October Newsletter – Contest results and the Youth Leadership Programme

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Hello and welcome to the October newsletter!

This month kicked off with a healthy turnout of members for a Friday night dinner social in Covent Garden. Socials are a great way to get to know your fellow members outside the club context, and we hope to have another one soon.

The main event so far this month though took place the day after our social; the Division L “Champions Conference” included seminars led by some of the best speakers and former contest champions from clubs around London, as well as the humorous speech and table topics division finals – results are below!

If you don’t have time to read the whole newsletter, you can skip to the bottom for a short summary of the main points.

What’s happened since the last newsletter?

As expected, September was an eventful month with an impressive run of wins in the table topics contests from Glen being a particular highlight!

  • Even with the contests keeping everyone occupied, we still had time for two regular meetings in which Barnaby passed the half-way point in his competent communication manual and I (Swarajit) finally completed my tenth speech to achieve the title of Competent Communicator.
  • In the middle of the month, we had our humorous speech and table topics contest night. Renars won the humorous speech contest with his speech about the English language, while Glen triumphed in the table topics with his discussion about people who believe that aliens built the pyramids.
  • Glen and Renars both progressed to the Area 34 contest in which they competed against the respective winners from other clubs around our part of London. Renars placed second in the humorous speech contest, while Glen won the table topics contest for us with an impromptu speech about the HS2 rail proposal.
  • Finally, just last Saturday at the Division L contests, Glen once again beat the competition with a response on the table topic, “laugh and the world laughs…”. Furthermore, the president of our sister club Clerkenwell Speakers, Ayse Lowe, won the humorous speech contest with her speech “Culture Clash”. Glen and Ayse both progress to the UK & Ireland semi-finals next month – see below for the details.

What’s planned for October?

The 2012-13 Toastmasters year was an exceptionally busy one for the club, with lots of extra meetings, ‘speakathons’ and workshops. Since then, our new sister club Clerkenwell Speakers has got off to a strong start and so Bloomsbury Speakers will be winding back down to its usual two meetings a month for the rest of the year. The committee will of course keep this under review and will consider reintroducing extra meetings should there be further demand for them in the future.

  • Monday, 14th October – Regular Meeting – We have a full agenda for our first meeting this month, which will be chaired by our reigning table topics champion Glen, but there are a few pre-bookable table topics slots up for grabs on ClubPlan if you’re quick.
  • Monday, 28th October – Regular Meeting – While the prepared speech slots are all taken for this meeting, we’re still looking for an advanced speech evaluator, a timekeeper and a grammarian for the night. Again, book yourself in on ClubPlan if you’d like to take part.

District 71 UK & Ireland conference and contests – 8th-10th November, Colchester

Full details of this season’s Toastmasters District 71 conference – including the UK & Ireland semi-finals and finals for this year’s humorous speech and table topics contests – are on the official website, but here’s a quick summary of all the important details:

  • The conference will take place over the weekend of Friday, 8th-Sunday, 10th November at the Crowne Plaza Resort in Colchester.
  • The nearest rail station is Kelvedon, which is a 49-minute journey from London Liverpool Street. Off-peak day return tickets are priced at £20.70.
  • The resort is still a further 10-15 minute taxi journey away from Kelvedon station – local firm WoW Cabs can be contacted on 01206 331 000.
  • While the conference spans three days, ticket prices range from £35 for the Sunday morning to £190 for the full weekend.
  • The programme for the Friday includes two workshops, the humorous speech contest semi-finals – in which Ayse from Clerkenwell Speakers will be competing – and (optionally) a buffet dinner plus fancy dress disco.
  • Several members of Bloomsbury Speakers are planning to attend on the Saturday, which includes a choice of four workshops, the humorous speech contest final and the table topics contest semi-finals – in which Glen will be competing!
  • Financial support may be available for club members to meet the cost of their conference ticket. The level of this support will depend on demand, so please contact our treasurer Ahmed at treasurer@bloomsburyspeakers.org.uk to apply.

Youth Leadership Programme

Although there is a requirement that members of Toastmasters clubs should be at least 18 years old, Toastmasters International provides a way for younger people to benefit from the tried and tested format of club meetings. Last month, Bloomsbury Speakers’ founding president Nazia embarked upon the Toastmasters Youth Leadership Programme at the UCL Academy in Swiss Cottage. So far, she has been ably assisted by our member Hari, and below is his review of the experience so far.

As part of the Youth Leadership Program, Nazia has volunteered to take Toastmasters into an after-school program. I’m her (lovely!) assistant and last week I had my first visit to the school –  in fact, my first visit to any school in almost 20 years! Wow! And what an experience it was.

