183rd Regular Meeting on 21 October, 2023その２

「Harvest what you have planted！」

みなさんは、今年はどんな種まきをしましたか？どんな収穫がありましたか？

今回の例会のPrepared Speechのセッションでは、4つのスピーチを聴きました。

本日の1番手、Momoは「Why Tea Ceremony？」と題したスピーチで、茶道のお茶碗とお茶筅を持って登場。お茶のお稽古は片づけに30分かけるそうです。片づけは次に使う時の大事な準備、という言葉にハッとさせられました。肝に銘じます。論評をしたKiyoさんはなんとお茶の先生。お茶の大事な精神である「和敬清寂」と、「軸」についても触れたらよいとアドバイス。「和敬清寂」の精神。今度また聞いてみたいです。 

２人目のスピーカー、HikoさんはEvaluation and Feedbackというプロジェクトに取り組みました。スピーチの講評をもらって、それをもとに次回はより良くなったスピーチをもう一度披露する、というものです。今回は1回目。英国駐在時のお子さんの英語力の吸収と比較しながらご自身の英語の学習について語られました。Evaluatorてんてんからは、印象的だったお子さんのセリフを冒頭にもってきては？と構成に関するアドバイスがありました。次回はどんなふうに変化するか楽しみです。 

3番手、かまやんは2つ前のブログエントリーにもあった冒頭にあった、AnneさんのHere’s My Trickのジェスチャを早速取り入れて、ドラマティックに”Why Are you here?” と問いかけていました。どこか上のほうに向かって。このタイトル、なぜ自分がToastmasters Clubに入ったのかと考えさせるスピーチか、と思いきや。なんと、この季節のみんなの大敵、「カメムシ」に問いかける一言でした！カメムシを避けるTips。もっと早く知りたかったものです。かまやんからEvaluatorのAnneさんに、Transitionについての表現をFeedbackしてほしい、とリクエストしてあったとのこと。Anneさんは色々な言いかえ表現を紹介してくれて、スピーカーにもオーディエンスにも勉強になりました。どんなところを見てほしい、というのは事前に伝えておくとよいですね！ 

最後のスピーカーはConflict Resolutionのプロジェクト。EMPTYという手法で衝突を解消していく手法を、ストーリーテリングを交えて紹介されました。EMPTY―空虚な何かと思ったら、頭文字でした。EvaluatorのKazuは、蓬莱551のCMを実演しながら、EMPTYのあるときー、ないときーのように比較をもっと！とアドバイス。

初めての司会進行Toastmaster of the Day を務めたよっちゃん。初めてのタイマーを務めたYasuko。Here’s My Trickの技を早速使ったかまやんは、早摘みの収穫。Evaluation and Feedbackに挑戦するHikoさんは、まだこれから収穫が待っています。

　　　　　　　　

それぞれに収穫のあった今年の秋。これからもみんながどんな収穫をするか楽しみですね。 

種まき、収穫をしたい方は是非例会を覗きにきてください。

見学はHPのContact Formからお申込みください！

今回のGeneral Evaluator：まりりん

チャンピオンによる未来のチャンピオンの為のスピーチ WS: October 29, 2023

2023年10月29日に日本のトーストマスターズクラブが所属するDistrict 76が主催した「チャンピオンによる未来のチャンピオンの為のスピーチワークショップ」が行われました。3人のスピーチに過去のDistrict Championお2人がフィードバックをするというもので、そのうちの一人が千里トーストマスターズクラブの会員、Momoさんでした。今回はこのワークショップに参加したAnneによるこのワークショップの紹介記事です。

In a room filled with eager faces in Shibuya Tokyo, Momo took center stage to deliver a story of courage, resilience, and determination. She is one of our members, and she was one of the speakers at a nationwide educational event that District 76 of Toastmasters International hosted, "チャンピオンによる未来のチャンピオンの為のスピーチワークショップ" or literally translated "A Speech Workshop by Champions for Future Champions." 

Her inspiring speech, “The Greatest Speaker,” revolved around a young student who had entered a speech contest while enduring many challenges. Momoko highlighted the student’s strong will and bravery to step onto that stage to voice her ideas.

However, the true magic of Momo’s speech came to life when two former District champions offered feedback on her speech performance. I had the opportunity to hear her speech twice before, but the feedback the two champions provided introduced a fresh perspective, revealing the power of ‘Toastmaster’s Mentorship’.

In the end, Momo’s speech was a powerful reminder that it’s not just about winning a competition but about the journey, growth, and determination to improve our skills. 

