In a couple of weeks, Toastmasters International will be holding their yearly International Convention. One of the key highlights of the convention is the International Speech Contest - where winners from each District compete for the title of World Champion of Public Speaking.
Judges will chose one person who started the contest at their club level, along with thousands of other contestants who started the contest at their club, mostly in the last 6 months.
However, many Districts are already warming up for the next cycle of contests. My home organization, District 26, holds contests twice a year. In the fall, we have 2 contests that go up to District Level - usually Humorous and Evaluation contest, though every now-and-then they will switch out Humorous for Tall Tales. In the Spring, they hold Table Topics with International Speech Contest. The Table Topic goes up to District level. International, as I mentioned before, goes on to the International Convention.
I was one of those people who was not in a rush to compete in a contest. Yet, I knew I wanted to do more with Toastmasters beyond my club. At first, I helped as a functionary. As VP Education for my club, I decided if I was going to ask my members to take part in the contests, I needed to show them I was willing to step up to be in the contest as well. I was surprised to be selected over another person to represent our club in the Evaluation Contest. I wound up representing at Area and Division.
I was very nervous about being in a contest. But I found it was so much more valuable that I could have imagined! I learned a lot about myself and the Toastmasters process. I learned how much more I still needed to learn in Toastmasters and it gave me a much better focus about what I could gain and give in my club.
I was a very different person between the Area Contest and the Division Contest. By the time I went to the Division level, I found I had a giant boost in my confidence. I still felt the nerves, but I felt much more in control of them, and they didn't distract me or stay with me like they did at Area.
6 months later, I pushed myself to take on the International Speech Contest. Yes, in spite of the greater confidence, I still wasn't sure about being in front of a group of strangers, competing. But I knew with my idea of wanting to help serve in the District, I had a limited window. Again I went on to Area and Division. At Division, I stopped - I had gone over on time. But the strength I gained from the process was amazing and invaluable.
From there, I felt the confidence to take on a higher role in the District: instead of going for Area Governor, I went for Division Governor, and was voted in.
Before the contests, I was one of the people who rarely added much in the officer breakout sessions, and avoided being the person to speak in from of the TLI group. I usually needed 6 weeks between speeches to be able to recharge and work up speeches.
About 9 months after taking part in my first contest, my gauge of personality had swung from being solidly in introversion to being solidly in extroversion. Yes, I still need to recharge now and then, but it is rare. Now, not only am I comfortable speaking up in groups, I look forwards to my next speech, and feel lost if I don't get to do a speech for more than a couple of weeks. Instead of being a person who avoids speaking in front of the group for a TLI, I am a person who wants to speak in front of the group. I am comfortable leading officer break-out sessions and come up with my own educational sessions.
I realized today where my strongest skills lie. People look up to me as a leader. I have done very well as a leader. But I still have some more stills to work on for being a great people leader. My skills are much more about educating and inspiring people. I get the most emotional reward from those aspects.
To my surprise and amazement, I have become a very strong speaker. Anyone who knew me even 10 years ago would have no idea that it was even possible. I took a number of baby steps, at first on my own, then as being a leader in an outdoor hobby, then with Toastmasters. However, the giant steps came when I took part of the Toastmasters contest. They can help cause the biggest growth in the Toastmasters process.
I know it is hard, and scary and emotional. Those are all okay, because the personal value gained by trying yourself with the contest process. Don't wait until you are ready. Do it now to get your value and perspective!
Showing posts with label Contest. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Contest. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Wyoming Toastmasters Contest
This past weekend, on Saturday, I drove up to Cheyenne, WY to watch the D26 Northern Contest.
Classically, the Northern Division contest is held in Casper, WY. Luckily for me, the decided to move it to Cheyenne this time, as that made it doable as a [LONG] day trip.
This is the 5th of the 6 Division contests that I attended this cycle. My Southern Division Contest being the first. At each of the other 4 contests, I wound up being honored to help by being asked to fill a role. In Cheyenne, I was one of the timers. This is a great way to take part in the contests!
