While we’re currently in the middle of the autumn contest season, it’s important to think ahead to the International Speech contest in February. This is because it is the only contest that has an entry requirement (on top of being a club member) – you need to have completed Levels 1 and 2 of your educational Pathway in order to qualify.

So, if you have aspirations to be the next World Champion of Public Speaking, make sure you’ve completed all the required speeches and roles in time to be eligible for the contest in the spring! Use easy-Speak or contact our VP Education Andrea to book yourself in for our upcoming meetings.

What’s in this newsletter?

• Contest results
• Division C conference – Saturday, 18^th November
• Christmas social – Wednesday, 6^th December
• New members
• Next meetings

Contest results

In September, we held our Humorous Speech and Table Topics contests. Our club champions, Andrea and Matt then went on to face the winners from the other clubs in our area, with Matt winning the Table Topics contest and Andrea placing second in the Humorous Speech contest. Both now progress to the next round at the Division C conference (see below).

Division C conference – Saturday, 18^th November

The Division C conference plays host to the third round of the Humorous Speech and Table Topics contests, as well as educational workshops on communication and leadership. Please go along and support our club champions Matt and Andrea who will be competing against the other winners from around central London.

Date: Saturday, 18^th November
Time: 10am-4:30pm
Venue:The University of Law, 2 Bunhill Row, EC1Y 8HQ
Price: From £3.41 (online) up to £16.96 (in person, including lunch)
Booking: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/public-speaking-conference-table-topics-humorous-speech-division-finals-tickets-743154905327

Christmas social – Wednesday, 6^th December

This year, we’re having a joint Christmas social with the other clubs in our area, including Experience French and Goldman Sachs. Save the date!

Date: Wednesday, 6^th December
Time: 6:30pm onwards
Venue: Mikkeller Brewpub, 37-39 Exmouth Market, EC1R 4QL

Meanwhile, here are some photos from our night out at Electric Shuffle last month.

New members

We’ve been delighted to welcome some new members to the club since the new Toastmasters year began in July. If you haven’t met them yet, be sure to say hello to Jen, Freddie, Minerva, Athena, Ihor and Josh who have all been playing an active role in our meetings.

We’ve also welcomed returning members Anastasia and Rupert – it’s great to have them back!

If you’re a former member or guest and are curious to see how we’re doing these days, you’re very welcome to come along to one of our next meetings – see below.

Next meetings

Our November meetings will be at our current regular venue The Union Tavern on the 13^th and 27^th. The venue for our December meeting on the 11^th is yet to be confirmed, so keep an eye out on our website and social media for the details.

As always, you can book ahead on Eventbrite or Meetup to receive a handy reminder nearer the time.

Monday’s humorous speech workshop Help! I’m Not Funny – with multiple speech contest champion Dan Magill – is sold out! There are still some free tickets available, but these don’t guarantee entry or seating and you may be turned away if the venue is full.

What’s in this newsletter?

• Humorous Speech and Table Topics contests – 25^th September
• Club social – 28^th October – Electric Shuffle!
• Pathways is changing
• A new World Champion of Public Speaking
• Next meetings

Humorous Speech and Table Topics contests – 25^th September

Our annual Humorous Speech and Table Topics contests will take place on Monday, 25^th September.

The Humorous Speech contest involves giving a 5-7 minute speech with added humour. The humour may arise from a funny original story, or from jokes embedded within the speech, but a humorous speech is not a stand-up routine or series of one-liners. As with any other speech, a humorous speech should have a topic, structure and purpose, but credit is also given for the audience’s response.

The Table Topics contest works just like regular Table Topics in club meetings except every contestant is given the same topic. Contestants wait outside the room until it is their turn to speak, and the topic will be read out to them just before they are introduced on to the stage. They then have 1-2 minutes to give their response. The best thing is that it requires no preparation at all!

See the Toastmasters contest rulebook for more information, as well as the ballot forms for the Humorous Speech and Table Topics contests to get a better idea of how contest speeches are judged.

Both contests are open to all paid members of the club, so everyone should take part, even if you’re new. It’s a great way of pushing your speaking skills to a higher level and the winners will go on to represent the club at the next round, so let our VP Education Andrea know if you’d like to take part!

Club social – 28^th October – Electric Shuffle!

After a successful summer social at Bloomsbury bowling lanes back in June, our next event is planned for Saturday, 28^th October – which coincides nicely with the club’s own birth-week – so please save the date in your calendar for another fun-packed evening!

We’ll be playing Electric Shuffle near London Bridge, followed by food and drinks at the same venue. Contact us to confirm your attendance and for details of how to pay.

