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 - 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.

Contests - Your time to Speak Up and Step out

Have you ever thought about moving out of your club with your speech skills? Perhaps you would like to get a few insights from evaluators who have never seen your speak before?

Why not volunteer as a speaker?

Volunteering as a test speaker for club Evaluation Contest is the perfect opportunity to push yourself to a new level. Not only do you get valuable speaking experience, but you also get to help out clubs with their contests.

Roberta Eykholt says YES

Recently Roberta Eykholt, a member of Wellington’s newest Toastmaster club Police Toastmasters, took the opportunity to be a test speaker. I (Owen Winter) asked her to share the experience, so that you will be able to see from a first-time test speaker what the experience was like, and what they gained.

And she lives to tell her story about being test speaker

“The call went out for a test speaker to take part in an Evaluation contest. The notice was short, a mere 22 hours. I was the logical choice having just given a speech that day at our local Toastmasters. I had something prepared and an open calendar.

How could I say "no"? Would it be a hostile crowd? Would I know anyone? I am just a baby toastie, what if my speech is too amateurish? As a dearth of excuses struggled to emerge I realised I had no excuse and, if I was serious about improving my speaking I needed to jump at every opportunity.

"Yes" was my response. I took on-board the evaluation I had received and some unsolicited feedback from trusted friends. I made the necessary changes, prepared new visuals and took a deep breath.

What an opportunity this turned out to be. All my fears were needless. 2 faces were immediately familiar, I was among friends. The first benefit was simply getting a second attempt at my speech having revised it according to the feedback received. I knew it was better and at the same time realised that I should have practiced the new version out loud.

I had changed the ending but the revision did not work. Always practice, never assume.

The second thing I learned is the value of independent evaluators. My home members know and love me. We are newly formed and all babes. This makes us a tad conservative with our recommendations. These independent evaluators commented on the basics I should have previously mastered. But they were not cruel. There were 4 evaluators and their recommendations varied; it was the themes that spoke loudly.

I actually felt liberated hearing their recommendations and realising how spot on those evaluations were. The final thing I learned was the format and atmosphere of a contest.

There were moments of awkward silence, people leaving the room and others not allowed to leave. It was all very serious and yet friendly at the same time. There will be a time in the future when I enter a contest and this experience will have prepared me for that event."

Go for it! You can do it!

You can step out in front of you club as a contestant, taking on an official role such as ballot counter, contest chair or judging at another club.

Each of these roles count toward your Competent Leadership Manual goals and is great chance to prove to yourself and your club that you are capable of doing something new.

More Judges please

One of the most important part of the contests is having reliable judges - and it’s extra important that new judges step up for the role. If you have never judged before this is the perfect time to let your club Vice President Education (or your mentor if you have one) that you are interested in learning about judging.

As well as asking your club members to help you with learning about judging you can find video tutorials on the Toastmasters International Website here.

If you are keen to judge as a contest why not contact one of the Area Directors and ask if there is a chance to judge at one the contests in their area? You can find their contact details here.

Post written by Owen Winter Area E6 Director.

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!