Leng Kee Advanced TMC as Workshop Presenter, 24th August 2019

On the 24^th August 2019, I was at Leng Kee Advanced Toastmasters Club, as workshop presenter.  This was my 42^nd club visit on the 54^th day of the Toastmaster year.

The workshop advisor was Patrick Oei Kian Seng, the driving force behind the programme, and its inspiration.  Club president, Julie Ong P. S., was behind the publicity drive for it, and it was much of her hard work that filled the room to the brim.  The organising chair was Alex Ang.  Jennifer Lim handled the registration, including the many walk-in participants.  The IT support was Jenny Rachel Wan.  The photographer, and de facto sergeant-at-arms for the day, was Steven Choon.  Robert Ng was the Toastmaster of the Day.  Celine Goh was the other presenter.  I would like to thank Leng Kee Advanced Toastmasters Club, for this opportunity, and acknowledge their support.

In the first half of the workshop, Celine Goh introduced the audience to rhetorical devices, and how they are used.  She spoke about balancing fluency in language, with effective communication.  She had handouts that spelt it out clearly, and it was easy to follow for the audience.

In the second half, I spoke about rhetoric as a whole, and how it is used as a tool to move the audience to great deeds, and great wrongs.  I went into detail about the psychological tricks used by conmen, salesmen, great orators, to sell products and ideas.  In summary, rhetoric is not just about what is said, but how it is said.

Patrick Oei Kian Seng then gave a demonstration speech, off the cuff, incorporating much of the elements discussed in the workshop.  His was a display of oratorial skill, and quick thinking, as he weaved a narrative, incorporating a call to action, a coherent tale, and a plausible scenario, injecting humour, vulnerability, and gravitas.