So there we were, on the day after the hottest day in 26 years – PE peaked at 41.2o on Monday! And that’s in a city that hardly ever gets into the 30s!
We were a way smaller group than normal – perhaps the bizarre heat laid our members low? Nevertheless there were 16 members and 2 guests: Sindile and Dxy (a returnee who is also part of the current Speechcraft course). We hope you liked what you saw, and will visit again.
Once again, we were delighted to bestow a 5 speech pin, this time on Leann Roos.
Leann did her CC5 on her passion for cricket umpiring...
Leann is another member who is well on her way to her CC10, ensuring another year of distinguished club status for Algoa Toastmasters.
Welcome back Denise Pudney and Reinhardt Botha – we missed you!
On a Business note:
Did you know that we have a library of manuals so that you are able to have a look-see before you order your AC choices? Just speak to Marlene Vosloo.
Act’s Speakathon is on 3 November – let the pres know if you’d still like to enter.
Toastmaster for the evening was Quinton Jacobs – our resident weatherman. And yes, Quinton – we are going to blame you for the heat!!
The Grammarian was Nicholas Mitchell. For the Word of the Day
he chose candour/candid, denoting frank or open, or alternatively candid camera (an honest portrait) – from the Latin “candidus” which means white or perhaps unembellished. The word was used by only 3 doughty speakers – and, yes, I’m going to blame the weather!
Um and Ah Counter was Alison Immelman. By her count, only four speakers used no verbal crutches. The rest of us had a doosie of an evening with an average of 2.3 stumbles per person, ranging from the usual ums and ahs, to “like”, “okay”, “you know” and “Yeah?”
Table Topics were introduced by Marianah Lourens, who gave us terms from the theatre. Really – these words do have a meaning – really!
Some of the speakers who contributed were:
Alison Immelman, who regaled us with tales from The Bold and the Beautiful – forget the main plot of making clothes – really the “subplot” is way more important – who’s married to whom who used to be married to the other...
Louise Solomons dealt with gaffer tape (really cloth tape, which doesn’t reflect the light, used to hold down cables) that she suggested should be used on Oubaas from 7de Laan to keep him quiet since he always has a chirp. .
Glenis Whitehead, who spoke about “Gel” – like Clinton who definitely spent more time in front of the mirror today than most of our lady members – to get that carefully constructed bed head.
Tom Horne spoke about “ghost lights”. He told us that this would be the light carried by Uncle Pete who died 33 years ago. Really it’s the light kept burning by the stage door to keep the ghosts happy
Reinhardt Botha spoke about “wings” to fly across the world – and don’t forget buffalo wings or the red bull variety. After all – “All the world’s a stage”!
Well done to our guests who both participated in this part of the programme!
As always, we had a varied speaking programme.
Tanja Gauss kicked off with her CC2 (organise your speech, with a strong opening and closing and appropriate transitions), “For the love of the rowing”. Life would just not be the same without it. Did you know that a boat can go for R160000? Tanja suggested that you should rather drop yourself than the boat!! She told us that rowers do more before 8am than the rest of us do all day. Rowing requires total dedication because your crew is totally dependent on you and the boat would just go skew without you. Rowing personalities include the arrogance of the cox, whininess, the amnesia of number 3, the one who is late for everything except for lunch, the cheerleader, and the bowman who has the most to say because he’d be the first in a collision. Tanja’s closing words? Real athletes row – the rest play games
Antoinette Baatjies is heading strongly for her Advanced Communicator: silver. Her AC14, from the story telling manual, was entitled “Do you look back?” What would you do if you found money? When Antoinette tried to hand it in, she was told that she should invest it in the evening’s entertainment – all in the interests of the SA economy. The next morning she woke up with an orchestra playing in her head. In the next year she was robbed 5 times, once at knifepoint. By the end of 2006, the Cops at Mt Road were like family! She even had to sign affidavits for affidavits!! Maybe there’s something to be said for karma and payback. But, after all, life happens!! Antoinette suggested that we should try to forget the past and not look back. We have two things to say to Antoinette – we’d love to be in your class! And ... tell us a story
Tom Horne chose to practise his key-note address that he was scheduled to present at a school prize-giving. This most unusual practice session proves that Toastmasters can help you do anything!! Tom’s message was that we all have a gift for a lifetime – time – and he shared some most valuable insight into how can we use it to benefit others and ourselves.Although Glenis Whitehead is already a distinguished Toastmaster, she has decided to start at the very beginning and share her expertise with us by starting her Competent Communicator projects all over again. Thank you Glenis!
Apparently one of the ladies up north has been through the CC programme 9 times and has qualified as a distinguished Toastmaster 3 times – talk about living and breathing Toastmasters.
