Message from our President, Carolann Louw - 2014-2015

Being President of Strelitzia Toastmasters Club this year has been quite a challenge.

We have faced changes in our club officers, moved venues twice and had an unavoidable increase in membership fees.

Any one of these events could have been disastrous for the Club but I believe it is due to the strength and character of Strelitzia Toastmasters that we are still going strong.

I have been amazed at the way members have simply continued meeting regularly with good humour and determination to make things work.We have assisted with a couple of successful Youth Leadership at schools in the area and run a Speech-craft course with excellent results. We have repre-sented Strelitzia at Area Contests in all categories and we have had members attend both October and May Conferences.

Besides this, and probably most importantly, we have worked hard as a group to achieve our personal and Club goals. All this adds up to a very good year for Strelitzia Toastmasters Club.

Members of the Executive Committee

President - Carolann LouwVice President Education - Susan Le RouxVice President Membership - Willem Le RouxTreasurer - Robin LuntVice President Public Relations & Sec. - Vino PillayImmediate Past President - Debbie LangleySergeant At Arms - Richard Galpin __________________________

Club #9181 Area A3 District 74

Koffie Tijd Plantland 83 Atterbury Road Cnr Atter-bury Road and Olympus Drive

“Where leaders are made”

STRELITZIA TOASTMASTERS

How Strelitizia came to be.....

It was in Oct 2006 when a friend of ours, Gert van der Merwe, came to visit us one afternoon. He soon stated the purpose of his visit: in order to earn his DTM, which is the highest accolade in Toastmasters which a member can earn, he needed to start a new club. He wanted to start a club in Pretoria North Area and was looking for our assistance. We soon persuaded him that a club in the East of Pretoria might be more viable to succeed, and suggested Moreletapark.

We phoned a few people and had a Demonstration Meet-ing in Rademeyers restaurant in Moreletapark, and on that afternoon Moreletapark Toastmasters Club was born, with 5 people signing up as members. We have decided to take over an existing charter of a club that died down, namely Highveld Toastmasters Club in Witbank, as it would take too long to first try and get 20 members as was required by Toastmasters International.On the 2nd of February 2007 we registered the “new” club as Strelitzia TM Club, and we regard that as our “birth-date”.

We gathered in many venues since then, and our mem-bership fluctuated a lot, but since the first full year of the existence of Strelitzia TM club, we gained President Distinguished status. This is the highest award for a club to achieve, and we have achieved this award every year since. This is something to be very proud of and not many clubs in Southern Africa can lay claim to this.The club is at present 22 members strong and goes from strength to strength, with our members serving Toastmas-ters in many positions also outside the club. Carolann and Martin served as Stock Custodians for a number of years, keeping stock of TM materials and posting it to TM mem-bers all over Southern Africa.

Susan has likewise been the distributor of New Member Kits all over Southern Africa for 4 years.

Willem and Robin are at present Ambassadors for TM in Div A, visiting all the Clubs in Pretoria to keep everyone informed about the new Educational Program that TM International is developing. Robin conducts many Youth Leadership programs at schools and this year also con-ducted a very successful Speechcraft Course at SAQA, with the assistance of other club members.

Our members are very keen speakers, participating in the TM competitions, and we pride ourselves on excellent evaluations, which is probably why our club is flourishing.Susan le Roux: Vice President _______________________________

Speechcraft and Youth Leadership

Robin Lunt has very successfully run Speechcraft courses at the South African Qualifications Authority and the Youth Leadership Program at Glenstantia Primary and Hatfield Christian Schools. Robin has done a sterling job in running these courses.

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Contest Time

Willem Le Roux and Alma Darlington did us proud by competing in the Area International Speech Con-test and Evaluation Contest. Well done Willem and Alma!

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Starcon 2015

We had the privilege to witness some of the most incredible speakers in the Toastmasters world at the Starcon conference. Those who attended were trans-ported to another realm.

How to Tell a Winner from a Loser

A Winner says: “Let’s find out!”A Loser says: “Nobody knows!”A Winner makes a mistake and says: “I was wrong!” A Loser makes a mistake and says: “It was not my fault!”A Winner goes through a problem.A Loser goes around it – and never gets past it. A Winner makes commitments.A Loser makes promises.A Winner says: “I am good, but not as good as I ought to be.”A Loser says: “I am not as bad as a lot of other peo-ple.”A Winner tries to learn from those who are better.A Loser tries to tear down those who are better.A Winner says: “There ought to be a better way to do it!”A Loser says: “That is the way it has always been done!”A Winner says: “I am going to do it!”A Loser says: “Forget it. It won’t work!”

Martin Louw: Personal Wellness Coach _______________________________

“Henry Cavill makes a great Superhero in the 2013 Man of Steel film based on the DC Comics character Superman. Man of Steel is the biggest grossing Superman movie of all time at $668 045 518. You simply need to browse through the list of credits to appreciate the number of creative minds pooling together to create such a hit movie.

Superman has continued to enthrall and inspire people through many ages. I think we all secretly hope to be a bit like Superman. Arrive unexpectedly at many homes and I am sure you will find men running through the passages wearing red underpants and fanning capes as they secretly pretend to fight off villains, rescue damsels in distress and save the world. What girl would not like to be swept off her feet by a Superhero especially one as hot as Cavill?

