As a new member of the Boaters Toastmasters Club, I’ve quickly come to admire this community. Everyone here is proactive, open‑minded, and genuinely intentional about listening, speaking, making connections, and staying involved. I feel drawn to their energy, and last Friday’s session only deepened that appreciation.
The theme of the meeting was “Winter is coming”, a subject that couldn’t be more relatable for those of us living in Christchurch! Around the room, we shared our experiences of facing the approaching winter chill. There were plenty of relatable moments, light‑hearted laughter, and the kind of warm humour that reminds you why Toastmasters is such a special place to grow.
A Well‑Prepared Toastmaster
Richard Smart served as our Toastmaster. He was clearly well prepared, leading the meeting in a light‑hearted, smooth, and fun way. His approach made the entire session genuinely enjoyable.
Word of the Day – “Grit”
Jeremy Benton, our Grammarian, chose the word “grit”, defined as courage and determination in facing circumstances. He tied it beautifully to the meeting’s theme, reminding us that grit is exactly the mindset we need as winter approaches.
Speeches That Inspired
I was particularly impressed by the two speakers, Tsarina Dellow and Jessica Charles. It was their second time delivering a speech that incorporated feedback from their previous presentations. Their dedication to improvement was truly inspiring.
Table Topics with Energy
Erica Andrews brought her signature laugh to the role of Table Topics Master. I especially enjoyed her themed questions, such as: “Which season best fits your character or personality?” “How would you help someone who has never experienced winter understand the season?”
The Challenging Role of Evaluator
Being an evaluator requires sharp attention to detail, insight into structure and content, and the ability to organise all of that into a three‑minute verbal summary. I noted one particularly practical comment from Royden Gibbs regarding Jessica’s speech: “Link your questions back to the audience.”
General Evaluator – Valuable Insights
The role of General Evaluator is the most demanding, and Louise Landess delivered many valuable points that really highlight the value of Toastmasters. A few stood out to me:
“I love it when people notice things as you come in, rather than just sitting down.”
“The whole job of the Toastmaster is to focus on the people who have come into the room – not to talk about yourself or what you do during the week.” She praised Richard for doing exactly that.
Louise also offered a gentle piece of advice to Richard: “There’s no need to explain the roles of others and try not to eat into your speaking time by talking about things that aren’t what you’re meant to talk about.”
To evaluator Rachel, Louise said: “Be careful not to put pressure on the speaker by saying things like ‘our next excellent speaker would be…’ – that makes the audience expect excellence.” What a powerful observation.
Every session at Boaters Toastmasters leaves me feeling motivated and grateful. I learn from each member’s unique role, and I’m excited to continue improving my own speaking and listening skills.
See you next Friday!
Blog By: Ying Xia