Glenis delivered her CC1 (begin speaking before an audience and develop existing skills). After 4 daughters, Glenis’s parents decided enough was enough already – but then comforted themselves that this sixth baby would surely be a boy and a buddy for only son, Trevor. John, however, turned out to be Glenis!
Glenis showed us to great effect what to do when the technology lets you down. Take a deep breath and on Macduff! She introduced herself to us by sharing touching stories about her family. Wise words in closing: Friends will get us through, though, and life is great.
Reinhardt Botha delivered his AC1, an educational on how to do visual presentations. A rule of thumb is to think about why we do what we do. An aid must be there to support what we say. It’s not the message itself. Nor can it fix a bad presentation. Two important things are content quality and presentation quality.
Perhaps a PowerPoint presentation is not even necessary. You could use props as well, like Jamie Oliver who used a wheel barrowful of sugar to show how much sugar there is in flavoured milk!
Make sure you’re ready long before you have to do your speech.
Minimalism is the key! If you find it interesting, the chances are that the audience will too.
Important Advice
• Avoid bullets
• And Keep
• the audience from
• reading every
• single world that you
• plan on
• saying people cannot
• read and listen
• at the same
• time.
This is called DEATH BY POWERPOINT
For more useful stuff, follow the link to Reinhardt’s blog http://rabotha.wordpress.com/2011/10/25/do-your-slides-help/
The Toast of the day – to medical angels – was proposed by Denise Pudney. Speaking from personal experience, she told us of doctors and nurses who would visit long after 10 at night – as if they don’t have a life of their own. We’re inclined to remember them only when we need them!
Evaluations for the evening were carried out by:
Leann Roos with her maiden evaluation. Well done. A most constructive evaluation.
Denise Pudney, one of our more experienced Toastmasters, offered advice in her usual informative way from which we always learn something.
A note for new and prospective Toastmasters. We clap ourselves stukkend in Toastmasters – in between presentations, and until a speaker reaches the lectern and then returns to her chair. Reinhardt showed us how it’s done by sprinting forward to do the General Evaluation.
He suggested that we have the formula right at Algoa and that we learn by smiling
Best Table Topics of the night was awarded to Reinhardt, while the Top Toastie was presented to Antoinette.
P.S. A serious omission from the last edition was a note about Louise Solomons’ General Evaluation. This was Louise’s maiden GE, and, as with all she is involved in, her comment was gently and constructively encouraging.
And finally, a last word on the weatherman and the heat wave...
We were a way smaller group than normal – perhaps the bizarre heat laid our members low? Nevertheless there were 16 members and 2 guests: Sindile and Dxy (a returnee who is also part of the current Speechcraft course). We hope you liked what you saw, and will visit again.
Once again, we were delighted to bestow a 5 speech pin, this time on Leann Roos.
Leann did her CC5 on her passion for cricket umpiring...Leann is another member who is well on her way to her CC10, ensuring another year of distinguished club status for Algoa Toastmasters.
Welcome back Denise Pudney and Reinhardt Botha – we missed you!
On a Business note:
Did you know that we have a library of manuals so that you are able to have a look-see before you order your AC choices? Just speak to Marlene Vosloo.
Act’s Speakathon is on 3 November – let the pres know if you’d still like to enter.
Toastmaster for the evening was Quinton Jacobs – our resident weatherman. And yes, Quinton – we are going to blame you for the heat!!
The Grammarian was Nicholas Mitchell. For the Word of the Day
he chose candour/candid, denoting frank or open, or alternatively candid camera (an honest portrait) – from the Latin “candidus” which means white or perhaps unembellished. The word was used by only 3 doughty speakers – and, yes, I’m going to blame the weather!Um and Ah Counter was Alison Immelman. By her count, only four speakers used no verbal crutches. The rest of us had a doosie of an evening with an average of 2.3 stumbles per person, ranging from the usual ums and ahs, to “like”, “okay”, “you know” and “Yeah?”
Table Topics were introduced by Marianah Lourens, who gave us terms from the theatre. Really – these words do have a meaning – really!Some of the speakers who contributed were:
Alison Immelman, who regaled us with tales from The Bold and the Beautiful – forget the main plot of making clothes – really the “subplot” is way more important – who’s married to whom who used to be married to the other...
Louise Solomons dealt with gaffer tape (really cloth tape, which doesn’t reflect the light, used to hold down cables) that she suggested should be used on Oubaas from 7de Laan to keep him quiet since he always has a chirp. .
Glenis Whitehead, who spoke about “Gel” – like Clinton who definitely spent more time in front of the mirror today than most of our lady members – to get that carefully constructed bed head.