There is a bit of Superhero in all of us, we need to take time to discover what superhuman qualities we have. Many of us hide some of our talents and pretend they are non-existent as they fail to conform with the rest of soci-ety. They confuse us and sometimes take us off in a totally new direction, one that we are not accustomed to, one that breaks the walls of our comfort zones down. We can fly, but we choose to stay grounded.

Superman learns to harness his talents over time. We struggle to realise that we have any. Part of the problem is the search for perfectionism that many of us strive for. Un-less we have x-ray vision and superhuman strength we do not see ourselves as Superheroes. We do not write, we do not paint, we do not draw and we do not innovate because we think it is not perfect. If it is not perfect it is not worth anything and so why waste time? We do nothing unless it is perfect leaving our superhuman qualities lying dormant. Superman learns to harness his talents with time. Imagine what the state of the world would be like if he had failed to use them.

The biggest villain you need to fight is Perfectionism; he keeps you grounded, steals your pens and paintbrushes, crushes your ideas and keeps you chained down. Find the courage to harness your talents and powers, develop them over time and then banish Perfectionism to the Phantom Zone once and for all. Commit to harnessing your powers over time. Forget about how great or not so great your work is, assume a false identity for a short while if you must but keep producing, keep writing, keep drawing, keep painting, keep innovating. Perfectionism plans to rule the world, buy those red underpants and fly your cape high, there is a superhero inside all of us."

- Extract from Ideas Like Shoes Take You Places ( (Debra Langley) _____________________________

Strelitzia recently held its Annual Awards Meeting. The following Toastmasters were received recognition:

Obakeng Pienaar - Most Improved Competent CommunicatorVino Pillay - Best Advanced Speaker, Best Attendance, Bright Spark and Toastmaster of the YearStephen Nyamupatchitu - Best Competent CommunicatorRobin Lunt - Best EvaluatorMartin Louw - Best Impromptu SpeakerDebbie Langley - StirrerAlma Darlington - Best Competent CommunicatorJanetta Kannenberg - Most Promising New Toastmaster _______________________________

In loving memory of our dear friend and Toastermas-ter Etty Ebedes who passed away in 2014.

“You are gone but not forgotten” _______________________________

Induction of our New Members

Welcome to our new Strelitzians, Waldemar, Jean-nette, Janetta and Alexander. Wishing you a long and successful journey with Toastmasters.

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The Great Gatsby

In recognition of Toastmaster International’s for-mation in 1924, Strelitzia Toastmasters marked the occasion by hosting a “Gatsby” themed meeting.Since the 1920s was the Gatsby period, members were en-couraged to refer to events that occurred during the 1920s as supporting material for their speeches for this meeting. _______________________________

1. Know your material. 2. Make it personal. 3. Practice makes permanent. 4. Time yourself. 5. Pace yourself. 6. Arrive early. 7. Relax. 8. Visualize your success. 9. Trust your audience. 10. Don’t apologize. 11. Use humor when things go wrong. 12. Gain experience. 13. Eliminate filler words. 14. Ditch distracting mannerisms. 15. Keep your notes in check. 16. Test your volume. 17. Enter contests. 18. Enjoy yourself. 19. Use visuals. 20. Embrace your unique style. 21. Fuel your mental engine. 22. Burn off anxiety. 23. Be prepared for the worst. 24. Pause. 25. Ask a thought-provoking question. 26. Share a startling fact. 27. Don’t overload your slides. 28. Repeat the audience’s questions. 29. Give your audience an immediate action item. 30. Push the envelope. 31. Seek opportunities everywhere. 32. Be specific. 33. Be the expert. 34. Speak to groups as individuals. 35. Learn about your personal leadership style. 36. Find your strengths. 37. Be passionate. 38. Have a positive attitude. 39. Practice impromptu speaking. 40. Encourage honest evaluation. 41. Use quotes, stories and anecdotes. 42. Use “you” and “we”. 43. Don’t take things personally. 44. Trust your instincts. 45. Distinguish your goals and targets.46. Learn from your mistakes. 47. Know when to lose your script. 48. Know the dress code. 49. Use slang with caution. 50. Breathe out.

51. Be patient. 52. Treat your speech like fine dining. 53. Start your career off on the right note. 54. Own your worth. 55. When you disagree with someone, rebut their ideas, not them. 56. Stand. Settle. Smile. 57. Speak your needs. 58. Get rest. 59. Avoid negative topics. 60. Smile and introduce yourself. 61. Practice eye contact. 62. Limit caffeine. 63. Don’t hide from your audience. 64. Use color. 65. Don’t alienate your audience. 66. Know your audience. 67. Avoid speaking in monotone. 68. Free your hands. 69. Be succinct. 70. Be open to evaluation. 71. Give evaluations. 72. Use blue note cards. 73. Join the online conversation. 75. Start your journey. 76. Accept accolades. 77. Step up. 78. Chat with ease. 79. Manage your time. 80. Make them laugh. 81. Speak your case. 82. Keep the peace. 83. PREP (Point, Reason, Example, Point). 84. Give a top-notch toast. 85. Tap into the past. 86. Use common language. 87. Don’t get lost in translation. 88. Take jokes for a test drive. 89. Use people’s names. 90. Keep a journal.

-90 Tips From Toastmasters International _______________________________