The 183rd Regular Meeting: October 21, 2023

Super-mini Workshop

This meeting started with the "Here's My Trick" presentation, which really looked like a workshop though it only lasted around three minutes or so.

The presenter, Anne, talked about her tips on delivery, which she learned at an English Rakugo workshop. She prepared some sentences for the attendees to practice and demonstrated how to deliver effectively using good posture, hand gestures, and vocal variety. Following her instructions, the participants tried those tips mimicking her as shown in the photo below.

For your information, "Here's My Trick" is not a standard Toastmasters program. It is our unique program that started this program year, where members share their own tips on public speaking. If you're interested, visit one of our meetings and see it for yourself! You can sign up from our website here.

Tenten

Special Meeting: September 30, 2023

 Toastmastersの活動でメンバーはいろんな役割をしますが、どんな役割を担当しても自身のスピーチ上達につながるんですよ。今回のSpecial meetingではSpeech上達につながるTipsが沢山ありました。

最初に今年度から始まった企画でメンバーが互いにTipsを紹介しあうコーナー“Here‘s My Trick”は、英語教師Momoさんからの発音に関するTips｡英語教師ならではの直筆紙アイテムを使ったプレゼンで､生徒になった気分になりました｡効果的なスピーチをするために、正しい強勢・音節で発音することはとても重要なことですよね｡　特に日本人が陥りやすい発音の間違いについて、例を交えた説明は理解しやすかった。一度で全部覚えきれなかったので、動画をもう一度みて学習しようと思ってます。（千里トーストマスターズクラブは毎回の例会を録画しているので会員はスピーチを見返して再度確認ことができるんです。）

Prepared Speech セッションから2点紹介します。9月に新メンバーとして加入したMollyが初めてと思えない落ち着いたスピーチを披露してくれました。過去、現在、そして未来の描写がとてもスムーズで話に吸いこまれました｡今後のスピーチがとても楽しみです。

2点目はTentenのKeynoteスタイルのスピーチ。Get There Faster と題したスピーチは、Toastmastersで得られる様々な機会を活用してより効果的なスピーカーになるための方法を中心としたものでした。Toastmastersには例会中に担当するRoleやクラブ運営に関わるRoleがあります｡どのRoleを取り上げても､自身のスピーチを向上させる機会が含まれているんですよね｡例えばスピーチの時間を計測すしてスピーカーにどれくらいの時間が経過しているかを知らせるるタイマーというRoleがあります｡このRoleもシンプルにスピーチの終了時間を計測するのみならず､スピーカーが持ち時間の内どれくらいオープニングに使ったか等を分析しながら担当すると､自身のスピーチの際に役立ちます｡その他のRoleもファシリテーションスキルや即興スピーチスキルなどが習得できる機会を含んでいるということを解説してくれました。

次回は10月21日に本拠地 千里中央のコラボにてハイブリット例会を予定しています。次回も楽しくて学びの多いイベントになること間違いなし。興味をお持ちいただけましたら、ホームページのContact Usフォームからご連絡ください！

Any role in the Toastmasters club leads to improved speech skills. In this Special meeting, members shared many tips that contribute to speech improvement.

First, in the "Here's My Trick" session, English teacher Momo gave a presentation on pronunciation using unique items. It was very informative, especially when she provided examples of common pronunciation mistakes that Japanese people often make. I hope to become more aware of placing the correct stress in order to aim for effective speeches. I couldn't remember everything at once, so I would like to watch the video again for further learning. At Senri Toastmasters, we record every meeting, allowing members to review their speeches.

I'll share two things from the Prepared Speech session. Molly, a new member who joined in September, delivered a speech in a  relaxed manner. It didn't seem like her first. Her descriptions of the past, present, and future were very smooth and captivating. I look forward to her future speeches.

The second is about Tenten's keynote-style speech. Titled "Get There Faster," his speech was centered around ways to make use of different opportunities in Toastmasters to help us become better speakers. Every role provides an opportunity to improve one's own speech. For example, there is a role called the Timer, whose primary responsibility is to measure the speech time and show colored signals to let the speakers know how much time has passed. Tenten told us that we can also be proactive and analyze how much of the speaker's allotted time was used for the opening, body, and conclusion. This perspective can be helpful for our own speech. He also explained how we can utilize opportunities other roles provide to improve our facilitation and impromptu speaking skills.

Our next meeting is scheduled to be a hybrid one at Collabo in Senri Chuo on October 21. If you are interested, please contact us through the Contact Us form on our website.

