Division E Conference report - results and photos

On Saturday the 9th of April 88 Toastmasters from around the Wellington region descended upon the LifePoint auditorium from midday onward to celebrate the very best of our Division.

Arriving on buses, in taxis, and on foot (as per instructions because of the scarcity of on site carparks) they entered the auditorium to be greeted by welcoming slides and a stage ready for action:

Little did they know that the Division Conference team had been busy redecorating for hours before their arrival. It was a very different set up from the one we had walked into:

An especially big thank you has to go out to Tim Law and his partner Liz Lee who lifted the very heavy pieces of staging!

Although there was some concern about the acoustics, overall the feedback we received was very positive about the venue.

Of course, however the main reason everyone was in the room was to enjoy the speeches and celebrate the successes of our fellow Toastmasters.

Simon Lin, stepping up and taking on the role of Master of Ceremonies ably, kept the very full programme running. Gael Price, Division E District Director gave a timely reminder that the Distinguished Club Programme is an important part of the Toastmasters year, and that it does align with our personal goals. Achieving them within the programme is easily done when we take each step in our Toastmasters' journey.

The International Speech Contest

Following this presentation the conference moved into the International Speech Contest chaired by Area E6 Director, Owen Winter. The speeches ranged from the formula to always staying young to pushing our physical and personal boundaries and how we can apply Meyers Briggs personality testing to political candidates interwoven with insights drawn the speakers' lives and interests.

Although all of the speakers were fantastic, this was a contest and there had to be placings.

Third Place was awarded to Raymond Kemp, from Five Crowns for his speech “Sixty Kilometres in Sixty Hours” where he took us on a gruelling mountain bike experience filled with broken pedals and hurt knees. In second place Ella Kahu (Island Bay) shared her experience of learning Te Reo Maori for the same amount of time her grandson had been learning English - and the lessons she could learn from his attitude to life. In first place, going on to represent Division E at the District 72 Conference in Rotorua (www.tmcrotorua.co.nz) was Andrew Stott, of Taxing Toastmaters who shared his struggle of being a ‘Tax Therapist’ from the IRD and pleaded with us all to understand his plight.

L-R: Contest Chair Owen Winter, Andrew Stott (1st), Ella Kahu (2nd), Raymond Kemp (3rd), Sarah Bate District 72 Club Growth Director

After the initial contest, everyone adjourned to the community room to catch up with old friends and make new friends while enjoying some much needed and appreciated refreshments.
(Many thanks to Kai Chan and his team; John Lulich and Kent Stevens from Te Aro, and Ros Coote from Pipitea, who made that possible.)

District address & awards

Following afternoon tea the District Address was presented by District 72 Club Growth Director, Sarah Bate who shared her journey of creating a District wide marketing campaign, using the skills and passion of Toastmasters around the country to promote and connect with our communities. As a member of Division E there was a huge sense of pride in our one of our own demonstrating such initiative.

Sarah concluded her presentation with ‘one of her favourite parts of the role’ when she presented Tricia Walbridge of High Noon Bankers with a long service certificate, celebrating 25 years in Toastmasters.

L-R: Sarah Bate, Tricia Walbridge

The evaluation contest

Next up, the contests were in full steam with Mary Clarke chairing the Division E Evaluation contest. The seven contestants were given the challenge of evaluating test speaker Debby Emeny’s excellent speech reflecting on how a childhood trauma was blocking her in later life. Debby, from Porirua Central Toastmasters, is a newer Toastmaster. Her presence and participation really fitted the Step Up in 2016 theme of the conference!

The contest results were in third place Rebecca Barrow from High Noon Bankers , second place Peter Scholtens from Statistically Speaking and in first place, going on to represent Division E at the District 72 Convention in Rotorua next month, was Raymond Kemp, from Five Crowns.

L-R: Contest Chair Mary Clarke, Rebecca Barrow (3rd), Peter Scholtens (2nd), Raymond Kemp (1st), Sarah Bate

Celebrating new Distinguished Toastmasters

There were other successes celebrated throughout the afternoon with Pamela Snow from Public Service and Lillian Morris from Statistically Speaking receiving their Distinguished Toastmasters plaques. Mark Casson from Five Crowns and Carol Mitchell, District 72 Director, also honoured for their Distinguished Toastmaster awards, were unable to be present.

L-R: Gael Price Division E Director, Pamela Snow, Sarah Bate

L-R: Gael Price, Lilian Morrison, Sarah Bate

And the announcement you've all been waiting for! The Colin Perfect Award, presented by Joy Ackrill, went to Advanced Wellington.