The test speaker spoke on a theme that was very familiar! His speech about spices had a lot of similar thoughts to the topic I picked 2 weeks ago for my home club when I was Toastmaster. He did not talk about Pumpkin Spice, but did talk about Salt & Pepper and how the spice trade was an important part of our history.
There were 3 Evaluators and 5 Tall Tales Contestants listed on the ballot. Unluckily, only 2 for each category made it to the contest. However, it was a strong showing, and an enjoyable contest. Great job by all those involved to make an energetic and honorable contest.
I am looking forward to a week-and-a-half from now, at the District Conference, to see the finals of these 2 contest. I have seen all the contestants except one division compete, so I can tell you first hand that this will be an exciting competition. Those competing will have to work hard to take the top places at the District Conference.
It is worth it to go up to see the finals! Even if you can only make it to the final contest Saturday night. See you there!
Classically, the Northern Division contest is held in Casper, WY. Luckily for me, the decided to move it to Cheyenne this time, as that made it doable as a [LONG] day trip.
This is the 5th of the 6 Division contests that I attended this cycle. My Southern Division Contest being the first. At each of the other 4 contests, I wound up being honored to help by being asked to fill a role. In Cheyenne, I was one of the timers. This is a great way to take part in the contests!
The test speaker spoke on a theme that was very familiar! His speech about spices had a lot of similar thoughts to the topic I picked 2 weeks ago for my home club when I was Toastmaster. He did not talk about Pumpkin Spice, but did talk about Salt & Pepper and how the spice trade was an important part of our history.
There were 3 Evaluators and 5 Tall Tales Contestants listed on the ballot. Unluckily, only 2 for each category made it to the contest. However, it was a strong showing, and an enjoyable contest. Great job by all those involved to make an energetic and honorable contest.
I am looking forward to a week-and-a-half from now, at the District Conference, to see the finals of these 2 contest. I have seen all the contestants except one division compete, so I can tell you first hand that this will be an exciting competition. Those competing will have to work hard to take the top places at the District Conference.
It is worth it to go up to see the finals! Even if you can only make it to the final contest Saturday night. See you there!
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
District Conference - Contest, Education, World Class
Time is running out for Early-bird registration rates!!
Register by this Saturday, October 26, to get the best rate for the conference!
This is your chance!
All this, and more, is wrapped up into a whirlwind weekend of activity! Most of the key activities are happening on Saturday - opening with the Evaluation Contest and closing with the Tall Tales Contest - with a ton of content in the middle - a Toastmasters sandwich of fun, information and excitement!
You can easily day-trip up for the core content, or chose some al-la-cart. You can also stay on-site, and have more fun, and experience the toppings that happen the night before, and you can even find out if there is something extra on Sunday morning - a secret bonus that we can't tell you about ahead of time!
http://d26toastmasters.org/WP/news-events/district-conference/
https://www.regonline.com/Register/Checkin.aspx?EventID=1298764
Join me there! I'm co-chair of room hosts, and will be involved in presenting an education session that you don't want to miss!
Register by this Saturday, October 26, to get the best rate for the conference!
- Evaluation Contest - Do you want to see the top 6 Evaluators of over 100 contestants compete for #1?
- Tall Tales Contest - Do you want to see the top 6 Tall Tales in our region, that have come through 3 previous levels of elimination compete for best in our District?
- World Champ Keynote and more! Do you want to see a World Champion of Public Speaking share some of his secrets and successes - content that would easily cost you two to ten times as much stand alone!
- Education Sessions - Do you want to attend 1 of 6 education sessions, to learn more about Toastmasters in a forum that is hard to find? It could make you a better officer or member.
- Network - Do you want to network and connect with Toastmasters from all over our District and more?
- Toastmasters-plus Do you want to show your support and find out more about opportunities to take Toastmasters to another level?
This is your chance!
All this, and more, is wrapped up into a whirlwind weekend of activity! Most of the key activities are happening on Saturday - opening with the Evaluation Contest and closing with the Tall Tales Contest - with a ton of content in the middle - a Toastmasters sandwich of fun, information and excitement!
