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A Toastmasters Extravaganza: Award Dinner with Inspirational Toasts – October 31st

Dear fellow Zuriberg Toastmasters, 

What a better occasion to raise your glass for an empowering toast rather the Zuriberg Toastmasters Award dinner? Last night we got up to the mood for social speeches, where four speakers raised their glass to acknowledge and toast members who have been the guiding stars, the silent motivators, and the unsung heroes of our Toastmasters journey. Our beautiful Blue Monkey guilt adorned in the elegance befitting an award dinner.

Our Toastmaster of the evening, Roland, not only set the mood with the importance of social speeches, but also he fused the evening with Voltaire’s timeless quote and weaved it beautifully with the speakers introduction and the theme of day:

“Appreciation is a wonderful thing – It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well”

Speakers’ Highlights

Christina – With built-up suspense and eloquence, Christina raised her glass to Joran, the master of humorous and tall-tales speeches, bringing laughter to our meetings.

Harry – Offering a gracious and concise toast to Roland, Harry highlighted the inspiration he drew from Roland’s leadership and feedback exchange, educating the audience while honoring the toast receiver.

Hugo –to Ben, the multi-talented member, Hugo presented a toast filled with vivid visualization through expressive body language, acknowledging Ben’s efforts in uniting the Dutch expat society.

Elias – a toast immersed in creativity. Samira and her genuine presenting style, fusing emotions with authenticity, inspired Elias to raise a glass to her using the alphabet: a reason for appraisal for every letter! Elias’s unique approach earned him the Best Speaker award.

The Art of Evaluation: Nicola, our General Evaluator, provided insights into effective evaluations, emphasizing close summaries for memorable takeaways, engaging delivery, and constructive feedback. Myself, Vanessa was honored to take the best evaluation award home.

Creativity of Table Topics: Yani won the Best Table Topic, explaining why the ant would be the most suitable mascot animal for Toastmasters. Table topic master, Gabriele showcased inclusive, easy-to-answer topics fused seamlessly into the overarching theme.

Reflection and Inspiration

In summary, our traditional award dinner-themed Toastmasters Zuriberg meeting promises an unforgettable blend of sophistication and sincerity, as members come together to celebrate the unsung heroes who make our Toastmasters experience truly remarkable. Cheers to inspiration, camaraderie, and the power of a well-deserved toast!

What is on the horizon? 

As we immense in winter and festive atmosphere, we continue to grow and thrive in our public speaking journey, learning from one another and setting last minute milestones for 2023.

Contest announcement – connect with Alice to register for speech or organisation support!

December 12th – regular meeting with theme Last Minute

December 19th – Christmas party (confirm or decline attendance) in Easyspeak

Warmest wishes, 

Vanessa Stournari

President Zuriberg TMC

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A Night of Vibrancy  amidst Hibernation – meeting 14th November

Dear Zuriberg Toastmasters,

Tuesday’s gathering was far from hibernation—it was an evening of vibrancy and growth! Despite a last-minute change in venue, Ana Maria, our adept Toastmaster of the Evening, skillfully guided us through the night, showcasing the power of preparation in handling unforeseen challenges.

Our Table Topics Master curated a session inspired by the animal kingdom, leading to engaging impromptu speeches. Seline’s witty response not only avoided a frog kiss but earned her the Best Table Topics Award.

Special guest Santhiago, our former member and current Area Director, enlightened us about his role in Toastmasters Organisation. What is his vision for his year of service? His efforts are focused to enhance our public speaking journey through intra-club speeches, with available slots for the upcoming club Walk the talk—contact our VP Education Alice for a chance to participate.

Speaker highlights

  1. Pietro: Infused his speech on decision-making with acting flair, humor, and vivid storytelling, showcasing the importance of creativity on stage.
  2. Joran: Landed the Best Speaker Award with a tall tale that was imaginative, absurd, and humorously enriched with body language elements.
  3. Vadim: Explored stoicism with parallelism and philosophy jokes, delivering a well-structured speech with strong takeaways and audience engagement.
  4. Habiba: Shared insights into her leadership style, navigating us through her personal experience with emotional vocality. Trust and empowerment were key strengths in discovering her democratic and liberating leadership style. Thank you Habiba for sharing your story with us!