Advanced Wellington Toastmasters club receives the Colin Perfect award from Past Distinguished District Governor Joy Ackrill (left) and Division Director Gael Price (right).

The afternoon conference was a great success and we want to thank all of those who made it happen - whether they had a role within the conference or those who came to support the division.  It was amazing to discover that nearly 50% of those who had preregistered were first time conference attendees. Great to see you along!

Last but not least

And as we all know the best round ups always end with … BUT wait there's more!

Have you booked your place for the Rotorua Convention yet?

Check the website for programme details, accommodation offers ...

Can you spare us a piece of your mind?

If you haven't already given it, we want your feedback on Saturday's Conference. It helps us do better in the future.

Click the link to enter your evaluation online. Thank you!

(With thanks to Owen Winter & Gael Price for text & edits.)

Area contest reports - E1 and E9

In our final Area contest update, we bring you the results from the E1 and E9 International speech and Evaluation contests. The set of contestants is now complete! On 9 April, all these people will compete for Wellington's spot at the national-level contest in May. Don't miss this chance to see Wellington's best speakers all on the same stage!

Contest night in Area E1 was on 30 March and hosted by Capital Toastmasters (who, to accommodate the crowd that arrives for an Area contest, had temporarily moved their venue to the new MBIE office on Stout Street). The International speech contest was a smorgasbord of stories as six speakers shared experiences with sugar, grooming, grandparents, and even game theory. Contest chair Sue Hamlett ran the show, and at the end of the night, Khorshed Irani (Cupcake Communicators) was named contest winner. Second place went to Quang Nguyen (Assurity Testmasters), and third place to Jack Snow (Public Service Toastmasters).

E1 International speech contest. (L-R) 3rd place Jack Snow, 1st place Khorshed Irani, 2nd place Quang Nguyen.

Later in the night, E1's Evaluation contest was chaired by Jacqui Smith. The audience enjoyed an enlightening speech from Sampath DeCosta (Pipitea Toastmasters) on the benefits of failure. Six evaluators gave their views on Sampath's speech. First place went to Margaret Nixon (Capital Toastmasters), second place to Bryan Ventura (Wellington Toastmasters), and Glenda Bullock (The Gourmet Toastmasters) placed third.

E1 Evaluation contest. (L-R) 1st place Margaret Nixon, 3rd place Glenda Bullock. Second placegetter Bryan Ventura is absent from this photo.

The International speech contest in E9 was on 14 March and chaired by Peter Scholtens (Terrace@12). Intriguing speeches from four contestants had the audience thinking as we learned about mountain biking, the good side of redundancy, how to start a charity, and several different ways to look at apples. The contest was won by Raymond Kemp (Five Crowns), with Rose Austen-Falloon (Terrace@12) in second place.

E9 International speech contest. (L-R) Area Director Rob Barton-Howes, 2nd place Rose Austen-Falloon, 1st place Raymond Kemp, contest chair Peter Scholtens.

E9's Evaluation contest was chaired by Andrew Neal (Terrace@12) on 31 March. Four evaluators gave their thoughts on Mike Wareham's (Victoria University Toastmasters) inspiring speech on the theme of 'Girls can do anything'. First place went to Raymond Kemp (Five Crowns), and second place was Rose Austen-Falloon (Terrace@12).

E9 Evaluation contest. (L-R) Contest chair Andrew Neal, 1st place Raymond Kemp, 2nd place Rose Austen-Falloon.

Congratulations to everyone who got involved in contests this season! That wraps up our Area contest reporting. All these wonderful winners will go head-to-head on Saturday. Who will win?

See you there if you can join us - if not, keep an eye on this blog for results next week.

Area contest reports - E3 and E10

This week we had more competition and excitement, as two more Areas finished their contests. The Evaluation and International speech contestants from Areas E3 and E10 are now decided. Will you be there on 9 April to see them compete against the best of Wellington?

The E3 Evaluation contest was hosted by BNZ Harbour Quays club on 23 March. Test speaker Rana Ghosh (Mid City Toastmasters) unveiled the secrets of dentistry with diamonds (yes, really) in a speech that was then evaluated by two contestants. Rebecca Barrow (High Noon Bankers) won first place.

E3 Evaluation contest. (L-R) Test speaker Rana Ghosh, contest participant Nina Gallavan, 1st place Becca Barrow, contest chair Steve Preston.

