Algoa Toastmasters Humourous /Impromptu Contest

The Algoa Toastmasters Club members went out guns blazing and gave it their all in the club's speaking contest that was held on 23 August 2016. The programme was packed and full of fun. Thank you to all the eager beavers who participated in the contest, the Chief Judge Ricky Woods and all her judges.

Igor Leskor, you did a sterling job as the contest Chair, you were magnificent. Waven Korkie it was truly an auspicious evening our contest Sgt at arms.

The following contestants took part in the Impromptu contest:

Don’t Worry be Happy”

• Angie Kivido
• Belita von Steiger
• Glennis Whitehead
•  Marlene van Wyk
•  Nicholas Mitchell
• Warren Tagg

The following contestants took part in the Humorous contest:

•  Belita von Steiger – “Century of the woman?”
•  Glennis Whitehead – “It's a dog's life”
• Marlene Vosloo – “Yes my dear”
•    Nicholas Mitchell - “A day in the life of a dad of 6”
•    Zanele Hartmann –“Top Deck”

Congratulations to the following Toastmasters who won both the impromptu and humorous speech’s

•  Marlene van Wyk- Placed first in both Impromptu and Humorous
•  Nicholas Mitchell - Placed second in both Impromptu and Humorous
•   Glennis Whitehead - Placed third in both Impromptu and Humorous

Glennis Whitehead’s favourite quote is “Keep your face always towards the sunshine and the shadows will fall behind” Walt Whitman.

This is exactly what Algoa Toastmasters teaches us, to always keep our faces towards the sunshine. 

Please visit our Algoa Toastmasters Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/algoatm/

Marlene and Nicholas all the best and good luck for the Area Contest this coming Saturday (27 August 2016)

Be Blessed

Zanele Hartmann

TOASTMASTERS AREA E1 WINTERCON

“OPERATION VITALITY”

Area E1 Toastmasters gathered for their 2016 WinterCon on Saturday 13 August, at the Whitehead Ward, Victoria Park Grey Primary School. The theme was Operation Vitality.

The training was lead by the Area Director and (Surgeon-in Chief) Dr Marianah Lourens and her two (Head Surgeons) Dr Marlene Van Wyk, Dr Glenis Whitehead and (Shift Nurse) Sister Angie Kivido.

The Area 1 WinterCon training consisted of the following three surgical teams:

1.            Operation Heartbeat
2.      Stat Squad
3.      After Smile

Dr Van Wyk presented each of the three surgical teams with their trauma for the day. The Banana Trauma, each team was requested to operate on their patient and ensure the safety and recovery of the patient.

The banana represented a patient and a Toastmasters club. Teams had to operate in a manner that enabled the patient to be put back together. Surgical teams gave it their all, deliberating on how to operate the sick patient in time and what it took to save the patients life (never underestimate the power of a sick or should I rather say traumatic banana).

Now you might ask yourself why would Toastmasters be busy operating on bananas?  The answer is to demonstrate teamwork. The purpose of the excise was to enable members to understand the purpose and importance of team work in any situation and our clubs are no different.

The morning continued with the Doctors sharing insights at to why individuals should join Toastmasters, how guests should be looked after in club meetings, what should happening during club meetings and lastly how we should ensure that we retain Toastmasters as members. (Surgeon-in Chief) Dr Marianah Lourens shared the WIF concept with the team;

W- Wear your badge

I- Invite people

F- Follow up

The training today yet again demonstrated that Toastmasters is not about toasting champagne or wine it is about helping individual be better versions of themselves in a safe, friendly loving environment.

In the words of Dr Marlene Van Wyk “We are an international group of people who want to get better”

Please follow the Algoa Toastmasters on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/algoatm/

Be Blessed

Zanele Hartmann

Disclaimer: All the members who attended the WinterCon are not professional Doctors it was only for the purpose of the training and theme Operation Vitality. That is why one the surgeons (club member) could eat the patient (banana) afterwards (the joys of toastmasters.

Algoa Toastmasters Club Meeting: 26 July 2016

Make Tonight Matter

The Algoa Toastmasters held another impressive meeting on 26 July 2016.

Toastmaster

Denise Pudney conducted the meeting efficiently and in a friendly manner, she ensured that the meeting ran smoothly and “auspiciously”

Table Topics Sessions:

Mimi Makupula conducted the Table Topics session; the theme was “The Joys of Growing Pains”. Toastmasters and visitors shared their experiences of the good old days including when parents could spank their children and it was not considered child abuse.

