ENTHUSIASTIC members of the Killarney Toastmasters Club were to the fore during a very unique event which featured a marathon meeting celebrating holidays and culture around the world.
12 clubs from 12 world regions held 12 consecutive two-hour Toastmaster meetings in December, working through the time zones with participants from Japan, Australia, Malaysia, China, India, Oman, Kenya, Ireland, Brazil, Bahamas, Canada and the USA.
Ireland was the country chosen to represent Europe and, in turn, Killarney Toastmasters was the club chosen to represent Ireland with various roles shared with members from clubs around the country. The meeting was facilitated online and Killarney Toastmaster, Ivar Prudnikovas, was the Zoom Master assisted by Liz Welch.
Beth Njeri from Nakura TMC in Kenya passed the gavel to Killarney Toastmasters’ President, Bernadette Noonan, who opened the meeting and welcomed all members from around the world.
The meeting was chaired by Larry Lyons from Roscrea Speakers and Killarney, in all its glory, was highlighted in Larry’s background pictures throughout the meeting.
In the literary corner Susan Baughman read the poem The Splendour Falls by Alfred Lord Tennyson and she illustrated the poem with beautiful images of Killarney which were beamed to an audience around the world.
Three excellent speeches, in which humour was the order of the day, were delivered by Mike Cronin, Mallow Speak Easy Club, Ashleigh Tobin from Wicklow Toastmasters and Saoirse Enright, a new member of Listowel Toastmasters
At the coffee break, in his own inimitable way, Anthony Garvey of Tralee Toastmasters entertained the audience and interviewed members from around the world.
The table topics session had a Christmas theme and they were prepared and presented by Pauline McCabe of Mullingar Toastmasters while Killarney member, Patrick Roarty, picked up his guitar and gave us a rendition of Christmas in Killarney in response to his topic.
entertained the audience
The detailed general evaluation of the meeting was conducted by Ted Corcoran from Fossa in Killarney who is a past Toastmasters International President., a Dublin Toastmaster and an honorary member of Killarney Toastmasters.
The encouraging, excellent speech evaluations were given by Helen Dagnall, West Limerick Toastmasters, Brenda Pierce, LIstowel Toastmasters and Pat Ryan, Roscrea Speakers.
Grammarian Ann Lawlor of Tralee Toastmasters, listened attentively for attractive use of language and for “ahs” and “ums” and unnecessary crutch words. The word SO at the beginning of sentences greatly outnumbered the use of any other crutch word.
Gerard Mannix of Killarney Toastmasters, the current Director of District 71 which incorporates most of Great Britain and all of Ireland, thanked everyone who made the meeting possible and all those who prepared and delivered it before Killarney Toastmasters’ President, Bernadette Noonan, passed on the gavel to Joao Augusto Cortial of Vila Olimpia English Toastmasters Club, representing Brazil and the marathon holiday celebration continued for a further eight hours.
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