Tom Horne spoke about “ghost lights”. He told us that this would be the light carried by Uncle Pete who died 33 years ago. Really it’s the light kept burning by the stage door to keep the ghosts happy
Reinhardt Botha spoke about “wings” to fly across the world – and don’t forget buffalo wings or the red bull variety. After all – “All the world’s a stage”!
Well done to our guests who both participated in this part of the programme!
As always, we had a varied speaking programme.
Tanja Gauss kicked off with her CC2 (organise your speech, with a strong opening and closing and appropriate transitions), “For the love of the rowing”. Life would just not be the same without it. Did you know that a boat can go for R160000? Tanja suggested that you should rather drop yourself than the boat!! She told us that rowers do more before 8am than the rest of us do all day. Rowing requires total dedication because your crew is totally dependent on you and the boat would just go skew without you. Rowing personalities include the arrogance of the cox, whininess, the amnesia of number 3, the one who is late for everything except for lunch, the cheerleader, and the bowman who has the most to say because he’d be the first in a collision. Tanja’s closing words? Real athletes row – the rest play games
Antoinette Baatjies is heading strongly for her Advanced Communicator: silver. Her AC14, from the story telling manual, was entitled “Do you look back?” What would you do if you found money? When Antoinette tried to hand it in, she was told that she should invest it in the evening’s entertainment – all in the interests of the SA economy. The next morning she woke up with an orchestra playing in her head. In the next year she was robbed 5 times, once at knifepoint. By the end of 2006, the Cops at Mt Road were like family! She even had to sign affidavits for affidavits!! Maybe there’s something to be said for karma and payback. But, after all, life happens!! Antoinette suggested that we should try to forget the past and not look back. We have two things to say to Antoinette – we’d love to be in your class! And ... tell us a story
Tom Horne chose to practise his key-note address that he was scheduled to present at a school prize-giving. This most unusual practice session proves that Toastmasters can help you do anything!! Tom’s message was that we all have a gift for a lifetime – time – and he shared some most valuable insight into how can we use it to benefit others and ourselves.Although Glenis Whitehead is already a distinguished Toastmaster, she has decided to start at the very beginning and share her expertise with us by starting her Competent Communicator projects all over again. Thank you Glenis!
Apparently one of the ladies up north has been through the CC programme 9 times and has qualified as a distinguished Toastmaster 3 times – talk about living and breathing Toastmasters.
Glenis delivered her CC1 (begin speaking before an audience and develop existing skills). After 4 daughters, Glenis’s parents decided enough was enough already – but then comforted themselves that this sixth baby would surely be a boy and a buddy for only son, Trevor. John, however, turned out to be Glenis!
Glenis showed us to great effect what to do when the technology lets you down. Take a deep breath and on Macduff! She introduced herself to us by sharing touching stories about her family. Wise words in closing: Friends will get us through, though, and life is great.
Reinhardt Botha delivered his AC1, an educational on how to do visual presentations. A rule of thumb is to think about why we do what we do. An aid must be there to support what we say. It’s not the message itself. Nor can it fix a bad presentation. Two important things are content quality and presentation quality.
Perhaps a PowerPoint presentation is not even necessary. You could use props as well, like Jamie Oliver who used a wheel barrowful of sugar to show how much sugar there is in flavoured milk!
Make sure you’re ready long before you have to do your speech.
Minimalism is the key! If you find it interesting, the chances are that the audience will too.
Important Advice
• Avoid bullets
• And Keep
• the audience from
• reading every
• single world that you
• plan on
• saying people cannot
• read and listen
• at the same
• time.
This is called DEATH BY POWERPOINT
For more useful stuff, follow the link to Reinhardt’s blog http://rabotha.wordpress.com/2011/10/25/do-your-slides-help/
The Toast of the day – to medical angels – was proposed by Denise Pudney. Speaking from personal experience, she told us of doctors and nurses who would visit long after 10 at night – as if they don’t have a life of their own. We’re inclined to remember them only when we need them!
Evaluations for the evening were carried out by:
Leann Roos with her maiden evaluation. Well done. A most constructive evaluation.
Denise Pudney, one of our more experienced Toastmasters, offered advice in her usual informative way from which we always learn something.
A note for new and prospective Toastmasters. We clap ourselves stukkend in Toastmasters – in between presentations, and until a speaker reaches the lectern and then returns to her chair. Reinhardt showed us how it’s done by sprinting forward to do the General Evaluation.
He suggested that we have the formula right at Algoa and that we learn by smiling
Best Table Topics of the night was awarded to Reinhardt, while the Top Toastie was presented to Antoinette.
P.S. A serious omission from the last edition was a note about Louise Solomons’ General Evaluation. This was Louise’s maiden GE, and, as with all she is involved in, her comment was gently and constructively encouraging.
And finally, a last word on the weatherman and the heat wave...