You can easily day-trip up for the core content, or chose some al-la-cart. You can also stay on-site, and have more fun, and experience the toppings that happen the night before, and you can even find out if there is something extra on Sunday morning - a secret bonus that we can't tell you about ahead of time!
http://d26toastmasters.org/WP/news-events/district-conference/
https://www.regonline.com/Register/Checkin.aspx?EventID=1298764
Join me there! I'm co-chair of room hosts, and will be involved in presenting an education session that you don't want to miss!
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Division Contests
2 weeks ago, I not only attended, but chaired the Southern Division Contest.
While I chaired the event, it would not have gone off without some amazing help! Thank-you to all those who helped, especially those I can not name!
A big thanks to 4 key roles:
1) Jennifer Costello, for a professional and entertaining job as Toastmaster
2) Mike Pierson, for his calm and personality as Chief Judge
3) Our Test Speaker - Terry Smith
4) Mary Hooper for Agendas, labels and support
I really appreciate those who were willing and able to change roles as needed to make everything work so well!
I was really very rewarding to see how a number of contestants tuned their performance between the area contests and the division contest. It is tough to see only 1 from each contest picked to go on to the District Level.
Last weekend, I was up in the Lakewood area in the morning, in my role as Secretary of Geocaching Colorado, helping out with a Girl Scout day at Dinosaur Ridge. The fed perfectly into going to the Eastern Division Contest just a few minutes away. I had a feeling it would be good if I could be there. It was very rewarding to be able to be there to see how other contestants approached the 2 contests.
This past weekend, I was able to attend 2 more Division Contests! It was not that far to go to see 2 more division contests: Denver and Metro Division were holding their contests the same day, and the same location! What a great way to have some high energy and synergy, while saving transportation costs!
It is a shame that the more distant Divisions, like Southern, can not take part at this level. There is only one solution: our Southern Division will just have to grow so big, that we will have to split into 2 divisions, and then we can have 2 Division Contests on the same day!
While I chaired the event, it would not have gone off without some amazing help! Thank-you to all those who helped, especially those I can not name!
A big thanks to 4 key roles:
1) Jennifer Costello, for a professional and entertaining job as Toastmaster
2) Mike Pierson, for his calm and personality as Chief Judge
3) Our Test Speaker - Terry Smith
4) Mary Hooper for Agendas, labels and support
I really appreciate those who were willing and able to change roles as needed to make everything work so well!
I was really very rewarding to see how a number of contestants tuned their performance between the area contests and the division contest. It is tough to see only 1 from each contest picked to go on to the District Level.
Last weekend, I was up in the Lakewood area in the morning, in my role as Secretary of Geocaching Colorado, helping out with a Girl Scout day at Dinosaur Ridge. The fed perfectly into going to the Eastern Division Contest just a few minutes away. I had a feeling it would be good if I could be there. It was very rewarding to be able to be there to see how other contestants approached the 2 contests.
This past weekend, I was able to attend 2 more Division Contests! It was not that far to go to see 2 more division contests: Denver and Metro Division were holding their contests the same day, and the same location! What a great way to have some high energy and synergy, while saving transportation costs!
It is a shame that the more distant Divisions, like Southern, can not take part at this level. There is only one solution: our Southern Division will just have to grow so big, that we will have to split into 2 divisions, and then we can have 2 Division Contests on the same day!
Monday, September 9, 2013
Reminder - Area S1 & S2 Contest Wednesday 9/11
Remember, the D26 Toastmasters Area S1 & S2 combined contest is this Wednesday evening!
5:30pm
S1 & S2 Evaluation and Tall Tales Contests
Wed, September 11, 5:30pm – 8:30pm
Fire Station #19, 2490 Research Parkway, Located off Chapel Hills Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80921
Contestants/Judges Briefings: 5:30 PM
Contests begin: 6:00 PM
Contact: S1 Area Governor Jennifer Costello, S1AG1314 (a-t) D26Leaders.org
If you are from S3-4-5 and can be a judge at this contest, we need you!