The International speech contest for E3 on 30 March was hosted by Rebecca's own club, High Noon Bankers. Three speakers took the stage, entertaining the audience with stories that ranged from managing disability to imprisonment in a foreign land. First place went to Andrew Stott (Taxing Toastmasters), with Ewan Crafts (BNZ Harbour Quays) in second place, and Billie Searle (High Noon Bankers) in third place.

E3 International speech contest. (L-R) Contest chair Becca Barrow, 1st place Andrew Stott, 2nd place Ewan Crafts, 3rd place Billie Searle.

Te Aro Toastmasters hosted E10's contest night on 23 March. First up was the International speech contest, chaired by Philip Roderick. Six contestants spoke on a very wide range of subjects, from feminism and ageism right through to football - and cutting onions. Jo Moar (Te Aro Toastmasters) placed first, Jacinta Zogg (Mount Victoria Toastmasters) second, and Kerry Hilligan (Wellington Professional Toastmasters) third.

E10 International speech contest. (L-R) 3rd place Kerry Hilligan, 2nd place Jacinta Zogg, 1st place Jo Moar.

The E10 Evaluation contest followed, where Roberta Eykholt (Police Toastmasters) delivered an insightful speech to be evaluated by the six contestants. First place went to Mike Norden (Wellington Professional), second Jacinta Zogg (Mount Victoria), and third was Nicola Maycroft (Te Aro Toastmasters).

E10 Evaluation contest. (L-R) 3rd place Nicola Maycroft, 2nd place Jacinta Zogg, 1st place Mike Norden, contest chair John Lulich.

Congratulations to everyone involved in these contests! Stay tuned for more contest results next week.

Area contest reports - E2, E6 and E7

Area contests are an exciting time when members from different clubs get to meet, greet - and of course, compete. This month we have Area contests in the arts of prepared speaking (the International speech contest) and evaluation (the Evaluation contest). Three Areas have already finished their contests. See below for the results!

The winners from these contests will go on to compete in the Division E conference on 9 April. Will you be there to find out who is the best in Wellington? Registration details are here.

Capital Breakfast club hosted the Area E2 International speech contest on 17 March, a bright-and-early event which saw three speakers from the breakfast clubs compete for the E2 title. The audience enjoyed stories of gliding, entrepreneurship, unlikely friendships, introversion, technology, and self-acceptance. The morning ran smoothly thanks to contest chair Max Fuhrer. After a short break to enjoy the club's customary hospitality with excellent coffee and baking, the winner was announced - Anna Cramp of Capital Breakfast.

Area E2 International speech contest. (L-R) 2nd place Tony Henderson-Newport, 1st place Anna Cramp, 3rd place David Coxon, contest chair Max Fuhrer.

For the Evaluation contest, E2 headed off to Business Breakfast Club on 22 March. The club did a great job of hosting the contest, and again coffee was plentiful, as were the very welcome danishes and muffins. Contest chair Paul Mulrooney ensured everything ran to time, as speakers were challenged by Mary Clarke's emotional test speech. Steve Preston of Business Breakfast took the Evaluation trophy for E2.

Area E2 Evaluation contest. (L-R) Contest chair Paul Mulrooney, 2nd place Tony Henderson-Newport, 1st place Steve Preston, 3rd place David Coxon, Area Director Amanda Hillock.

In E6, contest season kicked off with the International speech contest, hosted by Statistically Speaking on 16 March. The audience learned why cellphones are gossips, why procrastination is inevitable, and why personality types are important in political candidates. Ably chaired by Michael Challands, the contest ended with Roberta Eykholt of Police Toastmasters awarded the trophy.

Area E6 International speech contest. (L-R) 3rd place Urwashi Singh, 2nd place Tracy Wilkinson, 1st place Roberta Eykholt.

The E6 Evaluation contest on 21 March headed back to Roberta's home club, Police - Division E's newest club. Hosting an Area contest is a huge achievement for such a new club, and all the club members did superbly well in their various contest roles, to their credit and that of their mentors. Contest chair Stu Taylforth did everything by the book as he led a contest that included a thought-provoking test speech from Kinnie Vermeulen, followed by three evaluations. After a round of insightful interviews, the first place trophy was awarded to Peter Scholtens of Statistically Speaking.

Area E6 Evaluation contest. (L-R) 3rd place Kathy Murphy, 2nd place Brittany Chellew, 1st place Peter Scholtens, Area Director Owen Winter, contest chair Stu Taylforth.

