Ready, set, go the mindset for Florida Toastmasters in 2022

Florida Toastmasters hosted their first virtual meeting of 2022 on January 18.

The Toastmasters format follows a turn-based set-up where speakers give talks on topics either proposed or of their choosing, after which evaluators pass their critiques to help the speaker improve their public speaking skills. Each evening is themed and to kickstart the year, their first theme was ‘Ready, Set, Go!’

Mandy Gobisang will be in the president’s seat this year and is ready to boost the club’s sense of purpose. A key accomplishment in her sights during her tenure is for the club to achieve 10 Distinguished Club (DC) goals. Achieving this DC status is the hallmark of a high-performance club. It’s vitally important for everyone to contribute and collaborate towards the success.

Speakers on the night included Denisse Torcida who gave a motivational talk about attaining goals and increased productivity. The president herself, Mandy gave her speech on ‘pillow talk’, beginning with an instruction to ‘get your mind out the gutter’, speaking humorously about her relationships with her four pillows. A guest from the Open Society Toastmasters, Sylvester Gasana, elaborated on ‘men’s sheds’ as a way of improving the mental health of the elderly through skills development and friendship.

A Table Topic session is group discussions whereby attendees share impromptu thoughts on a theme or question, with this evening’s session being about making choices. Led by Tlago Ramalepa, Samantha Richmond chose keeping her feet on the ground over aerial adventures, expressing her preference through her love of nature. Xolani Ntulini chose his box-shaped BMW over a helicopter, sighting his passion for automobiles.

“There were shrieks of laughter as Joke Master Tim Knights told us the story of the Priest and the Nun on a cold wintery evening. In the end, Mandy was declared the winner for the Best Prepared Speech, and Karen Gray aced the cup for the Best Speech Evaluator,” said Vice President of Public Relations, Dawn Hemming.

For information about the club meeting contact Mandy on 073 547 1229 or via email: m.gobisang@yahoo.com. Alternately contact Dawn on 063 736 0282 or gaildawnh@gmail.com.