5:30pm
S1 & S2 Evaluation and Tall Tales Contests
Wed, September 11, 5:30pm – 8:30pm
Fire Station #19, 2490 Research Parkway, Located off Chapel Hills Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80921
Contestants/Judges Briefings: 5:30 PM
Contests begin: 6:00 PM
Contact: S1 Area Governor Jennifer Costello, S1AG1314 (a-t) D26Leaders.org
If you are from S3-4-5 and can be a judge at this contest, we need you!
Friday, September 6, 2013
First D26 Area Contest Completed
District 26 contest season is officially underway, with 6 winners already selected (more later on names). Area S3, S4 and S5 worked together to put on a combined contest, officially being the first set of contests for the season, leading to the District contests in November.
Congratulations and thanks to all the participants, functionaries and audience members!
A great time was had at the combined S3-4-5 contest at the East Library Thursday Evening 9/5. There were lots of evaluators and even more Tall Tales Speeches.
There was a large range of talent and ideas presented at the meeting. Bonnie Ann got a whole lot of useful and interesting feedback on her test speech, talking about being a child in dry, dusty Texas, and how her startled reaction barely saved her friend from a rattle snake, and how the same way of facing things brought her to Toastmasters, and the great value we all get from Toastmasters!
The evaluators offered her advice from making sure her message is making it to the back of the room, to ways to look at her speech as the potential for 2 great speeches.
A remarkable amount of creativity was shown during Tall Tales! I heard about supermom; military maneuvers for fudge; being overrun by rats; how the ruling power shifted in Abu Dabi; Sasquatch bull-riding bears; how fishing lead to a sighting of Noah's Ark; a deal with the devil delivered in perfect Dr. Suess-ian form; and a number more!
No battle plan manages to survive the battle, however all the people working the contest handled the situations as they came up and make the contest a full-on success.
Trying to fit 3 areas with 2 contests each into the window of time we had was pretty challenging. I would have been glad to speak more, but just as happy to keep to the core contest for most of it. We did have a little time to hear from our Lt Gov Marketing, Deborah Frauenfelder, who spoke about the upcoming district conference in November - not too far away in DTC - and how the conference is looking for volunteers and education presenters!
In the end, we rushed through awarding the winners, and took a few quick pictures. We heard the announcements on the PA about the library closing, and quickly wrapped up and cleaned up. We were ushered out of the building. Luckily, we were only a few minutes over getting out, and the staff was graceful in allowing us to get out.
The winners will continue on to the Division Contest, Saturday October 5th, at 1pm, downtown Colorado Springs Library.
Congratulations and thanks to all the participants, functionaries and audience members!
A great time was had at the combined S3-4-5 contest at the East Library Thursday Evening 9/5. There were lots of evaluators and even more Tall Tales Speeches.
There was a large range of talent and ideas presented at the meeting. Bonnie Ann got a whole lot of useful and interesting feedback on her test speech, talking about being a child in dry, dusty Texas, and how her startled reaction barely saved her friend from a rattle snake, and how the same way of facing things brought her to Toastmasters, and the great value we all get from Toastmasters!
The evaluators offered her advice from making sure her message is making it to the back of the room, to ways to look at her speech as the potential for 2 great speeches.
A remarkable amount of creativity was shown during Tall Tales! I heard about supermom; military maneuvers for fudge; being overrun by rats; how the ruling power shifted in Abu Dabi; Sasquatch bull-riding bears; how fishing lead to a sighting of Noah's Ark; a deal with the devil delivered in perfect Dr. Suess-ian form; and a number more!
No battle plan manages to survive the battle, however all the people working the contest handled the situations as they came up and make the contest a full-on success.
Trying to fit 3 areas with 2 contests each into the window of time we had was pretty challenging. I would have been glad to speak more, but just as happy to keep to the core contest for most of it. We did have a little time to hear from our Lt Gov Marketing, Deborah Frauenfelder, who spoke about the upcoming district conference in November - not too far away in DTC - and how the conference is looking for volunteers and education presenters!