Prepared Speeches

Angela Rogers (CC2) on “The Secret of Getting Ahead Is Getting Started….” a topic about speech writer’s block. Angela’s speech was evaluated by Warren Tagg

Deborah Stephenson (ACB6) speaking to inform abstract speech titled “Be Aware for Some Its There” Deborah’s speech was evaluated by Tom Horne

Glenis Whitehead (ACS5) with the title “Motoring in Scotland’ speaking from the entertaining speaker manual, assignment 4. Glenis’s speech was evaluated by Marlene Van Wyk

Toastmasters, is about team effort and at every meeting we have role players. The role players for the meeting included:

Time Keeper: Roger Ah Kuhn

Um and Ah Counter: Zikhona Mfingwana

Grammarian: Zanele Hartmann

General Evaluator: Igor Leskor

 Winners

Best Table Topics: Warren Tagg

Top Toastie: Igor Leskor

In the beautiful words of our visitor Malibongwe during Table Topics “Living to fight another day”

At Algoa Toastmasters we are not only living to fight another day, we also “living to attend another meeting”.

Please visit the Algoa Toastmasters Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/algoatm/

Be Blessed

Zanele Hartmann

Algoa Toastmasters Club Meeting: 12 July 2016

The Algoa Toastmasters held another amazing meeting last week:

Toastmaster

Warren did an outstanding job as the Toastmaster for the evening. He truly made the evening “gaiety”

Table Topics Sessions:

Deborah Stephenson is an avid hiker who enjoys trails, nature and the outdoors and she took us through one of her hiking trips via Table Topics. This brought up a range of funny topics varying from hiking boots, blue skies, bible verses and others I shall not mention (parental guidance advised).

Prepared Speeches

·     Waven Korkie (CC6) on “Are You Going Fast or Slow” teaching us that everything is about process and the process leads us to who we need to become.

·        Mimi Makupula (ASC6) spoke about “Fat” sharing that we are the host of our souls regardless of body or colour and that the body is the house.

·      Nicholas Mitchell (Repeating CC1) spoke about “Learning One Step At A time” citing Aristotle “Knowledge of self is the beginning of freedom”

Winners

 

Best Table Topics: Denise Pudney

Top Toastie: Angela Rogers

Nicholas concluded his speech by saying “I am a working progress”

We are all a working progress at Algoa Toastmasters!

Be Blessed

Zanele Hartmann

Algoa Toastmasters Club Meeting: 28 June 2016

The celebrations and festivities continued at the Algoa Toastmasters Club following the installation dinner with Angela Rogers a.k.a Perfectionist Duracell Bunny completing her first speech from the Competent Communicator (CC1) Manual, the Ice Breaker. From Angela’s speech we learnt how much she values the importance of hard work and support. It comes as no surprise that she loves to help others learn more. Angela elaborates that “The more I see results the harder I push”. I really strive to try and make a difference every day and to touch people’s live. Congratulations and well done Angela.

Our new President 2016/2017 Reinhardt Botha was the second speaker for the evening. Reinhardt is motivated by seeing people become better versions of themselves, his Educational Speech on Goal Setting and Planning from the Leadership Excellence Series was very fitting for the evening. Reinhardt explained how writing goals down enables us an opportunity of achieving them. He further explained that to in order to be successful in goal setting our goals need to be Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Realistic and Time bound.

A big thank you to Warren Tagg who was our Table Topics Master for the evening. All present at the meeting participated with “Alacrity” (thanks Zikhona Mfingwana) for adding the alacrity to our word basket.

Congratulations to the following Toasties!!!

Roger Ah Kun: Best Table Topics Speaker

Zikhona Mfingwana: Top Toastie 

Algoa Toastmasters 56th Induction Dinner

The Algoa Toastmasters Club gathered for a celebration on the evening of the 24^th of June 2016 at the PE Women’s Club Summerstrand. The club celebrated its 56^th Induction Dinner and it was an “auspicious” event filled with warmth and love. The evening kick started with a call to order by Waven Korkie followed by a warm welcome by Angie Kivido (President 2015/2016).