The meeting is typically only an hour and the kids aren’t really known for their punctuality, so getting the agenda items completed was challenging. The kids seemed full of laughter though and after some (well, much) coaxing, we got three of them to perform ‘prepared’ speeches. I say ‘prepared’ because they mostly winged it, which just goes to show that if teenagers can talk for up to 5 minutes unprepared, we shouldn’t be daunted by table topics!

I instructed them on the art of giving feedback – the classic Toastmasters sandwich style – and they all seemed very responsive in giving some great feedback back to the speakers by following this format.

Next week we continue into more prepared speeches and even table topics. It’s certainly very different to running a meeting at Bloomsbury, but they seem to have just as much fun, if not more! For more information on the Youth Leadership Programme, speak to Nazia, or to hear more about my experiences, just get in touch with me.

If you’re interested in getting involved in the Youth Leadership Programme, feel free to get in touch with Nazia or Hari via ClubPlan.

Reminder about PechaKucha 20×20 – The art of concise presentations

This is just a reminder to contact Helen – me@yafetica.com – with expressions of interest to take part in a “PechaKucha” event. See last month’s newsletter for more information.

You can read more about the PechaKucha concept on its official website and the Wikipedia entry.

Tip of the Month: Visit other clubs

In London we’re quite spoilt for choice with over 50 Toastmasters clubs to choose from. Here are just a few reasons to get out and sample some of them for yourself:

  • Learning from others. Although we like to think Bloomsbury Speakers is probably the best Toastmasters club in London, if not the world, that doesn’t mean we’re perfect and can’t learn from others. In fact, the idea of awarding ribbons to mark the half-way point in the Competent Communication manual was one that we lovingly borrowed from St. Paul’s Speakers, and if you spot any other great ideas that other clubs use to recognise their members or improve their meetings, we’d be glad to hear about them!
  • Speaking to a different audience. A potential drawback of speaking to the same group of familiar faces in your own club is that you become too comfortable. Most clubs will prioritise table topic slots for Toastmasters visiting from other clubs, and smaller clubs may even have prepared speech slots available, giving you the opportunity to speak to an unfamiliar audience and keep pushing yourself out of your comfort zone.
  • Networking and being a general evaluator. Toastmasters clubs attract people from all sorts of backgrounds and professions and are a great way of meeting new people. Furthermore, clubs (ours included) are always looking for general evaluators to come and evaluate their meetings and will usually be happy to set up reciprocal arrangements. Being a general evaluator also counts towards certain projects in your competent leadership (CL) manual, and achieving the CL award entitles you to a discount on your next membership renewal.

Don’t forget, all members of Bloomsbury Speakers still have FREE membership of Clerkenwell Speakers until the end of the year, meaning you can book speeches and roles on their ClubPlan.

However, visiting Toastmasters clubs as a guest is always free, and if you’d rather not go by yourself, why not invite one or more of your fellow members to go along with you? A full list of clubs in and around London is available on The London Speaker.

That’s all for now. See you at a meeting soon!

Swarajit Das
President
Bloomsbury Speakers

Key facts – just the stuff you really need to know

  • We have two regular meetings in October. There are still some table topic slots up for grabs on Monday, 14th and timekeeper, grammarian and speech evaluator slots on Monday, 28th. Sign up on ClubPlan.
  • Bloomsbury Speakers members still have FREE membership of Clerkenwell Speakers until the end of the year and can book speeches and roles via their ClubPlan.
  • Congratulations to Glen for winning the Division L table topics contest last Saturday. Glen will now go on to compete in the UK & Ireland semi-finals at the District 71 conference below.
  • The District 71 UK & Ireland conference and contests will take place on the weekend of 8th-10th November at the Crowne Plaza Resort in Colchester. Full details are available on the official website and financial support may be available for members via our Treasurer, Ahmed (treasurer@bloomsburyspeakers.org.uk).
  • We’re looking for expressions of interest from members to take part in a “PechaKucha” night jointly run with Clerkenwell Speakers, most likely in November. Contact Helen via me@yafetica.com.

September Newsletter – Contest season, club social and contacting your mentor

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Hello and welcome to the September newsletter!

It’s a busy period for Bloomsbury Speakers and the autumn contest season is starting to get underway at clubs around London, so we have plenty to look forward to in September.

Details of our own club contest are below, but do also check out the plethora of events taking place around the capital, handily summarised on The London Speaker.