Date: Saturday, 28^th October
Time: 6pm onwards
Venue: Electric Shuffle, London Bridge
Price: £13 per person
Booking: [email protected]

Pathways is changing

Toastmasters International is updating its Pathways educational programme. As well as moving to an improved online platform next year, the 11 existing paths are being streamlined into six:

• Dynamic Leadership
• Engaging Humor
• Motivational Strategies
• Presentation Mastery
• Persuasive Influence
• Visionary Communication

Any paths you’ve already started will continue in the existing system and a new learning experience called Explorations will give you more flexibility in what and how you learn.

See the Pathways Updates and Education Programmes FAQ pages on the Toastmasters International website for more information.

A new World Champion of Public Speaking

As we enter a new contest season this month, the previous one has just drawn to a close with the World Championship of Public Speaking (WCPS) which was held at the Toastmasters International convention in The Bahamas last month.

Jocelyn Tyson from New Jersey in America was crowned World Champion for her speech “Have you been there?” Watch it now on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEmawDu17AU.

Next meetings

Our workshop on 4^th September will be held at one of our old venues, The City Pride.

After that, we return to The Union Tavern for our regular meeting on the 11^th and the contests on the 25^th.

Our October meetings will also be at The Union Tavern on the 9^th and 23^rd.

Book ahead on Eventbrite or Meetup to receive a handy reminder nearer the time.

First up, we’re moving to a new venue for this month! Our two July meetings (on the 10^th and 24^th) will be upstairs at The Union Tavern, 52 Lloyd Baker Street, WC1X 9AA. It’s a bigger venue, so do invite all your friends, family and colleagues to create a fun and supportive atmosphere for the club.

What’s in this newsletter?

• IMPORTANT: Membership fees are increasing – lock in at the lower rate!
• Help! I’m Not Funny – a humorous speech workshop with Dan Magill (4^th September)
• Autumn speech contests
• Club committee 2023-24
• Next meetings

IMPORTANT: Membership fees are increasing – lock in at the lower rate!

Unfortunately, Toastmasters International are raising their six-monthly dues from $45 to $60. This means that all clubs are forced to increase their membership fees to meet this rise.

At the same time, it won’t have escaped anyone’s attention that costs are rising all round, including the costs of running a club – even a non-profit one like ours. As a result, our membership fees will be increasing to £96 every six months, charged pro rata depending on when you join (plus a one-off fee of £20 for new members).

The good news is that anyone (new, renewing or returning members) can lock in the current lower rate of £90 for the 9-month period July 2023 to March 2024 (plus the one-off £20 fee for new members), as long as you pay by Tuesday, 25^th July. Fees will rise to the new rates from August.

• New members can join in July by following the instructions on the joining page on our website and paying £110, no later than Tuesday, 25^th July.
• Rejoining members and existing Toastmasters should follow the same instructions and pay £90.
• Existing club members will be contacted by our new treasurer Michael this month.

While the high cost of living is affecting us all, we hope you’ll still find value in your Bloomsbury Speakers membership as part of your personal development and will continue your journey with us.

Help! I’m Not Funny – a humorous speech workshop with Dan Magill (4^th September)

We’re delighted to be welcoming 2023 District 91 (UK South) Humorous Speech contest champion Dan Magill – a title he also achieved in 2019 and 2022!

In his upcoming workshop, Help! I’m Not Funny, Dan will cover elements including:

• Where to find your comic inspiration
• Being aware of your audience
• How to structure a humorous speech
• Tips on delivery

There’ll be plenty of opportunity for audience participation and you’ll leave this workshop brimming with ideas, ready to start adding more humour to your speeches.

This workshop is open to all and tickets start from just £5.99, which includes pizza straight after the event!

Date: Monday, 4^th September 2023
Time: 6:25pm for a 6:45pm start
Venue: The City Pride, 28 Farringdon Lane, EC1R 3AU
Price: £5.99 (early bird) or £7.99 (standard) – includes pizza!
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/help-im-not-funny-a-humorous-speech-workshop-with-dan-magill-tickets-682286044927

Autumn speech contests

The above workshop leads nicely into the autumn contest season, which includes the Humorous Speech and Table Topics contests in late September or early October.

The Humorous Speech contest involves giving a 5-7 minute speech with added humour. The humour may arise from an original story, or from jokes embedded within the speech, but a humorous speech is not a stand-up routine or series of one-liners. As with any other speech, a humorous speech should have a topic, structure and purpose, but credit is also given for the audience’s response.

The Table Topics contest works just like regular Table Topics in club meetings except every contestant is given the same topic. Contestants wait outside the room until it is their turn to speak, and the topic will be read out to them just before they are introduced on to the stage. They then have 1-2 minutes to give their response.