In the end, we rushed through awarding the winners, and took a few quick pictures. We heard the announcements on the PA about the library closing, and quickly wrapped up and cleaned up. We were ushered out of the building. Luckily, we were only a few minutes over getting out, and the staff was graceful in allowing us to get out.
The winners will continue on to the Division Contest, Saturday October 5th, at 1pm, downtown Colorado Springs Library.
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
D26 Area Contests This Week
Remember, the D26 Southern Division contests start this week!
Area S3, S4 & S5 combined area contest is this THURSDAY September 5th!
Tall Tales & Evaluation Contest!
East Library Community Meeting Room, 5550 Union Blvd., Colorado Springs, CO 80918
Here are the clubs that eligible to compete at the contest on Thursday:
Make sure your club sends the contestant information to your area governor - if they were selected by club contest or by nomination. If the Area Governor does not have the information, you will not be able to compete.
If you have not select any contestants and do not have a meeting before the contest, it is still possible to nominate contestants in time!
Contestants - please fill out your Speaker-Certification-and-Originality (Evaluators may skip the bottom Originality portion) and your Speaker Profile! Email or bring them with you -- it save a lot of time when you get there!
Contact your Area Governor with any questions:
Michele Mras, S3 Area Governor S31314-at-d26leaders.org
Bonnie Ann Smith, S4 Area Governor S41314-at-d26leaders.orgMike Pierson, S5 Area Governor S51314-at-d26leaders.org
Audience members welcome!
---
Keep in mind - S1 & S2 combined contest is next week on Wednesday September 11!
Southern Division Contest is on Saturday October 25th
Area S3, S4 & S5 combined area contest is this THURSDAY September 5th!
East Library Community Meeting Room, 5550 Union Blvd., Colorado Springs, CO 80918
Here are the clubs that eligible to compete at the contest on Thursday:
| S3 | 3044 | Pikes Peak Toastmasters Club | |
| S3 | 1292321 | CO Motor Mouths | |
| S3 | 5481 | Currently Speaking Toastmasters Club | |
| S3 | 5618 | Colorado Orators League | |
| S4 | 644254 | Toastmasters at Memorial Hospital Club | |
| S4 | 1155833 | TOP CLASS Toastmasters | |
| S4 | 5158 | Downtown Toastmasters Club | |
| S4 | 4829 | UCCS Toastmasters Club | |
| S5 | 555 | Colorado Springs Toastmasters Club | |
| S5 | 5316 | Peterson Toastmasters | |
| S5 | 813975 | Quail Lake Toastmasters Club |
Make sure your club sends the contestant information to your area governor - if they were selected by club contest or by nomination. If the Area Governor does not have the information, you will not be able to compete.
If you have not select any contestants and do not have a meeting before the contest, it is still possible to nominate contestants in time!
Contestants - please fill out your Speaker-Certification-and-Originality (Evaluators may skip the bottom Originality portion) and your Speaker Profile! Email or bring them with you -- it save a lot of time when you get there!
Contact your Area Governor with any questions:
Michele Mras, S3 Area Governor S31314-at-d26leaders.org
Bonnie Ann Smith, S4 Area Governor S41314-at-d26leaders.orgMike Pierson, S5 Area Governor S51314-at-d26leaders.org
Audience members welcome!
---
Keep in mind - S1 & S2 combined contest is next week on Wednesday September 11!
Southern Division Contest is on Saturday October 25th
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Contest Participation - An Experiment That Worked
"Contests are not for me"
"I'm not ready"
Have you heard these excuses and more?
This contest season, I had some failures and some successes in getting participation.
As leaders, many of us know there are lots of value to contest. The biggest value is that the challenge makes us much better individual speakers and adds lots of value to clubs.
I am guilty of using the excuses myself. Then I wound up going 3 levels in an evaluator contest, just because I took part in my club contest. I took part so that the other person would have a challenge. I was certain the other person was going to win.
I didn't think I was ready to be in a Toastmasters contest.
Most people will never think they are ready.
They need someone to push them into taking on the contest.
If we wait for everyone to decide they are ready on their own, the contests will have very few participants.
