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Sarah McCarten-Williams | Roger Granville | Isaac Baker | Stuart Watt
Malvern Speakers January 23rd 2018 Club Journalist: Colin Jackson
A veteran, a novice and a recently joined member (who doubles as husband to a club past president!) between them collected the honours at last week’s meeting, which also welcomed a record number of guests.
Stalwart founder member Roger Granville had some surprising information in the evening’s exceptionally well researched Best Speech, entitled It’s All A Matter Of Time. For instance, that the first clock we all take for granted to measure time was first recorded as late as 1309 AD, And that at one time people would carry personal sundials. And how it was the railways that led to the standardisation of time measurement and ultimately to today’s universal GMT.
There could hardly have been a greater contrast with Sarah McCarten-Williams’ hilarious account of the life and times of her cat called John, which provided lots of laughs for the audience and the subject for a poised and confident evaluation by the club’s youngest member, 18 year-old Isaac Baker.
The third speech was an explanation by past president Elaine Watt of the role of Mentor – an important part of the Toastmasters’ philosophy of members helping each other to improve their public speaking and leadership skills.
Earlier Elaine’s husband Stuart Watt – who only recently became a member of the club – had won a Burns-themed kilt/sporran/haggis/bagpipe-laden session devised by Angela Davies which set the tone for a lively set of impromptu Table Topics.
Next meeting will be at the usual venue, the Great Malvern Hotel, on Tuesday February 12th at 7.30pm, when we hope still more guests may join us (no charge) and home-made cake.
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Penultimate Meeting |

Andrew Graham | Jackie Baker | Stuart Watt
Report on Malvern Speakers Club Meeting 8th January 2019
Although we were not sure how many would be coming to our first meeting of 2019, as several of our regular members were either unwell or enjoying an extended New Year holiday, but the meeting proved to be a great success. We were delighted to welcome no less than eight guests – probably a record for the club! This included a group of four ladies from Hereford who were keen to pick up some tips for public speaking and to see how the club ran. Although they may not become regular members, they might be starting a Hereford Club!
The meeting got off to a good start with an Educational Bite from the Presidents on the value of including questions in a speech, and how to do so to good effect. Then our Table Topics Master, Ben Colyer, brought on an inspiring group of impromptu speakers telling us about their reflections on 2018 and their resolutions for 2019. We learned that Manda Graham had decided to “do something” rather than just talk about stuff, and Stuart Watt had decided to “be interesting”. He finished his speech with a rendering of Happy Birthday as a tribute to David Bowie, sung in a stunning Bowiesque style. Although that had little to do with his topic, it was probably what won him the Best Table Topic Award!
Prepared speeches were, as usual, of a very high standard. Jackie Baker enthralled us on the subject of dog psychology under the title Think Dog, in which we learned, among other things, that although a labrador might be motivated by food, a German shepherd dog is much more interested in a bit of fuss and tlc! Then Graham Sterry scared us with hilarious stories of two occasions when he forgot to apply the handbrake on his car. And finally, Jane Anson impressed us with her knowledge of the significance on colours. Did you know that blue is the most popular colour in national flags – and that Cadburys are so proud of their purple logo that they tried to patent the colour? Choosing a Best Speaker was certainly not easy, but the award went to Jackie and was certainly well deserved.
Everything was evaluated in our normal encouraging and constructive manner and we benefitted from having Kate, a visitor from the Gloucester club, to serve as a very competent Table Topics Evaluator. But the start Evaluator of the evening was Andrew Graham, who won the award. The whole event was very ably steered by Roger Granville, our Toastmaster for the evening, and everyone agreed that a high standard had been set for the year ahead!
Geoff Richardson
Journalist in Residence
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Site Links |
View the next meeting details including the structure and roles.
View the previous meeting agenda.
Find out more about the new and improved programme Pathways and begin your journey. |
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Does the mere thought of standing up to say a few words fill you with fear?
If so, you’re not alone! Fear of public speaking is reputed to rank even higher than death! Whether it’s the upcoming wedding speech, an important pitch to a client, or simply making your point in a meeting of colleagues, it’s easy for the fear to take over – so that you don’t perform at your best. There are consequences for how you’re viewed by friends, family and your boss, with follow-on emotional and economic impacts.
So what would you like to do about it?
If you’re employed in a reasonable sized organisation, you might have already attended a presentation skills course. Whilst good, you might have found that the learning wore off quickly and you’re still not that much further forward. If you really want to tackle your fear, and also if you’ve not got access to in-house training, Toastmasters is the perfect answer.
Our wide network of clubs and their learn-by-doing programme are sure to help you become a better speaker and leader because you’ll be building your skills at a pace that you choose. And the regular meetings (typically twice per month) ensure you practice and develop your skills – just as you might build your muscles through regular exercise (well some of you might!).
Here are just some of the benefits of joining Toastmasters:
- Regular and constructive feedback from other learners as you practice organising your thoughts and presenting them clearly
- Access to a wealth of educational materials and resources on public speaking, listening skills and effective communication in conferences and meetings.
- A free subscription to the Toastmaster, a monthly magazine that provides insights on communication, leadership, club activities and other relevant topics.
Members quickly gain the skills that allow them to excel at job interviews, present humorous, informative or special occasion speeches or give powerful business presentations.
Come along to our next meeting to find out more and see it in action. Guests are most welcome and can come as many times as they like.
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Looking to improve your speaking and leadership skills? Ignite your career? Gain the confidence to speak up?
You’ve come to the right place. Since 1924, Toastmasters International has helped more than 4 million people just like you, from around the world, become more confident speakers and leaders.
Toastmasters International is a world leader in communication and leadership development, with more than 345,000 members in over 15,900 clubs in 142 countries. This network of clubs and their learn-by-doing programme are sure to help you improve.
Toastmasters will give you the skills and confidence you need to express yourself effectively in any situation. Whether you are a professional, student, stay-at-home parent or retired, Toastmasters is the most efficient, enjoyable and affordable way of gaining great communication skills. You'll learn how to:
- Formulate and express your ideas effectively
- Be more persuasive and confident when giving presentations
- Improve your one-on-one dealings with others
Don't delay! Become the speaker and leader you want to be. Confident, charismatic leaders weren't born that way. As you progress in Toastmasters, you'll get to practice your skills by organising and conducting meetings and motivating others to help you. Become a better negotiator. Gain trust. Inspire your team.
Visit our next meeting - guests are most welcome. You won't regret it!
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Malvern Speakers |
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Why Not Join Us! |
When do we meet? |
2nd & 4th Tuesday of the month at 19:30 |
Where do we meet? |
The Great Malvern Hotel |
Graham Road
Great Malvern
Worcestershire
WR14 2HN |
Be a guest at our next meeting! |
26 Feb 19 at 19:30 |
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Open to all |
Contact the Vice President Membership |
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