VanCore Toastmasters

Vancore is very proud of Bruce Grierson for seizing the opportunity to deliver a speech at the upcoming Area 96 Spring Conference education workshop. Bruce is a long-standing Vancore member and an accomplished author of “What Makes Olga Run”.

Bruce took time out to answer a few questions…

What motivated you to enter as a workshop speaker?

BG: It’s a great event, one I thought I’d like to be part of if I could make the cut. More generally, it’s a chance to step outside the familiar confines of our little club. Stage time is stage time, but stage time in front of a crowd is better because it’s harder. Stakes are higher.

What is the title of your speech? Why did you choose this subject?

BG: It’s called One Big Day. It’s a “carpe diem” message, but with a twist. This is something I’ve been thinking about for a decade — but my friend Olga inspired me to get going on it. I’m hoping to write a book about it. For the time being it’s a web-based project, but talking it up will help. 

What are you doing to prepare for the speech?

BG: I’ve workshopped parts of it here at Vancore — invaluable. Also did a run-through of the whole thing at the Advanced Leaders Lab: again, invaluable feedback that I took to heart and actually used to tweak the presentation significantly. Otherwise I do it in my head while walking the dog on the Baden Powell Trail. People see me talking to myself and give us a wide berth.

How has participating in Vancore prepared you for this point in your public speaking journey?

BG: Vancore’s been awesome. Again, it’s the repetition, just standing up and talking off the cuff every week, that’s key. As the club’s co-founder Jim Paterson used to say, “The more you come, the better you get.”

Anything else you would like to add?

BG: Toastmasters is the most undervalued thing out there. So cheap relative to the benefits. And there aren’t many people who couldn’t benefit from practicing speaking in public.

Thank you, Bruce, and all the best!

Let’s support Bruce as he takes his public speaking to the next level. Attend the Toastmasters Area 96 Spring Conference and listen to Bruce deliver his speech this Saturday, May 14^th at 9 AM. Expect lots of laughs as he uses props to illustrate his points.

Register for the entire weekend Conference or just for one day. Attend for valuable education, inspiration, networking and lots of fun!

Also remember to come out to this Wednesday’s meeting to learn and practice your public speaking. You may even get to hear Bruce deliver a speech, and maybe get his autograph!

Congratulations to Kate Hallanzy (left in photo) for winning the Vancore International Speech Contest, and to Connie Hubbs (right in photo) for winning the Vancore Evaluation Contest on March 23rd. Connie later went on to compete at the Toastmasters Area 70 Contest.

We’re happy to announce that Connie Hubbs recently won second place at the Toastmasters Area 70 Evaluation Contest! Connie will once again demonstrate her well-honed evaluation skills as she advances to the Division N Evaluation Contest. Congratulations, Connie, and best of luck!

Come out this Saturday to support Connie Hubbs as she represents Vancore! You’ll be treated to some amazing speeches and evaluations.

Division N International Speech and Evaluation Contest
When: Saturday, April 23rd, 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm
Where: Holy Trinity Anglican Church, 2nd floor
Address: 1440 W. 12th Avenue, Vancouver, BC
To reserve a seat at the contest, sign up here.

Final Note: don’t forget to schedule Vancore meetings every Wednesday on your calendar. We’d love to see and hear from you!

Join us this Wednesday, March 23, 2016 for Vancore’s International Speech and Evaluation Contest. Listen to contestants deliver some great speeches and evaluations as they try to qualify for the district contest. You’re sure to be entertained, informed and inspired!

Kate Hallanzy

Kate Hallanzy, Competent Communicator and former Vancore president, was the club winner at last year’s International Speech Contest. She is returning as one of three contestant speakers on Wednesday, March 23rd, vying for a repeat winning performance. Kate took time out of her speech preparation to answer a few questions…

Q & A with Kate

What is the experience like as a contestant for the International Speech Contest?

KH: It takes you to the next level. No doubt about it. It’s initially nerve-wracking walking into a room and starting the speech. 

What do you think makes for a winning speech?

KH: It’s important to meet the goals set by the grading scheme but not make the whole process look contrived at the same time. 

What made you decide to return again as a contestant?

KH: Reduce fear. First time is always the worst but it gets easier. Also, I have something I want to say. 

Can you give us a hint of what your upcoming speech is about?

KH: The battle of our time!  

Thank you Kate for your insights, and good luck!

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About Toastmasters International Speech and Evaluation Contest

A Toastmasters tradition, contests are a key component of member experience. Contests offer an opportunity for members to step outside of their comfort zone, test their skills, and receive recognition for their accomplishments both inside and outside of the club meeting environment. Competition begins with club contests and winners continue competing through the area, division and district levels.

We can’t wait to meet the contestants and judges on Wednesday at 3 pm. See you there!