Area E7's contests were both hosted by Turbine Talkers on 17 March, in the club's large and convenient venue at St Matthew's church in Brooklyn. Contest chair Rose Wyse skilfully handled all the ins and outs of two contests. The International speech contest was a treat, with five speakers variously uplifting the audience and tugging at their heartstrings. After hearing about the joys and terrors of grandparenthood, bike riding, jury service, special friendships, and the haka, it was time for a tea break before the Evaluation contest.

Well fed, the E7 audience returned to enjoy Rana Ghosh's informative speech about gliding spiders, followed by analysis from six evaluators. Contest results were the final order of business: the Evaluation contest was won by Deborah Lambie of Turbine Talkers, and first place in International went to Ella Kahu of Island Bay.

Area E7 Evaluation contest. (L-R) 3rd place Mark MacCallum, 2nd place Antony Zogg, 1st place Deborah Lambie.

Area E7 International speech contest. (L-R) 2nd place Deborah Lambie, 1st place Ella Kahu, 3rd place Steve Preston.

Congratulations to all the winners, and well done to everyone who took part! Tune in next week for the next set of contest results. If you're wondering when your contest is, have a look at the Area contest calendar.

Division E Conference - contest results and photos

The Division E Conference, featuring the Humorous and Table Topics Contests, was on Saturday 10th October at St Catherine's College, Kilbirnie.

We heard some fabulous speeches from some equally fabulous people! Thank you everybody; contestants, audience, and all the various officials and helpers who came together to make the event enjoyable, and possible.

MC Owen Winter

The table topics contest

The contestants seen here, holding their participation certificates, preparing to answer interview questions from the Contest Chair.

L-R: Mitchell Bidois, Dionne Needham, Kevin Plant, Rose Austen-Falloon, Peter Scholtens, Aaron Hodder, Kate Roberts, Contest Chair Amanda Hillock

And the winners were ...

L-R: Kevin Plant (3rd), Peter Scholtens (2nd), Rose Austen-Falloon (1st), District Director Carol Mitchell, Contest Chair Amanda Hillock

Rose goes on to Blenheim to join other Division winners in the national Table Topics Contest at the TM Convention 6th-8th November.

Special Awards

There were several special awards given: best club website (won by Cook Strait), two for 25 years membership, plus these pictured below:

EJ Wilmott past Area E7 Director receives the Division Area Director Award for service from past Division Director Ian Lankow

Advanced Wellington win the Colin Perfect Award for the club with the most members at the conference.

Toastmaster of the Year Award

Rachel Barnett

This very special award went to Rachel Barnett (Progressive Toastmasters) for the above and beyond can-do, will-do assistance she gave to Area E3, including taking on Director duties while its then Director Billie Searle was overseas.

*Posted late with apologies for the omission.






Other special events

Judy Love (DTM) gives Division Director Gael Price's opening address because she was on an Outward Bound Leadership Course 

The Humorous Speech Contest

The contestants, holding their participation certificates, being interviewed by the Contest Chair.  

L-R:  E2 Alastair Finlay, E1 Kath Cherrie, E7 Ella Kahu, E3 Billie Searle, E10 Deepshikha Vyas, E6 Marie Wright, Contest Chair Rose Wyse

And the winners were ...

L-R: Alastair Finlay (3rd), Billie Searle (2nd), Ella Kahu  (1st), Carol Mitchell District Director, Rose Wyse Contest Chair

Ella goes on to Blenheim to join other Division winners in the national Humorous Speech Contest at the TM Convention 6th-8th November.

Many thanks to Russell Turney (Island Bay) for the photographs.
* To view ALL the photos Russell took (and there are many of them - too numerous to share here) please click here. This will open a shared google drive page displaying two zipped folders of photos. To open either of the folders click on them. Next click the white download arrow (top centre of your screen). This will download the images to your own computer. Now you can view them, one by one. Happy browsing!

Area contests conclude: E7 and E9

What a time of it! There's been giggles and snorts all over the Wellington region. On Thursday night (24th September) it was E7's turn to add a few more.

Turbine Talkers hosted a combined Table Topics and Humorous Speech event at St Matthews Church. (Thank you! The half-time supper was lovely.)

Russell Turney chaired the Humorous Contest and Rose Wyse the Table Topics.

In the Humorous Contest we were captivated by a broad range topics given more than a slight tweak to reveal their funny sides.