MC Colleen Love: Photograph by Deborah Stephenson

The MC for the evening was Collen Love who kept us entertained and informed us of what lay ahead during the evening. The food was absolutely delicious Tuna Mousse for Starters, followed by Beef and Yorkshire Pudding and vegetables as the main course. Last but not least Lemon Meringue for dessert.

In true Toastmasters style, there was a guest speaker for the evening, Riga Vermaak who herself used to be a Toastmaster graced the stage as the guest speaker for the evening. She educated us on what real food is and highlighted the importance of understanding and knowing what we put into our bodies. Following Riga’s speech it was time for the presentation of the 2015/2016 awards. Congratulations to the following Toastmasters received awards for year 2015/2016.

                                                                                                                                         Toastmasters Awards winners 2015/2016: Photograph by Deborah Stephenson 

                                                                 

         Marianah Lourens - Community Service Award

          Roger Ah Kun - Most Improved Speaker

          Zikona Mfingwana - Toastmaster Of The Year

          Reinhardt Botha - Most Improved Evaluator

          Zanele Hartmann -Most Enthusiast Toastmaster

          Tom Horne - The Mentorship Award 

The final segment of the evening was the induction of Club Executive Officers for the year 2016/2017 by Tom Horne.

Angie Kivido and Reinhardt Botha (Immediate Past  President and President): Photograph by Deborah Stephenson

                          

The new President Reinhardt Botha made a very insightful speech and what stood out most from his speech was when he said, “In Toastmasters I found a place where everybody wants to learn”

Let us continue to Learn, let us continue to Teach, and let us continue to Lead.

To have a sneak peak at how beautiful the evening was and just how beautiful Algoa Toastmasters were on that “auspicious” evening please visit our facebook page:: https://www.facebook.com/algoatm/

Be Blessed

Zanele Hartmann

What I Know For Sure

Over the years Oprah Winfrey has shared in her popular O, The Oprah Magazine, a monthly column titled "What I Know For Sure" as a source of inspiration and revelation.

My name is Zanele Hartmann and not Oprah Winfrey however, I would like to share my toastmaster’s journey and hopefully it will inspire many. Let us rewind the clock a little bit. Following an advert I saw in the newspaper in June 2014 I picked up the phone and called a lady named Marlene Van Wyk and enquired about the Speech Craft Course at Algoa Toastmasters. Following our telephonic conversation Marlene sent me an email on the 10^th of June 2014 and below is a brief extract from her email:

  

“I am attaching the information about the course and have put down your name as one of the candidates.  I am positive you will enjoy the course and gain a lot of confidence from it”

Marlene was very right. I never attended the course instead I decided to go and visit the Algoa Toastmasters Club and that was a year ago. I went from being a visitor to becoming a member! From membership I went to doing speeches, Marlene as my Mentor. Then came the time for my first speech from the Competent Communicator Manual called the Ice Breaker. I remember sitting opposite Marlene in her living room on a Sunday afternoon and Marlene guiding and supporting me through my prepared speech titled “Who is Zanele”.

I can clearly remember Marlene saying to me “You’re going to have to speak up, I can hardly hear you from across the table”

I am very sure she was crossing her fingers on the night when I delivered the speech. I can tell you now, two things were going through my mind as I got to the lectern, firstly I was worried about my voice, let alone the volume but the shaking! Secondly I was going to talk about my personal details and feelings to strangers!

My turn to speak came and I went up to the lectern and delivered my CC1 and I have never looked back.  Today the people I thought of, as strangers are my leaders, family, friends, teachers and psychologists. I look forward to going to club meetings every time. As I write here I can safely say that is what I know for sure.

I also know for sure that:

·       Algoa Toastmasters has contributed in my personal and professional growth;
·       Has taught me confidence;
·       How to make connections through my voice;
·       Leadership and support;
·       How to let go of fear;
·       Discipline and the respect for time
·       Constant improvement of myself;
·       Camaraderie;

  

I can go on and on. My favourite affirmation is “Everyday in everyway I get better and better” and through Algoa Toastmasters and its members I have witnessed this.

As fellow Toastmaster Waven Korkie wrote in the blog post date Wednesday, 02 March 2016

“Let Algoa Toastmasters club continue to shine by having the fire inside of us, and exude the passion and enthusiasm. Let us be a light to all the negative intentional fire starters out there and empathize with all the accidental fires. Until next time my beautiful candles…….”

Be Blessed!

Zanele