‘The best day of my life’
The humorous contest is part of the Toastmasters programme
District 74 Humorous Speaking Contest were held recently, when eight of the funniest speakers in Southern Africa competed.
Among the participants was Kempton Park resident Michael Bratt, a member of Benoni Toastmasters Club.
Speakers were encouraged to tell a humorous tale, which flowed with a story and transitions, rather than simply rattling off a series of one liners.
Michael’s five to seven-minute speech, entitled “The best day of my life”, was about the
preparations in the run up to his wedding day, to his wife, Robyn.
Although he didn’t place in the top three, he says he learnt a lot from the experience.
Not only do competitions allow Toastmasters to test their speaking skills against each other, but they are also a valuable learning experience.
“This was the second time I have spoken in the finals and, every time you participate, you learn from the other speakers, see how they deliver their speeches and assess what you could have done differently,” he explains.
The humorous contest is part of the Toastmasters programme, a non-profit organisation that teaches people better speaking, communication, listening and leadership skills.
It is open to anyone and Michael definitely encourages people to visit a club to see what it is all about.
He has been a Toastmaster for around six years and became involved due to his father, Ian, who has reached the highest level, that of Distinguished Toastmaster.
“Toastmasters has definitely helped me with my career. It has given me confidence,” Michael says.
”With me being a journalist, I interview different people every day and need to communicate effectively with them. Toastmasters gave me those skills.
”Aside from that, it is also just a fun experience to visit.”
To find out more about Toastmasters, contact Michael at bratt.michael@gmail.com. He is also an aspiring MC/after dinner speaker and is looking to grow his profile in this space.
