Being foolish was one of the main aspects when Florida Toastmasters held their International Speech Contest on Tuesday (1 April).
Public relations officer Dawn Hemming said members mixed foolishness with prudence as they took part in the international prepared speech and evaluation contests.
“Our contestants – Margaret Roodt, Clive Goodman and Cynthia Seemane – showcased their natural charismatic ability to stand out in the different phases of the competition.”
Margaret motivated listeners to look at their communities and the country as a whole, and to observe closely the social misfits, the outcasts and the prisoners.
Clive reminded his audience that as humans, people always want a quick fix, a magic pill and/or someone to come up with all the answers. He had everybody chuckling as he demonstrated the facets of physical and spiritual healing.
Cynthia was excited to share some of her favourite moments while travelling with the audience – her stories were about rugged grasslands, mountainous pony trekking trails and a sorghum-based brew that is part of the unique cultural heritage of Lesotho.
The speech evaluation contest started with Tim Knights giving a demonstration speech in which he conveyed a wealth of tips and practical guides to ensure that one’s camping trip is enjoyed without a hitch. Contestants Michael Glencross, Cleone Carter-Smith and Gavin de Kock demonstrated their evaluation skills by highlighting what skills and techniques they noticed in his speech. They also made recommendations for improvements in his future speeches.
Contest chair Dick Hallett presented each of the contestants with a certificate in recognition of their participation.
Area S3 Governor Nikki Quinn announced the results, congratulating Margaret for being the winner of the prepared speech contest and Michael for being the winner of the speech evaluation contest.
The pair competed in the area contest held at MTN in 14th Avenue on Wednesday 9 April.
Florida Toastmasters Club meets every first and third Tuesday of the month at Huguenot Restaurant in Flora Centre, Roodepoort. The meetings start at 7.15pm and guests are welcome.
For more information contact Tim Knights on 082 894 7542 or via email at timknights@telkomsa.net or Robert de Kramer (Club President) on 082 823 1387 or via email at robertk@nfp.nedbank.co.za.
