Meet Rachel Norris

When was your first meeting of Toastmasters, and what was it like?
My first Toastmasters meeting was with County Communicators during the pandemic in 2020. I was so nervous but everyone was really welcoming and friendly. I had an amazing time and I was immediately hooked with Toastmasters

What was your most rewarding experience?
My most rewarding experience was organising the Evaluation Workshop. I worked with Lynne Cantor-Gayer on the organisation of the meeting and so many people attended to learn more about Evaluation. I was extremely elated to have witnessed the workshop’s success!

What would you say to new guests?
I would say a huge welcome to them and tell them all about how Toastmasters will help them progress in their speaking and leadership skills. I would also say ‘Don’t be afraid of Table Topics. It’s your time to shine, so go for it’!

What’s different at Sussex Online Speakers?
In Sussex Online Speaker, we have created a treasure map of different achievements within a Toastmasters year, such as delivering a speech, evaluating a speech or taking on different roles. It helps members keep track of what they’ve done over the year and inspire them to achieve all they can with our amazing club. Check it out in the image.

What role in Toastmaster are you inspired to do next?
I would love to be President of my club to help me grow in my leadership skills. I’d also love to be a Division Director or have a role in the District Leadership Team (Administration or PR Manager) at some point in the future

Would you like say?
I would say thank you for supporting me as Area Director last year and giving me the opportunity to become a leader in Toastmasters. I feel honoured to be a part of District 91 and I will continue to be with you all for years to come!

 

Rachel Norris
Sussex Online Speaker
Supporting District PR 24/25

Member Spotlight: Interview with Kate

Kate, what drew you to stepping into your first Toastmasters meeting?
I’ve always been aware of Toastmasters, my mum was a member whilst we were living in Cyprus in 1994, and I remember listening to her practice her speeches. Incredibly, that time still inspires her, as over Christmas she presented me with one of the props she painted 30 years ago! I loved the fact that she played with words to share her ideas and passions, and I wanted to experience that.

One of the key tips, when moving abroad (or anywhere) is to attend clubs to meet likeminded people so that it’s easier to make friends. And, so, when I moved to Southampton, Toastmasters was my first point of call.

You’re journey in Toastmasters has been a bit stop and start, can you share what brought you back this time?
Yes, in total I’ve been a member of Toastmasters for about 2.5 years. I started in 2011 and came for one year. In that job, I was on-call and therefore couldn’t put in the time into Toastmasters that I wanted to, and I only managed to do my icebreaker. The passion, joy and community that I felt from Hamwic Speakers carried with me, so I was delighted to have been invited to their 10 year anniversary. A small time to rekindle some friendships and meet new people, this time I attended for about a month or so… work was still a barrier for me. I did manage to attend a meeting in Montreal. Finally, having changed jobs, and was no longer on-call, I realised that I hadn’t progressed in my career as quickly as I wanted to and was healing from stress. With some reflection, and now available time, Toastmasters was a real possibility for me to practice skills, and increase my confidence in speaking and confidence in who I am (that had been stripped away). I am very chuffed to say that I’ve now been a member for almost a year’n’half, and looking forward to many more years.

How did you come to raising your hand to be president of Hamwic Speakers, what have been some of your most rewarding experiences? What initiatives or projects are you particularly proud of?
I took a leap. During the autumn contests, a district leader highlighted the district conference and mentioned the opportunity to support the conference organising team. I snapped the QR code. A few months later, I emailed Amy and that was that. Amy put me to work. Being a part of the conference team, was an incredible experience, I met so many people, it opened my eyes to all the opportunities that there are in Toastmasters and the vast experience that others have developed over their own journey. Because of this experience, and of the community at Hamwic Speakers, I felt that if I put my hand up to be president, I would be supported in the role and be pulled up if needed, and directed towards best course of actions.

There are so many rewarding experiences to name, I think the ones that stand up are those that I’m working with the committee and members on different activities. As president, I’m looking at the club members differently, I seeing how each one supports each other in their journeys and pathways, how each members have that passion for Toastmasters and want to share the tips they’ve come across. We celebrated Hamwic Speakers 15th Anniversary and we had all past presidents and old members come and be with us, such a joyous occasion.