The art of evaluations

Our General Evaluator, Sabine, provided insightful feedback to all evaluators, emphasizing how well they demonstrated the speakers΄strengths and areas for improvement. Michelle received the Best Evaluator Award, celebrated for her unique style.

What is in the horizon?

A lot of events are coming! Animal kingdom may hibernate in winter, but Zuriberg Toastmaster make good use of the cold rainy days to hone our public speaking skills!

November 21st  – Regular Meeting with theme Music and Riccardo as TME!

November 22nd – Cross-club speech opportunity – contact Alice for seizing it.

November 28th – Award Dinner with Roland as our Host! Information to follow!

December 12th – Regular Meeting with theme Last Minute with Christina as TME!

December 19th – Christmas party –surprise, confirm attendance in Easyspeak!

The evening was a testament to the diverse talents within our club, fostering an environment to learn, grow and excel together.Let’s carry this inspiration into our next meetings!

Warmest wishes, 

Vanessa Stournari

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

Vanessa Stournari

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A Halloween sprinkled with renewable elements – Meeting 31st October

Dear Zuriberg Toastmasters,

What an energetic Halloween we experienced last Tuesday!

Our Tuesday΄s Toastmasters evening was electrifying. Anna, our Toastmaster of the evening, infused the night with a Halloween theme using her story telling technique to introduce each speaker with their own personal stories, a technique to enhance moderation skills. A good introduction should focus on the speaker, build their credibility, and generate excitement about the topic.

Notable Speech Highlights

Christina delivered her speech “Just Say Yes,” inspiring us to battle perfectionism and seize opportunities. Her journey of teaching yoga in Zurich while honing her public speaking skills and learning German at the same time, demonstrated the power of  saying yes to unconventional paths. Ana Maria provided an educational evaluation, emphasizing the best body language elements in Christina’s speech.

Yani’s well-crafted icebreaker drew a beautiful parallel between virtues of water and her life. Humor sprinkled throughout the speech and a clear takeaway message earned her the Best Speaker award. Gabriel’s evaluation effectively analyzed the techniques used by referring to specific speech parts, demonstrating active listening skills at its best. Education, and creativity are therefore, key ingredients for a winning evaluation speech.

Fereshte’s speech on resilience showcased a strong structural framework, with four key aspects explained and supported by her personal stories. Pietro’s evaluation emphasized the effectiveness of this structure, while advising that simplicity is often more powerful than complexity; “less is more”.

Samvidha educating the audience on Indian dance while enhancing her own expressiveness. Roland’s winning evaluation emphasized that a speech can be informative, educational, persuasive, entertaining, or a combination of all these elements.

Svetlana captivated the audience with her Halloween story, masterfully building a stimulating plot, using descriptive vivid language. Elias recognized the winning elements in her speech and challenged her to take it to the next level by incorporating body language to spook us.

During the Table Topics session led by Ruxandra, participants displayed impressive improvisation skills, with topics fitting the both Halloween and Energy theme. Thomas took home the Best Table Topics award with an energizing Halloween story.

The evening concluded with Habiba and her team delivering engaging reports. They reminded us that time is not renewable and urged us to be mindful of it. Anna skillfully managed the meeting’s timing, ensuring that we finished on time without feeling rushed.

What is next?

As we look ahead, what can we expect in the future? Two regular meetings and the Award Dinner are on the table for November! Come along, take roles and hone your public speaking skills!

Yours in Toastmasters excellence,

Vanessa Stournari

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

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Embracing Failure – meeting October 24th

Dear Zuriberg Toastmasters,

Last Tuesday, we delved into the art of embracing failure as an integral part of our learning journey. Life’s rich tapestry is woven with the threads of our attempts and, sometimes, the inevitable outcomes we term as “failures.”

