Yesterday afternoon, sitting in the Division D Club Officers Training, I was thinking that, we are so independent from the Toastmasters International. We hold weekly meetings, which means tremendous workload on me, but it seems that we have to do all by ourselves. I arrange all the programs; I visit other clubs in order to meet people and invite them to my club; what is the help that we receive from TI?
Yes, we have the umbrella on top of us, but what does that umbrella really do for us?
As a school CCA, we have SICS, SMUSA on top, and even they are doing a better job helping us.
As that thought was continuing, I heard a name "SMU Toastmasters Club", we won the President's distinguished club award in 08-09, which is the highest award in Toastmasters. I'm happy for it.
Continuing, I heard another phrase, "We have someone from SMU Toastmasters", Wow! What's that? "NANA!" And i didn't even know what that award was about. And of the 3 Division D club officers who won the pin from TI, I am one.
And the question still remains, are we alone?
Showing posts with label Toastmasters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Toastmasters. Show all posts
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Champion
I went to LW's club, and I was shocked.
1. I didn't dress properly due to my laziness to dress formally in a study week. When I saw all the black-and-white, I felt uncomfortable immediately.
2. So many experienced speakers! The President & VPE have done such a wonderful job to invite so many guests to their meeting.
3. President - star of the night: I believe that LW is not an attention seeker, but he just does everything so well that he is the star of the night! I remember that he said, "You can continue to be the VPE for next year, and until you graduate", even though we laughed over it, but I would say, I'm willing to take on another term of office if I work with you. Yes, I really do!
I believe that every President's opening address should be educational, or at least bring a message to the members. Otherwise, why should we listen to you, just because you are the president? The title of president serves nothing more than an organizer, and respect from the members does not come with it. It needs efforts! And in Zhenghua CC Toastmasters, I can see the invisible efforts!
4. The energy of young people: In this meeting, only few of us are under the age of 25, and we are the ones who would laugh out loudly, or at least who would laugh over a joke. The so called "audlts" don't do so as we do. I remember last time, we were talking about the "adult" clubs, that they are not as fun as a student club. Nathaniel was talking seriously to us, "The 'audlts' doesn't mean that they are not fun. Fun has nothing to do with age." HAHA. OK, but I can feel the difference.
5. One funny moment: we were talking so "highly" over Jasmine's relationship on the train on our way back home, and didn't notice that a lady was listening to us. Suddenly, I noticed that she was laughing with us, "HI", I said.
6. Self-reflection: I was very down after I went home, because I felt that there were so many things lacking in me. I don't speak good English; my vocabulary is not large enough; My english has little vocal variety; I don't have wide knowledge of what's happening in the world... How long will it take me to make up for that?
I don't even have the courage to think about it, because it will take me donkey's ears. But what drives me not to give up? I think it's the belief in myself!
LW said, "You are always the champion in someone's eyes! You are the champion in your friends' eyes if you are the one whom they would turn to! You are the champion in your own eyes if you are doing the best all the time!"
This morning, I was thinking that, if i go back to China with my current english level, it's considered as good or even excellent. But how about if i go to US? I guess even a 10-year child would have larger vocabulary than I do. So what's my choice?
And I choose to continue my journey, even the journey ahead is filled with obstacles, difficulties, I wouldn't give up easily! Because I'm doing my best all the time, even though the results may not be good in other people's eyes, I'm satisfied. And I don't regret!
"If nobody see you as a champion, I will!" Yes, I will! My friends, I see myself as a champion, and I also see you as champions, because each of you have your individual strength & merits that would make me believe "You are the champion".
All of us are the champions!
1. I didn't dress properly due to my laziness to dress formally in a study week. When I saw all the black-and-white, I felt uncomfortable immediately.
2. So many experienced speakers! The President & VPE have done such a wonderful job to invite so many guests to their meeting.
3. President - star of the night: I believe that LW is not an attention seeker, but he just does everything so well that he is the star of the night! I remember that he said, "You can continue to be the VPE for next year, and until you graduate", even though we laughed over it, but I would say, I'm willing to take on another term of office if I work with you. Yes, I really do!
I believe that every President's opening address should be educational, or at least bring a message to the members. Otherwise, why should we listen to you, just because you are the president? The title of president serves nothing more than an organizer, and respect from the members does not come with it. It needs efforts! And in Zhenghua CC Toastmasters, I can see the invisible efforts!
