Category: Club meetings

Dear fellow Zuriberg Toastmasters,

It’s hard to believe that our 21^st meeting of the Toastmasters year has already concluded, and what an inspiring evening it was!

Svetlana led the way as our Toastmaster, guiding the session with finesse! She seamlessly introduced our speakers, each one offering their unique take on the theme of “strategy.” A special thanks to Denisse, our General Evaluator, and to her team Michelle, Vassilis amd Mathieu for ensuring a constructive yet empowering evaluation throughout the meeting. 

Speakers’s highlights 

Monica delivered a thought-provoking speech titled “How should I survive in a world full of ideals?” within Project Leadership Development #3-8. She skillfully delved into the question of whether we set unrealistic ethical standards, presenting a philosophical topic with a deeply conversational and engaging tone.

Zsolt tackled the theme of “Environmentalism” in his Presentation Mastery #1-3 speech, introducing vocal variety and powerful gestures. His content and delivery earned him the well-deserved title of Best Speaker for the evening.

Joran took us on a humorous journey with “I should have told Laurence”, in his Project Presentation Mastery #1-4 speech, shedding light on some unfortunate leadership examples he encountered in his career.

A warm welcome goes to Innocent, who embarked on his Toastmasters journey with the “Icebreaker” speech for Project Presentation Mastery #1-1. He effectively introduced himself to the club, showcasing he is guilty of an authentic speaking style and a charmingly humorous personality. He set a positive tone for his future speeches. A warm welcome to the club, Innocent!

The art of evaluations

Our evaluators—Yani, Elias, Christina, and Kevin—provided insightful feedback, strategically analyzing the speeches with empathy and encouragement. Kevin was recognized with the Best Evaluation award for his outstanding contribution.

Table Topics 

Our impromptu speech session was orchestrated by Richard, who took us on an engaging journey of alien invasion scenarios, showcasing creativity at its best. Tatyana won the Best Table Topics Speaker award, convincingly assuring us that an alien invasion is nothing compared to the challenges we, the earthlings, create for ourselves.

Closing Thoughts 

A heartfelt thank you to all who contributed to the wonderful atmosphere and the success of the evening, showcasing our commitment to personal development and effective communication within the strategic framework of Toastmasters.

What is on the horizon?

Looking ahead, let’s continue our journey to public speaking excellence in the upcoming meetings. As we experiment with different locations until we return to the familiar Blue Monkey, seize the opportunity to try different stages, starting with a theatrical stage

February 27^th – Regular meeting with Theme New Beginning and Michelle as the TME (Gross Saal in Karl der Grosse)

March 12^th – Regular Meeting with a shocking Theme and Joanna as the TME (L200)

Special Events: 

Area E4 Contest: Friday, February 23^rd 17:30 to 22:00 in Europaallee (or join online) come to support our club winners, Thomas, Christina, Elias and myself, Vanessa at the international, evaluation and table topics speech contests. Engaging speeches and mingle with the other Toastmasters clubs of our area (Walk the Talk, Credit Suisse Corporate Club and St. Gallen TMC). Hier is the registration Link  https://forms.gle/bM5PaeFXCVHLECZZ9 

Area E4 German Speech contest: Saturday, February 24th online 

How are speeches of our area doing in German? Join to explore and maybe support 😊

https://forms.gle/6nAJGaGk4WgxZ11f8

Dear Zuriberg Toastmasters,

What a truly enchanting start we had to the new year at our last Tuesday’s gathering, set against the historical backdrop of the medieval Guild of the Carpenters in Zurich!

Stepping into the medieval guild hall was like taking a journey back in time. The rich history of the Guild of the Carpenters provided a unique setting for our meeting. Sabina, our Toastmaster of the evening, skillfully guided us through an entertaining journey, seamlessly navigating the challenges posed by the new venue with her excellent preparation.

Speakers΄ Highlights

Keynote in Evaluations: Roland, in his eloquent keynote, likened evaluation to the essential fertilizer of our growth. He outlined nine guiding principles, with the first and foremost being to listen carefully and observe the speaker’s objectives.

Yani elucidated some Artificial Intelligence (AI) aspects with the creative story- telling elements, while bringing Alan Turin to life throughout her speech.

Path Reflection: Harry shared an inspiring reflection on his extensive public speaking journey, starting at the tender age of seven. His key advice? To become a better speaker or conversationalist, one must begin by learning to listen. His remarkable achievements earned him the best speaker award.

Zsolt seamlessly integrated his speech with the theme of the day, providing valuable insights on hacking ourselves to turn learning into an entertaining journey.

Icebreaker: Congratulations to Marco for his icebreaker! With vivid descriptions and body language, he took us on a captivating journey to Italy. What added to the speech’s quality? His authentic sharing of his public speaking objectives.

The Art of Evaluations

Evaluations, being a form of speech themselves, demand engaging openings, structured content, and effective time management. All evaluators applied some of the nine principles shared in the keynote, granting them the skill of effective listening! Christina, with her constructive examples, was rightfully awarded the best evaluator.

What Awaits on the Horizon

– 23^rd of January: Club Speech Contest with Alice and Kevin as Contest Chairs.

– 30^th of January:Cultural Enrichment with Burn’s Night hosted by Harry. Spoiler alert: Expect Scottish ambiance, poetry, whiskey, and the opening dedicated to our general assembly.

Here’s to more captivating evenings at the Guild of the Carpenters, where each gathering becomes a page in our own historical narrative.

Warmest wishes,

Vanessa Stournari, 

President Zuriberg TMC

Dear Zuriberg Toastmasters,

What a fantastic way to close out the year! Our celebration was infused with the perfect blend of fun, creativity, and a festive atmosphere, creating the recipe for a truly successful party. Anna and I took great pleasure in orchestrating and hosting this memorable evening! A special shout out to Samira and Thomas who engaged as our croupiers for the night, full in style!

 Table Topics Highlights

The Table Topics segment showcased that expression in any form, be it improvisational speeches, storytelling, body language, or even drawing, has a magical effect on engaging the audience. When these elements are harmoniously blended, the engagement scale reaches its peak, leaving the audience captivated.      

Beyond the entertainment, we uncovered hidden talents among our members! Gabriele and Hugo claimed the spotlight, walking away with cinema tickets to the picturesque art kinos of Zurich as the prize! Joran struck Bingo, leading to a short impromptu award acceptance speech, much to the delight of the audience. Meanwhile, Michelle earned the grand casino night award, revealing the depth of talent within our Toastmasters community.

 What is on the horizon?

Looking ahead, the horizon is promising! The new year kicks off with three diverse meetings designed to enhance our public speaking skills.

Join us: 

 – January 16^th for a regular meeting,

 – January 23^rd for the Club Speech Contest (last registration round—reach out to Alice!),

 – January 30^th for a Cultural Enrichment Meeting hosted by Harry featuring a Burn’s Night celebration.

 Let’s embark on this journey of growth and eloquence together as we set our New Year’s resolution to elevate our public speaking prowess.

 Cheers to a year filled with compelling stories, confident speakers, and shared success!

 Warmest regards,

Vanessa Stournari

President Zuriberg TMC