As a Division Governor, I am not allowed to be a contestant in the district contests this year. But I know how much members will learn and how much it helps energize the club.
How do we get members to take part in contests?
I've been talking up the contests in meetings for many weeks now.
I have promoted the example Tall Tales videos.
We had an example Tall Tales with details for the keynote speech at the Colorado Springs TLI.
I came up with my own example Tall Tales speech, which I put out on YouTube and have demonstrated in a few meetings.
I've asked and encouraged the other officers in my 2 clubs to help organize and promote the contest.
In both my clubs, the same tactic was taken to try to get members to step-up to be contestants:
An email to the group: "Who wants to be in the contest?"
Can you guess the response? None.
That doesn't have to be a failure. At least it is getting the idea out there more that the club is looking for contest participation.
But you can't stop there!
Having members take part in contests shows that clubs are vital and involved beyond their 4 walls.
Clubs need to make sure they have representatives going to contest.
In my one club, I have talked and emailed directly with a few people who said they were considering it. I offered to help. So far, one person decided they can not do it. Another is still thinking. And another is on the fence, and does not seem to want to have help to get to the next step.
I will continue to encourage, and make sure they club knows the importance of taking part.
In another club, I tried something a little different, with some real success!
Our next meeting didn't have anything scheduled. It was the last chance to have a club contest before the area contest. Our new VP/Ed was not sure which way go with the meeting and the contest.
We sent out an email, and nobody replied wanting to be in the contest.
I was faced with the question: what can we do with a meeting, when nobody has stepped up to be in a club contest?
I had an idea. Clubs do not have to use a contest to send on members to a contest. They are allowed use some other process, and nominate members to go to the contest.
I defined my meeting idea to a couple of the officers, and got their buy-in:
I would run a special meeting with a slightly different flavor.
The order of the meeting:
I was very happily surprised when one of the members who had said that maybe they would do the evaluation contest decided they would take on Tall Tales instead.
Another technique that may work for you as a club officer, is to decide which members you think are comfortable enough speaking in front of the club, and go to them individually. Tell them that you think this would be a good step for them. Tell them that the club needs them to represent the club at the area. Tell them that even though they don't think they are ready, you know they are ready. Make sure they know how much they will learn by doing the contest. Make sure they know, it is still Toastmasters, and it is still a safe place to try things out, and it is still a safe place to make stumbles. A better place than at an interview.
If you are a member, consider these factors:
You are in Toastmasters to learn how to speak outside of Toastmasters.
A contest is one of the best, safest places to find out how you are doing in the process of learning what Toastmaster gives you beyond the club.
You will see how much you have learned, and learn how much more you can still get from Toastmasters and back at your club.
Yes, it will be intense, exciting, nerve-racking, and maybe a bit disappointing if you don't win. Yet, it is an amazing, exciting time that will cause you to grow in ways and at rate that you can never imagine!
One more thing to think about: if you and your club do not show up with contestants at the contest, that allows another club to come in, and maybe not work very hard if there are no other competitors, and walk out with the trophy, just for showing up and making time.
Let the other clubs know that if they want those trophies, they are going to have to work harder than you!
Thank-you to all that have stepped up to be contestants, functionaries and audience at the Toastmasters contests!
See you at the contests!
Keep your Witz About You!
"I'm not ready"
Have you heard these excuses and more?
This contest season, I had some failures and some successes in getting participation.
As leaders, many of us know there are lots of value to contest. The biggest value is that the challenge makes us much better individual speakers and adds lots of value to clubs.
I am guilty of using the excuses myself. Then I wound up going 3 levels in an evaluator contest, just because I took part in my club contest. I took part so that the other person would have a challenge. I was certain the other person was going to win.
I didn't think I was ready to be in a Toastmasters contest.
Most people will never think they are ready.
They need someone to push them into taking on the contest.
If we wait for everyone to decide they are ready on their own, the contests will have very few participants.
As a Division Governor, I am not allowed to be a contestant in the district contests this year. But I know how much members will learn and how much it helps energize the club.
How do we get members to take part in contests?