You mentioned that you feel like you’re a lifelong advocate for Toastmasters. How do you incorporate this advocacy into your daily life or professional role?
I seem to always be on the look out to support people I meet, whether walking through my place of work, or with conversations within my job roles, I want to share with them the confidence that learning the skills of public speaking brings to their life. And, also a location to hear speeches that covers all sorts of topics that you wouldn’t even think about that helps in seeing the world through a different perspective.

Imagine a newbie walks into your club looking wide-eyed and hopeful. What’s the first piece of wisdom you’d offer them?
I typically bring the new member to the front, before the meeting starts, so that they can ‘feel the stage’, and feel what it’s like standing there. They get to have that initial shock of exposing themselves, but in a safe manner before all the eyes are on them and the silence is there. So, that if they get asked to a question, or be called up to do a table-topics they are already prepared (a tiny bit) for that initial shock and can breathe through it.

What strategies have you found effective in keeping club members engaged and motivated?
As a committee, our VP Education has been trying a new way of engaging with members. She is organising with members to take on the role of Toastmaster a few weeks before, and provide them with supporting material as they then encourage members to deliver speeches and take on the different roles. As we know the Toastmaster Wears Many Hats.  We also, encourage and celebrate the diversity of doing warm up, table topics in a different way. So, every meeting seems to be different each time and still structured! As a club, our yearly calendar includes doing a walk around our city centre, handover committee meeting at the park, a festive meeting, workshops etc.

What’s one Toastmasters milestone you’re itching to hit in the next year?
I’d love to finish my pathway! That early memory of only doing one speech that first year, continues to be my push to work through my pathway. I’ve enjoyed playing with the theme of each speech as I learn on basecamp. And, my second milestone, is being more confident at doing evaluations and humorous speeches.

What is one message you would like to share with the district that keeps you inspired and driven in Toastmasters?
Recently our Mentoring Officer gave an insightful speech with a graph that showed the level of energy needed to see progress in your personal public speaking goals, between someone who is inconsistent vs someone who is consistently delivering a speech or taking on a role. My message therefore, would be to put your name down each meeting to do something, or take on a committee role, because you only need a small amount of energy each time as you take those small increments.

Celebrating Gillian Myers: A Beacon of Youth Leadership in District 91

Wow! I am extremely humbled by this award! As soon as I heard about the Youth Leadership Programme (YLP), I knew it was something I wanted to be involved in. With public speaking now on the national curriculum, and the TMI YLP workbooks outlining each lesson; I knew now was the moment! However I didn’t feel the most experienced or qualified Toastmaster, I was not even sure about standing in front of a class of students! Yet, what I lacked in confidence I made up for in determination, in the full belief this programme really can transform the lives of students at Richard Taunton Sixth Form College.

The YLP was certainly a team effort, I could never have run the programme without the support and expertise of everyone who contributed. 11 toastmasters from Hamwic Speakers and Alex from Solent Speakers all participated on the course. As coordinator I attended every week, and 2 toastmasters joined me each week.

I would like to thank Janet Alkema the District 91 Youth Leadership Programme Champion 2023-2024 for nominating me! Janet gave me a huge amount of encouragement, support, and invited me to her YLP in Farnham. This experience was invaluable, giving me the vision and self-belief to go for it!

It has been so rewarding to see the students build confidence and public speaking skills; they really came alive in front of a live audience at our final celebration meeting between the college and Hamwic Speakers. By stepping forward I have also grown, gaining confidence in leadership, workshop facilitation, and public speaking. This has been one of the most fulfilling projects, and I am already planning the next YLP!

Thank you so much to everyone who contributed, we did this as a team! And thank you so much to District 91 for even thinking of me!

I dedicate this award in loving memory of my brother William Myers, who we very sadly lost during this YLP, and who always supported me on my public speaking journey.

   

Article by:

Gillian Myers
Hamwic Speakers, Southampton
District 91 Youth Leadership Facilitator 2023-2024 Award
in recognition of exceptional leadership and devoted service

 

Are you bored?

“My first recommendation is to look at the camera. I would like to have more eye contact as if you are engaged with me.”

I’m not sure about you, but in the past few weeks, these words have become a cliché in giving an evaluation to any speech. The repertoire of the same evaluation would leave me wondering if this suggestion adds much value to the speaker and audience? I kept wondering what if I couldn’t afford all those high-end technologies, what if I had to rely on low bandwidth? what if I lived in a small space and couldn’t make do? What then?