If you don’t have time to read the whole newsletter, you can skip to the bottom for a short summary of the main points.

What’s happened since the last newsletter?

August was a short but eventful month with three members (Rajeev, Rufina and Carrie) passing the half-way point in their competent communication manuals at two meetings run by advanced members Glen and Michael in the role of Toastmaster. They were each rewarded with ribbons to mark their achievements.

Encroaching into September, we had a marathon night of table topics to help our members prepare for the upcoming contest. There were four rounds in all, including strange inventions and past contest topics. Thanks to our members Hari and Carrie for preparing and running the event so successfully.

What’s planned for September?

After a relatively quiet August, we’re back in full swing for September with two meetings and two contest nights to look forward to, but see last month’s newsletter for a full list of upcoming dates for your diary.

  • Monday, 9th September – Regular Meeting – We have a full agenda for what promises to be a very interesting first meeting this month, though there are still some pre-bookable table topic slots available. The theme set by the meeting’s Toastmaster, Bronia, is ‘music that lets you own the stage’ – and Bronia plans to play the speakers’ choices as she introduces them!
  • Monday, 16th September – Bloomsbury Speakers Humorous Speech & Table Topics Contests – Time is running out to sign up for the contests, so if you plan on entering then get yourself booked in on ClubPlan as soon as possible (or e-mail education@bloomsburyspeakers.org.uk). There are also one or two functionary slots still available, but whether you’re taking part or not, make sure you’re in the audience for what is always one of the most entertaining nights of the year.
  • Monday, 23rd September – Regular Meeting – The programme for this meeting is nearly full, with just a Timekeeper and General Evaluator needed. Contact education@bloomsburyspeakers.org.uk to get yourself booked in.
  • Thursday, 26th September – Area 34 Humorous Speech & Table Topics Contests – The winners from our club contests will go on to compete against winners from the other clubs in our area of London. The event will take place from 6pm onwards at 55 Broadway, London, SW1H 0BD (directly above St. James’s Park tube station). Our area governor Graeme is looking for help with organising the event, and assisting with a contest can count towards your competent leadership award – contact president@bloomsburyspeakers.org.uk if you’d like to help.

Club Social at SUDA Thai Café Restaurant

As mentioned in last month’s newsletter, club member Hari is organising a dinner social. We now have a time and venue which will be 7pm on Friday, 4th October at SUDA Thai Café Restaurant, St Martin’s Courtyard, 23 Slingsby Place, Covent Garden, WC2E 9AB. This has become something of a regular haunt for us now as it has a varied menu and a nice atmosphere for conversation and socialising.

Both members and guests are welcome, so e-mail info@bloomsburyspeakers.org.uk if you’d like to attend. This will allow us to book a table at the restaurant for the appropriate number of people.

First invitations issued to membership waiting list

As you may know, our membership has been frozen for several months now, but we opened up a waiting list in August and are now pleased to be able to invite people from the list to officially join.

If you have received an invitation then please respond as soon as possible so that we can inform others on the waiting list of the situation. Each invitation comes with a deadline, so if you don’t respond in time then your place will be offered up to the next person on the list.

If you would like to be added to (or removed from) the waiting list, please e-mail info@bloomsburyspeakers.org.uk. If you’re not invited this month then you will probably be invited in October or November, but if you can’t wait that long then we recommend visiting our sister club Clerkenwell Speakers who are taking on new members.

PechaKucha 20×20 – The art of concise presentations

Club member Helen is looking at putting together a joint event with Clerkenwell Speakers based on the idea of “PechaKucha” – Japanese for “chit-chat”. PechaKucha is a presentation style in which 20 slides are shown for precisely 20 seconds each before being automatically advanced (a total of six minutes and forty seconds). The presentation can be on absolutely any topic of the speaker’s choosing and it’s a fun and challenging format that really makes you think about your pacing.

The planning for this event is in its early stages, but at the moment we’re trying to find out whether there is enough interest to hold one with a tentative timing of November. Please email Helen – me@yafetica.com – to register your interest. As soon as we know how many members want to participate, we can set a date and a venue.

You can read more about the PechaKucha concept on its official website and the Wikipedia entry.

Tip of the Month: Don’t delay, contact your mentor today!

Our VP Mentoring, Rajeev, is in the process of revamping the club’s mentoring scheme, but why not contact your mentor directly in the meantime? While the scheme has seen some success in the past, the relationship between mentor and mentee can peter out over time through no fault of either party.