I've been talking up the contests in meetings for many weeks now.
I have promoted the example Tall Tales videos.
We had an example Tall Tales with details for the keynote speech at the Colorado Springs TLI.
I came up with my own example Tall Tales speech, which I put out on YouTube and have demonstrated in a few meetings.
I've asked and encouraged the other officers in my 2 clubs to help organize and promote the contest.
In both my clubs, the same tactic was taken to try to get members to step-up to be contestants:
An email to the group: "Who wants to be in the contest?"
Can you guess the response? None.
That doesn't have to be a failure. At least it is getting the idea out there more that the club is looking for contest participation.
But you can't stop there!
Having members take part in contests shows that clubs are vital and involved beyond their 4 walls.
Clubs need to make sure they have representatives going to contest.
In my one club, I have talked and emailed directly with a few people who said they were considering it. I offered to help. So far, one person decided they can not do it. Another is still thinking. And another is on the fence, and does not seem to want to have help to get to the next step.
I will continue to encourage, and make sure they club knows the importance of taking part.
In another club, I tried something a little different, with some real success!
Our next meeting didn't have anything scheduled. It was the last chance to have a club contest before the area contest. Our new VP/Ed was not sure which way go with the meeting and the contest.
We sent out an email, and nobody replied wanting to be in the contest.
I was faced with the question: what can we do with a meeting, when nobody has stepped up to be in a club contest?
I had an idea. Clubs do not have to use a contest to send on members to a contest. They are allowed use some other process, and nominate members to go to the contest.
I defined my meeting idea to a couple of the officers, and got their buy-in:
I would run a special meeting with a slightly different flavor.
The order of the meeting:
- Get the meeting started
- Announce the Area contest date. Go around to each member, and ask if they have time to be in the audience at the Area Contest. I noted each name.
- Present that I am giving a speech, and want a panel evaluation
- Have each person give a verbal evaluation from their seat
- Then a special reverse table topics:
- I asked each person to think of a few things, example a favorite place, a toy, a book, etc.
- I had people come up one at a time, and tell me a little about 2-3 of these items, with a few details
- I took turns with another advanced member:
- I called up the couple of extra people who were listed as being able to make the contest, who hadn't volunteered
- At the end of Table Topics, I told each person that they had just been an evaluator, just like at a contest, and that each Table Topic was an example of a Tall Tales speech in a contest.
- I wrote down the names of the people who could make it on a board, and said the club would like to nominate them to go to the contest. I said we could do a ballot to pick order if there were too many for either contest. I asked the interest from the people listed.
From this, we had 3 members going to the contest!
I was very happily surprised when one of the members who had said that maybe they would do the evaluation contest decided they would take on Tall Tales instead.
Another technique that may work for you as a club officer, is to decide which members you think are comfortable enough speaking in front of the club, and go to them individually. Tell them that you think this would be a good step for them. Tell them that the club needs them to represent the club at the area. Tell them that even though they don't think they are ready, you know they are ready. Make sure they know how much they will learn by doing the contest. Make sure they know, it is still Toastmasters, and it is still a safe place to try things out, and it is still a safe place to make stumbles. A better place than at an interview.
If you are a member, consider these factors:
You are in Toastmasters to learn how to speak outside of Toastmasters.
A contest is one of the best, safest places to find out how you are doing in the process of learning what Toastmaster gives you beyond the club.
You will see how much you have learned, and learn how much more you can still get from Toastmasters and back at your club.
Yes, it will be intense, exciting, nerve-racking, and maybe a bit disappointing if you don't win. Yet, it is an amazing, exciting time that will cause you to grow in ways and at rate that you can never imagine!
One more thing to think about: if you and your club do not show up with contestants at the contest, that allows another club to come in, and maybe not work very hard if there are no other competitors, and walk out with the trophy, just for showing up and making time.
Let the other clubs know that if they want those trophies, they are going to have to work harder than you!
Thank-you to all that have stepped up to be contestants, functionaries and audience at the Toastmasters contests!
See you at the contests!
Keep your Witz About You!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)