This morning’s meeting was all about new beginnings, perfectly fitting for our theme of Spring!
Helen kicked things off warmly, welcoming our visitor Tim and our Toastmaster for the day, Tsarina, taking the lead for the very first time! Despite being unwell last week, Tsarina bounced back with a fresh energy, opening the meeting with a beautiful karakia and stories about watching magpies soar (and, as Helen reminded us, occasionally swoop!).
We were thrilled to welcome a new member, Kent, to the club, a great addition to our growing team of speakers.
Our Grammarian, Tom, introduced the word of the day: verisimilitude, meaning the appearance of being true or real. Tom shared that, being from the UK, he used to wait for spring just to feel daylight on his skin, something many of us could relate to after a chilly winter!
First up was Louise, introducing our first speaker and sharing her favourite thing about spring, the mix of warm sunshine and stormy bursts, best enjoyed with a coffee in the garden.
Lucie then took the stage with a lively speech on vocal variety and body language, tapping into her inner child, rollerblades and all! Her energy set a fun tone that carried through the meeting.
Next, Thomas shared his love of exploring gardens as the seasons change, followed by Dan Vann, who delivered a powerful keynote practice speech on the topic of stress.
We also welcomed another guest, Nina, visiting from South Korea.
Lucie gave an update in the Boaters’ Bulletin, encouraging everyone to get their blogs submitted to keep our community visible and welcoming online. It’s all about making Toastmasters less intimidating and more inviting for newcomers, a great reminder of what these write-ups are all about!
A few key dates to note:
Evaluation Contest: 31 October
Christmas Breakfast: 12 December
Keep an eye on the next newsletter for more details, and well done to Lucie for judging at Sunrise Toastmasters yesterday!
Our Table Topics Master, Aaron, shook things up with a fun twist, everyone chose a number, and he revealed the mystery topic. Questions included everything from “What would be your WWE name and move?
to “What smells remind you of spring?”, a great way to get everyone thinking (and laughing).
Tim bravely stood up to introduce himself, as did Nina, both making wonderful first impressions.
Evaluations were led by Richard, Alana, and Roydon, with Natalie providing a thorough General Evaluation, and Dean keeping us all on track as Timer.
It was a fantastic morning of laughter, learning, and a touch of spring sunshine.
Member blog: Hayley Ching