Even if this has happened to you, the benefits of the mentoring relationship for both the mentor and mentee are well worth giving it another shot. Your mentor can provide you with advice and ideas for your speeches and roles and tailored feedback based on individual goals that you’ve shared with them.

From the perspective of the mentor, while the experience of helping your fellow members can be very productive and rewarding in itself, you can also claim credit towards your competent leadership award which, once completed, will entitle you to discounts on your future membership renewals.

It’s easier than you think to meet up with your mentor as well. If you live or work close to each other then perhaps you could meet up over lunch somewhere locally. If not, you can meet immediately before or after one of our regular meetings or other events. Failing that, why not take advantage of some of the modern technology at your disposal, such as Skype video calling? However you decide to communicate, the benefits are there for the taking.

Who should initiate contact?
It doesn’t really matter which one of you initiates contact, but this month’s tip is aimed at mentees in particular to contact their mentors since one mentor can have several mentees while most people will only have one mentor, which means each of you only initiating contact once.

How do I contact my mentor?
If you don’t have their contact address, the easiest way to get in touch with any other member of the club is via the e-mail icon next to their name on ClubPlan.

What if I don’t have a mentor or know who my mentor is?
Simply contact Rajeev and he will let you know who your mentor is. If you don’t yet have a mentor then he can also help you find one and put you in contact with each other.

How do I contact Rajeev (our VP Mentoring)?
You can contact Rajeev directly at mentoring@bloomsburyspeakers.org.uk.

Where can I read more about mentoring within the club?
Have a look at the mentoring page on our website. We welcome your feedback on any aspect of our mentoring programme.

That’s all for this month. See you at a meeting soon!

Swarajit Das
President
Bloomsbury Speakers

Key facts – just the stuff you really need to know

  • We have two regular meetings in September. There are still some table topic slots up for grabs on Monday, 9th and timekeeper and general evaluator slots on Monday, 23rd. Sign up on ClubPlan.
  • Our Humorous Speech & Table Topics Contest is on Monday, 16th September. There is still time to enter and a handful of functionary roles remain to be filled on ClubPlan. Either way, come along and be part of the audience!
  • The winners will go on to compete at the area contest on Thursday 26th September from 6pm onwards at 55 Broadway, London, SW1H 0BD (directly above St. James’s Park tube station).
  • Our club dinner social is confirmed for 7pm on Friday, 4th October at SUDA Thai Café Restaurant, St Martin’s Courtyard, 23 Slingsby Place, Covent Garden, WC2E 9AB. All are welcome, just register with info@bloomsburyspeakers.org.uk.
  • We’re looking for expressions of interest from members to take part in a “PechaKucha” night jointly run with Clerkenwell Speakers, most likely in November. Contact Helen via me@yafetica.com.

August Newsletter – Update on our membership freeze and upcoming dates for your diary

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Hello and welcome to the August newsletter!

Despite the unusually pleasant UK summer this year, we’ve already had several well-attended events in July, including a full programme of regular meetings, a ‘Speakathon’ and a special Humorous Speech and Table Topics workshop.

August and September promise more of the same with another workshop, more meetings and the start of the contest season to look forward to.

If you don’t have time to read the whole newsletter, you can skip to the bottom for a short summary of the main points.

What’s happened since the last newsletter?

Since the last newsletter we had two further meetings including a special ‘speakathon’ event in which member Samuel passed the half-way point in his competent communication manual. Samuel’s fifth speech was about his experience at the Mua Missionary in Malawi, and he was awarded with a special ribbon to mark this significant milestone.

We also had an excellent Humorous Speech and Table Topics workshop run by former champions Ola Aralepo and David Jones in preparation for the upcoming contest season, which I hope will encourage everyone who attended to enter the contests in September.

What’s planned for August?

With a bank holiday at the end of August, we only have room for our two regular meetings this month. Note that the second meeting has therefore been moved forward to the 19th.

  • Monday, 12th August – Regular Meeting – We have a full programme for our first meeting of this month, but there are still a couple of pre-bookable table topic slots available on ClubPlan. Past president Glen will be running the meeting as Toastmaster, so this is a great opportunity to learn from observing one of our most talented members at work – more from him below!
  • Monday, 19th August – Regular Meeting – Although all of the prepared speech slots have been taken, at the time of writing we still need a few members to step in and evaluate them. Advanced speaker Michael will be taking on the role of Toastmaster for the first time and will appreciate your support.

Dates for your diary

With the contest season approaching, we have several events coming up that will be of interest to those of you who intend to compete or take part in other ways (e.g. as a contest judge or functionary) – plus a club social open to everyone!

