This is an especially exciting event for those participating in the Table Topics portion. Each contestant delivers an impromptu speech on the same topic. Sequestered, they do not have the ability to hear each others speech. This permits a level playing field in order to judge the 5-7 minute off-the-cuff speech. This is a wonderful opportunity to compare and contrast the style and the approaches of different speakers.

In the International Speech contest portion, I am rooting for Barb Weisenberger. She is an excellent speaker and is my role model at the moment. Come listen to her!

Krissy Custer led off the competition with a light-hearted review of a vacation experience of swimming with sharks. I checked out her boyfriend for the web feet that she mentioned but I only saw normal guy shoes.

Tom Wagener has a wonderful presentation style that was a good fit with his around-the-house-Tim-the-Tool-Man approach to humor about himself. I enjoyed him immensely.

Barb Weisenberger  had kept a secret for years from her husband and she finally told him during a medical emergency because ‘Laughter is the Best Medicine’.  She re-told that story and the laughter that allowed them to lighten the burden during that emergency. Today her husband reminds her of the story whenever he has a chance.  She has a wonderful story-telling style.

Dale Lehner  (that’s me) spoke of the power and types of secrets in a humorous way that people could identify with.

Barb Weisenberger took first place and Dale Lehner took second place.

Given that both winners spoke of secrets, should we speculate that secrets of any kind still hold power in mysterious ways?

The next step is the Division level contest to be held in Wausau in October. Both Barb and Dale will present at that competition. More to come later about that…

I have been with Chippewa Valley Toastmasters just a few months but I want to share with you what I think is the single largest value of participating in our club: You learn to think on your feet.

This is a tremendous advantage if you participate in any group or if you regularly volunteer yourself in community projects.  You may not know it but most of us begin our lives on an equal playing field when we graduate from high school. We have no money, no place of our own, no material possessions, and no experience.  Twenty or more years later, *poof!* we find that we have had careers in an industry, we now have experience, a little money, material possessions ( too many!) , and a place that we call home.

One thing that we learn from our experience is that those who are comfortable talking with groups usually appear to have just a little more of everything than those who do not.  This ability to comfortably speak was not acquired at Office Max or your local bowling alley. It was ‘learning by doing’. For many of us,  that speaking experience was tough to learn on our own and it was often fraught with humbling and embarrassing moments. There is no need for that when you have Toastmasters to help you acquire and develop your own natural speaking style.

Everyone speaks differently. Your own style will emerge as you work your way through a Toastmaster program that guides you through mastering your own voice and your own body gestures that reflect you… at your best.

The speaking experience at the club is relaxed and your club members provide you positive feedback on what worked well and then, perhaps, they will give you a little challenge to do more of something the next time you speak. As a CVT member,  watching and listening to other speakers gives you role models to follow but not to mimic. And one of the greatest learning tools available is an environment that permits you to model after your peers.

And then one day it will happen.  You will find yourself in a group of people and you will have  something to say. The words will flow effortlessly from you and,  as you are talking,  you realize that it is because of all the practice you had at Chippewa Valley Toastmasters.  When you have finished, you will see people nodding their heads in agreement with what you said and you will then know that you have acquired a new skill.

Chippewa Valley Toastmasters provides the experience for you to  learn how to think on your feet.

Come visit us. You can attend as many meetings as you like as a guest. Listen to the speeches and the evaluations. When you are ready, become a member and begin learning to think on your feet.

Dale