by Nikita Kazakov
Vice President of Public Relations
We are starting our New Year well by picking up velocity with our members giving speeches. Our Toastmaster tonight was Michelle DeVore who fulfilled that role with great proficiency.
The first speech was given by Ashley Jones, where she spoke about the concept of using solutions over problems. She offered food for thought where if we focus on solving problems with problems, we end up spinning the wheels in place. Instead, it is beneficial to identify and pursue a solution, no matter how small it seems. The evaluator for Ashley’s speech was Elaine Chancellor.
To solve a problem, seek a solution instead of covering it with problems.
The second speech was given by Joanna Knott. This was a special occasion speech, where Joanna was to accept an award with grace, and sincerity. She thanked the club for nominating her at the toastmaster of the year consecutively for the past two years. She was able to recall the past and her passage from being the VP of Education to where she is today. The evaluator of Joanna’s speech was Eric Dunham.
The third speech given was by Bill Bevard. This was his final 10th speech of the competent communicators manual which was to be delivered with confidence and inspiration. He did just that. Bill talked about his journey through Toastmasters and the changes that it made for him in his life. We want to congratulate Bill on his accomplishment and for completing his competent communicator journey. Bill’s speech was evaluated by Martin Cobb.
Congratulations Bill Bevard!
The fourth speech was presented by Eric Dunham and it was titled Know your Audience. In this speech, Eric talked about the importance of knowing who your audience is prior to presenting to them. By knowing who they are, you can tweak your speech to their interests and make it much more effective. He gave useful categories of identifying information on your speakers through a handout, and through his speech.
Know your audience prior to presenting to them.
Roles for the evening:
Grammarian / ah Counter : Nina Minary
Table Topics: Martin Cobb
Vote Counter: Horyce Hilario
General Evaluator: Nikita Kazakov