Author: zuriberg

Posted on

Exploring the Artificial: A Toastmasters Journey

Dear Zuriberg Toastmasters,

Last Tuesday night, we delved into the theme of “artificial,” exploring its multifaceted meaning in the context of 2024. After the President’s opening remarks, the gavel smoothly transitioned to our Toastmaster of the evening, Roland, who guided us through insightful speeches that challenged our perceptions.

Speaker Highlights & Evaluations

Fereshte shared a deeply personal journey in “The Day I Was Born,” inspiring us with her resilience in navigating life’s challenges. Kevin’s evaluation highlighted her eloquent language and encouraged her to infuse her delivery with local variety, igniting a spark of motivation in us all.

Marco motivated us to navigate the era of knowledge accessibility, offering strategies to sift through information plethora to be a knowledge advocate. His persuasive speech left a lasting impact. Selin’s evaluation praised Marco’s structured argumentation, guiding us through a journey of intellectual exploration.

Slavek’s icebreaker “Reality” seamlessly wove together personal anecdotes and a love for media, warmly embraced by our club. Alessandro’s evaluation highlighted the powerful impact of Slavek’s parallel storytelling approach, drawing us into his world with authenticity.

Thomas S, visiting us from the Rhetorik Club Zurich, engaged story-telling prowess in his speech “Courage,” inspiring us to embrace growth beyond our comfort zones. Gabriel emphasized the role of anecdotes in effective storytelling, enriching our understanding of Thomas’s message.

Gabriele demonstrated in his speech, “A Toastmaster’s Journey to Tranquility”, illuminated how yoga can enhance public speaking, sprinkled with delightful humor. Tatyana’s award-winning evaluation celebrated Gabriele’s masterful use of humor and engagement techniques, reminding us that with dedication, we can hone our craft.

Table Topics

Under Aaron’s adept guidance, our table topics session danced with creativity, seamlessly weaving the theme into spontaneous discourse. Thomas M.’s quick wit and charm earned him well-deserved recognition as the Best Table Topic Speaker.

Concluding Thoughts

This session showcased our community’s ability to embrace complex themes, encouraging exploration and personal reflection on the artificial aspects of our lives. Let us continue to explore, learn and grow together!

What is in the Horizon?

Join us for these exciting upcoming events!

April 23rd: Humorous Workshop with Mike Casa

April 30th: Regular Meeting – Dream with Richard as Toastmaster of the Evening in L200

May 15th: General Assembly – Elections (quorum required) 

Stay tuned for more updates from the Toastmasters world, including the May 3rd Joint Meeting Area E4 – details to follow & District 109 Conference in Istanbul May 10th – 12th 

Warmest Regards,

Vanessa Stournari

President Toastmasters Zuriberg Club Vanessa Stournari

Posted on

😄 Toastmasters Workshop Invitation: “Humor Unleashed” 😂

Unlock the power of laughter at our upcoming Toastmasters workshop, “Humor Unleashed.” with special host Mike Casa. Discover how humor can enhance your speeches, engage your audience, and lighten even the most serious topics.

Date: 23. April 2024
Time: 06.45 pm
Location: Zum Königsstuhl
Workshop Theme: “Humorous”

Workshop Features:

  • The Art of Crafting Humor: Learn techniques for integrating humor into your speeches, from puns and anecdotes to comedic timing and delivery.
  • Interactive Exercises: Participate in fun activities designed to bring out your natural comedic talent and apply humorous elements in speaking.
  • Feedback and Coaching: Get personalized feedback on your humorous speech attempts and insights on refining your humorous delivery.

Special Guest: Mike Casa

Featured Quote: “A day without laughter is a day wasted.” – Charlie Chaplin

Whether you’re looking to add a dash of humor to your speeches or aiming to master the art of comedy, this workshop is for anyone interested in making their audience laugh. Join us for a session filled with laughter, learning, and lots of fun.

🎭 Embrace the lighter side of public speaking and discover how humor can transform your communication skills. Let’s unleash the humor together!

Posted on

🤖 Toastmasters Meeting Announcement: “Artificial” 🌐

Join us for an electrifying Toastmasters session where we delve into the world of the “Artificial.” This meeting will explore the impact of technology, artificial intelligence, and the fine line between the natural and the synthetic through captivating speeches and discussions.