  • Monday, 2nd September – Table Topics Workshop – Following on from David Jones’s workshop in July, experienced member Hari will be running a smaller event for members who are considering entering the club contest below. The night will consist of several rounds of impromptu speaking practice to help you overcome those nerves and work towards giving a contest-winning table topic! Book your place on ClubPlan.
  • Monday, 16th September – Bloomsbury Speakers Humorous Speech & Table Topics Contests – Booking for contest places is already open on ClubPlan, but keep an eye out for an invitation from our VP Education Jo with everything you need to know. If you don’t intend to compete but would like to help with organising or running the event, please contact Jo via education@bloomsburyspeakers.org.uk. We’re also looking for members who are willing to go and judge at other clubs’ contests – again contact Jo if you’d like to help.
  • Thursday, 26th September – Area 34 Humorous Speech & Table Topics Contests – The winners from our club contests will go on to compete against winners from the other clubs in our area of London: Holborn Speakers, Tube Talk, Lawspeak, Society Speakers and Clerkenwell Speakers.
  • Friday, 4th October – Bloomsbury Speakers Club Social – Save the date! Hari is also organising an evening social event for members and guests alike. This seems likely to be a meal in a central London location, but full details are yet to be confirmed. However, if you’d like to register your interest in attending, please e-mail info@bloomsburyspeakers.org.uk.
  • Saturday, 5th October – Division L Humorous Speech & Table Topics Contests – the top placed contestants in September’s Area 34 contests will go on to face the best speakers from the other areas in North & Central London.
  • Friday 8th-Sunday 10th November – District 71 Humorous Speech & Table Topics Contests – The contest season culminates in Colchester with the winners from all the divisions around the country competing in the UK & Ireland finals at the District 71 Boadicea Conference.

Update on membership freeze

As promised, the club committee has been keeping the membership freeze under review and has now decided to open up a waiting list from this month to anyone who is interested in joining. The membership situation will be reviewed again in September (and again in October if necessary) after which we will decide whether to admit new members into the club, starting with any names on the waiting list.

If you would like to add your name to the waiting list, please e-mail info@bloomsburyspeakers.org.uk. In the meantime, guests are always welcome to attend our meetings as often as they want.

Tip of the Month: Read this interview!

This month’s tip is quite simple: read this interview that I found while looking through old posts on our own website!

It’s an interview with our own past president Glen about his experience in the 2010 humorous speech and table topics contests in which he finished in second place for both at the (London-wide) division level.

Whether you’ve entered before or are a fairly new member thinking about entering for the first time, it’s well worth a read for some tips and insights from a former contest winner.

https://www.bloomsburyspeakers.org.uk/2010/10/humorous-speech-interview/

That’s all for now. See you at a meeting soon!

Swarajit Das
President
Bloomsbury Speakers

Key facts – just the stuff you really need to know

  • We have two meetings in August. There are still some table topic slots up for grabs on Monday, 12th and evaluator slots on Monday, 19th. Sign up on ClubPlan.
  • We have a night of table topics practice for members who are considering entering the contest in September. The workshop will take place on Monday, 2nd September and places can be booked on ClubPlan.
  • The contest night itself will be on Monday, 16th September. Booking for contest places is already open on ClubPlan, but look out for an e-mail invitation shortly from our VP Education Jo.
  • The following contest rounds are scheduled for Thursday, 26th September (area level), Saturday, 5th October (division level) and 8th-10th November (UK & Ireland finals).
  • We’re planning a club social (most likely dinner in a central location) for Friday, 4th October – contact info@bloomsburyspeakers.org.uk to register your interest in attending.
  • We have re-opened our waiting list for membership of the club – contact info@bloomsburyspeakers.org.uk to add yourself to the list.

July Newsletter – An unmissable workshop and leadership opportunities

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Hello and welcome to the July newsletter!

This is my first newsletter as your new President, and I’m very much looking forward to fulfilling this and all the other duties that come with the role over the next twelve months. Of course I can’t do it alone, but our new committee members  Jo, Rajeev, Rufina, Ahmed, Paula and Marie have already made their presence felt and I’m sure they’ll continue to do so.

I must also thank our Immediate Past President, Femi, who took the club to greater heights than ever before, along with the outgoing committee members including Joe, Glen and Elena.

It’s a hard act for us to follow, but we aim to keep the standard of our meetings and member experience as high as ever.

Anyway, let’s get on with this month’s newsletter…

If you don’t have time to read the whole thing, you can skip to the bottom of the newsletter for a short summary of the main points.

What’s happened since the last newsletter?

