Hello and welcome to the April newsletter!
In a break with tradition, I’m going to lead with the key facts as there’s a lot to report this month!
Key facts – just the stuff you really need to know
- Our neighbouring Division B’s workshops and contests are this Saturday, 12th April, featuring their International Speech and Evaluation contest finals and a keynote presentation from former World Championship finalist Olivia Schofield. Tickets are available from http://celebrate-diversity.eventbrite.co.uk.
- Our first regular meeting in April is on the 14th. At the time of writing, there is one slot available on ClubPlan for a Sergeant at Arms to greet and introduce the guests.
- We’re going out for a dinner and bowling social in Shoreditch with our friends from Clerkenwell, Experience French and St. Paul’s Speakers clubs on Friday, 25th April. Contact [email protected] if you’d like to attend.
- On the same night (25th April), our member Mike will be representing Purley Speakers in the Division K International Speech contest final at a venue (TBC) near London Bridge. Keep an eye on The London Speaker for the details.
- Our second regular meeting of the month is on the 28th. There are still plenty of slots left to fill on ClubPlan, including two prepared speech slots!
- Congratulations to our member Janet who will be representing us at the District 71 International Speech contest during the King Laoire Conference in Dún Laoghaire, Dublin over the weekend of 9th-11th May.
- There may be financial support available for any club members who would like to attend the conference in Dublin. Contact [email protected] to apply.
- The club’s committee is looking for its successors to take over in July. Contact any of the current committee members or [email protected] if you’re interested in taking on any of the leadership roles.
What’s happened since the last newsletter?
Lots! 😉 Our regular meetings in March included an Icebreaker from new member Egor, an informative No. 2 speech from Sarah on the possible explanations for why yawning is contagious and an inspirational No. 10 speech from Henry with which he completed his Competent Communication manual.
The main events in the past month however have of course been the International Speech and Evaluation contests. It all started at the club level, with Janet and me (Swarajit) progressing to the Area 34 finals. Sadly, that’s where it ended for me in the Evaluation contest, but Janet overcame strong competition from the winners of other clubs in the area to reach the Division L finals – where she went on to beat none other than last year’s District 71 (UK & Ireland) Champion William Dempster to triumph once again! Janet will now progress to the District 71 International Speech contest – see further on in the newsletter for more details.
Meanwhile, our member Mike, who is the current president of Purley Speakers, placed high enough in their club and area contests to progress to the Division K final of the International Speech contest, which is due to take place on Friday, 25th April at a venue (TBC) near London Bridge. Keep an eye on The London Speaker for further details. If Mike wins at this contest, he will join Janet at the District 71 contest in Dublin!
What’s planned for April?
Easter may be on the way, but we still have time for two regular meetings as well as a special social event this month:
- Monday, 14th April – Regular Meeting – The programme for our first meeting this month is almost full, but we still need a Sergeant at Arms to greet and introduce the guests. Sign up for the role on ClubPlan.
- Friday, 25th April – Dinner and Bowling Social – A special combined event with three other clubs! See immediately below for the details.
- Monday, 28th April – Regular Meeting – There are plenty of slots left to fill for this meeting, including two prepared speech slots! Again, use ClubPlan to book yourself in.
Dinner and bowling social – Friday, 25th April
Members will have already received a personal invitation for this, but on Friday, 25th April we’ll be joining our friends from Clerkenwell, Experience French and St. Paul’s Speakers clubs for a night of fun and friendly competition at All Star Lanes, 95 Brick Lane, E1 6QL. The evening will start with pre-drinks from 7pm followed by dinner at 8pm and then, the main event, an inter-club ten-pin bowling match!
The bowling costs just £8.95 per person and we’re looking for a team of seven players to compete against the other clubs. Don’t feel you need to be especially good at bowling to take part – it’s just for fun, so please reply to [email protected] if you’d like to be on the Bloomsbury Speakers team!
Even if you’d rather not bowl, please do come along for the dinner and drinks beforehand – we’ll be going for pre-drinks at the BrewDog, 51 Bethnal Green Road, E1 6LA and the restaurant menu for the bowling venue is available here: http://www.allstarlanes.co.uk/venues/brick-lane/food-drink/restaurant-menu/. Again, please confirm your attendance.
Date: Friday, 25th April
Time: 7pm onwards
Venue: All Star Lanes, 95 Brick Lane, E1 6QL
Cost: £8.95 per person per game (plus optional food and drinks)
RSVP: [email protected]
‘Celebrate Diversity’ – Division B contests and workshops this Saturday, 12th April
Although our own division’s contests took place last week, neighbouring Division B has a bigger event planned for this Saturday, 12th April. The day will start with talks from speakers including Immediate Past District Governor Freddie Daniells and a keynote presentation from former World Championship finalist Olivia Schofield.
The second half of the day will consist of the Division B International Speech and Evaluation contest finals, where we’ll be able to see some of the best speakers from west and south-west London and may even gain some insight into what Janet will be up against in Dublin! Details are below.