Date: 09. April 2024
Time: 06.45
Location: Zum Königsstuhl, Zurich
Theme: “Artificial”

Highlights:

  • Inspiring Speeches: Discover how artificiality and technology shape our world.
  • Table Topics: Engage in impromptu speaking with a twist of artificiality.
  • Constructive Feedback: Receive insightful evaluations to help polish your speaking prowess.

Featured Quote: “Artificial Intelligence: where the ‘artificial’ is real, and the ‘intelligence’ is up for debate.” – Anonymous

Prepare to be enlightened, entertained, and possibly even challenged as we navigate the intriguing intersection of humanity and technology. Whether you’re a tech guru, an AI skeptic, or simply curious, this meeting promises thought-provoking content and lively interaction.

👾 Dive into the debate, share your perspectives, and let’s explore the artificial together. See you there!

Posted on

Journeying Together: Highlights from the last Toastmasters Meeting, March 26th

Fellow Toastmasters and welcome guests,

At today’s travel-themed meeting, we embarked on an unforgettable odyssey. Alice, our President, welcomed everyone with enthusiasm, reflecting on the clubs success in the district contest before setting the stage for an evening of exploration and discovery.

Gabriele, stepping into the role of Toastmaster for the first time, guided us through the agenda with confidence and grace. Vassilis also made his debut, taking on the timing responsibilities with precision, marking today’s session as a significant milestone for both.

The word of the day, “odyssey,” chosen by our Grammarian Kevin, perfectly captured the spirit of our gathering and the journeys our speakers shared.

Speeches, evaluations and table topics

Our speakers, Denisse, Aaron, Thomas, and Innocent, took us on diverse and captivating journeys. From Denisse’s exploration of how for her the poems from Robert Burns are linked to income inequality and global warming to Aaron’s vibrant revisit of his speech on Ikigai a month ago, Thomas’s reflections on our choice in the choice of our communication style, and Innocent’s insights into the power of words, each speech was a beautiful journey in itself. 

The feedback sessions, led by evaluators Yani, Zsolt, Michelle, and Elias, provided constructive insights, helping our speakers navigate their paths to improvement.

Karina’s Table Topics session was an impromptu speaking adventure in to the land of deep thinking, challenging participants to think and speak on their feet based on quotes from famous philosophers. Slawek, Roland,  Ben, Anton, and Mathieu put their own take on philosophy to the test.

Closing

As we concluded, Sabina, our General Evaluator, and Alice offered final remarks and awards, reflecting on the successes of our meeting’s journey. Thomas, Elias and Slawek won in their respective categories – well done!

A heartfelt thank you to everyone, especially Gabriele and Vassilis for their debut roles, for making this meeting a memorable odyssey. Here’s to many more journeys together in the spirit of Toastmasters.

Safe travels on your speaking journey,

Richard Bruckner
Please click here for details of our next club meeting

Richard Bruckner

Posted on

🌍 Toastmasters Meeting Announcement: “Travel” ✈️

Embark on a journey of exploration and discovery with us at our upcoming Toastmasters meeting, themed “Travel.” This session is your ticket to experiencing the world through the art of storytelling and public speaking.

Date: March 26th
Time: 6.45pm
Location: zum Königsstuhl
Theme: “Travel”

Explore With Us:

  • Voyages in Speech: Members will share their most memorable travel stories, insights gained from different cultures, and the personal growth experienced through their journeys.
  • Table Topics: Navigate through impromptu speaking challenges that will whisk you away to far-off destinations.
  • Feedback Odyssey: Engage in evaluations that help every speaker map out their path to improvement.

Featured Quote: “I have found out there is no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.” – Mark Twain, probably after a particularly challenging road trip with friends.

Whether you’re an avid traveler or simply dream of visiting distant lands, this meeting is for anyone inspired by the power of exploration. Join us for an evening where every speech is a journey, and every story opens a door to new worlds.

🌐 Set sail with us on a Toastmasters adventure that promises to expand your horizons. Your passport to public speaking and leadership awaits!

Posted on

Exploring space colonization: a Toastmasters debate evening on March 19th

Dear fellow Zuriberg Toastmasters, 

This week, we returned to our beloved hall in Zum Königsstuhl (aka the former Blue Monkey) for a debate evening on the motion: “This house believes that we should colonize another planet.”

The debate

The proposition team, composed of Nicola and Pietro, argued passionately, inspiring us to emulate our forefathers who set foot on the moon and urged us to “think big”!

Conversely, the opposition team, consisting of Aaron and Elias, believed that our focus should be on addressing Earth’s problems, such as poverty. They criticized the proposition team for diverting attention from these pressing issues, contending, “They bring dreams; we bring facts.”