See the Toastmasters contest rulebook for more information, as well as the ballot forms for the Humorous Speech and Table Topics contests to get a better idea of how contest speeches are judged.

Both contests are open to all paid members of the club, so everyone should take part, even if you’re new. It’s a great way of pushing your speaking skills to a higher level and the winners will go on to represent the club at the next round, so get practising!

Club committee 2023-24

We’re pleased to announce that the following members have been appointed to the club committee for the year July 2023 to June 2024:

• President – Swarajit Das – responsible for the overall success of the club, supporting other committee members in their roles, opening and closing every meeting and much more!
• Vice President Education – Andrea Sachtleben – 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;
• Vice President Membership & Mentoring – Matt Robertson – converts guests into happy members, ensuring 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 Public Relations – Ernest Romanovskij – responsible for raising the club’s profile and attracting new guests e.g. via social media;
• Treasurer – Michael Haddadeen – responsible for the club’s finances, paying dues on behalf of members to Toastmasters International and making sure members pay their renewal fees to the club on time;
• Secretary – Elena Fanaberova – responsible for club administration, particularly with regards to decision making e.g. by taking minutes at committee meetings;
• Sergeant at Arms – Indi Rajpal – in charge of logistics (e.g. meeting venues) and club socials.

It’s brilliant to see some enthusiastic new faces on the team along with more experienced members from committees past. Here’s to an exciting year ahead!

Next meetings

As mentioned, our July meetings are on the 10^th and 24^th and will be at a new venue The Union Tavern, just a short walk from our current venue The Gunmakers and close to King’s Cross station.

Book ahead on Eventbrite or Meetup to receive a handy reminder nearer the time.

June is the last month of the Toastmasters year, and it’s certainly been the most challenging year in our club’s history. Special thanks must go to our president Yamina and a core group of members who have kept Bloomsbury Speakers going throughout lockdown by continuing to attend meetings online and enthusiastically taking on roles.

What’s in this newsletter?

• FREE workshop – Easy Impromptu Speaking
• Toastmasters “New Year” social – save the date!
• Club committee 2021-22
• Next meetings
• And finally…

FREE workshop – Easy Impromptu Speaking

Our first meeting in June will be a special workshop focusing on improving our skills in speaking on the spot.

This fun and interactive workshop will give you practical strategies to:

• Manage your nerves and make them your friend
• Think on your feet
• Give effective responses that hit the spot
• Expect the unexpected!

Click here to book your place – don’t miss out!

Toastmasters “New Year” social – save the date!

The Toastmasters year ends on Wednesday, 30^th June and Bloomsbury Speakers intends to mark the occasion with a special “New Year” social event on the evening itself. At the time of writing, the UK government still plans to lift all lockdown and social distancing restrictions in England later this month, so we intend to celebrate the handover of the club from one committee to the next by gathering for a night of fun and frivolity in central London!

Details will be confirmed and communicated to members nearer the time so, in the meantime, please just save the date in your diaries.

Club committee 2021-22

We’re pleased to announce that the following members have been appointed to the club committee and will be running the club from July onwards.

• President – Atul Chauhan – responsible for the overall success of the club, supporting other committee members in their roles, opening and closing every meeting and much more!
• Vice President Education – Elena Fanaberova – 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;
• Vice President Membership & Mentoring – Matt Robertson – converts guests into happy members, ensuring 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 Public Relations – Margarita Sachkova – responsible for raising the club’s profile and attracting new guests e.g. via social media;
• Secretary – Helen Hosein – responsible for club administration, particularly with regards to decision making e.g. by taking minutes at committee meetings;
• Treasurer – Yamina Bakiri – responsible for the club’s finances, paying dues on behalf of members to Toastmasters International and making sure members pay their renewal fees to the club on time;
• Sergeant at Arms – Matt Robertson – in charge of logistics (e.g. meeting venues) and club socials

Next meetings

Our last meetings of the Toastmasters year are on the 14^th and 28^th of June, as usual from 6:45pm online.

Please book your attendance on Eventbrite or Meetup. All our meetings will be on Zoom at least until 30^th September.

And finally…

To give our members that extra bit of certainty, Bloomsbury Speakers’ meetings will continue online at least until 30^th September. However, that doesn’t mean we haven’t been taking advantage of the more favourable conditions lately.

Some of our members were delighted to make the most of the warm weather and relaxed social distancing rules recently by getting together for food and drinks at our regular meeting venue, The Rugby Tavern.

It was great to get together in person again and we can’t wait to have another social event soon!