h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Well, did you do your next speech, Woodpigeon? How did it go?

I did my number 8 speech yesterday - the aims of which were to use visual aids competently. I did a speech on consumer rights (mostly Sale of Goods Act 1979 and a bit about the Consumer Credit Act 1974. I used the world's most useless flipchart stand. It was missing the top bit that holds the flipchart paper to the stand (I improvised using nails) and one of the struts at the back was missing. It was cumbersome and awkward.

The person who did my evaluation told me it would look unprofessional for me to move it before my speech started, and offered to do it for me. Unfortunately, where he had placed it, some of the audience couldn't see it properly and he told me off for not making sure that people could see it. Mind you, after it was in place, I wouldn't have touched it for all the tea in China - it might have collapsed!

I got good evaluations. I still need to work on my endings.

I still have the challenge of injecting more humour into my speeches. I got a smile in this one when I told the audience about the man who came to see me when I used to work in the Midlands, complaining about a pair of shoes he thought hadn't lasted long enough. He'd bought them 12 years ago, and the shop had since closed!

Well done ZSF - amazing. You are doing so well!

Things have been very crazy at work for me, so I have missed the last two meetings. We are still struggling to make numbers unfortunately, and I have not done any speeches either. I have a kernel of an idea but no development as yet.

Thanks, Woodpigeon.

What are you thinking of talking about? I'm already thinking about my next speech. I think I may do it on an aspect of 'Getting Things Done' http://www.davidco.com. David Allen is one of my heroes.

I may struggle to get my next speech in before the New Year. Our club is getting new people joining, which is great and there is beginning to be competition about getting slots. I know if I had called it off on Tuesday, that one of the other members was waiting to jump in an empty slot. I'm glad I pushed myself, despite the cough. I hadn't managed to complete it without going into a coughing fit beforehand and I was a bit over time - 8 mins 54 seconds, I think .

It's not fully decided what I am going to talk about, however I got an idea from your discussion about the planets some time back. I have been interested in astronomy since I was very young, and I would like to talk particularly about "the real" Venus and Mars, particularly because the latter is so close to us and prominent in the night sky at the moment, and because of the clear environmental messages that both planets have to offer us here on Earth.

Ooh, that sounds really interesting! What are your key ideas, Woodpigeon? I can see the connection with John Gray's books. Men and women, the god of war and the goddess of love, hot and cold, huge poisonous atmosphere, thin, dusty atmosphere.

I had a quick peek around and found this: http://science.howstuffworks.com/terraforming1.htm.

Got my number nine speech coming up tonight. 'The martial art of getting work done'. Only started preparing for it yesterday, as I was off work ill last week.

Wish me luck!

Traveller in Time shivering
"Goodluck even with one day preparation the subject should do ."

Oh best of luck ZSF!

You'll be fine, I'm sure of it.

Thanks, TiT - it went well.

Hi Woodpigeon - in the end, it turned out to be one of my best speeches - and - it was within the 7 minutes (I think it was 6 minutes 57 seconds!) - !

I got a call while I was at lunch to tell me that little was unwell and that I should pick him up from school early. When I arrived, it turned out that he had toothache. He was in the process of shedding a molar. Luckily, it came out before we went to the meeting. I therefore had a little more time to prepare and I had printed out some A3 bullet points, which I stapled onto card. I had been told previously that where I wanted my audience to remember stuff that I should do this. Given my previous experience with flipcharts, I was in no hurry to schlepp a ricketty broken flipchart up the stairs and be fiddling with this.

After speaking with the person who was about to evaluate me (I wasn't certain about my timing) he advised cutting to the finish if I appeared to be running out of time, so I made a decision to consolidate some of the information, expand on one point and it seemed to run very nicely and very cohesively. Someone came over to tell me at the end that I must have written the speech with her in mind, as it spoke to her so much. I was even advised that it was a speech I could take to another club, which I took to be a big compliment.

There was some really good news too - we now have 22 members, so we can apply for a charter!

Our next meeting will be on 10 January - I think this will be taken up with ice-breakers. By this time, Roy will have joined and so we should be up to 23.