Members Join Debate Festival

 In Toastmasters, the club meeting is at the center of our learning. Yet, that is not the only opportunity for us to learn. There are other possibilities, too. Some examples include speech contests at the area, division, district, and international levels. There are district-sponsored educational events as well. On top of that, some clubs organize their own events inviting members of other clubs.

One such case was the Debate Festival organized by Speak-up Toastmasters Club on September 24. The club is an "advanced" club that features debating as part of its program. (The category "advanced" means clubs under that category only accept membership applications from existing or former Toastmasters.) The Debate Festival was conducted using a "Parliamentary Debate" format, a kind of impromptu debate where the topic is announced on the spot and the debaters only have 15 minutes to prepare.

Our debaters, Momo, Tamiko, and Yocchan, were not familiar with debate in this format but decided to join the event. They held numerous practice sessions to be better prepared and a lot of members volunteered to join these practice sessions taking the role of their opponents. Among them was Molly, who had only recently joined the club and was quite familiar with parliamentary debating. She volunteered to observe the practice session and provide comments to the debaters. Her comments were detailed and insightful indeed.

With the debaters' efforts and support from other members, they performed well and placed second in the Festival. Congratulations!! This serves as a perfect example of Senri's Teamwork spirit.

The 182nd Regular Meeting: September 16, 2023

Club President Rene infused the meeting with a dose of humor as she playfully wielded the gavel upon the lectern, declaring, “Let’s kick off this meeting with a bang!” Her lighthearted opening set the tone for an enjoyable, enlightening, and uplifting gathering.

With this spirited start, the meeting soared with Kamayan sharing invaluable tips on “Vocal Tone.” We pondered the impact of tone on our presentations, realizing that it’s not just the content but also the tone of our voices that truly matter. Kamayan urged us to fine-tune our vocal delivery for various situations, reminding us that casual conversations, informal gatherings, and public speeches each require their unique tonal nuances – like the musical notes Do, Mi, So. The takeaway was clear: Elevating our charisma and credibility lies in mastering our tone and volume. It was a valuable hack worth embracing!

Serving as Toastmaster of the Day, the facilitator of the education portion of the meeting, Momoko led the meeting with sincerity and boundless enthusiasm, impressing us with her ability to speak from the heart, effortlessly delivering introductions without relying on notes. Her natural approach set the stage for a memorable meeting.

The highlight of the meeting was undoubtedly the Induction Ceremony, where we welcomed our newest member, Molly, into the Senri Toastmasters family. As members, we pledged to support Molly on her journey of self-development, providing positive feedback and helpful evaluations to ensure her membership is a rewarding and fulfilling experience. Kazu introduced the “Word of the Day” –“proactive,” sharing a personal anecdote about his proactive decision to seek a health check-up due to severe stomach pains. It reminded us of the importance of taking charge of our health.

Regrettably, the Best Speaker Award remained unclaimed due to several speakers exceeding their allotted time – a struggle we’ve all faced. Despite this, all prepared speeches were exceptional, touching on diverse topics such as “Something Absorbed In,” “Your Body Speaks,”“Rugby,” and “Synesthesia.”   Mune and Marilyn complemented their speeches with colorful and well-designed PowerPoint slides that enhanced their messages. Tenten offered invaluable insights into effective body language, illustrating his points with a persuasive example of how he conquered his own mistakes. Lastly, the return of Kiyono to our in-person venue after over a year was a heartwarming experience, and her speech left a lasting impact.

The much-anticipated Evaluation Session followed, with Kamayan, Rene, Tamiko, and Tenten providing thoughtful feedback tailored to each speaker’s experience level. This session also served as an opportunity for us to hone our skills as confident evaluators – a reminder that practice is the key to improvement. 

Hiko led an entertaining and educational Table Topics (impromptu speech) Session, delving into the theme of “Crisis Management.” Kazu claimed the title of Best Table Topics Speaker by brilliantly responding to the question, “What’s the first thing you’d do in the unexpected event of an earthquake?” His spontaneous answer, “shoes,” struck a chord with many of us.

The meticulous timing and record-keeping were handled by Yoshiko, while Mitsuru explained the voting rules with clarity and engaging eye contact. Masami, a newly inducted member, excelled as the Ah-Counter, skillfully tallying all the filler words and delivering a friendly and humble report at the meeting’s close.

A heartfelt thanks goes out to Zoom Master Mariko and her team, who flawlessly managed the online operations, making hybrid meetings possible through their proactive efforts.

Lastly,  let’s cheer on our three debaters – Yoshiko, Momo, and Tamiko – as they prepare to participate in the Speak-Up Toastmasters Club-sponsored  Debate Festival on September 24th. Their courage and commitment to honing their skills deserve our support and applause.