Our Toastmaster of the evening, Tatyana, effortlessly steered us through the night, which was definitely a success. During the insightful introductions, we gained valuable insights into how our members perceive and deal with failure. Vadim wisely chose “elope” as the word of the day, as we all have an interim urge to elope failure.

Roland skillfully conducted the table topics session, allowing us to share our personal experiences with failure, and Alice emerged as the Table Topic Winner with her entertaining tall-tale speech on mental exercise.

Speech Highlights

Yesenia, in her speech on diversity and inclusion, shared a simple yet powerful tip: making people feel included by remembering their names. She also encouraged us to broaden our horizons by diversifying our social circles, starting with our gatherings at Toastmasters. After all, we are adept at engaging with diverse audiences.

Nicola’s speech on the value of speaking up was a true gem. She engaged the audience with rhetorical questions and backed her points with compelling facts and data. Her seamless transition from a general example of a well-known airline to her personal experience showcased her skill. Nicola, who celebrated 15 years with Zuriberg, continues to be a valued member of our club, delighting us with her elevated speeches.

Joran’s speech on the power of asking “stupid” questions was captivating, earning him the winning prize. His relatable topic and well-structured sub-chapters, each based on a question type, kept the audience fully engaged.

The Art of Evaluations

Selin was awarded the first prize for her evaluation of Joran’s speech. Her structured evaluation highlighted what Joran did well and where he could improve, concluding with a well-rounded summary. An evaluator wears many hats, and paying tribute to the speaker, acknowledging their effort and courage to share their speech, is a fundamental element. Sabine provided an excellent example by making the speaker shine and attributing high-quality traits. Gabriele kept the spirit high with an empowering and motivating evaluation of Yesenia, reinforcing the strengths to enhance.

Our General Evaluator, Christina, and her team provided comprehensive feedback on our meeting’s strengths and areas for improvement. Time management was underscored once more as a cornerstone of a successful night, while evaluations referencing the pathways projects and goals achieved, where identified as room for improvement.

What’s on the Horizon?

We have a series of exciting meetings lined up, with the highlight being the Award Dinner on November 28th. Our next meeting, themed “Energy,” is just around the corner, next Tuesday, with Anna as our energetic Toastmaster.

Don’t miss the chance to take on roles, refine your public speaking skills, and be an active participant in our vibrant community. As the saying goes, if you don’t use it, you lose it. Please confirm your attendance or absence in Easyspeak.

Yours in Toastmasters excellence,

Vanessa Stournari

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

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Candid Conversations in a Toastmasters’ Evening – panel discussion October 17th

Last Tuesday, our Toastmasters club witnessed a captivating foray into the world of professional panel discussions. Our members, Richard and Karina, embarked on the journey of moderating two thought-provoking panels, each addressing topics that resonate with our daily lives. The discussions centered around two topics: the profound influence of technology on our lives and, how by embracing the principles of ethical leadership, we can navigate challenges with grace, inspire others to do the same, and ultimately create a better world.

A Thoughtfully Orchestrated Setting

Each panel, thoughtfully composed of four distinguished panelists, extended for a span of 40 minutes. The moderators, Richard and Karina, set the stage with insightful introductions and a clear explanation of the rules and format. This served as a foundation, crucial in shaping the audience’s expectations, and it led to two distinct panel dynamics.

Key Takeaways from the Discussions

The panels reinforced the idea that as discussions deepen and diverse opinions emerge, the significance of content, authenticity, and well-structured responses surpasses that of a rehearsed speech. Elements like vocality, body language, rhetorical questions, and metaphors, followed by eloquent elaborations, contribute to what makes an exceptional panelist. Selin and Monica demonstrated most of these attributes, earning them the accolade of best speakers. Furthermore, the evaluation feedback from Ben and Samira underscored the vital role of time management for panelists. Speaking at length, it was noted, can make it challenging for panelists to maintain a coherent train of thought.