Since Femi’s last newsletter as President, we had a further three meetings in June which included icebreaker speeches from two of our newest members, Peter and Marie, as well as a No. 10 speech from long-serving member Adam which meant that he achieved his Competent Communicator award and help the club as a whole achieve the status of ‘President’s Distinguished Club’ – the highest level of recognition awarded by Toastmasters International.

What’s planned for July?

Even half way into the month, we still have plenty to look forward to in July:

  • Monday, 8th July – Regular Meeting – Our first meeting of the new Toastmasters year featured an icebreaker from Liz, as well as speeches from experienced members Henry and Glen. Check out the meeting report for a recap.
  • Monday, 15th July – ‘Speakathon’ – After the success of our first Speakathon event in April, we’ve decided to provide the opportunity for more members to get through their speeches by arranging another one for this Monday’s extra meeting. There will be seven prepared speeches evaluated by some of our most experienced members – a great learning opportunity for all.
  • Monday, 22nd July – Regular Meeting – The programme for this meeting is filling up fast, but at the time of writing we still have room for one more prepared speech and are looking for someone to evaluate it. There’s also a timekeeper slot available, which is ideal for anyone looking to perform their first functionary role in a meeting.
  • Monday, 29th July – Humorous Speech & Table Topics Workshop – We’re very privileged to have speaking champions Ola Aralepo and David Jones visiting us at the end of the month to help us prepare for the contests coming up in September. This workshop is not to be missed if at all possible, so book your FREE place at http://bloomsbury-workshop-29-july-2013.eventbrite.co.uk/.

Membership freeze and new club Clerkenwell Speakers

While Bloomsbury Speakers’ membership remains frozen for the time being, preparations are in full flow for Clerkenwell Speakers’ first meeting this Wednesday, 17th July downstairs at The Real Man Pizza Company from 6:30pm. Come along if you can make it!

All current Bloomsbury Speakers members have been added to Clerkenwell’s ClubPlan so that they can take advantage of opportunities to speak at their meetings. Our members should already have received an e-mail with a link to get started, but if you have any problems logging in then contact the club via clerkenwellspeakers@gmail.com.

For those of you who are keen to join Bloomsbury Speakers in particular, we still intend to reopen our membership at the end of September, but plan to keep this under review. To register your interest in joining, please contact membership@bloomsburyspeakers.org.uk.

Tip of the Month: Don’t neglect your leadership manual

It’s safe to say that most people join a Toastmasters club to improve their skills in speaking in front of an audience, and the way most of us like to do this is by getting through the projects in the Competent Communication manual. Sadly, this means that the second manual that is provided to all members, the Competent Leadership (CL) manual, is often just left to one side and forgotten about.

Every role performed at one of our meetings is an opportunity to practice speaking in front of an audience as well as to demonstrate critical thinking, organisation and leadership skills.

Almost every functionary role can count towards one of the projects in your CL manual, and what’s more, any member who completes their CL award is entitled to a £15 discount on their next membership renewal.

There are also plenty of ways outside our regular meetings of completing your CL projects – helping to organise contests or workshops are one example of this. Organising a PR campaign for the club is another. Serving on the committee also counts towards an advanced leadership award.

So my message to you is simple: dig out your CL manual and start thinking about how the roles you’re performing between each prepared speech count towards one of the ten projects. If you need help or advice then speak to your mentor or contact our VP Education Jo at education@bloomsburyspeakers.org.uk.

That’s about it for this month. See you at a meeting soon!

Swarajit Das
President
Bloomsbury Speakers

Key facts – just the stuff you really need to know

  • Bloomsbury Speakers achieved the President’s Distinguished Club award in 2012-13 – the highest level of recognition awarded by Toastmasters International!
  • Our ‘Speakathon’ takes place on Monday, 15th July and our last regular meeting of the month is on Monday, 22nd July. Sign up for the remaining speaking slots on ClubPlan. As usual, we meet from 6:30pm for a 6:45pm start.
  • We’re hosting a Humorous Speech & Table Topics Workshop run by former champions Ola Aralepo and David Jones on Monday, 29th July. Sign up for your FREE place at http://bloomsbury-workshop-29-july-2013.eventbrite.co.uk/.
  • New club Clerkenwell Speakers meets for the first time on Wednesday, 17th July. All current Bloomsbury Speakers members have been added to their ClubPlan and are encouraged to take advantage of the extra opportunities to speak.

June Newsletter – the new committee and a new club!

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Hello and welcome to the June newsletter!