Deborah Lambie reflected on the mixed pleasures of being a morning person working through the night in a hospital delivery suite, Ella Kahu deliberated whether to choose a red car over a toy boy to sidestep her next midlife crisis, Paul Beres begged for empathy and understanding of his All Black addiction disorder during the ongoing World Cup season, Chris Woodhouse bravely bared his soul revealing the limitations of his DIY Man GPS, Miranda Struthers put her 7.3 seconds worth of TV celebrity fame in perspective and Khorshed Irani examined the merits of three items on her bucket list.

E7 Humorous Speech Contest: L-R Ella Kahu, Paul Beres, Deborah Lambie, Khorshed Irani, Miranda Struthers, Chris Woodhouse, Contest Chair Russell Turney.

The contest was won by Ella Kahu (Island Bay). Deborah Lambie was placed second and Chris Woodhouse, third.

E7 Humorous Contest place getters: L-R Area Director Mike Mckee, 2nd place  Deborah Lambie, 1st place Ella Kahu, 3rd place Chris Woodhouse, Contest Chair Russell Turney.

Five table topic contestants gave their considerably varied opinions as to whether "we should return to the old ways of teaching".

We learned from Pamela Snow that we should not: that we should extend and celebrate interactive exploratory teaching. Jill Skinner figured that as she hadn't turned out all that badly, it was a reasonably good idea to retain some of that methodology. John Lowe confessed he had no recall of 8 years worth Latin taught the old way and remembered instead an ogre of a teacher. Patrick O'Rourke demonstrated the benefits of rote learning and Kate Roberts thought bringing back the cane would solve attention difficulties in the class room.

E7 Table Topics Contest: L-R Kate Roberts, Jill Skinner, John Lowe, Pamela Snow, Patrick O'Rourke, Contest Chair Rose Wyse.

The contest place-getters were: 1st Kate Roberts (Island Bay), 2nd John Lowe and 3rd Pamela Snow.

E7 Table Topics Contest Winners: L-R Area Director Mike McKee, John Lowe (2nd place), Kate Roberts (1st place,) Pamela Snow (3rd place), Contest chair Rose Wyse. 

Over in Area E9, the Table Topics contest was hosted by Terrace@12. Contest chair Peter Scholtens challenged contestants with the question "Whose responsibility is it to teach life skills - schools or family?". While some responses emphasised the importance of family, others argued that "it takes a village to raise a child". Contest winner Rose Austen-Falloon (Terrace@12) pointed out that schools are already doing plenty with their standard curriculum, and adding life skills as well would be a burden.

E9 Table Topics placegetters: L-R 2nd place Raymond Kemp, 1st place Rose Austen-Falloon, contest chair Peter Scholtens

In the very last Area contest of the season, the Area E9 Humorous contest was held at Victoria University Toastmasters. The audience was entertained by two contestants, who held our attention with ruminations on hiring and firing, and the strangeness that sometimes creeps into an ordinary day. The contest was won by Raymond Kemp (Five Crowns).

Area E9 Humorous placegetters: L-R 2nd place Zaine Mitchell, 1st place Raymond Kemp, contest chair John Stapleton

That concludes this Area contest season. See you all at the Division conference, where we can watch all our winners compete to find the Wellington champion!

Area contests continue: E2, E3 and E10

The past week has been a very busy time for contests, with areas E2, E3 and E10 each holding a pair of successful contests.

The Area E2 Table Topics contest was hosted by Capital Chatterers and chaired by Matt Easton. Seven contestants responded to the question "What is the most important high school subject?". Some speakers fondly remembered their own high school education, and others shared stories from their children's experience, as they argued for a whole range of different subjects - maths, English, history, even PE. Contest winner Kevin Plant (Capital Breakfast) argued that the most important subject is the one not taught at school - life, and especially how to get along with people in the real world.

E2 Table Topics contest: L-R contest chair Matt Easton, 3rd place Alastair Finlay, 2nd place Sarndra Flay, 1st place Kevin Plant.

Business Breakfast Club hosted the E2 Humorous contest. Five humorous speakers, chaired by Sarndra Flay, entertained the audience with topics ranging from elevator etiquette and journalistic hijinks to personal ads and Shakespeare. The contest was won by Alastair Finlay (Vodafone Capital).

 E2 Humorous contest: L-R Area Director Amanda Hillock, 1st place Alastair Finlay, 2nd place Katie Boyle, 3rd place EJ Willmot, contest chair Sarndra Flay.