Mastering the Role of a Moderator

Ben and Samira’s insightful evaluations provided valuable guidance on how to excel in the challenging role of a moderator. Thorough preparation, conscious time management, and seamless transitions between panelists, including brief recaps, set the tone and direction of the discussion. The moderator plays a pivotal role in reflecting on audience questions, ensuring the conversation stays on track while introducing diversity in responses.

The Role of the Audience

Audience engagement is a cornerstone of panel dynamics, providing the moderator with opportunities to influence the discussion’s trajectory while fostering an environment where panelists can express their views without the fear of criticism. This interactive element made the evening a true learning experience for all as the engaging questions brought various perspectives to light.

A Collective Learning Experience

As the evening concluded, there was a sense of empowerment and motivation in the room. This evening of panel discussions proved to be an invaluable learning experience. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to Richard and Karina for their exceptional organizational and moderating efforts. Their dedication and commitment to making these panel discussions a success were truly remarkable. A big Thank you goes to our esteemed panelists, Pietro, Denise, Selin, Samvidha, Monica, Gabriele, Joanna, and Christina, for your courage in standing up and exceptionally supporting the projects of our moderators.

And finally, a big resounding applause to the person behind the scenes, Alice for the exceptional organization and keeping her eye on the details for the maximum educational outcome on the panel discussion. 

It makes me feel proud to be member of this club by seeing how much passion each one of us bring to our common cause of personal development. It is this shared commitment that fuels our journey and continues to inspire us to reach new heights.

What is next?

The journey continues with two upcoming regular meetings in October, with the themes “Failure” and “Energy.” We invite all members to step forward, take on roles, and join us on stage as we persist on our Toastmaster journey, sharing experiences and inspiring one another.

Warmest wishes,

Vanessa Stournari

President of Zuriberg TMC

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An evening of delicacy – meeting September 26th

Fellow Toastmasters Zuriberg and friends, 

Last Tuesday, we gathered for yet another exquisite evening at our beloved Zuriberg Toastmasters club. While the space was limited, our spirits were soaring high, and the word of the day was “exquisite.”

The Evening’s Flow

Our Toastmaster of the evening, Elias, guided us through an intriguing exploration of what delicacy means to each of us. Delicacy, as we discovered, transcends mere food; it encompasses the subtle beauty in nature, cherished memories, and, in our Toastmaster community, the art of delivering a near-perfect speech. Elias’s eloquent introductions set the tone for an evening filled with charm and grace.

Elias closed the evening with a personal inspirational quote: “Delicacy is a fine speech. That speech keeping you on your toes. That speech that is composed not by words but by exquisite music. That speech that we will remember forever”.

Speaker Highlights

“Conquering Procrastination”: Ruxandra‘s speech emphasized that the pursuit of perfection can hinder our growth. She shared techniques to overcome procrastination and encouraged fearless public speaking. Her message was clear: achievement triumphs over perfection. Christina’s engagement to the speech resulted to an inspiring passionate evaluation resonated with the audience.

“My Bed, Your Bed, or Our Bed?”: Ana-Maria artfully coupled conflict management strategies with storytelling in her speech, depicting the comical situation of sharing a guest room with two unwilling cats. Her creative approach earned her the Best Speaker award. Ettienne, provided a well-constructed evaluation to help Anna to bring her speech to the next level of story-telling. The holistic analysis approach  with the engaging delivery, granted him the best evaluation award.

“The Language of the Body”: Svetlana explored the impact of body language, highlighting its role in conveying attitude, mood, and vulnerability. Anna’sevaluation provided practical insights into controlling nervousness through breathing techniques.

Kevin brought a delightful array of table topics, from memorable childhood moments to mastering new skills. Pietro’s tale of the perfect gelato recipe earned him the Table Topics award.

