Carlow Toastmasters Newsletter April 2012 Second edition
Welcome from Terry Delaney, the Carlow Club President.
Welcome to this newsletter from Carlow Toastmasters. Our aim is to foster the development of communication and leadership skills in a supportive environment for the benefit of our members and guests. With encouragement from others, those who come to meetings take their first step on the way to greater fulfilment and confidence when speaking in public. The Toastmasters education programme does not guarantee
overnight success, growth is gradual and steady if you attend meetings regularly, participate consistently and complete manual assignments in the Toastmaster programme you will achieve your goals. You will find your voice and discover your natural power and influence. You will experience confidence that is built on a solid foundation of toastmaster achievements.
of clubs similar to ourselves in organisation and structure. We have competitions twice yearly in which we participate and hone our speaking and evaluation skills. These competitions are also a wonderful opportunity to speak to different audiences and represent our local club. The future is good. Embrace our club. May toastmasters be with you always.
Most of us have had occasions when we thought we should speak but were tongue tied in our fear or reluctance to try and rise to the occasion, this need not be the case as any person who attends Toastmaster meetings will confirm. Your experience at Toastmasters fills you with a spirit and a confidence which demystifies the whole ordeal of speaking before an audience. Our Toastmaster club in Carlow is a supportive group where you learn to speak with compassion and vitality. Our club in Carlow is not insular in its existence, it is part of a worldwide network
Carlow Toastmasters Read about upcoming conferences, what Toastmasters can do for you and all about the new museum in Carlow
Catherine Furlong, a past president of Carlow Toastmasters and a Toastmasterconference enthusiast, tells us about the upcoming conference this spring in Ireland.
Be Wowed at the Wow Conference Wexford – May 2012
Calling all Toastmasters to Wexford where our Annual Spring Conference is taking place on the 11th, 12th & 13th May. This year the venue is the newly renovated White’s Hotel in Wexford town.
Why not join me and fellow Toastmasters from all over Ireland and the UK for a fun filled weekend. As a regular attendee of Toastmaster Conferences I cannot recommend this event highly enough. The programme kicks off on Friday evening with a Buffet Dinner, dancing and Fancy Dress. This years theme is “The Musicals” so whether you have always harboured an ambition to play Sandy from Grease, Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, Baby from Dirty Dancing or any other character of your choosing this is your opportunity to shine. The conference continues on Saturday morning with educational workshops, or alternatively an opportunity to take in some of the delights of Wexford. Saturday afternoon is the highlight of the conference with the District Final of the International Speech contest taking place. This is a wonderful opportunity to see the
cream of Toastmaster talents at work. The day culminates with a Gala Banquet, dancing into the small hours and later an opportunity to show off your singing talents. An early start on Sunday morning sees the final of the Evaluation Contest where you will once more see the best that Toastmasters has to offer. I am certainly looking forward to a great weekend where you will be guaranteed fantastic food, delicious drinks, delightful dancing, wonderful workshops, superb speeches, extraordinary evaluations, excellent entertainment and all in a fun filled environment where everyone can be a friend. Please do come and join us for at least part of this unique weekend. Booking details, packages available, costs and more details can be found on www.wowconference.ie
Lorna Sixsmith, a member of Toastmasters for three years, tells us why she enjoys Toastmaster meetings so much.
nervous? No, there were a few butterflies but they provided enough adrenaline to ensure I gave an enthusiastic talk filled with vitality.
I joined Toastmasters in September 2009. I used to be a secondary school teacher and lecturer and had been accustomed to teaching in front of boisterous teenagers and small groups of adults, yet I felt my confidence in public speaking had diminished and not only was I not enjoying any presentations but I felt the delivery required significant improvement.
Toastmasters has helped me to recover my confidence; plan a speech appropriately; improve my eye contact with the audience; remain conscious of my body language and use it effectively; use pitch and pause to deliberate effect; address the audience appropriately and stimulate their interest in my topic and so much more. I can now speak at length without relying on notes and above all, really enjoy standing on a stage and delivering a presentation.
3 years on and within my new social media consultancy business, I am giving presentations and teaching groups of various sizes almost on a weekly basis. My largest audience to date was almost two hundred people at the National Women’s Enterprise Day in Nov 2011. Was I
The ‘table topics’ part of a Toastmasters meeting also prepares one to ‘speak off the cuff’ as members have to speak for up to two minutes on an unknown topic. The atmosphere is always supportive and it is a part of the meeting that raises much laughter and conviviality. I have found that this part of the meeting has provided
ample practice for the Q & A sessions that often follow presentations. I would urge anyone who is nervous about giving a speech (for example, a wedding or retirement speech), presentations in work or for interviews or even struggling with speaking in public on a one to one to join Toastmasters. Carlow Toastmasters is an extremely supportive and friendly group where laughter is always guaranteed as well as empathy, friendship and support.
Carlow County Museum A new Carlow county Museum is opening soon beside the library and tourist office.
Of interest to school children, tourists, parents, grandparents, Carlovians, the new museum has plenty of offer with over 4,000 artifacts on display and representing a wide array of displays and topics. Become more informed about the history of Carlow Sugar Factory which employed hundreds of people for over eighty years, find out all about how the River Barrow provided an important mode of transport for Carlow town, providing enterprise and jobs for many years. The locks are still in use but for boating holidays. Hear about the famous scientists, poets, thespians, sportspeople, revolutionaries and leading business successes from Co. Carlow.
Carlow Network Enterprising Women
for
Carlow County Enterprise Board is funding a network for all Carlow women in business, offering support, educational, promotional and networking opportunities. Meetings are held once a month on the last Wednesday each month from 12:30-2:30 pm. A guest speaker provides an informative presentation, networking opportunities are facilitated, members are able to promote their businesses and learn from case studies. The investment for each meeting is €10.
More information about upcoming meetings can be found on the Carlow NEW facebook page and applications forms are available from Carlow Enterprise Board on O’Brien Road.
Carlow Toastmasters Seven Oaks Hotel First and Third Wednesdays September – June Contact Lorna 086 1051007 for more information Improve Your Public Speaking in a Friendly and Supportive Environment Vistors Always Welcome