4. The energy of young people: In this meeting, only few of us are under the age of 25, and we are the ones who would laugh out loudly, or at least who would laugh over a joke. The so called "audlts" don't do so as we do. I remember last time, we were talking about the "adult" clubs, that they are not as fun as a student club. Nathaniel was talking seriously to us, "The 'audlts' doesn't mean that they are not fun. Fun has nothing to do with age." HAHA. OK, but I can feel the difference.
5. One funny moment: we were talking so "highly" over Jasmine's relationship on the train on our way back home, and didn't notice that a lady was listening to us. Suddenly, I noticed that she was laughing with us, "HI", I said.
6. Self-reflection: I was very down after I went home, because I felt that there were so many things lacking in me. I don't speak good English; my vocabulary is not large enough; My english has little vocal variety; I don't have wide knowledge of what's happening in the world... How long will it take me to make up for that?
I don't even have the courage to think about it, because it will take me donkey's ears. But what drives me not to give up? I think it's the belief in myself!
LW said, "You are always the champion in someone's eyes! You are the champion in your friends' eyes if you are the one whom they would turn to! You are the champion in your own eyes if you are doing the best all the time!"
This morning, I was thinking that, if i go back to China with my current english level, it's considered as good or even excellent. But how about if i go to US? I guess even a 10-year child would have larger vocabulary than I do. So what's my choice?
And I choose to continue my journey, even the journey ahead is filled with obstacles, difficulties, I wouldn't give up easily! Because I'm doing my best all the time, even though the results may not be good in other people's eyes, I'm satisfied. And I don't regret!
"If nobody see you as a champion, I will!" Yes, I will! My friends, I see myself as a champion, and I also see you as champions, because each of you have your individual strength & merits that would make me believe "You are the champion".
All of us are the champions!
Thursday, November 19, 2009
SMU Toastmasters Club is the best
I have visited a few Toastmasters clubs recently, and always, I have this feeling, SMU Toastmasters Club is the best!
Some clubs are not professional enough, in the way that, you don't feel comfortable;
Some clubs are stressful, because even the Humorous Speech couldn't make them laugh;
Some clubs are fun, but in the end of the day, you wonder, what are the things you can take home;
SMU Toastmasters club possesses everthing, that during every visit, I just want to invite people to my club, to see what a real Toastmasters meeting is! (I'm sorry to say that, but this is what I feel for now.)
And today, I learnt another abbreviation:
VPE = Vice President of Everything
This is what I heard from one Toastmasters Club president! Thanks for saying that!
Some clubs are not professional enough, in the way that, you don't feel comfortable;
Some clubs are stressful, because even the Humorous Speech couldn't make them laugh;
Some clubs are fun, but in the end of the day, you wonder, what are the things you can take home;
SMU Toastmasters club possesses everthing, that during every visit, I just want to invite people to my club, to see what a real Toastmasters meeting is! (I'm sorry to say that, but this is what I feel for now.)
And today, I learnt another abbreviation:
VPE = Vice President of Everything
This is what I heard from one Toastmasters Club president! Thanks for saying that!
Saturday, November 14, 2009
That "Yellow minute"
I went to Temasek Poly for the Toastmasters Chapter meeting yesterday, and I would never forget this experience.
With a dream to be an educator in the future, I always look at things from an educator's perspective. And for those teenagers, I feel that the education should be something specially designed for them.
Take the example of pause fillers. In Toastmasters, the Ah-counter counts the pause fillers such as em, er, ah ect for each speaker, reasons being that pause fillers harm the fluency of the speech, and can affect the credibility of the speakers if there are too many. In SMU Toastmasters, we have good examples of people who had over 100 pause fillers during a single meeting, and managed to overcome them in just a few meetings' time. In Temasek Poly, the members are still so young. Even though they are charged by 10cents per pause filler, they can't feel the "pain", and they keep saying the pause fillers. How to convey the message to them?
I remember an article posted on Nathaniel's blog, which was his president's opening address when he was serving as the President of Tampines Changkat Toastmasters Club. In that speech, he shared about his visions in life, and i feel that, that speech would be the right talk for Temasek Poly Toastmasters.
In Temasek Poly Toastmasters, the atmosphere is great; everyone laughs, everyone can relax throughout the whole chapter meeting. That's fantasic, which is something that not every Toastmasters club can achieve! In the mean time, points to ponder, how can they improve, how can they realise that they can be better speakers if they could put in more efforts?