The evening concluded with a thoughtful evaluation by General Evaluator Thomas and his team. Fereshte, Vadim, and Gabriele provided their insightful reports on time, filler words and use of language, while Thomas emphasized the power of a passionate engaging evaluation in both educating the speaker and captivating the audience.

Conclusion

Toastmasters Zuriberg proved that delicacy extends beyond the culinary world. It resides in the finesse of speeches, the art of storytelling, and the skillful evaluation of our fellow members. As we continue our Toastmasters journey, we are reminded that it is not just about perfection but about growth, engagement, and the joy of sharing our voices.

What is on the horizon? 

The next regular meeting is on October 10th under the theme, “appraisal”. On October 17th we host the panel discussion, with two panels proving insights on two topics: “Impact of Technology on Daily Lives” & “Ethical Leadership”.

 Kind Regards 

Vanessa Stournari

President TMC Zuriberg

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Fata Morgana: Illusion or Unfulfilled Expectation? – meeting September 19th

Last night, in the cozy ambiance of Thai Heaven restaurant, we hold another invigorating Zuriberg Toastmasters meeting.

Our Toastmaster for the evening, Monica, set the stage with a well-researched introduction on the theme of the day: the illusory phenomenon of Fata Morgana. This question got us thinking, what is our own Fata Morgana?

Learning Through Speeches

Our evening was filled with three captivating prepared speeches, engaging table topics, and insightful evaluations, all contributing to our ongoing journey in mastering the art of public speaking.

Joran kicked things off with his icebreaker titled “Time for Some Action.” He shared his journey in overcoming his fear of public speaking, emphasizing the value of preparation, reading on public speaking, and inspiration from fellow Toastmasters. Svetlana, his evaluator, praised his colorful language, making his icebreaker truly engaging.

Anna earned the Best Speaker award with her speech “In the Mind of a Tour Guide.” She skillfully wove her experiences as a Zurich tour guide into a compelling storytelling technique. Roland, her evaluator, praised her excellent technique,  giving the characterization of the perfect packaging. Roland not only praised Anna, but he also coupled masterfully the storytelling technique of her speech into his own evaluation speech. And that succesfully granted him the best evaluator award. 

Toastmasters isn’t just about public speaking; it’s a community where we grow, connect, and find inspiration for life projects. Eric, a long-standing Zuriberg member celebrating a significant milestone of 10 years with Zuriberg, delivered an engaging speech titled “Reaching Out for Research.” He shared how his Toastmasters experience had helped him master the art of interviewing, emphasizing the values of intent, trust, agreement, and comfort.

Michelle provided a tailor-made evaluation for Eric, highlighting the need for more information about the project while acknowledging his passionate delivery. Speeches can be informative, humorous, or personal, but it was Eric’s personal, participative style which resonated with the audience.

Meeting Reflection

Our General Evaluator, Tatyana, and her team diligently monitored the evening, commending the meeting organization by our Sergeant at Arms, Samira. They also highlighted the effective evaluation techniques used by our evaluators. Our grammarian Seline and ah counter Fereshte contributed with excellent language usage and real-case filler word avoidance.

The word of the day, “spectre” (wisely chosen by Seline), was aptly matched to the theme, adding a touch of mystique to our evening. Table Topics, curated by Pietro, further embraced the Fata Morgana theme. Elias won the Table Topics session with a captivating tale of overcoming drinking problems by making a deal with the devil, delivered with vivid facial expressions. Tall-tale at its best, let the imagination go wild!

What’s on the Horizon?

While delivering a speech may seem like a Fata Morgana for many of us, there’s no better way to turn fear into achievement than by taking the stage. Our next regular meeting is scheduled for September 26th. Please step up and assign roles and speeches through Easyspeak. Additionally, note that our next meeting will be held in the first-floor restaurant, so kindly confirm your attendance or absence in Easyspeak ahead of time.

Don’t forget to sign up for the Panel Discussion on October 17th! With two moderating panel discussions, each featuring four panelists and an open floor for Q&A, it promises to be an exciting event.