The Humorous contest in Area E3 was hosted by Up Top Toastmasters. Contest chair Rachel Pointon ensured the meeting ran smoothly as the audience was entertained by two speeches about the unexpected things in life (what do sloths have to do with language difficulties? I'll leave you to guess). Billie Searle (High Noon Bankers) won first place.

E3 Humorous contest: L-R Area Director Sam Masters, 1st place Billie Searle, 2nd place Alex Carr, contest chair Rachel Pointon.

The Area E3 Table Topics contest was hosted by Taxing Toastmasters. After noting that it was "a battle of IRD vs bankers", contest chair Peter Anderson challenged the four contestants with the question "What are the reasons you choose to live in the Wellington region?". Contestants highlighted their favourite things about Wellington, including the accessible outdoors, the wildlife, and the cafes and theatres. The contest was won by Colleen Daymond-King (BNZ Harbour Quays) with her response about the joy of finding little blue penguins under her house.

E3 Table Topics contest: L-R Greer Mitchell, Federico Iglesias, 2nd place Dionne Needham, 1st place Colleen Daymond-King, contest chair Peter Anderson, Area Director Sam Masters

Advanced Wellington hosted contest night in area E10, with a well-attended meeting at which Denis McCord chaired both contests. Humorous contestants entertained the audience with speeches about the oddities of family life, the flag referendum, goat farming, and even failing eyesight. Deepshikha Vyas (Te Aro) won the Humorous contest.

E10 Humorous contest: L-R 1st place Deepshikha Vyas, 2nd place Lynne Russell, contest chair Denis McCord

After a break for some very good supper, E10 moved into the Table Topics contest. Five contestants were asked the thought-provoking question "Do you agree that the food you eat determines the way you live?". Responses were varied, ranging in emphasis from the pleasurable aspects of eating delicious food, to the importance of good nutrition. Contest winner Mitchell Bidois (Mid City) focused on the ways that well-planned meals can help to save time.

E10 Table Topics contest: L-R 3rd place Clark Ehlers, 2nd place Kerry Hilligan, 1st place Mitchell Bidois, contest chair Denis McCord

To catch up on the other Area contests, see the contest timetable and the Areas E6 and E1 contest writeup. And don't forget to register for the Division conference to see your winners in action!

Area contests kick off: E6 and E1

The Area contest season kicked off in Division E this week with contests in E6 and E1.

The E6 Humorous contest was hosted by Toast Health and chaired by Diane Isherwood. Contestants entertained the audience with stories about their sartorial challenges, gardening woes, conspiracy theories and transport near-disasters. The contest was won by Marie Wright of Toast Health.

E6 Humorous contest: L-R Area Director Owen Winter, 2nd place Kathleen Murphy, 1st place Marie Wright, contest chair Diane Isherwood

The E6 Table Topics trophy went on the line at FearBusters, where contest chair Cathy Myers challenged contestants with the question "If you could go back to when you were 16, what advice would you give yourself?". Responses ranged from tips on career choices to exhortations to relax and worry less. Contest winner Peter Scholtens (Statistically Speaking) advised his younger self to "never go to sleep in a huff".

Area E6 Table Topics contest: L-R contest chair Cathy Myers, 2nd place Franco Pang, 1st place Peter Scholtens, 3rd place Tracy Wilkinson

Contest night in E1 was held at Public Service Toastmasters. The audience was thoroughly entertained by six humorous speeches, many of which made use of everyday life: middle age, marriage, driving, winter weather, and the internet were all subjects of humour for these contestants. The contest was chaired by Mike Lucas, and won by Kath Cherrie of Cupcake Communicators.

Area E1 Humorous contest: L-R 3rd place Nasser Ahmed, 2nd place Rob Julian, 1st place Kath Cherrie, Area Director Simon Lin

After a break for wine and cheese, E1 moved into Table Topics, where contestants answered the question "If you are going overseas for a holiday, where do you want to go?". After six engaging illustrations of wonderful holiday destinations, some audience members were tempted to get distracted planning their next holiday. Announcement of the results by contest chair Kai Chan quickly brought everyone back to the present. Aaron Hodder (Assurity Testmasters) won the contest with his response about visiting "the land of Twin Peaks".

Area E1 Table Topics contest: L-R 3rd place Brian Ventura, 2nd place Kath Cherrie, 1st place Aaron Hodder, Area Director Simon Lin

The next two weeks have contests scheduled in E2, E3, E7 and E10; check the Area contest calendar to see where you can catch your contestants.