Date: Saturday, 12th April
Time: 9:30am registration or 1:30pm for contests only
Venue: Freemasons Hall, 60 Great Queen Street, Covent Garden, WC2B 5AZ
Cost: £10 or £5 for contests only
Tickets: http://celebrate-diversity.eventbrite.co.uk
District 71 spring conference and contests – 9th-11th May, Dún Laoghaire, Dublin
A highlight of the Toastmasters calendar, this will be the last ever conference under District 71 as we know it (as the district will be splitting in two later in the year). Spanning a whole weekend, the King Laoire Conference in Dún Laoghaire, Dublin will include several educational workshops on different aspects of public speaking and leadership, as well as the semi-finals and finals for the UK & Ireland International Speech and Evaluation contests.
Since at least one of our members (Janet) will be competing in the International Speech contest, the club is once again looking at providing a financial subsidy to members who may want to attend the conference. The size of this subsidy will depend on demand and will only be paid on return from the conference. If you would like to apply for a subsidy, please contact our treasurer Ahmed via [email protected].
Date: Friday 9th-Sunday 11th May
Venue: Royal Marine Hotel, Marine Road, Dún Laoghaire, Dublin
Cost: See website
Website: http://www.kinglaoired71conf.com/
Tip of the Month: Join your leadership committee
Joining your club’s committee is a fantastic way of gaining and putting in to practice those leadership skills that you may not have the chance to work on in your day job – and, just like a regular meeting, a Toastmasters committee is a safe and friendly environment in which to do so. There are roles to suit all levels of skills, experience and time commitment and, not only will you have the opportunity to pick up new skills as well as refine existing ones, but you’ll also have a direct impact on the day-to-day running of your club.
Bloomsbury Speakers’ committee is currently recruiting its successors for the next Toastmasters year (which runs from 1st July to 30th June). Some members have already expressed an interest in certain roles, which is great as we want people who are enthusiastic! However, if you’re not sure what the different roles on the committee actually entail, here’s a quick summary:
Sergeant at Arms (Incumbent: Marie)
The SAA is in charge of logistics. They are responsible for:
- enlisting others to help them prepare the venue for each meeting and also clear up afterwards;
- welcoming guests as they arrive at each meeting and running (or delegating) the guest introductions section of the programme;
- organising club socials and liaising with venue management on behalf of the club.
Treasurer (Incumbent: Ahmed)
The treasurer holds responsibility for the club’s finances. Their duties include:
- keeping track of the club’s income and expenditure to ensure financial stability;
- paying dues and other costs on behalf of members to Toastmasters International;
- making sure members pay their renewal fees to the club on time.
Secretary (Incumbent: Paula)
The club secretary is responsible for club administration, particularly with regards to committee meetings and decision making. Responsibilities include:
- arranging and communicating the dates, times and venues for forthcoming committee meetings;
- recording and circulating the minutes and action points from club committee meetings;
- ordering stationery and equipment (with permission of the treasurer) on behalf of the club.
Vice President Public Relations (Incumbent: Rufina)
The VP Public Relations is responsible for raising the club’s profile and attracting new guests e.g. via social media. Regular tasks will include:
- putting a team together to help write up the meeting reports after each regular meeting and contest;
- keeping the club’s website and Meetup page up-to-date, along with other media;
- maintaining the club’s guest book and mailing list and sending out e-mail campaigns.
Vice President Membership & Mentoring (Incumbent: Rajeev)
The VP Membership & Mentoring converts guests into happy members! They will do this by:
- keeping track of the membership waiting list and inviting an appropriate number of guests to join as new members each month;
- ensuring that new members have all the information they need when they first join;
- assigning a mentor to each new member and monitoring their relationship.
Vice President Education (Incumbent: Jo)
The VP Education is the second most senior position on the committee and is responsible for putting the programme together for each meeting along with keeping track of the educational progress of individual members and the club as a whole. Regular responsibilities will include:
- ensuring all the speech slots and functionary roles (including general evaluators) are filled for every meeting and arranging printing of the programme;
- tracking individual members’ progress through their communication and leadership manuals and submitting educational achievements to Toastmasters International;
- administration of ClubPlan and enlisting the help of other members in organising club contests.
President (Incumbent: Swarajit)
The president has overall responsibility for the successful running of the club by supporting committee members in their roles (including all of the above) as well as opening and closing every meeting, writing these newsletters and helping the club meet its goals in the Distinguished Club Programme – and much more besides!
Intrigued by what you’ve read here? Well, why not consider joining the next committee in July? It’s a great way of giving back to the club and you’ll be certain to benefit immensely from the experience yourself. If you’re interested in filling any of the roles above in the coming year, feel free to contact the incumbent member directly or write to [email protected] to express your interest – and if you’re a member of another club, get involved there too!
That’s all for now. See you at a meeting soon!
Swarajit Das
President
Bloomsbury Speakers