Best Regards

Vanessa Stournari

President Zuriberg TMC

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Celebrating Autumn – meeting September 12th

Fellow Toastmasters and Friends,

At the recent Toastmaster’s meeting held on September 12th, we came together to celebrate the arrival of autumn. The evening was filled with three captivating prepared speeches, engaging table topics, and energetic evaluations, all contributing to our ongoing journey in honing our public speaking skills at our favorite guilt hall of Blue Monkey. 

One notable moment during the meeting was the selection of the word of the day, “Laurels,” well chosen by our Grammarian, Zsolt. Best speaker laurel was awarded to Christina for her vibrant speech titled “Care for Tea.” In her speech, Christina shared a personal and engaging story, accompanied by expressive body language, recounting how human connection over a cup of tea helped her overcome a burglar’s intrusion during her days in England.

Fereshte also made an impact with her icebreaker speech titled “Resilience.” Through her compelling storytelling, she transported us to Iran and her childhood, where she learned to develop resilience skills that continue to serve her well today. Fereshte’s speech beautifully illustrated that once we know how to confront life’s challenges, they cannot hold us back.

Michelle, with her charm and creativity, offered insights into the world of coaching in her speech. She explored the intriguing topic of coaching oneself, addressing the question of what happens when you attempt to coach the most challenging person in the room—you. Her speech emphasized the importance of self-love as a key factor in positive coaching for both the body and the mind.

The Art of Evaluation

Alice excelled in her role was laureled by the audience. Not only ahe provided constructive feedback but also educated the audience on how to build the intensity of a speech. Alice dissected Fereshte’s speech to highlight its build-up, emphasizing that evaluation speeches are not just about feedback, but also about educating the audience on the effective use of speech elements. Ana-Maria and Ruxandra, our other evaluators, also contributed significantly, demonstrating how well we can learn from one another.

Table Topics Creativity

Our Table Topic master Habiba selected a fitting autumn-related theme, allowing us to delve into what autumn means to each of us, from cherished memories to seasonal clothing and rituals. Table Topic laurel was awarded to Samira for her adept use of creativity, speech structure, and body language in her response.

What’s on the Horizon?

As we embrace autumn, we continue to grow and thrive in our public speaking journey, learning from one another and setting new milestones. We look forward to the two upcoming  regular meetings scheduled for September 19th and 26th. Be sure to step up and take roles in Easyspeak. Additionally, please note that we will be at the first floor, the Thai Heaven, so kindly confirm your attendance or absence in Easyspeak ahead of time.

In an exciting development, I am happy to announce that we will be hosting a panel discussion on October 17th! Save the date, and more information will follow shortly.

Best Regards, 

Vanessa Stournari

President Zuriberg TMC

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Reflection on the Mentoring Workshop – August 29th

Dear Fellow Zuriberg Toastmasters,

What a delight to see so many of you last Tuesday evening at Blue Monkey!  Autumn made its dynamic appearance and an audience of 20 was present to learn about mentoring and to enjoy the amazing atmosphere of our Zuriberg community.

We had a full agenda of two icebreakers and our long longed-for mentoring workshop.

Breaking the ice

Our new members, Gabriele and Zsolt, shared with us their well-prepared ice breaker speeches. Gabriele described his career transition from architect to software engineer with vivid metaphors and humorous elements. His title ‘Navigating new Adventures 2.0’ could not have been better suited to his life story.  From a very young age, Zsolt was driven to discover mankind΄s secrets, encrypted in our DNA: it is the code of life and holds the secrets of our past. He took us on a journey through time and geography, even unraveling the secrets that DNA reveals about the past of Native Americans.