Joran, the Debate Chair, effectively maintained discipline by managing the timing allocated to each speaker, which facilitated a productive discussion. At the end, Tatyana, our General Evaluator provided critical feedback on the debate which will enable us to be even better next time!

The table topics

After a delightful meal, Samira transported us to another universe with her inspiring questions that ignited unique stories: Thomas shared his discovery of Thomas’ Planet, Micheleelucidated the differences between men and women, Vassillis demonstrated his laser gun prowess, and myself, Kevin described his transition to becoming a space slave owner. Thomasclinched the victory ribbon!

The evening concluded with us putting theory into practice by applying our newly acquired skills in a practical session, debating the ballot process. Congratulations to the opposition team for winning the debate!

What is next? 

We hope you enjoy another adventure in our Club and eagerly anticipate our next regular meetings:

  • On the 26th March, the theme of the evening will be “’Travel’ and will be orchestrated by Gabriele
  • On the 9th April, the theme will be “Artificial” and the TME is wanted! 

(The two evenings will take place in Zum Königsstuhl).

Get ready to dive into the worlds of ‘Travel’ and ‘Artificial’ at our next gatherings!

Warmest Regards, 

Kevin von Niederhäuser,

VP Membership Zuriberg TMC
Please click here for details of our next club meeting

Posted on

🌌 Toastmasters Debate Night Announcement: “Should We Live on Another Planet?” 🪐

Mark your calendars for an out-of-this-world Debate Night at Toastmasters! Engage in a thought-provoking discussion on the potential and implications of colonizing other planets.

Date: March 19th
Time: 6.45pm
Location: Zum Königsstuhl, Stüssihofstatt 3
Debate Topic: “Should We Live on Another Planet?”

Event Highlights:

  • Dynamic Debate: Participate in or witness a lively debate on whether humanity should seek to inhabit other planets. Explore the technological, ethical, and environmental considerations of extraterrestrial colonization.
  • Constructive Evaluations: Benefit from insightful feedback aimed at refining your debating and public speaking skills.

Featured Quote: “It is not enough for us to just exist; it is time for us to move beyond survival to thrive.” – Carl Sagan

This debate promises to be an engaging exploration of one of the most pressing questions of our time. Whether you’re a space enthusiast, a sustainability advocate, or simply curious, join us for an evening of compelling arguments and galaxy-sized ideas.

🚀 Prepare for liftoff to a night of rigorous reasoning and stellar speeches. Let’s navigate the vast expanse of this topic together!

Posted on

Flourishing at Zuriberg Toastmasters: A Recap – Meeting March 12th

Dear fellow Zuriberg Toastmasters, 

In the heart of vibrant Langstrasse, nestled within the dynamic confines of L200, we experienced another enjoyable evening last night. The venue, adorned with a unique stage setup featuring spotlights and a microphone, promised to elevate our speakers to new heights, fostering an atmosphere ripe for flourishing.

Under the moderation of our Toastmaster Joanna, the meeting embraced a spirit of growth and development, seamlessly matching the flourishing theme of the day.

Speakers Highlights

The meeting commenced with an engaging Icebreaker speech by Vassilis titled “Thank you, but who am I?” as part of the Engaging Humor segment. Vassilis set the tone for the evening with humor and insight, captivating the audience with his introduction.

Rafael took the stage to deliver his speech titled “At Least It Flies” as part of the Presentation Mastery segment. He delved into the art of receiving feedback by drawing parallels to Gaudi’s resilience in the face of criticism and sharing his personal experience from the architect school. Rafael emphasized the importance of discerning between constructive feedback and mere criticism—a crucial aspect of personal and professional growth.

Fereshteh presented “Poetry” as part of the Leadership Development session. By incorporating feedback into her speech, she exemplified the transformative power of reworking and refining one’s ideas—a testament to the flourishing potential within each of us.

Gabriel addressed “The elephant in the room” in the Strategic Relationships segment. With strategic finesse, Gabriel demonstrated the correlation of AI, human cognition, and the importance of formulating messages within a positive frame. A reminder that, once we think of the pink elephant in the room, the pink elephant will always be somewhere there.

The art of evaluations

Our evaluators including Karina, Etienne, Zsolt, and Christina led by our General Evaluator Selin and her team, provided valuable feedback in a constructive, energetic and empowering way, fostering an environment conducive to learning and development. Aaron served as the Grammarian, ensuring linguistic precision, while Joran managed the Ah & Vote Counting, maintaining the flow of the meeting while Alessandro expertly kept track of time! Etienne with his story-telling evaluation took the best evaluation trophy home.

