Gurney-Hydro Toastmasters Club

This meeting was extra special for us because in addition to the fun theme and the usual boisterous gang, we had a few special guests visiting.  They were in town to attend the Semi Annual Conference. Distinguished guests for the night include: DTM Muthukumaran aka Super Muthu DTM Victor Ong Ms Ong Mei Lin (ACB, ACS) All in, there was a total of 4 Distinguished Toastmasters in the room including DTM Hui Sang and our very own Queen Joanne Tan ;) DTM Muthukumaran playing with our water gun DTM Super Muthu kicked off the evening as our TOE and kept everyone in stitches throughout the meeting with his humorous anecdotes and commentaries of the various speakers.  He kept the mood lively and at the same time, provided insights on the various parts of the meeting.  His very easy going nature made him instantly likable and the perfect example of our theme for the evening, "The Winning Personality". Attendees were especially inspired with DTM Victor Ong, atte...

It's probably easy for most of us to connect with someone else through a one on one or small group conversation.  Not so easy to do it with a room full of people, though. So how do you get up on stage and deliver a winning speech that will wow your audience, making them feel like they have received tremendous value from you? Most people will say it's charisma, that special kind of charm successful public speakers possess that captures the audience's attention the minute they get on stage.  While it's true that some people have that kind of "presence" about them, remember that charisma wears off very quickly.  Without substance, charisma is a flimsy facade that will fall apart easily. Follow our tips below to make your audience hang onto your every word from start to finish and win in the art of public speaking. 1) Know Your Audience This goes without saying.  You have to know to whom you are speaking to before you even start to craft your speech. ...

If you are new to Toastmasters, there is always a session during our meetings called the "Table Topics". Table Topics are impromptu speaking sessions where speakers speak on a randomly given topic for 1-2 minutes.  Most Toastmasters, even seasoned ones dread the thought of being called during a Table Topics session. However, Table Topics is the one session of a Toastmasters Club meeting that is the most fun, and where members can learn the most. When compared to the Table Topics, the prepared assignment speeches are peanuts.  This is because members attempting the assignment speeches can take their time to prepare, polish and rehearse them before the actual presentation. Whereas, during a Table Topics session, speakers have to think on their feet and have very little time to get their thoughts in order. Here's how we will tackle the Table Topics. 1) Ramble on - the hardest part isn't getting the speech together, it's to get started.  But we notice t...

When does adulthood kick in and you realize you are no longer a child?  Our members sure have a lot of opinions about that. While we agree that a person becomes an adult when there is an awareness of the responsibilities and accountability that goes with the territory, there is no defined age for adulthood. Some people stay as a child regardless of their age or as one of our members so succinctly calls it, "Manchild".  Others had to assume the role of an adult in the family very early on, sometimes before they even hit puberty. It's funny how many of us can't wait to grow up when we were kids, but wish we can go back to childhood once we join the grown ups club. What we learned is to embrace the realities of adulthood because all of us will get there eventually, but never forget the child in us because that is what keeps us playful, creative, and ultimately, young at heart. The "kids" for the night, both young and old, small and big If you ...

Being confident when you are speaking in front of a room crowded with strangers can be very daunting.  While there are those who seem to be born with buckets of confidence, it is a very different story for us mere mortals. Fortunately, confidence is like a muscle - it can be built if you work at strengthening it.  Bear these pointers in mind and you can become a more polished speaker with a natural poise. 1) Knowing Your Personal Style You know yourself better than anyone else.  You know what style of speeches you are most at ease doing.  Maybe you always fall flat when giving academic style speeches but excel at telling stories.  Therefore tailor your speech to suit that style.  It will bring your speech to life rather than put your audience to sleep.  Our Toastmasters meetings are the best place for you to experiment with different styles and find your own voice. 2) Use Your Personal Experiences Personal experiences are the best places t...