Diving in to the depth of proper mentoring

The epitomic event of the evening (word of the day) was none other than the mentoring workshop. Mentoring is one of the backbones of our club. It connects us, fosters relationships between members, helps us learn from each other and progress with our public speaking goals. Harry and Roland guided us through the fundamentals of how to best build and foster a relationship between mentor and mentee. Are there specific traits for each role and what are these traits? During the second phase of the workshop, the interactive part, we had the opportunity to sit in pairs and try out both the roles of mentor and mentee. The do΄s and don’ts were then discussed in the open round with Harry and Roland moderating the discussion to extract the essence: Discuss goals with openness, effective listening and taking care to avoid mirroring.

A big applause and thank you to Harry and Roland for creating the content and organized the workshop with such passion and energy.

Autumn is here and we get back into our regular meetings to progress with our goals and speeches. In September, we have 3 regular meetings coming. The next one is on September 12th with the theme “Autumn”. There are still some roles open, step up and take them!

Please confirm attendance or absence in Easyspeak, it helps all of us with planning and smooth run of the evening.

Looking forward seeing you on September 12th! 

Best Regards

Vanessa Stournari

President Zuriberg TMC

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New Toastmaster Year, reflections, and new beginnings – July 11th

 Fellow Toastmasters,


Last week the new committee was incepted in an evening dedicated to Leadership. As the committee members completed their High Leadership Projects (Level 5), they presented their last year’s work, shared their learnings, shed light into the purpose behind their officer roles and, most importantly, explained their motivation to serve the club in the upcoming term.

We thanked our immediate Past President Roland Straub for his immense contribution to the club. In his speech, Roland shared with us insights into Leadership what the gained during his presidential tenure, in particular his experimenting with different leadership styles and balancing between previous experience in the corporate world and a volunteer organization.

The meeting closed with an energetic table topic session on new beginnings moderated by Aaron Huànico-Ramos.

We achieved so much in the last year, as individuals and together as a club. As we progressed on our paths we saw new members coming in and evolving into competent speakers, earned numerous external nominations for our members’ accomplishments; 

  • Elias Miano and immediate Past President Roland got nominated for the triple crown
    award in the District Conference, and saw our members
  • Alice Nuslova
    and Monica Vlad compete and win the second place at the Speech
    contests at Division Level.

 At the club level, 

  • we attained the President’s Distinguished Status and, 
  • our VP Mentoring Harry Loots and Karina Castella got acknowledged at the District Conference for their contribution to the Toastmasters Organization.  Harry and Karina organized multiple contests and got us established in the Toastmasters world.

 I could not be prouder of being a member of this club and its exceptional committee, which works tirelessly to create room for all of us to thrive.

Toastmasters ethos is to develop its members into confident public speakers and leaders. Same to a sailing boat, leadership committee roles, where everyone has an equally important role to play has been the essence of my personal learning xperience, having served as VP Membership, VP Education, and transitioning to President.

The pleasures of sailing, such as basking in the joy of the sea, are similar to the great speeches we relish every Tuesday at our club. However, for the ship to sail, substantial administration work must be done and there are many rules we adhere to, by the 
captain and the crew. Similarly, every club officer needs to deliver on their tasks, and each one of them is an equally important member of the Toastmasters boat, Additionally, every one gets the chance to shape the future of our club.

Shaping a supportive environment, giving back to the community, getting a glimpse into the Toastmasters organization, and understanding the significance of their role for the club, as well as the impact they have on their fellow members are key motivators for our committee members. These elements inspire them to continue serving the club, whether in their current role or in a new one, in the upcoming year.

Next year the Zuriberg Toastmasters’ resolutions are to continue working together towards achieving our goals, learn collectively in this great environment but also to live up to the heritage of being the biggest and one of the best clubs in our District, but without losing focus on our main goal: having lots of fun while learning!

To accomplish that, we prepared a highly diversified agenda full of interesting workshops, engaging debates, and an Award Dinner that will open up the opportunity to practice diverse speech styles. Come up and declare interest to be part of these events!

Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow, the meeting theme is Culture! 

Best Wishes,

Vanessa Stournari, IP5

President
zuribergtoastmasters.ch