Denisse led the Table Topics session, encouraging participants to think on their feet and express themselves spontaneously on awkwardness. Rafael’s insightful response earned him the first prize, highlighting the club’s commitment to fostering creativity and quick thinking.

As we reflect on the evening’s proceedings, one thing is clear: at Zuriberg Toastmasters, the stage is set for flourishing in all its forms, and the journey ahead is brimming with possibilities.

What is on the horizon 

We finally transition back to Blue Monkey Zum Königsstuhl with a dynamic start!

19th March – our yearly debate with Joran as TME

26th March – regular meeting with theme travel – TME wanted 

Kind Regards

Vanessa Stournari

President Zuriberg TMC
Please click here for details of our next club meeting

Posted on

🌸 Toastmasters Meeting Announcement: “Flourishing” 🌼

Join us for an inspiring evening as we celebrate the theme of “Flourishing” at our upcoming Toastmasters meeting. This special session is dedicated to personal growth, vibrant expression, and the budding potential within us all.

Date: March 12th
Time: 6.45pm
Location: L200

Agenda Highlights:

  • Inspirational Speeches: Immerse yourself in stories of growth and achievement from our members.
  • Evaluations: Participate in or witness constructive feedback that nurtures our speaking skills.
  • Table Topics: Challenge your quick thinking with impromptu speaking opportunities that reflect our theme of flourishing.

Featured Quote: “And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” – Anaïs Nin

Whether you’re looking to bloom in your public speaking journey or simply wish to be part of a community that celebrates progress, this meeting is for you. Let’s flourish together in an environment that supports and elevates our goals.

🌱 Embrace this opportunity to grow, share, and connect. We look forward to seeing you bloom at our meeting.

Posted on

𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭-𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐫, 𝐝𝐨𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞 🌞🌞, 𝐝𝐨𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 🥇🥇 – Area Contest report by Christina Yap

Thanks to Christina Yap for allowing us to re-post her report from her double awards at the E4 Area Contest.

I am deeply honoured and thrilled to have received two No. 1 awards at Toastmasters. In this post, I share the recipe for success. 

For those of you out there who are up for your next challenge, may it inspire you to embrace challenges with a #growthmindset. Everyone else has a role to play too! Read on..

🚀 𝐄𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐞𝐭 🚀
“𝘛𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸.”

Nine months into my Toastmasters journey, I was selected to represent my local Toastmasters club at the annual area speech contest. Last Friday, as I stood next to seasoned competitors, I could have succumbed to nerves.

However, I chose to embrace the opportunity. My passion for continuous learning, #personaldevelopment and the thrill of embracing new challenges kept me focused on the mission. As we navigate the AI revolution, I believe that cultivating a growth mindset and readiness to approach challenges with collectedness becomes more essential than ever before. This contest was a great opportunity for me to walk the talk.. 😉

All I had to do was be myself, try my best, apply all my transferable skills, knowledge, experience. And see what happens with a healthy dose of spontaneous #creativity…

The result?
🌞 𝑯𝒐𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒅: I received “𝑭𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝑷𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆” awards in the
 🥇 ‘𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘦𝘤𝘩 𝘦𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯’ and
  🥇 ‘𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘴’ 
categories. I am truly humbled by the next opportunity to compete at the Divisional level…

𝐌𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬?

🎙️ 𝑰𝒏𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝑨𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒔: The spellbinding techniques and motivational speeches delivered by my esteemed competitors truly inspired me. I learned much from observing everyone in action and by what they shared. 

🌟 𝑬𝒏𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒅 𝑬𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆: Everyone played a role in supporting the event in a hybrid context. A heartfelt thank you to our host, UBS, for providing the venue and every individual who collaborated to make it a success.

🙏🙏 𝑫𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒕𝒖𝒅𝒆: A big thank you to all the judges, my distinguished Zuriberg Toastmasters Club, committee and members for their much valued feedback, support and vote of confidence. Immense gratitude to my mentor, Roland Straub, for believing in me, Dr. Vanessa Stournari for her support, Alice Nuslova, PMP® for her guidance and to Ben Nordemann for introducing me to this fun path!

𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲? 
There’s a first time for everything! We just need passion, readiness to embrace new challenges and a supportive network!

𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐨𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥: where everyone has the opportunity to learn, grow and hone their #leadership skills.
Where Leaders Are Made✨