As you may know, June is the last month of the Toastmasters year and a new committee takes over in July. I’m pleased to announce that we already have the new committee in place – complete with a brand new President – and I’ll share the identities and responsibilities of the new team later in this newsletter.

But first and since this is my very last newsletter as Club President, I want to thank my committee officers Swarajit, Elena, Joe, Jo and Glen for their dedication, hard work and unwavering support over the last twelve months.

Not only have I enjoyed their support every step of the way, together we have built Bloomsbury Speakers into a more attractive, friendly and successful club. 

We are also on course to achieve ‘President Distinguished Club’ status at the end of this month, which is the highest honour that a Toastmasters club can receive from Toastmasters International.

My deepest thanks goes out to the committee for making my term as President such a treat; you are some of the finest Toastmasters I have ever worked with.

I also want to thank all our members. Whether old or new, experienced or beginner, your abundant enthusiasm and unrelenting commitment to your speaking and leadership goals has elevated our club’s status and meeting experiences so much so that we have become one of the most sought after clubs in London.

While I will miss being President, I now look forward to supporting the club in other ways and getting back into performing some of the functionary roles during our regular meetings.

On with this week’s newsletter!

As usual, you can skip to the bottom of the newsletter for a short summary of the main points.

What’s happened since the last newsletter?

We had two meetings in May, each featuring a diverse range of Toastmasters speeches from ice-breakers given by brand new members to advanced speeches from more experienced members.

What’s more, despite some people being away on holiday, we still had a good turn-out and enjoyed very upbeat meetings.

What’s planned for June?

Unlike May when we only had two meetings, June is brimming with four meetings: two regular ones and two extras:

  • Monday 3rd June – Regular Meeting – this has already occurred but featured a humorous theme and some speeches of a very high standard.
  • Monday 10th June – Regular Meeting – prepared speaking slots and functionary roles are already booked up for this meeting but there is one more topic slot up for grabs.

    PLEASE NOTE THIS MEETING WILL NOW BE HELD DOWNSTAIRS AT THE REAL MAN PIZZA COMPANY – OPPOSITE THE CLERK & WELL PUB.

  • Monday 17th June – Extra Meeting – like the earlier two meetings virtually all slots are gone with the table topics slots being the only remaining ones yet to be fully booked.
  • Monday 24th June – Regular Meeting – We are still looking for a Grammarian and a Topics evaluator for this meeting, and as always you can still take part in the table topics session by booking one of the slots in advance!

New Club – Clerkenwell Speakers

Bloomsbury Speakers and Holborn Speakers (our sister club) are teaming up to form a new club – Clerkenwell Speakers – in our area this summer.

In just a little over three years since its inception, Bloomsbury Speakers has grown to over 50 members whereas the typical Toastmaster club has 20-30 members; essentially we have been helping twice as many people overcome their phobia of public speaking than the average Toastmasters club!

However, this has also created challenges most notably an enormous demand on speaking slots and roles in the club. As a result, we have had to consistently supplement our standard two regular meetings with an extra couple of meetings.

What’s more, membership has now been frozen until the end of September, meaning that sadly we are not admitting aspiring guests who would like to join our club.

The same scenario is more or less being played out at Holborn where membership is around 60 folks with the club already meeting three times a month to cope with demand.

In light of this situation (which was the same scenario that led Holborn Speakers to form Bloomsbury Speakers three years ago) we are creating a new club to give existing members more speaking opportunities and guests who we can’t be admitted into Holborn and Bloomsbury a chance to join Toastmasters!

Here are the key points to note about the new club:

For Everyone

  • Venue – The Real Man Pizza Company 91-95 Clerkenwell Rd City of London, EC1R 5BX (directly opposite our current venue)
  • Meeting days – First and third Wednesdays of the month
  • Meeting time – arrive from 6:30pm for a 6:45pm start
  • Start date – July Summer 2013 – Exact date yet to be confirmed

Existing Members

  • Membership – members from Bloomsbury may transfer their membership to the new club at no extra cost (admission is on a first come, first serve basis). When it’s time for renewal, you will be entitled to renew at the same fee rates as you would at Bloomsbury rates and this includes an entitlement to the CC and CL discounts if relevant.
  • Participation – Every member at Bloomsbury Speakers will have free access to book speech and role slots at Clerkenwell Speakers, although transfer members may have priority access to speech slots.
  • Committee – If you would like to get involved in running the club, simple email me at president@bloomsburyspeakers.org.uk or come and speak to me at the end of a meeting.