One of the benefits of speaking at a Toastmasters meeting is having a designated person record your ums, ahs and overused words or filler sounds used as a crutch while speaking. Words may be inappropriate interjections, such as and, well, but, so and you know. Sounds may be ah, um or er.

These words and sounds come out of your mouth automatically when your brain is thinking of the rest of the sentence. One of the reasons we use ums or ahs as a filler sound is because we do not allow ourselves to pause by means of silence. The pause is effective as long as it is not overused. Instead of saying the um or ah when you feel it slipping out of your mouth, pause, take a quick breath, and then continue speaking.

If you want to get serious about reducing the filler words, record your speech with your phone. Listen to yourself and concentrate on when and how often you say these utterances so you recognize when it is happening.

If your speech has numerous filler words, your audience will concentrate less on your message and more on your interrupters. Projecting a confident image and sounding professional involves eliminating bad habits and establishing good ones. You are judged not only by what you say but how you say it.

This article from the Toastmasters Magazine gives more insight into Cutting out Filler Words. A subscription to Toastmasters Magazine is included with your membership.

Come to a Vancore Toastmasters meeting on Wednesday at 3 pm. Practice makes perfect!

How is your new year resolution going so far?

A new year means changing things up a bit so we have a new location for this upcoming meeting:

Date: Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Time: 3:00 – 4:15 pm
Where: The Network Hub – Unit 170 , 422 Richards St.

Our occasional venue change gives meeting participants a chance to get out of their comfort zone and practice speaking in a different environment. Come hear the full slate of speakers who have signed up to deliver their prepared speeches!

Give yourself a chance to absorb how the new surroundings make you feel when standing in front of an audience. Does it require an adjustment?

Meetings resume at our usual venue – 8th floor, 889 W. Pender St. – next week, February 3rd.

What an inspiration to be part of the Art of Effective Evaluation workshop! Longtime member and workshop speaker, Jonathan Buchanan, presented an interactive workshop held on November 18, 2015 on how to use evaluation as an important feedback and improvement tool.

The workshop was Jonathan’s final project to complete the Advanced Communicator Gold program. Congratulations, Jonathan, for achieving your Advanced Communicator Gold!

Ryan and new Vancore member, Virginie, later presented speeches and received their respective evaluations from Connie and Irma, demonstrating some of the skills presented during the workshop.

The workshop highlighted the 10 Behaviours of an Effective Evaluator:

1. Show that you care
2. Suit your evaluation to the speaker
3. Learn the speaker’s objectives
4. Listen actively
5. Personalize your language
6. Give positive reinforcement
7. Build a motivational climate
8. Evaluate behaviour – not people
9. Nourish self-esteem
10. Show the speaker how to improve

Watch the Workshop Video.

Come and attend a special edition of Vancore Toastmasters on Wednesday, September 30, 2015. Listen to some funny and crazy stories from a few accomplished speakers in the Tall Tales contest and listen to other speakers deliver a spontaneous response to a topic in the Table Topics contest.

How does the Table Topics and Tall Tales contests work?

* In the Table Topics contest, each contestant will give a table topic speech on the same topic. Standard timing of 1 to 2 minutes. Contestants will be judged primarily on how well they structure and develop the topic, the effectiveness of the response in answering the question and delivery.

* In the Tall Tales contest, each contestant is to give a 3 to 5 minute speech on a story that is highly exaggerated and improbable. Contestants will be judged primarily on delivery (use of humor, exaggeration, puns, etc.) and story development.

* Winners of the contests will get the chance to compete through to the area, division and district level contests.

This is a wonderful opportunity for participants to test themselves on table topics and story telling skills in an environment that is different from regular club meetings.

Hello Vancore,

Thank you to all our wonderful contestants and contest helpers for making this year’s speech and evaluation contest a success! I hope all of you enjoyed the speeches, evaluations, and atmosphere as much as I did!

As for the results of our contest this year, I’d like to give a big congratulations to both Kate and Jesse for moving on to the area level speech and evaluation contest! You both did great! Go knock ’em out at the area level contest!

Everyone, if you are able to attend, please show Kate and Jesse some support at the area contest, which will take place this Wednesday (details are below).

Area 26 International Speech and Evaluation Contest
When: April 1st, 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Where: 422 Richards Street #300, Vancouver, BC V6B 2Z4
Entrance fee: $3 to cover up room rental cost. Free for contestants.
Please come with your own snacks and beverage.

Hello Vancore!

This is a reminder that next week’s meeting on Wednesday, March 18, 2015 is contest day! Come on out and support our fellow club members as they deliver some great speeches and evaluations as they try to qualify for the district contest!

Contestants, Judges and Helpers, please make sure you arrive at least 20 minutes before the start of the meeting (so by 2:40 PM) as you will need to be briefed on contest rules before we start the contest off at 3:00 PM.

To everyone else, please be on time as well as we must finish the contest by 4:30 PM.