Braddell Heights II Toastmasters Club, 28th September 2019: A Roleplay That Aged in Real Time

On 28^th September 2019, I was at Braddell Heights II Toastmasters Club as Language Evaluator, my 73^rd club visit on the 90^th day of the Toastmaster year.  Lim Li Li served as Sergeant-at-Arms.  Venkatesh Narayanan and Quek Li Lin served jointly as Toastmasters of the Day.  Losheini Ravindran served as Table Topics Master.  Simon Foo served as Timer.  Boopathi Raj served as Ah Counter.

Servant Leadership at 10,000 Metres

K. V. Kumar gave a hilarious speech on the travails of working as a flight steward and in-flight supervisor, recounting some ridiculous demands from unreasonable passengers, and how servant leadership was key to setting an example and addressing these challenges.  A meta-analysis of eighty-five studies covering 16,803 participants has confirmed servant leadership carries measurable positive links to satisfaction, commitment, and performance, alongside a measurable reduction in turnover intentions.  Kumar’s speech illustrated that research from a less comfortable vantage point than any academic study ever measures it from: a pressurised cabin at cruising altitude, with nowhere for either party to walk away.

Hair Loss, with a Product Attached

Linda Ong, DTM, gave a speech on our crowning glory, hair, addressing hair loss and its remedy, proposing a specific product alongside a liberal dose of follicle health education.  The subject carries more weight than a light speech topic usually suggests.  Androgenetic alopecia affects up to 80% of men and 50% of women at some point in their lives, with 40% of men experiencing significant hair loss by age 35, and one British study found 85% of women affected reported measurably reduced self-esteem as a direct result.  A speech tackling this openly, rather than treating it as an embarrassing subject best avoided, does a genuine service to an audience larger than the room itself suggests.

A Roleplay That Predicted Its Own Punchline

Bharath Kumar role-played as the CEO of Thomas Cook, telling staff that the company was in trouble, managing to fit in a considerable number of nautical terms and phrases along the way.  Thomas Cook, the 178-year-old travel firm, filed for compulsory liquidation in the early hours of 23^rd September 2019, five days before this meeting, stranding 150,000 travellers abroad in what became the largest peacetime repatriation in British history.  Kumar chose a company as his failing-business example days after that company had collapsed.

Solar Power, Properly Explained

Alfred Wong gave a technical speech on solar power and the process by which it converts to electricity, supported by a comprehensive PowerPoint presentation.  A technical subject delivered with visual rigour, rather than a vague gesture at renewable energy buzzwords, is the kind of speech that separates a Toastmaster who understands his material from one merely repeating headline.

The Evaluators and Results

Megha Maheswari, Marco Pesce, S. S. Cheng, Lorinne Yoong, and Joseph Soh served as Project Evaluators.  Best Speaker went jointly to Siri Katuri and K. V. Kumar.  Best Evaluator went to Joseph Soh.  Best Table Topics Speaker went to a guest.  A meeting spanning aviation customer service, dermatology, an accidentally prophetic corporate roleplay, and applied physics, all within a single evening, is not a small range for one club to cover, and this one covered it without a single speech feeling out of its depth.

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Terence Nunis, DTM | Division Advisor, District 80 Division M | Club Advisor, AIA Toastmasters | Past President & Founder, Awesome Toastmasters

PL Link TMC as Project Speaker, 28th September 2019

On the 28^th September 2019, I was at PL Link Toastmasters Club, as project speaker.  This was my 72^nd club visit, on the 90^th day of the Toastmaster year.

The Toastmaster of the Day was Freddie Lee.  The timer was Vijay Vittal.  The ah counter was Lee Hwaeun.

Paul Lorett Amazona spoke about his communication style, and how he arrived at it, as well as his major influences.  He said his style is a unique blend of casual, and analytical.  He is experienced giving talks on technical matters, and the challenge is to make it interesting.

Janet Haw gave a speech reflecting on her path, Innovative Planning.  She recounted the challenges she had to overcome to complete the various speech projects of the path.  She broke down her journey into the elements of courage, communication, and challenges.

Lee Hwaeun spoke about the concept of creativity, and how the education system influences how we develop creatively.  She expounded on the reasons, and factors, why some people are more creative than others.

I spoke about the concept of rhetoric, and the need to channel the speaker persona, and represent the audience.

The project evaluators were Aaron Khalid bin Azhari, Freddie Lee, Daniel Chew, and Vijay Vittal.

Best Speaker: Janet Haw;

Best Evaluators: Aaron Khalid bin Azhari; and

Best Table Topics Speaker: Myself.

Money Mastery TMC as Project Evaluator, 27th September 2019

On the 27^th September 2019, I was at Money Mastery Toastmasters Club, as project evaluator.  This was my 71^st club visit, on the 89^th day of the Toastmaster year.

The sergeants-at-arms were Raymond C. C. Ee, and Michell Sheya Wong.  The Toastmasters of the Day were Adeline Yeo, and Alfred Swe.  The timer was Angel Low.  The creative director was Rafid Ahmed.  The photographer was Cherley Wong.  The videographer was Admond Lee.

The programme was of two distinct speech sessions of three speakers each.  As such, each session had its own best speakers f each category, with no table topics session.

