Our Club's Toastmaster-for the-evening on Tuesday night was E1 Area Governor and former Club President Marlene Van Wyk.
The theme for the evening was based on Elizabeth Gilbert's travel memoir Eat Pray Love.
Marlene asked speakers and those officiating what they would do if they could step out of their lives for a year the way Elizabeth Gilbert did.
Craig Stephenson (Grammarian) wants to play barista for a year at the Venice Train Station. Denise Pudney (Evaluator) wants to rent out her house and travel around the world for a year. Louise Erasmus (General Evaluator)would spend the summer months under the big skies of Montana.
The Club continues to grow! Leeann Roos was inducted by VP of Membership Louise Solomons.
Table Topics was presented by Chenielle Badenhorst who asked participants to present an impromptu "day in the life" speech from the point of view of an exotic pet. By way of an example, Chenielle described a typical day for her pet dachshund – using a German accent.
The prize for the best Table Topics speech went to Michael Warren for his hissing albino python. He beat out the likes of Thomas Duthie's gangsta-ferret and Tom Horne's justifiably nervous guinea pig.
There were four prepared speakers for the evening.
After a year as a visitor to the Club and eight months as a member Debbie Stephenson finally delivered her much awaited "icebreaker" speech. Debbie has used the last few months to gain the confidence to present her first speech by participating in Table Topics, officiating at meetings and delivering several Toasts. Debbie, an Australian, recounted how a chance meeting bought her to her to new life in South Africa nearly forty years ago.
Alison Immelman presented her fourth speech to the Club. Her breathtakingly creative use of language transported her audience into a recent experience of hers where she was stuck on a Virgin Airlines flight parked on a runway for several hours.
Alan Hunter presented an important lesson in constitutional law when he tackled an issue ripped straight from the headlines – the proposed Security of Information Bill. While media workers have been making the most noise about the Bill, Alan argued convincingly that this matter should be of concern to all South Africans.
The final prepared speaker was Marianah Lourens who delivered an interpretive reading of C.J. Langenhoven's poem: Die Stem.
Quinton Jacobs presented an educational talk on how to beat glossophobia. For those of you who didn't take Latin or Greek in university, glossophobia is the fear of public speaking. Quinton suggested that nervous speakers use positive mental imagery to clip the wings of those stomach butterflies.
Mimi Makapula provided the Toast on the night. After the experience of watching a pedestrian being hit by a car Mimi reminded members and guests to live for now as there are no guarantees that there will be a tomorrow.
Before the gavel fell on another entertaining and informative evening, Chenielle Badenhorst presented Debbie Stephenson with the Top Toastie floating trophy in recognition of Debbie confronting her own glossophobia.
The Club will meet again on 12 October.
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