One of the reasons I joined Toastmasters is because it is a safe place to practice. For me, that meant my external conditions may not be perfect but I had a place to still practice and not feel ashamed that I couldn’t afford the best technology. I also wondered, what qualities do I need at this moment to empower myself to get the job interview or be asked to facilitate a workshop? Is it the best technology or a fertile mindset?

I didn’t want the fear of not having things perfect to stand in my way, instead, I saw this moment as an opportunity to build my muscle of resilience and shift my perspective. I realized if in my professional life:

1. If I was faced in crises management, can I tune my mindset to observe with what tools is available right now instead of thinking what “I should be having” or I don’t have the right tools yet. As a facilitator in emotional management,  I could strengthen my resilient mindset by saying yes to giving more online general evaluations to overcome my itch if perfectionism.

2. If the video was not accessible to others? My past ten years of teaching online shared with me, don’t let the participant feel insecure when they can’t be seen. I adopted a DJ voice or imagined myself having a conversation with a long lost friend on the phone as a way to interact with the audience. As you may have guessed, I used tonal variety as my to-go-to rescue tool and create a safe environment for participants to express themselves.

3. If I had to give a speech to an audience that was visually impaired and realized that I could not rely on their sight or my facial expression or hand gestures, how could I amplify my speech?  I started to re-examine my approach to the kinds of words I used and structured content appropriately.

In the chaos of COVID 19, I was reminded:

1. Always work with what you have and relax the grip from perfectionism.

2. As General Evaluator Junkie, I’m given the opportunity to share with clubs how to upscale what they think are imperfections and turn it into an advantage.  Let go of the idea you need the best equipment to deliver a good speech.

3. Last but not least, COVID 19 revalidated the value of emotional intelligence, especially in our social competence.  I want to communicate and interact successfully with an audience and it’s vital for me to build a trusting relationship. As an evaluator, I must practice the awareness that I don’t know what circumstances the speaker is facing privately, picking on his or her technology may not be the most sensitive or wisest recommendation.

I want to invite you, the next time you take on a role as an evaluator, notice your delivery and content. Practice empathy in the way you will deliver the commendations and recommendations. If want to take it one step further, join us on The D91 24 hour toastmaster event, where I will briefly share some tips on evaluating with video. You will find the link below. If you have any question, you can reach out on social media @kirti168

It runs from 4-6 pm the Theme is “Obstacles | Opportunity | Optimism” Please register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/24-toastmasters-meetings-tickets-103027405744

Kirti Daryanani

104 London Debaters club

Kirti@kirti168.com

For more #befriendurmind @kirti168

Meet a Leader- Alison Morris

Alison Morris, District 91 Admin Manager 2018/2019 inspires us with her story

1. What has been your journey with Toastmasters?

I joined Thame Speakers in 1998 and have helped out at 2 District Competitions held by Thame Speakers. In 2015 I became a charter member of  Stand and Deliver. To complete my DTM, I became Area Director and was asked to stand as Division Director the next year, which was ably contested but I managed to win through. This year, I have taken on the role of Administration Manager, excluding the IT role as this is something where my skills need further honing.

Alison Morris, District91 Admin Manager

2. What prompted you to take up the responsibility in the District Leadership team?

I was asked and have not yet learned to say no.

3. What are the goals and challenges that you have set for yourself this year? How are they progressing?

To get things organised in advance, due to family pressure I have not been as good at this as I could have been but there are still a good few months to go to redeem myself.

4. Do share something about you outside the toastmaster world.

I have been a youth worker for over 30 years and am a first aid trainer, Education and training tutor.

5. How have you been able to transfer the skills acquired in Toastmasters to your career or business?

Very much so, I do a lot of presenting and having to deal with high brow people. Toastmasters has given me the confidence to do this and to even enter into small talk with people I have not met before, something I could never have done. Besides this, taking on District roles has helped me further.

6. Please share a takeaway message for toastmaster members who are not sure about taking up leadership roles.

If you are thinking of taking on a District role and are not sure if you could do it, as long as you do your best you cannot go wrong and the support you get from the District is amazing. If there is an opportunity, take it, you wont regret it and you will grow from it.