Not only that, but as a result of mentioning during my speech that one of my current projects is renovating the house, I had an offer of help to do it (one of the members is an interior decorator and has a contact who is a tiler - I have a tile off my roof). Isn't it nice when things work out well.

Terrific news all around! The qualifications are changing next year so it looks as if you will be one of the first people around to have a "Competent Communicator" award. It seems as if the word "Toastmaster" is being de-emphasised. It's quite an archaic term.

Oh, I didn't know that. What's happening then?

One thing I've been wondering - how do I subscribe to the Toastmaster Magazine?

I'm now wondering about my number 10. Inspire seems to be at a higher level than persuade. I'm thinking of either the theme of 'letting go' or of the one about needing to love yourself before you can love someone else (or aor be loved by someone else). Do you remember what you did?

My CTM speech was not an easy one for me, as I was going through a period where I couldn't easily come up with inpirational stories. I delivered a competitive speech about my mum's dedication to my dad this year that I properly consider to be my inspirational speech.

You should be getting the Toastmaster Magazine as part of having joined the club as a member. Talk to your club president, because you should have been receiving them since shortly after you joined. There are always as small number of interesting articles to read.

Oh, maybe it's because the club hasn't yet chartered? I did wonder about that.

Oh, you're brave going in for a competition! How did you do? Sounds to have been a great topic.

O/~

Interestingly enough, one of the last mags made a very good point. Most people are turned off the competitive aspect, but it probably is one of the biggest learning experiences there is within Toastmasters. You need to practice more than any speech you might have made in the manual. You need to ensure you don't hit the time limit, and your speech has to be truly good. Also, you get experience speaking in front of strangers. I made the Area final two years ago. It really developed me as a speaker. I have a hell of a lot more self-confidence since I did it, and I have no problem speaking in front of large groups ever since. It also did wonders for me at work. I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone.

After I read your post, I thought of those things. I think one of the things which would possibly put me off, is the thought of being judged and found wanting. However, looked at with the eyes of wanting to improve and being helped to improve, then I'm only really competing against myself.

Being within the time limit has been a big factor for me. When I get myself into practising properly, things work much better, however I have a belief that I don't have time to practice - I think in reality I find excuses not to do it.

As I've been advised to take my number nine speech to other clubs, maybe this might be an opportunity to improve. I'll have to think about it and how I would get round to doing it.

I have no idea about the competition cycle. Perhaps I should speak with David Thompson.

I just completed my third speech of the Advanced Manual - it was a demonstration talk, and I chose to demonstrate my new telescope to the assembled group. It was good fun, although it was badly rushed, I had researched and rehearsed a different speech only realising my mistake rather late in the day.

Our membership is still very small. It's causing me a lot of concern at the moment. Probably something I will consult with other Toastmaster groups at a meeting we have coming up very soon.

'I had researched and rehearsed a different speech only realising my mistake rather late in the day.' I don't understand, why did you have to change your speech, Woodpigeon? What was the mistake?

Well done for doing your advanced speech! Did everyone want to have a play with your telescope?

AS far as your membership is concerned, are there any teacher training colleges or chambers of commerce in your neck of the woods - they might be a good source of new members?

My original speech was about the growth of human society - not the topic for a demonstration speech where you have to introduce people to an object and talk about it for demonstration purposes. I did not have a chance to do my homework in advance and assumed I might get away with it. Mea culpa, really. I'll deliver the human society speech soon, however so not everything is lost by any means!

I might try the Chamber of Commerce route, or the Junior Chamber. There are no teacher colleges here - it's far too small a place. But it's a fairly serious situation we are in all in all. I will be discussing it with other Toastmasters in the next few days to see what can be done. New members really are the lifeblood of any club.

I did if it might have been anything to do with the type of speech. Well done you for being able to switch at such short notice.

When I suggested teacher training colleges, I was thinking of the broad range of higher education places, which might be a source of new members. Is there a local radio station that would give you airtime to talk about the advantages of joining?

I have my number ten speech booked for 31 January. I think I might call it 'Where are you now', the subject being about being in the present.