“You have the chance to develop your communication and leadership skills with the Florida Toastmasters Club,” believes Dawn Hemming, the club’s public relations officer.
“Globalisation has changed us into a company that searches the world, not just to sell or to source but to find intellectual capital – the world’s best talents and greatest ideas.
“Your greatest improvement will come from identifying your talents and strengthening them, which requires knowledge and skills.
“Toastmasters will provide you with the confidence you need to get ahead.”
At their meeting on Tuesday 5 November Clive Goodman guided his audience through the entire home-buying process with his winning Best Prepared Speech entitled “The Property Transfer Process”.
“Anyone who has bought a property can tell you, buying and selling property is a minefield of contracts. It requires planning, coolness and right seasoning to ensure that everything goes smoothly.”
Guest speaker Etienne de Koker was declared the winner of the Best Impromptu Speech with his topic “Why I cried at my best friend’s wedding”.
“It is hard to be elbowed out when you’re reeling from the finale of a romantic relationship that you didn’t want to end,” he explained.
Division S Governer Gillian Trybus, who also attended, was declared the Best Evaluator of the night. Hemming says that to give a successful evaluation, the evaluator must be a quick-thinking, accurate, observant and sensitive listener. Trybus resonated a proud club as she congratulated past president Tim Knights on the achievements of Florida Toastmasters, having been presented the Presidents Distinguished Club award for excellence last year. Dick Hallet was honoured for his two major achievements of being declared a Distinguished Toastmaster (the highest award a Toastmaster can achieve internationally) and receiving the Triple Crown title for having completed three major communication and leadership awards within one Toastmasters year.
President Robert de Kramer accepted the award for Select Distinguished Area on behalf of Michael Glencross.
Residents are invited to visit the Florida Toastmasters every first and third Tuesday of each month from 7.15pm at the Huguenot Restaurant in Flora Centre at the corner of Conrad Street and Ontdekkers Road. Admission is free. For further details, contact Cleone Carter-Smith on 082 415 2820 or President Robert de Kramer on 082 823 1387.