All those teenagers are nice and extremly polite people; they are so young and so energtic. Yet, something is lacking, MOTIVATION & INSPIRATION! People are motivated to become better speakers when they really see someone who can motivate them; people are inspired to learn when they actually meet someone who can inspire them to learn the great things they are capable to learn as long as they are determined to do so.
As a project evaluator, I'm not that good enough to give an evaluation to inspire all of them, because English is not my first language, and sometimes, I still have difficulties organising my thoughts fluently. However, I'm trying to improve all the time; I'm putting my efforts to do a better job. Maybe, some day, I would be able to talk like John, like Nathaniel, like Gurion. And in Temasek Poly Toastmasters, those are the people they need. They need thos people to inspire them, to show them the great value of Toastmaters. They need to experience a really fun yet beneficial meeting, and they need to meet experienced and motivitional speakers! And then, they can learn that, Toastmasters is not only about fun, the fun in speeches, but also about knowledge, about education, about improvement!
Still, the memory about the yellow minute will last for a long time!
TME: Now, let's have the timer to read out the timing sequence.
Timer: At 8th minute, the green card will be shown;
(Disrupted by the audience, because he had some pause fillers, and the grammar was wrong in a way I couldn't really recall)
OK! At yellow minute...(BOOMZ! Laughters from the audience filled the room!)
And at 10th minute, you will get a red card.
(The language evaluator literally took the red card at the 10th minute! HAHA! Well done!)
With a dream to be an educator in the future, I always look at things from an educator's perspective. And for those teenagers, I feel that the education should be something specially designed for them.
Take the example of pause fillers. In Toastmasters, the Ah-counter counts the pause fillers such as em, er, ah ect for each speaker, reasons being that pause fillers harm the fluency of the speech, and can affect the credibility of the speakers if there are too many. In SMU Toastmasters, we have good examples of people who had over 100 pause fillers during a single meeting, and managed to overcome them in just a few meetings' time. In Temasek Poly, the members are still so young. Even though they are charged by 10cents per pause filler, they can't feel the "pain", and they keep saying the pause fillers. How to convey the message to them?
I remember an article posted on Nathaniel's blog, which was his president's opening address when he was serving as the President of Tampines Changkat Toastmasters Club. In that speech, he shared about his visions in life, and i feel that, that speech would be the right talk for Temasek Poly Toastmasters.
In Temasek Poly Toastmasters, the atmosphere is great; everyone laughs, everyone can relax throughout the whole chapter meeting. That's fantasic, which is something that not every Toastmasters club can achieve! In the mean time, points to ponder, how can they improve, how can they realise that they can be better speakers if they could put in more efforts?
All those teenagers are nice and extremly polite people; they are so young and so energtic. Yet, something is lacking, MOTIVATION & INSPIRATION! People are motivated to become better speakers when they really see someone who can motivate them; people are inspired to learn when they actually meet someone who can inspire them to learn the great things they are capable to learn as long as they are determined to do so.
As a project evaluator, I'm not that good enough to give an evaluation to inspire all of them, because English is not my first language, and sometimes, I still have difficulties organising my thoughts fluently. However, I'm trying to improve all the time; I'm putting my efforts to do a better job. Maybe, some day, I would be able to talk like John, like Nathaniel, like Gurion. And in Temasek Poly Toastmasters, those are the people they need. They need thos people to inspire them, to show them the great value of Toastmaters. They need to experience a really fun yet beneficial meeting, and they need to meet experienced and motivitional speakers! And then, they can learn that, Toastmasters is not only about fun, the fun in speeches, but also about knowledge, about education, about improvement!
Still, the memory about the yellow minute will last for a long time!
TME: Now, let's have the timer to read out the timing sequence.
Timer: At 8th minute, the green card will be shown;
(Disrupted by the audience, because he had some pause fillers, and the grammar was wrong in a way I couldn't really recall)
OK! At yellow minute...(BOOMZ! Laughters from the audience filled the room!)
And at 10th minute, you will get a red card.
(The language evaluator literally took the red card at the 10th minute! HAHA! Well done!)
Friday, November 13, 2009
Toastmasters
DTM Nathaniel says, "Toastmasters is an education";
DTM John Sih says, "Speech is not meant to impress; you impress because you express yourself well"
Great wisdom from those DTMs, Nana really admires them!
DTM John Sih says, "Speech is not meant to impress; you impress because you express yourself well"
Great wisdom from those DTMs, Nana really admires them!
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