Category: Club meetings

Dear Zuriberg Toastmasters, 

In a world where the last minute is often associated with stress, our last Toastmasters meeting took a refreshing perspective on the theme “Last Minute.” The evening unfolded with a blend of insights, creativity, and laughter, proving that the last minute isn’t always as daunting as it seems. It may also allow for a creativity boost!

Meeting Highlights

Christina and Fereshteh, our Toastmaster of the Evening (TME) and Table Topics Master respectively, navigated the theme, offering diverse perspectives on how we handle the last-minute. Kevin stood out with his creative take on a last-minute situation, earning him the Table Topics Best Speaker award.

Speaker Highlights

• Tatyana: Completing the Engaging Humor Pathways, Tatyana shared the wisdom gained in her 3.5-year journey. Her key lesson? The best humor often stems from ordinary situations.
• Richard: With the mantra “Per aspera ad astra,” Richard emphasized the value of audience feedback in the journey of public speaking while reflecting on his Persuasive Influence Pahways. His well-crafted speech drew inspiration from a favorite movie, engaging the audience with elements of inspiration.
• Gabriele: Blending his speech seamlessly with the theme, Gabriele explored the benefits of abandoning a last-minute lifestyle as we progress in life. Drawing parallels with the Toyota “Just in Time” approach, he skillfully connected real-life examples, captivating the audience.
• Andrea: Introducing himself with an authentic and humorous style, Andrea left us eager for more of his future speeches.

The Art of Evaluation

Michelle demonstrated the challenging art of evaluation, taking home the Best Evaluator award. Her empathetic and constructive feedback on Tatyana’s speech highlighted that in the pursuit of humor, authenticity and passionate storytelling can also be as impactful.

Conclusion

As the year comes to an end, our Toastmasters journey taught us the importance of pushing boundaries in prepared, last-minute, and improvisational speeches. Exchange, constructive feedback, and a nurturing environment for experimentation create a recipe for individual and collective growth. As we reflect on the past year, let’s set new resolutions for improvement.

What’s on the Horizon?

– The Christmas party and year-end closure meeting are just around the corner. Get ready to celebrate in festive attire!

– Don’t forget to register for the speech club contest in January—time is running out!

In the spirit of Toastmasters, let’s continue to embrace the unexpected and grow together. Cheers to a year of learning, laughter, and last-minute triumphs!

Warmest wishes, 

Vanessa Stournari

President Zuriberg Toastmasters club

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

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

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