Category: Club meetings

Posted on

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

Posted on

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

Posted on

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

Posted on

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