After attending the World Championship of Public Speaking (WCPS) Finals in Las Vegas, in 2015, I discovered something new, something I did not quite understand at the time, but something that left me wanting more. To paraphrase Dananjaya Hettiarachchi (WCPS, 2014), I saw something, but I did not know what it was … So I decided to attend the Convention in Washington, DC in 2016. I wanted to experience the event from start to finish whilst visiting a city I had never been to before – this is always a bonus!
Contests
It Takes a Village
“And first place and the District 91 Humorous Speech Champion for 2015…Selina Jones”. I gasped and jumped out of my seat as the room applauded. I couldn’t believe I had won!
But actually, I hadn’t won at all. Or rather, I certainly hadn’t won on my own – this was a real team effort, as I think all Toastmaster’s contests are.
I owe this to Toastmasters
A little bit over one year ago, I arrived in the UK. After a life time of being conditioned what I should and should not be doing, I came to the UK to pursue a new job and to build a new life.
Moving from Vodafone Egypt to Vodafone Group in the UK I was appointed to be a service manager, a role where I will have a team to lead, presentations to make, and studies to prepare, I needed to take my personality and my confidence to a whole new level.
I joined Toastmasters back in March 2016, and I was hooked, I originally joined Newbury Speakers club, and soon after I decided to join Ascot Speakers as well.
D91 International Speech & Evaluation Contests Winners
Following a very successful District 91 Londinium Spring Conference this weekend, congratulations to the inaugural winners of the District 91 International Speech and Evaluation Contests 2016.
International Speech Winners:
1st: Thien Trang Nguyen Phan
2nd: Andrew Osayemi
3rd: Donald Mavunduse
Thein, with her speech ‘Cut It Out’, will go on to represent District 91 at the International Speech semi-finals at Washington DC in August. We wish her every success.
The mystery speaker was Graham Frost with a speech entitled ‘The Jacket That Changed My Life’.
Evaluation Contest Winners:
1st: Ga Lok Chung
2nd: Chris Boden
3rd: Meenakshi Nayar
Excellence in the Face of Adversity! Leadership challenges
From Samir Malak, Area Director, K35
Celebration of Excellence
As we were preparing for the Area Contest, a boy approached me, his face awash with consternation. “When are you going to be finished?” I advised we would certainly be done by 10pm. “But we are having Karate at 8pm in that room.”
“Let me look into that.” I responded, with a smile.