Here comes the Summer!

With the summer break fast approaching and talk of the end of year party in the air we had a smaller group than usual for this week’s gathering but the atmosphere was no less lively. As a relative newcomer to the club I have quickly come to look forward to our Wednesday night meetings.  Not a night goes by when I do not learn some interesting fact or insight and this week’s session did not disappoint.

The meeting was preceded by the club’s AGM where next year’s committee was selected. Ann was our toastmaster for the night and she ensured that the meeting ran smoothly from start to finish. Our topicsmaster Mary got the ball rolling with some engaging subjects. The topics round was somewhat surprisingly set alight by a discussion on the job bridge program about which many of us shared both positive and negative experiences. Later we were provided with a glimpse of what really gets on people’s nerves with a topic on pet hates. Bad driving, queue skipping, and tv advertisements are a few we can all agree on, and apparently sharing food is a serious faux pas so those planning on attending the Summer party beware!

With the room warmed up it was time for the speeches of which there were four.  Joseph presented a stage 4 stage speech which was entertaining and informative telling the story of philosopher and novelist Colin Wilson who was less appreciated by the media in his own time. We had two members reaching the acclaimed competent communicator 10 stage on the night, a level which challenges the speaker to inspire their audience. First to speak was Donal who prepared an energetic speech on how we can all make a positive difference in the world. Coloured by quotes from Ghandi he identified the key characteristics of those who achieve great success in pursuit of their goals and encouraged us to do the same.  Pat followed, opening with the timeless truths of the Serenity prayer and imparting some humorous but none the less practical wisdom on how we can increase our own happiness by taking a tip from the animal kingdom and living life in the moment. Last to speak was Frank who delivered a very personal and moving speech telling stories from the experiences of three gay people living in Ireland and how their lives and relationships were affected. This is a topical subject with the upcoming referendum and Frank put forward a powerful case that his staunchest opponent would struggle to dispute.

After a break and some tea and biscuits each of the speeches were evaluated and some constructive criticism offered to the speakers. Jenny added an artistic influence from the creative reading a poem from Sir Alfred Lord Tennyson, and the night finished with a summary of the evening from Margaret, our general evaluator.  

Looking forward to next time!

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