stammer. It will not make the stammer go away but it gives me control over something which has controlled me since I was a young boy.

On that course I met Barry Rix who has become a really good friend of mine. Barry is a member of Toastmasters International who helped start Chelmsford Speakers Club in January 2007. I went to the first club meeting. I will always remember that night. I was asked to introduce myself and struggled to say my name. I thought “I can’t go back after that!” I’m really happy that I did not give up.

My Icebreaker speech was on 7 February 2007. Winning the best speaker ribbon was amazing. It is still framed and hanging on my wall at home.

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