Guests

  • Joining – If you would like to become a member of Clerkenwell Speakers or want to know more about it, I suggest you attend the first meeting, which is likely to take place in July and then approach the committee members or the President about joining at the end of the meeting. Please write to me at president@bloomsburyspeakers.org.uk so that I can get the committee of the club to liaise with you and notify you about the first meeting date the moment it is confirmed.

Bloomsbury Speakers 2013/14 Committee – who’s who in the new line-up?

After the invitations to members to get involved in the committee over the last six weeks, discussions were held with those interested in becoming committee officers, and here’s now the new line-up with responsibilities:

  • Swarajit (currently VPE) – President – has overall responsibility for the successful running of the club
  • Jo (currently Secretary) – VP Education – ensures that we run successful meetings with all roles filled and that the club’s educational goals are met
  • Rajeev  – VP Membership & Mentoring – looks after new and existing members to help them get the most out of the club and meet their personal development goals
  • Ahmed – Treasurer – responsible for controlling the club finances to ensure stability and continuity for all members
  • Paula – Secretary – responsible for club administration, particularly with regards to committee meetings and decision making
  • Rufina – VP Public Relations – responsible for raising the club profile and attracting new guests, e.g. via website and mailing list
  • Marie – Sergeant at Arms – responsible for setting up the room before and after each meeting. The SAA also has a regular slot giving guest introductions (unless taking on another role).

World Child Cancer – an opportunity to use speaking skills for a good cause

We were recently contacted by a charity called World Child Cancer that is looking for volunteer speakers to speak 1-2 times a month in their local community in support of the charity.

Some training is provided and this is a great opportunity for those speakers who already have a few months experience with the club.

Contact info@bloomsburyspeakers.org.uk and we’ll send you some more details.

Tip of the Month: Attend and speak at as many meetings as possible

Eight weeks ago, after delivering a presentation about the work of my division to newly employed colleagues, one of them approached me and said, “Wow! I’m really impressed with your presentation… you are such a natural at speaking in front of an audience!”

Although, I smiled and thanked her for compliments, I didn’t quite agree with her assessment of me being a ‘natural’ because I know how awful I was before I joined Toastmasters over 6 years ago.

What she was witnessing is the product of many nights of practising public speaking at Holborn Speakers meetings – where I first joined Toastmasters in the summer of 2006 – and at Bloomsbury Speakers where I’m a regular now.

I’m not more naturally gifted at delivering presentations than the average person, but I give plenty of prepared and impromptu speeches at Toastmasters. I’m not talented at connecting with an audience, but I talk to hundreds of people in and outside of Toastmasters every year.

No-one is born an eloquent speaker. Actually, from my own personal experiences of maternity wards, we were all born crying! Yet over time we learnt how to speak. Likewise, acquiring confidence and the knack for public speaking takes place over time not suddenly.

What makes the difference is regular practice. I say regular practice because the kind of change you want to see happens incrementally.

So my friends, I’d like to challenge you to attend every meeting or every other one. And when you are at a meeting, aim to do a speech or a role. If you can’t do a role, do a table topic! It’s all about stage time – regular practice!

In closing, let me remind you that great accomplishments depend not so much on ingenuity as on hard work. That is why Thomas Edison made the statement that “genius is one percent inspiration, and ninety-nine percent perspiration.”

Right, that’s all! It’s been a pleasure to serve you for the last 12 months.

All that remains for me is to wish Swarajit and his new team good luck. And for Bloomsbury Speakers, I know you will go on to even greater heights.

Best regards!

Femi Asaolu
Outgoing President
Bloomsbury Speakers

Key facts – just the stuff you really need to know

  • Meetings – Our remaining meetings in June take place on Monday 10th, 17th and 24th. Please note: the meeting on the 10th has a venue change – The Real Man Pizza Company
  • Speaking Slots – There are still functionary roles available in the last meeting Monday 24th, and remember you can book a table topic slot in advance at any of the meetings
  • New Committee – From next month, we have a new committee: Swarajit (President), Jo (VP Education), Rajeev (VP Membership & Mentoring), Ahmed (Treasurer), Paula (Secretary), Rufina (VP Public Relations) and Marie (Sergeant at Arms)
  • New Club – Together with Holborn Speakers we are forming a new club – Clerkenwell Speakers – which is scheduled to start in July and will meet on the first and third Wednesdays of the month. If you want to join the new club as a guest, transfer your membership as an existing member, or simply participate in the club, please write me for more details at president@bloomsburyspeakers.org.uk.
  • Would you like to become a volunteer speaker for World Child Cancer? Get in touch!