The president, Rebecca Tan H. Q., quoted part of John Donne’s famous devotional poem, “No man is an island”.  The essence of the address is that it is great to gather in a community in the pursuit of self-improvement.  In this case, it is public speaking.  She then mentioned three “dynamic duo” tropes: the friends who are alike, the friends who are opposites, and the friends who are adversarial.  The respective examples were Bananas in Pyjamas, Pinky and the Brain, and Tom and Jerry.

Fran Ng gave an alliterative narration on the sins of the father, and sins of the son.  It was raw, unfiltered, honest.  It takes a tremendous amount of courage for someone to give a speech, owning his mistakes, and sharing his lessons with the rest of us.  Like his father, he had successful businesses, and like his father, he frittered away large sums on different women.  And in the, when all was lost, he went home, defeated, dejected, and bereft; and his wife was always there, supporting, loyal, a paragon.

Zhang Xiao Ye gave us a tour de force on his journey to discover his leadership style, and the events that shaped his perspective.  He was liberal in his use of rhetorical devices to accentuate the points of learning in that journey.  He mentioned his early travails with work, and the paradigm shift that made him an active learner.

Eason Lek Ye Shen spoke about anxiety, the causes, the effects, and the stages.  He expounded on the variations of the fight or flight imperative that assails all of us, and how breathing helps.  Controlled deep breathing slows the heart, and calms the heart.

Bryan Chye Bei ‘An brought us on a physical and metaphorical journey, recounting his trek up Annapurna Massif, in the Himalayas.  He spoke of the next step, the step after, and the continuing journey of self-discovery we must all undertake.

Andrew Wee made a credible attempt at behavioural humour, around the theme of silence.  It was a brave performance in a genre most Singaporeans are not familiar with, and he handled the crowd masterfully.

Matthew Tang spoke about resilience, and consistency.  He gave us tips on keeping to our goals and adhering to our commitments.  He defined the concept, he addressed the contentions, and he gave solutions.

The project evaluators were myself, Raymond Zhang, and Celia Jacqueline Lim for the first session.  The project evaluators were Thomas Chen Jun Ying, Jackie Lin Feng, and Michael Ng for the second session.

1^st Session Best Speaker: Zhang Xiao Ye; and

1^st Session Best Evaluators: Myself, Raymond Zhang, and Celia Jacqueline Lim.

2^nd Session Best Speaker: Bryan Chye Bei ‘An; and

2^nd Session Best Evaluator: Michael Ng.

Stars, Strokes, & the Sheer Grind behind MDRT

On the 26^th September 2019, I served as Project Speaker at AIA Toastmasters Club.  I served jointly as Toastmasters of the Day.  April Lin served as Table Topics Master.  Liang Ye served as Timer.  Stephen Hoon Wee Jin served as Ah Counter.  Frances Goh served as Photographer.

The Presidential Address

Jack Sia delivered the Presidential Address, speaking on reaching for the stars and serving as a guide for the club, arguing that a team walking together is never truly in darkness.  Delivered with genuine sincerity rather than the usual ceremonial platitude, it landed with real weight.

The Speeches

Chng Pia Kim delivered his very first speech, recounting his journey toward a healthier lifestyle after a genuine wake-up call: his father’s stroke, six years earlier.  He has since eliminated canned soda and barbequed food from his diet, and exercises regularly.  A first speech built on a genuine health scare, rather than a rehearsed icebreaker, carries a weight most debut speeches never manage.

Angelique Ng told the story of her journey from Asia Insurance to AIA, and the sheer volume of work required to achieve Million-Dollar Round Table qualification eventually.  MDRT recognition is not handed out generously.  Fewer than 1% of the world’s life insurance and financial services professionals ever qualify for it, drawn from an international membership base of tens of thousands across dozens of countries, each required to meet strict production thresholds alongside an equally strict ethical standard.  Angelique’s account was not one of shortcuts or fortunate timing.  It was the story of climbing from executive assistant to MDRT qualifier through unglamorous, sustained effort, which is precisely the only route that statistic actually permits.

Linda Lee delivered a humorous speech covering her habit of talking in her sleep, her self-diagnosed dyslexia, and her method of trawling Google for material whenever inspiration for a comic speech runs dry.  Her talent for structuring a joke properly, rather than simply being amusing in conversation, continues to set her apart from most speakers who attempt the humorous category.

I spoke about the lessons learned during my first few months as Area Director and what the club could collectively draw from that experience.  Early mistakes in a leadership role are rarely wasted if the lessons get shared rather than quietly buried.

The Evaluators

Stephen Hoon, Jack Sia, Zhuo Shu Zhen, DTM, and Ivan Lee, DTM, served as Project Evaluators.  Four evaluators across five speeches is a demanding rotation, and the panel handled it without a single evaluation feeling rushed or superficial.

The Results

Best Speaker went to Chng Pia Kim, a striking result for a first-time speaker, and a direct testament to how much weight a genuine personal stake carries over polish.  Best Evaluator went to Zhuo Shu Zhen, DTM.  A meeting that opened with a call to reach for the stars closed with a first-time speaker walking away with Best Speaker honours, which is the kind of result that justifies the opening address rather than merely decorating it.

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Terence Nunis, DTM | Division Advisor, District 80 Division M | Club Advisor, AIA Toastmasters | Past President & Founder, Awesome Toastmasters